Leaving Thailand

[Inuk]

Status: Married legally in Bangkok to Thai lady for 14 yrs. Moved to UK for 3 yrs where our son was born. Then subsequently moved back to Thailand, my son arriving on a British Passport with entry card.

Son: 12 yrs now on his third British Passport, all 3 completed and signed by myself, the father. Other UK legal documents also signed as his father and guardian.

His birth certificate, issued in the UK and in the official Thai translation, gives my name as the Father and my wife's name as the Mother.

I have to move back to the UK for reasons various and my son also wishes to go to the UK. I do not want to leave my son here at this critical time in his life and education. However my wife wants to remain in Thailand and I guess she wants him to stay with her and her other older son whom I have looked after.

Question: Can my son and I leave Thailand hassle free as there are a number of benefits and later opportunities that would not be available to him if he has to remain here? Thank you.

 

[Hanuman2547]

I was in the same situation as you but back in 2001 with two sons ages 16 & 14.  Although they were fluent in English and spoke without any accent their vocabulary was a little lacking.  Both my wife and I wanted them to return to the USA so they could finish high school there and then go on to university which they did.  My Thai wife did her MS & PhD in the USA where we met so she knew the advantages of them studying there.  She remained in Bangkok as she had a very good job there with an international organization.  You are doing the right thing for your son.  He can always return to Thailand after he finishes his education and he will be very sought after for employment.

[RJRS1301]

Contact the Embassy for advice

[khunPer]

If your son has arrived on a British passport with an entry card, and has same family name as you, and is leaving on a British passport and samt departure card, I cannot see it should be difficult.

 

Normally the problem is when taking a child out of Thailand on a Thai passport – even the child has a foreign dual nationality passport, but no entry stamp, and therefore need to leave of a Thai passport – where a permission from the mother might be needed in some cases. That seem to be mainly smaller children, as we recently have had a number of threads about fathers leaving with a pre-teen or a teen, with same family name, without any questions asked by the immigration officer.

 

I have twice left Thailand with my half Thai daughter on her Thai passport – same family name – when she was 11 years old, and when 13 years old in May last year, no questions asked. We had an official permission from the mum – the letter permission from the Amphor – as a back up in case of questions being asked.

 

With same foreign passport as the father, and same family name, I would not see a problem. If you have renewed a British passport while staying in Thailand, you should be able to show the old passport with the entry stamp. Perhaps Thaivisa's expert @ubonjoe can give more specific advice.

[Inuk]

Thank you all for your comments. The least upset or drama the better. I have the old passport with entry stamp and original card. My son does not have a Thai first or middle name, only a British christian name and my family name. My son is fluent in English (97,5% in 6th grade ONET this last exam).

I will however speak with the embassy but they are not known to be overly helpful when it comes to certain immigration issues. Once again thank you.

[CanadaSam]

Need to understand if you are concerned about the authorities arbitrarily stopping you at the airport, or if you are expecting difficulties from your wife?

 

If it is the authorities, simply go prepared with a letter from your wife, if she is not willing, you make the letter.

 

If it is the wife, less she knows about your exact departure date and time, the better.

 

You could always return to tie up loose ends and make the peace, after your son is safely abroad.

[sniper]

On 4/17/2019 at 12:43 PM, CanadaSam said:

Need to understand if you are concerned about the authorities arbitrarily stopping you at the airport, or if you are expecting difficulties from your wife?

 

If it is the authorities, simply go prepared with a letter from your wife, if she is not willing, you make the letter.

 

If it is the wife, less she knows about your exact departure date and time, the better.

 

You could always return to tie up loose ends and make the peace, after your son is safely abroad.

That’s a terrible suggestion, put yourself in the mothers shoes, having a child abducted is a terrible thing for a parent to suffer, and the child is then denied having their mother. A helpful suggestion is to reach an agreement with the mother that the child gets educated in England and stays with her during holidays, it’s called a compromise, healthy for everyone involved.

[Inuk]

Sniper, thank you but you are reading too much in to the original request. However, standing in the father's shoes, the same applies. My son is no longer a child and is capable of expressing his opinion which I respect. He does not have to follow the blinkered Thai way and has been taught to think outside the box.

As for "compromise" in all due respect, I am not sure the word exists or is understood in a Thai ladies vocabulary. It is 'yes' or 'no' but more often it is 'yes' when they mean 'no'. Thank you anyway and I am closing the topic now.

[BritManToo]

On 4/17/2019 at 6:33 PM, Inuk said:

Thank you all for your comments. The least upset or drama the better. I have the old passport with entry stamp and original card. My son does not have a Thai first or middle name, only a British christian name and my family name. My son is fluent in English (97,5% in 6th grade ONET this last exam).

I will however speak with the embassy but they are not known to be overly helpful when it comes to certain immigration issues. Once again thank you.

What khunper said, if he arrived on a Brit passport, nobody will question his leaving.

Don't even mention his Thai connections, he's a Brit tourist on his way home.

[steven100]

16 hours ago, sniper said:

That’s a terrible suggestion, put yourself in the mothers shoes, having a child abducted is a terrible thing for a parent to suffer, and the child is then denied having their mother. A helpful suggestion is to reach an agreement with the mother that the child gets educated in England and stays with her during holidays, it’s called a compromise, healthy for everyone involved.

I think the child should have a say in all this ....   after all, he's 12 years old so he's not a baby any more ... he's a teenager who has responsibilities.

I f he wants to go with his father to the UK then let him. If he wants to stay in Thailand then let him.

Otherwise he will resent which ever parent forced him to do what he didn't want.

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

after all, he's 12 years old so he's not a baby any more ... he's a teenager who has responsibilities.

I can't find 'teen' in the age 'twelve', I think you might be wrong in your definition of teen-ager.

[blackcab]

Your son entered on a British passport and will exit on a British passport. You have the TM6 card aswell, so you won't have any problems at all.

 

Is his current extension of stay from immigration in his latest passport? Don't forget to get it changed over to his new passport if you haven't already.