Departing Thailand with Son

[qspinor]

I need some guidance. I recently divorced my Thai wife, and received full custody of my 7 year old son at the Amphur and have a divorce agreement "certified" by the Amphur. I am planning on taking my 7 year old son the U.S. for school which his mother has agreed to. He has a brand new American passport with no entry stamp. He has never had a Thai ID nor a Thai passport. 

 

What do I need to travel to the U.S. with him? 

[Issannative]

Am just guessing but a brand new US passport should do the trick

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[qspinor]

I am anxious, since I have read on the forum that the Thai Immigration may stop us. My son's U.S. passport has no entry stamp. Will this not pose a problem? 

[kwonitoy]

Take your custody papers with you when you travel, divorce papers won't hurt.

I've travelled twice with my son and been asked both times, I have sole custody, they looked at the papers for about 2 sec and I was one my way.

It easier if you get your son a Thai passport and then exit on that one. 

Again if you have custody you can get a passport easily, takes about a week

[blackcab]

Immigration may well ask to see your son's Thai birth certificate. Also take the divorce/custody documents.

 

Perhaps you might want to get his Thai ID card and possibly his Thai passport made before he leaves, and retain a copy of his house book entry. You also want to keep his Thai birth certificate.

 

If he ever comes back to Thailand this will help him no end; especially his Thai ID card.

[featography]

11 hours ago, blackcab said:

Immigration may well ask to see your son's Thai birth certificate. Also take the divorce/custody documents.

 

Perhaps you might want to get his Thai ID card and possibly his Thai passport made before he leaves, and retain a copy of his house book entry. You also want to keep his Thai birth certificate.

 

If he ever comes back to Thailand this will help him no end; especially his Thai ID card.

I agree and add all Thai Documents, have Star Visa (close to US consolute) make English copies just to CYA at both ends. 

[justin case]

my lawyer tried to explain/convince me in a custody battle that for a farang it is impossible to get full custody, unless the wife has beaten the child into the hospital... but your case is different as your ex wife or girlfriend has no problem with custody

[Cyprus Dave]

I got stopped taking my 2 kids out of Thailand to Australia after our divorce I had full custody with all the relevant paperwork 

The one thing they wanted to see was a letter from their mother saying I had permission to take the kids out if Thailand. Make sure you have that 

[Whip]

I would get clarification at a US consulate before leaving.

[khunPer]

It will be best if your son has a Thai passport when leaving, and using the US passport for airline check-in, and when arriving in USA. For a 1,000 baht fee you can have a Thai passport issued same day. Normally both parents need to be present when a minor apply for passport, but with full custody you should be able to do it alone.

 

To avoid any problems in immigration you should have an official statement-letter from the amphor, that you is allowed to take your Thai son out of Thailand. Normally the mom shall be present when issuing the letter, but having full custody might work as well.

 

The amphor-statement can look like this:

 

If your son has your family name the problem using a US passport might be less; however with no entry-stamp the visa-expert @ubonjoe might be the right to answer about your possibilities.

????

[Nip]

I left with my son 15 years old and the Emirates check in staff who are known to be difficult under the exact same circumstances summoned immigration who when they punched in my sons details discovered he had a Thai ID card and insisted he leave the Kingdom on a Thai passport. Now this may not happen to you but either way it's a good idea for him to have a Thai passport if he is Thai makes things easier. I also had his sole custody court ruling with me and they never asked for it.

[tootall]

 am going through the same thing with my son with ex Thai wife. I downloaded a form online about her giving me custody and decisions reguarding my son. It stated that she gave permission for him to go to USA for vacation and to attend school there.Last October I went to the airport with him, my current Thai wife and our son. Got pulled over at immigration about my son, as there were no stamps in his USA passport. I showed immigration the 3 years of annual permission docs, his Birth Certificate, Certificate of his Natuaral born Citizen of USA born abroad, yet that was not enough. I had to call her in Europe where she is living with her boyfriend. After they asked her many questions on the phone to verify her Idenity and permission, they let us through. They said next time had to go to the Amphur and get the Thai document that says she gives permission. I just got that one from the Amphur, but is was a hassle. I went with two lawyers three times, my son's mother had to fly to Pattaya and come on the third visit. Yet I only got a document for one year to travel with him. They said I have to go with lawyer to Chonburi court and get document of full custody "Parental power" / "Parental Control". So now I have to pay lawyer more and go to court, they say mom not need to go, but we will see. 

Further more my son's passport will expire end of Aug this year. I looked on line about what I need to do to renew passport for child under 16 years old. That will be a hassle too with all the paperwork needed as I am divorced from his mom. The one major thing is, I need a court document from court giving me the aforementioned custody. So I have to go to Chonburi court and obtain this document of custody and go back to the Amphur and get a permanete form from them. There are many other notorization that has to be done by the US Embassy or USA notoary. Not to mention getting Thai documents translated to Engilsh and notorized, or even sent to the Thai Ministry of Foriegn Affairs office for stamps. 

Things to think about for men who are in the same position as I am in. If you are in custody of your child and need to travel abroad and/or get new passport in the future. Hope this helps people

[tootall]

On 6/16/2019 at 3:08 PM, khunPer said:

It will be best if your son has a Thai passport when leaving, and using the US passport for airline check-in, and when arriving in USA. For a 1,000 baht fee you can have a Thai passport issued same day. Normally both parents need to be present when a minor apply for passport, but with full custody you should be able to do it alone.

 

To avoid any problems in immigration you should have an official statement-letter from the amphor, that you is allowed to take your Thai son out of Thailand. Normally the mom shall be present when issuing the letter, but having full custody might work as well.

 

The amphor-statement can look like this:

 

If your son has your family name the problem using a US passport might be less; however with no entry-stamp the visa-expert @ubonjoe might be the right to answer about your possibilities.

????

The one thing that has stopped me from getting a Thai Passport for my son in addition to his USA passport is the ramifications that come with getting a Thai Passport or Thai ID card. If he attains either one he iwould be now eligible for the Thai Army draft when becomes age for the draft. He can be drafted into the Thai Army legally by their rules. If he does not report and re-enters Thailand after no show for the draft, he can be arrested. That is why it is a bad idea for getting an Thai Passort of ID Card

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, tootall said:

The one thing that has stopped me from getting a Thai Passport for my son in addition to his USA passport is the ramifications that come with getting a Thai Passport or Thai ID card. If he attains either one he iwould be now eligible for the Thai Army draft when becomes age for the draft. He can be drafted into the Thai Army legally by their rules. If he does not report and re-enters Thailand after no show for the draft, he can be arrested. That is why it is a bad idea for getting an Thai Passort of ID Card

Thanks for that information.

 

I would have thought that having a Thai ID-number on the birth certificate was enough for identification – my child was given an ID-number on birth, same as follows in House Book(s), ID-card, and Thai passport – in another thread a poster mentioned, that if living (permanently?) abroad, after a certain age a Thai nationality man is not eligible for army draft; not sure of its correct, just saw it posted.

 

Today ID-numbers seem to be in a nationwide database.

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, khunPer said:

I would have thought that having a Thai ID-number on the birth certificate was enough for identification – my child was given an ID-number on birth, same as follows in House Book(s), ID-card, and Thai passport

My son has a Brit birth cert and Brit passport, If I chuck his Thai birth cert he no longer exists as a Thai.

Edited June 23, 2019 by BritManToo

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

My son has a Brit birth cert and Brit passport, If I chuck his Thai birth cert he no longer exists as a Thai.

Thanks.

Interesting; does that mean that he would also loose his Thai nationality, and become a Brit only?
Is your son born in TH or GB?

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, khunPer said:

Thanks.

Interesting; does that mean that he would also loose his Thai nationality, and become a Brit only?
Is your son born in TH or GB?

Thailand, but I bought a British Consular Birth Cert as well as the Thai Birth cert.