British Samaritan wanted

[CM4Me]

Last night my partner and I went downtown to a Thai friends' restaurant for dinner (during which we were the only customers by the way).

 

During our time there a Thai lady and her son came in and talked to her friend, the restaurateur. We couldn't help but hear their conversation to which, not before long, my partner joined in. This chatter went on for some 30 minutes and often I was asked for some 'falang' advice. In typical Thai ways there were many different stories, but eventually the crux of the matter came out. 

 

This lady was married to an Englishman, and has (so I'm told) Tambon documents proving such.

He was previously married in the UK and, so I was told, has a son there.

For a number of years this Englishman spent 6 months, or so, here and six months, or so, in the UK.

This couple conceived a son, born (not sure) about 5 years ago.

Reportedly, the husband / father stated on numerous occasions, he would take care of his son, even if he died.

He also had promised to eventually take his Thai wife and son back to live in the UK - as a result, at birth, the son was registered as British and currently has a (pristine) British Passport, which I was shown.

The Thai wife hadn't heard from her husband for quite some time and was now becoming rather anxious. 

This week she was finally able to contact her husband's brother, only to be told her husband died about 1 year ago.

The husband's brother now refuses to talk further to the Thai lady.

 

The real problem here is that this young lad in question is not a Thai citizen, is a falang, is a British subject. As a result the mother gets no assistance from the Thai government in anyway shape or form, no medical, no schooling, no nothing.  She is becoming desperate for the lad's future, as he's a falang, a British falang.

 

I told her she must go and see the British Embassy, but as she pointed out she can't go - due to the virus in and around BKK. Also, in hindsight, we all know how inept embassy staff can be, at times.

 

This lady needs help, she says not for herself but for their son. I can't help any further as I am not British. 

 

For my way of thinking she needs a good British Samaritan to help and advise her how to resolve her problem, which really is her son's problem. Surely such a person(s) exists here in CNX amongst the British expats. Any helpers?????

 

PS - I don't know the lady's name, and the only way I know how she can be contacted is through our mutual friend, the restaurateur. And I really am unable to shed any further light on her problem.  

 

     

[ThaidDown]

Quote

a Thai lady and her son

Do not understand why you think that the boy is not Thai, if the mother is Thai then her son is automatically Thai.  The birth certificate would verify that.

The fact that he has a UK passport just makes him a dual nationality citizen.

 

 

 

[canthai55]

Were the couple married and registered at the amphur ? Or a village Thai Buddhist ceremony ?

If legal - Amphur - she will need to go to the British consulate or embassy with documentation showing the marriage, and the sons birth certificate listing the man in question as the father.

Only then will the embassy give out any info - due to confidentiality concerns.

The husbands brother refuses to talk to the lady - might be on orders from the husband.

Another case of the 4 F's

 

[Captain Monday]

Perhaps the woman is actually a stateless person. Many in the North.

[petermik]

As sad as it appears do not get involved...you only know one side of the story...truth or not

[richard_smith237]

Was the boy Born in Thailand?

Does he have a Thai Birth certificate?

Is the Thai Mother named on the (any) Birth Certificate?

Is the Mother actually a Thai National? (with a Thai ID etc and not an Immigrant of uncertain status i.e. stateless)

 

 

IF the mother is Thai, has a Thai ID and if the Mother is named on the Childs Birth Certificate the Child is automatically Thai and can obtain a Thai Passport etc. 

 

The Mother can register the child at the Amphur on which she is also registered (her ID should be registered somewhere and she may / should be on a Tabien Baan somewhere if not her current address). 

[ChipButty]

It seems a bit iffy the brother says he's died and now doesn't want to talk to her, or does the mother come with some history?

[2530Ubon]

The boy, as many have rightly pointed out, is a dual citizen IF the lady in question is Thai.

She should know this, so it's quite likely that she isn't a Thai person, or she's not being entirely truthful. 

Regardless of whether or not she is Thai, she can still seek assistance from the British Embassy.

 

There is an honorary consul in Chiang Mai - Perhaps she could pop over or call him. He could help make any appointments / find out what the embassy could do for her.

 

Honorary Consul	Jon Glendinning
Address	198 Bumrungraj Road Muang Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand
Phone	local: (053) 263.015

[kingofthemountain]

16 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

It seems a bit iffy the brother says he's died and now doesn't want to talk to her, or does the mother come with some history?

Everything is possible

a lot of farangs seem to decide to suddenly ''die''

because it's the only ''easy'' way they found to stop the monthly paiement

or because now they are more happy with their farang wife

anyway if the mother is Thai, then the son is Thai too, i don't really see where is her problem

[Antonymous]

10 minutes ago, 2530Ubon said:

The boy, as many have rightly pointed out, is a dual citizen IF the lady in question is Thai.

She should know this, so it's quite likely that she isn't a Thai person, or she's not being entirely truthful. 

Regardless of whether or not she is Thai, she can still seek assistance from the British Embassy.

 

There is an honorary consul in Chiang Mai - Perhaps she could pop over or call him. He could help make any appointments / find out what the embassy could do for her.

 

Honorary Consul	Jon Glendinning
Address	198 Bumrungraj Road Muang Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand
Phone	local: (053) 263.015

 

This contact info is many years out of date.

 

The British Consulate in Chiang Mai is no more (for many years).

 

The previous honorary consul was Ben Svasti.

 

Best to contact the British Embassy in Bangkok.

[2530Ubon]

13 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

 

This contact info is many years out of date.

 

The British Consulate in Chiang Mai is no more (for many years).

 

The previous honorary consul was Ben Svasti.

 

Best to contact the British Embassy in Bangkok.

I do apologise, you're correct! It is still Ben:

Chiang Mai

Ben Svasti Thomson

Email: [email protected]

 

[kingofthemountain]

16 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

 

This contact info is many years out of date.

 

The British Consulate in Chiang Mai is no more (for many years).

 

The previous honorary consul was Ben Svasti.

 

Best to contact the British Embassy in Bangkok.

In the part of the forum reserved to the British consulate

the consul in chiang mai seems to be still here

 

[blackcab]

The information you have been told is not the full story.

 

If the child was born in Thailand then there would be no way whatsoever of getting him a UK passport unless he already had a Thai birth certificate.

 

So only one of these two options can be true:

 

1. The child was born in Thailand. The child must already have a Thai birth certificate, and therefore a Thai ID number. If this is the case he is entitled to the same benefits as every other Thai child.

 

2. The child was born in the UK. You can verify this by looking at the bio data page of the UK passport as it will state the child's place of birth. If the child was born in Chiang Mai, for example, it will state Chiang Mai in the UK passport. Alternatively the UK passport could say London if the child was born in London.

 

I find option 2 much less likely, because if the child only had a UK passport then you would expect to see immigration entry stamps, etc. in the child's passport. How else would the child travel internationally and enter Thailand as a non Thai citizen? Yet you saw the passport and stated it was pristine.

[RichardColeman]

One thing is for certain I guess, is any inheritance has been sorted out already. Could be why brother wont talk anymore

[ChipButty]

We can rack our brains until the cows come home here, we're not even getting half the story

[Blue Muton]

35 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

One thing is for certain I guess, is any inheritance has been sorted out already. Could be why brother wont talk anymore

That's what I was thinking.

[Blue Muton]

1 hour ago, ThaidDown said:

Do not understand why you think that the boy is not Thai, if the mother is Thai then her son is automatically Thai.  The birth certificate would verify that.

The fact that he has a UK passport just makes him a dual nationality citizen.

 

 

 

I understood that Thailand does not officially recognise dual nationality. although I may be wrong.

[CM4Me]

It seems I've opened a can of worms, much of the info posted by others was previously unknown to me.

I had a sleepless night last night just thinking about this young boy, and the future problems he could encounter - on the assumption he is / was a British citizen - and we all know the problems one can have here as a non Thai.

At this stage I think the only thing I shall do is to get advice to her to contact the British Consul, the one here in CNX. That will be the end of my involvement

 

[Dante99]

4 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

I understood that Thailand does not officially recognise dual nationality. although I may be wrong.

I think you are wrong.  But I am not into officially.

[CharlieH]

4 minutes ago, CM4Me said:

It seems I've opened a can of worms, much of the info posted by others was previously unknown to me.

I had a sleepless night last night just thinking about this young boy, and the future problems he could encounter - on the assumption he is / was a British citizen - and we all know the problems one can have here as a non Thai.

At this stage I think the only thing I shall do is to get advice to her to contact the British Consul, the one here in CNX. That will be the end of my involvement

 

 

Topic now CLOSED