Are visas or valid extensions of stay for children required?

[BradyMo]

I am considering getting the Thailand Elite visa, but I have a <1 yr old (US citizen) kid. It feels like a waste of money to pay for that program for my kid to get the same visa as me. What would be a good visa plan for my kid?

 

In enquiring with Thailand Elite directly, they said, "Your kid needs a visa." A 3rd party Thailand Elite agent said, "kids under 14 don't need a visa". I've also read, "kids on overstay aren't fined for it, but they do get an overstay stamp in their passport".

 

Since I'm a new parent, I'm not familiar with the various strategies parents here use to have their kids stay with them. Is there a source of information from Thailand Immigration that could clear this up? Could my kid just enter as a tourist and then let their visa expire? Could they get an extension of stay to match my Elite visa?

 

I've been doing legit volunteering work for a few years now, and my wife is currently my dependent. I'm interested in doing Thailand Elite though so that I can have more personal time.

[ubonjoe]

Children under the age of 15 are not fined for a overstay but they should sill have a valid permit to stay in the country. Not having one can cause other problems later. For example when they are old enough to attend school or even for a nursery.