3 minutes ago, Tippaporn said:

Following is all that is needed to obtain the girl's passport:

1. 2 recent identical photos. Though it's not stated specifically I assume passport photos, which is what we'll send.
2. Full color copies of every page of her Thai passport, including blank pages.
3. Full color photo copy of Thai identity card.
4. Certified document from school to prove her current address.
5. Father's birth certificate.
6. Mum's birth certificate.
7. Natalie's birth certificate.

Let's see what happens.

Yep its a case of working through all the list of documents required. The underlying fact though is that unquestionably she is entitled to that passport once paperwork produced. No one subsequently has to make a decision per se. If its all there she gets it

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

Ahhh now there lays an issue possibly

Again extreme personal experience albeit on this occasion (albeit it didnt matter to us anyway)

 

Hospitals issue a "Certificate of Birth" not to be confused with a legal "Birth Certificate" wjich the Embassy will require

 

Yep you're probably thinking "ehh" lol but small point. As it was we had both obviously not that in our case it made any difference

Thanks for pointing out the difference.  I've already had the thought that any document we send must be certified, notarised, or however so that it represents a legal document.  I'll ensure that her birth certificate is indeed a legal copy.

I assume that the father's birth certificate which I'm ordering from the GRO will be a valid legal document given the GRO is a government entity.

5 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Yep its a case of working through all the list of documents required. The underlying fact though is that unquestionably she is entitled to that passport once paperwork produced. No one subsequently has to make a decision per se. If its all there she gets it

Search for father's birth certificate:  20 minutes

Copy of father's birth certificate from the GRO:  £11

Child passport (including courier fee):  £88.51
Shyster "expert" lawyer fee:  £9,461

1 hour ago, Chivas said:

Ahhh now there lays an issue possibly

Again extreme personal experience albeit on this occasion it didnt matter to us anyway

 

Hospitals issue a "Certificate of Birth" not to be confused with a legal "Birth Certificate" which the Embassy will require

 

Yep you're probably thinking "ehh" lol but small point. As it was we had both obviously not that in our case it made any difference

 

 

 

 

The Embassy don't require anything. They are not involved in Passport issues.

 

Thr birth certificate is issued at a District Office(Amphur). The hospital one is not needed. Everyone, including Thais, need the Amphur on to get by in officialdom. So everyone will already have one. If they have ever been to school at least.

 

HMPO also require a translation into English. 

1 hour ago, Tippaporn said:

Thanks for pointing out the difference.  I've already had the thought that any document we send must be certified, notarised, or however so that it represents a legal document.  I'll ensure that her birth certificate is indeed a legal copy.

I assume that the father's birth certificate which I'm ordering from the GRO will be a valid legal document given the GRO is a government entity.

Nothing needs to be notarised.

 

The father's birth certificate will be a certified copy.

 

All Thai documents will need to be translated and certified by the translator. No need for them to be notarised.

 

 

2 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

Search for father's birth certificate:  20 minutes

Copy of father's birth certificate from the GRO:  £11

Child passport (including courier fee):  £88.51
Shyster "expert" lawyer fee:  £9,461

indeed....

We're still in the process of getting all the documentation together (no hurries) but I did have a few excellent finds that are worth sharing as they would be very helpful (and cost saving) to future readers.

Getting a certified translation to English for the girl's Thai birth certificate was done at the Thai Department of Consular Affairs on Ram Inthra Rd. in Lak Si, Bangkok.  For recent births (can't remember the cut-off year) these are easily obtained.  Price - free.  You must, though, make an appointment first.

Since the mum was born before the cut-off year we had to look elsewhere for a translation.  I ran across an excellent and helpfui educational and resource site called ExpatDen which covered all types of translation needs in minutiae.   We originally had our target set on First Choice Translation Co., Ltd. located in Samsen Nai, Bangkok but I found their price of ฿11,500 to be outrageously steep.  Lead time is 6 days and travel to their office is required.  So I went to a recommended certified translator site provided by ExpatDen.

Bangkok Translation and Interpretation Service

Quotes can easily and conveniently be done on-line without the need to travel to their office.  The Thai document can be sent electronically either via their website or by email.  Replies for quotes are rather immediate.  Translated documents can be return sent either by email or both email and post, if the original is required.  Lead time is 2 working days, whilst the delivery time for the original translated document is excluded.

Translations are certified, review and proofreading is done by 2 linguists, and they offer unlimited revisions in case of errors.

The price was an absolute shocker.  ฿550 for the translation and ฿50 for the postal fee.  We are going to our favourite Italian restaurant this late afternoon to pig out for free thanks to the savings. 

 

Quick update.  We had our appointment with VFS Global this past Thursday.  All went well.  The did try to throw us for a loop on the British countersignatory.  They told us that it had to be a British citizen living in Thailand.  Fortunately I brought along the UK Application Instruction pamphlet and said that nowhere is that requirement stated.  There's always the possibility that my daughter would be denied but I see no reason for it.

13 weeks max. and we should have my daughter's UK passport no later than Thursday, 22 June.  I'll post one more update to let everyone know where they can get their free beer in celebration. 

The final follow-up to share the excellent news that my daughter's UK passport is available to be picked up.  Seven weeks from the interview date, so not so terribly bad.  Now we have to find a good UK restaurant in Bangkok to go celebrate.  Suggestions anyone?

12 hours ago, Tippaporn said:

The final follow-up to share the excellent news that my daughter's UK passport is available to be picked up.  Seven weeks from the interview date, so not so terribly bad.  Now we have to find a good UK restaurant in Bangkok to go celebrate.  Suggestions anyone?

Glad you got it all sorted out @Tippaporn.

4 hours ago, Mutt Daeng said:

Glad you got it all sorted out @Tippaporn.

Thanks, @Mutt Daeng.  My daughter seriously wants to go to the UK but I'm a bit concerned about how she will be received there.  She looks Thai, speaks American English, and was raised from birth by a German.  She doesn't know what the capital city is, the name of the river which runs through London, what exactly makes up the United Kingdom, or who the King is.  She does, though, know of Queen Elizabeth.  Harry and Megan . . . never heard of them.  So not all terrible. 

A close and dear friend of ours who currently lives in Blighty is cleaning out his garage as a starter for her as I write (but I must provide the bedding) and promises to teach her the Queen's English and some of Britain's fabulous history.  I now refer to her as farang and she's been instructed to refer to french fries as chips going forward.

Now to wrap it all up I need to find a great British restaurant in Bangkok where we can celebrate this momentous event and where I can savour a pale ale and introduce my daughter to some of the UK's finest delectables . . . such as Yorkshire pudding (yum).  Some examples of what I would like to see on the menu (my sincere apologies for wetting your appetite, especially if there is naught you can do about it  ).