Can I renew my son's Thai passport if my wife is abroad?

[rattlesnake]

8 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Thanks, I will keep it in mind. 

What a hell is going to be for your family: parental consent form (in french), notarization, translation, notarization of translating and postal to TH. 
Now its so-called low-season in TH, isn't cheaper just to buy charter ticket from Paris and back? 

I did that "notarization" back home - over all cost me about $600.

 

I assume that the Thai embassy in Paris will be used to these situations and provide whatever document is required without too much hassle, and then my wife will just send it to me by express mail.

 

"Notarised" probably just means "issued/stamped by an official competent body" in this case.

[NativeBob]

1 minute ago, rattlesnake said:

"Notarised" probably just means "issued/stamped by an official competent body" in this case.

Probably think so too. 

I went through legal hell with very fancy stamps over hologram stickers and cute threads binding sheets.

Wait a second: how about applying for new passport in FR? She's there, you will go there >>> so visit TH Emb in Paris? Wrong idea?

My child has all his passports issued in BKK at the Embassy of my Tribe.

[rattlesnake]

7 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

Probably think so too. 

I went through legal hell with very fancy stamps over hologram stickers and cute threads binding sheets.

Wait a second: how about applying for new passport in FR? She's there, you will go there >>> so visit TH Emb in Paris? Wrong idea?

My child has all his passports issued in BKK at the Embassy of my Tribe.

 

My understanding is that it is leaving Thailand with the expired Thai passport which can be problematic.

 

To be honest, I'm sure I could probably go to France (and back) using the expired passport, but I am not willing to risk encountering an overzealous airline staff member and/or IO and miss my flight…

[NativeBob]

1 minute ago, rattlesnake said:

but I am not willing to risk falling on one overzealous airline staff member and/or IO and miss my flight

Oh yeah! I got screwed exactly that way - SG Airline "uber smart" girl at the airport and later IO. Wasted very sweet honeymoon-like trip and hotel reservations. 

Still, please try to visit your local office with your papers and kid. Usually people there could be very friendly and supportive. 

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, NativeBob said:

Yes, that is correct.
Technically not because you have those names, but because you are legitimate father and you can submit documents for your son's passport renewal based on this fact. 

PoA required only to grant certain powers to the person not legitimate to do so himself/herself. Example - aunts, grandparents, your or her siblings.

 

@NativeBob >> Have you ever renewed a child's Thai Passport ?

 

IF so, have you ever done so without 'both' parents present ?  

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, NativeBob said:

Wait a second: how about applying for new passport in FR? She's there, you will go there >>> so visit TH Emb in Paris? Wrong idea?

 

Yes.. wrong idea...  The issue is IF the child will be permitted to exit Thailand with an expired Thai Passport, or on a French Passport that has no entry stamp.

 

4 hours ago, NativeBob said:

My child has all his passports issued in BKK at the Embassy of my Tribe.

 

Thai Passports are not issued at Embassies in Thailand...    The issuance of Passports of other nations is not relevant to this discussion. 

[LukKrueng]

On 4/20/2025 at 2:45 AM, rattlesnake said:

I will be travelling from Thailand to France with my 12 year-old son in July, for a few weeks. My Thai wife is already there and will not be coming back to Thailand in the meantime. My son's Thai passport expired last year (we simply completely forgot about it), but his French passport is valid.

 

I am thinking of not doing anything, based on the assumption that it will be no problem to leave and return to Thailand on an expired Thai passport, provided the French one is valid. Is my assumption correct?

 

In any case, if I were to renew his Thai passport myself without my wife being present, is this easily done, or would she need to provide some paperwork such as an authorisation/proxy obtained from the Thai embassy in Paris? (This is an avenue I would rather avoid if possible).

 

Thanks in advance for your insights.

1. A Thai citizen can enter Thailand with an expired passport or even without a passport as long as he\she can prove being a citizen. However, one cannot go out of Thailand without a valid passport. As you mentioned your son is in Thailand based on his Thai nationality and not the French one - he'll need a valid Thai passport. 

2. As a minor under 20, both parents must sign an approval at the passport office. As your wife is not present, she'll have to go to the Thai embassy in France or wherever she is and sign a POA for you to get there passport for your son. 

I have recently done an official procedure for a minor Thai who's actually out of Thailand with both parents. At first they gave me a POA they've downloaded from a Thai embassy website, but the officials here demanded one issued at the embassy with all official stamps. Only after receiving the original POA I could complete the procedure.

[cardinalblue]

Pretty sure the child can’t leave thailand on an expired thai passport but can come back if the passport expired when the child was gone…

 

I just got my 14 year old child her new thai passport and they wanted to see my passport and my wife’s thai ID/passport and we both had to sign a screen document 

 

what I don’t know is what you have to do if one or both parents are not present with necessary documents…

 

must be a way given that parents divorce die or out of province/country 

 

good news is they delivered it by post within one week to home address at least in Chiang Mai

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

what I don’t know is what you have to do if one or both parents are not present with necessary documents…

 

Power of Attorney (PoA) is required (if both parents listed on Birth Certificate).

 

2 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

must be a way given that parents divorce die or out of province/country 

 

Out of Province / Country - Power of Attorney is required.

 

Other parent dead - Death Certificate of deceased parent.

 

Divorced - Both Parents still required to be present, or PoA, OR, Sole Custody documentation must be presented.

[rattlesnake]

16 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Pretty sure the child can’t leave thailand on an expired thai passport but can come back if the passport expired when the child was gone…

 

Yes, that seems to be the consensus indeed.

[StevieAus]

On 4/20/2025 at 12:30 PM, fredwiggy said:

Richards reply is right. I will be going to the US embassy this week to renew my daughter's US passport, as she needs that one to leave Thailand, and uses the Thai passport to re- enter without needing a Visa. We're going to the US in November so getting that passport started soon as possible is good. It takes up to a month to be delivered to your house. It's best to contact the embassy to make sure.

He is talking about renewing a Thai passport and providing he can obtain the correct documentation  it will be delivered to the home address within about three days.

[fredwiggy]

Just now, StevieAus said:

He is talking about renewing a Thai passport and providing he can obtain the correct documentation  it will be delivered to the home address within about three days.

I just noted that so he would have enough time. I got my own back in about 10 days, so yes, it does usually come back quick.

[bkk_mike]

Have done it once when my wife was in London and I was in Thailand.

It is a bit of a pain. Wife had to do the forms at the embassy which needed to be submitted to the passport office.

But it was literally 20 years ago.

I took my daughter to the passport office first and got a reference number for my wife to use at the embassy, but I can't remember if that was just something obvious like my daughter's ID number.