Does My Son Need A Visa?

[pomraksao]

Hi Folks,

I am an Indian living in Bangalore,INDIA and my wife is a Thai National.

We have a 10 month old son who was born in Hua Hin,Thailand but holds an Indian Passport.He is currently with me in India and I am planning to bring him over to my wife who is working in Hua Hin as she just left last month from India to start her work in Hua Hin but is missing the kid badly .

I was thinking will my son need a visa to enter Thailand like a Non Imm 'O' and how about if my wife wants to extend his (son) visa beyond the 60 days that he is allowed to stay in Thailand.

Any helpful advice would be highly appreciated.

Regards,

Lokesh

[lopburi3]

On an Indian passport he will need a visa - you and wife should obtain a Thai passport for him if Indian law does not forbid it. Once in Thailand he will not have to keep his visa entry current as children are not subject to overstay fines. But if you want to keep current his stay can easily be extended one year at a time. Be sure to have copy of his birth certificate when you travel to Thailand (if wife does not already have it with her).

[mackayae]

If he does not have a Thai passport, he needs a visa. If he has a Thai birth cetificate, he should apply for a Thai passport. You will need both passports, marriage certificate, Thai ID card, son's birth certificate.

[samran]

India I beleive allows dual nationality only selectively. That is, it is allowed for people with mainly EU, US and Aust/NZ passports (to take into account the large Indian diaspora). But I don't beleive Thailand is on that list of countries where India will allow both passports. So he'll need a proper visa to come to Thailand.

The only other way for him to have 'effective' Indian dual nationality is for him to take up Thai nationality and get PIO (Person of Indian Origin) documents for him. Being a PIO is as good as Indian citizenship, short of the right to vote as I recall.

[pomraksao]

On an Indian passport he will need a visa - you and wife should obtain a Thai passport for him if Indian law does not forbid it. Once in Thailand he will not have to keep his visa entry current as children are not subject to overstay fines. But if you want to keep current his stay can easily be extended one year at a time. Be sure to have copy of his birth certificate when you travel to Thailand (if wife does not already have it with her).

Thanks for the info Khun Lopburi.

Can i enter Thailand with a Visa On Arrival for my son and then my wife can apply for one year extensions for him?

[pomraksao]

India I beleive allows dual nationality only selectively. That is, it is allowed for people with mainly EU, US and Aust/NZ passports (to take into account the large Indian diaspora). But I don't beleive Thailand is on that list of countries where India will allow both passports. So he'll need a proper visa to come to Thailand.

The only other way for him to have 'effective' Indian dual nationality is for him to take up Thai nationality and get PIO (Person of Indian Origin) documents for him. Being a PIO is as good as Indian citizenship, short of the right to vote as I recall.

Thanks Khun Samran. PIO is thw way forward for him. But I already have an Indian passport for him. Can I surrender this to Indian embassy in Thailand and then apply for Thai nationality?

[pomraksao]

If he does not have a Thai passport, he needs a visa. If he has a Thai birth cetificate, he should apply for a Thai passport. You will need both passports, marriage certificate, Thai ID card, son's birth certificate.

Thanks for the info Khun Mackayae.

But he already has a Indian Passport. Should i be surrendering this before I apply for Thai passport as India does not have the dual nationality rule with respect to Thailand.

[oxymoron]

If he does not have a Thai passport, he needs a visa. If he has a Thai birth cetificate, he should apply for a Thai passport. You will need both passports, marriage certificate, Thai ID card, son's birth certificate.

Thanks for the info Khun Mackayae.

But he already has a Indian Passport. Should i be surrendering this before I apply for Thai passport as India does not have the dual nationality rule with respect to Thailand.

Mr Pomraksao,

I feel you are getting confused,

A) As your son is travelling on an Indian Passport he will need a visa while in Thailand.

As he has this passport now he is eligible for a 15 day Visa On Arrival at Thailand ( Refer http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=act)

C) If your wife goes immediately to a Thai Immigration Offfice with your son, his Indian Passport, and his Thai Birth Certificate and fills in a Form (TM7 I think ) and pays 1900Baht your son will get a 12 month visa because he was born in Thailand. ( My wife does this as she is an Australian Citizen and I will not allow her to hold a Thai Passport)

D) Now you have 12 months to decide which country you wish to have your son tied to in "Passport Terms"

[pomraksao]

If he does not have a Thai passport, he needs a visa. If he has a Thai birth cetificate, he should apply for a Thai passport. You will need both passports, marriage certificate, Thai ID card, son's birth certificate.

Thanks for the info Khun Mackayae.

But he already has a Indian Passport. Should i be surrendering this before I apply for Thai passport as India does not have the dual nationality rule with respect to Thailand.

Mr Pomraksao,

I feel you are getting confused,

A) As your son is travelling on an Indian Passport he will need a visa while in Thailand.

As he has this passport now he is eligible for a 15 day Visa On Arrival at Thailand ( Refer http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=act)

C) If your wife goes immediately to a Thai Immigration Offfice with your son, his Indian Passport, and his Thai Birth Certificate and fills in a Form (TM7 I think ) and pays 1900Baht your son will get a 12 month visa because he was born in Thailand. ( My wife does this as she is an Australian Citizen and I will not allow her to hold a Thai Passport)

D) Now you have 12 months to decide which country you wish to have your son tied to in "Passport Terms"

Thanks Khun Oxy ...sounds good.