Baby Advice

[tazman]

Can anybody help with advice on babies, me and the wife(whos thai) are arguing on where best to have the baby! she wants it in thailand, i want it in england. next year we re moving back to thailand but will be comming back to england now and again. but its passports do you get 2 or just a british one, then that leads to the question would the baby have to go on the visa run??? if anyone could help id be gratful.

[nonameidentified]

Can anybody help with advice on babies, me and the wife(whos thai) are arguing on where best to have the baby! she wants it in thailand, i want it in england. next year we re moving back to thailand but will be comming back to england now and again. but its passports do you get 2 or just a british one, then that leads to the question would the baby have to go on the visa run??? if anyone could help id be gratful.

There are pretty good hospitals in Thailand and if you're living in Pattaya area, perhaps you can consider Phyathai or Samitivej hospitals which is about 30-40 mins away from Pattaya, at Sriracha. If not, there is also Bankok Pattaya hospital. But I personally prefer the 2 at Sriracha and for maternity, Samitivej has rather good service. don't be surprised to see that sometimes they might turn out to be better than some in England!

They usually have doctors who can speak English though they might have rather heavy thai accent with it.

And as for the passport, I'm not sure if England allows dual nationality but I've seen quite a few with mixed nationalities here. You can check more about that with the British embassy in Thailand perhaps.

[nidge]

My wife gave birth in a private hospital in Chaiyaphum, (issan). It was far better than any Uk hospital i have ever seen.

You also need to consider that when your wife is going through birth she will be in considerable pain and if she is anything like my wife, (who normally has perfect english), will be calling out in Thai. It will be a bit complicated if the doctors do not understand her .

Nidge.

[Humphrey Bear]

How far is she? Most airlines wiill not accept passengers who are more than about 25 weeks pregnant.

Have it in Thailand, register it at the British Embassy (Consular Section) and you can choose the nationality later. This is a secondary consideration to making sure your wife is happy.

[PattayaParent]

Check the Visa and Immigration part of the Forum but basically the kid can have both nationalities and leaves Thailand on the Thai passport and enters UK on the British one and vice versa. Therefore no visa hassles either way.

The other thing you might want to consider is cost, you'll have to pay to have the baby here so check out the prices first as they vary greatly. Check out the family and Children Forum too.

Congratulations.

[Basil B]

Before having it in England, check that your wife has entitlement to free national health service particularly if you have been out the UK for more than 3 months.

From what I have read from time to time is that there are many members that would rather pay to have the birth in Thailand than have it free in the UK.

BB

[Taijitu]

My daughter, who was born in Sri Racha, has both a Thai birth certificate and a British birth certificate. She also has a Thai passport and a British passport. (The British documents were obtained at the British Embassy in Bangkok). She uses the Thai passport to leave and enter Thailand and the British passport to enter and leave Europe. She has Dual Nationality.

..........have the baby in Thailand. Our daughter was born in the Samitivej Hospital Sri Racha. I would recommend this hospital to anyone.

Also, I think that the procedures needed to obtain a British Birth Certificate and a British Passport from the British Embassy in Bangkok might be much more straightforward than obtaining a Thai Birth Certificate and a Thai Passport at a Thai mission in the UK..... or wherever. I say this just because of my experiences at Thai Embassies overseas and at Thai Immigration Offices within Thailand.

Edit: Spelling

Edited February 27, 2008 by Taijitu

[TerryLH]

"Have it in Thailand, register it at the British Embassy (Consular Section) and you can choose the nationality later."

If you forget to choose do you have neither?

"I think that the procedures needed to obtain a British Birth Certificate and a British Passport from the British Embassy in Bangkok might be much more straightforward than obtaining a Thai Birth Certificate and a Thai Passport at a Thai mission in the UK..."

Not the UK, but the Thai Consulate in LA made getting a Thai birth certificate and passport very easy. It's a straightforward process that they should consider to be a routine task.

[buzzer101]

My wife also is Thai. We had our baby in the UK and have now moved to Thailand 3 months ago. We applied for a British Passport in the UK and which was straight forward. We went to the Thai Embassy in London who translated her Birth Certificate into Thai and have stamped her to stay indefinatly in Thailand. This only took about 10 days to process but you need to travel out within 30 days of that stamp. We did not have enough time but the Embassy also told us we could apply for a Thai Passport for her which takes about 4 weeks and then she has dual nationality.

Hope this helps.

[tazman]

My wife also is Thai. We had our baby in the UK and have now moved to Thailand 3 months ago. We applied for a British Passport in the UK and which was straight forward. We went to the Thai Embassy in London who translated her Birth Certificate into Thai and have stamped her to stay indefinatly in Thailand. This only took about 10 days to process but you need to travel out within 30 days of that stamp. We did not have enough time but the Embassy also told us we could apply for a Thai Passport for her which takes about 4 weeks and then she has dual nationality.

Hope this helps.

Many thanks to everyone for the info.

[ricardofel]

Can anybody help with advice on babies, me and the wife(whos thai) are arguing on where best to have the baby! she wants it in thailand, i want it in england. next year we re moving back to thailand but will be comming back to england now and again. but its passports do you get 2 or just a british one, then that leads to the question would the baby have to go on the visa run??? if anyone could help id be gratful.

We just had our baby at Bumrungrad, 4 nites, epidural, c-section...70,000 baht. Bumrungrad is the best, great care and newborn nursery. They will give you Thai birth certificate and have it translated into English...then you get British passport. I believe you can get both and when they are older they decide which one to keep..not definite though on that issue. Hope this helps.

[lopburi3]

There is no choice required for passports - both countries allow dual nationality. As for Bumrungrad your experience is much better then mine (but am happy about that). There is really no reason that a baby has to be born there as opposed to dozens of others with full facilities however.

[alex_4000]

we are both farang and our baby was born in bangkok 3 years ago, private hospitals are excellent. our second baby is due in june and she will be born in bangkok, too.

we have been in and out of the country with the baby many times and never had a visa for him. kids are exempt from visas until age 14 that's what his stamp in the passport is saying.

[lopburi3]

Actually kids are not exempt from visas. But if they hold a Thai passport no visa is required for Thailand. If they enter with a foreign passport a visa is required for entry, unless they qualify for visa exempt entry. But they will not be charged for overstay. So once in Thailand there would not be any need to make border runs to keep permitted to stay current.

[bkk_mike]

If you're British, and were born in the UK at a time when your parents were habitually resident in the UK, then your child will be eligible for a British passport regardless of where s/he's born. If you were born outside the UK, you should probably have the baby in the UK to ensure s/he inherits your British nationality.

If your wife still holds Thai natonality, then your child will be eligible for Thai nationality regardless of where the birth occurs. Although the baby would need to get their first passport from the embassy if born in the UK as the Thai passport office won't accept a foreign birth certificate.

The UK has no issues with dual nationality. Thailand sort-of allows it. (more specifically it's definitely allowed in children, and not actually disallowed in adults.)

My children carry both passports - one born in the UK, the other in Thailand. As for the hospital - I'd take private in Thailand ahead of the NHS every time so long as the cost isn't an issue. (NHS may be free, and there was nothing actually wrong medically, but the level of service is completely different.)

[alex_4000]

Actually kids are not exempt from visas. But if they hold a Thai passport no visa is required for Thailand. If they enter with a foreign passport a visa is required for entry, unless they qualify for visa exempt entry. But they will not be charged for overstay. So once in Thailand there would not be any need to make border runs to keep permitted to stay current.

thanks, lopburi, for putting this right!

[teacher]

Have the baby here in Thailand ensure you name gets put on the thai birth certificate. Then apply for a british passport. You will need your FULL BIRTH CERTIFICATE that carries your parents name on it. Get a c2 form from the embassy and get his/her passport within 4 weeks. Cost 5700bt.

When you have done that go to the thai embassy and get the baby a thai passport. Use the thai passport coming into thailand and get all the benifits the thais get (no boarder runs etc.etc.) then use the british Passport going out of thailand (HENCE NO VISA'S FOR THE BABY) Then use into the uk.

When in the uk go to your register office and register the baby at a cost of around 8 quid. To register here in thailand it's 10,700 bt and it needs to be done within the first 12 months easy and no interview. If baby is more than 12 months old then you must start completing many forms and go for an interview.

[gosompoi]

Can anybody help with advice on babies, me and the wife(whos thai) are arguing on where best to have the baby! she wants it in thailand, i want it in england. next year we re moving back to thailand but will be comming back to england now and again. but its passports do you get 2 or just a british one, then that leads to the question would the baby have to go on the visa run??? if anyone could help id be gratful.

My wife gave birth yesterday in a public hospital in Issan (Rasisali Thailand). She had a C-section birth. I will say, the hospital does not look as clean as I am used to in America but the attension to my wife and baby is far better in Thailand. On the otherside, my wife and I are teachers at Thai Goverment High School and seeing a hospital bill for 30 baht is amazing. A Happy Dad here, who understands Thai / Western differences but as far as giving birth your child will be fine where ever you choose to give birth.

[the scouser]

If you're British, and were born in the UK at a time when your parents were habitually resident in the UK, then your child will be eligible for a British passport regardless of where s/he's born. If you were born outside the UK, you should probably have the baby in the UK to ensure s/he inherits your British nationality.

If the child having British citizenship is a primary consideration, I'd go with bkk_mike's advice. Ensure that you are British "otherwise than by descent" before the mother has the child in Thailand.

Scouse.

[PattayaParent]

Have the baby here in Thailand ensure you name gets put on the thai birth certificate. Then apply for a british passport. You will need your FULL BIRTH CERTIFICATE that carries your parents name on it. Get a c2 form from the embassy and get his/her passport within 4 weeks. Cost 5700bt.

When you have done that go to the thai embassy and get the baby a thai passport. Use the thai passport coming into thailand and get all the benifits the thais get (no boarder runs etc.etc.) then use the british Passport going out of thailand (HENCE NO VISA'S FOR THE BABY) Then use into the uk.

When in the uk go to your register office and register the baby at a cost of around 8 quid. To register here in thailand it's 10,700 bt and it needs to be done within the first 12 months easy and no interview. If baby is more than 12 months old then you must start completing many forms and go for an interview.

NO NO NO. Bad advice.

You try to leave Thailand with a UK passport with NO THAI VISA in it and expect not to have hassles????

Thai passport in AND out of Thailand = No need Thai visa.

Brit passport in and out of UK = No need Brit visa.

[teacher]

Have the baby here in Thailand ensure you name gets put on the thai birth certificate. Then apply for a british passport. You will need your FULL BIRTH CERTIFICATE that carries your parents name on it. Get a c2 form from the embassy and get his/her passport within 4 weeks. Cost 5700bt.

When you have done that go to the thai embassy and get the baby a thai passport. Use the thai passport coming into thailand and get all the benifits the thais get (no boarder runs etc.etc.) then use the british Passport going out of thailand (HENCE NO VISA'S FOR THE BABY) Then use into the uk.

When in the uk go to your register office and register the baby at a cost of around 8 quid. To register here in thailand it's 10,700 bt and it needs to be done within the first 12 months easy and no interview. If baby is more than 12 months old then you must start completing many forms and go for an interview.

NO NO NO. Bad advice.

You try to leave Thailand with a UK passport with NO THAI VISA in it and expect not to have hassles????

Thai passport in AND out of Thailand = No need Thai visa.

Brit passport in and out of UK = No need Brit visa.

Where is the Bad advice then????and why on earth would anyone want a Thai visa in a thai passport for???

"leaving Thailand on a Thai passport" requires a visa for the destiation you are going, in this case UK tourist visa.

[lopburi3]

Use must use the same passport used at entry to exit. For Thailand you use Thai passport for entry and exit. For UK you use UK passport for entry/exit. For proof that you do not need a visa you provide both passports to check-in counter in Thailand but use the Thai passport at Immigration for stamp out.

[tazman]

Can anybody help with advice on babies, me and the wife(whos thai) are arguing on where best to have the baby! she wants it in thailand, i want it in england. next year we re moving back to thailand but will be comming back to england now and again. but its passports do you get 2 or just a british one, then that leads to the question would the baby have to go on the visa run??? if anyone could help id be gratful.

Thanks everybody for the info on passports and visas. just 1 more QU,some of you have said about paying for the hosiptal,( i know treatment is to pay for) but is about 70,000b the norm or is this for private????

[lopburi3]

70k was for c-section at one of the highest priced private hospitals. Please read/post medical section for more information. Most private hospitals list there rates as package price on there web sites.

[PattayaParent]

Use the thai passport coming into thailand and get all the benifits the thais get (no boarder runs etc.etc.) then use the british Passport going out of thailand (HENCE NO VISA'S FOR THE BABY) Then use into the uk.

NO NO NO. Bad advice.

You try to leave Thailand with a UK passport with NO THAI VISA in it and expect not to have hassles????

Thai passport in AND out of Thailand = No need Thai visa.

Brit passport in and out of UK = No need Brit visa.

Where is the Bad advice then????and why on earth would anyone want a Thai visa in a thai passport for???

"leaving Thailand on a Thai passport" requires a visa for the destiation you are going, in this case UK tourist visa.

The bad advice is trying to leave Thailand on a UK passport which has no Thai visa in it. The Immigration will question it but they won't question a Thai leaving on a Thai passport as visas for your destination are only checked by the airline and you show them BOTH passports.

I didn't say a Thai needs a visa in a Thai passport????

[pechuah]

Lop, If father is Malaysian and Mother is Thai, do you think the kid can have dual citizenship or 2 passport from these 2 countries?

[lopburi3]

I do not believe Malaysia allows dual nationality.

[pechuah]

I do not believe Malaysia allows dual nationality.

Thanks for your reply