Help For My Step Daughter

[NJpanthip2]

I met my TGF about 20 months ago. She has a daughter (father American) who is 2yrs 2mths. I have spent most of my time with them in Thailand only returning to the UK for work.

I have brought up my gf'd daughter as my own child. My step daughter has only known me as her dad and calls me Daddy and when I am in the UK she is always asking for me. Even when I am in the UK I speak to her via web cam every day.

I would like to bring them both to the UK as I have started a long term contract in the UK but I have a problem bringing my step daughter because she is registered at the local birth registry office as having an American father. The only details the registry office has on this person is his name, d.o.b and that he is an American citizen there is no other details(no passport number, id cards to prove the identity of this person, mainly because he didn't want anything to do with his child)

We have been told that we can't take my step daughter out of the country without permission from the biological father, which of cause he won't give as he denies he is the biological father plus there is no proof that his is, i.e. No DNA.

Could anyone advise me if there is anything we can do to change what is on my step daughter's birth certificate or could anyone give me a contact of a good family lawyer in Chiang Mai.

Thanks in advance

(I could not marry my GF at the moment so I could adopt her as I am still married and I am awaiting my divorce)

[Maestro]

...We have been told that we can't take my step daughter out of the country without permission from the biological father...

Told by whom?

If the girl does not yet have her Thai passport, the first thing her mother should do is get her a passport.

--

Maestro

[retiredusn]

Sounds like a bad beginning, he is married, is she still married? Only one I feel sorry for is the kid.

[NJpanthip2]

...We have been told that we can't take my step daughter out of the country without permission from the biological father...

Told by whom?

If the girl does not yet have her Thai passport, the first thing her mother should do is get her a passport.

--

Maestro

When my GF rang about a passport for my step daughter they said that they would need the fathers (biological) permission in writing first. I am also lead to believe that this would also be required for the UK visa application too.

[NJpanthip2]

Sounds like a bad beginning, he is married, is she still married? Only one I feel sorry for is the kid.

No she's not married and nor was he.

It took a year before she was offically registered, this was because she wanted a western name as well as a thai name.

There is no documents about the biological father what so ever it was just what my GF told them from when she first tried to register my step daughter (before I knew her)

[CharlieB]

Sounds like a bad beginning, he is married, is she still married? Only one I feel sorry for is the kid.

No she's not married and nor was he.

It took a year before she was offically registered, this was because she wanted a western name as well as a thai name.

There is no documents about the biological father what so ever it was just what my GF told them from when she first tried to register my step daughter (before I knew her)

I think you are going to need to go and see a Thai lawyer to sort this out. You're probably going to have to wait until a period of time passes and a Thai judge decrees that the father has no official interest in the child. It's probably going to take time and a bit of cash.

I am puzzled by you saying it took a year for her to be officially registered due to wanting a Thai name and western name?

[jstumbo]

She is probably going to have to go to court and get sole custody of her daughter before she is able to anything. Maybe threaten the guy with going after child support if he does not work with her on getting the visa and passport?

Edited April 13, 2008 by jstumbo

[Chichan]

I have an ex who had the same problem. There were some forms she had to fill out declaring that the named father abandoned the child and does not help support it. The head of the house where she is registered will need to sign also. I got the idea that it was not all that difficult seeing as my ex's only reason for doing this was to change the childs last name to hers instead of the fathers. I think she just went to the ampher office but it possibly had to get signed by a judge. I have copies of the paperwork around somewhere if you need more info but a quick trip to the ampher office should answer all her questions better than anyone here can.

[NJpanthip2]

Sounds like a bad beginning, he is married, is she still married? Only one I feel sorry for is the kid.

No she's not married and nor was he.

It took a year before she was offically registered, this was because she wanted a western name as well as a thai name.

There is no documents about the biological father what so ever it was just what my GF told them from when she first tried to register my step daughter (before I knew her)

I think you are going to need to go and see a Thai lawyer to sort this out. You're probably going to have to wait until a period of time passes and a Thai judge decrees that the father has no official interest in the child. It's probably going to take time and a bit of cash.

I am puzzled by you saying it took a year for her to be officially registered due to wanting a Thai name and western name?

When my GF tried to register my step daughter (before we met) the registrar insited that she needed the passport/id of the father before my step daughter could have a western christian name otherwise she could only have a thai name.

My GF tried to get this from the father (biological) who told her where to go.

She tried to get the details via the American Embassy In Chiang Mai who said they couldn't do anything.

After going back and forth another registrar gave the birth certificate with a western christian name but also named the father on the certificate as the person whose name she gave when she first tried to register the birth.

There is no paper work which states that the name she gave at the start when she tried to register they have just taken here word that 'joe bloggs, age 28 American is the father.

Hope this makes sence

I didn't think they could have put the details of the person she gave without the relevant documentation.

I am willing to pay what ever it costs to have this changed.

I would be grateful if someone could suggest a lawyer in the Chiang Mai area

Thanks for your answers so far. These are very much appreciated

[Guest Bellini]

I didn't think they could have put the details of the person she gave without the relevant documentation.

Oh yes, they would. The amphur office puts any name as the fathers's name on a birth certificate that the unmarried mother gives.

[jstumbo]

When my GF tried to register my step daughter (before we met) the registrar insited that she needed the passport/id of the father before my step daughter could have a western christian name otherwise she could only have a thai name.

My GF tried to get this from the father (biological) who told her where to go.

She tried to get the details via the American Embassy In Chiang Mai who said they couldn't do anything.

After going back and forth another registrar gave the birth certificate with a western christian name but also named the father on the certificate as the person whose name she gave when she first tried to register the birth.

There is no paper work which states that the name she gave at the start when she tried to register they have just taken here word that 'joe bloggs, age 28 American is the father.

Hope this makes sence

I didn't think they could have put the details of the person she gave without the relevant documentation.

I am willing to pay what ever it costs to have this changed.

I would be grateful if someone could suggest a lawyer in the Chiang Mai area

Thanks for your answers so far. These are very much appreciated

As a last resort you could always change your name to Joe Bloggs and get US citizenship and then you would appear as the father on the birth cert.

Seriously though, good luck. I think you can get it all worked out. I imagine it is not uncommon for Thai women to get pregnant by farang men and then have the farang men take no responsibility. There must be some standard way that they take care of this.