Need Ex-husband's Permission To Get Passport

[bangon04]

My Thai GF wants to bring her kid (10 y.o.) with us on our travels. She went to get a passport for the kid at the LadPrao office, but she was told that she must obtain the written consent of the child's Thai father.

Now as is often the case, the ex-husband abandoned the family several years ago and even if she could contact him, he has no incentive to cooperate. So I guess this is a non-starter.

I understand that the "divorce" was not as well documented as it could have been - mai pen rai attitude.

So i do not know what to advise her - but hopefully someone out there has the legal / personal experience to point us in the right direction.

[torrenova]

I sort of went through this when the mother was playing silly buggers and wouldn't co-operate to get our daughter's Thai and UK passports and whilst the UK embassy answered emails and fully understood, I got nowhere with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

I suspect she will have to go to court or perhaps just the amphur and either register him as dead (can do in the UK after 7 years disappearance) or some form of official abandonment. Whether she needs to have the kid registered solely in her name I don't know. I got nowhere trying to get information as to what would happen if the mother just was not available. I hope you are more fortunate.

[imaneggspurt]

A friend of mine took his wife to be to get a thai passport and she couldnt as she was still married and needed a divorce or his ( the husbands ) permission,my friend never knew she had been married, it was slippery slope from there on till their divorce ( my friend and this woman )

[Boo]

In some situations the local headman can sign a document attesting to the father/husbands abandonment & she can then use this to go to court to get a sole custody agreement. Father doesn't need to be present. I would suggest she speak first to the local head man or her local amphur & ask them for advice on this matter.

[IMA_FARANG]

My Thai GF wants to bring her kid (10 y.o.) with us on our travels. She went to get a passport for the kid at the LadPrao office, but she was told that she must obtain the written consent of the child's Thai father.

Now as is often the case, the ex-husband abandoned the family several years ago and even if she could contact him, he has no incentive to cooperate. So I guess this is a non-starter.

I understand that the "divorce" was not as well documented as it could have been - mai pen rai attitude.

So i do not know what to advise her - but hopefully someone out there has the legal / personal experience to point us in the right direction.

Yes it's true...she will probably need her ex-husband's permission. I went through this in the 1980's. My Thai girlfriends husband just ran off and left her...no divorce involved. I tried to take her and her kids about 1984 to Singapore for a visit, but they wouldn't give her a passport until he (now living in Australia) gave permission. We were able to find her ex's sister, still living in BKK, and thru the sister we got him to agree. Just takes a written permission for them to travel.

Having said that, I thought the law had now been changed. My Thai G/F's children can now get Thai I.D. cards even though their father was only half Thai. In the 1980's they could not get them.

Question: does your girlfriend have a passport? If so the child may be able to get a passport on mother's say so. Does the child have a Thai I.D. card? If that is so, and the mother is registered as the birth mother, you might be able to get a passport for the child.

Of course, Thailand being such a upstanding country, a few thousand baht slipped to the passport people would be out of the question anyhow, wouldn't it? Of course it would.

[samran]

Of course, Thailand being such a upstanding country, a few thousand baht slipped to the passport people would be out of the question anyhow, wouldn't it? Of course it would.

I guess you've never applied for a Thai passport lately? They are a pretty efficient and transparent set up these days. I doubt you'd get away with it. Though I'd never say never in Thailand, the best route to go is the correct one.

[bangon04]

Yes it's true...she will probably need her ex-husband's permission. I went through this in the 1980's. My Thai girlfriends husband just ran off and left her...no divorce involved. I tried to take her and her kids about 1984 to Singapore for a visit, but they wouldn't give her a passport until he (now living in Australia) gave permission. We were able to find her ex's sister, still living in BKK, and thru the sister we got him to agree. Just takes a written permission for them to travel.

Having said that, I thought the law had now been changed. My Thai G/F's children can now get Thai I.D. cards even though their father was only half Thai. In the 1980's they could not get them.

Question: does your girlfriend have a passport? If so the child may be able to get a passport on mother's say so. Does the child have a Thai I.D. card? If that is so, and the mother is registered as the birth mother, you might be able to get a passport for the child.

Of course, Thailand being such a upstanding country, a few thousand baht slipped to the passport people would be out of the question anyhow, wouldn't it? Of course it would.

G/F has a passport. Child is too young for an ID card - I am told the min age is 15...is this right?

I suggested the "pay a bit extra" method early on, but she is wary.

We are trying to get in touch to see if he will give permission, but he doesn't want to be found...

[bangon04]

In some situations the local headman can sign a document attesting to the father/husbands abandonment & she can then use this to go to court to get a sole custody agreement. Father doesn't need to be present. I would suggest she speak first to the local head man or her local amphur & ask them for advice on this matter.

This seems like the most obvious way to go. So far we have been redirected about 8 times to different people, and a court appointment is now on the cards - without any cooperation from the ex-husband, the figure of 15000 baht and 2 months has been mentioned..... Will report if we get anywhere...