Dna Required For Thai Children Born In Usa (?)

[CosmicSurfer]

A friend at work has a problem.

He is Thai and has lived in USA for last 20 years.

He got married to a Taiwanese Chinese there and they have 2 children.

They are now living in Bangkok.. Obviously.

He neglected to get Thai birth certificates issued at the Thai Embassy in the USA and is now trying to get the kids registered here in Bangkok.

Immigration has told him that in order to prove the kids parentage, they must take a DNA Test.

Is this true?

Is there any way to register Foreign born kids of Thai parentage here in Bangkok, without the standard practice of jumping through hoops backwards with your eyes blindfolded?

Please advise ASAP, he's getting desperate.

Mucho Thanks,

CS

[Dah fahrang]

A friend at work has a problem.

He is Thai and has lived in USA for last 20 years.

He got married to a Taiwanese Chinese there and they have 2 children.

They are now living in Bangkok.. Obviously.

He neglected to get Thai birth certificates issued at the Thai Embassy in the USA and is now trying to get the kids registered here in Bangkok.

Immigration has told him that in order to prove the kids parentage, they must take a DNA Test.

Is this true?

Is there any way to register Foreign born kids of Thai parentage here in Bangkok, without the standard practice of jumping through hoops backwards with your eyes blindfolded?

Please advise ASAP, he's getting desperate.

Mucho Thanks,

CS

We went through an identical experience.

My wife (Thai) me (Brit) were married in Hong Kong, and my wife lived away from Thailand for twenty years.

Our daughter reached the age of 14 before we decided to apply for Thai Nationality for her. The identical process, in our case, was about nine years ago.

We did not register my daughter's birth with the Thai Consulate in Hong Kong.

We went to Immigration (a room upstairs, round the back, above the cages for illegals and over-stayers

We were told that we must get our wedding certificate & daughters birth certificate translated into Thai, then notarised at the Department of consular Affairs, then bring oroginals and photocopies to Immigration.

After checking the documents, we were 'invited' to go to the Police Hospital for DNA tests. NB: the parents and the offspring must undergo the test. The results were given to us in a specially signed sealed envelope, but I think the lack of trust that the document can be doctored means they normally send to immigration. We parted with 9000 baht for three tests.

Back at Immigration, the envelope was opened, and the tests confirming parentage were accepted.

We were then told it was likely to be three months before our daughter's case would be considered by a panel.

Finally, she was granted Thai citizenship. The entry stamp in her UK passport was cancelled by Immigration, who then wrote to our changwat, (Ratchaburi) who then issued a Thai Birth Certificate.

The rest, as they say, was plain sailing.

As we started this process when we came herefor a vacation, and followed it up each time we came back for another vacation, it took a couple of years. Living here, my guess would be around three to six months.

The staff at the police Hospital were helpful, and seemed to know the routine required for Immigration.

Immigration were less than helpful, the officer in the "special" room for half-caste kids seemed to prefer watching TV to dealing with us. Perseverance, endless smiling through gritted teeth, and the job was done.

We did think, before and afterwards, that the procrastination and obstacle laying was to get us to give up, or, more pertinently, to offer a bung. After all, the TV he was endlessly watching was a big, expensive one. As we were in no hurry at that time, we took the two year route, following up every six monthly vacation, and not offering an envelope.

Hope this helps!

[astral]

This just shows how important it is to get children registered with the appropriate embassies, at birth.

So much easier at that stage.

[samran]

If the kids were born in the US, why don't they just write off the the Thai embassy in the US and get the birth certificates issued there? There isn't a time limit on it (I didn't get my Thai birth certificate issued in Australia until I was 17).

Even though Dah Farang has outlined his experience (very much a round about way!!) the Thai embassy in the US is the easiest place to get a Thai birth certificate for all Thai citizens born on US soil. The documentation will be minimal, and what you already likely have in hand. Ring them and see what you need.

With the Thai birth certificate, then you approach the Ampur and get them put on the house registration (a process I went through when i was 30!!). Once on the house registration, they can then apply for thai passports to travel in and out of Thailand on.

As for the DNA tests, the reason (I am guessing here) is that thai citizenship is in most cases handed down by blood. So if you had a parent who was a Thai citizen, they you are to - regardless of where you are born. This is quite different to the concept of citizenship in the west (these days) where children born overseas are (usually) citizens by decent, and if they subsequently have children outside of their parents 'home' country, then those children are ineligble of for that citizenship. This is generally the case for Australia, UK, NZ.

[CosmicSurfer]

If the kids were born in the US, why don't they just write off the the Thai embassy in the US and get the birth certificates issued there? There isn't a time limit on it (I didn't get my Thai birth certificate issued in Australia until I was 17).

Even though Dah Farang has outlined his experience (very much a round about way!!) the Thai embassy in the US is the easiest place to get a Thai birth certificate for all Thai citizens born on US soil. The documentation will be minimal, and what you already likely have in hand. Ring them and see what you need.

With the Thai birth certificate, then you approach the Ampur and get them put on the house registration (a process I went through when i was 30!!). Once on the house registration, they can then apply for thai passports to travel in and out of Thailand on.

As for the DNA tests, the reason (I am guessing here) is that thai citizenship is in most cases handed down by blood. So if you had a parent who was a Thai citizen, they you are to - regardless of where you are born. This is quite different to the concept of citizenship in the west (these days) where children born overseas are (usually) citizens by decent, and if they subsequently have children outside of their parents 'home' country, then those children are ineligble of for that citizenship. This is generally the case for Australia, UK, NZ.

This is exactly what I suggested to him already, but he said that the Thai Embassy in Washington told him that he must apply "In Person"....

Typical Thai response!!!

He was born in Thailand, and was able to recently register himself on his own "House Registration" booklet, without any problem. The problem is for his 2 kids... Fully 50% Thai Blood..... (Typing this last line Sounds pretty rediculous, doesn't it!)

Anyway.. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

CS

[samran]

If the kids were born in the US, why don't they just write off the the Thai embassy in the US and get the birth certificates issued there? There isn't a time limit on it (I didn't get my Thai birth certificate issued in Australia until I was 17).

Even though Dah Farang has outlined his experience (very much a round about way!!) the Thai embassy in the US is the easiest place to get a Thai birth certificate for all Thai citizens born on US soil. The documentation will be minimal, and what you already likely have in hand. Ring them and see what you need.

With the Thai birth certificate, then you approach the Ampur and get them put on the house registration (a process I went through when i was 30!!). Once on the house registration, they can then apply for thai passports to travel in and out of Thailand on.

As for the DNA tests, the reason (I am guessing here) is that thai citizenship is in most cases handed down by blood. So if you had a parent who was a Thai citizen, they you are to - regardless of where you are born. This is quite different to the concept of citizenship in the west (these days) where children born overseas are (usually) citizens by decent, and if they subsequently have children outside of their parents 'home' country, then those children are ineligble of for that citizenship. This is generally the case for Australia, UK, NZ.

This is exactly what I suggested to him already, but he said that the Thai Embassy in Washington told him that he must apply "In Person"....

Typical Thai response!!!

He was born in Thailand, and was able to recently register himself on his own "House Registration" booklet, without any problem. The problem is for his 2 kids... Fully 50% Thai Blood..... (Typing this last line Sounds pretty rediculous, doesn't it!)

Anyway.. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

CS

your mate was probably asking for Thai passports as well - which do need you to apply in person.

Am 100% sure though that the BC can be done by mail. It even says so on the site:

http://www2.thaiembdc.org/consular/Lega/Lega1_1.aspx

instructions are all there in Thai, and though I am unfamiliar with how it all works in the US, it appears you need to get the US birth certiciates of his kids authenticated by the relevant government deparment. I'm not sure of the logistics of how you do these things in the states (I'm Australian/thai, never lived in the states!) but will likely require someone on the ground.

With that you send in all the things listed on the page I've linked (photos, parents details/passports/marriage certs etc etc etc) to the embassy.

Repeat: The Birth certicate can be done by mail.

Once you have the Thai birth certificate, you are officially recognised as Thai. Trust me, even my blond haired, blue eyed daughter is treated as Thai for administrative purposes (very efficently and fairly I might add)!!

[CosmicSurfer]

Samran... Thanks.... I'll show your posts to him tomorrow at work.

CS