Visa Rules For Farang Children

[cornish]

Here are our details :

Me (male) - Born in the UK age 36 - Own Passport

Wife - Born in the UK age 34 - Own Passport

Daughter - Born in the UK age 4 - Own Passport

Our current 30 day visa runs out on the 19th December 2008

We have decided to stay in Thailand until March 2009, so we have decided to extend our tourist visa in Penang i.e pay for the 60 day visa the extend by another 30 days giving us a total of 90 Days.

I know that me and my wife both have to pay for the 60 day visa and the 30 day extension, but I found conflicting information about our daughter?

I found some information on lonelyplanet that says there is no charge for children under the age of 12 if they overstay?

(1) Does this imply that we don't need to get a visa for our daughter at the Thai consulate?

(2) Can she simply get a visa stamp at the border for 15 days then when we leave in March have no problems at the airport?

(3) She is 4 years old does she need to get a 60 day + 3 day the same as us?

I have tried to contact the Thai consulate in Penang but can't understand any of the messages in English as I am using my laptop through skype and it isn't very clear.

Any information about Ferang children with Ferang parents and costs involved for children and relevant laws about tourist visa would be very much appreciated. Also I have tried to search the forums and cant find any relevant information about ferang children and visas.

many thanks in advance

Gavin

[torrenova]

Children under a certain age do not get charged overstay that is certain. The exact age I do not know but certainly until quite some way past 4 years old.

Your tourist visa pus 30 day extension will see you through until the middle of March so I suppose you are asking whether you should pay the fee for the tourist visa and extension for your child. I suppose that is up to you. Your status would not be impinged by her not having a visa as the authorities would not know until you all left in March. At that time, she would have an overstay stamp put in her passport but you would not be required to pay any overstay fee.

The only argument that could be made would be that there was a difference in the validity of your entries when returning from Penang. You and your wife would have tourist visas and your daughter would have only 30 or 15 days depending upon whether you arrived back by air or overland. You never know with immigration and I might be inclined to by her a visa but perhaps not extend it.

[Mario2008]

Your daughter needs a visa, same as you. However option 2 is possible, she will indeed not be fined. The legal way is however always the right way, but that is up to you.

[2008bangkok]

Your daughter needs a visa, same as you. However option 2 is possible, she will indeed not be fined. The legal way is however always the right way, but that is up to you.

It is right that there are no overtstay for children..in your case i dont see why at least you dont get the 60 day tourist visa for her, you are all going to penang anyway and it only cost 1000 baht so why not, then if you choose not to extend her visa another 30 days so be it but at least get the 60 day..you also run the risk of an awake and alert immigration officer noticeing tjat you and your wife have tourist visas and your daughter doesnt..they might want to know why..

[cornish]

wow many thanks for the quick and useful comments... I'm actually on the train at the moment on route to Penang. Seems like sensible answers that we should get the 60day visa for her. We would like to come back into the country at some stage so dont want to break any laws / rules.

We just were not sure if we needed to get her the same visa stamps as us.

If she got an Overstay Stamp would that cause any problems returning to Thailand?

I think we will just get her the same stamps as us but is a little annoying that she has to pay exactly the same as us, lets face it not like she can travel into the country on her own the same as an adult. Anyway thanks for your quick responses.

Gavin

[Mario2008]

So far an overstay has not been any problem in getting a new visa or permission to enter Thailand. Nobody can tell for the future, but she is only a child.