Hi!

The mother of my son and me are not married, that's why I need to go the amphoe (ket in bangkok), the local

district administration in order to register myself as the father. My name is already on the birth cert. but that is

not enough in order to have any legal meaning.

My only question here is: What do I or my wife need to ask for in order to get this done? Do they have any forms

to fill in? If yes what re they called. Is there a Thai word or phrase that describes this process?

Thanks

In Thailand you legitimise the child when you register the birth. If you registered the birth yourself at the amhur you have legitimised the child. If someone else registered the birth, you didn't register the birth.

If you didn't register the birth, there are 2 other option to legitimise the child:

1. go to the amphur with the mother and child and declare you are the father and have mother and child agree. Problem with this is that the child will need to be about 7 years old before he can declare that you are the father.

2. petition the court to be recognised as the father. When the mother agrees and you can show that you llive together before and after the birth it shouldn't be a problem. DNA testing is always an option.

1. go to the amphur with the mother and child and declare you are the father and have mother and child agree. Problem with this is that the child will need to be about 7 years old before he can declare that you are the father.

This is what I want to do. Now you have said something. My son is only 2.5 years of age. Id didn't say anywhere in the Thai Law text that he needs

to be that old. I guess that some Amphoes will do it and some don't, or are you sure that this rule is "set in stone" and the kid must always be at least 7?

How come the mother doesn't have to register the birth in person, but the father has to, to legitamise the birth ? It sounds a little crazy.

How come the mother doesn't have to register the birth in person, but the father has to, to legitamise the birth ? It sounds a little crazy.

When a child is born, the mother is known. That is why she doesn't have to register the birth in person. When the mother is married, the husband is presumed to be the father of the child and doesn't have to register the child himself also. But when the mother is not marreid, the law can not make a presumption about who the father is. Since anyone can be named as the father, in that case the father has to acknowledge that he is indeed the father. He does that by registering the baby himself.

Sorry to have wasted your time Mario2008. As soon as I posted the question, I realised the need for the father, if unmarried, to apply in person. Hopefully your answer will be of help to others.