Does A Baby Need A Visa?

[Jingjok]

My family is moving to Phuket for at least 5 years from April 2005. I have a non-imm O visa (which was easy to get from Birmingham, UK). My girlfriend will apply for the same, before she joins me later in 2005. We’ll also take our one-year-old baby, who under the rather silly EU regulations has his own passport. I’ve leased land in Phuket, and am building a house there. I’ve also owned a condo in Hua Hin since 1998. All three of us have full UK citizenship, but I’ll be non-resident for tax purposes.

My question is, does the baby need a £90 multi-entry non-imm O visa in his separate passport as well as us? I’ll try without - at worst he’ll get a 30-day tourist visa, but I’m hoping immigration will stamp him in for 90 days with his parents. (But note that we are not married, if that is relevant).

Has anyone else tried this combination please? Is there anything else I need to know?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

My family is moving to Phuket for at least 5 years from April 2005.  I have a non-imm O visa (which was easy to get from Birmingham, UK).  My girlfriend will apply for the same, before she joins me later in 2005.  We’ll also take our one-year-old baby, who under the rather silly EU regulations has his own passport.  I’ve leased land in Phuket, and am building a house there.  I’ve also owned a condo in Hua Hin since 1998.  All three of us have full UK citizenship, but I’ll be non-resident for tax purposes.

My question is, does the baby need a £90 multi-entry non-imm O visa in his separate passport as well as us?  I’ll try without - at worst he’ll get a 30-day tourist visa, but I’m hoping immigration will stamp him in for 90 days with his parents.  (But note that we are not married, if that is relevant).

Has anyone else tried this combination please?    Is there anything else I need to know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thailand does not recognize de facto relationships. The child will only be granted a 30 day stay without a visa. I'd spend the 90 pounds personally.

[Paraglider]

A baby can't overstay it's visa.So its no prob. to enter Thailand with a 30 day visa for your baby.

We had allways disscusions with the Immigration stuff,when we tried to extend our 60 day visa for 30 days more,because the mayority of them are corrupt,gready A......,who try to rip the people off.

You've to be prepared to bargain and discuse with them.But on the Airport Immigration is a Sign,whitch clearly shows what i told you.

Don't let you tell anything else from the officials!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A baby can't overstay it's visa.So its no prob. to enter Thailand with a 30 day visa for your baby.

We had allways disscusions with the Immigration stuff,when we tried to extend our 60 day visa for 30 days more,because the mayority of them are corrupt,gready A......,who try to rip the people off.

You've to be prepared to bargain and discuse with them.But on the Airport Immigration is a Sign,whitch clearly shows what i told you.

Don't let you tell anything else from the officials!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have great courage and enjoy the time waste at the airport. Go for it.

[Goldenbead]

My 5 year old twins have never had a Thai visa. A child does not need a visa until 7 years of age. I know this as we have left the Kingdom with them only twice in the last 5 years (last time only a few weeks ago) and there has been no trouble whatsoever at the airport. They are officially granted a 30 day stay on arrival and they have stayed for up to two years on that entry stamp. Once they reach the age of 7 they will require a visa. Until then, I see no reason to make them do visa runs or to pay for a visa that is not necessary. Good luck with your decision.

[Jingjok]

Paraglider, I'm not sure I'd want to deliberately start any fights with Thai immigration! We’re guests in their country and the Thais always have the final say, regardless of what it might or might not say on a wall. That’s the Thai way.

However, Goldenbead, if you’ve actually done it, with no hassles, then it must be OK to have a small child with no visa. I’ll go that route for the first visit, then see what happens. In your case, was anything said at all by immigration, or was the anomaly just ignored?

Only one question - do you come from a country which requires a separate passport for each of your children? Or are they included on your own passport in the old way? My baby has his own passport (Complete with his photo which was out of date the day after it was taken!).

Dr PP - I’m not only trying to save £90 a year for five years, which seems silly to waste, but also to reduce the amount of form-filling. There’s enough of that already!

[Paraglider]

@ Jingjok

It isn't my intention to start any arguments with the goverment.We extended 2 times our Tourist visa in 2 different branches and had in both cases to talk to the officers that we havent to pay the required 1900 Baht for our 16 month old son.

They wanted the money without any forms to fill in the oviously intention to let it disapear in their own pockets .

I know that we are guests in the country and i respect the thais so much as they respect me and my family,what is allways the case in our daily life here.

But its also not nice at all to threat us as friendly guests like an ATM machine,particular not from the government Site.

Also his Majesty King Bhumiphol mentioned in his birthday audience,that the guests should be fairly treaten and not get taken to cleaner.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

@ Jingjok

It isn't my intention to start any arguments with the goverment.We extended 2 times our Tourist visa in 2 different branches and had in both cases to talk to the officers that we havent to pay the required 1900 Baht for our 16 month old son.

They wanted the money without any forms to fill in the oviously intention to let it disapear in their own pockets .

I know that we are guests in the country and i respect the thais so much as they respect me and my family,what is allways the case in our daily life here.

But its also not nice at all to threat us as friendly guests like an ATM machine,particular not from the government Site.

Also his Majesty King Bhumiphol mentioned in his birthday audience,that the guests should be fairly treaten and not get taken to cleaner.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Were they his precise words ?

[singa-traz]

A baby can't overstay it's visa....

You've to be prepared to bargain and discuse with them.But on the Airport Immigration is a Sign,whitch clearly shows what i told you.

Don't let you tell anything else from the officials!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have great courage and enjoy the time waste at the airport. Go for it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It takes one minute. Red light blink, Officer come, smile at the baby, and then give his approval.

For the age when the kids need a Visa, I'm not sure if this is 7 or 14 ...

[surin]

A baby can't overstay it's visa.So its no prob. to enter Thailand with a 30 day visa for your baby.

We had allways disscusions with the Immigration stuff,when we tried to extend our 60 day visa for 30 days more,because the mayority of them are corrupt,gready A......,who try to rip the people off.

You've to be prepared to bargain and discuse with them.But on the Airport Immigration is a Sign,whitch clearly shows what i told you.

Don't let you tell anything else from the officials!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are a mis-leading fool of a person!!

[Paraglider]

@ Surin

Funny that such a silly son of a bitch like you tell me this

Edited March 16, 2005 by dr_Pat_Pong

[Goldenbead]

Jingjok,

My children all have their own passports. When I left the country a couple of weeks ago, the twins actually left on expired passports with a two year old entry stamp and re-entered on their new passports which had been issued by the embassy in BKK. Prior to our departure, Phuket immigration had a look at the passports and were not bothered about it. Perfectly OK.

The immigration officer that I went to was a bit uncertain and showed the passports to several other officers who replied "mai pen rai". In the end, he stamped them out with absolutely no problems at all.

I believe the age limit for this used to be 14 but I have been informed that it is now 7 so am fairly certain that this is the case. I am sure that the Thai embassy in your country can confirm this.

[Jingjok]

Jingjok,

My children all have their own passports.  When I left the country a couple of weeks ago, the twins actually left on expired passports with a two year old entry stamp and re-entered on their new passports which had been issued by the embassy in BKK.  Prior to our departure, Phuket immigration had a look at the passports and were not bothered about it.  Perfectly OK.

The immigration officer that I went to was a bit uncertain and showed the passports to several other officers who replied "mai pen rai".  In the end, he stamped them out with absolutely no problems at all. 

I believe the age limit for this used to be 14 but I have been informed that it is now 7 so am fairly certain that this is the case.  I am sure that the Thai embassy in your country can confirm this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, Goldenbead, all most helpful. I'm building a house at Surin right now, so will eventually be flying into/out of HKT, but for now we'll be entering through BKK. I wonder if it's more strict there? Anyway, I'll give it a go and see what happens.

[Jingjok]

For completeness and to advise anyone else in the same situation who may read this thread in the future, here’s what happened. I visited in April with my other son - an 11 year old. I had my 3-month Non-Imm O and he had nothing. As an experiment I asked for my son to be stamped in for three months, same as me. NO WAY. It wasn’t going to happen.

He received the standard thirty day stamp (which in this case was all we needed anyway).

I’m now back in the UK for a week and have applied for the visas for my girlfriend and infant son. I spoke to both the London and Birmingham embassies - both said the same thing: new rules require everyone to have visas if they want to remain in the Kingdom for anything over thirty days; even neonates.

So there it is. I can’t be bothered with the potential hassle and time-wasting of not having the correct visas, so have given in and stumped up the additional ninety quid.

Thanks everyone for the help and advice, but it appears there is no way round this.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Thanks for that update

[Jeff1]

@ Jingjok

It isn't my intention to start any arguments with the goverment.We extended 2 times our Tourist visa in 2 different branches and had in both cases to talk to the officers that we havent to pay the required 1900 Baht for our 16 month old son.

They wanted the money without any forms to fill in the oviously intention to let it disapear in their own pockets .

I know that we are guests in the country and i respect the thais so much as they respect me and my family,what is allways the case in our daily life here.

But its also not nice at all to threat us as friendly guests like an ATM machine,particular not from the government Site.

Also his Majesty King Bhumiphol mentioned in his birthday audience,that the guests should be fairly treaten and not get taken to cleaner.

Were they his precise words ?

.........Yeah , somem like that .

If we could ever get a clear answer on this . I would be interested also .

Edited April 21, 2005 by Jeff1

[Jingjok]

UPDATE!! *** To assist others who might read this thread in the future ***

I was wrong.

My baby has just overstayed his 90-day Non-imm O visa by two months, but on exit via HKT, there was no problem. The overstay was noted, and the baby taken, with his mother to a back office, where a special stamp was affixed, excusing the overstay. There was no mention of a fee.

We were told it would have been the same were the baby on a 30-day tourist stamp.

So, this seems to be the true answer: A baby does need a visa, but if he/she doesn't have one or overstays, there is no penalty. How very Thai :-) I warm to this place.

[Buman]

UPDATE!! *** To assist others who might read this thread in the future ***

I was wrong. 

My baby has just overstayed his 90-day Non-imm O visa by two months, but on exit via HKT, there was no problem.  The overstay was noted, and the baby taken, with his mother to a back office, where a special stamp was affixed, excusing the overstay.  There was no mention of a fee.

We were told it would have been the same were the baby on a 30-day tourist stamp.

So, this seems to be the true answer: A baby does need a visa, but if he/she doesn't have one or overstays, there is no penalty.  How very Thai :-)  I warm to this place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

@ Jinjok:

Well, your "true answer" is exactly what the experts that have gone through the procedure themselves (e.g. Goldenbead or Paraglider) told you in their first replies. Why then the big deal about it - now you have found the "true answer"?

Please also note that your statement "We’ll also take our one-year-old baby, who under the rather silly EU regulations has his own passport" is incorrect. These are not silly EU regulations, but the regulations of your own silly country. Other EU countries do allow kids to share the same passports with their parents (e.g. Germany).

Anyway, enjoy your stay in LOS and happy new year!

[Axel]

>>>'

Please also note that your statement "We’ll also take our one-year-old baby, who under the rather silly EU regulations has his own passport" is incorrect. These are not silly EU regulations, but the regulations of your own silly country. Other EU countries do allow kids to share the same passports with their parents (e.g. Germany).

Anyway, enjoy your stay in LOS and happy new year!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some countries indeed allow to have the kid(s) included in the p/port. I believe, however, only one, either to father or to mother.

So IMHO the little one need their own p/port. Otherwise, what to do if mother travels with the kid(s) who are included in father's pass?

Lot's of parents have different nationalities and only one corresponds with the kid's. How to include in p/port, would be usually to the father?

Grtandparents might travel with the kid(s) while parents follow. Again, kid need separate p/port.

[Buman]

Some countries indeed allow to have the kid(s) included in the p/port. I believe, however, only one, either to father or to mother.

So IMHO the little one need their own p/port. Otherwise, what to do if mother travels with the kid(s) who are included in father's pass?

Lot's of parents have different nationalities and only one corresponds with the kid's. How to include in p/port, would be usually to the father?

Grtandparents might travel with the kid(s) while parents follow. Again, kid need separate p/port.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right, Axel!

Certain countries do allow to have the kid in both of the parent's passports. Actually, why not? Then the kid just has kinda two passports.

However, if the kid has to have a visa, it obviously has to leave on the same pp on which it came in. So, if there are plans for the kid to travel out with mother after coming in with father (or vice versa), I recommend for the kid to have its own pp.

Since my family always travels together, this is not a problem. Our son is included in my pp, and we enter and leave LOS w/o any problems.

However, the original poster complained that the kid - according to his silly country's law - HAD to have its own pp - it seems he would prefer to not have a separate pp for the kid.

Edited January 2, 2006 by Buman

[ovenman]

I spoke to both the London and Birmingham embassies - both said the same thing: new rules require everyone to have visas if they want to remain in the Kingdom for anything over thirty days; even neonates.

A money spinner for the consular offices, no doubt.