Thai Passport For A Baby

[quadisking]

My wife's sister is married to a Welsh bloke, and she will be applying for a tourist visa to go to Wales in Jan next year with their baby girl who is 1 year old.

Problem is although the baby has a UK passport, they didn't get a Thai passport yet.

I thought that being a British Citizen, the baby could travel to Wales without a Thai Passport. My missus says she has been to City Hall and has been told that the baby can't travel to UK without a Thai Passport. Is this correct?

[ThaiVisaExpress]

She is entering the UK using her British passport obviously the child does not require a visa as it has a valid British passport. The airline will check his wife has a valid visa inserted in her Thai passport & the baby will show its British passport both confirming they are allowed to enter the UK.

But it maybe advisable anyway to get a Thai passport as they have plenty of time & my experience is they are never wrong and power mad .

Edited September 28, 2010 by ThaiVisaExpress

[quadisking]

What sort of an answer is that? I know she doesn't need a visa to go to the UK, I'm asking if she needs to have a Thai Passport in order to leave Thailand.

Apparently under some new law she does, also her husband is in Wales not Thailand, so getting the Thai Passport isn't such a simple procedure because he needs to go to immigration in Cardiff to sign a document to send back to Thailand, before they can get it.

[samran]

She is entering the UK using her British passport obviously the child does not require a visa as it has a valid British passport. The airline will check his wife has a valid visa inserted in her Thai passport & the baby will show its British passport both confirming they are allowed to enter the UK.

But it maybe advisable anyway to get a Thai passport as they have plenty of time & my experience is they are never wrong and power mad

It is essential that you apply for the Thai passport. The child will need to depart Thailand and re-enter Thailand on the Thai passport.

The child enters and departs the UK on the British passport.

It is important that you have the Thai passport as when the Child returns to Thailand, without the Thai passport, the child will enter the country as a 'foreigner' and will have time limits imposed on their stay in Thailand.

Not sure what you mean by they are 'never wrong and power mad'. Makes no sense to me.

Edited September 28, 2010 by samran

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Well sign it and post it back we have email/fax/ etc these days, would you like me to call immigration for you and confirm ? The question was to leave Thailand not re enter ensure you ask the correct question !

Edited September 28, 2010 by ThaiVisaExpress

[quadisking]

Thanks, Samran.

ThaiVisaExpress why bother posting an answer if you clearly don't know? No, I wouldn't like you to email/fax it, I was trying to save my wife's sister's husband a 50-mile drive to the Thai Consulate in Cardiff.

[samran]

What sort of an answer is that? I know she doesn't need a visa to go to the UK, I'm asking if she needs to have a Thai Passport in order to leave Thailand.

Our erstwhile forum sponsor.

Apparently under some new law she does, also her husband is in Wales not Thailand, so getting the Thai Passport isn't such a simple procedure because he needs to go to immigration in Cardiff to sign a document to send back to Thailand, before they can get it.

Not exactly a 'law', but pretty standard and 'common sense' practice that a child, who is a Thai citizen, travels on a Thai passport when entering and leaving the country they are a citizen of.

Yes, unfortunately you need both parents to sign for the Thai passport. Speak to the passport office as to how to handle this when the parents aren't in the same location, but I am sure there is a way around it, even if it involves fedexing documents to sign where the father can't attend the application in person.

Having said that, Thai passport application proceedures are extremely efficient.

Edited September 28, 2010 by samran

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Documents required when applying for a Thai passport Link.

Males

Identity card.

Females

Identity card.

Minors (under 20 years of age)

1. Birth certificate (new born -14 years) or identity card (15-20 years)

2. Marriage Registration Certificate of mother and father.

3. Identity cards of mother and father.

4. Consent of parents or legal guardian (s) Minors under 15 years of age must come to the passport office with both father and mother or legal guardian (s). In case one of the parents is unable to come , he/she must sign a letter of consent, which must be brought to the office by the other parent and the minor. Minors over 15 years of age can apply for a passport with a letter of consent alone signed by both father and mother or legal guardian (s).

Regards Paul

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Thanks, Samran.

ThaiVisaExpress why bother posting an answer if you clearly don't know? No, I wouldn't like you to email/fax it, I was trying to save my wife's sister's husband a 50-mile drive to the Thai Consulate in Cardiff.

Clearly if you ask the correct question you will receive the right answer ?

People give their time and advice on here so ask the correct question you will get an answer you can actually apply for the passport whilst the child is in the UK .

Or go on the internet/passport office and check !

Edited September 28, 2010 by ThaiVisaExpress

[jayinoz]

Thai passport not essential yet recommended at some point. For this trip the baby has over stayed but there is no over stay fine for a baby. I have a one year old son myself and have not been bothered to get a Thai passport yet- as must get many forms authorised which costs a few 1000 bt. So when I head back to Aussie soon, I get them authorised for free. Then supply Aussie birth cert, mother's\fathers ID, etc- all authorised to Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra for a Thai birth certificate. Same will apply for UK.

Then you can apply for a Thai Passport then have the child in the House Rego book.

Do ll Thai Immigration that you have 2 passports- it seems to simply confuse them. Then in\out of Thai use the Thai passport. In\Out of UK use the UK passport.

Some Immigration Officers have very differing information in regards to Babies having 2 passports... in general they do not allow it. But they will not bother to question you.

As I have a 7 yo daughter with a Aussie and Thai passport and she enters every other country on Aussie Passport. Thailand on the Thai passport- never an issue. Being 7yo now she would have trouble if over staying on a Visa. Yet some officers say it is 15yo. Depends who you ask as most do not know their own laws, even if it is their job to know.

[quadisking]

Sorry ThaiVisaExpress, a bit grouchy today.

Thanks for the info re: minors passports. It's clearly no.4 which is the bit which needs to be done, he needs to sign a letter of consent which he will have to post to his wife and she will have to go to city hall with the baby and the letter in order apply for it. They have all the other paperwork in order.

I have a 4 yr old who has both passports, but me and my wife were together in Thailand when we applied for ours, so it was easier.

The Welsh bloke will be in Thailand for 3 weeks in Jan, and they are applying for his wife's tourist visa in advance so that they can all travel back to Wales together at the end of it. Part of her tourist visa application requires a photocopy of the baby's Thai Passport, and so therefore they are in quite a hurry to get it.

Bearing in mind that the tourist application visa asks for this, am I right in thinking (Jayinoz) that you will be returning to Oz by yourself (or without the child's mum), or is there some way of bypassing this problem?

[ThaiVisaExpress]

On the form it only asks you to list your children no reference to supplying a copy of the passport we insert the copy of the UK passport if the child is travelling. It only asks for a copy of the applicants passport & ID card the child is not the applicant obviously.

VisitSpouseOfUKCitizen(BasedInThailand).pdf

Check list nowhere does it say supply child's passport copy ?

I would suggest she applies for the visa in December or now because they are taking a minimum of 15 working days at the moment. And he can apply for the visa advising the Eco he will not be travelling until x date up to 90 days in advance of travel.

Edited September 28, 2010 by ThaiVisaExpress

[Garry]

What sort of an answer is that? I know she doesn't need a visa to go to the UK, I'm asking if she needs to have a Thai Passport in order to leave Thailand.

Our erstwhile forum sponsor.

Apparently under some new law she does, also her husband is in Wales not Thailand, so getting the Thai Passport isn't such a simple procedure because he needs to go to immigration in Cardiff to sign a document to send back to Thailand, before they can get it.

Not exactly a 'law', but pretty standard and 'common sense' practice that a child, who is a Thai citizen, travels on a Thai passport when entering and leaving the country they are a citizen of.

Yes, unfortunately you need both parents to sign for the Thai passport. Speak to the passport office as to how to handle this when the parents aren't in the same location, but I am sure there is a way around it, even if it involves fedexing documents to sign where the father can't attend the application in person.

Having said that, Thai passport application proceedures are extremely efficient.

I have to agree as well. It only took a few hours in Chiang Mai to get my daughters passport issued from the get go. It was an very efficient service. Holding my daughter with a white sheet over my shoulders and arms for the photograph was amusing. The photo came out good though.. :jap:

[bkk_mike]

I've done the passport renewal once when the wife was in London.

She needed to sign a form at the embassy (consulate would probably do), which I took along with me and my daughter to the passport office in Bangkok.

It had to be done at the embassy (or presumably consulate) as needed to be witnessed by some sort of government official. If all he's worried about is a 50 mile round trip, he should be thankful he's that close to a consulate.

Note: One of my daughters, born in the UK, did her first few trips to Thailand solely on a UK passport. She didn't get a Thai passport until we decided to move here, and then found we couldn't get one in Thailand on a UK birth certificate, and needed to get the passport at the embassy in London. That meant she flew in and out on her UK passport without problems. If there's a law now that dual-nationals have to use their Thai passport, it's new.

For the Aussie guy - if the child was born in Oz - at the same time as you're getting the birth certificates, etc. why not just get the passport done in Oz too. (or is the baby not travelling with you). If the child is born in a foreign country, the first Thai passport can be done at the embassy, you don't need to go to the passport office in Thailand for it. (I think it's a different matter for a child born in Thailand).

[Eureka]

Sorry ThaiVisaExpress, a bit grouchy today.

Thanks for the info re: minors passports. It's clearly no.4 which is the bit which needs to be done, he needs to sign a letter of consent which he will have to post to his wife and she will have to go to city hall with the baby and the letter in order apply for it. They have all the other paperwork in order.

I have a 4 yr old who has both passports, but me and my wife were together in Thailand when we applied for ours, so it was easier.

The Welsh bloke will be in Thailand for 3 weeks in Jan, and they are applying for his wife's tourist visa in advance so that they can all travel back to Wales together at the end of it. Part of her tourist visa application requires a photocopy of the baby's Thai Passport, and so therefore they are in quite a hurry to get it.

Bearing in mind that the tourist application visa asks for this, am I right in thinking (Jayinoz) that you will be returning to Oz by yourself (or without the child's mum), or is there some way of bypassing this problem?

A copy of the child's Thai Passport should not be required unless the Visa is for an ACCOMPANYING Child. Include a copy of the child's UK Passport as an indicaction of the child's status.

Three weeks should be enough time for the Thai passport to be issued as this is one area where the Thai system works remarkably well. Check for holidays etc. which could change processing times.

I seriously doubt that any child travelling with both parents and on a passport legally issued by a foreign government would be refused exit from Thailand. They have nothing to indicate that the child is anyone other than a foreign national.

[7by7]

As this topic is mainly about exiting and entering Thailand, I am moving it to Thai visas etc.

[lopburi3]

Child can depart Thailand with UK passport and birth certificate (which shows no need for entry stamp in new passport). But if does this without a valid Thai passport will have to return as a UK citizen and have normal visa/address reporting requirements (although not a big deal as no overstay for child). But better to obtain Thai passport and leave on that so return can be on it also. A 50 mile drive sounds like a very small price to pay to do it right.