11 Year Old Daughter Stuck In Thailand

[Mrjlh]

Thanks for all your information. Yet another burden has been added to the melting pot, flights out of the UK are being cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud. I was going to fly with Emirates but their flight to Dubai today has been cancelled and this is going to cause a backlog and lack of seats.

I finally got in touch with the British Embassy in Thailand and they said the best way forward was an emergency travel document, as she has already had a UK passport it is just a 3 hour process.

Thank you Mrjlh, I will take everything possible including photos. I have everything including all the stuff from when she was a baby in the UK so I shall look through that for anything relevant.

Just in case you understand my post, you want the things that your daughter has in Thailand, not so much as those in the UK. Because you don't want to go all the way back to Thailand just for school records and other documents. Especially if you plan to live in the UK.

[Mr_Pedantic]

I have everything in Thai and English all certified with me in the UK. She had all her shots in England. Just need to ensure mother's death certificate is copied and translated into English. I will have plenty of time now I know I can get an emergency travel document for her. Thanks for the reminder.

[Mr_Pedantic]

Thanks snuggzzz, crossed fingers hoping cloud doesn't come back.

[japio]

FYI

Last month I travelled to Europe with my 10 year old son. He had a valid Thai passport without a visa forSchengen and an 3 month expired Dutch passport. He checked in on his Thai passport and when the airline staff at checkin asked about him not having a visa I waved the Dutch passport and told them he does not need the visa. The rest was simple: thai immigration stamped his Thai passport and in Amsterdam they let him in on his expired Dutch passport. A new Thai passport is a same day service, we did it in the office in Bangna Central shopping mall.

Good luck.

[atyclb]

Sorry about her mom.

May I ask why both daughters passports are not with daughter (if this is correct per my understanding of your initial post)?

Depending on daughters length of stay in Thailand, jurisdiction of custody may be in Thailand and theoretically whoever she has been living with could hassle you because Thai court does not define decision making age for child. Someone I know has a similar situation.

Best of luck

[Mario2008]

Sorry about her mom.

May I ask why both daughters passports are not with daughter (if this is correct per my understanding of your initial post)?

Depending on daughters length of stay in Thailand, jurisdiction of custody may be in Thailand and theoretically whoever she has been living with could hassle you because Thai court does not define decision making age for child. Someone I know has a similar situation.

Best of luck

The Op is the legal father of the child and has custody over her, unless he gave it to someone else. He decides where the child lives and now simply has decided that the child will live somewhere else.

[bkk_mike]

The Thai passport is not a problem just go in the morning and pick it up three hours later. Pretty much the same as she could do here in the UK if she were here.

The photos in her old passports are quite old, the last time she came to the UK I had a problem with Thai immigration letting her out of the country and only when they spoke to her did they believe it was her. So I may have a problem with old passport in the UK as she has changed quite a bit.

There is no way I can bypass the signature required on the back of the photo as this is top of the checklist.

The C2 form has to be countersigned by someone official that has known me two years which means nobody in Thailand can sign it and they can't sign the photo because my daughter is not in the Uk

If you apply for the passport outside the UK I doubt they have to certify that she is in the UK.

However do you have a recent enough suitable photo.

[Arkady]

The witness for Brit passport applications overseas is not a big issue. They realise that there are few British justices of the peace etc residing overseas and in practice I believe that any UK citizen is acceptable. I would preferably choose some working in Thailand, as they need to give their profession. A teacher should be perfectly OK. If desperate, go to the British Embassy consular section with your daughter and ask them to witness her photo. They used to do that readily in the days they were able to accept the applications themselves.

In fact, the Embassy is still able to issue an emergency British passport, good for only one trip or for 6 months or something. Your case may well qualify as an emergency, if you explain the circumstances and that you urgently need to get back to the UK to work. They are generally helpful and you can politely ask to see the British vice-consul on duty, if you are not getting through to the Thai staff, which happened to me once. Anyway nothing to lose. You could ask them for an emergency passport and, if that doesn't work, you might at least get the witness signature.

Good luck and sincere condolences.

[Rumpole]

That's interesting to note, perhaps her teacher will do.

A teacher, along with doctor, lawyer, accountant, clergyman etc can certainly countersign the application in the UK.

This may not be at all relevant to the suspicious and over-regulated times in which we currently live, but years ago I converted a British Visitor's Passport to a full one in Italy, and the lady in the consulate actually suggested that my British friend, a teacher, countersign for me. She allowed this even though I told her that we had only known each other for a few months and nowhere near the minimum of two years required on the form. As the poster above stated, the consulates do seem to be sympathetic to the difficulties of finding a witness when overseas.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Rumpole

[remobb]

Hey Mr. Padantic,

I am a teacher in Bangkok. I have known you for years , wink, wink. I will countersign for you no problem if the need be. I have signed for others before without any problems.

Where does you daughter live? If it's Bangkok friends are here to help.

remobb

[Mr_Pedantic]

The reason I have both her passports, was last year when I visited her I told her that I would take them to England and see if I could renew them, so she didn't have to come to Bangkok with me etc. Little did I realise she had to be in the UK at the time to do this. The police officer who usually signs my passport forms etc said he couldn't sign as it was an offence to do so. If I tried to avoid this procedure the discrepancy could easily be picked up on when they see her passport has been renewed yet she has not been anywhere near the UK. (Although now with the new chipped passports you go through machines that don't judge you, but just see your face is the same one that is on the passport)

Bringing her to the UK on an expired UK passport would cause me no end of anxiety on the flight back, especially as the photo inside her old UK passport is so old.

Anyway crunch time is nearly here my flight is tomorrow (30th) and I've booked a quiet day for our return so I can get her on the same flight home as mine (because I can't book a one way flight from Bangkok for her in England)

Anyone know a travel shop in Bangkok (around Silom area) where I can get a cheap one way Emirates flight?

[Mrjlh]

The reason I have both her passports, was last year when I visited her I told her that I would take them to England and see if I could renew them, so she didn't have to come to Bangkok with me etc. Little did I realise she had to be in the UK at the time to do this. The police officer who usually signs my passport forms etc said he couldn't sign as it was an offence to do so. If I tried to avoid this procedure the discrepancy could easily be picked up on when they see her passport has been renewed yet she has not been anywhere near the UK. (Although now with the new chipped passports you go through machines that don't judge you, but just see your face is the same one that is on the passport)

Bringing her to the UK on an expired UK passport would cause me no end of anxiety on the flight back, especially as the photo inside her old UK passport is so old.

Anyway crunch time is nearly here my flight is tomorrow (30th) and I've booked a quiet day for our return so I can get her on the same flight home as mine (because I can't book a one way flight from Bangkok for her in England)

Anyone know a travel shop in Bangkok (around Silom area) where I can get a cheap one way Emirates flight?

Emirates just happens to have a branch office near Sala Dieng BTS. It's in the big office building next door to "Pilot Pen" Office and Bangkok Bank. I can't think of the building name. It was on the second or third floor if that helps at all.

I'd check at the main airport first and I'm sure they can help you.

[atyclb]

Sorry about her mom.

May I ask why both daughters passports are not with daughter (if this is correct per my understanding of your initial post)?

Depending on daughters length of stay in Thailand, jurisdiction of custody may be in Thailand and theoretically whoever she has been living with could hassle you because Thai court does not define decision making age for child. Someone I know has a similar situation.

Best of luck

The Op is the legal father of the child and has custody over her, unless he gave it to someone else. He decides where the child lives and now simply has decided that the child will live somewhere else.

I personally know of a case in which the legal father went to pick up his daughter but the grandmother(domicile guardian) objected and police would not side with legal father (legal marriage, birth certificate even confirmed by grandmother, documents at hand) This is the basis of my comment above re; could be hassled. I don't claim the domicile guardian will prevail in the matter.

[Mr_Pedantic]

Sorry about her mom.

May I ask why both daughters passports are not with daughter (if this is correct per my understanding of your initial post)?

Depending on daughters length of stay in Thailand, jurisdiction of custody may be in Thailand and theoretically whoever she has been living with could hassle you because Thai court does not define decision making age for child. Someone I know has a similar situation.

Best of luck

The Op is the legal father of the child and has custody over her, unless he gave it to someone else. He decides where the child lives and now simply has decided that the child will live somewhere else.

I personally know of a case in which the legal father went to pick up his daughter but the grandmother(domicile guardian) objected and police would not side with legal father (legal marriage, birth certificate even confirmed by grandmother, documents at hand) This is the basis of my comment above re; could be hassled. I don't claim the domicile guardian will prevail in the matter.

I had no problems, my daughter phoned her relatives when she got to the UK now they all want to come and live with me.