Wife'S Thai Papers Lost By Ups - Need Advice

[chonabot]

It seems our move to Thailand is cursed - we have had many setbacks and now another comes along just when we needed it least.

We came here from Bangalore last year - Myself, my wife and our son.We all hold UK passports and entered the kingdom on them.

My wife held a Thai Passport - expired in 2007 ( after an extension from Thai Embassy UK ) - my son had a Cert of Identity and a Thai Birth certificate from the London embassy.

We had not planned to come to Thailand originally but the Indian move did not work out.

All of the Thai supporting docs were back in the UK with my parents.

We entered on 30 day visa exempt stamps - after this we travelled to Vientiane and obtained Tourist Visas - they will need extending in early Feb.

For reasons beyond my comprehension my wife's name was removed from her Ban after she came to the UK.

The amphur people were a pain in the arse and would not assist us at all when we visited last year to enquire about her status.

Basically all of the Thai papers including Birth Certs/ ID card and everything collated over a long period of time were at my parents house in the UK.

They packed them into a box, along with a lot of valuable information, and we paid UPS a large amount to bring the box to us in Thailand.

Guess what......they have lost the box and after 3 weeks have declared it missing.

Offered us £100 compo...great...

What I really would appreciate is some advice on what my wife ( and son ) need to do to rectify this situation.

We plan to stay here for at least a few years and they can't expect to keep extending the Tourist visas ( I have been offered work )

What is the best way for them to get Thai Passports ( again ) and to become recognised as being in Thailand, despite entering twice on UK passports ?

Bearing in mind her name is no longer on the Village hit list - and we have moved away from that amphur also.

Thanks in advance

Chon

[Mario2008]

Make a police report for the missing ID-cards, birth certificates etc. Have confirmation from UPS that the box is lost for the police report.

With the police report a new ID-card can be asked for (but suspect your wife must be on a tabien baan for that), and also a copies of the entries in the birth regsiter etc.

Best is to find someone (family memebr) who is willing to put her and child on the household registration book and apply for the ID-card there.

Did you contact the Thai Foreign Minsitry, consular affairs department about the passport?

[chonabot]

Wife still has expired passport - and there is no question of anyone in village helping - had massive falling out after my wife was stabbed last week - another now deleted thread.

My wife seems happy to try and continue living here on UK passport - but I feel this will prove problematic to say the least.

[Mario2008]

Proof of nationality (expired Thai passport) will get her an extension of stay very easily. But a new passport requires to be registered on a tabien baan, as will a new ID-card.

What you can try is get a copy of the birth certificate and have her apply for a Thai passport at a Thai embassy. The catch is that the rules now also say that she must be on a tabien baan, but I understand often this is not asked for.

Maybe try this when she has to go abroad for soemthing else anyway.

As said, contact Consular Affairs abot the paspsort and maybe www.dopa.go.th about a new ID-card. She is still registered, but now in a certal register in BKK. I hope that they have some more ideas than me.

[chonabot]

Thanks Mario will do

[Mobi]

Sorry Chon, but your wife is being a trifle silly. She is a Thai citizen. She is also allowed to hold dual citizenship, but she is still Thai.

All Mario's advice is good. If she can't find anyone in the village then she must go further afield to find someone who will put her on their Tabian Bahn. It doesn't matter where this is - half of the population don't live in the place where they are registered - it can be anywhere.

Thai Id's and their registrations on tabian bahns has been computerised for many years so it should be easy to trace her previous id card details and house registration.

First step is to file a police report on the missing documents and get the ball rolling.

It may prove complicated but she is entitled to stay in Thailand without having to do visa runs...

Maybe it would be better to get your wife regularised first, and then do your son, who may prove more complicated.

I hate to suggest it, but a good, 'street-wise' Thai lawyer may be the way to go on this, but choose very carefully as there are so many bad eggs out there.

Good luck

Mobi

[chonabot]

Sounds like a plan Moby - Cheers!

She has asked a few friends from outside the village and they all come back with a negative.

Not helping matters is the fact she changed her first name about 3 years before we met - yet more papers lost in the UPS doom tunnel.

Here's a question - if I were working here on a Non IMM B visa and had a non Thai wife/child here - what kind of visa could they hold to stay here legally?

[Mobi]

I'm not a visa expert - guys like Lopburi3 will give you chapter and verse, but as I far as I know, a foreign wife and child of a foreigner legally working here would be issued with a non immigrant visa that would 'piggy back' on the expat's visa.

I know more about Thai wife's with dual nationality getting their Thai Id's renewed on trips to Thailand using their UK passports, as one of my ex wives did just this a few years back. She had let her Thai id lapse but had it renewed when she was in Thailand on holiday and also got her Thai passport renewed, which had lapsed years earlier when she took out British citizenship.

It is all do-able - just have to fight your way through the bureaucracy and be ready with a few back handers here and there, as I say, a good lawyer is probably the best way to go for you although my wife did it on her own - but she was a bloody minded bitch who wouldn't take no for an answer...

[chonabot]

I'm not a visa expert - guys like Lopburi3 will give you chapter and verse, but as I far as I know, a foreign wife and child of a foreigner legally working here would be issued with a non immigrant visa that would 'piggy back' on the expat's visa.

I know more about Thai wife's with dual nationality getting their Thai Id's renewed on trips to Thailand using their UK passports, as one of my ex wives did just this a few years back. She had let her Thai id lapse but had it renewed when she was in Thailand on holiday and also got her Thai passport renewed, which had lapsed years earlier when she took out British citizenship.

It is all do-able - just have to fight your way through the bureaucracy and be ready with a few back handers here and there, as I say, a good lawyer is probably the best way to go for you although my wife did it on her own - but she was a bloody minded bitch who wouldn't take no for an answer...

Cheers again Mobi - may take the piggy back option - btw how many ex wives do you have ?

[samran]

It is all possible to get back into the system. My mother got back in after 30 years away on the back of an old Thai passport and a 70's era ID card.

Her passport should have her ID number on it, so any ampur should be able to trace her old ID details easily enough. If she has a friend who is willing to put your wife and son on their house registration then that should be doable. Another Thai citizen will probably need to vouch for her....all very common. ID card will be issued and the tabien baan will be updated.

Another thing to remember is your wife could have entered Thailand on her expired Thai passport, do no need for her to be here on the Brit passport.

[Mario2008]

Sounds like a plan Moby - Cheers!

She has asked a few friends from outside the village and they all come back with a negative.

Not helping matters is the fact she changed her first name about 3 years before we met - yet more papers lost in the UPS doom tunnel.

Here's a question - if I were working here on a Non IMM B visa and had a non Thai wife/child here - what kind of visa could they hold to stay here legally?

They can be your depependents, if you are on an extension of stay from immigraiton. But I suspect they can easily can get extensions of stay on proof of Thai nationality, in essence your wife's expired Thai passport. Talk with immigration after filling the police report and see what they can do.

[Mobi]

Chon, if u dont believe me listen to samran. Sorry but its crazy for your wife to be subject to foreigner immigration rules when she is Thai.

Ok go for the piggy back visa while getting it sorted but it really isnt neceassary. She is Thai and will not be punished or deported. She just needs to update her records.

Read "Mobi's story" in my blog if u want to know how many wives i've had:-)

[chonabot]

Thanks Mobi and Samran - I will get the letter from UPS and then file the police report - also speak again to some friends about adding her to their address.

I will update this thread accordingly - wish me luck

[Mario2008]

1 unhelpful comment deleted, and a reply to it.