New Visa Rules For Fathers Of Thai Children

[softgeorge]

I took it easy and went to the Thai Consular section in Vientiane yesterday late, arrived at about 2:15 PM to pick up my Passport.

I was the only customer at that moment, but other people went still in when I came out.

Got a Non Immigrant O without being the legally declared father of my sons.

They took copy of Birth certificates with my name in it, Copy Tabian Ban and copy of ID card of my GF-mother of the children.

That my children and my GF had been with me, helped the cause sure also. If it is necessary, I do not know.

Last time in Singapore 2011, I had only the Birth certificate with me, was alone, without my family, but that Thai Embassy wanted also a written paper confirming that I lived with my children and that I cared, paid for them.

I could not produce that and Non Immigrant O in Singapore was denied.

Also, there where much less people in the Singapore Thai Embassy, I felt much better in Vientiane and also better than in the also crowded Kuala Lumpur Thai Embassy.

Vientiane good, Kuala Lumpur, so la, la but Singapore,never again for me!

Danielsiam

Good possibility, you get a Non Immgrant O Visa in Vientiane, but if it is not possible to bring your GF and child with you, let your GF maybe write a statement on a paper with copy of ID card, that you live with your child and pay for her. And, to call in Vientiane before you go, let your GF speak, is also a good idea.

If you read my earlier post that is exactly what I did in KL on the 23 feb. Copy of mothers I.D, house book, short letter from her stating we reside as husband/wife (defacto) and document stating I am the legal father. No problems at all with visa.

[ALFREDO]

softgeorge

==.......and document stating I am the legal father.==

I thought you had only the birth certificate with your name in it with you?

Because I am not the legal father to, but, I had my family with me, who could confirm, that I am the father and care the children, stay with them. if necessary.

Edited March 8, 2012 by ALFREDO

[bikerider21]

Can you also please inform your readers that they must never post their passport from Thailand to any other country for any reason

It seems this guy isn't aware that we have to send passports to Hong Kong. A bit like the dumb shop assistant in a hardware store where you ask if they sell screws and he just looks around with a bewildered look.

Certainly, people who don't know their job shouldn't be allowed to send false information to the media. It only causes confusion.

Then, we pay all that money for WHAT? Better I keep the words to myself.

You don't send your passport! You send a copy of the info page + the application form

I sent two because they were being renewed

[GeorgeK]

I'm sorry but I would take very little from this at all.

There is no mention of the code for the Non immigrant visa though we assume it's a Non-0 visa.

This is hardly a new rule anyway, if you arn't married to the mother of the child what right should you have to get the visa anyway.

Seems like the only reason why you got the email in the first place was because some guy knocked up a girl in Pattaya and thought it would be a good way to get a visa.

Oh and to those who think it's racist go back and ask your own consulate if this would fly in your country, it wouldn't. have a kid in america to an unwed mother good luck if you think you'll get a green card.

Not true: the mother of a child with German nationality has the right to stay with the child in Germany, because it is the given right to a mother to take care of her child. Even not a language test is needed under this circumstances. When she wants to be with her child in Germany, she don't need to show money, give a proof of return, not need to be married to a German etc. And I can imagine, this is similar at other countries.

We are talking about the father not the mother.

True but fathers love their children just as much as mothers... a parent is a parent. I know my son is the most important thing in my life.

[Mario2008]

A parent is aparent. And all the Thai government is asking is to proof that you are indeed the father.

[JimmyGreaves]

A parent is aparent. And all the Thai government is asking is to proof that you are indeed the father.

They are asking you to get legal custody! What rights does the mother then have, crazy!

Making it as difficult as possible. I went one step further and went to the Amphur and got another document that say's I'm the father. point 2 from your thread Mario: http://www.thaivisa....er/page__st__50. Pictures of the 3 of us on this document now I've got it. A visit to embassy to get passport verified, visit to Ministry Of Foreigh Affairs to get passport translation verified. So now I have Birth Cedrtificate and the other document, this took a lot of work to get.

Applied to Immigration to get extension of visa to support my daughter and told cannot, now need to goto court and get legal custody of my daughter as these two documents not enough, arghhhhhh.

Legal custody to get O visa and Legal custody to get extension of stay. It's a bloody disgrace!

Edited March 14, 2012 by jflundy

[Mario2008]

Yes, some immigration offices want to have a docuemtn from teh courts that you are the legal fahter and for soem reason do not accept the amphur document, which is just as legal.

Sole parental rights is not a requirement, that you have (shared) parental rights is. Are you sure they wanted you to have sole parental rights?

[JimmyGreaves]

Yes, some immigration offices want to have a docuemtn from teh courts that you are the legal fahter and for soem reason do not accept the amphur document, which is just as legal.

Sole parental rights is not a requirement, that you have (shared) parental rights is. Are you sure they wanted you to have sole parental rights?

I'm going to have to go back and get the name of the document in Thai and get the meaning translated, custody/adoption/shared rights who knows. Will post again when I know the name. My daughters surname is mine also, can't believe this carry on!

Also I don't think it is some immigration offices as the extension of stay based on support needs to goto head office in Bangkok and the office here called Bangkok who told them of this requirement and then refused me as I did not have the custody doc, so I think this must be country wide.

Edited March 14, 2012 by jflundy

[Mario2008]

Yes, they go for approval there. And because of that immigration can be very strict, but requirements do vary.

[ALFREDO]

Extension of stay only with document that shows that I am named as father in the birth certificate approved in the last 10 month, in Udon Thani 3 times and Khon Kaen once..

Three times applied with my son(s) and GF and once only with my son at the Immigration office.

That time a call of the officer, to the mother of my Ex-GF seemed to be necessary. (I have children with two Thai women.)

Last extension, 2 1/2 month ago.

Edited March 15, 2012 by ALFREDO

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Yes we need to be careful of misunderstandings due to terminology here, and to clearly separate the different scenarios.

The father being "legitimized" is simply the law's recognition that he is legally the father. Some people were under the mistaken impression this was conveyed simply by being listed on the child's birth certificate, which was never the case, and this loophole being closed to prevent abused, specifically at Hull is the OP topic.

A Being listed on the child's birth certificate AND being married to the mother at the time of birth is also sufficient, as presumably would be the case for the case when the couple divorces before the baby is born but were married at the calculated time of conception (rare edge case, ignore for now).

B For couples not legally married but still "together" (or at least cooperating for the purpose of caring for the child), registration at the amphoe office will legitimize the father. In this case they "share custody", which in Thailand means the ability to decide where/with whom the child lives, goes to school, religious indoctrination etc. In that situation, I've heard that a farang leaving the country with a luk krung child may be asked for a letter from the mother confirming her permission, possibly with a followup phone call at the discretion of the officer.

C In the case of a legally married couple divorcing, usually one or the other is granted sole custody. I've never heard of normal Thai people working out "shared custody" as is common back home - usually it's all or nothing, with the non-custodial parent usually having little if anything to do with the child from that point on - the child very commonly may never see that parent again, or at least not until they track them down as an adult later on.

99% of the time if there's a fight the mother will be granted sole custody, but in practice I know several farang fathers that have successfully won sole custody, including myself - often by simply paying off those concerned (TiT).

D In the case of a couple that was never married battling over custody, I would think this last possibility would be exceedingly rare unless the mother voluntarily agreed, or could be proven to have completely abandoned the child to the father (leaving them with relatives doesn't count I'm sure!)

I believe so far all the clear understandable statements in this thread apply only to the first situation above (A) Clarifications on these different scenarios and how they might apply to immigration/visa regulations would be most welcome.

[phuketrichard]

D In the case of a couple that was never married battling over custody, I would think this last possibility would be exceedingly rare unless the mother voluntarily agreed, or could be proven to have completely abandoned the child to the father (leaving them with relatives doesn't count I'm sure!)

I got a lawyer, went to court and showed the court I was a better provider than the mother. She didn't even bother to show up.

got sole custody of my daughter.

[Mario2008]

Yes we need to be careful of misunderstandings due to terminology here, and to clearly separate the different scenarios.

The father being "legitimized" is simply the law's recognition that he is legally the father. Some people were under the mistaken impression this was conveyed simply by being listed on the child's birth certificate, which was never the case, and this loophole being closed to prevent abused, specifically at Hull is the OP topic.

A Being listed on the child's birth certificate AND being married to the mother at the time of birth is also sufficient, as presumably would be the case for the case when the couple divorces before the baby is born but were married at the calculated time of conception (rare edge case, ignore for now).

B For couples not legally married but still "together" (or at least cooperating for the purpose of caring for the child), registration at the amphoe office will legitimize the father. In this case they "share custody", which in Thailand means the ability to decide where/with whom the child lives, goes to school, religious indoctrination etc. In that situation, I've heard that a farang leaving the country with a luk krung child may be asked for a letter from the mother confirming her permission, possibly with a followup phone call at the discretion of the officer.

C In the case of a legally married couple divorcing, usually one or the other is granted sole custody. I've never heard of normal Thai people working out "shared custody" as is common back home - usually it's all or nothing, with the non-custodial parent usually having little if anything to do with the child from that point on - the child very commonly may never see that parent again, or at least not until they track them down as an adult later on.

99% of the time if there's a fight the mother will be granted sole custody, but in practice I know several farang fathers that have successfully won sole custody, including myself - often by simply paying off those concerned (TiT).

D In the case of a couple that was never married battling over custody, I would think this last possibility would be exceedingly rare unless the mother voluntarily agreed, or could be proven to have completely abandoned the child to the father (leaving them with relatives doesn't count I'm sure!)

I believe so far all the clear understandable statements in this thread apply only to the first situation above (A) Clarifications on these different scenarios and how they might apply to immigration/visa regulations would be most welcome.

A. Being married is enough. being on the birh certificate is not required.

B. legitimzation can only be done at the amphur if the child is old enough AND fahter, mother and child agree.

C. The norm in Thailand is shared custody, with one parent being the prime care taker. That is the legal part, in practise a lot of time contact between child and the other parent is permanently broken off.

Sole custody is only granted if parties agree to this or if the mother is incapable to take care of the child or a danger to the child.

D. Same as C.

[chooka]

Yes, some immigration offices want to have a docuemtn from teh courts that you are the legal fahter and for soem reason do not accept the amphur document, which is just as legal.

Sole parental rights is not a requirement, that you have (shared) parental rights is. Are you sure they wanted you to have sole parental rights?

A lot of people seem to be confused over the terms of Custody and Parent. My understanding is that you do not have to have custody of the child just simply legally recognised as the father.

[ManOnTheRoad]

My 1 year non o visa runs out end of this month. I need to go to another country and make a new NON O and show the embassy at least 400k Thai Baht. No matter how many kids ive got who are born and breed in Thailand , The authority here dont give a damm about foreign men.

even though im earning more than what the requires to see, why should i declare and show them my money ? This is unfair treatment of of Foreign men who are married with a thai woman and with kids.

What happens if a married guy divorced his thai wife and gain full custody of his thai kids ?... Than what ? he should show his money to be able to stay in thailand ?

Thailand immigration rules for married couple of kids sucks big time.

Its better to move on to somewhere else. theres no future in this country for the kids anyway.

Edited July 9, 2012 by ManOnTheRoad

[jpp2bkk]

Hi all, in order to get a one year O visa, Cheng Wattana is asking me to get 50% of the custody from my divorced Thai wife, as they told us. We've been there with the letter from the amphur stipulating me as the real father but not to avail, they request me to get half of the custody of our 13 years old daughter to the court.

My x wife is okay with that, so after getting exorbitant quotation from some legal firms, can someone in the forum who did this give me the name of a layer or firm in Bkk with reasonable prices.

Thank you very much.

[DannyDakota]

I don't know where this thread ended up with regards to visas, and just in case anyone still needs to know, you definitely need a marriage certificate for Hull, Birmingham and London.

(sorry, if this has already been posted earlier)