Hi, not sure where to put this so i hope this is the right forum

Despite being here many years this is my first baby, due to be born end of August, I am British and my wife is Thai.

I want the little fella to have dual nationality, so firstly how do I go about this with the British embassy, what do I need to produce to make sure he can get a British passport?

And that leads me to my second question, I need a new passport, should I wait and have my baby put onto my new passport or should I get him a separate passport?

thanks

1. Ensure there are no translating errors when your details are entered on the THAI birth certificate. Failure to do so may cause probs when applying for a passport for the child.

2. The UK ceased entering children on a parents passport in Oct 98 therefore you'll need a new (Child) passport.

3. Applying for 2 passports at the same time makes sence, providing you remain legal (ie not overstayed).

4. Applicable links: http://ukinthailand....onals/passports / http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-thailand/how-register-birth/ (you may need your own long birth cert).

5. Congratulations & all the best re the birth:)

Edited June 19, 201214 yr by evadgib

Thanks eva, I just found the page on the embassy website about registering the birth and it seems quite simple (if expensive haha).

The info regarding the dual passports is something i did not know but I agree it makes sense to send applications for both together, no worries with overstay as I am on a one year extension with work permit etc.

And thank you for your wishes, exciting times ahead

Don't forget. The child leaves and enters Thailand on the Thai passport and enteres and leaves the UK on the UK passport.

When checking in with an airline you show both passports, to confirm that no visa is required.

You can join your wife and/or child in the line for Thai passport holders.

Remember the first passport application need to be done at the Embassy, your application can go straight to Hong Kong, but maybe ask the Embassy if they will send them together for you.

ok great information, thanks guys. i always wondered if the Thai immigration would expect to see an entry stamp into another country in his thai passport when he returns to Thailand, I guess this is not the case.

Congratulations to you both !

IME Thai Immigration know and accept that many dual-nationals enter/leave Thailand on their Thai-passports, but use their other passport to enter/leave their home country, we've done this many times ourselves going to/from the UK.

One more source of cost, compared to the days when we Brits could just add our children to our own passports, is that children are required to renew their passports every 5 years, not 10 years as for us adults. Supposedly because their faces change so much faster !

Oh and (if it's a boy) there's the future-problem of Thai national-service, awaiting you.

Thanks Ricardo,

yes it is a boy so i need to start saving now to buy him out of it haha, although i believe if they do cadets at school is releases them from national service, although I could be wrong.

I had another question that i forgot to ask yesterday, all those that have married Thais, did your wife take your name after marriage? We have not got round to changing things yet but she wants a double barreled name, her thai surname followed by my surname.

She can choose which name to use, but I'm not sure if she can use both names. That doesn't seem to be the norm in Thailand.

Dong service at school makes them part for the reserve army. They will not be drafted, but in times of war they will be called.

She can choose which name to use, but I'm not sure if she can use both names. That doesn't seem to be the norm in Thailand.

Dong service at school makes them part for the reserve army. They will not be drafted, but in times of war they will be called.

thanks Mario, that is more so the baby can have both surnames, I guess i can use her surname as a middle name as such for the baby

Edited June 20, 201214 yr by carra

Going slightly off-topic, you'll also have the fun of picking a name, for the new baby-boy !

We felt that one Thai & one farang middle-name showed respect for both cultures, but subsequently found that Thai officialdom is generally unable to grasp the concept, of more-than one middle-name. This gives endless-fun when applying for passports/ID-cards/frequent-flyer-cards and so-on.

yes it is a boy so i need to start saving now to buy him out of it haha, although i believe if they do cadets at school is releases them from national service, although I could be wrong.

My step son did the cadet thing in high school do he didn't have to worry about being drafted. He is subject to call up if there was a war but not as new conscript since he has already had military training and would have some kind of rank. But hopefully that will never happen.

Thanks Ricardo,

yes it is a boy so i need to start saving now to buy him out of it haha, although i believe if they do cadets at school is releases them from national service, although I could be wrong.

I had another question that i forgot to ask yesterday, all those that have married Thais, did your wife take your name after marriage? We have not got round to changing things yet but she wants a double barreled name, her thai surname followed by my surname.

My wife made her maiden name a middle name, and took my surname.

Example only

Maiden name - Neeranuch Tienbal

now - Neeranuch Tienbal Smith

A lot easier as some documents were still in her maiden name, in fact some still are,

Going slightly off-topic, you'll also have the fun of picking a name, for the new baby-boy !

We felt that one Thai & one farang middle-name showed respect for both cultures, but subsequently found that Thai officialdom is generally unable to grasp the concept, of more-than one middle-name. This gives endless-fun when applying for passports/ID-cards/frequent-flyer-cards and so-on.

i have the english first name, middle name in english, middle name in Thai, thai surname and then english surname haha, poor kid.

he will just end up with a thai nickname anyway haha

Thanks Ricardo,

yes it is a boy so i need to start saving now to buy him out of it haha, although i believe if they do cadets at school is releases them from national service, although I could be wrong.

I had another question that i forgot to ask yesterday, all those that have married Thais, did your wife take your name after marriage? We have not got round to changing things yet but she wants a double barreled name, her thai surname followed by my surname.

My wife made her maiden name a middle name, and took my surname.

Example only

Maiden name - Neeranuch Tienbal

now - Neeranuch Tienbal Smith

A lot easier as some documents were still in her maiden name, in fact some still are,

Great, that is what we may have to do, thanks

Thanks Ricardo,

yes it is a boy so i need to start saving now to buy him out of it haha, although i believe if they do cadets at school is releases them from national service, although I could be wrong.

I had another question that i forgot to ask yesterday, all those that have married Thais, did your wife take your name after marriage? We have not got round to changing things yet but she wants a double barreled name, her thai surname followed by my surname.

My wife made her maiden name a middle name, and took my surname.

Example only

Maiden name - Neeranuch Tienbal

now - Neeranuch Tienbal Smith

A lot easier as some documents were still in her maiden name, in fact some still are,

Great, that is what we may have to do, thanks

Just give him an English name.

The easy way to go is use your fathers name, as it has already been translated for your 'Affirmation of freedom to marry'

Edited June 20, 201214 yr by TommoPhysicist

Thanks Ricardo,

yes it is a boy so i need to start saving now to buy him out of it haha, although i believe if they do cadets at school is releases them from national service, although I could be wrong.

I had another question that i forgot to ask yesterday, all those that have married Thais, did your wife take your name after marriage? We have not got round to changing things yet but she wants a double barreled name, her thai surname followed by my surname.

My wife made her maiden name a middle name, and took my surname.

Example only

Maiden name - Neeranuch Tienbal

now - Neeranuch Tienbal Smith

A lot easier as some documents were still in her maiden name, in fact some still are,

Great, that is what we may have to do, thanks

Just give him an English name.

The easy way to go is use your fathers name, as it has already been translated for your 'Affirmation of freedom to marry'

Me and my father have the same name and that already confuses Thai people, he is getting my Grandfathers name followed by my stepfathers name as his middle name, then the wife wants a thai name in there also that will be determined by the time and date of his birth, its a nightmare haha.

I am just tempted to call him Tooks, so when he grows up he will be Khun Tooks