Can Thai Kids Cross Into Laos For 1 Night With 1 Parent & No Passport?

[mozzieslapper]

Looking at going to Laos for a visa run & stay 1 night.

I am considering making a family trip out of it with my Thai wife and Thai step kids.

Wife has a current Thai Passport. Kids do not. Kids do not have Thai ID cards yet. Kids name in a original blue book and some custody papers. Kids ages, 8yo & 12yo. Their biological farther is not cooperative in anyway to sign anything if needed or asked too (a total prick who needs a good smack in the head).

The wife has my surname now, different to the kids.

Looking at a Savannakhet, Laos crossing.

Does the wife need a 1500b ($35 )visa like I do to enter Laos?

The big question is, can the kids come with us?

I am not having much luck the Thai Visa search function on this.

[sirineou]

I Have never taken any kids to Laos, so Don't have any real answers other than opinion.

I have traveled with Thai adults that did not have a passport, and for them a THai ID card was sufficient.

I know that when ever I traveled with my US born daughter, before she was 16, I needed a notarized letter of consent from my ex-wife.

I am sure the Laos an Thai authorities would need some solid documentation proving your guardianship.

I would suggest you call the appropriate Thai and Laos authorities and ask what is required.

[jamescollister]

Maybe of some help or not, I take my kids over to lao for my border run, they can cross on the wifes ID card, copies made at the place near the border that does it for Thais crossing, but they can only go for the day. If you want an overnighter they need a passport. Thai visa is 50 or 60 Baht from memory. There you have a problem if there names are not the same as your wifes passport, Day trip only I think, Jim

[harrry]

Why do the kids not have an ID

The law is now that they must have an ID card. All schools acted as processing centres for all the kids early this year.

You may find even more problems if they do not get one.

For a long stay your wife needs a visa but it is free for her. Fills up a page though.

Day visits are on border passes.

Edited June 24, 2012 by harrry

[7by7]

Kids under 16 don't have ID cards; or has the law changed since my step kids, now 28 and 21, were young?

[harrry]

Kids under 16 don't have ID cards; or has the law changed since my step kids, now 28 and 21, were young?

The law changed last year.

http://asiancorrespo...nation-attempt/

quote

to carry ID cards – an explanation attempt

By Siam Voices Jun 06, 2011 10:00AM UTC

View Comments

• 
  
• 
  

By Saksith Saiyasombut

One of the more smaller news stories of recent weeks was the new Identification Card Act. A main aspect of the act was to issue ID cards to children as young as seven, where previously the mandatory age to carry identification was 15. The only English language news source I found was this one, but only mentioned as a side note.

The question many might ask is why young kids need to carry an ID card with them around the time. There’re many countries in the world, e.g. Germany where I live, that requires its citizens and residents to carry own an ID card and there’re as many countries that don’t have that and a driver’s license or similar documents are totally sufficient. But seven-year-old kids…?

One possible, admittedly tongue-in-cheek, explanation is by the always funny satirical online show “เจาะข่าวตื้น” (“Jo Khao Dtuen”, roughly translated to “In-Shallow News”) with John Winyu, as seen in the latest edition, beginning at 8:49 minutes:

Hm, let‘s take that news here:

“The Department of Provincial Administration under the Ministry of Interior has insisted that seven year old children should have an ID card is a necessity for the majority and a benefit for the children, apart from [having] a document with a photo, it is beneficial when making use of public services, for example public health services and…”

erm, that‘s it –

“public health services! And most importantly, it can be used for identification. When making an ID card, the name, address, the mother‘s name, the father‘s name, the photo, fingerprints are registered and nobody can subrogate the rights of the children.”

Edited June 24, 2012 by harrry

[7by7]

I stand corrected.

See also ID Cards For Thai Children Issued From July 10

Note to self; read the news forum more often!

[samsiam]

We have taken our niece across for I think it was 2 nigths...or was it 3...not sure but there is a limit....she was circa 12yo, no ID and no passport.......we also took our thai child in...but no ID or passport...but an Aussie passport......she got in with no stamp in her passport.....we could have sold her.....you can see how easy it is to do such.

[jamescollister]

Think the rules and the reality are sometimes different. When crossing on an ID and photocopy form, nothing is on computer, you just hand the guy a copy and he collects them. Never seen him look at the paper, so if you stayed overnight how would he know if he just collect 20 or 30 bits of paper from the passing horde. I go to Lao [ I think . ] when the lads go camping in the jungle. About 15 km from here. No one knows where the border is, never had a problem, but no visa and hit the wrong people and there could be a problem. Have wife's family on both sides, for them there is no border. Jim

[mozzieslapper]

The kids can apparently get ID cards this week. 500b each !!!

What a great policy, 2 days of gross average wages to get each kid finger printed and into the "system"...anyway, next.........

These two Thai Visa links,

http://www.thaivisa....-via-nong-khai/

&

http://www.thaivisa....s-in-nong-khai/

I know that when ever I traveled with my US born daughter, before she was 16, I needed a notarized letter of consent from my ex-wife.

I am sure the Laos an Thai authorities would need some solid documentation proving your guardianship.

Lots of mystery, to a western country this is very true, requiring a letter authorizing, I have no idea about these neighboring countries. A letter is impossible, the biological farther could be in jail or dead as far as we know. We did go to court, it took about 6 months to get what I understand as legal custody, after we got married. The name difference I am not worried about now as there is a clear paper trail of my misses changing her name due to marriage.

So is a border pass for 1 day or for 2 nights & 3 days?

Edited June 25, 2012 by mozzieslapper

[samran]

We have taken our niece across for I think it was 2 nigths...or was it 3...not sure but there is a limit....she was circa 12yo, no ID and no passport.......we also took our thai child in...but no ID or passport...but an Aussie passport......she got in with no stamp in her passport.....we could have sold her.....you can see how easy it is to do such.

Problem you'll find is now she is back in Thailand as an Australian citizen - if there is a stamp in the passport when she returned- and now subject to Thai immigration rules as she in Thailand using her Australian citizenship.

[harrry]

The kids can apparently get ID cards this week. 500b each !!!

What a great policy, 2 days of gross average wages to get each kid finger printed and into the "system"...anyway, next.........

These two Thai Visa links,

http://www.thaivisa....-via-nong-khai/

&

http://www.thaivisa....s-in-nong-khai/

I know that when ever I traveled with my US born daughter, before she was 16, I needed a notarized letter of consent from my ex-wife.

I am sure the Laos an Thai authorities would need some solid documentation proving your guardianship.

Lots of mystery, to a western country this is very true, requiring a letter authorizing, I have no idea about these neighboring countries. A letter is impossible, the biological farther could be in jail or dead as far as we know. We did go to court, it took about 6 months to get what I understand as legal custody, after we got married. The name difference I am not worried about now as there is a clear paper trail of my misses changing her name due to marriage.

So is a border pass for 1 day or for 2 nights & 3 days?

I do not know where you got the 500 baht from. When my nieces got them there was a token charge of about 10baht given and I am not even sure if that was needed. I have now been told that the charge was for a plastic cover . The card was free.

Edited June 25, 2012 by harrry

[samran]

The kids can apparently get ID cards this week. 500b each !!!

What a great policy, 2 days of gross average wages to get each kid finger printed and into the "system"...anyway, next.........

These two Thai Visa links,

http://www.thaivisa....-via-nong-khai/

&

http://www.thaivisa....s-in-nong-khai/

I know that when ever I traveled with my US born daughter, before she was 16, I needed a notarized letter of consent from my ex-wife.

I am sure the Laos an Thai authorities would need some solid documentation proving your guardianship.

Lots of mystery, to a western country this is very true, requiring a letter authorizing, I have no idea about these neighboring countries. A letter is impossible, the biological farther could be in jail or dead as far as we know. We did go to court, it took about 6 months to get what I understand as legal custody, after we got married. The name difference I am not worried about now as there is a clear paper trail of my misses changing her name due to marriage.

So is a border pass for 1 day or for 2 nights & 3 days?

I do not know where you got the 500 baht from. When my nieces got them there was a token charge of about 10baht given and I am not even sure if that was needed. I have now been told that the charge was for a plastic cover . The card was free.

Yeah, dunno where the 500 baht comes from either. When I got mine done I recall the damage was about 30 baht all up.

Me thinks someone is having a lend of you.

[samsiam]

We have taken our niece across for I think it was 2 nigths...or was it 3...not sure but there is a limit....she was circa 12yo, no ID and no passport.......we also took our thai child in...but no ID or passport...but an Aussie passport......she got in with no stamp in her passport.....we could have sold her.....you can see how easy it is to do such.

Problem you'll find is now she is back in Thailand as an Australian citizen - if there is a stamp in the passport when she returned- and now subject to Thai immigration rules as she in Thailand using her Australian citizenship.

There is no return stamp....she did not enter laos....but I have photos of her eating lamingtons at that bakery in town.....

Cannot remember exactly now....but wifey blew up at them for not processing her properly on way out....then they wanted 1000b to let her back in...scam....she gave em what for and they just let us go through......they did not check all the booze in the back of our truck either....could have had another 5 kids for sale in there.

[sirineou]

^^^^

Yea I must agree, It all depends who is sitting at the window.

Last month when we went to Laos, we were given all this forms to fill, asking where you stay in Thailand, and where you will be staying in Laos. and blaa blaa blaa

I Did not have a pen so I asked the guy behind me if I could borrow his pen , a nice guy from back home, and we started chatting

.In the mean time a kept asking my wife(who was on an other line), Honey what is the Thai address, and honey what is the Laos Address, etc

The guy behind me said, "Dude , you are over thinking this, just write what ever, they never check" , so I made up some addresses.

Nobody ever looked. the men at the window just took the money, stumped everything and off we went.

[BabySun]

You can do it,3 days 2 nights,your wife needs Thai ID,children need ID or copy of birth certificate;original pappa not necessary.testet few times.

[Tomtomtom69]

3 days 2 nights but need an ID card. Still, it's better just to get passports for everyone since Thais don't need a visa for Laos for 30 days. The border pass takes up to an hour to issue and costs around 120 Baht per person.