Children unaccompanied by parent’s immigration (Urgent)

[chewy22]

Children unaccompanied by parent’s immigration (Urgent)

My wife who lives with me UK who has indefinite leave to remain, her two children have today been given their passports back from the Thai embassy Bangkok with Visa SETTLEMENT to join PARENT (S) her name after, not sure what the S in brackets is?, and at the bottom indefinite leave to enter.

My question is, at the moment my sister in law her sister is on holiday there and is due to return on the 1^st of August. Now is it possible for her sister to bring the children back with them as it will be cheaper than us flying out to get them. We can get flights for the children can this be done? And what do we have to do if so. I am at the moment composing a letter with our details and permission to help pass immigration.

We have a small window of opportunity to do this so don’t have much time.

[Maestro]

"PARENT(S)" stands for "a parent or both parents"

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Jay Sata]

From my experience of someone who did this in the past you have no problem. It appears your wife's sister is in Thailand on holiday but lives in the UK.

The children have their visa's to join you. It's just a case of booking the tickets on the same flight and the aunt accompanies them back to the UK.

If they are over 12 years they can travel alone. However an aunt will be a big help as I doubt they have travelled this far before.

Good luck and congratulations.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Jay Sata

[2yearvisitvisa]

From my experience of someone who did this in the past you have no problem. It appears your wife's sister is in Thailand on holiday but lives in the UK.

The children have their visa's to join you. It's just a case of booking the tickets on the same flight and the aunt accompanies them back to the UK.

If they are over 12 years they can travel alone. However an aunt will be a big help as I doubt they have travelled this far before.

Good luck and congratulations.

To pass immigration in BKK your wife needs to write a letter stating she gives permission to sister to travel outside of the country (to the UK) with her kids. This then needs to be taken to her local Amphor and stamped along with both copies of mother and aunt Thai ID.

The airlines, however, may prove more difficult as the visa states they must be accompanies by their mother. If the Aunt lives in the UK is it fair to assume she is travelling direct on BA or Eva? If its BA, then you can set this up from the UK and explain the situation and they will add an internal message next to the booking names.

IF they are travelling with Gulf, they will not be allowed to board without a change to visa.

My wife and I took our nephews to Dubai without the stamped letter from the Amphor - both were denied boarding my immigration. My wife only got this fixed by calling her friend who is a Police General and he called the Immigration General in charge of Swampy who called the officer in charge, he told the plebs to let them go.

Just get the letter from the Amphor, its takes 30 mins and they'll accept a scanned letter and a scan of your wife's ID.

[harrry]

Where do you see it is to travel with mother.

I only see that it is to join parent. This indicates the parent is allready in the UK.

Edited July 16, 2013 by harrry

[7by7]

Spot on, harry.

The visa, as quoted by the OP and as is the standard endorsement in such cases, clearly says "to join parent(s)" so the child will have a valid visa to enter the UK, which is all the airline will be interested in.

The child doesn't even have to be accompanied by anyone. If a child is travelling alone you can arrange for airline staff to meet him/her at check in and then look after him/her until safely delivered to the parent(s) at the other end.

Not sure if Thai immigration will want to see a letter of authority from the mother or not; but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

[2yearvisitvisa]

Not sure if Thai immigration will want to see a letter of authority from the mother or not; but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

whereas I am sure and its based on experience. Save yourself the bother of making calls (if indeed you can) or the kids being turned away.

[2yearvisitvisa]

Not sure if Thai immigration will want to see a letter of authority from the mother or not; but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

whereas I am sure and its based on experience. Save yourself the bother of making calls (if indeed you can) or the kids being turned away. And note that the Amphor stamp is essential, a letter alone is worthless.

[Jay Sata]

One point I would make is if you want to avoid hassle in India or the Middle East book a direct flight.

Also make sure your wife turns up at Heathrow and makes sure immigration are aware she is here to meet her children.

Just go to the info desk and they will sort it for you.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Jay Sata

[chewy22]

One point I would make is if you want to avoid hassle in India or the Middle East book a direct flight.

Also make sure your wife turns up at Heathrow and makes sure immigration are aware she is here to meet her children.

Just go to the info desk and they will sort it for you.

Thank you all for the above advice. They will change flights in UAE Abu Dhabi hope that wont be a problem. We will meet the children at Manchester airport. Just putting our letter togeather now and will sign and scan a copy to e-mail to her sister in Bangkok. One in Thai and one in English.

PS to add they will fly on Etihad

Will update how we get on.

Edited July 16, 2013 by chewy22

[Jay Sata]

I would suggest you contact the airline, Etihad, and make them aware.

[2yearvisitvisa]

One point I would make is if you want to avoid hassle in India or the Middle East book a direct flight.

Also make sure your wife turns up at Heathrow and makes sure immigration are aware she is here to meet her children.

Just go to the info desk and they will sort it for you.

Thank you all for the above advice. They will change flights in UAE Abu Dhabi hope that wont be a problem. We will meet the children at Manchester airport. Just putting our letter togeather now and will sign and scan a copy to e-mail to her sister in Bangkok. One in Thai and one in English.

PS to add they will fly on Etihad

Will update how we get on.

It wont be an issue if they are in transit, however, the letter in English is useless - it has to be in Thai. And then, if you wanted a letter in English it would have to be a certified copy of the letter stamped from the Amphor (and the subsequent translation of whatever they stamp on it!)

Good luck.

[TCA]

There may also be an issue if you use your own debit/credit card to pay for their flights when you aren't also travellling. Never been asked when I've travelled but worth checking with the airline. I didn't take the chance when booking for my wife travelling solo with Emirates as it's mentioned on their website. Can be circumvented by booking via a reputable travel agent (method of payment not visible), rather than buying tix directly from the airline.

[Mario2008]

Written permission for the aunt to take the children out of the country is necesarry. Especially when they have a different lastname than the aunt. Thai immigration checks strictly in that case to prevent human trafficking, while airlines might also want to see some proof on their own.

Having the letter (can be in English) notarised/stamped by the Thai embassy can be useful and prevent problems. (If the children can talk and confirm that she is their aunt taking them to their parents the letter not being stamped by the amphur or embassy should not be a problem, but better safe than sorry).

Best to have also a copy of the birth certificate atteched.

[2yearvisitvisa]

Written permission for the aunt to take the children out of the country is necesarry. Especially when they have a different lastname than the aunt. Thai immigration checks strictly in that case to prevent human trafficking, while airlines might also want to see some proof on their own.

Having the letter (can be in English) notarised/stamped by the Thai embassy can be useful and prevent problems. (If the children can talk and confirm that she is their aunt taking them to their parents the letter not being stamped by the amphur or embassy should not be a problem, but better safe than sorry).

Best to have also a copy of the birth certificate atteched.

It would be a problem - as you said, there are strict anti trafficking laws. A letter from the Thai embassy will no suffice. It MUST be from the Amphor to be legal. Embassies are simply messengers and hold no legal power in this case. Confirmed by both the Thai embassy in Dubai and the Amphor in wife's home town as well as the Immigration police.

Of course, its Thailand by some luck he may get away with it though just as all the people trafficers manage it.

[chewy22]

Thank you all for the above advice. They arrived at Manchester airport today with their aunt with no problems at all. Only required a letter from us at Bangkok airport and nothing else. The Ampor did not understand or know what to do and suggested we phone the Thai embassy London, they suggested two letters as we had already done one in Thai and one in English for Manchester. Only one was used as stated above. We also phoned the airline as suggested and they were not interested at all.

Anyway job done and thank you all.

Edited August 1, 2013 by chewy22

[Soutpeel]

Not sure if Thai immigration will want to see a letter of authority from the mother or not; but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!

whereas I am sure and its based on experience. Save yourself the bother of making calls (if indeed you can) or the kids being turned away. And note that the Amphor stamp is essential, a letter alone is worthless.

Well based on experience, both myself and Mrs Soutpeel took one of her nieces oversea's on holiday ( 8 years of age) and all we had was a letter in English and Thai, signed by the parents along with copies of their ID's and never had a problem, therefore is seems to me that an Amphor stamp may not be essential