Legally married - authority over daughter

[ChiangMaiThai]

My wife and I have been married for a couple years, but we never registered the marriage. I guess it just wasn't important to us. We now have a baby girl. In order for myself to be able to exercise parental rights over my daughter, is it true that by Thai law, it is necessary that the marriage be registered? Or is proof of fatherhood (by DNA for example) enough?

Thanks for any info!

[ubonjoe]

You have 2 choices. Register marriage or legitimize your parenthood by going through the courts.

[ChiangMaiThai]

You have 2 choices. Register marriage or legitimize your parenthood by going through the courts.

Thanks for this. Do you know what it takes to legitimize my parenthood by going through the courts?

[Mario2008]

Moved to family and children forum.

There is a topic on legitimisation here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/381917-how-to-gain-parental-rights-as-a-father/

[Boo]

_{What do you mean by you had a marriage? Do you mean you had a party & some buddhist ceremony? If yes then this isn't a marriage. You need to get legally married at an Amphur in order to legitimise your child or stay unmarried & apply to the courts to be recognised if your partner is in agreement.}

[AnotherOneAmerican]

As Boo says,

You aren't married and subsequently you have no parental rights.

[johnlandy]

This is a good one to remember "if you are not legally married" the wife cannot kill you and claim all your worldly (situated that is in the realm) property.

She can do the first bit only

Edited August 23, 2013 by johnlandy

[bangarang]

I was engaged to my wife when we found out she was pregnant, but this is exactly why we did get married. I wanted rights over my daughter so we became legally married before my daughter was born. Fathers have no rights over children born into wedlock.

[givenall]

I used a lawyer for 15000bth and she handled everything through the court and now I have registered my daughter

[cosmont]

You have 2 choices. Register marriage or legitimize your parenthood by going through the courts.

CORRECT but seems that have another way.

You have to wait the kid have 7 years and up to testify at ampur that he/she is your "legal" kid

.

By this way, no need to proceed by the court.

Is that your name is already on birth certificate as the father ?

[cosmont]

I was engaged to my wife when we found out she was pregnant, but this is exactly why we did get married. I wanted rights over my daughter so we became legally married before my daughter was born. Fathers have no rights over children born into wedlock.

You can marry after the kid born (as what I did), it will also make your kid become legal at the date of wedding.

[Torrens54]

My wife adopted our daughter (daughter not a blood relative of either of us) through the Thai Court, after we were Married in Australia. Yes, we were married in Australia prior to the adoption going through in just my wife's name here in Thailand.

I want to make sure that our daughter is legal in the eyes of the Thai and Australian authorities in the event of 1: something happening to my wife and 2: when she is older, she may want to live in Australia even after I have croaked.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

[shaurene]

I was engaged to my wife when we found out she was pregnant, but this is exactly why we did get married. I wanted rights over my daughter so we became legally married before my daughter was born. Fathers have no rights over children born into wedlock.

Hi Bit confused here, you say you got married re: rights over daughter, then you say Fathers have no rights over children born into wedlock, what is the use in getting married then???

[dighambara]

You have 2 choices. Register marriage or legitimize your parenthood by going through the courts.

Thanks for this. Do you know what it takes to legitimize my parenthood by going through the courts?

HMMM...??? Why not marriage...??? Marriage requires trust, but is quite simple - marriage takes 15 minutes, while the court process will be more difficult and costly.

[shrimpythailand]

thai marriage pretty cheap and easy... I paid 2500 bt to the usa embassy for the affidavit saying i was legally divorced or not married.... I had my divorce paper but the us emb person signs the paper....real easy... 2 pages that has to be signed at the embassy... then get it translated to thai...and stamped athte Chang Wattana immigration building...that cost something - I forget 500 bt I think... then off to the Amphur for the 40 bt thai marriage cert. nice colored paper - 2 copies for 40 bt and one hour... you just need to find the right thai woman tho first....

to the ozzie guy with wife that lived in oz.... I think you have to get your wife an Oz passport and also register your kid with the oz embassy... whatever all that costs...would be hard for your wife to get back to oz later and with the child without all the oz passport and official docs....my friend just moved his thai wife back to Oz - they lived there 18 months and it wasn't long enough for her to get landed status as he took a job in Singapore and she needed24 months I think.... anyway - took him 3 months to get all the paperwork done now and she got down under no problem... he did have trouble getting the Singapore police report that he didn't do anything wrong in Sing for 10 years as the sing police doesn't give those out anymore ... anyway... best to call the oz embassy and find out what you need to do....