Please Help us get out of Thailand

[PaulTarpey]

Latest Status

Wife has returned without the Blue Book and has no idea of when it will be done - we just have to wait and the office are doing it as quickly as possible. She says that the lady is currently attempting to get a 13 digit number - a bit beyond me.

Guess the thing now is just to sit back, relax and do some home schooling !

[ubonjoe]

The number is will be your child's ID number for the rest of their life.

[samran]

Latest Status

Wife has returned without the Blue Book and has no idea of when it will be done - we just have to wait and the office are doing it as quickly as possible. She says that the lady is currently attempting to get a 13 digit number - a bit beyond me.

Guess the thing now is just to sit back, relax and do some home schooling !

An ID number is being issued. If for an overseas born Thai, like me, it should start with a '5'. If you are getting this, things are looking good.

[IMA_FARANG]

I have been in immigration in Bangkok, and seen many Thais with U.S, passports d0ing 90 day reporting there.

I asked one of them why she was she had entered on her U.S, passport, and was doing 90 day reporting.

She said she used her U.S. passport to enter on her stays in Thailand because when she returned to the U.S. they kept track of how many days she spent in Thailand as she had a Green card (alien residing in U.S.).

You must spend a certain number of days in the U.S. each year to qualify as living in the U.S., and she used her U.S. passport and the entry and exit dates in Thailand as her proof she spent enough time in the U.S. to keep her Green card valid.

That is why she entered and exited on her U.S. passport, not her Thai one.

Sounded logical to me, so I accepted it.

[SantiSuk]

going back to the very beginning - surely you could see the folly in having commenced the journey from the UK, travelling on a (thai or whatever) Passport that was about to expire. Minimum expiry is 6 months yes - but surely you had an inkling you were cutting it fine especially as you were going to be in LOS over the 30days, and the clock was ticking down from the 6 months.

Something tells me the cost of getting 3 visas would have been better eh!

Surely you could see the folly of posting without reading the repiles to date and recognising that the OP understands his foolishness and that he and nobody else here needs to read wise-ass to$$er responses like this

[stevenl]

I have been in immigration in Bangkok, and seen many Thais with U.S, passports d0ing 90 day reporting there.

I asked one of them why she was she had entered on her U.S, passport, and was doing 90 day reporting.

She said she used her U.S. passport to enter on her stays in Thailand because when she returned to the U.S. they kept track of how many days she spent in Thailand as she had a Green card (alien residing in U.S.).

You must spend a certain number of days in the U.S. each year to qualify as living in the U.S., and she used her U.S. passport and the entry and exit dates in Thailand as her proof she spent enough time in the U.S. to keep her Green card valid.

That is why she entered and exited on her U.S. passport, not her Thai one.

Sounded logical to me, so I accepted it.

Not logical, since her exit and entry in the US are sufficient proof, where she spent the time abroad is irrelevant. Plus it only proves she spent that time in Thailand, not that she did not spend any other time not in the US.

Edited September 1, 2014 by stevenl

[paz]

Not logical, since her exit and entry in the US are sufficient proof, where she spent the time abroad is irrelevant. Plus it only proves she spent that time in Thailand, not that she did not spend any other time not in the US.

US as many other countries do not stamp passports for their citizens. So some people prefers relies to stamps from other countries. As you say, it is not a perfect proof, but works for them.

[lopburi3]

We really have a "green card" holder with a "US Passport"? I don't think so.

[PaulTarpey]

going back to the very beginning - surely you could see the folly in having commenced the journey from the UK, travelling on a (thai or whatever) Passport that was about to expire. Minimum expiry is 6 months yes - but surely you had an inkling you were cutting it fine especially as you were going to be in LOS over the 30days, and the clock was ticking down from the 6 months.

Something tells me the cost of getting 3 visas would have been better eh!

Surely you could see the folly of posting without reading the repiles to date and recognising that the OP understands his foolishness and that he and nobody else here needs to read wise-ass to$$er responses like this

Think I have covered this one already. I did not see any issue with cutting anything fine. I believed that even if the Thai passport would not be renewed in time then the fact that we each had a valid British passport and were turning up in Bangkok for a direct flight to our country of nationality and permanent residence would not result in being held in Thailand. I, and others echoing my beliefs on this forum, are not as wise as you. Thanks for you comments.

[samran]

I have been in immigration in Bangkok, and seen many Thais with U.S, passports d0ing 90 day reporting there.

I asked one of them why she was she had entered on her U.S, passport, and was doing 90 day reporting.

She said she used her U.S. passport to enter on her stays in Thailand because when she returned to the U.S. they kept track of how many days she spent in Thailand as she had a Green card (alien residing in U.S.).

You must spend a certain number of days in the U.S. each year to qualify as living in the U.S., and she used her U.S. passport and the entry and exit dates in Thailand as her proof she spent enough time in the U.S. to keep her Green card valid.

That is why she entered and exited on her U.S. passport, not her Thai one.

Sounded logical to me, so I accepted it.

As someone else said, how can you have a US green card in a US passport. Once you are a citizen you come and go as you please.

[apiwan]

Latest Status

Just been to the office for the House Registration. Fortunately my wife always carries birth certificates and marriage certificates with the passports. They wanted the marriage one - having seen the other post about having to travel back to home country to get it and bring it back, I am extremely pleased she takes these precautions!

.

You've got a smart wife look after her

[PaulTarpey]

Latest Status - Blue Book Acquired

Latest Status

Just been to the office for the House Registration. Fortunately my wife always carries birth certificates and marriage certificates with the passports. They wanted the marriage one - having seen the other post about having to travel back to home country to get it and bring it back, I am extremely pleased she takes these precautions!

Anyway we were first in the office. It is like a uk post office with counters and numbers with one person working and 3 others chatting to each other (unlike a UK Post Office they are actually eating food together off a desk!) - the other counters are empty. It filled up with 'customers' who are still sat there. My wife has been with the woman for over an hour - I got asked to sign a photocopy of my passport and my Mrs told me I could go and wait in the house - I was getting fed up and a bit annoyed at why it was talking so long.

The other customers who have waited for over an hour were just smiling and nodding and chatting quietly not seeming to care that other 'officers' were taking it easy and having a snack. By now in the UK someone would have lost it completely and asked if they were keeping the staff from their breakfast or other sarcastic remark.

My wife tells me that the woman is still saying 3 to 4 days and that the senior officer there (who is in another room at the back) has to sign the 'blue book'. My wife has a couple of envelopes - one with 250 baht and another with 500 baht - guess she knows the games.

Will write back with what happens when she gets out of that office.

This is just my opinion, but I think you should consider holding back on the criticism of the speed that the people working on your case are moving while they are still working on your case and also avoid openly talking about tea money as you do not know who will read this thread in which your case would be pretty easily identifiable. It sounds like you are on the way to solving the case and you don't need to make things more complicated than they need be.

Thanks for you comments Paul - heard and understood.

Also I was wrong in my thoughts and opinions in the office. After I had made these comments my wife returned still saying '3-4 days' to get the blue book. She received a call shortly afterwards and was asked back to the office. The women working there had got the new Thai ID number and done all of the work needed for getting a new child in the blue book. Also the senior officer there immediately called in the house owner and his wife for an interview (not sure if this is a new requirement - several comments here showed surprise when I mentioned this being asked at the Bangkok office I visited on Friday). By 2pm today we had the blue book all completed in our hand - all pushed through due to the dire situation we were in. No tea money needed - we went for flowers and sweets.

The women who had previously been eating, it turned out, were on a break and by the time we returned the office was empty too. So apologies for those comments.

[PaulTarpey]

Latest Status

Just been to the office for the House Registration. Fortunately my wife always carries birth certificates and marriage certificates with the passports. They wanted the marriage one - having seen the other post about having to travel back to home country to get it and bring it back, I am extremely pleased she takes these precautions!

.

You've got a smart wife look after her

[samran]

Latest Status - Blue Book Acquired

Latest Status

Just been to the office for the House Registration. Fortunately my wife always carries birth certificates and marriage certificates with the passports. They wanted the marriage one - having seen the other post about having to travel back to home country to get it and bring it back, I am extremely pleased she takes these precautions!

Anyway we were first in the office. It is like a uk post office with counters and numbers with one person working and 3 others chatting to each other (unlike a UK Post Office they are actually eating food together off a desk!) - the other counters are empty. It filled up with 'customers' who are still sat there. My wife has been with the woman for over an hour - I got asked to sign a photocopy of my passport and my Mrs told me I could go and wait in the house - I was getting fed up and a bit annoyed at why it was talking so long.

The other customers who have waited for over an hour were just smiling and nodding and chatting quietly not seeming to care that other 'officers' were taking it easy and having a snack. By now in the UK someone would have lost it completely and asked if they were keeping the staff from their breakfast or other sarcastic remark.

My wife tells me that the woman is still saying 3 to 4 days and that the senior officer there (who is in another room at the back) has to sign the 'blue book'. My wife has a couple of envelopes - one with 250 baht and another with 500 baht - guess she knows the games.

Will write back with what happens when she gets out of that office.

This is just my opinion, but I think you should consider holding back on the criticism of the speed that the people working on your case are moving while they are still working on your case and also avoid openly talking about tea money as you do not know who will read this thread in which your case would be pretty easily identifiable. It sounds like you are on the way to solving the case and you don't need to make things more complicated than they need be.

Thanks for you comments Paul - heard and understood.

Also I was wrong in my thoughts and opinions in the office. After I had made these comments my wife returned still saying '3-4 days' to get the blue book. She received a call shortly afterwards and was asked back to the office. The women working there had got the new Thai ID number and done all of the work needed for getting a new child in the blue book. Also the senior officer there immediately called in the house owner and his wife for an interview (not sure if this is a new requirement - several comments here showed surprise when I mentioned this being asked at the Bangkok office I visited on Friday). By 2pm today we had the blue book all completed in our hand - all pushed through due to the dire situation we were in. No tea money needed - we went for flowers and sweets.

The women who had previously been eating, it turned out, were on a break and by the time we returned the office was empty too. So apologies for those comments.

Well done. Now you can get the Thai passport. You'll actually be amazed how efficient it is. Best public service anywhere.

Heck of a lot easier now replacing a Thai passport on subsequent trips that trying to replace a British one - if that ever went walk about, and a hell of a lot cheaper to. More incentive to use the Thai pp on subsequent journeys.

Edited September 1, 2014 by samran

[Paul888]

Great news. Final step now a trip to the Thai Passport office and you are on your way.

Get there early or be prepared for a wait because there will probably be a long queue, but don't worry too much because as Samran says, it is a very efficient office and the line and the process move very smoothly and quickly.

[Maestro]

Removed some more off-topic posts and the replies to them.

[CRUNCHER]

Congratulations OP. Great that things are falling into place for you. A credit to your perseverance.

When you get back to UK let us know that everything turned out well for you. A lot of people are rooting for you.

[casualbiker]

Now you just have to research the details of the conscription to ensure no problem for your son in the future!

[PaulTarpey]

Now you just have to research the details of the conscription to ensure no problem for your son in the future!

We do like to visit Thailand a great deal and have been thinking about making the jump to come here permanently - in the near future. Now that we appear to have a solution to the current problem, on reflection, we have not been put off. It is just one of the things that can happen. So we will need to research conscription as you say - but he is only 5 so I will take a breath and check the lie of the land further down the line

[ubonjoe]

Now you just have to research the details of the conscription to ensure no problem for your son in the future!

We do like to visit Thailand a great deal and have been thinking about making the jump to come here permanently - in the near future. Now that we appear to have a solution to the current problem, on reflection, we have not been put off. It is just one of the things that can happen. So we will need to research conscription as you say - but he is only 5 so I will take a breath and check the lie of the land further down the line

What I tell most people when are worried about conscription for a young child is why worry about something that is still many years away. There might not even be conscription then and the rules may of been changed by then.

[samran]

Now you just have to research the details of the conscription to ensure no problem for your son in the future!

We do like to visit Thailand a great deal and have been thinking about making the jump to come here permanently - in the near future. Now that we appear to have a solution to the current problem, on reflection, we have not been put off. It is just one of the things that can happen. So we will need to research conscription as you say - but he is only 5 so I will take a breath and check the lie of the land further down the line

Having a ID number is really like having the keys to the kingdom. Everything becomes much easier after that.

Don't worry about the conscription thing. If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it. If he goes to high school here he can do cadets. University education can defer it. Volunteering after university and, as opposed to being drafted, you only have to do six months.

[casualbiker]

Now you just have to research the details of the conscription to ensure no problem for your son in the future!

We do like to visit Thailand a great deal and have been thinking about making the jump to come here permanently - in the near future. Now that we appear to have a solution to the current problem, on reflection, we have not been put off. It is just one of the things that can happen. So we will need to research conscription as you say - but he is only 5 so I will take a breath and check the lie of the land further down the line

Having a ID number is really like having the keys to the kingdom. Everything becomes much easier after that.

Don't worry about the conscription thing. If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it. If he goes to high school here he can do cadets. University education can defer it. Volunteering after university and, as opposed to being drafted, you only have to do six months.

Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation.

[TerryLH]

"Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation."

Which part do you disagree with?

[samran]

Now you just have to research the details of the conscription to ensure no problem for your son in the future!

We do like to visit Thailand a great deal and have been thinking about making the jump to come here permanently - in the near future. Now that we appear to have a solution to the current problem, on reflection, we have not been put off. It is just one of the things that can happen. So we will need to research conscription as you say - but he is only 5 so I will take a breath and check the lie of the land further down the line

Having a ID number is really like having the keys to the kingdom. Everything becomes much easier after that.

Don't worry about the conscription thing. If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it. If he goes to high school here he can do cadets. University education can defer it. Volunteering after university and, as opposed to being drafted, you only have to do six months.

Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation.

Of course there is paperwork involved, didn't try to imply otherwise. Knowing the options involved is the most important.

[casualbiker]

"Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation."

Which part do you disagree with?

" If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it."

This bit. There is still paperwork to do! But it's not a major problem.

[samran]

"Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation."

Which part do you disagree with?

" If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it."

This bit. There is still paperwork to do! But it's not a major problem.

I don't understand. I actually did this.

I had no paperwork to do.

What paperwork are you suggesting that needed to be done?

[casualbiker]

"Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation."

Which part do you disagree with?

" If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it."

This bit. There is still paperwork to do! But it's not a major problem.

I don't understand. I actually did this.

I had no paperwork to do.

What paperwork are you suggesting that needed to be done?

It was a guy that had to get ID card after 30 (he was 34) he had to have an interview with army as he had no paperwork as to why he didn't do conscription lottery.

[Tomtomtom69]

I have been in immigration in Bangkok, and seen many Thais with U.S, passports d0ing 90 day reporting there.

I asked one of them why she was she had entered on her U.S, passport, and was doing 90 day reporting.

She said she used her U.S. passport to enter on her stays in Thailand because when she returned to the U.S. they kept track of how many days she spent in Thailand as she had a Green card (alien residing in U.S.).

You must spend a certain number of days in the U.S. each year to qualify as living in the U.S., and she used her U.S. passport and the entry and exit dates in Thailand as her proof she spent enough time in the U.S. to keep her Green card valid.

That is why she entered and exited on her U.S. passport, not her Thai one.

Sounded logical to me, so I accepted it.

What doesn't sound logical is how she can simultaneously hold a green card and a US passport. Something is not right about that story. If she is a US citizen holding a US passport, there is no requirement as to how long she can stay out of the country and her former green card would become invalid. That story is only relevant as a green card holder WITHOUT US citizenship, in which case she would only be able to enter Thailand on her Thai passport (unless she happens to have more than 1 non-US nationality other than Thai). Also, a green card holder staying in Thailand for such long periods (more than 90 days) doesn't sound like she is serious about resuming residency in the US. I have heard that even shorter stays than 1 year outside of the country can be deemed as sufficient grounds to cancel US residency if it is determined that the holder of a green card is only returning to "stay compliant" by spending a minimal amount of time resident in the US on a green card, but is actually living abroad.

[samran]

"Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation."

Which part do you disagree with?

" If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it."

This bit. There is still paperwork to do! But it's not a major problem.

I don't understand. I actually did this.

I had no paperwork to do.

What paperwork are you suggesting that needed to be done?

It was a guy that had to get ID card after 30 (he was 34) he had to have an interview with army as he had no paperwork as to why he didn't do conscription lottery.

ID card issuance doesn't require any documents from the military. Passports used to but that was done away with more than a 15 odd years ago, at least.

[casualbiker]

"Not strictly true. In reality there will be paperwork to do. That is presuming the child may want to reside in Thailand in the future. It isn't difficult. You just have to be aware of the situation."

Which part do you disagree with?

" If he never lives here full time before age 30 he doesn't have to worry about it."

This bit. There is still paperwork to do! But it's not a major problem.

I don't understand. I actually did this.

I had no paperwork to do.

What paperwork are you suggesting that needed to be done?

It was a guy that had to get ID card after 30 (he was 34) he had to have an interview with army as he had no paperwork as to why he didn't do conscription lottery.

ID card issuance doesn't require any documents from the military. Passports used to but that was done away with more than a 15 odd years ago, at least.

Well it happened so dunno why. I will ask!