Thai nationality/passport problems!

[bermondburi]

Hi there, not sure if this is the right lace to post but here goes. My wife has a friend,( really, it's not about me) who is going through some tough times in her marriage at the moment. We all live in Saudi Arabia and the friend is considering leaving her husband and she wants to take her daughter with her back to Thailand. The problem is that the girl doesn't have a Thai passport. She only has an American one. The friend does have the girl's birth certificate, but she was born in Korea. Relations have deteriorated to the point where they are not on speaking terms at all so the chances of the husband helping in the application process for the Thai passport are absolutely zero.

So, can the woman 1) apply for Thai passport for the girl without the father having to sign anything, provide any documents.

2) take the girl to Thailand on the U.S. passport and hope to sort it out later.

Any comments appreciated, I've been living with this story for a while now, and the guy is such a jerk, Just trying to help someone out.

[Rooo]

Moved to Family.

[Mario2008]

A Thai passport requires the approval of both parents.

She can take the child on the US passport and sort out things here. On show of the Birth Certificate the child is eligable for extensions of stay without further requirements.

[bermondburi]

Would the mother have to get the birth certificate translated from Korean and then certified for the extension?

[bermondburi]

Also, if the mother has no contact with the father, at what point can the girl apply for a Thai passport? 18?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Saudi Arabia,

Isn't the Saudi law that children are property of the man?

In which case it would be a very serious offense for her to try and leave the country with his child.

Best not to get involved in another man's business, in such a country (or in any country for that matter).

You are probably already breaking Saudi law, by being friend's with another man's wife.

Edited October 8, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[zeichen]

A child cannot go to other countries without permission from both parents. If the mother leaves Saudi to Thailand regardless of which passport he/she has without a written declaration from the husband, she can be charged with kidnapping. Over international borders is very severe penalty.

[bermondburi]

Who is representing the bloke while you stick your nose in.

Why don't you be a real friend and keep out of this. Ask yourself, how would you feel if it was your wife asking someone about your kids.

Sorry but this type of thing really doesn't help them as a couple.

You don't actually know anything about this guy, whereas I do. I'm not going to go into it all here, but needless to say this guy is a total jerk, and my wife's friend is at her wit's end. She isn't asking about this stuff lightly and it has been going on for years. Regarding my own wife and kids, I wouldn't behave in such a way that the situation arose in the first place.

[bermondburi]

Saudi Arabia,

Isn't the Saudi law that children are property of the man?

In which case it would be a very serious offense for her to try and leave the country with his child.

Best not to get involved in another man's business, in such a country (or in any country for that matter).

You are probably already breaking Saudi law, by being friend's with another man's wife.

You can be friends with other wives of other people in Saudi. What is illegal is for women to be out in public with someone they are not related to without a family member present.

[bermondburi]

A child cannot go to other countries without permission from both parents. If the mother leaves Saudi to Thailand regardless of which passport he/she has without a written declaration from the husband, she can be charged with kidnapping. Over international borders is very severe penalty.

In theory maybe, in practice not really. My wife has left here with my kids before no Qs asked as have other people I know. Application of the law is very relaxed in Saudi in many ways.

[zeichen]

Why ask for advice if you already think you know everything?

[DerekMarshall]

A Thai passport requires the approval of both parents.

She can take the child on the US passport and sort out things here. On show of the Birth Certificate the child is eligable for extensions of stay without further requirements.

Got my daughters passport about 3 months back. Certainly don´t remember signing anything. Done in Thailand though with Thai birth Certificate.

[DerekMarshall]

Also, if the mother has no contact with the father, at what point can the girl apply for a Thai passport? 18?

Youngest birth! My kid was what less than 8 months old got hers. By herself no idea at what age.

Here is a shot in the dark...emergency travel documents from nearest Thai Embassy? followed by getting passport/ Thai ID card if older than 7 when in the country.

[bermondburi]

A Thai passport requires the approval of both parents.

She can take the child on the US passport and sort out things here. On show of the Birth Certificate the child is eligable for extensions of stay without further requirements.

Got my daughters passport about 3 months back. Certainly don´t remember signing anything. Done in Thailand though with Thai birth Certificate.

That was what I was wondering. I can't remember what happened when I got my sons' passports because it was five years ago now. I know I was there but don't remember signing anything. Did you have to show an original proof of your ID?

[bermondburi]

Also, if the mother has no contact with the father, at what point can the girl apply for a Thai passport? 18?

Youngest birth! My kid was what less than 8 months old got hers. By herself no idea at what age.

Here is a shot in the dark...emergency travel documents from nearest Thai Embassy? followed by getting passport/ Thai ID card if older than 7 when in the country.

She has a US passport so travelling isn't a problem, unless being on the US passport would cause problems later. What do you have to do to get an ID card? Be on the blue house book?

[pieeyed]

Aussieroaming why are you jumping all over the op, who is trying to get some good advice for a friend?

[Mario2008]

several mind your own business posts removed.

[Mario2008]

A child cannot go to other countries without permission from both parents. If the mother leaves Saudi to Thailand regardless of which passport he/she has without a written declaration from the husband, she can be charged with kidnapping. Over international borders is very severe penalty.

In theory maybe, in practice not really. My wife has left here with my kids before no Qs asked as have other people I know. Application of the law is very relaxed in Saudi in many ways.

Not under Thai law. Both parents have equal rights and there are no parental kidnapping laws in Thailand.

[Aussieroaming]

Pie eyed...Whether this other bloke is a jerk or not the OP should not be involving himself in other couples issues, especially where there are children involved.

If he's a good family friend of this woman then he should be trying to help them through this crisis, not encouraging the woman to piss off with her daughter to another country.

Maybe if the woman had already left her husband and needed help I would see it differently, but this woman is contemplating leaving her husband according to OP. So my opinion is that they should be left to try and resolve the deeper issues without outsiders influencing things.

[Mario2008]

For the extension in Thailand the BC would need to be translated if not in English. That you ask this means that the child does not have a Thai birth certificate from the Thai embassy in Korea, meaning that the child cannot get a Thai passport as the Thai government is not aware of her birth. The Thai birth certificate would need to be arranged first, either through the Thai embassy in Korea or the Thai ministry of Foreign affairs in Bangkok.

Under Thai law the age of majority is 20, not 18.

So she would travel on the US passport, have the birth certificate translated and certified if needed for an extension and in the mean time apply for a Thai birth certificate through the Consular Department in Bangkok. They certify all document and send it to the Embassy in Korea and the embassy issues a Thai Birth Certificate. now she can get a Thai ID-card, passport and registered on a household book as the Thai government has a record of her existence.

[samran]

Mario has about summed it up.

- child is not recognised as a Thai citizen yet as far as he paperwork goes, even though a child of a thai parent is automatically a thai citizen. First step is the thai birth certificate.

- the only place which can issue the Thai birth certificate is the Thai embassy in korea given that is where the child was born

- that process can be handled by the department of consular affairs when the child comes back to bangkok

- the child can then get on the house registration and get an ID when that thai birth certificate is issued

- the Thai passport will require both parents signature unless a court has awarded sole custody to the mum.

As such the child can move to Thailand on the U.S. passport. An annual extension of stay can be granted based on the production of a Thai birth certificate.

Upon gaining sole custody the child can get a Thai passport, and do a short trip to singspore or KL, exiting on the U.S. passport and the re entering on the Thai.

Edited October 16, 2014 by samran