Registering a British baby born in Thailand

[iainiain101]

We live in Chiang Mai and have recently had a new baby.

Historically I could register the birth via the consulate in Chiang Mai at the same time as applying for the babies first UK passport. Now we have to go to Bangkok to apply for the passport . This is not currently a trip we wish to make with a young baby, or until my middle child's passport is due for renewal next year, or the wife's 5 year UK visitor visa expires a few months later. So we will wait until the process changes or we have to make the trip before doing so.

The Consular Birth registration has been replaced with completing a form and sending it, plus all the required documents to the UK. There is of course a fee.

My questions are:

Is there any point / benefit in registering the birth in the UK now via completion of the new form and sending it to the UK?

Is there a potential downside in not doing so?

Also:

If the UK Government are prepared to issue the birth certificate and return it via mail to either our house or the Chiang Mai consulate why cant the same process be used for passports?

In fact I am slightly surprised, and glad, we don't have to make an appointment to drop off the documents for the consular birth registration at Trendy!!

If I got a British friend of standing to sign the form and a picture of the baby, we could cut Trendy out of the process and issue the new passport at the same time as all the required documents will be there. How many millions would that save the UK Tax payer??

Here are the new forms.

Consular_Birth_Registration_Application_Form.doc

[brewsterbudgen]

It is not necessary to register the birth. You can still apply for a British passport with the Thai birth certificate (translated) and your birth certificate.

[StatlerandWaldorf]

To expand on what Brewster said (he is correct by the way), you can apply for the child's passport with the translated copy of birth certificate which can be done on the 1st floor (1 floor up) of the building opposite the embassy with the Homepro in it, can't remember the name.

As for registering the birth with the U.K. As stated, this is not required, if you do then you will get a form showing the registration and the child is then registered with the registrar of births and deaths in the U.K. This registration form can be used in place of a birth certificate in the U.K. If you do not have it and it is required for something in the U.K then your child must have a translated certified copy of the Thai birth certificate.

For me, my Son is registered (8 years ago), my Daughter (2 years old), not yet but I will plan to do so just so if we/they decide to live in the U.K in the future it makes things just a little easier for them.

BTW. If you apply for your child's passport you can go alone to do it, you are not required for your child to go with you. Having been through the process myself, I would suggest not taking a small child with you anyway, the VFS office is not a nice place for an adult, let alone a child. The security staff, I found to be bordering on rude and unhelpful.

eg. I was carrying my 1 year old and all the paperwork and they said I must switch my phone off before entering, no problem, I was struggling to get my phone out of my pocket while carrying my daughter and the guard became impatient and raised her voice that I must switch off my phone. I little unnecessary when it was clear that I was doing it, just obviously not fast enough for the VFS Gestapo.

[iainiain101]

I understand that I can fly down to Bangkok alone to do the application, and then again to collect the passport (as I know no one in Bangkok that I can authorise to collect it), but I have no wish to travel to Bangkok, I would then have to go again early next year for my sons passport renewal and then again for my wifes new visitor visa. My daughters passport expires the year after, so total costs of flights, time spent, etc. is ridiculous.

I think I will do the postal birth registration, then at least I ought to be able to use the envelope they send the birth certificate in as proof of address for the passport application!

[Liquorice]

Surely you mean 'Registering a Thai baby' with the British Embassy as a British citizen, so the child has dual citizenship.

By law, if a child is born in Thailand it is automatically a Thai citizen.

[brewsterbudgen]

Surely you mean 'Registering a Thai baby' with the British Embassy as a British citizen, so the child has dual citizenship.

By law, if a child is born in Thailand it is automatically a Thai citizen.

Not if neither parent is Thai!

[Liquorice]

brewsterbudgen, on 17 Oct 2014 - 10:03, said:

Faz, on 17 Oct 2014 - 09:32, said:

Surely you mean 'Registering a Thai baby' with the British Embassy as a British citizen, so the child has dual citizenship.

By law, if a child is born in Thailand it is automatically a Thai citizen.

Not if neither parent is Thai!

Agreed, ........................but the OP stated his wife had a 5 year Visitor Visa for the UK.................so she must be Thai, which means under Thai Birth Registration laws the baby is automatically a Thai citizen, by virtue of having one Thai parent. Although the OP doesn't say, but I'm guessing the birth has already been registered at a District Office and a birth certificate obtained.

One amazing fact about registering a Thai birth, is the chosen name of the child.

A child cannot share the same name as a member of the Thai Royal Family, who apparently have special and unique names.

[abrahamzvi]

Surely you mean 'Registering a Thai baby' with the British Embassy as a British citizen, so the child has dual citizenship.

By law, if a child is born in Thailand it is automatically a Thai citizen.

Not quite. A child born in Thailand is NOT automatically a Thai national, unless one of the parents is Thai.

[Liquorice]

abrahamzvi, on 17 Oct 2014 - 12:32, said:

Faz, on 17 Oct 2014 - 09:32, said:

Surely you mean 'Registering a Thai baby' with the British Embassy as a British citizen, so the child has dual citizenship.

By law, if a child is born in Thailand it is automatically a Thai citizen.

Not quite. A child born in Thailand is NOT automatically a Thai national, unless one of the parents is Thai.

Please read all the posts first. We have already agreed and established that fact.

[Jonmarleesco]

Is there any point / benefit in registering the birth in the UK now via completion of the new form and sending it to the UK?: Why not? You'll need to do it eventually.

Is there a potential downside in not doing so?: Only if they change the rules - again! That is, of course, a distinct possibility. When my youngest was born, we were unmarried, thus his acquiring of British nationality depended on whether or not his mother was British, not his father. Eventually, HMG seemingly caught on to the fact that they were abusing their own laws and changed things, followed a few years by another change. But it still cost me ₤500+ to obtain his birthright.

If the UK Government are prepared to issue the birth certificate and return it via mail to either our house or the Chiang Mai consulate why cant the same process be used for passports?: I have to assume the Indians did a deal, this being Thailand. I doubt there are enough new births to make it viable for them to grab that slice of the pie.

If I got a British friend of standing to sign the form and a picture of the baby, we could cut Trendy out of the process and issue the new passport at the same time as all the required documents will be there. How many millions would that save the UK Tax payer??: None, I should imagine. But it might save the applicants a few quid.

[brewsterbudgen]

Is there any point / benefit in registering the birth in the UK now via completion of the new form and sending it to the UK?: Why not? You'll need to do it eventually.

Is there a potential downside in not doing so?: Only if they change the rules - again! That is, of course, a distinct possibility. When my youngest was born, we were unmarried, thus his acquiring of British nationality depended on whether or not his mother was British, not his father. Eventually, HMG seemingly caught on to the fact that they were abusing their own laws and changed things, followed a few years by another change. But it still cost me ₤500+ to obtain his birthright.

If the UK Government are prepared to issue the birth certificate and return it via mail to either our house or the Chiang Mai consulate why cant the same process be used for passports?: I have to assume the Indians did a deal, this being Thailand. I doubt there are enough new births to make it viable for them to grab that slice of the pie.

If I got a British friend of standing to sign the form and a picture of the baby, we could cut Trendy out of the process and issue the new passport at the same time as all the required documents will be there. How many millions would that save the UK Tax payer??: None, I should imagine. But it might save the applicants a few quid.

As has already been pointed out, there is no requirement or need to register the birth in the UK. The Thai birth certificate (translated) is sufficient for a passport to be issued.

[bkk_mike]

Is there any point / benefit in registering the birth in the UK now via completion of the new form and sending it to the UK?: Why not? You'll need to do it eventually.

Is there a potential downside in not doing so?: Only if they change the rules - again! That is, of course, a distinct possibility. When my youngest was born, we were unmarried, thus his acquiring of British nationality depended on whether or not his mother was British, not his father. Eventually, HMG seemingly caught on to the fact that they were abusing their own laws and changed things, followed a few years by another change. But it still cost me ₤500+ to obtain his birthright.

If the UK Government are prepared to issue the birth certificate and return it via mail to either our house or the Chiang Mai consulate why cant the same process be used for passports?: I have to assume the Indians did a deal, this being Thailand. I doubt there are enough new births to make it viable for them to grab that slice of the pie.

If I got a British friend of standing to sign the form and a picture of the baby, we could cut Trendy out of the process and issue the new passport at the same time as all the required documents will be there. How many millions would that save the UK Tax payer??: None, I should imagine. But it might save the applicants a few quid.

There is no requirement to register the birth.

There may be a benefit to doing it, but it depends where you were born. i.e. if the child's British parent were born in the UK, the child is automatically British, and there's little actual benefit to registration. (Anything you can do with the embassy registered certificate can be done with the Thai one plus translation, including getting a British passport).

If the parent were also born abroad, then I believe registration is worthwhile as if they accept the registration, the child can then get a British passport.

This difference in treatment depends on the parent's birthplace, and the immigration status of their parents at the time. Hence the requirement for the full birth certificate, rather than the abbreviated one.

[Alexuk]

Hi im in uk and i got my daughter British passport and Thai ! My question is how do I get UK style birth certificate ?? I went register office my local person there was not help full at all she dident want know anything!! Can any one help with this show me the way!

Thanks a lot

[Richard W]

The advantage of registering the overseas birth of British citizen is that the said citizen then has a British birth certificate, in English. There are potential problems in using a foreign birth certificate. If the citizen returns to the UK, a British birth certificate is currently an acceptable alternative to a British passport as 'evidence' of suitable immigration status for being employed, renting accommodation and, I suspect but have not confirmed, for having a driving licence or opening a bank account. I believe a duplicate of equal validity may also be ordered when required.

I used to think there was no real advantage in these certificates, but I am no longer so sure.

[evadgib]

Hi im in uk and i got my daughter British passport and Thai ! My question is how do I get UK style birth certificate ?? I went register office my local person there was not help full at all she dident want know anything!! Can any one help with this show me the way!

Thanks a lot

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth

HTH

[Alexuk]

Thanks a lot evadgib