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[azooba]

hello everybody,
both me and my wife are foreigners living in thailand,
we hold business visas and regular work permit,
we are expecting our first baby in 3 months.

does anyone know, what will be baby "visa/citizenship" status ??
will he/she get any special thai visa / citizenship benefits ???
thanks for your help .

[Whitey]

Your baby will be an alien child and get a special birth certificate that says it. He can be entered into a house registration if you know someone at the local amphur office, but the child is NOT a Thai citzen and must have a visa just like any other foreigner.

As long as your visas are up to date, no worries about the new baby until the new baby makes his first trip outside of Thailand. He will need a passport to leave and if he wants to come back, he will need a visa.

The only benefit I have heard is that the baby might have an easier time applying for permanent residency, but I don't know how much easier of a time. Also, my oldest son has a 30 baht health care card, how he got it, I don't know, but knowing someone at the Amphur Office, they put him on a house registration form. From everything I know, this was incorrect, but this is Thailand.

Thai nationality is only passed on when a parent is a Thai national.

[bkk_mike]

Whitey, on Thu 2004-05-13, 12:15:16, said:

Thai nationality is only passed on when a parent is a Thai national.

I thought you could also get Thai Nationality if you're born in Thailand and both (either?) of your parents have permanent residency status.

i.e.  You definitely can't if you're in on a visa, or a visa extension, but I thought permanent residency status changed things.

[samran]

You can get Thai citizenship if you are born overseas to a thai parent as well.

[britainmal]

If you have PR status then, You can give your child Thai citizenship.  Foreigners with PR or just a working visa and permit are intitled to the 30 baht health card. The child does not necessarily need a visa to leave and reenter Thailand.

[azooba]

Not for the thai citizenship very much, but I am more concerned about the VISA for my child (due in 3 months time). Will he have to get a visa to re-enter once he leaves Thailand?? How can he/she benefit by being born in Thailand?? Do I have to register the birth somewhere in the immigration department??
Someone even told me that "any child born" in Thailand, can decide at age of 18 weather he/she wants a thai citizenship or not?? Is it true??

[astral]

azooba, on Sat 2004-05-15, 09:07:31, said:

Not for the thai citizenship very much, but I am more concerned about the VISA for my child (due in 3 months time). Will he have to get a visa to re-enter once he leaves Thailand?? How can he/she benefit by being born in Thailand?? Do I have to register the birth somewhere in the immigration department??
Someone even told me that "any child born" in Thailand, can decide at age of 18 weather he/she wants a thai citizenship or not?? Is it true??

Make sure you register the child's brth with your own Embassy to make sure he/she gets your nationality and eventually a passport!!

[samran]

there are no overstay fees for children under the age of 7. So effectively a child can stay till then.

[azooba]

thank you everybody out there for the required info, but i am still not clear about how will the baby re-enter Thailand. will he/she require to obtain THAI VISA??

[britainmal]

I think a foreign child with no Thai blood will have the same visa requirements as their non-thai blood family members.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

azooba, on Sat 2004-05-15, 14:21:38, said:

thank you everybody out there for the required info, but i am still not clear about how will the baby re-enter Thailand. will he/she require to obtain THAI VISA??

The child needs to enter Thailand on a visa but can overstay with no problems up until it is 7 years old

[britainmal]

Not necessarily you need  a visa.  It depends on your visa  status.  If you don't leave the country you don't need a visa because the baby can stay until he is age of majority , which then he may or may not need a visa.  If you have PR now, The baby is a  
Thai citizen.  The baby can still get a  foreign passport and citzen, but don't tell the embassy of the Thai passport.

[azooba]

Only I got the "Work Permit" (not PR),
and wife is just a "housewife" and have one year visa on behalf of my work permit. my question now is : Any possibility to apply "Thai Citizenship" for my baby ??

[samran]

azooba,

the answer is no unfortunately. You probably have lots of questions. A good place where most of these are answered in on the Thai embassy site in Washington DC.

http://www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm

When you get there, click on "Consular Services", then "Consular Informations", and the "To aquire Thai nationality". There is a nifty table saying when and how Thai nationality is passed to the Children

Cheers
Samran

[lopburi3]

Quote

Someone even told me that "any child born" in Thailand, can decide at age of 18 weather he/she wants a thai citizenship or not?? Is it true??

No.

Quote

Any possibility to apply "Thai Citizenship" for my baby ??

You can probably apply, or at least try to apply.  But do not believe the chance of success is great as someone has already posted parents have needed PR for this to be approved.  However, like many things, rules do not seem to be set in stone and there could be some chance depending on how they interpret the laws.  Politically it is more possible today than yesterday from newspaper reports.

[samran]

lopburi3, on Tue 2004-05-18, 02:33:46, said:

Quote

Someone even told me that "any child born" in Thailand, can decide at age of 18 weather he/she wants a thai citizenship or not?? Is it true??

No.

There is a common myth that just being born on a country's soil infers automatic citizenship to a person.

This used to be the case for many countries up until the early 80's. No longer. The only notable exceptions are the US and Ireland where this is still possible.

Most nations now require that at least one parent be officially settled/be a permanent resident or citizen, for a new born child to gain the nationality of the country they were born in.

[Edward B]

Quote

Most nations now require that at least one parent be officially settled/be a permanent resident or citizen, for a new born child to gain the nationality of the country they were born in.

I agree. In addition, (and I would like this confirmed by anyone) if one of the parents is Thai, then the baby is automatically a Thai citizen. I say this because my 2 month old baby is officially a Thai citizen according to his birth certificate, even though I wrote Australian nationality on the application form. Although I can always apply for Australian citizenship later, based on decent.

[samran]

Edward B, on Tue 2004-05-18, 06:09:48, said:

Quote

Most nations now require that at least one parent be officially settled/be a permanent resident or citizen, for a new born child to gain the nationality of the country they were born in.

I agree. In addition, (and I would like this confirmed by anyone) if one of the parents is Thai, then the baby is automatically a Thai citizen. I say this because my 2 month old baby is officially a Thai citizen according to his birth certificate, even though I wrote Australian nationality on the application form. Although I can always apply for Australian citizenship later, based on decent.

I can confirm this.

check out the link I posted to the Thai embassy in the US.  I have dual thai - australian nationality by virtue of my mother being Thai, even though I was born in OZ. By the looks of the law, my kids (no matter when and where I have them) will be able to get Thai nationality as well.

[cutethaigirl]

Hi what by definition is an "illegal" or "legal" alien when applied below.



Born within the Territory of the Kingdom of Thailand
Case  Nationality of Father  Nationality of Mother  Matrimony Status  Nationality of the Child  
1 Thai Thai Register Thai
2 Thai Thai No Thai
3 Thai Legal Alien Register Thai
4 Thai Legal Alien No Thai
5 Thai Illegal Alien Register Thai
6 Thai Illegal Alien No Thai
7 Legal Alien Thai Register Thai
8 Legal Alien Thai No Thai
9 Illegal Alien Thai Register Thai
10 Illegal Alien Thai No Thai
11 Legal Alien Legal Alien Register Thai
12 Legal Alien Legal Alien No Thai
13 Legal Alien Illegal Alien Register Cannot acquire Thai Nationality
14 Legal Alien Illegal Alien No Cannot acquire Thai Nationality
15 Illegal Alien Legal Alien Register Cannot acquire Thai Nationality
16 Illegal Alien Legal Alien No Cannot acquire Thai Nationality
17 Illegal Alien Illegal Alien Register Cannot acquire Thai Nationality
18 Illegal Alien Illegal Alien No Cannot acquire Thai Nationality


First column father, 2nd mother, Registered marriage, nationality of child

CT

[azooba]

Thank you everybody for sharing your valuable information with me. Appretiate it. I will welcome any further comments from others. Cheers.

[britainmal]

I recommend you get Thai PR so, you and your child can obtain Thai citizenship.

[cutethaigirl]

Quote

I recommend you get Thai PR

What is 'PR' please?
CT

[britainmal]

PR is Permanent Residence.  No, Samran  not necsaessary that is true.  If you are
born in a  country and you family is legally living there not just residence or citizenship I mean work permit the baby will acquire citizenship.  This is the law in all western countries. They don't issue a separate birth cetificates like Thailand that states you are a foreigner or citizen unlike Thailand.  Most Western Countries will make the child a citizen and parent not if they are not legal, but if the family is illegal then the family can be removed from the country including the baby and baby can acquire citizenship at the age of majority. The law has not changed involving this samran.

[samran]

britainmal, on Wed 2004-05-19, 04:49:05, said:

PR is Permanent Residence.  No, Samran  not necsaessary that is true.  If you are
born in a  country and you family is legally living there not just residence or citizenship I mean work permit the baby will acquire citizenship.  This is the law in all western countries. They don't issue a separate birth cetificates like Thailand that states you are a foreigner or citizen unlike Thailand.  Most Western Countries will make the child a citizen and parent not if they are not legal, but if the family is illegal then the family can be removed from the country including the baby and baby can acquire citizenship at the age of majority. The law has not changed involving this samran.

which countries?? Please show me a law which says (for instance) that a child born in the UK to a work permit holder is eligable for UK nationality.

Please show me a law which state a child born in Australia to an Australian workpermit holder is eligable for Australian citizenship.

Please show me a law which state a child born in Spain to an Spainsh workpermit holder is eligable for Spainish citizenship.

I could go on, but again, you'd be wrong.

[britainmal]

No, what I said was the child can get the citizenship autommatically or they have to wait until they are the age of majority for leagl workers  even illegals too.  This is why there are boats migrants illegally entering western countries.  The parants cannot get citizenship, the child can ; either at the time of birth or latter on.  Also they can declare themselves stateless ,which is a better way.