WHO to believe. Immigration or Amphur. Parental Consent to Travel.
Another example of contradicting Thai Government Departments.
To take a half falang child out of Thailand it makes sense that if he/she is travelling with one parent then the accompanying parent would need permission from the non-accompanying parent. Its an international standard.
THE AMPHUR says:
You cannot take a minor out of Thailand without the official permission slip which has been stamped and sighted here in the Amphur.
THE IMMIGRATION POLICE at the airport says:
You just need to bring the child's birth certificate and a hand written note from the non-accompanying parent to say that permission to travel has been granted.
Of course i believe the Immigration police over the Amphur, because they are dealing with these things everyday.
What I have learned though, is that the "Consent to Travel Form" from the Amphur, IS required when one would be APPLYING for a VISA for a child to go to another country (out of Thailand), as most foreign embassy's request this form to be submitted for Thai citizens under 20 when are applying for a visa.
ie if a man had a Thai GF and he wanted to take her son (his step son, a Thai citizen) to say UK then he would need to get this Parental consent form filled at the AMPHUR to be submitted at the British embassy as proof of consent to travel.
What I have learned also from reading countless stories of people travelling OUT of Thailand with their half-thai child is that a simple hand written note and a copy of the birth certificate are sufficient.
I THINK the AMPHUR is confused about their roles and powers and the actual use of the "Parental Consent Form" or that the immigration laws dont actually require this to travel as there are no Parental Abduction laws and Thailand has NOT signed the Hauge treaty for Family LAW.
OR the Amphurs are trying to Monopolize so that if every child leaving Thailand needed a "Parental Consent Form" they would get extra revenue... 50 baht a pop, etc.
OR the official form is required by the Immigration but they are slow to adjust to new laws and from what I can see it will be years before they actually start to crack down on people etc.
DOES anyone have any RECENT experiance with this, IE in the last six months?
I found the Immigration police at the airport to be straightforward and knowledgeable and were able to answer all my questions easily and without hesitation. THEY seemed to be in the know.
I found the visit to the Amphur pointless and embarrassing again, being made into the sideshow farang who was of course wrong, although they were shocked, YES, SHOCKED and could not believe that a THAI born child could have a passport from another country?
DUAL citizenship?
What is that?
How did you get him an Australian Passport they asked?
Again no, they told me a Thai born Australian Citizen cannot leave the country without this Official Amphur form...
What i said: will you force an Australian citizen to stay in Thailand?
Would they detain my son and I and put us in what jail?
Or do they confiscate children and send them where?
Though i didn't mention to the :cmn: people in the Amphur what the Immigration Police at the airport said, i kept the satisfaction to myself.
So.... Official Amphur form or Hand written note (maybe notorized)?
I almost feel like a poll would be good.
