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There is no separate visa for parents of Thai children. A parent of a child with Thai citizenship applies for the same Non-Immigrant O ("Thai family") visa as a spouse of a Thai national, then extends their stay for up to a year as a family member under item 2.18 of the Immigration Bureau's handbook. You do not need to marry the other parent, so this route is open to divorced parents and to parents who were never married. The main conditions: the child is under 20, the relationship is documented, and the parent can show income of at least THB 40,000 a month, or THB 400,000 in a Thai bank account.
In short
- It's the same visa a Thai spouse uses — only the basis for the extension is different.
- You do not need to marry the other parent.
- The route works while the child is under 20.
- Money: THB 40,000 a month in income, or THB 400,000 in a Thai bank account.
- An unmarried father needs his paternity registered first — his name on the birth certificate on its own is not enough.
Who qualifies as the parent of a Thai child
Item 2.18 of the Immigration Bureau's handbook names five groups eligible for the family-based extension: parents, a spouse, a child, an adopted child, and the child of a Thai national's spouse. A guardian who is not the parent is not on that list.
| Basis | Visa | What you prove | Money | Marriage needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a Thai national | Non-O "Thai family" | A registered marriage (Civil and Commercial Code s. 1457) | THB 400,000 in the bank, or THB 40,000/month income | Yes |
| Parent of a Thai child | Non-O "Thai family" | A legal relationship with a child who holds Thai citizenship | THB 400,000 in the bank, or THB 40,000/month income | No |
Unmarried parents: legitimation and parental rights
Under s. 1546 of the Civil and Commercial Code, a child born outside a registered marriage is initially the mother's child alone. A father who is not married to the mother becomes the child's legal father in one of three ways (ss. 1547–1548): he marries the mother, he registers legitimation at the district office (ampur) with the mother's and the child's consent, or he gets a court judgment — the route used when the child is too young to consent, or when the mother or the child does not agree. We have not found an age at which a child can give that consent in the sources available to us, so we don't quote a figure.
A father's name on the birth certificate is not enough on its own. Immigration looks for the legitimation record or the court judgment, not the entry in the "father" field.
Divorced parents face one more wrinkle: some immigration offices also ask for a divorce agreement or a court order on parental power — a document showing you are legally involved in the child's life. We advise checking with Phuket immigration in advance, because offices apply this differently.
Funds: how much and where
The money condition matches the one for a Thai spouse: income of at least THB 40,000 a month, or THB 400,000 in a Thai bank account opened in the parent's own name, as Immigration Bureau pages put it. We have not found an official rule on how long the money needs to sit in the account for this specific basis. Spouses are usually asked for two to three months of history, but whether the same period applies to a parent of a Thai child is a question for the office handling your file.
Our lawyers check a client's account balance and history before we file, so the amount and the timing don't raise questions at the counter.
The child's and parent's documents
This is our best reading of published Immigration Bureau and consular material; confirm the exact list with the Phuket immigration office before you file. It usually includes:
- the TM.7 application form;
- the child's Thai birth certificate, or the legitimation record (Kor Ror 11), or an adoption record;
- the child's Thai ID card or house registration book;
- proof of the funds — a bank statement or an income letter;
- the parent's passport with the Non-O visa.
If your paternity order, birth certificate or any other document was issued outside Thailand, it needs to be put into a form Thai immigration will accept. Thailand has not yet joined the Apostille Convention: it deposited its accession, but the Convention only enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, subject to any state objecting. Until then, a document from the UK, the US, Australia or elsewhere goes through the Thai embassy or consulate in the country where it was issued for legalisation before it can be used here. Once the Convention takes effect between Thailand and the country that issued the document, an apostille issued in that country should replace consular legalisation. This applies only to Convention states that have not objected to Thailand's accession; check the requirements with the relevant Thai embassy.
Our team prepares the document pack in two languages and checks that names and dates match across every paper before it goes to immigration.
The one-year extension at immigration
The route looks like this:
- You apply for the Non-O "Thai family" visa at a Thai embassy or consulate where you live.
- You enter Thailand on that visa.
- At the immigration office in Phuket, you file the TM.7 application for an extension of stay.
- If the officer approves it, your stay can be extended for up to a year.
- While the child is under 20, you apply again each year, and the decision stays with the immigration officer.
Immigration charges its usual annual extension fee of THB 1,900.
What to do next
If you're raising a Thai child and want to know which route fits your situation — marriage, legitimation, or a court order you already hold — send us the child's documents and your own. Our lawyers will tell you within 24 hours whether they're enough for the extension, and whether you need to establish paternity first.
Once the first extension is granted, it's worth planning ahead for the years that follow. We can help with visa extensions in Phuket and prepare bilingual documents for every immigration visit.
If you haven't settled on an overall strategy for staying in Thailand yet, see our comparison of Thailand's visa options and the guide to staying in Thailand longer than 30 days. Parents over 50 with pension income may also want to compare this route with the Thai retirement visa — it's sometimes the simpler option. After each extension, don't forget the 90-day address report.
