There is a common belief that a child does not need a visa. Is that really the case?
To begin with, every foreigner visiting Thailand must obtain a visa in accordance with the purpose of their visit (or receive an entry stamp) and leave the country before the permitted period expires.
If a child enters Thailand without a visa, they will receive an entry stamp. Once it expires, the child will be in overstay. However, children under 14 are not fined for overstay. As a result, there is a violation, but no penalty.
How can a child’s stay in Thailand without a visa and receiving an “overstay” mark in their passport affect future situations?
First, if you apply for a Thai visa abroad for yourself but do not submit visa applications for your children, a consular officer may interpret this as an intention to violate visa regulations, which can lead to a visa refusal.
Second, if the parents have a tourist visa but the child does not, upon entry to Thailand the parents’ visas may be canceled and the entire family may instead receive 30-day entry stamps.
Third, during a future visit, immigration officers may raise questions at the border. In some cases, the child may be denied entry into Thailand.
Fourth, an “overstay” mark placed in the passport by Thai immigration authorities may become a reason for visa refusals in other countries, if those authorities take into account previous violations of immigration laws.
How to avoid problems?
To prevent issues in the future, we recommend obtaining an appropriate visa for the child based on the purpose of stay in Thailand: a tourist visa, a dependent visa (if one of the parents works in Thailand), or an education visa if the child is studying at a school.
Author: Alexandra Agapitova.
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