children

[jc]

I will speak from personal experience here...
First thing first; from what country is your citizenship? Different countries have different laws regulating child support and obligations. If you are a citizen of, say, the USA you would be required to sign the birth certificate as well as a few billion other documents at the embassy. That is if you are 100% positive of the paternity of the child- which you don't seem to be. However, the US does not have an agreement with Thailand covering child support. Therefore, if the child doe not have a birth certificate with your John Hancock on it- you will not be required to support the woman and child. I am not sure what the regulations are concerning legitimized children in Thailand. Speaking from an obviously unpopular standpoint; You have a family whom you will not leave. You will not be a father to this child in any way more significant than the occasional check, phone call or e-mail, birthday card, and once in a blue moon visit. But if you are unsure of the paternity of the child- are you willing to truck your whole family out to Thailand to spend time with your other child and the kids mother. Thailand has a good health care system so you won't be providing insurance. If you don't take that (insubstantial and vacant) parental role- maybe the wonderful woman you spent 1 week with will find another person who will be a more substantive prescence in the childs life. A real "Dad"- not a sperm donor. Are you and your family willing to go the distance to welcome a Thai near-stranger whom you had an affair with and her child into your arms and provide a decent version of parenting? If you try and fail- someone else gets called "Philip- mom's husband" instead of their rightful (by REALLY being there and raising the child- if not biologically) name of "DAD".

[Rooster]

JC, very good lecture. I have dual citizenship including my children for various reasons. I only taking about two months for US citizenship approval with proper legal documents and about six months for the social security numbers for them. Social security numbers are important to file on the income tax return and other financial matters. In considering, when the child is going to born or bornt in Thai hospitals, the mother will have to provide information on the father before the Thai birth certificate will be issued. If she claimed that he is the father without the proper documents, than she has to file claim at police station and blood/genetic test.