Registering Your Baby's Birth in Thailand: Documents to Prepare, Who Can Go for You, and What Happens if You Miss the Deadline

Once you bring your baby home, life revolves around feeding, changing diapers and not getting enough sleep, so many families forget there is paperwork with a deadline waiting: registering the birth, which must be done within 15 days.

Don’t worry, the steps are not hard at all. With all the documents, you can finish in one trip. We have summarized it from the handbook of the Bureau of Registration Administration, Department of Provincial Administration: what to prepare, who can go, and what to do if you have already missed the deadline.

1. Within how many days must you register, and where?

Quick Answer: Within 15 days of the birth, at the district registry office or local registry office in the area where your baby was born.

• Baby born in a hospital (born outside the home): the father or mother registers with the registrar in the area where the baby was born, or in the area where registration is due.
• Baby born at home: the head of household (เจ้าบ้าน), father or mother registers with the registrar in the area of the birth.
• Registry office means the district office (ที่ว่าการอำเภอ) or a local registry office such as the municipality (เทศบาล), and in Bangkok, the district office (สำนักงานเขต).

For example, if you give birth at a hospital in Mueang Chiang Mai district, as a rule you register at the registry office in that area, even if your house registration is in a different district. If you are not sure where to go, call the Department of Provincial Administration’s Call Center at 1548 before leaving home. It can save you a lot of time.

2. What documents do you need?

Quick Answer: The house registration book, the ID card of the person registering, and the birth notice (ท.ร.1/1) from the hospital.

Document	Notes
Birth notice (ท.ร.1/1, Tor.Ror.1/1)	Issued by the hospital after the birth. Keep it safe and do not lose it
House registration book (ทะเบียนบ้าน)	The original book for the home your baby’s name will be added to
ID card of the person registering	The original card of the father or mother who goes to register
Your baby’s name	Choose a name that follows the rules for personal names before you go

The Tor.Ror.1/1 is the tricky one. Many families accidentally file it with the hospital receipts and then cannot find it. Put it in the same folder as your pink book (สมุดสีชมพู, the Mother and Child Health Handbook) from the day you leave the hospital. If you are still pregnant, pack an empty folder in your hospital bag.

3. If the parents cannot go, who can register for them?

Quick Answer: You can authorize someone else, such as grandparents or relatives, to register for you, with a letter of authorization and a copy of your ID card.

In many families, mom is still recovering from a C-section and dad has to go back to work, so authorizing a relative to go helps a lot. The person going for you must bring:

• A letter of authorization from the father or mother
• A copy of the authorizing parent’s ID card
• Their own original ID card
• All the main documents in section 2

Some registry offices have their own authorization form, or may want to call to ask the parents for information. It is a good idea to give the person going for you your phone number too.

4. What happens when you get there, and what do you get back?

Quick Answer: The registrar checks the documents, issues a birth certificate, adds your baby’s name to the house registration, then returns the birth certificate and house registration book to the person registering.

Once done, your baby will have a 13-digit national ID number, which is the key to many other things from here on, such as:

• Registering your baby’s healthcare entitlement
• Applying for the newborn child support grant. Read more in Newborn child support grant: who qualifies and where to register
• Applying for the child allowance, if the father or mother is insured under the Social Security Fund (ประกันสังคม)

Once you have the birth certificate, take a photo or scan it and keep it on your phone. You will need it often in the first year.

5. What happens if you pass 15 days?

Quick Answer: You can still register, but it is a late birth registration, with a fine of up to 1,000 baht, and you must go through an interview with witnesses.

According to the Department of Provincial Administration handbook, the steps are:

1. The person registering submits documents at the registry office.
2. The registrar interviews the person registering and the parents.
3. At least 2 witnesses who know the child’s background are used, with their ID cards.
4. The registrar submits it to the district chief (นายอำเภอ) for approval.
5. Once approved, the birth certificate is issued and the name is added to the house registration.

The extra documents needed are the ID cards of both father and mother, the witnesses’ ID cards, and, if the child is over 7 years old, 1 photo of the child. As for the fine, the law sets it at up to 1,000 baht.

Honestly, what you lose more than the fine is time. And until you have the birth certificate, you cannot apply for your baby’s other benefits either, so everything gets delayed. If you can manage it, getting it done in the first week or two gives the most peace of mind.

6. Are there special cases you should call about first?

Quick Answer: If the father or mother is not a Thai national, you gave birth at home without a birth notice, or your house registration is in a different province, call 1548 first.

These cases may need different documents or steps from the usual. Calling first saves you multiple trips, especially while mom is still recovering.

For an overview of everything to do in the first 3 months, including health, vaccines and paperwork, read our guide to your baby’s first 3 months.

With your documents complete, that is one more weight off your mind. We hope you get it done in one trip.