QuantumMech

Suppose there's a family of parents and their children, all Thai nationals, and the parents own some land. One parent dies, and the land is owned by the surviving parent. Then when that parent dies intestate, my understanding is that the children will inherit the land. Does the land get divided somehow, and each child gets a portion? Or do all children jointly own the entire parcel? And do they need to actively do anything, or is it automatically handled by the courts, etc? In particular, what if one of the children lives abroad (but they're still registered in their parents' blue book) and can't be contacted by any government officials. Is it possible that the other siblings (who are in Thailand) can cut out the one who's abroad? ("Oh, they need to sign some document? We don't know where they are; I guess they can't sign it!")

It seems to be the official acronym... for example, they have a post on Facebook that says "สำนักงานการบินพลเรือนแห่งประเทศไทย (กพท.)". And their Wikipedia page says "สำนักงานการบินพลเรือนแห่งประเทศไทย (อังกฤษ: The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand , ชื่อย่อ : กพท. , CAAT)"

On 5/22/2018 at 11:03 PM, EricTh said:

I don't know why those Thai teachers like to teach Indic words when common Thai people on the street don't really use them.

I didn't see that article say that common Thai people on the street don't use the Sanskrit-derived words. They entered the Thai language hundreds of years ago, and all of the examples given are very common words: ภรรยา, สามี, ประเทศ, ทาน, คุณ. I would be very surprised if the average Thai person didn't know those words. We're not talking ราชาศัพท์/royal language here.

And as that article says, some native Thai words are now considered crude. You're not going to win any friends by calling people มึง because you want to stick with native Thai vocabulary.

In any case, my point is that just because a word has a foreign origin doesn't mean that it's too fancy for the average person. "Pork", "beef", and "poultry" are from French, but they're very common English words. The native Germanic "pig", "cow", and "chicken" are also very common, but have a slightly different meaning or connotation.

The CAAT has a website at https://www.caat.or.th/ where they give their name as สำนักงานการบินพลเรือนแห่งประเทศไทย

No, the US isn't going to let you do that. The Visa Waiver Program lets you enter the US for 90 days, and a quick border hop doesn't reset that and get you another 90 days. My understanding is that there's no hard and fast rule about when the 90 day resets and it's up to the immigration officer to look at your history and decide if you're trying to stay in the US for too long. (Which I guess is the same thing Thai immigration officers do; it's not like you can stay in Thailand continuously using visa exempt entries either).

However, the rumored rule of thumb is that it resets when you've been out of the US longer than you've been in the US. So if you've stayed in the US for the full 90 days, you'll need to leave for 91 days before you can come back and get another 90 days.

The one on the right (ซ) looks pretty standard to me. As for the rest, see http://font.cadsondemak.com/foundry/sukhumvit-สุขุมวิท-2/ and http://font.cadsondemak.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Sukhumvit.pdf (particularly page 11). It's a pretty common style, and the type samples will show you how to distinguish between ว and อ, ร and ธ, ผ and พ, etc.

I've used GoToRussia to get a visa support letter. They sent a PDF and I printed it myself; no problems using it to get a tourist visa from the Houston, Texas visa center.

http://thailand.mid.ru/en/consular-section/types-of-visa says they'll accept either an original or copy of the document, so they should be fine with one you print yourself.

2 hours ago, greenchair said:

And anyway my main point is you cannot renounce your birth nationality. 

 

That's incorrect though; if your country's laws allow for renouncing your nationality, you can renounce it. Both the Thai and US laws allow for it. There are many US-born people who have renounced their US nationality, and there are many Thai-born people who have renounced their Thai nationality. You can even find the names of the latter published in the Royal Gazette. (Actually, IIRC, you can find the names of US renunciates in the Federal Register)

Also, most of your other points are incorrect.

20 hours ago, NotReallyThai said:

My Amphoe office wasn't very helpful at all. They just said it would be hard. Didn't even advise on how to go about it.

What did you/your mom say? Perhaps try saying that she lost her ID card and needs a new one, and she doesn't remember her ID number either.

Also, the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles has a page (in Thai) about getting moved to the "central registration" that I mentioned earlier, and how to get moved back to a normal registration: http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/content_detail.aspx?content_id=71. From what you've said, it does sound likely that your mom's been moved to the central registration. I don't know if that prevents you from getting your Thai citizenship (doesn't seem like it would), but the author of that page recommends that anyone who got moved to central registration move back to a regular tabien baan ASAP (or if they don't have any place where they can get registered, there's a special register for citizens who live outside of Thailand).

19 hours ago, NotReallyThai said:

Thank you very much for that. That seems pretty much like my situation. How did your mum get her ID at the office? Did they need any proof of who she was? How did they find her documents? My Amphoe office wasn't very helpful at all. They just said it would be hard. Didn't even advise on how to go about it. Is it possible that they didn't keep any records and just threw the old documents out?

My mom's info was already in the computer system (this was at the Phanom Sarakham, Chachoengsao amphoe office... I don't know if other amphoes are as up-to-date); they asked for her name, date of birth, parents names, and her address (in Thailand) and were able to find her info. My mom didn't actually remember her old address, and for reasons that are unclear to both me and my mom, her birth year according to the Thai records doesn't match her US records, so she didn't give the right birth date. But despite that, they were able to find her info in about 5 minutes—I was impressed.

As for proving that she was the person they found in the computer, they just needed someone to vouch for her (my mom's cousin's daughter had driven us to the amphoe office, so she was already there and was able to vouch for my mom). The village chief (phu yai ban) also had to come by, although he had never met my mom, so I'm not sure what info he was able to provide. I suppose it's just a formality. (But coincidentally, the village chief is the son of my mom's childhood friend).

You mention that your mom is no longer on a tabien baan, but even so, if she used to be on one, it seems like they should be able to find her info pretty easily. My understanding is that people who are removed from a tabien baan and aren't moved to another one get put on the "central registration" list (ทะเบียนกลาง); they aren't completely deleted from the system. In my mom's case, the address where she's registered no longer actually exists—the house was demolished over a decade ago. But I guess nobody notified the amphoe about it, so there's still an active house registration, and my mom was still on it (and now I'm on it too).

Was the last address where your mom was registered in the same amphoe where her birth was registered? I agree with others that her birth amphoe seems like the best place to start, but if you don't have any luck there, and her last registration was at a different amphoe, maybe you could try that amphoe.

Good luck!

I posted about my experience with the process at

On 8/18/2017 at 7:49 PM, QuantumMech said:

A Thai national who enters Thailand on a Thai passport can't overstay. While I don't know if the IO made an error, I'm not sure if I (or my mom) particularly cares. Regardless of what's stamped in the passport, she has not violated any laws. 

FWIW, my mom and I are currently at Suvarnabhumi waiting on our flight home (was going to leave earlier, but postponed due to flooding in Houston). There was a lady checking passports (and maybe there to assist too?) at the auto gates, and when she looked at my mom's passport, she said I should escort my mom through the priority lane, since there was no birth month/day.

So I didn't get to use the auto gate on my way out, but I did get to hear the IO talk to my mom, and he didn't mention the Until date on her entry stamp at all; his only comment was that my mom looked young for her age :) and he wai-ed her, which my mom thought was amusing. When it was my turn, he said she was still very strong and asked if she lived in Thailand or out of the country. I didn't get a wai :D

So as I expected, departure passport control isn't looking for overstays in Thai passports. :)

21 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

For internal flights within Thailand, yes.

Nok Air, Air Asia etc all accept online bookings in Thai or English script.

The Thai ID card for foreigners is only a local identity card for use, and accepted as such within Thailand's borders.

Perhaps they used to, but at least Thai Air Asia explicitly says that the passenger name must be in the English alphabet and match what's shown on government ID. See the attached screenshot.

14 hours ago, QuantumMech said:

Visa exempt stamp in US passport from a prior entry: Visa Class e30

FWIW, after looking at some other examples of 30 day exempt stamps, it looks like it's actually Visa Class ผ.30, as in ผ่อนผัน 30 วัน, or 30-day allowance/permission.

11 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

If your facts are correct;

1. Your saying your Mom entered on a Thai passport, but they've given her a 30 day Visa exempt stamp in her Thai passport.

So she's been allowed entry, but under the conditions of a foreigner, stamped in a Thai passport.

You can't make this stuff up!

2. The until date should be 17th September, not 17th August, which is the date she entered. She is already on overstay according to that date.

If you made a typo with that date, ok, if the IO has made an error with the date you need to visit your local Immigration office to get the date corrected.

 

 

1. No, I didn't say that at all. The only similarities between a 30 day visa exempt stamp and what my mom has is that they're both entry stamps. I don't know why you think that she got a visa exempt stamp.

Visa exempt stamp in US passport from a prior entry: Visa Class e30, Until is stamped with a date of Admitted date + 29 days (since Admitted date counts as one day)

Stamp in Thai passport from most recent entry: Visa Cass blank, Until is handwritten with what appears to be the same date as the Admitted date.

2. No, if it were a 30 day visa exempt stamp, which it isn't, the until date would be 15 September. August has 31 days, and as mentioned, the Until would be 29 days later.

A Thai national who enters Thailand on a Thai passport can't overstay. While I don't know if the IO made an error, I'm not sure if I (or my mom) particularly cares. Regardless of what's stamped in the passport, she has not violated any laws. I've attached pics of what a visa exempt stamp in her US passport looks like vs. what she got in her Thai passport yesterday.

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

And from what you stated in that topic, your Mom was allowed to enter with a 30 day Visa exempt stamp, in her Thai passport.

Amazing how some people just don't get it!

I don't see how you got that from my post... There's no such thing as a 30 day visa exempt for a Thai national. The stamp doesn't show a 30 day stay, nor does it have anything written as the "visa class". The 30 day visa exempt stamps in her US passport have something that looks like "e30” or maybe "ex30" as the visa class.

Regardless of what my mom has, as I said, I used the auto gate with no problems at all.

16 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Despite your opinion, which I do agree with, the reality is at least for a good friend, who's dual nationality son wrongly entered on a UK passport, 5 years ago, is still trying to rectify the sons Immigration status.

For the last 5 years his son has had to obtain extensions and make 90 day reports.

 

Following the advise you have given, they have tried to exit 3 times on his UK passport and re-enter on his Thai passport, twice by air, once by border crossing. Each time entry was refused on his Thai passport because there was no record of him leaving as a Thai citizen.

Entry using the automatic gates was refused, I can only assume for the same reason.

 

 

Sounds pretty strange... I posted my mother's and my experience successfully doing pretty much the same thing at 

Summary is that my mom and I both were able to enter Thailand on Thai passports that were issued while outside of the country--we had never exited Thailand with them. I had no problem using the auto gate, while my mom had to go to an immigration officer (for a reason unrelated to the blank and heretofore unused passport). While the IO did question her about the lack of exit stamp, he still let her in.

On 8/11/2017 at 0:03 PM, Tanoshi said:

The auto entry gates won't let you enter on a Thai passport, if you didn't exit on that passport.

The bio metric information doesn't match that recorded of a Thai exiting the Country.

 

There is no matching departure card, if you just complete a new arrival card portion.

The barcode on the arrival portion can't match with a record of departure on the same barcode.

 

You will be referred to an IO for entry, in the interest of national security and to confirm your ID.

I entered Thailand earlier today at BKK using the automatic gates using my very first Thai passport, obtained in the US from the Thai Embassy in Washington DC. To this day, I have never exited Thailand with any Thai passport. I'll make my first ever exit on Thai passport in a few weeks. (BTW, the auto gate was great... there was literally nobody else using them, and I got through in less than a minute). The auto gate doesn't even look at your arrival card; it wants a scan of your boarding pass.

My mom, who was born in Thailand, but had been entering/exiting Thailand on a US passport for the past 40+ years, also now has a new Thai passport from the Thai Embassy (she reported her passport from 40+ years ago as lost), did have a problem with the auto gate--when she put her passport in, it said something about not being able to read it. According to an official-looking lady who was nearby and took a look at my mom's passport, the problem with it was that it only has a birth year, but no month or day, which apparently disqualifies her from using the auto gate. I guess when she was born out in the country 70+ years ago, registering an exact date of birth wasn't a priority; all of her Thai ID docs only have a birth year with no month or day. She had to go wait in line to speak to an IO, who did question the lack of an exit stamp, but after she explained that she lost her passport while overseas and had to get a new one, she was let in (although apparently he was skeptical about the whole thing... I was already off to baggage claim while my mom was in line so I don't know exactly what he said, but I had already coached my mom on what to say if the auto gate didn't work and we had to go talk to an IO).

P.S. The entry stamp in my mom's passport says Admitted 17 AUG 2017 (stamped) and Until 17/8/2017 (handwritten date), with something reminiscent of a cursive "S" above the 2017. Is the Until date being the same as the Admitted date normal/expected for an entry stamp in a Thai passport? I seem to remember when I was getting US entry stamps in my US passport, it was just stamped with the entry date and no "Until" date. The handwritten Until date seems weird to me, but I have to assume it's fine... there's obviously no way she can be overstaying.

Thanks for the link! It looks like บัณฑิต is the only remotely common word where the ฑ is pronounced as ด--at least I've never heard of any of those other words (I had heard บัณฑิต spoken, but I didn't know it was spelled that way).

1 hour ago, jaywalker said:

Definitely worth a business class ticket at least, or just "drag the bag" (Thai wife) with you everywhere you go so you can go thru the Thai's Only lane with her.

With the lines so far out into the hallway, can you even get to the Thai lanes?

I'm heading to BKK next week and it'll be my first time using the Thai lane/automatic gates. If there's a huge queue, I'd like to avoid it if possible :)

My mom and I were watching the news and there was a mention of a 91-year-old lady graduating with a degree in มนุษยนิเวศศาสตร์. I had no idea what that was, and my mom, despite being born and university-educated in Thailand, hadn't heard of it either. It wasn't in the dictionaries I checked, but I found a page on a university's website describing their มนุษยนิเวศศาสตร์ program. I was reading the page to my mom and when I came across the word บัณฑิต, I pronounced it [M]ban[H]thit. My mom corrected me and said it was [M]ban[L]dit. I didn't believe her, but it turns out she's right :)

The "RTGS and the ThaiVisa Modification" topic here specifically mentions that word, saying "The letter ฑ tho montho appears twice, for there is a small group of words in which it pronounced like ด". Anyone know why it's pronounced that way? Is there any way to tell by looking at the word, or do you just have to remember the words where ฑ is pronounced like ด? If the latter, is there a list somewhere?

P.S. Apparently มนุษยนิเวศศาสตร์ is "human ecology". Which I still haven't heard of :) Kids and their new-fangled majors! :)

1 hour ago, Will27 said:

Which one would that be?

A major one.

2 minutes ago, Here2008 said:

Perhaps you would buy  'Attempting Illegal Entry'  --- That would earn some jail time! 

Pretty sure presenting yourself to an immigration officer at the airport or at a border crossing isn't attempting illegal entry.

2 hours ago, Cletus said:

Sorry I don't agree with you. He has to wait 2 yr before trying to re-enter the Kingdom. After those 2 yr he may be allowed in as he may be not. This is what the stamp says.

 

Can you post what the stamp says in Thai? A lot of it is very hard for me to read, since it's so faint.