Spowser

Mmmm, that's bad news.

I called the consul today, and she was advised to apply for an O non-immigrant visa.

that's good news.

Thanks all!

US citizens are required to enter and leave the US on US passports. Not a new requirement. Note that the US does not have exit immigration, exiting consists of showing passport to airline check-in counter.

Does your wife have a valid Thai passport? If not suggest she contact nearest Thai Consulate and get one, should be in same name on US passport, makes things much simpler. She will enter Thailand on the Thai passport, and have no limitation on how long she can stay.

While you are there, you can get a one year multi entry Non-Immigrant type "O" visa, which will allow you stay in Thailand for 90 days. You will need to have your marriage certificate and your wife's Thai ID card (or passport I believe).

TH

Thanks for the reply.

Both her passports are current. Name is slightly different on her US passport-her name hyphenated to my last name.

If she re-enters US without any stamps or visas from another country, isn't that too weird for US customs? I wonder if they'll stamp her US passport but admit her on her Thai passport.

It's been 3 years since my wife's been back to Thailand. She's naturalized as an American citizen now but kept Thai identity too.

She'll be going back soon and because of the Homeland Security bs she thinks she should leave and re-enter the US on her brand new American passport. In Thailand, will she be given the standard 30 day visa, or will they recognize her Thai citizenship and giver her the proper visa to allow her to stay as long as she wants?

As her spouse, can I get more than a 30 day visa as well? We still have primary residence in the US but in coming years hope to stay half the year in each country.

Thanks for reading this, and especially for any solid info

It reminds me of the Pattaya hotel fire of a few years ago; the fire exits were discovered to have been padlocked to prevent runners on the bills. (Anyone know if victims' families were compensated and how the hotel owners fared after that? And is it now enforced, that emergency exits always be open?)

Safety awareness and training does not seem to be a high priority for Thai facility managers.