As I frequently have to apply for visa from different countries I got legally issued 2 passports from my home country. Now I plan another journey to Thailand. I plan to go there  for only 2 days. After this I have to go to Indonesia for a week and then got back to Thailand for 2 and a half month on a Single entry visum. 

I applied for a SEV that is already in one passport. My question is wether it is legal to use the passport without visum for the short entry and switch to the passport with visum for the second longer entry.

I see no reason you could not do it.

If immigration notices you have used different passports in a short period of time for entry they might question you about.

As long as the exit, passport flip and re-entry is done using Thai immigration at an airport, this is allowed. It is not possible to flip the passports at Thai immigration on a land border as they apparently need to see the exit stamp from the bordering country's immigration.

 

AFAIK, the Thai entry needs to be done on the same passport that just exited the bordering country. Regarding flipping the passport just after leaving Thailand and before entering the bordering country, AFAIK the foreign immigration officers are also looking for the Thai departure stamp, same as their Thai counterparts look for theirs.

I'd say OK. If questioned you simply explain why. 

Thai Immigration doesn't recognize 2 passport for samer person. In Germany we can have also 2 passports but in Thailand they don't get it.... I had to unvalidate my first passport which was full with stamps before they accepted the second passport.

So if they get to know you have 2 passport you can get into trouble.

 

Thai Immigration doesn't recognize 2 passport for samer person. In Germany we can have also 2 passports but in Thailand they don't get it.... I had to unvalidate my first passport which was full with stamps before they accepted the second passport.
So if they get to know you have 2 passport you can get into trouble.
 

I’ve left with passport #1 and returned with passport #2, they are aware of holding 2 valid passports but it’s not a problem.

This has been noted on more than one occasion, never an issue.


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9 minutes ago, StefanThailand said:

Thai Immigration doesn't recognize 2 passport for samer person. In Germany we can have also 2 passports but in Thailand they don't get it.... I had to unvalidate my first passport which was full with stamps before they accepted the second passport.

So if they get to know you have 2 passport you can get into trouble.

 

Not sure this is true.  I carry 2 US passports and in the past have routinely flipped and used them both coming in (just be sure to use the same going out, obviously).  Never been questioned in years doing this.

They might be more professional at the airport immigration. But not at the Gouvernment complex at Chaeng Wattana.

20 minutes ago, StefanThailand said:

Thai Immigration doesn't recognize 2 passport for samer person. In Germany we can have also 2 passports but in Thailand they don't get it.... I had to unvalidate my first passport which was full with stamps before they accepted the second passport.

So if they get to know you have 2 passport you can get into trouble.

 

I think that happened at an immigration office when you were trying to have your stamps transferred from one passport to the other. They will not do it unless one of the two passport has been canceled.

On entry to the country it would never happen unless you were trying to use both passports on entry to use a visa in one passport and be stamped in on the other one. In that case one of the 2 passports would have to be invalid.

24 minutes ago, StefanThailand said:

Thai Immigration doesn't recognize 2 passport for samer person. In Germany we can have also 2 passports but in Thailand they don't get it.... I had to unvalidate my first passport which was full with stamps before they accepted the second passport.

So if they get to know you have 2 passport you can get into trouble.

Was your problem on entry, or was it when you went to your local immigration to apply for an extension? I could imagine things getting messy if there were valid stamps in both the old and new passports from the same immigration office.

 

I have heard of many people successfully flipping passports when arriving by air.

I used two British passports for years and never had a problem.

As long as you are travelling by plane, you can swap passport after everytime you come back to Thailand.
It doesn't work with land border as they want to see the exit stamp from the cou try you are arriving.

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3 hours ago, StefanThailand said:

Thai Immigration doesn't recognize 2 passport for samer person. In Germany we can have also 2 passports but in Thailand they don't get it.... I had to unvalidate my first passport which was full with stamps before they accepted the second passport.

So if they get to know you have 2 passport you can get into trouble.

 

This is not right. If the immigration give your name into their computer they find you with all passports you used. 

 

 

Have had 2no valid UK passports for a number of years and can confirm, as others have stated, that no problem using either passport with entry by air.

 

Can also confirm that land borders do not allow such switching.

 

Had personal experience of this back in the early 90's at Sungai Golok. When I presented my underused 2nd passport (having used my 1st passport to exit Malaysia, where I was working) the IO took a bit of time to look through all the pages then asked me where I had come from. Since the only answer was over the bridge from Rantau Panjang, he then asked me to show him the exit stamp. Oh dear, thought I was in for a bit of bother as I sheepishly extracted my 1st passport from my bag and showed him the exit stamp. No problem though as I just needed to fill in a new form and I was good to go. Didn't try that again........... 

I also have 2 Passports for work due to constantly needing visas.

If your coming to Thailand for only a couple of days I would use the PP with no visa and come in Visa Exempt.

When re entering for the long stay then use your PP with the visa.

I always leave from work on one PP and enter with the PP with my visa. Never been questioned.

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