Can I switch passports flying into Thailand?

[oldskoolbeatz]

Hello everyone,  I have an Australian passport and a Chilean passport.  I am currently in Vietnam using my Australian passport, but I want to fly to Thailand soon and use my Chilean passport. Not the Australian one.  Can I fly out of Vietam with my Australian passport and fly into Thailand with my Chilean passort? This will allow me to have 90 days stay in Thailand without needing to apply for a visa. Will this cause any hassles?  Thanks to all who can help. 

[ubonjoe]

No problem to swap passport by air. Leave Vietnam on your Australian passport and enter Thailand on your other passport.

[elviajero]

Yes you can. Shouldn’t be a problem as long as you book your flight to Thailand using the Chilean passport.

[Mattd]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

Yes you can. Shouldn’t be a problem as long as you book your flight to Thailand using the Chilean passport.

I don't think that would matter so long as his Christian and Surname are the same in both passports, as he would most likely need to show both passports to the check in staff in Vietnam, otherwise he may get hassle for having no flight out of Thailand within 30 days and the check in staff may want to see the Aussie passport due to being the valid one in Vietnam.

Otherwise no issues at all, my children do this swap of passports often.

[Nong Khai Man]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No problem to swap passport by air. Leave Vietnam on your Australian passport and enter Thailand on your other passport.

But He Wouldn't have A Vietnam Exit stamp in his Chilean Passport, Would He ??

[elviajero]

6 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

But He Wouldn't have A Vietnam Exit stamp in his Chilean Passport, Would He ??

He would have to use the Australian passport to exit Vietnam and the swap before entering Thailand.

[Mattd]

14 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

But He Wouldn't have A Vietnam Exit stamp in his Chilean Passport, Would He ??

Not needed to enter Thailand by air, this is only required if entering via a land border.

[The Deerhunter]

16 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

But He Wouldn't have A Vietnam Exit stamp in his Chilean Passport, Would He ??

He wouldn't need one.  The issue is to arrive and leave on the same passport in each place.  Just have both passports available if someone asks.  Dual citizenship is hardly unusual these days so they must be used to it.  The comment re booking the airfare on one and showing another is an interesting one.  Surely logic of same name, birthday and photo/biometrics of same person in both passports would be fine with a properly trained Immigration employee.  AND thereby hangeth the possible problem!!!!

[Jingjock]

I tried that at London Heathrow a few years back, left NZ on a NZ passport, entered UK on a british passport and got arrested. They could not see a departure stamp from where I was from, hours later after being checked I was released. They told me never switch passports during travel.

[mike324]

I do it all the time flying all over the world, it has never been a problem for me, as long as you enter and exit using the same passport, there is no issues. The only small hiccups I have is at the ticketing desk, some staff do not know how to key in information for two passports.

[Mattd]

30 minutes ago, Jingjock said:

I tried that at London Heathrow a few years back, left NZ on a NZ passport, entered UK on a british passport and got arrested. They could not see a departure stamp from where I was from, hours later after being checked I was released. They told me never switch passports during travel.

You were arrested entering the UK using a valid UK passport?

I have entered the UK loads of times and never once been even asked about a departure stamp from another country, a lot of countries, including the UK do not stamp the passport on departure.

[RasiMike]

The e-passport issued by many countries now means exit entry stamps are fast being phased out. On a recent trip out of Thailand my wife was questioned by check in staff, about not having entrance/exit stamps from countries we'd visited...even the professionals in the game are unsure.

[Megasin1]

I believe the correct procedure is to enter with the passport that you booked the flight. The visas are not important to the airline only the immigration. For example my daughter books her flight to UK using her British passport and exits Thai immigration on her Thai passport but enters UK immigration on her British passport. This works for passport 'home' countries but I don't know about arriving from a non-home country. As the Thai immigration don't know what they are doing you would probably be fine producing your Chillean passport. Is the 90 days Chillean allowance some bonus for the thriving Thai drugs trade ?

[Mattd]

18 minutes ago, Megasin1 said:

I believe the correct procedure is to enter with the passport that you booked the flight. The visas are not important to the airline only the immigration. For example my daughter books her flight to UK using her British passport and exits Thai immigration on her Thai passport but enters UK immigration on her British passport.

As I stated in an earlier post, it would, or at least should, make no difference which passport is used, so long as the name is the same in both passports, which is very important for the flight booking / boarding pass.

For the example you gave for instance, when your daughter checks in for the UK flight here in Thailand, then almost certainly the check in staff would want to see both passports, if she produced only the British passport, then there would be no record of her entering Thailand, so to show this part, she would need to produce her Thai passport. 

If she produced only her Thai passport at check in, then the staff would reject her boarding, due to no UK visa, so she would have to produce her UK passport to show she has the right to enter the UK.

When presenting her passport to Thai immigration, then she should show her Thai passport only, Thai immigration would not check or particularly care if she had a valid UK visa, it is not their concern.

A valid visa for the country the flight(s) will terminate is very important to the airlines if it is applicable, they become responsible to repatriate the passenger if they do not carry out the necessary due diligence that the passenger can legally enter the country they are flying to.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Mattd

[Belzybob]

1 hour ago, Jingjock said:

I tried that at London Heathrow a few years back, left NZ on a NZ passport, entered UK on a british passport and got arrested. They could not see a departure stamp from where I was from, hours later after being checked I was released. They told me never switch passports during travel.

Somebody is talking BS in this story.

[Top man]

Sorry guys but I'm getting confused, I have 2 passports and I go to the Thai embassy in London, 3 times a year i do this, then I get my 60 day visa put in my passport so really is can only use 1 passport, how does people use 2 passports? 

[Mattd]

4 minutes ago, Top man said:

Sorry guys but I'm getting confused, I have 2 passports and I go to the Thai embassy in London, 3 times a year i do this, then I get my 60 day visa put in my passport so really is can only use 1 passport, how does people use 2 passports? 

If you are getting visas for a country, then of course you would have to use the passport that you have the visa in, however, if you were going from say Singapore to Thailand and going to enter Thailand on a visa exempt entry, then you could leave Singapore on one passport and enter Thailand on the other.

I held 2 British passports for years due to working offshore and used this method a lot, in this thread it is more about using two passports issued by different countries (dual nationality).

[Nong Khai Man]

I have entered the UK loads of times and never once been even asked about a departure stamp from another country,....

 

Then WHY Do the U.K Immigration Staff CHECK You're Passport so CLOSELY ???

[Mattd]

6 minutes ago, Nong Khai Man said:

I have entered the UK loads of times and never once been even asked about a departure stamp from another country,....

 

Then WHY Do the U.K Immigration Staff CHECK You're Passport so CLOSELY ???

In my experience they rarely do check it so closely, nowadays entry is frequently by e-gate.

Even if being checked by a person, they usually just quickly flick through mine and hand it back after scanning it.

Years ago it was rare they even bothered taking it out of your hand as you walked through.

If you are British then unless they have a reason to, I'm not really sure why they would be interested in a departure stamp or where you came from, after all they cannot deny you entry if you have the right of abode.

Where you came from is of more interest to customs...........

[Nong Khai Man]

3 minutes ago, Mattd said:

In my experience they rarely do check it so closely, nowadays entry is frequently by e-gate.

Even if being checked by a person, they usually just quickly flick through mine and hand it back after scanning it.

Years ago it was rare they even bothered taking it out of your hand as you walked through.

If you are British then unless they have a reason to, I'm not really sure why they would be interested in a departure stamp or where you came from, after all they cannot deny you entry if you have the right of abode.

Where you came from is of more interest to customs...........

The Last Time I Arrived into LHR,The IO Had a Really Good root through ALL My stamps......Then even asked me where I'd JUST Come from,I  surprised him when I Replied MUSCAT,He then said but you've got NO Exit stamp from there.?? I Then had to " Come Clean " & Tell him I Came through there only in transit from BKK....Then He Let me Proceed.....

[Mattd]

1 minute ago, Nong Khai Man said:

The Last Time I Arrived into LHR,The IO Had a Really Good root through ALL My stamps......Then even asked me where I'd JUST Come from,I  surprised him when I Replied MUSCAT,He then said but you've got NO Exit stamp from there.?? I Then had to " Come Clean " & Tell him I Came through there only in transit from BKK....Then He Let me Proceed.....

A rare thing, he could not have refused you entry regardless, delay yes, refuse not a chance.

Given the API systems in use, then he most likely knew where you came from and was just testing you!

[Nong Khai Man]

3 minutes ago, Mattd said:

A rare thing, he could not have refused you entry regardless, delay yes, refuse not a chance.

Given the API systems in use, then he most likely knew where you came from and was just testing you!

Yeah !! Just Testing me,I Reckon it was the Passport Photo & The Deepness of my Suntan......

[mikeymike100]

3 hours ago, Jingjock said:

I tried that at London Heathrow a few years back, left NZ on a NZ passport, entered UK on a british passport and got arrested. They could not see a departure stamp from where I was from, hours later after being checked I was released. They told me never switch passports during travel.

You are talking excrement. If you arrive in the UK with a British Passport, immigration do not care where you are from. Now customs is a different story, the can ask where have come from, especially if they are suspicious you are carrying something illegal.

[mikosan]

4 hours ago, Jingjock said:

I tried that at London Heathrow a few years back, left NZ on a NZ passport, entered UK on a british passport and got arrested. They could not see a departure stamp from where I was from, hours later after being checked I was released. They told me never switch passports during travel.

I have done similar many times, never had a problem and never heard of anyone else having a problem, apart from you.  maybe they had some other reason for arresting you?

[ericthai]

13 hours ago, Jingjock said:

I tried that at London Heathrow a few years back, left NZ on a NZ passport, entered UK on a british passport and got arrested. They could not see a departure stamp from where I was from, hours later after being checked I was released. They told me never switch passports during travel.

Must have been something more, or a mix up. 

If arriving by air they know you didn't sneak on the plane and had to have left the departure country legally. If you leave the USA there is no departure stamp so then what??

[QPRFC]

I am knowledgeable on this topic, I designed the systems in use in UK and Australia.
As long as you enter the destination county using the passport you checked in with them all ok. Checks on the person commence once checked in for the flight and the destination country is expecting you....upon arrival you are already flagged as a POI and Border Control (whether e-gate or Officer) already know if you will be pulled to one side.
So, you should always leave a country on the passport you entered (show at Border Control).
Check-in using the passport you wish to enter your next country. Then only use it next when you arrive at your destination.

Sent from my G8232 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[mikeymike100]

22 hours ago, Mattd said:

A rare thing, he could not have refused you entry regardless, delay yes, refuse not a chance.

Given the API systems in use, then he most likely knew where you came from and was just testing you!

 

12 hours ago, ericthai said:

Must have been something more, or a mix up. 

If arriving by air they know you didn't sneak on the plane and had to have left the departure country legally. If you leave the USA there is no departure stamp so then what??

If you arrive in the UK and you have a UK passport, immigration cannot refuse entry!

[QPRFC]

If you arrive in the UK and you have a UK passport, immigration cannot refuse entry!

That's very true.
They can hold you whilst checking is carried out, but they cannot send you away.

Sent from my G8232 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Megasin1]

On ‎08‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 3:59 AM, Mattd said:

As I stated in an earlier post, it would, or at least should, make no difference which passport is used, so long as the name is the same in both passports, which is very important for the flight booking / boarding pass.

For the example you gave for instance, when your daughter checks in for the UK flight here in Thailand, then almost certainly the check in staff would want to see both passports, if she produced only the British passport, then there would be no record of her entering Thailand, so to show this part, she would need to produce her Thai passport. 

If she produced only her Thai passport at check in, then the staff would reject her boarding, due to no UK visa, so she would have to produce her UK passport to show she has the right to enter the UK.

When presenting her passport to Thai immigration, then she should show her Thai passport only, Thai immigration would not check or particularly care if she had a valid UK visa, it is not their concern.

A valid visa for the country the flight(s) will terminate is very important to the airlines if it is applicable, they become responsible to repatriate the passenger if they do not carry out the necessary due diligence that the passenger can legally enter the country they are flying to.

nope...she checks in with her UK passport (the flight out is booked with her UK passport details) and they do not even look for a visa, at the Thai immigration she presents her Thai passport to exit and on landing in UK she goes through the face scanner using her British passport, immigration in any country are only interested that you have a right to enter or exit their country, not in where you have been. From Heathrow it doesn't really matter, as they don't exit check you any more, however we apply the reverse process unless she is going for a short stay (to Thailand) when she just goes as a British tourist. This saves worrying about issues surrounding travelling with permission documents from her mother. The important thing I was told is that your flight booking matches your passport and issues can arise if it doesn't.

[Megasin1]

For an earlier poster, yes you can obtain and have 2 British passports, the procedure is fairly simple and I assisted a friend to obtain a second passport as he travels in and out of Thailand a lot and they started to get twitchy, so he now alternates his passports. You can obtain 2 British passports by looking on-line for the procedure and form and you will just need a letter from a registered company that says you are a frequent business traveller.