British family stranded in Thailand over son’s passport issues

[kjun12]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I

that said, I’m not sure he needed to overstay, he could have applied for an extension, or made a quick border run. He now risks being locked up for overstay unless he has special permission to remain.

 

 

I don't think that you understand that he has a Thai passport.  Not a passport from Britian.

[asiaexpat]

Oh my, we just ignored the expiration date on the son's Thai passport and now we must pay the price. How unfortunate, but it only take a few days to get a new Thai passport and accommodation while waiting is not expensive. Just another Brit crying again because he failed to take proper care before traveling. Not news, just whining.

[phetpeter]

Strange I am sure that if he had a Thai ID card he wouldn't have to show a Thai passport to enter the country. and using his Thai passport he would not have any stamp placed in his Thai passport. If it had expired he would only have to wait 24hrs for a new passport. If he had no ID why didn't the family get him one while he on holiday. on a quite day he could have that within a couple of hours!

[Ron19]

There appears to be some confusion about the boys passport.

Please go back and read the opening post in particular the link 

included.

This clearly states that the boy has a British and Thai passport.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/family-stranded-in-thailand-over-son-s-passport-issues-1-4777948

[Incobart]

I always ask myself, why we still work with a system that is maybe 100 years old. In these days can it not be simpler, that the passport company have an electronic immigration platform, and everyone has a 'Travel card' (maybe connect to your bank account).

you want to go to a country, you fill in the application, together with your card number. You get  a response  if you are allowed to stay or not and for how long.  ( and maybe deduct the fee if visa needed)

You arrive in the airport, put your card in the port, let your fingers and face scan so they know it is you, and you walk through.  you arrive in a hotel, they put your card in the reader, so your card file is updated what countries you have been and where you stay.

 

"let you make a paper book, pay for it, let it expire after 5 years,  wait with that book in a row for 20 min, when every computer can see immediately if you are allowed or not, for asking a visa first have to travel hundreds of km to an embassy waiting 2 days, waiting embassy, getting a stamp or a sticker.... JUST FOR A HOLIDAY OR OTHER REASON VISIT ..  it could be a lot simpler, cheaper, not frustrating people, an confront them with mostly unfriendly situations ..

Edited August 4, 2018 by Incobart

[overherebc]

6 minutes ago, Incobart said:

I always ask myself, why we still work with a system that is maybe 100 years old. In these days can it not be simpler, that the passport company have an electronic immigration platform, and everyone has a 'Travel card' (maybe connect to your bank account).

you want to go to a country, you fill in the application, together with your card number. You get  a response  if you are allowed to stay or not and for how long.  ( and maybe deduct the fee if visa needed)

You arrive in the airport, put your card in the port, let your fingers and face scan so they know it is you, and you walk true.  you arrive in a hotel, they put your card in the reader, so your card file is updated what countries you have been and where you stay.

 

"let you make a paper book, pay for it, let it expire after 5 years,  wait with that book in a row for 20 min, when every computer can see immediately if you are allowed or not, for asking a visa first have to travel hundreds of km to an embassy waiting 2 days, waiting embassy, getting a stamp or a sticker.... JUST FOR A HOLIDAY OR OTHER REASON VISIT ..  it could be a lot simpler, cheaper, not frustrating people, an confront them with mostly unfriendly situations ..

Easier still, tattoo a bar code on everyones forehead.

[meechai]

Since they were only staying a few weeks they should have all entered on their British passports

Accepted the 1 month free visa & be done with it.

 

Only time visiting Thai citizens with dual citizenship should use their Thai passport to enter & exit is when their

stay exceeds that free 30 day visa

 

Edited August 4, 2018 by meechai

[ginjag]

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Would the UK or any other country let you depart on an expered passport? 

 

 

 

The UK yes these days, multiculturalism.   Human rights,  the racist card, come in --do you want a house---benefit, NHS....welcome.     try to integrate but its ok if you don't.

 

[bristolgeoff]

if they knew,they could have renewed when there pretty easy.hoping to leave without thais checking not going to happen

[naboo]

So much misinformation in this thread.

 

Leaving the UK, you do not travel through immigration, so there is no immigration officer to inform you of anything. The airline checks you have a passport and any required visa to enter the country you are travelling to as they don't want to have to fly you back again. The boy may have shown his British passport, valid for a 30 day stay, of Thai passport, valid for entry. There is no reason for the airline to inform the family of any issues.

 

Entering Thailand as a Thai passport holder can be done with an expired passport. As the boy was entering with a still valid Thai passport, there is nothing for immigration to note.

 

The headline of the article is typical rag paper clickbait. British passport holder rejected... The boy was in Thailand on a Thai passport as a Thai citizen. Anyone with dual nationality or with kids with dual nationality should know that you leave a country with the passport you entered on. You can't switch.

 

This is entirely the family's fault.

 

If it had been the other end, in the UK, with the boy having entered the UK on a British passport which expired before he departed, showing a Thai passport to the airline, he would have been able to depart. I think it may be possible to continuously depart and re-enter the UK with an expired UK passport and valid Thai passport in this way as you can re-enter the UK with an expired passport, though I suspect you might get flagged and questioned at some point.

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

I doubt it was immigration who stopped them. I would imagine that no airline would take them back to the UK with an expired passport! Keep up!

More to it than that really. The kid has two passports.

Yes if going on holiday you turn up at the airport in UK with your one and only UK passport that's expired you won't get on the plane, because A. the passport has expired. B. the airline would be responsible for flying you home.

If you are Thai and in UK with an expired Thai passport you will after convincing a Senior Official be allowed to fly 'home' to Thailand as you cannot be refused entry to your own country.

You won't be allowed to leave Thailand until you get a new Thai passport.

[naboo]

15 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

I doubt it was immigration who stopped them. I would imagine that no airline would take them back to the UK with an expired passport! Keep up!

 

The airline would see a British passport valid for entry to the UK, expired or not. It was the boy's Thai passport that had expired, which immigration would see when departing Thailand.

[Neeranam]

Foolish parents. First for not knowing the rules, secondly for not realizing a quick payment was being looked for.

Also the boy can't be fined overstay like it says.

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, naboo said:

 

The airline would see a British passport valid for entry to the UK, expired or not. It was the boy's Thai passport that had expired, which immigration would see when departing Thailand.

A Thai citizen can enter Thailand with an ID card alone.

A UK citizen can enter the UK  with an expired passport.

[Darkside Gray]

Idiots!

[naboo]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Foolish parents. First for not knowing the rules, secondly for not realizing a quick payment was being looked for.

Also the boy can't be fined overstay like it says.

The boy wasn't find for overstay, his father was.

[janclaes47]

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

That said, I’m not sure he needed to overstay, he could have applied for an extension, or made a quick border run.

How would a Thai passport holder, who entered on his Thai passport ever be on overstay or need an extension?

 

Edit : I notice you have the father in mind, but that wasn't clear from your post.

Edited August 4, 2018 by janclaes47

[appleman]

Happened to my son. You know what he did? Left the airport. Went to the passport office, renewed his passport, got it in 2 days, then he went home. He had a US passport but always enters Thailand on his Thai passport. That is the one you must also exit with. We were at fault. The Immigration official did his job and did it correctly. We took the blame, and the embarrassment. These people should do the same. 

 

Shame on those dissing the Thais and the Immigration officials and thinking they were looking for a bribe. They did the job that is required of them.

Edited August 4, 2018 by appleman

[poohy]

Yes family s fault but you can imagine how p***ed off they must be, and Papers got to write a headline to sell

That aside

 

I dont have dual nationality but i must admit if i had a British passport that was valid and was returning to UK  and exiting on a expired Thai one  i honestly doubt i would give it much thought either!

 

I am sure the self righteous will flame but in the real world..... 

[ThailandLOS]

Another sob story of someone not even sharp enough to check the validity of their child's passport and then having the chutzpa of bringing it to the media.

 

My sympathy goes to the kid.

[bbz404]

18 hours ago, mahjongguy said:

Check the calendar and you will see that this disaster at the airport happened on the first day of the 4-day weekend. So it was July 31 at the earliest that they could go to the Thai passport office and learn that they would not renew the passport without a Thai ID. I believe that rule applies to everyone, and it especially makes sense for a passport first issued overseas.  

it doesn't apply to everyone to have a Thai ID to be issued a Thai passport. Thai IDs can only be made for persons over 7 years of age. When we requested the Thai passport for my daughter, she was just 2 weeks old. Birth certificate was enough. For all people over 7 years though, you're correct.

[peperobi]

Burocratie is in all the world always the biggest obstacle. They are on the way back home so let them go and find out what officer don't see it when they arrive.

[Howard]

He presumably came in on his Thai passport and as it has expired possibly trying to leave on his Brit passport. There lies the problem: no record of an entry for that Brit and his Thai passport has expired. Personal problem...

[Cranky]

As much as I love bashing Thais as it is, more often than not, perfectly justifiable, in this case it is great to see some moron travelling with an expired passport bleating to the media that somehow it is not his fault.  Much like the sign "Drinking on an empty wallet is a danger to your health".

[digger70]

Self inflicted stupid problem,,,, Too lazy to check all the papers /documents one need Well before one has to Travel,,,,

[BigC]

That’s obvious, parents fault. If he came in on a thai passport and it’s expired then how can he leave on a UK passport as he would have no visa coming into Thailand 

[bristolgeoff]

read the newspaper article,it seems they left on a uk passport,he enters on a thai passport.you can not leave on a expired passport in thailand.should have renewed when in thailand.ok to enter the uk with a uk passport no problem.no country would let you leave on a expired passport.should have checked now they have problems

[lord john]

When travelling internationally it pays to check your passport especially when Thailand (where the rules can change in a nano-second) is on your itinery. 

[sawadee1947]

Stupid Scot. Now he pays for it. 

[flyingtlger]

Not a bad place to be stranded.....