Thai getting US citizenship then returning to LOS

[jaideeguy]

Mods, please feel free to move this post to the most appropriate forum.............

 

Boy goes to college in US and gets student deferment from draft, then graduates or gets employment and US citizenship and returns to LOS with US passport..............Does he get in any trouble for dodging draft? or are there any other bad ramifications?  Or, is he treated as a US tourist with all the limits of a tourist?  Should he let the Thai passport expire or keep it renewed?

Thanks in advance for any info, either official or first hand experience.

[oceanbreeze851]

When he gets to Thailand, use his Thai passport to enter Thailand. When he leaves Thailand, use his USA passport. We went through the draft process and ended paying $2000 tea money to get him disqualified for the draft. 

[jaideeguy]

2,000 thb is a small price to pay to stay out of the Thai army. And I thought that you had to enter and exit LOS with the same passport?

[GinBoy2]

So my son had the same thing when he went to college in the US.

 

Now he has no plans to ever return to Thailand, but he exited on his Thai passport, but if he ever returns it would be on his US passport as a visa exempt tourist.

 

As a US citizen, and entering Thailand as such, I can't believe there would be a problem with the draft, if and that's a big if, they could even tell!

[jaideeguy]

so, what would be the worst case scenario IF the immigration folks do find out?

5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

So my son had the same thing when he went to college in the US.

 

Now he has no plans to ever return to Thailand, but he exited on his Thai passport, but if he ever returns it would be on his US passport as a visa exempt tourist.

 

As a US citizen, and entering Thailand as such, I can't believe there would be a problem with the draft, if and that's a big if, they could even tell!

 

[Pib]

Which passport a dual citizen (Thai-American in this case) uses to enter/exit a country and military service are two different issues.   Basically the person now has citizenship in two countries and their laws still apply until he renounces the citizenship of one country with that country. 

 

For a Thai-US citizen they should enter and exit Thailand using their Thai passport at the Thai immigration checkpoint and use their US passport at the US immigration checkpoint.   However, at airlines check-in you may need to show the airlines both passports to prove you are allowed to enter the country you are traveling to.  My dual Thai-US wife has been doing this for year.   Don't confuse airline check-in with immigration checkpoint.

 

Using your US passport to enter Thailand will just cause a person to require the necessary visa/extension of stay to remain in the country as a US person; it does not absolve a person also having Thai citizenship from the Thai draft.   Dual citizenship has its perks but also its drawbacks with two countries tugging on you.

[GinBoy2]

16 hours ago, Pib said:

Which passport a dual citizen (Thai-American in this case) uses to enter/exit a country and military service are two different issues.   Basically the person now has citizenship in two countries and their laws still apply until he renounces the citizenship of one country with that country. 

 

For a Thai-US citizen they should enter and exit Thailand using their Thai passport at the Thai immigration checkpoint and use their US passport at the US immigration checkpoint.   However, at airlines check-in you may need to show the airlines both passports to prove you are allowed to enter the country you are traveling to.  My dual Thai-US wife has been doing this for year.   Don't confuse airline check-in with immigration checkpoint.

 

Using your US passport to enter Thailand will just cause a person to require the necessary visa/extension of stay to remain in the country as a US person; it does not absolve a person also having Thai citizenship from the Thai draft.   Dual citizenship has its perks but also its drawbacks with two countries tugging on you.

It sorta depends on the situation

 

If your son is returning to live, then it has to be on his Thai passport, and then there is no way to avoid the draft.

 

But if it's just for a visit, only use his US passport and enter a tourist. Then I just can't see a problem.