My wife, who is a Thai National with a UK passport and myself now live here in Thailand. We will holiday in other countries and I guess, to prevent having to get a visa each time, she will exit on her UK passport.

I recall reading some months ago that this is ‘frowned on’ by Thai Immigration and can lead to some discussion.

Please views and advice.

Yes I know passport has two s'is..finger trouble....

Edited March 12, 200719 yr by John45

She exits on Thai passport, enters other countries on UK passport. When coming back, enters on Thai passport. You will probably have to show both to airline check in, but not any immigration.

TH

She will need to leave on which ever passport she entered on. I presume she entered on her Thai passport so thus she will exit immigration on that same passport. Obviously when you arrive elswhere she will enter that counntry on her UK passport.

If she leaves on a UK passport and has no entry stamp she will be in deep sh1t.

She will need to leave on which ever passport she entered on. I presume she entered on her Thai passport so thus she will exit immigration on that same passport. Obviously when you arrive elswhere she will enter that counntry on her UK passport.

I have never taken much notice at immigration exit in Thailand..so they dont check your boarding passes against the visa in your passpoprt then..if thats the case then no problem.

She normally manages to get me through the 'Thai national' immigration booth..much quicker..if the see say a NZ stamp in my passport they will not query hers?

Thanks for info

You are probably worried that if she doesn't have an exit stamp in her British passport, she'll somehow be forced to use her Thai passport for the rest of her trip. Let me assure you (as a dual national) this is not true.

If your wife is in Thailand on her Thai passport, then when departing, she needs to depart on this. If she attempts to use her British passport on departure, immigration will wonder 1) how she entered Thailand, and 2) will probably refuse to let her out on it as she doesn't have a corresponding entry stamp to go with it.

The British passport can be used (eg heading to the EU, US, Australia etc) upon entry into (and exit out of) those countries.

the key thing to remember is that it is the airline who needs to be assured that your wife has the right to enter the destination country. Showing the British passport at check in will assure them of that.

So, what you need to do is:

In thailand, at check in:

Show both Thai and British PP's. Thai passport tells the airline that your wife needs a departure card, the British pasport tells them your wife can enter the destination country without the need of a visa (eg, when you head back to Europe). The airline will then issue the boarding pass.

At Thai immigration on departure: Show the Thai passport, filled in departure card, and boarding pass. Thai immigration will stamp your wife out, and then staple into the Thai passport the corresponding 'half' of the departure card into the passport, which will be the arrivals card she must use when returning to Thailand.

At destination country: If it is beneficial to use the British PP, then enter that country on the Brit PP. For some countries in Asia (eg Vietnam, Laos) Thai's don't need visas, so it is better to use the Thai one.

Upon departing that country, use whatever passport you entered in on.

Returning to Thailand: Fill in the arrivals card that is already stapled into the Thai passport. And get stamped in.

In this day and age, no one follows stamp trails anymore, so there won't be a "where have you been" routine at immigration. My Thai pasport is chock full of entry and exit stamps from Thailand, but not much else as I use my other (Australian) passport to go most places, especially the west. And I travel OFTEN.

You are probably worried that if she doesn't have an exit stamp in her British passport, she'll somehow be forced to use her Thai passport for the rest of her trip. Let me assure you (as a dual national) this is not true.

If your wife is in Thailand on her Thai passport, then when departing, she needs to depart on this. If she attempts to use her British passport on departure, immigration will wonder 1) how she entered Thailand, and 2) will probably refuse to let her out on it as she doesn't have a corresponding entry stamp to go with it.

The British passport can be used (eg heading to the EU, US, Australia etc) upon entry into (and exit out of) those countries.

the key thing to remember is that it is the airline who needs to be assured that your wife has the right to enter the destination country. Showing the British passport at check in will assure them of that.

So, what you need to do is:

In thailand, at check in:

Show both Thai and British PP's. Thai passport tells the airline that your wife needs a departure card, the British pasport tells them your wife can enter the destination country without the need of a visa (eg, when you head back to Europe). The airline will then issue the boarding pass.

At Thai immigration on departure: Show the Thai passport, filled in departure card, and boarding pass. Thai immigration will stamp your wife out, and then staple into the Thai passport the corresponding 'half' of the departure card into the passport, which will be the arrivals card she must use when returning to Thailand.

At destination country: If it is beneficial to use the British PP, then enter that country on the Brit PP. For some countries in Asia (eg Vietnam, Laos) Thai's don't need visas, so it is better to use the Thai one.

Upon departing that country, use whatever passport you entered in on.

Returning to Thailand: Fill in the arrivals card that is already stapled into the Thai passport. And get stamped in.

In this day and age, no one follows stamp trails anymore, so there won't be a "where have you been" routine at immigration. My Thai pasport is chock full of entry and exit stamps from Thailand, but not much else as I use my other (Australian) passport to go most places, especially the west. And I travel OFTEN.

Yes that was my concern..thanks

I recall reading some months ago that this is ‘frowned on’ by Thai Immigration and can lead to some discussion.

Nothing to add except to say that your wife is legally entitled to have two passports and dual nationality. If asked at any time and it becomes necessary to show both passports then she can do it without fear or being 'frowned on'

I recall reading some months ago that this is 'frowned on' by Thai Immigration and can lead to some discussion.

Nothing to add except to say that your wife is legally entitled to have two passports and dual nationality. If asked at any time and it becomes necessary to show both passports then she can do it without fear or being 'frowned on'

you can switch in the uk or in thailand and provide a reason, most are valid

I recall reading some months ago that this is 'frowned on' by Thai Immigration and can lead to some discussion.

Nothing to add except to say that your wife is legally entitled to have two passports and dual nationality. If asked at any time and it becomes necessary to show both passports then she can do it without fear or being 'frowned on'

you can switch in the uk or in thailand and provide a reason, most are valid

Thanks again..is there any printed information that I can download and print out and keep for a rainy day', just incase some enthuastic immigration officer get difficult...like Thailand agreement on duel nationality

Thailand does not accept dual nationality by law so you will not find written information to help. They just do not have any law preventing it. If you have a problem you work your way up the chain of command - normally the next higher level will understand as without a law preventing something police have no authority to act.

If you have a problem you work your way up the chain of command - normally the next higher level will understand as without a law preventing something police have no authority to act.

Lop is correct.

While it is common place for people to come and go from Thailand on two passports, you may occasionally run into someone who will question it. Last time this happened to me was about 1997 though, when crossing from Malaysia back into Thailand down near Sungai Kolok. Never ever had a problem at BKK Airport. I come and go from Thailand about 10 times per year.

If they do cause hassels, ask to speak to their superior who will sort things out.

Here are a couple of links regarding this topic:

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers...ails.asp?id=694

http://phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=387

http://phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=427

http://www.phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers...ails.asp?id=935

http://www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm

Go to consular services, consular informations, and then from the list of questions, go to "Most asked questions concerning Thai citizenship issues".

If you have a problem you work your way up the chain of command - normally the next higher level will understand as without a law preventing something police have no authority to act.

Lop is correct.

While it is common place for people to come and go from Thailand on two passports, you may occasionally run into someone who will question it. Last time this happened to me was about 1997 though, when crossing from Malaysia back into Thailand down near Sungai Kolok. Never ever had a problem at BKK Airport. I come and go from Thailand about 10 times per year.

If they do cause hassels, ask to speak to their superior who will sort things out.

Here are a couple of links regarding this topic:

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers...ails.asp?id=694

http://phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=387

http://phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=427

http://www.phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers...ails.asp?id=935

http://www.thaiembdc.org/index.htm

Go to consular services, consular informations, and then from the list of questions, go to "Most asked questions concerning Thai citizenship issues".

Thanks guys..very detailed and very useful

The right of a Thai woman who marries a foreigner and acquires her husbands nationality to retain her Thai nationality is written into Section 13 of Thailands’s Nationality Act, in a somewhat convoluted manner:

Chapter 2. Loss of Thai Nationality.

Section 13. A woman of Thai nationality who marries an alien and may acquire the nationality of her husband according to the nationality law of her husband, shall, if she desires to renounce Thai nationality, make a declaration of her intention before the competent official according to the form and in the manner prescribed in the Ministerial Regulations.

It does not state explicitly the right to dual nationality but says that if she desires to give up her Thai nationality she must make a formal declaration to a designated government official. Therefore, unless she has made this declaration she retains her Thai nationality.

--

Maestro

In this day and age, no one follows stamp trails anymore, so there won't be a "where have you been" routine at immigration. My Thai pasport is chock full of entry and exit stamps from Thailand, but not much else as I use my other (Australian) passport to go most places, especially the west. And I travel OFTEN.

I have had it recently when travelling from Thailand to Malaysia (land border). They looked for my Thai stamp at the Malay entry immigration. Usually not, but some people DO check. I also travel OFTEN.

Thailand always checks stamps at land crossings and entry without stamp could result in detention and deportation. You can not make passport change at a land crossing unless you clear it with immigration officer and suspect that may be a problem. Below, on Aranyaprathet Immigration website home page should be an indication of the need for a stamp.

Overstayers can pay overstay fine at Aran immigration checkpoint.

- Note: If you have paid the overstay fine and are stamped out of Thailand, the Cambodian Immigration could reject entry and send you back to Thailand without stamping you in and out of Cambodia. In this case the Thai Immigration will have to send you to Immigration Bureau in Bangkok for investigation/interrogation/deportation.