Exit Thailand On British Passport

[Siamesepiggster]

Hi,

 

My 15 year old daughter needs to exit Thailand urgently for personal reasons to visit her Thai mum.

 

She has a Thai and British Passport.

 

Her Thai passport has only 3 months before it expires and we don't have sufficient time to apply for a new one.

 

Can she exit Thailand on her British passport given that it won't have an entry stamp? 

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

[theoldgit]

How long is she intending to be away for?

 

She can exit Thailand using her Thai passport, but she would need to show the check-in staff her UK passport, for two reasons, she would normally need a UK Visa in her Thai passport, and currently only British, or Irish nationals are allowed to enter the UK due to Red Light Covid Restrictions.

 

She will need to book and pay for a hotel quarantine before travel for her arrival in the UK, along with Covid tests before travel and following her arrival.

 

On her return to Thailand she can enter on her Thai passport, even if it's expired.

 

She will of course need to obtain the CoE to return to Thailand, and quarantine on arrival. 

[Siamesepiggster]

Hi.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I should have explained that she is visiting her Thai mum who lives in South Africa.

 

Thanks.

[skatewash]

2 minutes ago, Siamesepiggster said:

Hi.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I should have explained that she is visiting her Thai mum who lives in South Africa.

 

Thanks.

Basically the same answer though.  Needs to leave Thailand on Thai passport.  Can enter SA on British passport, then exit SA on British passport, and can enter Thailand on even an expired Thai passport.  It might even be possible to renew her Thai passport in SA through Thai embassy, not sure about that.

 

[Siamesepiggster]

Thank you for your replies.

 

However my understanding was that she can't leave Thailand unless she has a minimum of 6 months left on her passport?

[skatewash]

3 minutes ago, Siamesepiggster said:

Thank you for your replies.

 

However my understanding was that she can't leave Thailand unless she has a minimum of 6 months left on her passport?

Well, she definitely can't leave Thailand on her British passport.  You can't switch passports in the same country, you have to exit on what you entered with.  What is the turnaround time for renewing a Thai passport, maybe there's a fee for expedited service?  I don't think there's generally a rule that you can't use your passport to leave a country with less than six months validity remaining.  There may be rules to that effect that you can't enter a country with less than six months validity.  But she will be using her British passport in SA which presumably doesn't have that problem.  Then she can travel back to Thailand on her British passport but use her possibly expired Thai passport to enter Thailand.

[Siamesepiggster]

Her Thai mum can get her a new Thai passport much more quickly and easily in South Africa once my daughter arrives there as her mum has more parental rights than me even though i have been declared her legal father at the Thai Family court.

 

It's a nightmare time wise trying to renew her Thai passport before she leaves as I have to courier documents to her mum in South Africa, her mum then has to fly to her nearest Thai embassy in SA and then has to courier documents back to me and then I have to go to the Thai passport office in Bangkok with my daughter to make the application etc etc

[Iforbach]

I can only say as a seasoned traveler working on ships many places I visited required at least 6 months on a passport but sometimes down to immigration officer..I hope you get support 

[PaoloR]

Remember that the Thai Embassy is in Pretoria and it is unlikely, given the current state of lockdown in SA,  that travel to Pretoria is possible from elsewhere in SA. Unless she is flying to Pretoria that will be difficult!

[brewsterbudgen]

Her Thai passport hasn't expired so I can't see why she can't leave Thailand, as long as she has another passport for entering her destination country. 

[hotchilli]

On 8/29/2021 at 10:02 PM, Siamesepiggster said:

Thank you for your replies.

 

However my understanding was that she can't leave Thailand unless she has a minimum of 6 months left on her passport?

Try asking the chosen airline.

[brewsterbudgen]

A Thai citizen can enter Thailand on an expired Thai passport, so I don't see why they can't leave on an unexpired one, even if it will expire while the holder is abroad.

[brianthainess]

On 8/29/2021 at 10:10 PM, skatewash said:

You can't switch passports in the same country, you have to exit on what you entered with. 

Not True. Several years ago, I left Thailand on an Ozy passport to uk, entered uk on British passport, left on Ozy PP (as that carried my re-entry stamp)  back to Thailand no problems.

Edited September 1, 2021 by brianthainess

[skatewash]

7 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Not True. Several years ago, I left Thailand on an Ozy passport to uk, entered uk on British passport, left on Ozy PP (as that carried my re-entry stamp)  back to Thailand no problems.

If you weren't caught out, you weren't caught out. ????

The proper way would have been 
leave Thailand on Australian passport

enter UK on UK passport -> leave UK on UK passport

enter Thailand on Australian passport

 

It's never a good idea to leave a country with a passport you didn't use to enter the country.
 

Have you been back to the UK since?

[Eff1n2ret]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

left on Ozy PP (as that carried my re-entry stamp)

You would only have had to show your passport to the airline at check-in, as reassurance to them of your admissibility to Thailand as you were probably on the return part of your ticket. There haven't been regular immigration embarkation controls at UK ports and airports since the mid-1990s.

[LukKrueng]

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

A Thai citizen can enter Thailand on an expired Thai passport, so I don't see why they can't leave on an unexpired one, even if it will expire while the holder is abroad.

You cannot exit with an expired passport, but as was mentioned many times above there's no minimum validity needed to exit the country. As long as the British passport has long enough validity to enter the destination country there's no problem

[malthebluff]

On 8/29/2021 at 10:17 PM, Siamesepiggster said:

Her Thai mum can get her a new Thai passport much more quickly and easily in South Africa once my daughter arrives there as her mum has more parental rights than me even though i have been declared her legal father at the Thai Family court.

 

It's a nightmare time wise trying to renew her Thai passport before she leaves as I have to courier documents to her mum in South Africa, her mum then has to fly to her nearest Thai embassy in SA and then has to courier documents back to me and then I have to go to the Thai passport office in Bangkok with my daughter to make the application etc etc

I dont think Visa are transferable on to new passports so if there is a entry stamo or Visa for SA she may have to go to imigration again when there and get new 

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, malthebluff said:

I dont think Visa are transferable on to new passports so if there is a entry stamo or Visa for SA she may have to go to imigration again when there and get new 

As a Thai National she wouldn’t need or be issued with a visa to enter Thailand with either her expired or new Thai passport.

 

As a matter of interest a visa for Thailand can be transferred to a new passport for visa nationals, but for many countries the traveler can simply carry their new passport and their old one carrying their visa.

[malthebluff]

1 minute ago, theoldgit said:

As a Thai National she wouldn’t need or be issued with a visa to enter Thailand with either her expired or new Thai passport.

 

As a matter of interest a visa for Thailand can be transferred to a new passport for visa nationals, but for many countries the traveler can simply carry their new passport and their old one carrying their visa.

Not thailand I mean a visa for south africa if going out on a thai passport she will need if using uk passport she will not and her thai passport will run out and she will get a new one so will need a new Visa.

[theoldgit]

31 minutes ago, malthebluff said:

Not thailand I mean a visa for south africa if going out on a thai passport she will need if using uk passport she will not and her thai passport will run out and she will get a new one so will need a new Visa.

 

You're still not correct, or maybe I don't understand what you're saying.

 

She can enter SA using her British Passport, and doesn't need a visa, depending on Covid restrictions and her length of stay.

 

She would also leave SA using her UK Passport, as she should clear SA Immigration using the same passport she entered with.

 

She would show her Thai passport at check-in, either her new or old one, that would show the airline staff that she can enter Thailand without the need for a return ticket.

 

She can't get a Thai Visa in either of her Thai passports to enter her home country. 

[malthebluff]

3 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

You're still not correct, or maybe I don't understand what you're saying.

 

She can enter SA using her British Passport, and doesn't need a visa, depending on Covid restrictions and her length of stay.

 

She would also leave SA using her UK Passport, as she should clear SA Immigration using the same passport she entered with.

 

She would show her Thai passport at check-in, either her new or old one, that would show the airline staff that she can enter Thailand without the need for a return ticket.

 

She can't get a Thai Visa in either of her passports to enter her home country. 

She has to leave Thailand with her thai passports that is the one she came in with it will have a entry stamp in it and get new passport in south Africa and Visa are not allowed to be transferred over to new passport so will have to get a visa in new thai passport. She wouldn't have come to Thailand using her uk passport as only 30 day stays

https://www.workpermitsouthafrica.co.za/transferring-of-valid-visas-into-expired-passports-to-be-restricted/

[skatewash]

22 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

As a matter of interest a visa for Thailand can be transferred to a new passport for visa nationals, but for many countries the traveler can simply carry their new passport and their old one carrying their visa.

Not entirely sure what visa nationals are.  But generally, isn't it the case that in Thailand one can have extensions of stay transferred from old to new passports, but not visas.  If you have a current visa in an old expired passport then as long as you have a new passport you should be allowed to enter Thailand by showing both passports (old one containing the current visa) and new passport which is the only valid one and into which the entry stamp will be added.

[malthebluff]

3 minutes ago, malthebluff said:

She has to leave Thailand with her thai passports that is the one she came in with it will have a entry stamp in it and get new passport in south Africa and Visa are not allowed to be transferred over to new passport so will have to get a visa in new thai passport. She wouldn't have come to Thailand using her uk passport as only 30 day stays

https://www.workpermitsouthafrica.co.za/transferring-of-valid-visas-into-expired-passports-to-be-restricted/

I understand what your saying is leave Thailand with thai passport and then entry SA with uk passport but they will not let her on a flight without a Visa that would be in her thai passport and will have a exit stamp put in it so when coming back use uk passport to leave SA and enter Thailand with new thai passport but they will want to see exit stamps or Visa 

[malthebluff]

5 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Not entirely sure what visa nationals are.  But generally, isn't it the case that in Thailand one can have extensions of stay transferred from old to new passports, but not visas.  If you have a current visa in an old expired passport then as long as you have a new passport you should be allowed to enter Thailand by showing both passports (old one containing the current visa) and new passport which is the only valid one and into which the entry stamp will be added.

It used to be like as Im on a retirement Visa so came and went and have changed passports in the past  but while in uk ast year I thought I get new passport  as only a year left and it was a big mistake had to come back on tourist and do it all again. I think just a money making thing but must countries are the same now 

[theoldgit]

10 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Not entirely sure what visa nationals are.

 

Visa National are nationals of a certain country who require a visa to enter another.

 

For instance, my wife is Thai and I'm British, she needs a visa to enter the UK, so is a Visa National, I'm British, so don't need a visa, so am not a Visa National.

[skatewash]

28 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

Visa National are nationals of a certain country who require a visa to enter another.

 

For instance, my wife is Thai and I'm British, she needs a visa to enter the UK, so is a Visa National, I'm British, so don't need a visa, so am not a Visa National.

It seems to be a British term with the definition you say but it's not one I have heard before.

Thanks for the explanation.

[StevieAus]

22 hours ago, skatewash said:

If you weren't caught out, you weren't caught out. ????

The proper way would have been 
leave Thailand on Australian passport

enter UK on UK passport -> leave UK on UK passport

enter Thailand on Australian passport

 

It's never a good idea to leave a country with a passport you didn't use to enter the country.
 

Have you been back to the UK since?

In the UK you don’t pass through Immigration when leaving the country.

[StevieAus]

You mention that you don’t have time to renew the Thai passport, they are very quick here they even take the photographs, although I suppose it depends how far you have to travel.

We renewed our daughters Thai passport in.Chiang Mai about 3 moths ago at lunchtime on the Monday arrived at our home by Thai Post EMS  the Wednesday morning.

[GroveHillWanderer]

19 hours ago, malthebluff said:

I understand what your saying is leave Thailand with thai passport and then entry SA with uk passport but they will not let her on a flight without a Visa that would be in her thai passport

They will if she shows them the UK passport she is going to use to enter SA.

 

My daughter does this going to the UK all the time. At the airport check in desk, you show them the passport you'll be using to enter your destination country - they aren't interested in your Thai immigration status.

 

At passport control, you show the Imigration Officer the passport you entered Thailand with so they can match up the entry and exit status - they are not interested in which passport you're going to use at the end of your journey.

[GroveHillWanderer]

On 9/1/2021 at 9:37 AM, skatewash said:

If you weren't caught out, you weren't caught out. ????

The proper way would have been 
leave Thailand on Australian passport

enter UK on UK passport -> leave UK on UK passport

enter Thailand on Australian passport

 

It's never a good idea to leave a country with a passport you didn't use to enter the country.
 

Have you been back to the UK since?

When you say, "leave UK on UK passport" what do you mean?

 

The only people who want to see your passport is the airline when you check in and they are only concerned about whether you'll be allowed in to your destination.

 

There is no passport control check on leaving the UK any more - or at least there wasn't, the last time we visited (2019).

Edited September 2, 2021 by GroveHillWanderer