Return to Thailand for a visit

[kbelyeu]

Hi TV,

 

The family and myself are planning a visit back to Thailand from the US sometime in 2022.  My wife is a dual citizen (USA/Thai) as are both my children.  The problem is my wife's Thai passport has expired and neither of my kids have one (both have Thai birth certificates issued from the RTE).

 

In the US it is a pain in the rear to get a Thai passport because Thai's are required to physically appear at the RTE with the application.  The RTE's where doing outreach but its mostly been cancelled.

 

Is it possible the wife and kids enter under their US passports, obtain their Thai passports locally then just boarder hop to re-enter under their Thai passports? 

 

Any tips or hints would be grateful.

 

Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

What you mention would normally be possible but the border hop part is not very feasible at this time due to travel restriction and the land borders being closed.

You wife should check with embassy in Washington DC or one of the 3 official consulates in the states.

If might be easier for them to get temporary passports to enter the country as Thais.

How long do you plan on staying in the country?

Have you children been registered in house book yet. That has to be done before they can apply for Thai passports.

[kbelyeu]

Here in the states you are required to travel to one of the two embassy's in order to get a new passport.. The emergency travel document might make the most sense to get everyone in.. My visit will be less than 30 days (oilfield) but the wife and kids will probably stay several months.

 

Kurt

[donx]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Have you children been registered in house book yet. That has to be done before they can apply for Thai passports.

Unless the rules have changed since my children received their Thai passports, children can obtain a Thai passport in the US without being registered in a house book. All three of my children received their Thai passports without a Thai ID or being registered in a house book. That was several years ago so perhaps the rules have changed.

 

As for entering Thailand, my wife was told that she couldn't arrive on an expired Thai passport because of the current situation with COVID-19. She could have entered with a temporary travel document, but there wasn't enough time to receive it before she travelled, so she entered on her US passport. She wasn't planning on staying more than 30 days since she was travelling with my daughter and son. My daughter has a Thai ID and is registered in a house book, but my son is not because my wife doesn't want him drafted into the Thai military. We decided it was better to wait until she returns to the US to renew her Thai passport since she won't be needing it anytime soon.

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, donx said:

Unless the rules have changed since my children received their Thai passports, children can obtain a Thai passport in the US without being registered in a house book. All three of my children received their Thai passports without a Thai ID or being registered in a house book.

That was for applying for the passports here not at a embassy or official consulate.

Many embassy and consulates will on issue the first passport without being registered in house book.