Dual Citizenship

[monkeygirl]

I am here on a US passport with a 1 year non-immigrant "O" visa, extended for another year because I am also a Thai citizen, but now expiring next month. Now I am getting a Thai passport. What do I use to exit and return to the country?

Can I:

1. Leave on the US passport so that it doesn't look like I am overstaying my visa and return on the Thai so I don't have to get a new visa extension for my US? But then does it look funny because my Thai doesn't have an exit stamp?

2. Leave on the Thai passport and return on it. Will they think I have overstayed on my US then?

3. Not even bother to get a Thai passport because I still have to have a visa in my US? Or can I get both passports stamped exit and come back on the Thai?

4. Any problems re-entering the US if it looks like I've been nowhere in the meantime because I'm stamped out of Thailand?

[lopburi3]

I would use option 1. Use your present passport to give it a full cycle as your entry TM.6 needs to be cleared. Next time you enter use your Thai passport. Chances are they will not notice anything suspect (many obtain first Thai passport overseas) but if they do just explain and have your US passport as proof.

Now always remember to use Thai passport for entry/exit Thailand and US passport for entry/exit USA.

You could also wait to obtain Thai passport from a Consulate in the USA which is quite common so your first entry would not be expected to have any stamp if you want.

But as long as you do entry at airport it should not be a problem. At a small border crossing they might not have experience and question you more closely.

[jhj2000]

Use your Thai passport to leave and your american passport when you enter USA. As far as I know dual nationality is allowed in the USA. My wife does it all the time from the UK. Thai passport in and out of Thailand and British passport in and out of England.

[huski]

i recommend as lopburi3 said, leave thailand this trip with the US passport because your TM6 represents your current entry.

don't mention the new thai passport, you aren't hiding anything just saving time for the people standing behind you in line. when you do return to thailand, then whip out your thai passport.

As far as I know dual nationality is allowed in the USA.

yes it is

[monkeygirl]

I'm not going back to the US for a long time, so I'm getting the Thai passport here.

Was hoping to not have to pay for the visa extension and multiple exit/entry stamp as the fees have been raised and it's a lot more than the cost of a Thai passport. Plus then I don't have to check in every 90 days either.

I would think that logically I can leave on the US and come back in on the Thai but my mother seems to think it will be a problem that there is no exit stamp in the Thai passport. Do you think I can get them to stamp exits in both the passports? Seems like a waste of money to get a Thai passport if I have to keep paying for the extension on the visa in the US passport. At least I wouldn't have to pay for the entry/exit stamp though, so expensive!

[huski]

I'm not going back to the US for a long time, so I'm getting the Thai passport here.

Was hoping to not have to pay for the visa extension and multiple exit/entry stamp as the fees have been raised and it's a lot more than the cost of a Thai passport. Plus then I don't have to check in every 90 days either.

I would think that logically I can leave on the US and come back in on the Thai but my mother seems to think it will be a problem that there is no exit stamp in the Thai passport. Do you think I can get them to stamp exits in both the passports? Seems like a waste of money to get a Thai passport if I have to keep paying for the extension on the visa in the US passport. At least I wouldn't have to pay for the entry/exit stamp though, so expensive!

if you bring both passports to bkk thai immigration they might be able to give you advise or do something on the spot. maybe there is a way they can fix you up here so you can leave on the thai passport, but i'm not sure.

worst case senerio to change over, you will have to take a one day trip when this extension ends and then come in on the thai passport

[samran]

leave Thailand on your US Passport. When you return to Thailand, use your Thai Passport to enter. Do this through BKK international airport and you will have no problems. Go on a cheap day trip to Singapore or HK for some shopping and then use your Thai PP on the way back in.

Don't try it at land borders. I have had expereince trying to swap from my Australian to Thai Passport when crossing the border and the immigration officals at land borders are very reluctant to let you do the 'passport swap'.

[jhj2000]

I don't quite understand the problem. I know America is not the same as the U.K. but if you were going from Thailand to the U.K. I would use the Thai passport then you get the exit stamp and paper on your Thai passport. When you get to the U.K. show your U.K. passport, if you get questioned show your Thai passport as well. My wife has been doing this for years but it might be different in the USA. I can see that you could have difficulty in returning to Thailand in the future without the Thai exit stamp

[Heng]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat.

I'd be curious to know if it's okay to leave/enter on your Thai passport as well. There should be no issues stateside in regards to simply entering on your US passport. Any inter-Thais here done it?

Myself, I have been renewing my 1 year visa in my US passport for 7 years now, mostly so I can have multiple "good" passports to travel on. There's no issue using my Thai passport for trips to HK and Singapore obviously... but I don't do it for trips stateside.

[lopburi3]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat.

I'd be curious to know if it's okay to leave/enter on your Thai passport as well. There should be no issues stateside in regards to simply entering on your US passport. Any inter-Thais here done it?

Myself, I have been renewing my 1 year visa in my US passport for 7 years now, mostly so I can have multiple "good" passports to travel on. There's no issue using my Thai passport for trips to HK and Singapore obviously... but I don't do it for trips stateside.

If you have a US passport you are required by law to use it for entry/exit to the USA. You can use what you want in Thailand but the simple thing to do would be to use your Thai passport for entry/exit.

[Heng]

Yes, I always use my US passport to enter the US. However I'm curious to know if I can use my Thai passport to exit Thailand/US passport to enter/exit the US and THEN use the Thai passport to enter Thailand again (with no US entry stamps... as if I've been living in the terminal -ala. Tom Hanks- for each 2-3 weeks of every trip).

[lopburi3]

Yes, I always use my US passport to enter the US. However I'm curious to know if I can use my Thai passport to exit Thailand/US passport to enter/exit the US and THEN use the Thai passport to enter Thailand again (with no US entry stamps... as if I've been living in the terminal -ala. Tom Hanks- for each 2-3 weeks of every trip).

Yes you can. As said airport based immigration officials are aware of this reason for not having stamps and you have your US passport that can be shown on request.

[monkeygirl]

heng! you are spot-on to what i am asking. i mean, if i don't keep extending my visa in the us passport and then go back some day, they are going to wonder where the heck i've been all this time! i know i must exit thailand on the us, or they will think i am overstaying. but i'm going to try to come back in on the thai even if it does not have an exit stamp. we'll see what happens and i'll let you know. are you thai or leuk krueng?

[Heng]

Thai. Thai Chinese. How about yourself?

Okay, so Lopburi3 feels that we can enter/exit locally on the Thai passport and enter/exit the US on our US passports. Anyone else here concur?

[samran]

heng! you are spot-on to what i am asking. i mean, if i don't keep extending my visa in the us passport and then go back some day, they are going to wonder where the heck i've been all this time! i know i must exit thailand on the us, or they will think i am overstaying. but i'm going to try to come back in on the thai even if it does not have an exit stamp. we'll see what happens and i'll let you know. are you thai or leuk krueng?

They won't care at Don Muang if you don't have an exit stamp.

The fact that you a Thai PP is an ineliable right that you are allowed to enter Thailand whenever you want.

If they do ask (unlikely), tell the truth, the immigration officials at Don Muang are understanding of the dual citizenship dillema.

I have been travelling in and out of Thailand on my Thai PP for years and using my Australian PP to travel everywhere else. I used to be worried that Thai immigration might care that I only had Thai entry and exit stamps in my PP. The fact of the matter is though they don't care. All that matters is you have that little brown book that says 'Passport - Thailand' on the front cover. You can then stay for as long as you want then.

[monkeygirl]

heng i am half/half. good to see other people have dual thai/american. i was worried that the us might not allow it so keeping it hush, hush.

[khoa70]

I new some help on the dual citizenship. My wife was born in Thailand and had Thai passport which expired 20 years ago. She is also a US citizen. She want to be Thailand citizen and US citizen. How can she proceed by getting her Thai citizen?

[monkeygirl]

Should be easy. Everyone born in Thailand has the right to citizenship. She needs to be on the house register and show birth certificate to get an ID card. I don't know how you do it if you are not already in Thailand though.

[lopburi3]

I new some help on the dual citizenship. My wife was born in Thailand and had Thai passport which expired 20 years ago. She is also a US citizen. She want to be Thailand citizen and US citizen. How can she proceed by getting her Thai citizen?

If she has not formally renounced her citizenship she should be able to go to the nearest Royal Thai Consulate and apply for a new passport with her old one. If she has given up citizenship there is a paperwork process to regain it which the Consulate can help you with. When/if she comes to Thailand she should take care of ID card process.

You might want to search Google for Royal Thai Embassy Washington and then read that site for information in both English and Thai if not living near a Consulate.

[samran]

Should be easy. Everyone born in Thailand has the right to citizenship. She needs to be on the house register and show birth certificate to get an ID card. I don't know how you do it if you are not already in Thailand though.

Not quite.

To become a Thai citizen by birth you need at least one parent to be either a Thai citizen, or a Permanent Resident.

Khoa70,

Your wife should get in contact with the Thai embassy in DC. They have a very good website. She should dig up any Thai ID she has, however old or expired, when making the PP application to prove her citizenship. With this they should be able to issue her with a new Thai PP.

[monkeygirl]

Sorry! Had read that somewhere and can't find it now, but found other stuff to the contrary.

[jhj2000]

The situation as I understand it is that Thailand does not allow dual citizanship but America does.

[monkeygirl]

That's not true, lots of people have dual Thai with AUS or UK or US.

[jhj2000]

Prehaps you are right. My wife has a Thai and U.K. passport but she always keeps her entry/exit stamps in order in her Thai passport because she is afraid that her Thai citizanship will be taken away if she produces a U.K. passport.

[samran]

Prehaps you are right. My wife has a Thai and U.K. passport but she always keeps her entry/exit stamps in order in her Thai passport because she is afraid that her Thai citizanship will be taken away if she produces a U.K. passport.

she shouldnt be worried, it is totally legal under Thai law. You can do a search on this site and there is lots of information about Thai legislation being changed to make dual nationality legal in the early 1990's.

[khoa70]

All,

Thank you for the fast respond. I will do a search on the web to find more information on my wife getting a passport.

Khoa70

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Prehaps you are right. My wife has a Thai and U.K. passport but she always keeps her entry/exit stamps in order in her Thai passport because she is afraid that her Thai citizanship will be taken away if she produces a U.K. passport.

Monkeygirl is absolutely correct about duality of citizenship being legally permitted in this case.

[donmeurett]

I would use option 1. Use your present passport to give it a full cycle as your entry TM.6 needs to be cleared. Next time you enter use your Thai passport. Chances are they will not notice anything suspect (many obtain first Thai passport overseas) but if they do just explain and have your US passport as proof.

Now always remember to use Thai passport for entry/exit Thailand and US passport for entry/exit USA.

You could also wait to obtain Thai passport from a Consulate in the USA which is quite common so your first entry would not be expected to have any stamp if you want.

But as long as you do entry at airport it should not be a problem. At a small border crossing they might not have experience and question you more closely.

WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL THAI IMMIGRATION POLICY on LEAVING ON THE AMERICAN PASSPORT TO CLEAR THE TM 6 AND REENTER THAILAND ON THE THAI PASSPORT.

[Mario2008]

That is the policy. When re-entering on the Thai passport no visa/permission to stay is required.

Please refrain from posting in CAPS, it is considered SHOUTING!!.

[donmeurett]

That is the policy. When re-entering on the Thai passport no visa/permission to stay is required.

Please refrain from posting in CAPS, it is considered SHOUTING!!.

I am looking for official Thai Immigration policy in print anyone know any good reference on this subject.

As far as posting in all caps is not meant as shouting as you have stated.