Double The Passport, Dbl The Fun?

[ken8522]

I've been travelling around thailand for about 20 days now, and it has grown on me. I work from my computer and am now considering staying here for about a year.

I have found really good advice in some of the threads, but pertaining to my situation - is there a way to optimize my status.

1) I'm Canadian but I have just acquire my HK passport, which makes me dual citzenship...

I was wondering if switching back & forth my HK & Canada passports while on visa run - would it give me twice the extension?

any info would help,

thx.

[jstumbo]

If you are talking about the 30 day visa exempt entries, they are limited to 90 days in a 6 month period. This in on a person basis, not a passport basis. That being said, would they figure out that you are using two passports, who knows.

If you work on your computer, technically you need a work permit to work from Thailand. Many people do this without a work permit and just keep quiet about it.

You can get tourist visas to stay in Thailand (90 day stays each time) and also, since you have a HK passport you could get what is called a APEC Business Travel Card. That would allow you to come and go from the following countries without needing to get a visa: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Viet Nam. You are allowed to stay 90 days each time, and just need to make a border run every 90 days. You also get to use the diplomatic counters at immigration.

You can read about it here.

Edited April 1, 2008 by jstumbo

[tropo]

I've been travelling around thailand for about 20 days now, and it has grown on me. I work from my computer and am now considering staying here for about a year.

I have found really good advice in some of the threads, but pertaining to my situation - is there a way to optimize my status.

1) I'm Canadian but I have just acquire my HK passport, which makes me dual citzenship...

I was wondering if switching back & forth my HK & Canada passports while on visa run - would it give me twice the extension?

any info would help,

thx.

It's easy enough on 1 passport. Get a double-entry tourist visa from Vientiane, Laos. That will give you 6 months including 2 extensions from an immigration office (be sure to time your extensions and entries carefully). After that you can either get another double entry, or do 3 border runs for 90 days and get one more single-entry tourist visa from Penang or Vientiane.

[Onnutrd]

It's possible.

However, I think it'll be prudent to check that you're using the same passport when exiting the country, e.g. if you come into using HK passport then leave using the HK passport.

Otherwise, I'm sure you'll be sweet all the way.

In terms of you "working" from home, I would'nt worry about a permit either. Unless you're in a situation where others are aware of you working (such as in a popular language school or in a public place) then it might be good to acquire the relevant work permit.

Enjoy thaialnd na~

[astral]

The snag is that you would have to fly for each visa run.

On land borders the country you are entering will look for an exit stamp from the one you left,

so swapping passports is not an option.

[ken8522]

You can get tourist visas to stay in Thailand (90 day stays each time) and also, since you have a HK passport you could get what is called a APEC Business Travel Card. That would allow you to come and go from the following countries without needing to get a visa: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and Viet Nam. You are allowed to stay 90 days each time, and just need to make a border run every 90 days. You also get to use the diplomatic counters at immigration.

You can read about it here.

That's the best advice I've read yet... much appreciated

CHEERS

[torrenova]

The snag is that you would have to fly for each visa run.

On land borders the country you are entering will look for an exit stamp from the one you left,

so swapping passports is not an option.

Not sure I agree there. I mean, if I had never been to Thailand and entered from the Cambodian border, I could not have an exit stamp from Thailand.

Whilst I agree that the Cambodian visa would be in passport A and you would be entering on passport B, it really is of no concern to the Thai authorities what your visa situation is in Cambodia. They are or should be solely concerned with Thai rules and regulations.

Whilst it has the potential to blow up in your face I grant you due to their nosey attitude etc. I am not sure how you would be prevented from using a different passport at the border.

At the end of the day, the rules are that a person cannot stay more than 90 in 180 without a visa so you would be illegal even though I suspect they would never find out.

[jstumbo]

Their country, their rules. If they do not see the exit stamp from the country you are leaving, they can just refuse you entry. And that is what they do. If you do not have an exit stamp, it means that you have illegally gone across the border from the country that you are leaving. That maybe you snuck across the border at night time, or maybe you came across in the jungle, or maybe you were a drug smuggler. So they will refuse you. When you are flying, you really do not have a choice but to go through whatever exit requirements there are for the country you left. Airports are very controlled and it is not like a wide open jungle covered border.

[tom21]

With the new passports having chips in them I would say that no matter what passport you use they will know of your previous entries.