Can I Enter And Exit Thailand On Different Passport?

[ARH]

I am Chinese and will be living in Thailand on a work visa. I need to travel a lot worldwide and Chinese passport is really a pain as far as visas are concerned!! So, I am in the process in applying a Belize passport. I was wondering if I can enter Thailand on my Chinese passport, and then use my Belize passport for other trips (thailand-uk-thailand, thailand-singapore-thailand, etc)

The reason I am doing this is that China does not recognize dual-natinality and the only way to get around it is to swap passports while outside China.

Thanks!

[jdinasia]

No

You must enter and exit any given country on the same passport.

[farseer]

I am Chinese and will be living in Thailand on a work visa. I need to travel a lot worldwide and Chinese passport is really a pain as far as visas are concerned!! So, I am in the process in applying a Belize passport. I was wondering if I can enter Thailand on my Chinese passport, and then use my Belize passport for other trips (thailand-uk-thailand, thailand-singapore-thailand, etc)

The reason I am doing this is that China does not recognize dual-natinality and the only way to get around it is to swap passports while outside China.

Thanks!

How are you entitled to have a Belize passport?

[ubonjoe]

I am Chinese and will be living in Thailand on a work visa. I need to travel a lot worldwide and Chinese passport is really a pain as far as visas are concerned!! So, I am in the process in applying a Belize passport. I was wondering if I can enter Thailand on my Chinese passport, and then use my Belize passport for other trips (thailand-uk-thailand, thailand-singapore-thailand, etc)

The reason I am doing this is that China does not recognize dual-natinality and the only way to get around it is to swap passports while outside China.

Thanks!

You can use two passports. You use one to enter and leave Thailand. The other you show to the airline to prove you can enter the country where you are going (not immigration). Then use that passport to enter and leave the country where you are going.

Edited October 20, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Crossy]

The only way you can swap between passports is whilst in the air, using the same passport whilst entering and leaving any particular country. It is not possible to swap passports whilst in-country and you can't do the swap in no-mans-land at a land border.

[Soutpeel]

How are you entitled to have a Belize passport?

Invest or hold enough money in Belize..

[ARH]

Thank you all! Well, so much for "cunning plans". I wish there is a way that I get to keep my chinese nationality...

[jdinasia]

There is

You leave China on your Chinese passport and enter any other country on your second passport. (The rule is .. you enter and leave countries using the same passport)

[ubonjoe]

Thank you all! Well, so much for "cunning plans". I wish there is a way that I get to keep my chinese nationality...

I guess I don't understand what you are trying to do.

You can enter and leave Thailand on your Chinese passprt and then enter and leave another country on the Belize passport. The only time you would have to show your Belize passport is when you check in for your departure flight.

You just can't enter on your Chinese passport at the arrival immigration passport/visa check and then leave going through the departure immigration check on the Belize passprt.

Are you worried that when you go to China they will notice the period of time you are outside Thailand shown by the entry and departure stamps. Do they really check that close?

Edited October 20, 2008 by ubonjoe

[mdechgan]

Well actually I've done this before.

I would enter Thailand using my U.S. passport whish has a 1 yr visa. And I would travel locally like to China with my Thai passport and return to Thailand with my Thai passport. I do this because it was alot easier for me to get a Chinese visa with my Thai passport. I could also get a multiple visa which isn't available to U.S. passports.

I've also exited Thailand with my U.S. passport, entered China using Thai passport and exited China using Thai passport, re-entered again using my U.S. passport. To get around that 90 day thing.

The only thing I would no do is enter Thailand with a U.S passport and exit with a Thai passport. Because you won't have an exit stamp on the U.S. pasport when entering the U.S or another country. Also it would not make sense to enter with a Thai passport and leave with a U.S. passport because you won't have an entry statmp on the U.S. passport.

Your problem is:

If you enter Thailand on your Chinese passport, what type of visa and how many days are you allowed to stay in Thailand? Because you must exit Thailand with your Chinese passport before the immigration stamp expires. If expires you will get charegs 500 baht per day. You can enter and leave Thailand on your Chinese passport and enter and leave another country with your Belize one.

[deanosan3]

The only way you can swap between passports is whilst in the air, using the same passport whilst entering and leaving any particular country. It is not possible to swap passports whilst in-country and you can't do the swap in no-mans-land at a land border.

I wish I'd have seen this post last week when I went to Laos to do just that. The immigration man almost spat at me when I showed him my clean UK passport with no evidence of being in the country 400m back the direction I came. I ended up showing him the one with all the stamps! Looks like I have to go to Singapore on an Air Asia flight and do the swap in mid-air. Very interesting thread. Lots of good information here. Thanks to all.

[ubonjoe]

If entering Laos you can do the swap on bus crossing the bridge though you might have to show them the other with your Thai exit stamps. Your mistake was showing Thai immigration the wrong passport.

[Crossy]

If entering Laos you can do the swap on bus crossing the bridge though you might have to show them the other with your Thai exit stamps. Your mistake was showing Thai immigration the wrong passport.

Interesting. Have you actually done this?

Thai immigration definately want to see the exit stamp from the country you've just left.

[visarunner]

If entering Laos you can do the swap on bus crossing the bridge though you might have to show them the other with your Thai exit stamps. Your mistake was showing Thai immigration the wrong passport.

I have seen alot of good responses from you, but this advise is wrong.

If you wish to use a new Passport of same Nationality you have to transfer the latest Stamp at any Immigration Office or Border Checkpoint .

If you wish to use 2 Passport with different Nationality this swap can only be done in Mid-Air.

Comment of Crossy is correct.

[bjhabal]

Crossy, is right and most of the time, the immigration officer want to see the stamp of the country you have exited.

For the guy who entered Thailand with his U.S passport, then traveled around with his Thai passport; that is possible, because the Thai immigration will not look for the Thai citizen entry stamp on his passport. However in your case they will be looking for that kind of stamp.

You have mentioned that you would travel to Singapore with your second passport, and Singapore immigration will not only look for the exit stamp of the country you just arrived from, but they will ask you if you have ever entered Singapore with a different passport, so be careful.

Bishop

[tangoll]

mdechgan, if you hold both US and Thai passports, I would think that Thailand has a rule that holder of Thai ppt must use Thai ppt when entering Thailand. The US has that rule as well, US ppt holder must use US ppt when entering US. I don't know what the penalty would be if caught using another country's ppt to enter US when you hold a US ppt. Anyone know?

[midas]

ARH if you travel a lot worldwide and because China is a member of APEC you should see if you can obtain

an APEC Business TravelCard. It won't help you with trips to UK or USA for that matter ( although you can use

the fast immigration Lane in the USA with this card ) but it could save a lot of hassle around the Asian region.

see :- http://www.businessmobility.org/about/index.html

With this brilliant little card you get visa exemption from 17 countries and lasts for three years. Here are

some contacts for you and good luck !

Location:

Contact Details

Li Chunfu

Consualr Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China

Add: No.2 Chaoyangmen South Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P. R. China 100701

Tel: 86-10-65963076 Fax: 86- 10-65963049

Email: [email protected]

Location: People's Republic of China

Contact Details

Li Guixi

Consualr Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China

Add: No.2 Chaoyangmen South Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, P. R. China 100701

Tel: 86-10-65963088 Fax: 86- 10-65963051

Email: [email protected]

. External

Location:

Contact Details

Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration

Ministry of Public Security

12 Dong Chan An Street

Beijing

Tel: (86-10) 6512 2779

Edited November 7, 2008 by midas

[Maestro]

The general rule is that one must depart from Thailand with the same passport that was used for entering Thailand.

When entering Thailand at a land border it is also important to note that one must enter Thailand with the same passport that was used to leave the neighbouring country, as Crossy has mentioned.

A dual Thai/US national if perfectly free to enter and leave Thailand with his US passport as long as he does not mind the disadvantages that this entails.

--

Maestro

[astral]

You must exit on the same passport that you used to enter, as the Immigration officer will be looking for the entry

stamp to check that you have not overstayed.

Swapping passports at a land border is also not possible as the country you are entering

will check for an exit stamp from the other.

The only place where you can do the swap is when you fly.

[yaketyak]

I appreciate this doesn't apply to the OP but i have wracked my brains and cannot see why the following wouldn't work...

Scenario.....

You are a Thai national living in the UK (with ILR visa in your passport) but you are also a British citizen with a UK passport (say you have got it through marriage)

You book a return flight to BKK and arrive at BKK entering with your UK passport(having obtained a non -imm O visa in advance which you then extend for a year in BKK) When you return you leave using your Thai one.

So you would have no trouble getting into or out of either the UK or Thailand at both ends.

Say 6 months later you return to Thailand and then leave before your O visa runs out using your UK passport. That way you have entered and left Thailand on two different passports (twice) and not broken any rules..... i think!!

Comments??

[TexasRanger]

You must exit on the same passport that you used to enter, as the Immigration officer will be looking for the entry

stamp to check that you have not overstayed.

Swapping passports at a land border is also not possible as the country you are entering

will check for an exit stamp from the other.

The only place where you can do the swap is when you fly.

Agreed, I do this regularly as my Thai visa is in one passport (Usually) and my US visa is in another. Can only be with air travel.

[tropo]

If entering Laos you can do the swap on bus crossing the bridge though you might have to show them the other with your Thai exit stamps. Your mistake was showing Thai immigration the wrong passport.

Interesting. Have you actually done this?

Thai immigration definately want to see the exit stamp from the country you've just left.

Perhaps it would be ok to switch passports if you travel to Laos by air.

[astral]

Any trans border flight will suffice.

[tropo]

Any trans border flight will suffice.

Are you sure about that? It is possible that different countries have different rules regarding this.

[Maestro]

I appreciate this doesn't apply to the OP but i have wracked my brains and cannot see why the following wouldn't work...

Scenario.....

You are a Thai national living in the UK (with ILR visa in your passport) but you are also a British citizen with a UK passport (say you have got it through marriage)

You book a return flight to BKK and arrive at BKK entering with your UK passport(having obtained a non -imm O visa in advance which you then extend for a year in BKK) When you return you leave using your Thai one.

So you would have no trouble getting into or out of either the UK or Thailand at both ends.

Say 6 months later you return to Thailand and then leave before your O visa runs out using your UK passport. That way you have entered and left Thailand on two different passports (twice) and not broken any rules..... i think!!

Comments??

It depends. In this scenario, what was your previous use of the Thai passport, in particular what was the last Thai immigration arrival or departure stamp in it? For example this would not work:

-- left Thailand on Thai passport

-- entered UK on Thai or UK passport passport

-- left UK on Thai or UK passport

-- entered Thailand on UK passport

-- leave Thailand on Thai passport --> not possible because no entry stamp after the previous departure stamp.

--

Maestro

[sumrit]

If entering Laos you can do the swap on bus crossing the bridge though you might have to show them the other with your Thai exit stamps. Your mistake was showing Thai immigration the wrong passport.

Interesting. Have you actually done this?

Thai immigration definately want to see the exit stamp from the country you've just left.

When we came back from a few days in Vientiene last month our daughters (thai)passport wasn't stamped on exit from

Laos (we were in a group and the bus driver took all the passports to be stamped and somehow our daughters was missed)

but was stamped back into Thailand without any questions being asked by Thai immigration. We didn't notice until we got

back home several hours later.

[yaketyak]

I appreciate this doesn't apply to the OP but i have wracked my brains and cannot see why the following wouldn't work...

Scenario.....

You are a Thai national living in the UK (with ILR visa in your passport) but you are also a British citizen with a UK passport (say you have got it through marriage)

You book a return flight to BKK and arrive at BKK entering with your UK passport(having obtained a non -imm O visa in advance which you then extend for a year in BKK) When you return you leave using your Thai one.

So you would have no trouble getting into or out of either the UK or Thailand at both ends.

Say 6 months later you return to Thailand and then leave before your O visa runs out using your UK passport. That way you have entered and left Thailand on two different passports (twice) and not broken any rules..... i think!!

Comments??

It depends. In this scenario, what was your previous use of the Thai passport, in particular what was the last Thai immigration arrival or departure stamp in it? For example this would not work:

-- left Thailand on Thai passport

-- entered UK on Thai or UK passport passport

-- left UK on Thai or UK passport

-- entered Thailand on UK passport

-- leave Thailand on Thai passport --> not possible because no entry stamp after the previous departure stamp.

--

Maestro

Thanks Maestro for that. Its fiendishly difficult to get ones head around the possibilities you mention... i will have a think over the weekend to see if i can come up with any other scenarios that might work.

[dixonbm]

My Thai wife just became a US citizen. I understand that she should user her Thai passport to enter/exit Thailand, particularly when she wants to stay for over 30 days, and the US passport to re-enter the US.

If this is folllowed won't US customs have a problem with the absence of any stamps in the US passport?

Thanks for your input-

[Maestro]

Neither US customs nor US immigration will have any problem. Hundreds of dual nationals are entering and leaving the US this way every day.

--

Maestro