Dual Citizen

[beobob]

I have been in Thai for three 30 day stamps on US passport. Can i leave and then return on my Canadian passport? If so do I need to do anything special?

[Maizefarmer]

Its an old trick - guys have been doing it for years and years ......... so long as they do not draw the connection between the USA and Canadian passport (by way of same name and same DOB) you'll be fine.

Keep in mind that unlike the old airport, you are now photographed everytime you enter Thailand (at least through Bangkok) - so all they have to do (if any question is raised), is call up the photo.

Come in through Phuket or Chang Mai - its a lot more discreete and low profile.

Not that I care much what others do, the question that comes to mind is why don't you just get affairs in order and do things properly - then you'll not have to worry about rule bending. I don;t know a country in South East Asia that has so many different visa types and viriations on entry conditions for foreigners/ex-pats - if one can't identify with one or other of the options avaliable then, really, have they any business to be in Thailand in the first place.

[beobob]

Its an old trick - guys have been doing it for years and years ......... so long as they do not draw the connection between the USA and Canadian passport (by way of same name and same DOB) you'll be fine.

Keep in mind that unlike the old airport, you are now photographed everytime you enter Thailand (at least through Bangkok) - so all they have to do (if any question is raised), is call up the photo.

Come in through Phuket or Chang Mai - its a lot more discreete and low profile.

Not that I care much what others do, the question that comes to mind is why don't you just get affairs in order and do things properly - then you'll not have to worry about rule bending. I don;t know a country in South East Asia that has so many different visa types and viriations on entry conditions for foreigners/ex-pats - if one can't identify with one or other of the options avaliable then, really, have they any business to be in Thailand in the first place.

Yes, that was the plan but I waited until last stamp, then immediatly got into a moto accident that put me out of action. So I figured I would go out and come back in on different passport, and was told should be no problem if done by air.

Flew into Lao from CM, but they would not accept Canadian passport at Luan Proban airport.

So now am trying to figure out another way back in.

My Canadian passport has no stamps in it.

Can I apply for retirement visa from Lao? I thought not.

So am considering flying to Cambodia or other SEA country to get stamp in my Canadian PP, then fly back to Thai

Comments are appreciated , already have a bank acct./ address in Thai.

[ubonjoe]

Why not go to Vientiane and get a tourist visa at the Thai consulate there.

You can also get a single entry non-o there if over 50.

Unless you plan on getting a one year extension for retirement a 2 entry tourist visa is better since you would not have to get another visa for about 6 months.

[beobob]

Why not go to Vientiane and get a tourist visa at the Thai consulate there.

You can also get a single entry non-o there if over 50.

Unless you plan on getting a one year extension for retirement a 2 entry tourist visa is better since you would not have to get another visa for about 6 months.

Thanks ubon joe, am in Vientiane now

Can a 2 entry tourist visa be done on a US passport that has three stamps within last 6 months? I thought maybe not.

My Canadian passport has not been used yet, has no stamps from anybody.

Am willing to get either type of visa, and want to convert to type O retirement when I get into Thai again. but if i can get a tourist visa it will be easier, as my birth certificate etc, is in Chiang Mai.

[ubonjoe]

No problem getting a tourist visa. Your previous entries do not matter.

You can get the non-o with just your passport. A birth certificate is not required. Your passport shows your date of birth.

Go for the non-o it will make it much easier to get your retirement extension when you get back.

[agord]

I have been in Thai for three 30 day stamps on US passport. Can i leave and then return on my Canadian passport? If so do I need to do anything special?

Yes you can from my experience, don't get your passports mixed up though haha once handed the wrong one to an officer while leaving and was wondering why he was so puzzled while flipping through the pages. You have no entry stamp to Thailand!!! Whoops

[astral]

I have been in Thai for three 30 day stamps on US passport. Can i leave and then return on my Canadian passport? If so do I need to do anything special?

I see not problem, as long as you fly.

The change cannot be done at a land border as the country you are entering will check for

and exit stamp from the one you left.

Although Thailand is photographing people entering the country I seriously doubt that they

have a computer system powerful enough to allow instant recall of previous photos at the immigration desk.

I would think the system is for slower retrieval when a person is arrested or suspected of a serious crime.

[beobob]

I have been in Thai for three 30 day stamps on US passport. Can i leave and then return on my Canadian passport? If so do I need to do anything special?

I see not problem, as long as you fly.

The change cannot be done at a land border as the country you are entering will check for

and exit stamp from the one you left.

Although Thailand is photographing people entering the country I seriously doubt that they

have a computer system powerful enough to allow instant recall of previous photos at the immigration desk.

I would think the system is for slower retrieval when a person is arrested or suspected of a serious crime.

Thanks Joe and Astral,

I will go to Thai Embassy Vientiene tomorrow morning and apply for a 2 month tourist visa on my US pp. (but I thought you could only stay 3 months out of 6 as a tourist?). Single entry non- O over fifty i think requires documentation (which is back in chiang mai0. I have three stamps from august thru oct 08.

If for some reason it does not work I will try to fly into Thailand on my Canadian passport altho I am pretty sure Lao immigraton will stamp my US passport out. When I landed in Lao at Luang Praban using Canadian passport, Lao immigration asked me if I had another passport, took my US passport and stamped it into Lao.

[ubonjoe]

That is only for 30 day visa exempt entries it does not apply to any entry with a visa.

At least try to get the non-o. I don't think you will have any problem it is not the same as applying for a retirement visa extension here.

[beobob]

That is only for 30 day visa exempt entries it does not apply to any entry with a visa.

At least try to get the non-o. I don't think you have any problem it is not the same as applying for a retirement visa extension here.

Thanjs Joe,

I will do just that.

When i was at the embassy this afternoon, it was had a long long line of African folks looking to pick up visas and I did not get to speak to anyone about the forms i need to submit for a visa tomorrow morning (8:30-12:000 submit 13:00 -16:30 pickup next day). Is there a list of forms by visa type on this site (or other) that can be downloaded so i can go in prepared tomorrow? Saw some forms here but not sure which are required. And, thanks in advance.

[ubonjoe]

That is only for 30 day visa exempt entries it does not apply to any entry with a visa.

At least try to get the non-o. I don't think you have any problem it is not the same as applying for a retirement visa extension here.

Thanjs Joe,

I will do just that.

When i was at the embassy this afternoon, it was had a long long line of African folks looking to pick up visas and I did not get to speak to anyone about the forms i need to submit for a visa tomorrow morning (8:30-12:000 submit 13:00 -16:30 pickup next day). Is there a list of forms by visa type on this site (or other) that can be downloaded so i can go in prepared tomorrow? Saw some forms here but not sure which are required. And, thanks in advance.

Link to visa form its the same for both types of visa.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/img/visa.pdf

Be sure and take a copy of your passport photo page that and the required photos is all you will need.

[UmpaLumpa]

I have been in Thai for three 30 day stamps on US passport. Can i leave and then return on my Canadian passport? If so do I need to do anything special?

I see not problem, as long as you fly.

The change cannot be done at a land border as the country you are entering will check for

and exit stamp from the one you left.

Although Thailand is photographing people entering the country I seriously doubt that they

have a computer system powerful enough to allow instant recall of previous photos at the immigration desk.

I would think the system is for slower retrieval when a person is arrested or suspected of a serious crime.

was waiting for my friend,and saw an 'instant recall' showing his picture from the year before. it was immediate, and surprising.

[astral]

When applying for a Thai visa is best to enter the country on the passport that you want the visa sticker in.

Otherwise the Thai Embassy may ask why you do not have a valid stamp for the country were you are applying.

I had this problem in Penang many years ago.

I had to show them my other passport, then I received he visa.

[Maizefarmer]

I have been in Thai for three 30 day stamps on US passport. Can i leave and then return on my Canadian passport? If so do I need to do anything special?

I see not problem, as long as you fly.

The change cannot be done at a land border as the country you are entering will check for

and exit stamp from the one you left.

Although Thailand is photographing people entering the country I seriously doubt that they

have a computer system powerful enough to allow instant recall of previous photos at the immigration desk.

I would think the system is for slower retrieval when a person is arrested or suspected of a serious crime.

They most certainly can - its the exact same system as used in the USA: its not against so-called facial recognition - its against name and/or date of birth i.e. index the name and date of birth (meaning: enter that as the database search criteria) and the software will retrieve all previous records associated with that name and/or DOB - that takes a matter of seconds. One could do it with a home PC. Facial recognition processing? mmmmmm - probably not.

[beobob]

When applying for a Thai visa is best to enter the country on the passport that you want the visa sticker in.

Otherwise the Thai Embassy may ask why you do not have a valid stamp for the country were you are applying.

I had this problem in Penang many years ago.

I had to show them my other passport, then I received he visa.

Thanks Astral,

This morning i went to Thai Vientiane embassy and applied for visa (tourist, as they asked me for bank acct. info for type O, which is back in Chiang Mai so could not go for non-imm.) using my canadian pp which has no stamps in it. Tomorrow ( when i go to pick up visa) I will find out if they have a problem with that. Long line this morning and was glad I had got info from you Joe and others, here before i went. Got there 45 mins. before they opened, were 30 people ahead of me. made it out in 2 hours after they opened, later arrivals... much more time. i imagine i will have some delay.

[beobob]

When applying for a Thai visa is best to enter the country on the passport that you want the visa sticker in.

Otherwise the Thai Embassy may ask why you do not have a valid stamp for the country were you are applying.

I had this problem in Penang many years ago.

I had to show them my other passport, then I received he visa.

Thanks Astral,

This morning i went to Thai Vientiane embassy and applied for visa (tourist, as they asked me for bank acct. info for type O, which is back in Chiang Mai so could not go for non-imm.) using my canadian pp which has no stamps in it. Tomorrow ( when i go to pick up visa) I will find out if they have a problem with that. Long line this morning and was glad I had got info from you Joe and others, here before i went. Got there 45 mins. before they opened, were 30 people ahead of me. made it out in 2 hours after they opened, later arrivals... much more time. i imagine i will have some delay.

on another front, what do you think? Will I have to fly to bkk, if i get my canadian passport stamped for visa, as it will not have any lao stamps in it and may raise question if travelling by land thru nong kai

[astral]

on another front, what do you think? Will I have to fly to bkk, if i get my canadian passport stamped for visa, as it will not have any lao stamps in it and may raise question if travelling by land thru nong kai

Yes, you must fly in, but not necessarily to Bangkok,

if you are changing passports en route.

You CANNOT change passports on the land border.

[beobob]

on another front, what do you think? Will I have to fly to bkk, if i get my canadian passport stamped for visa, as it will not have any lao stamps in it and may raise question if travelling by land thru nong kai

Yes, you must fly in, but not necessarily to Bangkok,

if you are changing passports en route.

You CANNOT change passports on the land border.

Thanks Astral,

I am back in Chiang Mai now. I missed your last post before I left Vientiane. Showed them US PP at Thai embassy in Lao as your previous post mentioned and got the Thai visa put in Candian PP, then.......... CANNOT, was just what I got told when I arrived at the Thai border at Nong Khai. But the official in the booth had already stamped the tourist visa stamp as used, and had not yet put in the triangular stamp ( with exit date) in when he saw that my canadian passport did not have a Lao exit stamp.... Then the adventure began......I was shuttled off to the office where the OIC told me I could not enter because my canadian passport did not have a Lao exit stamp (when I flew into Luang Proban, Lao immigration took both my passports and stamped the US.) I explained that my US passort pages where almost used up and I wanted to enter as a Canadian (pretty please!). No go... said I must go back to Lao and get a stamp in my Canadian passport, otherwise they would not know where I cam from. ( I politely declined to mention that I've had immigration officials all over the world make notes into my passports). I explained that at the embassy I had asked if I could enter Lao on my Canadian passport and had been told yes .....No go....So off I went across the friendship bridge back to Lao to see if they would stamp my Canadian passport...no way Jose!... it took four bridge crossings....thought maybe I was going to have to toss my bags off the bridge into the MeaKlong and swim after them to get into Thai . But in the end the Thai chief relented, and with a stern warning let me come in. I think in part because they had already stamped my pp part way in, but I don't really know, (maybe it the deferential Canadian way, hahaha).

One interesting observation I made was that there were obviously many bribes being proferred and accepted in the Thai back office. Don't know what they where for (can't speak Thai yet) and all were made by Thai or Lao (by this time of night /almost morning, I was the only farang around). After the chief let me pass and I was grabbing my bags, I offered him a thousand note but he just waved it away, thankful I guess to be rid of the farong who couldn't go away.

So......it seems comical now... but this is a tale to back up the concept that the Thai at the land border and the Lao ( at the airport in Luang Proban too), get scrambled if you try to change passports between countries..... CANNOT... good operational term!!!

Thanks for all the responses from everyone, even negative. I had a little adventure on this visa run which makes life a little more savory. And I now have 40 more pages of passport to use, dii maak maak!