Thai/american Dual Passports/shippping/length Of Stay Issues

[cyberbillny]

Hi guys, I have a couple questions, please help share your knowledge if you can. I'd apppreciate it, thank you very much.

• Question 1) Dual Passport procedure....Please help confirm that the following is the accepted procedure.
  

When I travel from New York to Bangkok I should....

For the Outbound flight at New York Airport

- At the Airline check-in counter, presents Thai passport because they will put this info on passenger manifest, which should coincide with the Thai passport that I will use when enter Bangkok.

- At any Immigration checkpoint in New York Airport, present my American passport, because I should always use American passport when entering or leaving USA.

When I arrive in Bangkok I should.....

- Present my Thai passport to Thai immigration checkpoint.

For the Outbound flight at Bangkok Airport

- At the Airline check-in counter, presents USA passport because they will put this info on passenger manifest and the Airline also needs to know that I have the required document to enter the USA.

- At Immigration checkpoint in Bangkok Airport, present my Thai passport, because I should always use the same passport when entering or leaving any country.

When I arrive back in USA I should.....

- Present my American passport to US immigration checkpoint to re-enter the USA.

• Question 2) I have previously travelled to Thailand and entered with Americas passport numerous times in the past, will this matter if I will now enter Bangkok with Thai passport this time? Also, I will likely use one-way ticket (New York-Bangkok) this time, will this change the passport procedure mentioned above?
  
  

• Question 3) Long Stay in Bangkok Is a Problem for US Citizenship Status?
  

Due to the current recession, I plan to try out my luck in Bangkok. If things works well, I may end up staying in Bangkok for a long period of time (more than a few years).

- Will my long stay in Bangkok present any threat to my US citizenship?

- Will this raise question/problem from the US immigration officer when I finally moved back to New York, may be 5 years from now?

- I also hear that I need to file my US tax return every year while living abroad, even when I probably do not owe any tax since any income will be foreign income, is this what I should do?

- Do I need to report myself to the US consulate in Bangkok at any point (other than to renew my passport)?

• Question 4) Shipping of personal belongings and Thai Customs
  

I will ship my personal belongings in container shipment back to Bangkok. I presume that the Thai custom officer will release my belongings without any tax imposed, simply becuase, I have never used my Thai passport to travel to Thailand in the recent past, as such it would appear in my Thai passport that I have been living abroad for a very long time and I am qualified for shipment of these personal belonging without tax. Is this a correct presumption?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge on here!

[chatette]

Hi, Q1: correct on all points. Q2: No and no. Q3: no, no, yes and no. Q4: correct, altho there is a six month limitation on arrival and tax free entry of personal goods, altho you should confirm this with your shipping agent.

Good move!

[samran]

just in regards to shipping:

1) Make sure you are using a shipping company who is going to deliver door to door to you. Cuts out you having to deal with customs at all.

2) the shipping company WILL have to submit your passport showing that you have clearly spent a year outside of Thailand...ie more than a year between your last departure stamp (in thai PP) and when you re-entered Thailand (been through that process myself). A small stamp will be put in your Thai PP stating you have utlised your duty free privilige.

When arriving in Thailand, if you are arriving on a newly issued Thai PP (say from the embassy) make sure (if you can) have the old one you left Thailand on - even if its expired. No big deal if you don't have it though, they sometimes ask for it (my younger sister just entered Thailand for the first time in 20 years on her Thai PP!). So it helps to have old thai passport showing when you last left Thailand (as proof of being away at least a year!!)

Also, when departing Thailand on your Thai passport, make sure you ask the airline check in for a departure card to fill in.

Edited February 6, 2009 by samran

[Mario2008]

At airline check in always present both passports, that way they can determine that you don't need a visa for either country and for their records you will travel on the same passport.

[cyberbillny]

Dear Chalette, Samran, and Mario2008....Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This website reminds me of the courtesy of Thai people, feel like moving there already

[thaihome]

Note, there is no departure immigration when leaving the US, therefore you should show your US passport to the airline check-in as the USCIS use that data. If you are traveling on a one-way ticket they may ask you for a visa, at that point show them the Thai passport.

When leaving Thailand, show the Thai passport and if they ask for a visa (and they will) show them the US passport.

The personal belonging issue has been dealt with, so no further input from me on that.

TH

Edited February 10, 2009 by thaihome