Thai & American Passport

[golf1here]

Can anyone give me some insite here? I spoke with my buddy last night who just moved to Thailand (retired). His wife just recieved her US citizenship before they left. I told him what he ought to do is when they leave the uS show her Thai passport ,when she arrives in Thailand show her Thai passport. However he was told by a neighbor over there that when she goes to leave Thailand back to the US, (say for a visit) if she had been in Thailand for more than 30 days the immagration officer or maybe the the airline clerk is required to call it to thier supervisors attention. Now I don't know how he ended up letting them know about the US passport but he was told because she has a US passport she now is a US citizen and no longer a Thai citizen. So apparently she will now have to get some sort of visa to stay there. Is there anyone living in LOS now who's wife has a foreign passport that can give me some insite as to the validity of this. I am planning on retiring there for 6 months a year in about 5 years and my wife has now a US citizenship. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

This was a response I got on another forum. Can anyone add anything? Thanks

My wife informs me that she has been reading on some Thai message board that some people have started having problems with their dual passports at Thai immigration when leaving Thailand.

As I understand it, when checking in with the airline staff they show their US passport (so that the airline knows they will be allowed to enter the USA). The airline passes the names and passport numbers on to Thai immigration. Then when the people present their Thai passport to the immigration official there's a conflict.

[ubonjoe]

A Thai can have dual nationality. Thai's come and go every day using two passports.

I think what you are hearing is a rumor and is not factual.

The process is leave the US showing both passports at airline check in if asked for. The US wold be to show that she is in the US legally. The Thai passport to show she does not need a visa. Put the US passport away after that.

Enter Thailand showing only the Thai passport. The mistake people make is showing both passports and that gets immigration confused.

When she leaves show both passports at check in. The US to prove she can enter the US the Thai one to show she was legal here. Put the US passport away again. Then show only the Thai passport when going through immigration.

Then use the US passport to enter the US.

[skipvice]

My wife has US citizenship and a thai passport also, we traveled just as ubonjoe said with no problems.

[7by7]

On leaving Thailand last week, my wife showed her Thai passport to Thai passport control. The official asked her why it did not have a UK visa in it (it was a new one obtained while she was there). She told him she had dual Thai/British nationality and showed him her British passport. No problem.

Whether or not she would be allowed into the UK was, of course, not Thai immigration's concern (she had already shown both passports to the airline at check in), but I guess he was trying to be helpful; or just nosey!