Dual passports

[WalterTP]

My wife holds both US and Thai passports. I am a US citizen.

We plan to retire in Thailand this year. My questions are:

 1. Can she use the US passport to leave the US and then present the Thai passport at BKK ? What about returning to the USA at a later date, do you forsee any problems?

  2. Which type visa would be best for me ? I don't intend to work and the 800,000 baht in the bank would not be a problem.

[fester]

1. A Thai citizen with dual passports shall always use the Thai passport when entering and leaving Thailand. When she enter/leaves the US she shall use the US passport.

2. The best is to apply for a Non-Immigrant "O" visa in US, and then exstend it to one year at the Thai Immigartion in Bangkok. Have a look at this thread.

[Rinrada]

UK passport Dual Nationality information

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/

12. Does the law still allow people to have more than one nationality?

Yes, the law does let people have more than one nationality. But the law of your original country may not allow you to be a citizen of that country if you are a British citizen. You should check this with the authorities of the country concerned.

:cool:

[samran]

I should add that if you are crossing land borders in Asia, it is best to keep using the same passport.

I have tried swapping passports when crossing from Thailand to Malaysia, and then vice versa, and the immigration officials at these land borders hate it (being the officious bastards they are). They want to see the exit stamp from the country you have just left and will insist that you continue to use the same passport.

Flying in/out of BKK is a different story though. As other posts already have said, all you have to do is present the Thai passport when leaving and entering the Kingdom. Immigration officials dont look for the stamp for the country you have come from cause many places don't give exit stamps (eg UK and US).

[Rinrada]

No exit stamp just shows that u  come from the "Land of the Free"...

[DaveScott]

In response to Festers post - a further question with respect to my daughter who is only 3 months old, and holds Thai and British passports:

If the Thai passport is used to exit Thailand for travelling to England, is a Visa required?

[samran]

Dave,

This is what I do, having Thai/Australian citizenship when I leave Thailand to fly to OZ. The process should be the same when your daughter goes to the UK as both Australia and the UK have to same approach to dual nationality.

1) At check-in, I show the airline BOTH passports. This is because the airline needs to know if a person travelling will be allowed into the country they are flying to. The airline is liable to take the person back from where they came if they get deported from their final desitination (ie for having no valid entry visa). If only showed them my Thai passport at check-in, which has no visa for Australia (and Thai's need visa's to go anywhere, including the UK), they would never let me board the plane.

Nevertheless, I also show them the Thai passport so they know to give me a Thai immigration departure card which I fill in before I get to immigration. I fill in the Thai departure card stating that I am Thai.

2) When I get to Thai Immigration I only show my THAI passport which they stamp me out on.

3) When I get to OZ, I show my Australian Passport and they let me in. For your daughter, you will only have to flash her UK passport and they will let her in to Britain. No need to get the Thai passport out here.  

4) Comming back, the main thing to remember is to show the Thai passport to Thai immigration when re-entering the country. For the purposes of the arrival documentation, always state on the form that your Daughter is Thai.

I have followed this process a million times and have never had problems when leaving/entering Thailand by air.

From the UK side of things you shouldn't worry. Many of my mates have dual Australian/UK passports and only show their UK passport on arrival in the UK.

[samran]

Dave,

Sorry also should have directly answered your question. No, your daughter does not need a visa to enter the UK.

The thing to remember is that holding a passport for the UK means that you have the right to enter, leave and live there for as long as you like. It is your right as a citizen. Hence your daughter doesn't need a visa, as her UK passport is enough to let her in.

Cheers

[DaveScott]

Thanks for your helpful reply, K.Samran.

Your first answer was fine. As you say, the Visa is not required when entering the UK with a British passport. I was basically worried about the Visa confirmations made at the Thai end - usually, my wife's passport is checked very carefully for this at passport control.