Two Passports

[ChiangMaiThai]

A friend of mine (Thai National) has a UK Passport and a Thai passport. He entered the country from UK on the British passport a few months ago and was given 30 days. He is still here. Is he now on overstay (as a Thai national in his own country???) or when it comes time to go back to the UK, does he simply leave with his Thai passport? What happens if he enters thereafter with his British passport? Will they want to know where the exit stamp is from the last trip out of Thailand?

Thanks for any info!

[Moonrakers]

I was at immigration today and met an English lad with dual nationality, holding both British and Thai passports. It seemed as though despite being Thai, he has to abide by the same visa requirements as the rest of us foreigners and could use only his British passport to enter or leave the country.

He is even still legible to be called up to the Thai Army, what kind of visa would he require then if he is called up? A conscript on a tourist visa? I found the whole thing quite bizarre.

[opalhort]

The safest thing to do would be to leave on his UK PP and pay the overstay fine. This would clear his name of overstay in the IMM database.

On return to Thailand enter only with the Thai PP.

He could probably leave Thailand on his Thai PP without problems but his name would remain on overstay as a UK Passport holder in the database and you never know how IMM will handle long overstays in the future.

[p_brownstone]

I was at immigration today and met an English lad with dual nationality, holding both British and Thai passports. It seemed as though despite being Thai, he has to abide by the same visa requirements as the rest of us foreigners and could use only his British passport to enter or leave the country.

He is even still legible to be called up to the Thai Army, what kind of visa would he require then if he is called up? A conscript on a tourist visa? I found the whole thing quite bizarre.

He seems to be a very uninformed "lad" - perhaps it was his first attempt to travel out of Thailand?

Why was he at Immigration at al? If he has a Thai Passport he should have entered Thailand using that Passport - like any other Thai Citizen - and has no need to involve Thai Immigration at all.

As for the issue of National Service - why is it "bizarre" for a Thai Citizen to be legible (not "eligible" by the way) to the laws of his own Nation?

Patrick

[Lite Beer]

He entered with his UK Passport and needs to leave with that. Pay the overstay fine.

He should have entered with his Thai Passport.

[RabC]

I was at immigration today and met an English lad with dual nationality, holding both British and Thai passports. It seemed as though despite being Thai, he has to abide by the same visa requirements as the rest of us foreigners and could use only his British passport to enter or leave the country.

He is even still legible to be called up to the Thai Army, what kind of visa would he require then if he is called up? A conscript on a tourist visa? I found the whole thing quite bizarre.

He seems to be a very uninformed "lad" - perhaps it was his first attempt to travel out of Thailand?

Why was he at Immigration at al? If he has a Thai Passport he should have entered Thailand using that Passport - like any other Thai Citizen - and has no need to involve Thai Immigration at all.

As for the issue of National Service - why is it "bizarre" for a Thai Citizen to be legible (not "eligible" by the way) to the laws of his own Nation?

Patrick

By the way the word you are after is liable for National Service. Legible means readable/clear/comprehensible................. Guessing you're a non English person attempting English.

[Moonrakers]

Ahhhhh, the grammar Nazi's are about, because picking up on a mistake really makes you look cool and dead clever.

And Patrick, the lad was told he had to use his British passport to enter. Why? I just don't know!

[lopburi3]

Likely he was told that because his Thai passport was not used for his last exit so did not contact an arrival/departure card (Thai fill it out on departure). He could have appealed to a supervisor and likely have been allowed entry with it. As a Thai it is his right.

[PoorSucker]

Conscription only happens if he's on a Thai house book (Thabien bahn)

[shaunoro]

Grammar police i hate like nicotine Nazis.

No need for it as the poster may not be a native English speaker.

But the OP does seem to be trolling.

[ChiangMaiThai]

Grammar police i hate like nicotine Nazis.

No need for it as the poster may not be a native English speaker.

But the OP does seem to be trolling.

Yeah, this is what I do in my spare time - make up immigration related stories and post them on public forums. Fun fun!

[samran]

If a Thai citizen enters Thailand on a foreign passport, he/she is subject to Thai immigration rules - simple as that.

Your friend should exit Thailand on the British passport, say on a day trip to Singapore. Change planes and fly back and enter on the Thai passport.

Doing the passport swap is only possible when flying. It is not possible at land borders, where immigration officals will require a 'stamp trail' on both sides of the border in the same passport.

This does not happen when one flies - mainly due to the fact that many countries don't stamp out people when they travel (UK and US to name a couple).

[ChiangMaiThai]

In the end, friend had to pay 10,000 Baht overstay fine. So yes, a Thai can be on overstay in his own country. There's one for your next trivia night.

[Richard4849]

In the end, friend had to pay 10,000 Baht overstay fine. So yes, a Thai can be on overstay in his own country. There's one for your next trivia night.

Why is it so surprising? He came in as a Brit, so his stay is governed as a Brit. Why he would do that is a big mystery.