Can My Wife'S Thai Passport Be Cancelled If She Has Dual Nationality?

[roquefort]

My wife has both Thai and UK passports. She always travels to and from Thailand on her Thai passport but on this trip she took the wrong passport with her so she had to use her UK passport to get in to Thailand. At the airport she was told by immigration that she can no longer use her Thai passport.

We have always thought that Thai law was unclear on whether Thai citizens can have dual nationality. Does anyone have experience of this and what could be the consequences e.g. can her Thai passport be cancelled? Does this mean she is no longer considered a Thai citizen?

[Rayongy]

No, the immigration Officer is full of shit.

Nationalism is a dirty word sometimes.....

[samran]

she can have both. Thai law has no problems with a Thai person taking up the nationality of the spouse, while retaining Thai nationality. A Thai person only loses their Thai citizenship if they voluntarily chose to renounce citizenship themselves.

What the immigration officer and the 'validity' of their comment really depends on the context they meant it.

As said, there is no problem for using the Thai passport on future trips. If the officer meant she can never use her Thai passport ever again, then that statement is plainly false and misleading.

BUT.

For this trip, given she entered Thailand on her UK passport, she must use it to exit Thailand with her UK passport. She can't 'swap' the passport usage while in Thailand. Perhaps this is what the immigratoin officer may have meant.

[roquefort]

Thanks Samran, that's reassured me.

I was starting to have visions of her having to apply for a visa to stay in her own country!

[BlueScouse]

As she is in as a British citizen,if she overstays she will have to pay a fine when leaving.

[roquefort]

As she is in as a British citizen,if she overstays she will have to pay a fine when leaving.

No problem there, we're only staying for 3 weeks.

[mrgreg]

she can have both. Thai law has no problems with a Thai person taking up the nationality of the spouse, while retaining Thai nationality. A Thai person only loses their Thai citizenship if they voluntarily chose to renounce citizenship themselves.

What the immigration officer and the 'validity' of their comment really depends on the context they meant it.

As said, there is no problem for using the Thai passport on future trips. If the officer meant she can never use her Thai passport ever again, then that statement is plainly false and misleading.

BUT.

For this trip, given she entered Thailand on her UK passport, she must use it to exit Thailand with her UK passport. She can't 'swap' the passport usage while in Thailand. Perhaps this is what the immigratoin officer may have meant.

What about acquiring Thai nationality as a second nationality? For instance, I have always heard that "Luk Krueng" are never given the Thai nationality if they already have the other one... Anyone can confirm?

[Lannatyne]

she can have both. Thai law has no problems with a Thai person taking up the nationality of the spouse, while retaining Thai nationality. A Thai person only loses their Thai citizenship if they voluntarily chose to renounce citizenship themselves.

What the immigration officer and the 'validity' of their comment really depends on the context they meant it.

As said, there is no problem for using the Thai passport on future trips. If the officer meant she can never use her Thai passport ever again, then that statement is plainly false and misleading.

BUT.

For this trip, given she entered Thailand on her UK passport, she must use it to exit Thailand with her UK passport. She can't 'swap' the passport usage while in Thailand. Perhaps this is what the immigratoin officer may have meant.

What about acquiring Thai nationality as a second nationality? For instance, I have always heard that "Luk Krueng" are never given the Thai nationality if they already have the other one... Anyone can confirm?

In my experience, absolutely not a problem. Our daughter was born in UK, so from me and place of birth she got UK nationality immediately.

2 months after birth, we took her to the Thai Embassy in London to have the birth registered there, and to obtain her Thai nationality and Thai passport.

She's now a 50/50 Luk Krueng with dual nationality. Like Mum, (who acquired her UK nationality by residence) whenever we're in Thailand, or SE Asia, they're both Thai. As soon as we go somewhere else, then they're Brits.

[samran]

she can have both. Thai law has no problems with a Thai person taking up the nationality of the spouse, while retaining Thai nationality. A Thai person only loses their Thai citizenship if they voluntarily chose to renounce citizenship themselves.

What the immigration officer and the 'validity' of their comment really depends on the context they meant it.

As said, there is no problem for using the Thai passport on future trips. If the officer meant she can never use her Thai passport ever again, then that statement is plainly false and misleading.

BUT.

For this trip, given she entered Thailand on her UK passport, she must use it to exit Thailand with her UK passport. She can't 'swap' the passport usage while in Thailand. Perhaps this is what the immigratoin officer may have meant.

What about acquiring Thai nationality as a second nationality? For instance, I have always heard that "Luk Krueng" are never given the Thai nationality if they already have the other one... Anyone can confirm?

Any child born to a thai parent is automatically a Thai citizen, regardless of the location of the childs birth.

The child doesn't go out to voluntarily 'aquire' anything, and they can keep all citizenships they are entitled to. My daughters have three citizenships Thai/NZ/Australian - aquired at birth.

Edited November 24, 2010 by samran

[Mario2008]

Some countries do have problems with dual nationality, and if you have another nationality you will lose their nationality. I believe Singapore is one such country where you have to chose or lose your Singaporean nationality.

Thailand does not has such provision, so you keep Thai nationality. But if you keep the other nationalities depends on the law of the other country.

[jombom]

Thanks Samran, that's reassured me.

I was starting to have visions of her having to apply for a visa to stay in her own country!

I wonder how the immigration officer even knew she had a Thai passport.

[roquefort]

Thanks Samran, that's reassured me.

I was starting to have visions of her having to apply for a visa to stay in her own country!

I wonder how the immigration officer even knew she had a Thai passport.

Because last time she left Thailand on her Thai passport and the departure card is in the system.

This must be flagged up when they enter her name.

[samran]

Thanks Samran, that's reassured me.

I was starting to have visions of her having to apply for a visa to stay in her own country!

I wonder how the immigration officer even knew she had a Thai passport.

Because last time she left Thailand on her Thai passport and the departure card is in the system.

This must be flagged up when they enter her name.

So what happened? She left on her thai passport, then upon return did she use the UK passport and showed the arrival card which was originally stapled into her Thai passport? That is the only way they would have known 'from the computer' as the reg. numbers on the departure card would have matched up.

Or did she use a totally new arrival card?

[roquefort]

Thanks Samran, that's reassured me.

I was starting to have visions of her having to apply for a visa to stay in her own country!

I wonder how the immigration officer even knew she had a Thai passport.

Because last time she left Thailand on her Thai passport and the departure card is in the system.

This must be flagged up when they enter her name.

So what happened? She left on her thai passport, then upon return did she use the UK passport and showed the arrival card which was originally stapled into her Thai passport? That is the only way they would have known 'from the computer' as the reg. numbers on the departure card would have matched up.

Or did she use a totally new arrival card?

New arrival card.

I think they must have matched her on the name, or maybe they now link those cameras to some sophisticated face recognition technology.

[wileycoyote]

I agree with Samran+lannatyne.

No problems