Passport By Mail To Thailand

[gusti]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if its ok to have a passport sent to you, to a Thai address, with a Thai Visa in it? Reason being that I am applying in Europe for a visa and have to wait like a week and am unable to wait, have to be in BKK on Friday... Ihave another passport (dual natuanality) and can use that one to enter thailand on Friday.

So do you think customs will have a problems with it?

Best,

Gusti

[loong]

So do you think customs will have a problems with it?

If they know about it YES.

Personally, I think you would have to be a fool to try this. If customs intercepted it, you could well find visa cancelled and no hope of a new one.

This is not knowledge, just an opinion.

[Maestro]

Does anyone know if its ok to have a passport sent to you, to a Thai address, with a Thai Visa in it?  Reason being that I am applying in Europe for a visa and have to wait like a week and am unable to wait, have to be in BKK on Friday...  Ihave another passport (dual natuanality) and can use that one to enter thailand on Friday.

You seem to be a little confused about the function of a visa.

The visa serves to grant you permission for a certain period of stay in Thailand after arrival in Thailand. This permission to stay is not indicated in the visa itself: it is stamped into your passport upon presentation of your visa at the immigration desk at your point of entry.

Therefore, if your visa is in passport A and you enter Thailand with passport B, that visa in passport A (mailed to you by registered letter to Thailand, for which mailing I see no problem) will be of absolutely no use to you at all, unless of course you leave Thailand again with passport B an re-enter Thailand with passport A, within the validity of the visa (“must be utilized until” date on your visa)

All clear?

[sua yai]

Another possible problem would be that if you went, say, to Malaysia and came back into Thailand to activate your visa in passport A, the authorities there are going to see that the visa was issued in the UK, so where's your entry stamp into Malaysia?

[ProThaiExpat]

With the entry computer databases in place, using one passport upon one entry and another passport at another entry may raise some "red flags" in this day of anti-terrorism and may cause you to be detained for further investigation and explanation as to why your using different passports each time. Perhaps the detention will be short lived if your really a "vaanilla traveler" and then again it may not.

Edited August 30, 2005 by ProThaiExpat

[simcity]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if its ok to have a passport sent to you, to a Thai address, with a Thai Visa in it?  Reason being that I am applying in Europe for a visa and have to wait like a week and am unable to wait, have to be in BKK on Friday...  Ihave another passport (dual natuanality) and can use that one to enter thailand on Friday.

So do you think customs will have a problems with it?

Best,

Gusti

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you live after one month ( said to Singapore ) with your old visa ( it is like you living the country ) and reenter Thailand with your new visa passport , i do not see a problem .

i have dual citizen too , and juggle between two passports , i got 1 year O visa in Australia put in my French passport , I send my French passport to then will I was traveling with my Australian .

but perhaps i am wrong ?

once i left thailand with my australian passport , went to vietnam , apply for 2*2 months tourist visa and reenter thailand with the french passport .

Edited August 30, 2005 by simcity

[Maestro]

With the entry computer databases in place, using one passport upon one entry and another passport at another entry may raise some "red flags" in this day of anti-terrorism

You're right. That's one point I didn't consider…

Another possible problem would be that if you went, say, to Malaysia and came back into Thailand to activate your visa in passport A, the authorities there are going to see that the visa was issued in the UK, so where's your entry stamp into Malaysia?

…nor this one. Thai immigration officials do indeed scrutinise passports very carefully and are quick to notice inconsistencies.

[8ball]

I would think that you are quite within your rights to leave one country on passport "A" and enter the next country on passport "b". If all is above board with your dual nationality and passports then there should not be a problem. If they ask any questions you have nothing to hide.

I would recommend getting your passport send to you in Thailand via DHL or some other courier.

You are not breaking any laws with this as you are legally entering thailand on your other legit passport. But you will as others have said have to leave thailand and re-enter on the passport with the thai visa.

I can't see a problem really. There was a post about this topic a few months before, some other guy had dual nationality like you and he wanted to post his passport to the uk whilst he remained in thailand on his other passport. Now there were a lot of different opinions regarding what he was doing was legal but he informed the consulate of his intentions and they seemed happy to do it.Do a search on this subject and see what come up, try "dual nationality".

Good luck and let us know what happens.

cheers 8ball.

[george]

The rules has changed:

- Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

Source: http://www.aranimmigration.com/eng/main.htm

You are not allowed to apply by mail/DHL if you are in Thailand, as I see it.

[Eric Davis]

Some Thai consulates will ONLY receive/process visa applications by POST.

[george]

Some Thai consulates will ONLY receive/process visa applications by POST.

Yes, via post within their jurisdiction. Not by post from Thailand.

[Eric Davis]

Correct,but a family member could always apply from that country and then resend the passport to Thailand via Courier.

[george]

Technically yes, but legally NO. (As I read it).

Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents.

[Eric Davis]

Another loophole.

[sua yai]

I always thought it was illegal anywhere in the world for your passport to cross an international boundary without the holder being in control of it.

There would be exceptions - ie new Brit passports go The Embassy, but aren't activated until the holder turns up etc.

As far as a "virgin" passport in this country is concerned, it surely must have an entry stamp - ie, you've arrived with it, or has been issued by an Embassy, UKPA etc in which case your previous travel documents will support your stay here.

It seems to me that the crux of the situation is that your visa has been issued in the UK, but obviously you've not done it yourself.

[syd barrett]

I legally hold two British passports, and regularly 'flip flop' them for my convenience. You can't really 'gain' much unless you have a passport couriered in by DHL; say from Hull, like a few of my friends used to do, a lot. Times have changed; stricter rules are in place. Personally I would not get one of my passports couriered in.

However it is helpful to have two passports, because pages fill quickly and it is useful to 'flip flop'. I have only been pulled once for having two passports; that was in the Philippines BEFORE 9/11 so maybe Manila computers are good. However on a British 2nd passport it says clearly 2 on the bottom near the barcode. So that indicates probable non-nefarious intent.

[gusti]

Just an update,

I got the passport today, not by mail, i waited for it... and thanks to all about the Dual natunality info, I've heard that its ok in Thailand but contryes like Malaysia will take one of your passports away if you enter carrying two passports. Is that correct?

Kind regards,

Gusti

[Micke]

It can be useful to have two passports if I have been to Israel, some Arab countries will not let me in with an Israeli stamp. At least it was like this in former times. And in Sweden, for example, no questions will be asked if you are applying for a second passport.

Regarding sending your second passport to a European country because it is more easy to get a non immigrant multiple over there, read more here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=38086

I have heard that it is not illegal, but maybe morally it is wrong. Anyway, a friend of mine tried it and it worked out just fine.

Regards,

Mike

[samran]

Just an update,

I got the passport today, not by mail, i waited for it... and thanks to all about the Dual natunality info, I've heard that its ok in Thailand but contryes like Malaysia will take one of your passports away if you enter carrying two passports.  Is that correct?

Kind regards,

Gusti

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Malaysia does not recognise the concept of dual nationality, for any nationality. You will be stamped in on the passport which you exited your last country on (been there, done that).

Nor will you have any luck doing the passport swap over any land border in southeast asia. Been there and done that too. So doing a visa run to poipet for instance to activate your visa in the second passport wont work, as Thailand will insist seeing the exit stamps from Cambodia and stamp you in on that passport.

[Rumpole]

A few years ago I also had two British passports (Arab/Israeli thing mentioned above), and had no problems switching between the two at the Thai-Malaysian land border. I also alternated between the two several times when flying into Don Muang. Not dual nationality of course, and things may be different now.

If land crossings are a problem, surely it would be fairly easy to fly to Singapore or Hong Kong, and then fly back again using the second passport? As a previous poster said, nothing illegal in that and most places are not as uptight about dual nationality as Malaysia appears to be.

Edited August 31, 2005 by Rumpole

[samran]

It depends on how nosey they are looking for PP stamps. From the sounds of things, they look for the exit stamps from most places, especially doing the border run to Cambodia. Otherwise, visa runs would be much cheaper for most people.

flying is the best way, as many OECD countries simply have scrapped exit controls or do not stamp on the way out, so immigration aren't as fussed looking for a stamp.

Edited August 31, 2005 by samran

[icecubes]

However on a British 2nd passport it says clearly 2 on the bottom near the barcode. So that indicates probable non-nefarious intent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That?s only relevant if you have a machine readable passport.

There is many people from the uk that don?t have the bar code

In there passports due to the British consulate in Bangkok not having the machine

working a few years ago. (Not sure how long it was for)

so people won?t know if you hold 1,2,3, or more passports.

In there situation by looking at it.

But like you said no problem to flip passports when you come in to Bangkok.

Have a nice day.

[astral]

The rules has changed:

- Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

Source: http://www.aranimmigration.com/eng/main.htm

You are not allowed to apply by mail/DHL if you are in Thailand, as I see it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Provided he was in the country of application at the time, I do not see that there should

be a problem.

He can activate the new visa by a quick out and in by aeroplane.

A land border will not work as they check visas for both sides.

For security I would use a reliable courier, like Fedx or DHL.

[astral]

I legally hold two British passports, and regularly 'flip flop' them for my convenience. You can't really 'gain' much unless you have a passport couriered in by DHL; say from Hull, like a few of my friends used to do, a lot. Times have changed; stricter rules are in place. Personally I would not get one of my passports couriered in.

However it is helpful to have two passports, because pages fill quickly and it is useful to 'flip flop'. I have only been pulled once for having two passports; that was in the Philippines BEFORE 9/11 so maybe Manila computers are good. However on a British 2nd passport it says clearly 2 on the bottom near the barcode. So that indicates probable non-nefarious intent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Both my UK passports have a 2 after the passport number in the bar code,

and an extra 8 at the end of the first line of the code.

However I have never had any problems flip flopping when required.

The Thai's have seen both passports together as well, with no adverse comment.

Once issued the second passport is renewable at the Embassy without comment either.

[icecubes]

Once issued the second passport is renewable at the Embassy without comment either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry mate not completely true.

They will question why you need a second passport and you will

need to prove why this is, Every time at any British consulate around

the world. As the circumstances why you had two in the first place

may well have changed.

Have a nice day.

[astral]

Once issued the second passport is renewable at the Embassy without comment either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry mate not completely true.

They will question why you need a second passport and you will

need to prove why this is, Every time at any British consulate around

the world. As the circumstances why you had two in the first place

may well have changed.

Have a nice day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well you had better tell that to the guys at Wireless Road.

They have renewed both my passports, without comment.

The first time I made a not on the application form and pointed it out to the clerk,

and was told it did not matter.

[icecubes]

Once issued the second passport is renewable at the Embassy without comment either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry mate not completely true.

They will question why you need a second passport and you will

need to prove why this is, Every time at any British consulate around

the world. As the circumstances why you had two in the first place

may well have changed.

Have a nice day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well you had better tell that to the guys at Wireless Road.

They have renewed both my passports, without comment.

The first time I made a not on the application form and pointed it out to the clerk,

and was told it did not matter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well seams we must have some double standards.

Because I did this 4 years ago in Bkk and they wanted proof from

my employer as to why I need the second passport.

Same at the Uk passport office London 18 months ago.

So when was the last time you did this?

Have a nice day

[LivinLOS]

I have this confirmed by the Brit embassy, and the Thai consulates, and the Thai immigration (verbally) that this is 100% legal and fine if you have 2 passport..

I recently did exactly this.. even applying for a visa inside of Thailand is fine you just have to be careful to use the passport with the correct entry and exit stamps to enter and exit on the same one.. quick flight to Sing and you can enter sing on the other one and return same day..

For all those that 'think' its not legal.. written correspondance with the people that make the rules have clearly stated to me that it IS legal.

I just did it and am happily here on my non imm O...

Edited September 4, 2005 by LivinLOS

[LivinLOS]

I always thought it was illegal anywhere in the world for your passport to cross an international boundary without the holder being in control of it.

There would be exceptions - ie new Brit passports go The Embassy, but aren't activated until the holder turns up etc.

As far as a "virgin" passport in this country is concerned, it surely must have an entry stamp - ie, you've arrived with it, or has been issued by an Embassy, UKPA etc in which case your previous travel documents will support your stay here.

It seems to me that the crux of the situation is that your visa has been issued in the UK, but obviously you've not done it yourself.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not true.. The whole purpose of having 2 passports is to keep one passport with you while another applies for a visa.. Theres no libyian embassy or consulate in Thailand.. I need a Libian visa.. I am intrusted to send my second passport to London or another area with a Libian consulate for the application.. FACT.

[LivinLOS]

Once issued the second passport is renewable at the Embassy without comment either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry mate not completely true.

They will question why you need a second passport and you will

need to prove why this is, Every time at any British consulate around

the world. As the circumstances why you had two in the first place

may well have changed.

Have a nice day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well you had better tell that to the guys at Wireless Road.

They have renewed both my passports, without comment.

The first time I made a not on the application form and pointed it out to the clerk,

and was told it did not matter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wireless Rd UK embassy is very easy with this.. If you already have 2 they do not seem to have any further need of checks etc but even for a first application the only check needed is a letter for ANY company saying that you may need to travel extensively and to please give a second passport for VISA applications.. You dont even need to be an employee of the company.. I had mine written to state that I was possibly, might do, maybe, going to do some consultancy work IF I had a second passport and if everything worked out..