Passport Swapping At Borders

[Tawai]

A good friend of mine has a problem:

She has British and Thai citizenship, but is in Thailand on her British PP.

Her visa, or extension of stay (not sure which one) is due on Feb. 12th.

Her British PP is only valid until May 2012 (less than 6 month- problem with flying).

She wants/has to travel to Europe this May.

Does anyone have a clue how she can make it possible to fly to Europe this May?

I thought of swapping PP, so she would be in Thailand with her Thai PP while she sends her British to Hongkong for renewal.

Living in Chiang Mai, so Mae Sai would be convenient, but I suppose PP swapping at land borders are not legal.

Any ideas how she can legally do this?

[Crossy]

You can't swap at a land crossing, the incoming immigration chaps want to see the exit stamp of the other country.

Why not fly to Malaysia using the Thai passport to enter and exit Malaysia and obviously to enter Thailand on return. My only reason for saying Malaysia is that I know Thais don't need a visa, any other country would do. She will likely have to show the check-in staff her Thai passport to show she has valid entry documents for the other country but should not show anything other than the UK passport to the immigration staff on exit.

[chris1970]

if she has thai citizenship would she have a problem with overstay in thailand anyway ?

she could leave thailand in may on her thai passport and show her u.k passport in uk and she should be allowed in.

only problem is she would be classed as on overstay with her u.k passport in thailand but there's no need for her to use u.k passport in thailand in the future.

maybe you should contact uk embassy and ask there advice .

[Mario2008]

A land swap from a foreign passpor to a Thai passport might be possible. In the end they cannot refuse entry to a Thai national using a Thai passport to enter.

Note that she can easily get an extension of stay in her UK passport on proof of Thai nationality and send the papers for a new passport to HK. (You don't send the passport itself, oly a copy. But the passport will no longer be valid) She would still have the UK passport and also her Thai ID/[passport which of courrse also can be used as means of ID.

The trip to Europe depends on where she is going, for the UK no minimum validity is required as she has a UK passport and canot be denied entry.

[lopburi3]

Extend her stay to expiration date in passport - make new passport and transfer stamps - exit to UK on new UK passport and return on Thai passport.

[Gone]

I'm just curious why she would have entered Thailand NOT using her Thai passport anyways? I know it's not my business but just curious.

[RubbaJohnny]

A friend here exits Thailand on Uk and enters on his Oz paspor regularly at same Mekong border they don't believ youcan have 2 until you show em

[Mario2008]

That might be, but immigration at other check-points do often check for the exit stamp of the country you are comming from to enter Thailand. If they can't find it they will ask questions and refuse you entry without one. They will send you back to get an exit stamp or you must enter on your passport wich has the exit stamp.

[bangkokburning]

From my experience, I do not think going from a foreign pp to a Thai pp at Poipet/Aran will be a problem. She will just plop her pp on the counter and be in Thailand in minutes.

I would never try it for myself (1pp) and I would never try to do the runner w/o getting stamped in-out of another country - but I recall only serious scrutiny on the Malay border @ Sadao. Flipping through the pages occassionally - but then again, that border is really easy just to turn around and not cross.

My 2 Baht

[Tawai]

Thanks for your replies here!

Some, especially Lopburi3 and Mario2008 gave spot on info.

I was thinking around the corner there - advise of Lopburi3 is most practicable and should win the game.

And to Gone - sometimes it is not easy to understand actions and decisions of others (PC said), but they still happen ......

[steve187]

lopburi3 is always spot on with advice.

A friend of mine tried to leave at a land crossing in, i think it was surin area, with a uk passport and to reenter with a thai passport, she asked advice before leaving and was told she could not do it.

[koosdeboer]

Show both passports when leaving and entering Thailand, that's what my wife and daughter always do. No problem.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[samran]

koosdeboer - presumably you are talking about airports, and showing your passports to airline checkin, not immigration.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Why do so many dual nationals choose to come into Thailand on their foreign passports? It's totally illogical, and only leads to problems such as this one.

[smedly]

That might be, but immigration at other check-points do often check for the exit stamp of the country you are comming from to enter Thailand. If they can't find it they will ask questions and refuse you entry without one. They will send you back to get an exit stamp or you must enter on your passport wich has the exit stamp.

I'm confused here, so she leaves thailand by exiting through a border with her UK passport and enters cambodia on her thai passport and leaves cambodia on her thai passport and enters thailand on her thai passport, if cabodia want to see an exit stamp she shows them her UK passport with the Thai exit stamp...............................I don't see anything wrong with this

[samran]

Smedly, for whatever reason, they prefer those stamps to be in the same passport, making the swapsy trick more challenging at land borders.

[submaniac]

Why do so many dual nationals choose to come into Thailand on their foreign passports? It's totally illogical, and only leads to problems such as this one.

Smedly, for whatever reason, they prefer those stamps to be in the same passport, making the swapsy trick more challenging at land borders.

As I dual pp holder, the problem is, well, Thai immigrations. They don't know what they are doing, and they don't necessarily know the law either. They make up the rules in their heads as they go along.

I had a previous Thai passport that expired. So I was issued a new Thai passport from the consulate in Los Angeles. It is virgin, without any stamps in it. I have tried to use the Thai passport on entry to Thailand. When I tried to enter on it, immigrations said that I could not enter on it because it did not have an exit stamp from Thailand. They said I could do it if I had my Thai national ID card which I did not have on me at the time because it was left at the house in Thailand. So I didn't use it coming in. I then tried to use it on exit. Immigrations asked if I had entered on it, and I said no, I had entered on the US passport. So they said since I entered on a US passport, I had to exit on a US passport and wouldn't stamp a departure on my Thai passport. I tried again entering in Thailand, with my Thai passport this time with my Thai national ID card. No go. They asked me if I had another passport. I said yes, I also have a US passport. Then immigrations told me that it was illegal to have both a US passport and a Thai passport and Thai national ID. Immigrations said that I should have to give up my Thai passport and Thai ID. Obviously I am not giving up these documents. So I just relented and entered on the US passport. I never had a problem like this before on my old Thai passport. It had stamps and everything. Thai immigrations is not helpful.

[samran]

Sub,

I actually suspect Thai immigration was asking for your old Thai passport. When I've re-entered Thailand on a virgin passport the want to see the old Thai passport. They'll then either stamp you in on the old one, or the new one.

Either way, as always, simply insist to speak to a superior and insist you be stamped in on the Thai PP. Other members of my family have been stamped in on their overseas issued virgin Thai PP's with no fuss, so as you imply there is no rhyme or reason.

[submaniac]

Samran, thank you for the reply. That might be the reason. Unfortunately, now I have to dig out where I put my old Thai passport.

[steve187]

Why do so many dual nationals choose to come into Thailand on their foreign passports? It's totally illogical, and only leads to problems such as this one.

I told my friend before she left the uk to come and retire in thailand, "you will need a new Thai passport to enter thailand" her reply " its my country and i know about passport" ok i said you know best ( knowing full well she didn't) now she is here on overstay on uk passport, she was getting extensions but got fed up going to immigration. A lot of Thais know everything!

[steve187]

That might be, but immigration at other check-points do often check for the exit stamp of the country you are comming from to enter Thailand. If they can't find it they will ask questions and refuse you entry without one. They will send you back to get an exit stamp or you must enter on your passport wich has the exit stamp.

I'm confused here, so she leaves thailand by exiting through a border with her UK passport and enters cambodia on her thai passport and leaves cambodia on her thai passport and enters thailand on her thai passport, if cabodia want to see an exit stamp she shows them her UK passport with the Thai exit stamp...............................I don't see anything wrong with this

no thai exit stamp in Thai passport

[phuketrichard]

You can't swap at a land crossing, the incoming immigration chaps want to see the exit stamp of the other country.

Why not fly to Malaysia using the Thai passport to enter and exit Malaysia and obviously to enter Thailand on return. My only reason for saying Malaysia is that I know Thais don't need a visa, any other country would do. She will likely have to show the check-in staff her Thai passport to show she has valid entry documents for the other country but should not show anything other than the UK passport to the immigration staff on exit.

Not true, You can swap. MY daughter has a Thai passport and us passport.

when she comes to Thailand she shows her Thai passport and leaves on her Thai passport, when she arrives in the next country she shows her us passport. She does show her us passport if she is going somewhere, that as a Thai would need a visa, but as a US citizen she would not.

AS far as her passport expiring GET a new one as it needs have 6 month on it.

[lopburi3]

That does not work at land crossings where they require you to have an exit stamp from the other country. For air travel that is not an issue.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

There is nothing dodgy here - just go to the Immigration office and ask their advice. It will most likely not be straightforward, so once you get a definitive reply, ask for it in writing to be shown to the Thai I.D. officials at the border crossing.

Also ask at the UK embassy for another POV if you like.

[thaikahuna]

You can't swap at a land crossing, the incoming immigration chaps want to see the exit stamp of the other country.

Why not fly to Malaysia using the Thai passport to enter and exit Malaysia and obviously to enter Thailand on return. My only reason for saying Malaysia is that I know Thais don't need a visa, any other country would do. She will likely have to show the check-in staff her Thai passport to show she has valid entry documents for the other country but should not show anything other than the UK passport to the immigration staff on exit.

In the past this has been an easy way for Thais to move freely around Thailand while holdiong dual citizenship. A friend's wife recently returned form the USA and tried to enter on her Thai Passport, was challenged and refused entry on her Thai Passport...no exit stamp from Thailand in her passport. This method was going to be done by the friend's son so he could stop doing his 90 day reports but after the mother got refused......

This is not a guaranteed slam dunk anymore.

[Arkady]

It is definitely not worth trying to swap passports at a land border. Some may be able to do it but usually it doesn't work. Personally I have had trouble trying to do this with two passports of the same nationality (to save space in the main one) going overland from Thailand to Laos and from China to Kyrgistan and many TV members have had similar experiences. When I flew from Bangkok to Luang Prabang I had no problem in swapping passports. It seems best for her to fly to a neighbouring country and return on the Thai passport.

Thai nationals entering Thailand on unstamped Thai passports should be advised to carry with them their old Thai passports, if they have them, and a copy of the Thai constitution which states in Section 36 thus: "No person of Thai nationality shall be deported or

prohibited from entering the Kingdom.". They should also carry a copy of the Nationality Act and, in the event that an immigration officer tries to argue that it is illegal to hold two nationalities, they ask him to point out the section of the Act that supports his view. However, I am reliably informed that calmly asking to see a superior will usually resolve the situation without having to pull out the laws.

The UK passport should be renewed by mail in Hong Kong in good time before the planned trip to Europe, as it takes at least three weeks and the peak season for visas and passport renewal starts around April.

[smedly]

when I leave the UK on my UK passport there is no exit stamp or on return an entry stamp, if I visit a foreign country you are stamped in and out, wouldn't the same be applicable to thai national leaving and entering Thailand, surely you mean no exit stamp from USA on her passport ?

[digitalchromakey]

when I leave the UK on my UK passport there is no exit stamp or on return an entry stamp, if I visit a foreign country you are stamped in and out, wouldn't the same be applicable to thai national leaving and entering Thailand, surely you mean no exit stamp from USA on her passport ?

Thais leaving Thailand on a Thai Passport are normally stamped in/out.

[lopburi3]

Thailand stamps all passports on departure and issues the arrival/departure to Thai on exit so a return without the stamp and card is what immigration keys on - and normally all that is required is asking for a supervisor (who will have experience with dual passport) and all is well.

[chris1970]

It is definitely not worth trying to swap passports at a land border. Some may be able to do it but usually it doesn't work. Personally I have had trouble trying to do this with two passports of the same nationality (to save space in the main one) going overland from Thailand to Laos and from China to Kyrgistan and many TV members have had similar experiences. When I flew from Bangkok to Luang Prabang I had no problem in swapping passports. It seems best for her to fly to a neighbouring country and return on the Thai passport.

Thai nationals entering Thailand on unstamped Thai passports should be advised to carry with them their old Thai passports, if they have them, and a copy of the Thai constitution which states in Section 36 thus: "No person of Thai nationality shall be deported or

prohibited from entering the Kingdom.". They should also carry a copy of the Nationality Act and, in the event that an immigration officer tries to argue that it is illegal to hold two nationalities, they ask him to point out the section of the Act that supports his view. However, I am reliably informed that calmly asking to see a superior will usually resolve the situation without having to pull out the laws.

The UK passport should be renewed by mail in Hong Kong in good time before the planned trip to Europe, as it takes at least three weeks and the peak season for visas and passport renewal starts around April.

she currently has less than 6 months on her u.k passport so will she be able to fly to a neighbouring country ?

maybe if she books a return flight it's allowed ?

also what's the need to re-new her uk passport before going to europe ?

it's better for her to goto europe and check out of thailand on her thai passport getting the exit stamp incase she comes back to thailand .

she can keep her u.k passport even if it's expired to show u.k immigration and if she looks and acts like she's living in england i think she'll be fine ?

my daughter checked out of thailand on a thai passport and entered u.k on her u.k passport - when she came back to thailand she used her thai passport.

if the airline check in ask her where's her uk visa in her thai passport she can flash her u.k passport.

sounds like her times running out and maybe here on overstay.