New Passports Problem

[Namphonny]

My daughter, age 14, has dual nationality and holds a Thai and a British passport. Both passports are new and unused because she has never left the country but now wishes to visit Germany. My understanding from reading this forum is that she can present the Thai passport at the airport when she leaves, use the British passport to enter and leave Germany, and use the Thai passport to re-enter Thailand. (Neither passport contains any visa). Is this correct?

My concern is that there are comments in this forum to the effect that immigration staff are suspicious of new passports. Is it possible that this could create a problem for her? Would it be better to obtain a visa for Germany in spite of having a British passport?

I would be grateful for any advice.

[7by7]

I assume she is living in Thailand; if in the UK there would be no need to use her Thai passport at all.

Why would immigration staff be suspicious of a new, unused passport? Every passport is new and unused until it is first used.

The procedure is as you have outlined:

1. Checking in show British passport so they know she will be admitted to Germany. If they query the lack of a Thai entry stamp, show her Thai passport.
   
2. At Thai passport control show Thai passport.
   
3. On arrival in Germany show German immigration her British passport.
   
4. On leaving Germany, do it the other way round.
   

Both my wife and daughter live in the UK and have in the past obtained new Thai passports from the Thai embassy in London and then used them to enter Thailand without any problems.

None of us have ever had any problem leaving the UK with new, unused British passports and I have never had any problems entering Thailand with a new, unused British passport.

[Namphonny]

many thanks for your advice.

Nam

[Namphonny]

On reading further in the forum topics I have identified another possible snag. The name in the British passport is completely different from the name in the Thai one. Is this likely to cause a problem?

[simple1]

Does your daughter have a "Western name" e.g. first name? If this is the case I would guess that the Thai passport has the phonetic spelling of her name & yes this could potentially cause some problems. Personally I would recommend correcting this matter. Obviouly your decision/daughters which passport to update with the name change so that both passports have the same spelling of her name.

[Soutpeel]

On reading further in the forum topics I have identified another possible snag. The name in the British passport is completely different from the name in the Thai one. Is this likely to cause a problem?

not at all...one assumes she will leave Thailand on a Thai passport and enter Germany on the British one on arrival back in Thailand enter on her Thai one....no visa's would be required anywhere...guess the thing you have to get right is the names on the tickets... ....if PP name and ticket name not same then yes a problem

Edited June 5, 2012 by Soutpeel

[7by7]

If pp and ticket in different name, she aint getting on the plane!

At one time my wife's British passport was in her married name and her Thai passport in her maiden name.

This never caused any problems with any immigration as she only showed them one passport.

She showed the airline both passports when checking in, together with our marriage certificate to show that they were both for the same person.

Do you have such documentation showing the link between your daughter's passports? She must have had just the one name on her birth certificate, so presumably there is a name change certificate somewhere; otherwise I don't see how her passports can be in different names.

[simple1]

If pp and ticket in different name, she aint getting on the plane!

At one time my wife's British passport was in her married name and her Thai passport in her maiden name.

This never caused any problems with any immigration as she only showed them one passport.

She showed the airline both passports when checking in, together with our marriage certificate to show that they were both for the same person.

Do you have such documentation showing the link between your daughter's passports? She must have had just the one name on her birth certificate, so presumably there is a name change certificate somewhere; otherwise I don't see how her passports can be in different names.

This happened to my Thai born son. His name in Thai on his Thai birth certificate is Anthony. But the Thai passport office issued his passport spelt in English as Anthanee. To avoid all the hassle he agreed to have his Australian passport issued with the Thai English spelling