Dual Citizenship.. Can I Depart From Thailand With My Thai Passport, If Arrived With Swedish?

[BarryM]

Thai airways prevents you from using fasttrack immigration if you have overstay, however you can check in at regular counters and obtain boarding card at economy check in with overstay on a foreign pp

So in practice you present your Swedish pp at check in and Thai pp at immigration

So the issue is do immigration check you have valid visa for destination? Do they cross reference names?

Might be worth a shot. If you get caught out then plead ignorance, smile, explain urgency of travel etc and hopefully just cough up the 20k without hassle

[Mario2008]

It might be picked up, also with photo-recognistion software.

[Arkady]

Why would you have to pay an overstay fine on a foreign passport if you have a Thai passport? You are technically a Thai citizen then and cannot overstay as you have a right to reside indefinitely.

I would imagine that the best course of action for the future would be to have immigration in Bangkok cancel the current foreign passport visa when the Thai passport is issued so it is no longer valid as it wouldnt be required to reside in Thailand anymore.

Why would you have to pay an overstay fine on a foreign passport if you have a Thai passport? You are technically a Thai citizen then and cannot overstay as you have a right to reside indefinitely.

I would imagine that the best course of action for the future would be to have immigration in Bangkok cancel the current foreign passport visa when the Thai passport is issued so it is no longer valid as it wouldnt be required to reside in Thailand anymore.

I believe some one reported trying this in another thread but Immigration said the only way was to pay the fine and leave on the foreign passport. They do have procedure for cancelling visas in foreign passports but as far as I know it is only available for those who have just obtained Thai nationality by naturalization.

[Lopburi905]

Hi, I have a similar situation, however not on overstay.

Background Info:

-I was born in Canada, have a Thai mother and Canadian father (came to Thailand and got the 1 year non-imm B visa on Canadian passport because of my Thai mother)

-Just got my Thai passport

-27 years old

-do not want to keep extending visa, decided to take a trip to the border (Cambodia-Poipet) to take advantage of my Thai Passport

So I exited Thailand using my Canadian passport. checked out the casinos, lost some money. When I went back to immigration to enter Thailand I tried to use my brand new Thai passport to enter as a Thai. After speaking with a few different Immigration officers they said I was not able to enter because I did not have a departure/arrival card on my Thai passport. They asked me where I got my passport from and I told them from Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bangkok, and then said I can only enter with a new passport if it was issued in another country like Canada for example . Is this true? It doesn't sound right to me at all! Then the officer proceeded to tell me that I'm not allowed to have 2 passports after the age 20 or 21 in Thailand. (I'm not sure about this). So I had to go get a Cambodian visa, enter/exit Cambodia with Canadian passport, enter Thailand with Canadian passport, lost my non-immigrant B visa, and now on the 14 day clock.

Where did I go wrong? Can I only do the above procedure at an international Airport?

Is it true I am not allowed to hold Thai/Canada passport in Thailand? (am I go to my local immigration and show them both passports and explain the situation there and try to get some help?)

I mean even in the front page of my Thai passport it says " The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the Kingdom of Thailand named herein to pass freely without delay or hindrance and to give all lawful aid and protection". Unfortunately, yesterday I was denied my right to enter as a Thai.

This was a big upset any help appreciated, thanks.

[samran]

Hi, I have a similar situation, however not on overstay.

Background Info:

-I was born in Canada, have a Thai mother and Canadian father (came to Thailand and got the 1 year non-imm B visa on Canadian passport because of my Thai mother)

-Just got my Thai passport

-27 years old

-do not want to keep extending visa, decided to take a trip to the border (Cambodia-Poipet) to take advantage of my Thai Passport

So I exited Thailand using my Canadian passport. checked out the casinos, lost some money. When I went back to immigration to enter Thailand I tried to use my brand new Thai passport to enter as a Thai. After speaking with a few different Immigration officers they said I was not able to enter because I did not have a departure/arrival card on my Thai passport. They asked me where I got my passport from and I told them from Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bangkok, and then said I can only enter with a new passport if it was issued in another country like Canada for example . Is this true? It doesn't sound right to me at all! Then the officer proceeded to tell me that I'm not allowed to have 2 passports after the age 20 or 21 in Thailand. (I'm not sure about this). So I had to go get a Cambodian visa, enter/exit Cambodia with Canadian passport, enter Thailand with Canadian passport, lost my non-immigrant B visa, and now on the 14 day clock.

Where did I go wrong? Can I only do the above procedure at an international Airport?

Is it true I am not allowed to hold Thai/Canada passport in Thailand? (am I go to my local immigration and show them both passports and explain the situation there and try to get some help?)

I mean even in the front page of my Thai passport it says " The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the Kingdom of Thailand named herein to pass freely without delay or hindrance and to give all lawful aid and protection". Unfortunately, yesterday I was denied my right to enter as a Thai.

This was a big upset any help appreciated, thanks.

A few things you need to note:

- passport swaps at land borders are generally very difficult to do. In most cases, the officers just don't like them.

- Passports issued both inside and outside of Thailand are EXACTLY the same and come from the same place. So even if you applied for one in Canada, it would have been sent from the MFA office in Thailand.

- You can easily do the passport swap by air. Get a cheap ticket to KL or Singapore, exit on your Canadian, re-enter on your Thai PP. If questioned, just be honest and tell them you were born in Canada and are entering Thailand for the first time as a Thai citizen. If you have trouble with the junior officer, escalate the issue to a senior officer, who should over ride them.

Happens all the time at the airport.

nb...there are the automatic gates at the airport so you can probably go through without any issues.

[ubonjoe]

They should of allowed you entry on your Thai passport. I think if you had asked for a supervisor and stood your ground as a Thai citizen you could of used your Thai passport.

There is no Thai law that says you cannot hold dual nationality. Some people misread a section that says a person has the right to cancel one of the nationalities at age 20.

A flight out and back would of been easier because immigration at the airport would of been more familiar with the rules.

[Lopburi905]

Thanks Ubonjoe and Samran,

yes I was a bit worried on Sunday, as soon as the officer said I'm not allowed to hold 2 passports after age 20 and also said they would mark the Thai passport to say I also have Canadian, I got a bit worried because I was not sure of my rights for this. However I read the Thai Nationality Act last night, and see that I'm allowed to hold dual under Section 15. I would like to go back and try again, but this this time bring the Thai Nationality Act . Maybe go to my local Immigration office and see if they could provide any extra support for if I go back. Think I would be asking for more trouble than it's worth? Otherwise I will just catch a cheap flight to keep things simple.

[submaniac]

the exact same thing happened to me. Immigrations tried to get me to give them my THai passport because they said you had to make a choice after a certain age. They have NEVER allowed me to use the Thai passport. Both entering or leaving the country.

[GarryP]

What happens if you apply for Thai citizenship based on marriage ? For example, if you entered the country say 15 years ago on a British passport got married to a Thai, subsequently applied for citizenship and got it. Wouldn't you have all kinds of trouble trying to leave or enter the country on your nice new Thai passport?

[samran]

What happens if you apply for Thai citizenship based on marriage ? For example, if you entered the country say 15 years ago on a British passport got married to a Thai, subsequently applied for citizenship and got it. Wouldn't you have all kinds of trouble trying to leave or enter the country on your nice new Thai passport?

In that case, then I understand they cancel your visa's and restrictions of stay on the old passport and you just start using the Thai PP.

[samran]

the exact same thing happened to me. Immigrations tried to get me to give them my THai passport because they said you had to make a choice after a certain age. They have NEVER allowed me to use the Thai passport. Both entering or leaving the country.

When are you coming back next Subby?

[ben2203]

Should be departs oz on Thai passport go to oz on Australian passport

No, I was wrong there, the person above is correct, spoke to a friend who has dual American Thai nationality, he left Vegas on his US passport and entered Thailand on his Thai passport. It was as simple as that.

[Maestro]

...Maybe go to my local Immigration office and see if they could provide any extra support for if I go back. Think I would be asking for more trouble than it's worth? Otherwise I will just catch a cheap flight to keep things simple.

The immigration office cannot help you with this. Do as advised and leave Thailand by air on your Canadian passport, enter Thailand on your return on your Thai passport, and thenceforth always use your Thai passport to leave and enter Thailand and enter and leave other countries where this is an advantage, use your Canadian passport to enter and leave all other countries.

[emanphoto]

Just an FYI, my Thai wife got a US passport while we lived in the US. She arrived in Thailand when she visited before we moved here and entered and departed on her Thai passport and entered the US using her US passport. No pompems. No questions at the US airport.

Dual citizenship has it's privileges.

[yankee99]

...Maybe go to my local Immigration office and see if they could provide any extra support for if I go back. Think I would be asking for more trouble than it's worth? Otherwise I will just catch a cheap flight to keep things simple.

The immigration office cannot help you with this. Do as advised and leave Thailand by air on your Canadian passport, enter Thailand on your return on your Thai passport, and thenceforth always use your Thai passport to leave and enter Thailand and enter and leave other countries where this is an advantage, use your Canadian passport to enter and leave all other countries.

Please explain how he will be able to leave thailand to canada on his thai pp without a visa?

[Maestro]

At the airline check-in counter at BKK, he shows, in addition to his Thai passport, his Canadian passport to demonstrate that he needs no visa for Canada. At the immigration counter, he shows only his Thai passport and his boarding pass. Dozens of dual nationals do this every day and the check-in staff are familiar with it.

[Soutpeel]

Why would you have to pay an overstay fine on a foreign passport if you have a Thai passport? You are technically a Thai citizen then and cannot overstay as you have a right to reside indefinitely.

I would imagine that the best course of action for the future would be to have immigration in Bangkok cancel the current foreign passport visa when the Thai passport is issued so it is no longer valid as it wouldnt be required to reside in Thailand anymore.

Technically you are 100% correct, as a Thai citizen you have to right to residence in Thailand irrespective of the passport you hold and therefore you cannot be on an overstay, however this issue is way beyond the pay scale of your average immigration offical who you have to deal with at the airport and they take the easy way out, as suspect they dont understand dual nationality themselves, and they see a Dual national as "something less" than a full citizen, which is of course completely wrong.

I believe part of the issue in Thailand is that they tolerate dual nationality but do not "offically" recognise it....in other words you have to choose which nationality you want to be when entering Thailand.

Someone could if so inclined, could take this court and I would think they would win the case.

I am a dual national (not Thai) and went through this issue with the "other" country many times, once this was pushed higher up in the food chain in immigration, they came up with a rather elegant solution and put a PR stamp in my "foreign" passport.....problem solved and never had an issue since the times I have used the "other" passport to enter the country.

[Lopburi905]

...Maybe go to my local Immigration office and see if they could provide any extra support for if I go back. Think I would be asking for more trouble than it's worth? Otherwise I will just catch a cheap flight to keep things simple.

The immigration office cannot help you with this. Do as advised and leave Thailand by air on your Canadian passport, enter Thailand on your return on your Thai passport, and thenceforth always use your Thai passport to leave and enter Thailand and enter and leave other countries where this is an advantage, use your Canadian passport to enter and leave all other countries.

Just got back from Singapore, worked like a charm, thanks to everybody for their advice.

[Shasta55]

Two or three years ago a woman posted that she did this. She entered Thailand with her Australian passport, got her Thai passport while in Thailand, then departed from Thailand with her Thai passport. She is now of course on overstay on her Australian passport for the rest of her life but she did not mind because she will never enter Thailand again with her Australian passport.

My wife has been an Australian Citizen for about 32 years. Thru an oversight she didn't renew her Thai Passport back then and we didn't bother applying for a new one as we were under the impression at the time that Thailand did not allow dual citizenship. Now - with retirement about 5 years away we want to spend about half our time in Thailand. Can anyone give any information on what steps we need to take to either (a) apply for a new passport for her (she still has the old one and a copy of the family registry paper from the amphoe). or (b.) Apply for a Thai ID Card.

[wayned]

She can renew her Thai passport at the embassy in OZ. I don't know exactly what she needs so why don't you contact them direct and get the information direct from the houres's mouth. When she enters and leaves Thailand she should always use her Thai passport. http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/

[Maestro]

What is the last Thai stamp in her expired Thai passport? Is it an arrival stamp or a departure stamp?

[Shasta55]

What is the last Thai stamp in her expired Thai passport? Is it an arrival stamp or a departure stamp?

It was a departure stamp from Don Meuang in 1981.

[Maestro]

In that case, the Thai passport shows her to be abroad, ie outside Thailand, and the Thai embassy in Australia is indeed the correct place for her to apply for a new Thai passport.

[ubonjoe]

But she could enter Thailand on her expired passport and get the new one here.

[lopburi3]

Actually she can not easily obtain a passport in Thailand as she does not have a Thai ID card (and may not be listed on a home register) so getting overseas is the best option. Then the ID card/home register process inside Thailand.

[ubonjoe]

Just putting that as an option in case OP was not aware that his wife could travel on an expired passport.

Since they plan on staying here for extended periods of time she will need to get her house book and ID sorted out here anyway.

Not really sure how much effort or difficulty it will be to get the new passport from the Thai embassy.

[Shasta55]

With reference to the thai ID Card; is it possible to apply for one in Chiang Mai and what documentation is required? Also what is the "house book".

Thanks to everne who has offered advice so far. Much appreciated.

[Mario2008]

The house book is the tabien baan, it registers who lives on that address.

In order to obtain an ID-card, one must be registered on a tabien baan. Ask your wife if she is still registered, if not she will need to find a relative who is willing to allow her to be registered on the household bok and at that time she can apply for the Thai ID-card.

[simple1]

Just putting that as an option in case OP was not aware that his wife could travel on an expired passport.

Since they plan on staying here for extended periods of time she will need to get her house book and ID sorted out here anyway.

Not really sure how much effort or difficulty it will be to get the new passport from the Thai embassy.

I believe there are only two places to obtain a Thai passport in Australia, Canberra and the Sydney Consulate. If, for example, you live in QLD you can register to apply for a passport, but Embassy staff only travel to Brisbane once very six months or so. Documentation required, in Thai, are at the following URL

http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/doc/info/info_epassport.pdf

[Shasta55]

Thanks for that info. It was actually what prompted my question. We live in Mandurah WA and apparently the Embassy staff only make it here every 2 years. That's why we were looking at the possibility of doing it in Thailand. It took the Embassy 4 months to answer our initial enquiry.