Complicated Situation With Thai Visa And Stamp, I Have Two Passports

[Danielsiam]

I will explain my situation

I have two passports issued by the same country : 1st passport, no have thai visa inside, and my 2nd passport, I have a double entre Thai visa issued in my country.

I would like go to Philippines from Europe, and I would like go to transit in Bangkok a fews days, and for this transit I would like to use only my 1st passport when I enter in Thailand, who don't have Thai visa, I would like just get a exemption visa. I don't wanna use the double entry visa for that transit, and so after fews weeks, I would like go back to Thailand, and start use as well the Double Entry Visa, and show my 2nd passport.

It's legal, of fraud, or not ?

Can I get trouble to do this.. ?

I'm scared immigration can discover it and have problem...

And the second ask,

it's possible to use sometime two differents passports for enter in Thailand, like in January 2013 I enter in Thailand with the 1st Passport, and March 2013 I enter with the 2nd Passport, and in April, I use again back the 1st passport..

( I ask it because I wanna hidden some of my presence in Thailand to my very jealous girlfriend, she check stamp, and everything of that )

[Mario2008]

1 off topic post and a reply to it deleted.

[Mario2008]

Never seen this situation, but it seems you have a valid visa so immigration will want you to use it. Sometimes they will allow it, if asked nicely but having two passports of the same nationality might complicate things.

Can't tell if it is legal, at most they might cancel your tourist visa.

[lopburi3]

Should not be a problem as long as you enter and exit using same passport. I would check-in using passport without visa but having onward ticket to show to allow use of visa exempt entry.

[londoedan]

I have 2 UK passports and have often switched between the 2 on consecutive visits to Thailand.

It's never been a problem and no-one has ever queried it.

I just take care to present the correct document when checking-in at the airport or departing via immigration and don't allow the attending staff to see that I have 2 passports (no point in creating any extra hassle).

As an aside, I have made perhaps 30 or 40 trips to Thailand over the last few years, and in the vast majority of cases this has been on a visa-exempt basis. I've never been asked for a return / onward ticket at immigration. Does this check ever get carried-out ?

Edited October 1, 2012 by londoedan

[lopburi3]

Normally not checked for normal flights but could be and occasionally have seen reports of at least some checks on flights from Africa. But normally they allow airlines to police this requirement.

[Nisa]

You don't even have to do it this way (two passports) and can use your 2nd passport with the reentry permit and simply tell them not to use it on this visit. Just because you have a visa doesn't mean you have to use it. I've done this before and think just about every time I enter with a visa or reentry permit they ask if I want to use it.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Nisa

[lopburi3]

Poster said nothing about a re-entry permit. He has a passport with visas and a passport without. Although they might provide a visa exempt entry with a visa in submitted passport immigration does not have to provide and they could require use of visa or mark it invalid.

[Nisa]

I have 2 UK passports and have often switched between the 2 on consecutive visits to Thailand.

It's never been a problem and no-one has ever queried it.

I just take care to present the correct document when checking-in at the airport or departing via immigration and don't allow the attending staff to see that I have 2 passports (no point in creating any extra hassle).

As an aside, I have made perhaps 30 or 40 trips to Thailand over the last few years, and in the vast majority of cases this has been on a visa-exempt basis. I've never been asked for a return / onward ticket at immigration. Does this check ever get carried-out ?

That is because there is nothing illegal about having two passports if issued by the same country legally (such as travel to Israel). And since both passports are issued to you legally, there would be no reason why you couldn't use either or switch them up when traveling (minus the obvious problems of trying to enter on one and leave on another). They are legal and valid travel documents issued by your home country and a third party country has no legal claim to say which one you must use when entering a country.

[Nisa]

Poster said nothing about a re-entry permit. He has a passport with visas and a passport without. Although they might provide a visa exempt entry with a visa in submitted passport immigration does not have to provide and they could require use of visa or mark it invalid.

I think you are very wrong on this ... they cannot force you to use a visa. You have a time limit to use the visa and there is no rule or law about saying you cannot enter the country without using it. If you can enter the country legally without a visa then you don't need to activate the visa until you are ready.

[Mario2008]

Poster said nothing about a re-entry permit. He has a passport with visas and a passport without. Although they might provide a visa exempt entry with a visa in submitted passport immigration does not have to provide and they could require use of visa or mark it invalid.

I think you are very wrong on this ... they cannot force you to use a visa. You have a time limit to use the visa and there is no rule or law about saying you cannot enter the country without using it. If you can enter the country legally without a visa then you don't need to activate the visa until you are ready.

Try and convince immigration. They say that if you have a visa to travel to Thailand you should use it or the visa becomes void.

Sometimes they do allow it, but seems they now make a note in the passport.

[Nisa]

Poster said nothing about a re-entry permit. He has a passport with visas and a passport without. Although they might provide a visa exempt entry with a visa in submitted passport immigration does not have to provide and they could require use of visa or mark it invalid.

I think you are very wrong on this ... they cannot force you to use a visa. You have a time limit to use the visa and there is no rule or law about saying you cannot enter the country without using it. If you can enter the country legally without a visa then you don't need to activate the visa until you are ready.

Try and convince immigration. They say that if you have a visa to travel to Thailand you should use it or the visa becomes void.

Sometimes they do allow it, but seems they now make a note in the passport.

I just cannot see why immigration would care and as I have mentioned, I can't recall a time I have entered on a visa where they didn't specifically ask me if I wanted to use it. Regardless if you activate the visa or enter on an exempt status, both are legal and would seem completely within your bounds (not immigration) as to what legal status you want to enter the country. Without doubt I could be wrong and there may be some fine print that states once you get a visa you are banned from entering the country unless you use that visa or allow the visa to expire or have a border agent cancel the visa you paid for at the embassy because you want to use it on a date immigration stated you can ... but TIT and anything is possible.

[Katipo]

Poster said nothing about a re-entry permit. He has a passport with visas and a passport without. Although they might provide a visa exempt entry with a visa in submitted passport immigration does not have to provide and they could require use of visa or mark it invalid.

I think you are very wrong on this ... they cannot force you to use a visa. You have a time limit to use the visa and there is no rule or law about saying you cannot enter the country without using it. If you can enter the country legally without a visa then you don't need to activate the visa until you are ready.

Try and convince immigration. They say that if you have a visa to travel to Thailand you should use it or the visa becomes void.

Sometimes they do allow it, but seems they now make a note in the passport.

I just cannot see why immigration would care and as I have mentioned, I can't recall a time I have entered on a visa where they didn't specifically ask me if I wanted to use it. Regardless if you activate the visa or enter on an exempt status, both are legal and would seem completely within your bounds (not immigration) as to what legal status you want to enter the country. Without doubt I could be wrong and there may be some fine print that states once you get a visa you are banned from entering the country unless you use that visa or allow the visa to expire or have a border agent cancel the visa you paid for at the embassy because you want to use it on a date immigration stated you can ... but TIT and anything is possible.

I entered with a non-b visa. I did not put the visa number in the entry form you have to fill out, so they just gave me a tourist visa. No problem.

[Nisa]

I entered with a non-b visa. I did not put the visa number in the entry form you have to fill out, so they just gave me a tourist visa. No problem.

You made me figure out why they always ask me if I want to use my visa ... I never fill in the number on the entry card. I got so used to skipping that line that even with a visa I have still skipped it. Next time I guess I can avoid the question by simply putting in the number.