Extending Visa For Thai Citizen Who Entered Using Foreign Passport

[kirrz]

I hold dual Thai and Australian nationality and generally live in Sydney. When I got to the airport to fly home to Bangkok, I realized the Thai passport I picked up expired 10 years ago and I had forgotten my current one. I entered Thailand on the expired Thai passport (I am allowed to come home as I'm Thai) but he stamped the Australian passport with a 30 day "visa exempt visa". I need to spend 48 days here so the 7 day extension is meaningless.

I am Thai though so surely I would be allowed to stay? It's just that I need to leave the country on the Australian passport and it will show that I overstayed. Or my other option is to go declare my Thai passport is lost, make a new one and exit. But I don't really want to do that unless I absolutely have to.

Any ideas? Can I extend this? I'm happy to go make my case to someone if they use discretion in these matters? I'm a woman so I'm allowed to hold dual citizenship.

[mahjongguy]

You state that you "entered Thailand on the expired Thai passport ... but he stamped the Australian passport". In fact your expired Thai passport was essentially (and correctly) ignored.

Best option for you is to make a round-trip flight to some place like KL near the end of your 30 days. You'll get a fresh 30 day entry.

Second option is to pay 1,900 baht for a 7-day extension then do an overland border run for an additional 15 days. You will need to get the timing just right, and the total cost will be close to the first option's airfare..

[smacko]

Couldn't u get ur current Thai passport mailed over, then head to immigration and get the Australian one stamped out, then leave on your Thai one later on

[samran]

I'm also a Thai Australian dual national. You entered Thailand on an Australian passport, as such you are subject to Thai immigration rules.

Given you are here now as an Australian what you need to do is go to immigration and get an extension of stay based on holding Thai nationality. Essentially you can get a years extension for 1900 baht upon showing evidence of your Thai nationality. That will sort you on the visa front.

Edited January 1, 2013 by samran

[visarunner]

Couldn't u get ur current Thai passport mailed over, then head to immigration and get the Australian one stamped out, then leave on your Thai one later on

Not possible, he is Australian at this moment.

He has to leave on the Australian Passport.

He also can not switch Nationality at a land border.

For that purpose he has to fly.

[lopburi3]

He should easily obtain a one year extension of stay from immigration. Old passport will likely be all that is required and the normal 1,900 baht fee.

[p_brownstone]

You state that you "entered Thailand on the expired Thai passport ... but he stamped the Australian passport". In fact your expired Thai passport was essentially (and correctly) ignored.

Why do you say the expired Thai Passport was "correctly ignored"?

A Thai Citizen can enter Thailand even on an expired Passport.

Patrick

[Mario2008]

That is correct. One can enter Thailand on an expired Thai passport and the immigration officer should have allowed it.

But you cannot leave on one! To get a new paspsort in Thailand one needs to be on a houshold registration book.

[chris1dna]

That is correct. One can enter Thailand on an expired Thai passport and the immigration officer should have allowed it.

But you cannot leave on one! To get a new paspsort in Thailand one needs to be on a houshold registration book.

This is correct. My wife had to do the same thing as she once entered on her soon to expire Thai passport after departing the US on her US passport. Her thai passport expired during her stay here. When she tried to exit she was denied till she made her Thai passport current. Took her a week to fly back to her village to get the proper documentation and then back to Bangkok and have a new Thai passport issued so she could return to the US. They did you a favor ignoring the Thai passport.

Edited January 2, 2013 by chris1dna

[Maestro]

Why do you say the expired Thai Passport was "correctly ignored"?

A Thai Citizen can enter Thailand even on an expired Passport.

Patrick

In his opening post, kirrz wrote:

...I realized the Thai passport I picked up expired 10 years ago and I had forgotten my current one...

It is customary for the old passport to be invalidated when a new one is issued as a replacement. While it is true that entry into Thailand is possible with an expired Thai passport I wonder whether it would also be possible with an invalidated Thai passport.

[mahjongguy]

"Why do you say the expired Thai Passport was "correctly ignored"?"

"A Thai Citizen can enter Thailand even on an expired Passport."

"They did you a favor ignoring the Thai passport."

That was my point. The OP would likely be worse off.

I'm glad to hear that the OP can get a 1 year extension for being a Thai citizen. I didn't recall that being mentioned in previous threads and it should be the easiest option for staying the additional 18 days.

[kirrz]

hi there... you guys are legends, thank you for the info!

so i went to chaengwattana today and it was all fine.. for 1900 baht i get a 1 year extension for being thai the only thing is every 90 days (if i havent left the country) i need to inform them of my current address....

it was a relatively easy process the only thing i advise for anyone in the future is photocopy before getting there as the building is huge and the wait time once you get a cue number from start to pick up passport was about 1.5 hours.

you need a photocopy of:

- photo page of foreign passport

- entry stamp

- departure card that is stapled in

- thai id card

and a passport photo to stick on the application...

with regards to entering on an expired thai passport, thai citizens are allowed to come home so as long as you can prove you are a thai citizen in the airport (expired passport, id card, driving license.. whatever) they allow you to come home. have had this fight with the check in staff in sydney as i didnt have an onward ticket and forgot my thai passport.. they were refusing to let me fly until i argued this, they got their supervisor and then it was all good (thai airways)

thanks again!!