Dual Citizenship, Immigration Office?

[AngThong]

I'm a citizen of two EU countries and plan to keep switching between my two passports so I can stay longer on triple entry, 270-day tourist visas (I get mine in Europe). This means I'll be visiting an immigration office every three months (and do a border run every three months).

My question is, is it a good idea to get my visa extensions (after every 2 months) at the same immigration office? They're bound to notice I hold two passports. I know it's not illegal to hold two passports, but I prefer to avoid raising unnecessary eyebrows.

Should I use two different immigration offices, one for each passport? That way they at least won't recognise me, though maybe they have a national database where they'll see it anyway. Using a second immigration office could be a bit of a hassle, seeing as I live on Koh Pha Ngan - I normally use the one on Samui. I guess Surat Thani or Chumphon would be closest after Samui.

[ubonjoe]

I can't see how having two 3 entry tourist visas issued at the nearly the same time in different passports would give you any additional time. Both would expire at nearly the same time.

Unless you fly out and back for the new 60 day entries you would run into problems at border crossings trying to switch passports.

Also immigration's computer records would probably have both passports in the system.

Using different immigration offices would probably not help.

[AngThong]

Not sure what you mean - the idea is to fly to Malaysia when one visa runs out, mail second passport to Europe & get a new 9 month visa, fly back to Thailand, swap passports mid-air & enter on second passport. Hence any one of my passports would indicate I spend 9 months in Thailand and then 9 months abroad (only by combining the two would you notice I'm in Thailand all the time).

I know Malaysia doesn't like dual citizenship but I don't know if they would register both my passports and notice I visit them on two different passports. If that would be a problem, I could visit Malaysia on one passport and, say, Burma or Vietnam or Cambodia on the other one. Doesn't matter that much to me, it's just that Malaysia is closer to me.

I've sorted out every other bit, just not sure if I'd be likely to run into trouble at the immigration office and if I might be better off using two different immigration offices.

[ubonjoe]

You mentioned nothing about going out of the country to mail your other passport. It appeared to me that you were trying to have a visa in each passport.

Your plan may work but could be rather costly.

You could probably fly to Bali and get the same visa at the honorary consulate there.

Or Australia at a honorary consulate. The consulate in Perth has just been reopened so that might be good choice for a flight from Thailand.

Malaysia and Thai immigration deal with dual passports all the time so they would not be a problem

[AngThong]

Thanks. I dislike travelling and don't mind paying a bit extra for needing to travel as little as possible (ideally, simply flying Samui-Penang-Samui). A triple entry visa costs £75 in Hull and mailing my passport back and forth should be about £100 or so. Considering I'd only need to pay that every 9 months I don't feel it's too expensive. I can stay in Penang at a pretty reasonable price.

Since you seem pretty knowledgeable - do you think the immigration officer at Samui airport would find it suspicious that I don't have Malay entry/exit stamps in my passport? Samui doesn't have a wealth of international flights (only Malaysia + the odd charter flight) like Phuket or Bangkok, hence it would be easy for them to deduct that I arrived from Malaysia. I know airport immigration officials don't check Malay exit/entry stamps but maybe they would in Samui, considering the above. To get around this, I could fly to Phuket (or Bangkok) instead, but maybe I wouldn't have to? If they're used to dealing with dual passports then I should be OK - especially considering all my visas will be issued in Europe.

[ubonjoe]

They don't check for departure stamps at airports. You should have no problem with a passport switch.

[AngThong]

Thanks. Worst case scenario - sending me back to Malaysia? Only giving me a 30 day stamp? Taken to an office and asked to, ahem, contribute to a solution?

I'll post an update next time I do it.

[gleeglee]

Not sure what you mean - the idea is to fly to Malaysia when one visa runs out, mail second passport to Europe & get a new 9 month visa, fly back to Thailand, swap passports mid-air & enter on second passport. Hence any one of my passports would indicate I spend 9 months in Thailand and then 9 months abroad (only by combining the two would you notice I'm in Thailand all the time).

I know Malaysia doesn't like dual citizenship but I don't know if they would register both my passports and notice I visit them on two different passports. If that would be a problem, I could visit Malaysia on one passport and, say, Burma or Vietnam or Cambodia on the other one. Doesn't matter that much to me, it's just that Malaysia is closer to me.

I've sorted out every other bit, just not sure if I'd be likely to run into trouble at the immigration office and if I might be better off using two different immigration offices.

What about your entry stamp. you cannot enter 1 country and then put a visa in a different passport as your second passport has no entry stamp, trouble when you try to leave as you passport would also not be registered as entering the country

[lopburi3]

Entry/exit stamps are not check for air arrivals - you just need to arrive and depart on the same passport - you can change before you land.

[AngThong]

That's the idea... When I'm in Thailand on passport A, I exit on passport A, fly to Malaysia & enter on A, then mail B to Europe. Once I get B back, I exit Malaysia on A & enter Thailand on B. Next time my visa runs out, I exit on B, enter Malaysia on B & send A to Europe etc...

Since I fly I shouldn't have any trouble.

[jpinx]

It's simple but important -- enter and leave Thailand on the same passport.

What you can do is go out by land or air and fly back into Bangkok from anywhere outside Thailand and they will not know where you've come from anyway so any valid passport will get the 30day permit to stay. I don't know about other airports, but if they have international arrivals it's probably ok -- caveat emptor

[AngThong]

Yeah... I'm still a bit unsure about flying to Samui using both passports (obviously not at the same time) since they only have direct international flights from Malaysia, plus the odd charter flight... They might check exit/entry stamps. Phuket probably wouldn't since they have a larger number of international flights. I may try Samui anyway since it's easiest for me as I live on Phangan... If I run into trouble, I guess I'll use Phuket next.

[hellodolly]

Not sure what you mean - the idea is to fly to Malaysia when one visa runs out, mail second passport to Europe & get a new 9 month visa, fly back to Thailand, swap passports mid-air & enter on second passport. Hence any one of my passports would indicate I spend 9 months in Thailand and then 9 months abroad (only by combining the two would you notice I'm in Thailand all the time).

I know Malaysia doesn't like dual citizenship but I don't know if they would register both my passports and notice I visit them on two different passports. If that would be a problem, I could visit Malaysia on one passport and, say, Burma or Vietnam or Cambodia on the other one. Doesn't matter that much to me, it's just that Malaysia is closer to me.

I've sorted out every other bit, just not sure if I'd be likely to run into trouble at the immigration office and if I might be better off using two different immigration offices.

Makes no difference if you use two passports from different countries. Just be sure to alternate them. No body will ever bother to match one country against another countrie in the computer files. I doubt the officers at the border would remember you two weeks after you come back in much less 90 days later.

Is there a limit on the number of times one can make a border run and come back with the multiple entries on the same pass port?

I just don't see how you can get multiple reentries at home with one of them not starting for 270 days. You might after the first one has run out go to Malaysia on your other one and get multiple ones on it. Then the next time you have to renew it go to Cambodia on the other one.

[AngThong]

Not sure I understand you correctly, but... This is how I plan to do it.

1. Am currently in Thailand on passport A. Have never used passport B in Thailand.

2. Visa runs out - fly to Malaysia, exit Thailand & enter Malaysia on A.

3. Mail B to Europe, apply for a triple entry visa with 6 month validity.

4. Receive B back in mail.

5. Fly to Thailand, exit Malaysia on A, enter Thailand on B.

6. Three border runs on triple entry visa in passport B + 30 day extension after every border run, 60+30 & 60+30 & 60+30 days (though will lose 5-10 days in reality because of the time it takes for passort to arrive from Europe, plus probably a few odd days for border runs).

7. Visa runs out - fly to Malaysia (or any other nearby country), exit on B, enter on B.

8. Send A to Europe & receive A with 9 month visa.

9. Exit Malaysia on B, fly to Thailand, enter on A...

etc ad inifinitum (or as long as I choose to stay)... One passport with 5 years of validity will get a maximum of four 9 month visas.

[bri1guy]

Your plan sounds like it works well & as long as your not breaking any rules your lucky to have dual Citizenship, I wish i had it as well.

Have you ever thought about getting a 1 year student visa for some type of class diving Karate anything as a easier way??

[AngThong]

Maybe I'll do that if I at some point decide to "settle" here. I'm not into Thai wives and have a decent overseas online income source so no need for work either... And a long way to go until retirement visa becomes an option I hear they're "cracking down" on the ed visas and there are no accredited schools where I live so ... not at the moment. Later perhaps - I'd love to learn Thai properly so maybe I could enroll in some school to do that.

[Bangsaen Marty]

It's no problem at all I did it for more than 10 years, the fact is that as long as you have a visa Thai immigration don't care what passport it's in or how many of them you have

[kiwikoppy]

In theory your system works, as long as your are careful to now show the wrong passport ever.
As you are breaking the Thai law, what they dont know does not hurt you, but if they do, you might have issues.

Might I ask what dual nationality you have?

P.s. on a sideline, I am of the opinion that dual nationalities should not be allowed (many countries have the same opinion) as it is an ideal way for criminals to avoid being caught.

Not saying that you are though just in general.

[lopburi3]

What law is being broken? None that I am aware of. The Thailand requirement is not to have a new visa issued while physically in Thailand (but do themselves for some extensions of stay).

The fact is they will likely know you are using two passports regardless - people have reported being shown both on Thai immigration computer screen at exit points - two passports is not going to hide most people anymore.

[AngThong]

Yeah, I'm not aware of breaking any Thai laws. From their POV, it'll look like I fly to Europe for every new visa & come back as soon as I get it and I don't think Thai authorities mind the few people who would do that, at this point anyway. As long as my passport is relatively "clean", I don't think they mind... Though who knows what the future will bring.

As for dual nationalities, they are often extremely helpful and necessary, and with the kind of computer technology and databases available today, I doubt they would aid any major criminal in any way. Those guys would use fake passports in any case.

[dighambara]

In theory your system works, as long as your are careful to now show the wrong passport ever.

As you are breaking the Thai law, what they dont know does not hurt you, but if they do, you might have issues.

Might I ask what dual nationality you have?

P.s. on a sideline, I am of the opinion that dual nationalities should not be allowed (many countries have the same opinion) as it is an ideal way for criminals to avoid being caught.

Not saying that you are though just in general.

Disagree strongly - dual passports only serve criminals when they use different identities and are illegal; Barry Suetoro vs Barack Obama for example. If all passports have the same information, there is no conflict.

Likewise, having dual passports and switching them does not break Thai law, as Thai political figures have obviously done the same thing...

[Konini]

We both have UK and Aus passports, and juggle between them as they start to fill up. My husband had an immigration officer in Malaysia who didn't really checked us for the 1st time ever a couple of months ago - we exited Thailand on our UK passports as that's what we entered on, then switched to Australian passports in KL as we didn't want Malaysia entry and departure stamps put on the last remaining page left in the UK one (we'll renew later this year in UK). He had to show his British passport to show the departure stamp from Thailand, the officer who processed mine either didn't notice or didn't think it important.

[AngThong]

We both have UK and Aus passports, and juggle between them as they start to fill up. My husband had an immigration officer in Malaysia who didn't really checked us for the 1st time ever a couple of months ago - we exited Thailand on our UK passports as that's what we entered on, then switched to Australian passports in KL as we didn't want Malaysia entry and departure stamps put on the last remaining page left in the UK one (we'll renew later this year in UK). He had to show his British passport to show the departure stamp from Thailand, the officer who processed mine either didn't notice or didn't think it important.

Interesting. I know Malaysia doesn't like the idea of dual citizenship so I plan to enter & leave Malaysia on the same passport as the one I used in Thailand before going to Malaysia, that way I'll have all the stamps. Nice to hear it wasn't a problem for your husband.

[Konini]

We both have UK and Aus passports, and juggle between them as they start to fill up. My husband had an immigration officer in Malaysia who didn't really checked us for the 1st time ever a couple of months ago - we exited Thailand on our UK passports as that's what we entered on, then switched to Australian passports in KL as we didn't want Malaysia entry and departure stamps put on the last remaining page left in the UK one (we'll renew later this year in UK). He had to show his British passport to show the departure stamp from Thailand, the officer who processed mine either didn't notice or didn't think it important.

Interesting. I know Malaysia doesn't like the idea of dual citizenship so I plan to enter & leave Malaysia on the same passport as the one I used in Thailand before going to Malaysia, that way I'll have all the stamps. Nice to hear it wasn't a problem for your husband.

I'm not Thai-bashing, but the difference in attitudes of the Malaysian and Thai immigration staff is so big it's painful. The seem to be genuinely nice and always friendly. Thinking about it now, I suppose it was bad really that the officer who stamped me in didn't notice I didn't have an exit stamp from Thailand, although the passport was full to overflowing, would have taken her ages if she'd sifted though all of the pages.

[Mario2008]

1 post removed for asking advise about tax evasion. Questions and Advise about Illegal activities is not allowed per forum rules.

[yannic]

I dont understand why you dont send the passport to Europe while still in Thailand and once you receive it back you quickly fly abroad for one day and switch passports and fly back??? Sending a passport to Europe, visa application and sending back may take 2-3 weeks, no?

[Mario2008]

You cannot apply for a visa for Thailand while in Thailand. If immigration detects it there will be problems and they can deny you entry.

(They can detect if you are using passports of multiple countries)

[yannic]

ah ok did'nt know thanks Mario