Dual Thai/British nationality and expired Thai passport

[gunnag]

My partner is Thai and has both a British passport and Thai passport.

She is planning on travelling to Thailand and staying for eight weeks.

Her Thai passport has expired so when she enters Thailand she would have to use her British passport and when she is in Thailand she will renew her Thai passport.

My question is whether she needs to apply for a visa extension on her British passport or whether she could exit the country using her new Thai passport?

I guess when she enters Thailand using her British passport her entry would be recorded in the British passport and her photo would be taken. If she then exits Thailand using her new Thai passport I dont think the authorities would notice. However, if she subsequently re entered at a later date with her British passport the authorities would notice that there is no record of her exiting and she may be subjected to a fine.

I would be interested to know what the rules are in this situation and the best way to resolve it.

[ubonjoe]

She can travel and enter Thailand on an expired Thai passport. No need to use the UK passport,

Edit: To verify fill in the info here. Interactive website to check passport, visa and ticket requirements for travel to Thailand

[gunnag]

Excellent thanks

[Pib]

Keep in mind that due to the ongoing protests there is a huge backlog and significantly longer wait time to get a Thai passport initially issued/renewed.

[srn89]

The Thai Passport office in Chiang Mai is very efficient and quick in doing a Passport renewal, new Passport is posted on upon completion.

[Mario2008]

Normally yes, but due to the protest and the cliosing of the main office in BKK it all goes somewhat slower, with limited applicants per day.

[ubonjoe]

The Thai Passport office in Chiang Mai is very efficient and quick in doing a Passport renewal, new Passport is posted on upon completion.

I just read in the news that they can only process 200 a day because of the mess in Bangkok.

But that could change shortly because according to the latest news the consular affairs department at CW is going to reopen tomorrow so that the passport problems can be taken care of,

[highlander403]

guys a friend of mine just came in the country and tried to use her thai passport which was

2 years expired the immigration said using an expired thai passport was ok but as hers was more than 6 months

out of date she had to use her brittish one,

what is her best plan of action,i suggested getting new thai one right away in ubon and doing a quick trip to chon mek

out on brittish one and back on new thai one

scotty

[ubonjoe]

guys a friend of mine just came in the country and tried to use her thai passport which was

2 years expired the immigration said using an expired thai passport was ok but as hers was more than 6 months

out of date she had to use her brittish one,

what is her best plan of action,i suggested getting new thai one right away in ubon and doing a quick trip to chon mek

out on brittish one and back on new thai one

scotty

What should of been done was to ask for supervisor to sort things out at the airport and never of even let the UK passport be seen or known about. There is no 6 month rule. There have been people that have entered with a Thai passport that had been expired for several years.

Getting a new passport is the first step.

Doing a passport swap will not be easy at Chong Mek because they want to see entry/departure stamps for Laos in the same passport she departed Thailand with.

But since she is Thai that might let her do it. Perhaps a talk with immigration before getting stamped out would help.

[highlander403]

guys a friend of mine just came in the country and tried to use her thai passport which was

2 years expired the immigration said using an expired thai passport was ok but as hers was more than 6 months

out of date she had to use her brittish one,

what is her best plan of action,i suggested getting new thai one right away in ubon and doing a quick trip to chon mek

out on brittish one and back on new thai one

scotty

What should of been done was to ask for supervisor to sort things out at the airport and never of even let the UK passport be seen or known about. There is no 6 month rule. There have been people that have entered with a Thai passport that had been expired for several years.

Getting a new passport is the first step.

Doing a passport swap will not be easy at Chong Mek because they want to see entry/departure stamps for Laos in the same passport she departed Thailand with.

But since she is Thai that might let her do it. Perhaps a talk with immigration before getting stamped out would help.

thanks ubon joe for the reply.

first thing is to get her passport sorted, then a chat with immigration, she was told before coming here not to show her

brittish one, "but she knew best" another thai lady even said travel on your british passport.

as she is staying here for over a year, how wrong was that advice omg where do they get their info..

scotty

[ubonjoe]

The chat with immigration would be at the border in Chong Mek before leaving.

There is a lot of misinformation about dual nationality issues floating about. A lot of Thai's are not aware that if they enter on the non Thai passport they fall under immigration rules for foreigners including overstay.

[highlander403]

just an update on this one, well friend decided to go into vientienne without renewing her thai passport and going for the 30 days on arrival on british one,

well the thai immigration were not amused because her thai passport was actually 5 years out of date and she had been coming to Thailand for

a month every year on her brit passport she was questioned as to why she had never renewed her thai one, her answer was I have never had time !!

utter tosh just too lazy, well result is that she got 15 days and told to renew her thai one immediately or else.

scotty

[ubonjoe]

She must of been trying to do a passport swap. Not very smart trying to do it with an expired Thai passport.