Changing from Spanish Passport to Thai passport at border crossings

[SagSim]

My wife is thai but she has spanish passport,she wants to get her new thai passport when we will be in june in chiang rai,because her thai passport is expired, my question is how can i switch from the spanish passport to thai passport because the thai passport will be issued over there.

Any help will be helpfull

[paz]

If she is not in Thailand, she can have the Thai passport issued in in the country where she currently is, contacting Thai embassy or consulate.

Even if she doesn't get it issued, she can enter Thailand with her Thai expired passport. That is her right, although the Thai immigration may try to make it difficult.

If she doesn't do any of the above (a bad idea) she will have to enter with the Spanish passport, meaning she will have pay and waste time to get extension of stay like a foreigner which she is not, and will have to fly (not land travel) to change to the Thai passport.

[Maestro]

Thai immigration will let her enter Thailand on her expired Thai passport without a problem. She should be able to use the electronic gate without even seeing an immigration officer.

Just the same, as there is plenty of time, she may as well get a new passport from the Thai embassy in Spain if it is not too inconvenient.

[SagSim]

My wife stays in spain her passport has been expired in 2008,and we did not bother to renew it that time because we live in gran canary island and we have to go to Embassy in Madrid and they told us that now all the passports are coming renewed fromm Bangkok and she had to come for finger prints to Madrid.

[ubonjoe]

In order to get a new passport she would have to go to the embassy to have a digital photo and finger prints taken. They would mail the new passport to here when it came in.

As said though she can travel to and enter Thailand on her expired Thai passport.

She would leave Spain on her Spanish passport and then enter here on her expired Thai passport.

[TerryLH]

"As said though she can travel to and enter Thailand on her expired Thai passport.

She would leave Spain on her Spanish passport and then enter here on her expired Thai passport."

You didn't say how long she'll be here.

If she enters on the expired Thai PP, she won't be able to leave on the Spanish passport ( if there is a problem getting the new Thai PP).

[SagSim]

My wife will be staying in chiang rai for 4 weeks,i do hope its enough time to get a new thai passport.

Thanks every one for helping.

[SagSim]

Please let me know if my wife enters on spanish pp,and get her thai pp while she is in chiang rai,and leaves thailand on her spanish pp,and after 2 or 3 days returns on her fresh thai pp will there be some problems in immigration as the thai pp has no stamps.

Your help and advise will be very helpfull.

[Maestro]

Together with her new Thai passport, your wife should also carry her old, expired Thai passport with her to be able to show her last Thai exit stamp in it, if required.

Strictly speaking, no Thai national can legally be denied entry into Thailand but it makes the life of the Thai immigration officer easier if he can balance an entry stamp in a Thai passport with a previous exit stamp in a Thai passport.

If challenged by the Thai immigration officer, she should ask to speak to a higher ranking officer. Come to think of it, she should be able to use the automated entry gate and never come face to face with an immigration officer.

[paz]

Please let me know if my wife enters on spanish pp

As explained by ubonjoe and Maestro, you wife should enter with the Thai passport. Not the Spanish one.

[Maestro]

The OP is – unnecessarily – concerned that after entering Thailand on her expired Thai passport, his wife may not be able to get a new Thai passport, or unable to get it in time before returning to Spain. Therefore, entering Thailand with her Spanish passport, getting a new Thai passport in Thailand, leaving Thailand by plane for Singapore on her Spanish passport, entering and leaving Singapore on her new Thai passport, and re-entering Thailand by plane on her new Thai passport is a valid option.

As far as I know, regardless whether a Thai passport is applied for at a passport office in Thailand or at a Thai consulate or embassy outside Thailand, the place of issue (Authority) is always shown as "Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Below, an excerpt from the ID page of a Thai passport applied for at the Thai embassy in London in 2006:

[SagSim]

I am still worried that after getting a fresh thai pp with no exit stamp from thailand and entering in singapore or hongkong,will my wife have trouble in immigration over there,

And while coming back to thailand there will be no exit stamp from thailand will she have trouble in thai immigration,

because she will enter and exit thailand on her spanish pp,

because i dont know they will except her expired thai pp as its been expired in 2008.

Thanks for your help and advise.

[ubonjoe]

I am still worried that after getting a fresh thai pp with no exit stamp from thailand and entering in singapore or hongkong,will my wife have trouble in immigration over there,

And while coming back to thailand there will be no exit stamp from thailand will she have trouble in thai immigration,

because she will enter and exit thailand on her spanish pp,

because i dont know they will except her expired thai pp as its been expired in 2008.

Thanks for your help and advise.

She should enter on her expired Thai passport.

Don't worry about her getting her new Thai passport while here It is an easy simple process all she will need is her Thai ID card. She may have to make a trip to an Amphoe to get her ID card renewed since I suspect the one she has is expired, It will take less than a week to have her new passport.

From http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/1415/21479-Requirements-for-the-Ordinary-e-Passports-Applicat.html

"Applicants who have reached the age of majority (Adult applicants)

• Documents required for applicants who have reached the age of majority

  The original valid Thai Citizenship I.D. Card, Government Official Identification Card or

  an identification card that complies with the rules of the Ministry of Interior.

  (If the Government Official Identification Card does not contain a 13-digit Personal Number,

  the applicant must bring the House Registration as well)

• Application Fee
• e-Passport Application fee : 1,000 Baht
• postage service (EMS) fee : 35 Baht"

There is a passport office in Chiang Rai where she can apply for it. Info in Thai here: http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/organize/21037-%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%87.html

[SagSim]

Her thai id card is valid she had renewed it when we were in chiang rai in 2012 for a week,and she had entered with her spanish pp.

Many thanks to you ubonjoe for you help & advise.

and thx to all of you too.

[ravi]

she will have problems entering with her expired thai pp,its been expired in 2008.

[paz]

she will have problems entering with her expired thai pp,its been expired in 2008.

No. As explained above already, Thais can enter Thailand with an expired passport, because it's their country and that is their right.

An expired passport still proves their identity and nationality, that is enough.

A nationality doesn't expire.

[FritsSikkink]

she will have problems entering with her expired thai pp,its been expired in 2008.

No she will not, she is Thai she can enter the country anytime.