Entering BKK and using the Thai only line with my family...

[richard_smith237]

Upon entry into the UK I was told that my (Thai) Wife could use the EU Citizens line with me, I was told by a UK Immigration Officer that as an EU Citizen its my legal right to bring my Non-EU Wife (Thai) through the EU line with me.

I wonder if the same courtesy is afforded to Non Thai's 'as a legal right' when entering Thailand with a Thai Spouse.

Of course - experience has shown many of us that this courtesy is generally afforded to us at the favourable discretion of the Thai Immigration officer upon entry to Thailand when travelling with our Thai Spouse.

[wobalt]

My Thai wife is living and working in Europe, I am working and living in Thailand. Therefore I am traveling alone when on business out of Thailand. My EoS in the passport says that I am working for the government and after more than 30 years here I think I have all rights to use this line even I do not have applied for the PR because I see no sense in it as long it has been automatically granted.

[nzexpat]

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My passport is issued by the embassy and shows "bangkok" as my home residence as well and of cause as place of issue

Passports do not usually indicate a place of "home residence". They do indicate where the passport was issued and they also indicate nationality .

Perhaps you have a "special" passport which indicates your "home residence" ?

Does that include your home address ?

[wobalt]

It is a fairly normal German passport, showing at the first paper page:

11. Wohnort, Residence, Domicile;

Bangkok/Thailand

[Arkady]

the best way to respond to this question is to say, its not right, its a courtesy extended

I have let through the Thai line on my own just showing my WP and other times been kicked out the line with Mrs S standing next to me...

It is only a specific right for permanent residents which was explained by Immigration when I got PR. Before that I once got a nasty lecture by an Immigration officer when I tried to use the Thai counter because I was about to miss my flight and told him I lived in Thailand and had a work permit. He did process me reluctantly, when I pleaded I would miss my flight, but objected to my use of the abbreviation UK and told me to fill in a new form and write British in full as Thais were unable to understand what UK meant, according to him. I also once managed to get processed in the diplomatic queue by pleading I was going to miss my flight, when there was a problem with immigration and there were huge queues in the foreign and Thai passport queues.

Normally they will probably let you through with your Thai family. However, Thai only queues will probably soon be a thing of the past due to the Thai passport automatic gates, as they are likely to be replaced by AEC queues. You might still be allowed through with your Thai family but queues will be longer than the Thai only ones. However, you might find yourself eligible for the new foreign passport automatic gates that are going to be installed at Swampy soon.

[Arkady]

Upon entry into the UK I was told that my (Thai) Wife could use the EU Citizens line with me, I was told by a UK Immigration Officer that as an EU Citizen its my legal right to bring my Non-EU Wife (Thai) through the EU line with me.

I wonder if the same courtesy is afforded to Non Thai's 'as a legal right' when entering Thailand with a Thai Spouse.

Of course - experience has shown many of us that this courtesy is generally afforded to us at the favourable discretion of the Thai Immigration officer upon entry to Thailand when travelling with our Thai Spouse.

It is not a legal right in Thailand, unless you are a permanent resident, as noted above.

In the UK it is regarded differently. I was told by UK immigration officer that I was actually causing a nuisance by letting my Thai wife go through the non-EU queue, which I thought was correct as she is non-EU. Their logic is that it saves their time if they can see the EU and non-EU couple at the same time, rather than than having to ask the non-EU where is there EU spouse and call you over to answer questions, if they feel that is necessary. In fact we were not even married yet when that happened. Ever since that I took her through the EU queue with me into the UK and things went smoothly.

In other European countries they often don't seem to have EU queues working or, if they do, they may not be any shorter than the non-EU queues. Sometimes there is only an automatic gate option for EU passports which is obviously the way things are going. So the wife might have to start going through the non-EU again and get interrogated.

[wobalt]

Today returned from a biz trip to Europe and used the ASEAN line (alone) without any problem. Interestingly beside the automatic lines no specific Thai line was opened

[IMA_FARANG]

I commented on this previously.

What I said was that as I normally require wheelchair, I am often pushed through either the 'priority" or some times the Thai queue as they are less crowded.

I want to make t clear I don't feel I have a right for this kind of service..... it is done by their choice, often of the Thai immigration officials who make the decision.

I am merely a passenger in the wheelchair and I go wherever thy choose for me to go.