Thai/UK Dual National Passport Question

[jcates29]

Apologies in advance if this question has been asked/answered. I searched but failed to find a similar situation. I know there are some similar situations out there but my cursory search did not reveal them.

I'm asking this on behalf of a friend and his Thai wife, but I and my Thai wife will have a nearly identical situation soon (the only difference being I am a US national).

My friend is a UK National and his Thai wife (of over 35 years) travel back and forth frequently. His wife is native Thai, but departed Thailand long ago without a passport and obtained UK citizenship. Now they travel back and forth frequently, and she uses her UK passport when passing through Thai immigration. During this most recent trip, his wife has gone through the process to renew her Thai citizenship and has obtained a Thai passport. She is planning to travel back to the UK and will exit through Thailand immigration using her UK passport. When she returns, she plans to enter Thailand using her Thai passport. Of course, the Thai passport will not show that she departed Thailand -- it will be pristine and without any exit stamps.

Here is the question -- is the pristine Thai passport a problem when she comes in through Thai immigration (that is, would Thai immigration notice and ask how she exited Thailand without an exit stamp)? Can she show both passports, and explain the situation? Is she violating any law or preferred practice? She wants to do the right thing.

Thanks for your help!

[ubonjoe]

She should not be bothered about having no departure stamp in her new passport.

She should certainly not show her UK passport under any circumstance which can cause more problems.

There is also the option the e-passport gates. That takes the immigration officer problem out of the picture.

[jcates29]

Many thanks, UbonJoe! I knew I could count on you.

[samran]

Even if she applied for her new Thai passporf in the UK it would have been issued by same passport office in Thailand so she would have received the same blank passport anyway.

As said, use the electronic gates on entry and if she is really worried, and still has it, carry her old Thai passport just to show she left Thailand a long time ago.

Even if she doesn't have it, if asked, just say the old one was lost and this was the new replacement issued in London.

[jcates29]

UbonJoe, my friend is grateful for your quick, informative response. Could you clarify what you mean when you say that his wife should not show her UK passport "under any circumstance"? She would not show it under normal circumstances, but she has not concealed to any Thai authorities that she is a dual Thai/UK national. If there was a question about her pristine Thai passport, why would it be problematic for her to show her exit stamp in her UK passport? Many thanks for your help.

[ubonjoe]

Showing the UK passport can be a problem if you get an ill informed or biased immigration officer that might insist she cannot have 2 passports and/or insist upon stamping her in on the UK passport.