Minor Child with Dual Passports. Which to use

[JDGRUEN]

I am posting for a friend who is not up on TVF posting.  I am trying to help him answer a question as to which passport to use for his minor daughter under age 5.   She is 1/2 Thai.   Father is British.  In July they both went to England to visit grandmother and family using her Thai passport - for a two week stay.  Her passport was stamped as normal and correctly - no problems.  Since then the father has obtained a British Passport for her.  It has never been used - no stamps as it was issued by the Embassy in Bkk. 

Question:  For eventual consideration - one - is not having to have obtain a British Visa for his daughter Thai Passport in the future, and what he considers 'ease of travel' - as they would both being possessing a passport from his home country, etc.  The father wishes to use her British Passport in a trip out of Thailand coming up around Christmas time.  

I am seeking opinions as to whether a current - newly issued 'unstamped' British Passport for the daughter would present any problems.  The father just wants to create a track record for using the British passport for reasons stated above.  

This is a serious question and I am seeking well grounded answers - experienced opinions.

Thank you in advance for the assistance. 

[lopburi3]

Exit and enter Thailand on Thai passport as normal - show UK passport to airline check-in to prove no visa required.  Use UK passport for entry/exit UK and other countries if easier.  

[p_brownstone]

From your Post I assume that your friends' daughter was born in Thailand, visited U.K. using her Thai Passport, and is now back in Thailand (returning on her Thai Passport) and now has both Thai and British Passports?

 

There will be no problem exiting Thailand on her next trip; as Lopburi3 briefly explains the procedure is to show both Passports at airline Check-in in Thailand - simply to prove to the airline that she has the right to enter the U.K. without a Visa in her Thai Passport. 

 

At Immigration on exit from Thailand just show the Thai Passport. Do NOT show both Passports by the way - Thailand has no problem with Dual Nationality but some junior Immigration Officers may not be conversant with the legislation (or, to be more precise, the lack of legislation against Dual Nationality). However on her first exit from Thailand it may be helpful to take her Thai Birth Certificate too, to show Immigration that she was born here, so obviously that is why she has no "Entry to Thailand" Stamp in her Thai Passport.

 

(Another Note: do not worry that Thai Immigration may question why she has no British Visa in her Thai Passport: Immigration does not look for that, nor does it care; their only role is to ascertain that the person exiting Thailand was legally in the Country and complied with the Thai Immigration legislation re. Visas, potential Overstay etc. etc.. As a Thai born Thai National it is clearly self-evident that her stay in Thailand was completely legal.)

 

She may also be asked to show both Passports at Airline Boarding Gate - again simply to re-assure the airline that she has the right to enter the U.K..

 

After that, enter U.K. on the British Passport and, on return to Thailand, she should just show the Thai Passport at Thai Immigration; in fact Suwannaphumi Airport (and maybe Don Muang too - I'm not sure) now have Passport Scanners which a Thai National - like your friends' daughter - can use to bypass the Immigration queue.

 

Not "hearsay" by the way, I have a Thai / British daughter, Dual National - now aged 34, born in Thailand, who regularly visits her old Dad here using this 2 Passport "switch" . All totally legal in both Countries, never a problem at either end.

 

Patrick

 

 

 

[Mattd]

+ 1 for Lopburi 3 & Patrick's replies, apart for the need for the birth certificate, if she has a Thai passport then the immigration would have no reason to question her citizenship and also she has used her Thai passport before.

Never had an issue doing it the way described with either of my children, both hold Thai and British passports.

He will certainly have to show the airline staff her British passport whilst checking in, if it was me, I'd refrain from showing her Thai passport at that point, unless asked.

If the air tickets are booked online, then make sure he uses her United Kingdom details in the booking if required.

[TerryLH]

"If the air tickets are booked online, then make sure he uses her United Kingdom details in the booking if required."

 

Can you explain the reason for this, please.

Thanks

[Mattd]

Terry, for the outbound flight then this could be useful, as it will not flag up the need for a visa, so upon check in he can show her British passport only.

The main reasoning (for me) would be to avoid any confusion, as the daughter has been to the UK before. but on her Thai passport with a UK visa, hence why I'd be coy at not showing this passport to check in staff unless i had to, not that anything is amiss, just saves any unnecessary hassle if a inquisitive check in staff spotted this and started asking questions why, easy enough to answer and would not stop the flying part, just believe in an easy life if possible!

Though I suppose in reality it works the other way around when departing UK back to Thailand, would just find it easier to explain.

[Dan5]

5 hours ago, p_brownstone said:

From your Post I assume that your friends' daughter was born in Thailand, visited U.K. using her Thai Passport, and is now back in Thailand (returning on her Thai Passport) and now has both Thai and British Passports?

 

There will be no problem exiting Thailand on her next trip; as Lopburi3 briefly explains the procedure is to show both Passports at airline Check-in in Thailand - simply to prove to the airline that she has the right to enter the U.K. without a Visa in her Thai Passport. 

 

At Immigration on exit from Thailand just show the Thai Passport. Do NOT show both Passports by the way - Thailand has no problem with Dual Nationality but some junior Immigration Officers may not be conversant with the legislation (or, to be more precise, the lack of legislation against Dual Nationality). However on her first exit from Thailand it may be helpful to take her Thai Birth Certificate too, to show Immigration that she was born here, so obviously that is why she has no "Entry to Thailand" Stamp in her Thai Passport.

 

(Another Note: do not worry that Thai Immigration may question why she has no British Visa in her Thai Passport: Immigration does not look for that, nor does it care; their only role is to ascertain that the person exiting Thailand was legally in the Country and complied with the Thai Immigration legislation re. Visas, potential Overstay etc. etc.. As a Thai born Thai National it is clearly self-evident that her stay in Thailand was completely legal.)

 

She may also be asked to show both Passports at Airline Boarding Gate - again simply to re-assure the airline that she has the right to enter the U.K..

 

After that, enter U.K. on the British Passport and, on return to Thailand, she should just show the Thai Passport at Thai Immigration; in fact Suwannaphumi Airport (and maybe Don Muang too - I'm not sure) now have Passport Scanners which a Thai National - like your friends' daughter - can use to bypass the Immigration queue.

 

Not "hearsay" by the way, I have a Thai / British daughter, Dual National - now aged 34, born in Thailand, who regularly visits her old Dad here using this 2 Passport "switch" . All totally legal in both Countries, never a problem at either end.

 

Patrick

My understanding is that you should never mix passports like this on a trip. In this case the British passport will show that you entered the UK, but never left and the Thai passport will show that you never left Thailand but you entered. You passports are inconsistent. Can cause you problems with Immigration in the future. 

 

 

 

[p_brownstone]

4 hours ago, Mattd said:

+ 1 for Lopburi 3 & Patrick's replies, apart for the need for the birth certificate, if she has a Thai passport then the immigration would have no reason to question her citizenship.

 

When I said

 

"it may be helpful to take her Thai Birth Certificate too, to show Immigration that she was born here",

 

I meant it's simply a sort of "belt and braces" precaution, at least on the first exit from Thailand and particularly, I think, if the child looks more "Farang" than Thai.

 

Patrick

 

[p_brownstone]

31 minutes ago, Dan5 said:

 

Sorry, the "Quote" function seems to have died!

 

Dan5 said:

"

Patrick

My understanding is that you should never mix passports like this on a trip. In this case the British passport will show that you entered the UK, but never left and the Thai passport will show that you never left Thailand but you entered. You passports are inconsistent. Can cause you problems with Immigration in the future. 

"

 

You seem to misunderstand:

 

Entering the U.K. a Dual National (UK / Thai) uses his U.K. Passport, and exiting the U.K. he uses the same U.K. Passport, so "in" and "out" match and are cancelled in the Immigration records.

 

The same situation occurs in Thailand when he leaves Thailand and returns after his visit to the U.K. using the Thai Passport - "out" and "in" match.

 

No possibility of a problem at all.

 

Patrick

[bobrussell]

If you are going for a short visit then she could use her British passport as you would but better to show immigration authorities the passport for the country you are entering. Entering and leaving Thailand use the Thai passport. Leaving the UK and on return use the British one.

The airlines will need to see evidence of eligibility to enter the destination country and there is nothing wrong with showing both passports to check in staff however they will need to see the passport that matches the ticket.

As has been stated there is nothing wrong with having two passports but Thai immigration can occasionally be obstructive however we have never had a problem.

[Jonmarleesco]

If they are going to the U.K., use her Thai passport in and out of Thailand, the British one in and out of the U.K. The unstamped U.K. passport should not present any issues, in any event. Typically, she will have it renewed still with no stamps in it.

[Jonmarleesco]

2 hours ago, p_brownstone said:

 

When I said

 

"it may be helpful to take her Thai Birth Certificate too, to show Immigration that she was born here",

 

I meant it's simply a sort of "belt and braces" precaution, at least on the first exit from Thailand and particularly, I think, if the child looks more "Farang" than Thai.

 

Patrick

 

Will do no harm, though probably not needed. In the past, immigration were apparently interested in seeing a letter of permission to travel from the Thai mother, but I took one with me the first time and never used it.