What passport to use?

[BlueScouse]

I plan to take my son to UK soon. He has both Thai and UK passports. However, they have different first names, but same family name.

Should I buy the plane ticket using the name in his UK passport or his Thai one?

[skatewash]

First, he must leave Thailand using the same passport with which he entered Thailand.  Of course, this dictum applies to everyone not just your son.

 

There is less chance of a problem if two one-way fares rather than a round-trip ticket are purchased.  The reason is that it allows you to put a different name on each ticket (UK or Thai name), which is not possible to do with a round-trip ticket.

1A.  Buy a ticket from Thailand to UK using his UK passport information.

1B.  Buy a ticket from the UK to Thailand using his Thai passport information.

2.  Check-in at the Thai airport using his UK passport.

3.  Exit Thai immigration using the same passport with which he entered Thailand.

4.  Enter the UK using his UK passport.

 

returning to Thailand

 

5.  Check-in at the UK airport using his Thai passport.

6.  Exit UK immigration using his UK passport.

7.  Enter Thai immigration using his Thai passport.

 

In general, if you are a national of a country you should always use the passport of that country when you enter and exit that country.  This gives you the greatest flexibility since obviously citizens of a country are granted entry to their home country without restriction.  In some countries (for example, the US) this is, in fact, mandatory.  I'm not sure if it is mandatory in the UK, it does not seem to be mandatory in Thailand.

 

If you purchase a round-trip ticket for your son at some point you will encounter a name mismatch between the airline ticket and his name as it appears in the passport he will want to use to either board the plane or enter the country.  It may be possible to resolve this name mismatch problem by showing both passports.  However, if you purchase the two one-way tickets and follow the above guidance it never becomes an issue to be resolved.  This is a hassle that is avoidable.

 

I have heard of cases in which Thai dual citizens have been hassled to enter Thailand using their foreign passport if Thai immigration becomes aware that they have another passport and used that passport to purchase the ticket and check-in for the flight to Thailand.  Again, doing it the way I recommend (following the numbered sequence) this is not possible because no one is ever shown more than one passport, nor is there any suggestion in the documentation provided that the traveler has more than one passport.  At every stage you use the exact same name to purchase the ticket, check-in at the airport, and enter the destination country.  No problem, no fuss, no explanations necessary.  You only need to show the one proper passport to any one official.

Finally, long term it would be desirable to get your son's passports to use the same name, but I imagine you already know that ;-) I'm always amazed at how something like this could happen (different names for the same person on important documents) but it does seem to happen occasionally, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised.  Happy travels to you and your son.

[KhunBENQ]

What could help to answer.

 

Has your son entered Thailand from abroad (UK) and when?

Or has he never left Thailand?

Do you plan to stay in the UK with him or return?

 

What is his official first name due to the latest Thailand records?

Is this used in the UK or the Thai pp.?

 

[BlueScouse]

Son was born in Thailand. First called Krisadah, had UK passport issued in that name. Then mother decided another name was luckier, so changed it to Tanakrit. ID card, Thai passport all in that name. He has travelled to Australia about 10 years ago, but I cannot remember what I did.Probably booked tickets in UK passport name as easier to get Aussie visa for a Brit than a Thai.

I will be going with him to UK, and leave him there for a while. He is 23. I plan to change his UK passport when we get to England.

[oldsailor35]

22 hours ago, skatewash said:

First, he must leave Thailand using the same passport with which he entered Thailand.  Of course, this dictum applies to everyone not just your son.

 

There is less chance of a problem if two one-way fares rather than a round-trip ticket are purchased.  The reason is that it allows you to put a different name on each ticket (UK or Thai name), which is not possible to do with a round-trip ticket.

1A.  Buy a ticket from Thailand to UK using his UK passport information.

1B.  Buy a ticket from the UK to Thailand using his Thai passport information.

2.  Check-in at the Thai airport using his UK passport.

3.  Exit Thai immigration using the same passport with which he entered Thailand.

4.  Enter the UK using his UK passport.

 

returning to Thailand

 

5.  Check-in at the UK airport using his Thai passport.

6.  Exit UK immigration using his UK passport.

7.  Enter Thai immigration using his Thai passport.

 

In general, if you are a national of a country you should always use the passport of that country when you enter and exit that country.  This gives you the greatest flexibility since obviously citizens of a country are granted entry to their home country without restriction.  In some countries (for example, the US) this is, in fact, mandatory.  I'm not sure if it is mandatory in the UK, it does not seem to be mandatory in Thailand.

 

If you purchase a round-trip ticket for your son at some point you will encounter a name mismatch between the airline ticket and his name as it appears in the passport he will want to use to either board the plane or enter the country.  It may be possible to resolve this name mismatch problem by showing both passports.  However, if you purchase the two one-way tickets and follow the above guidance it never becomes an issue to be resolved.  This is a hassle that is avoidable.

 

I have heard of cases in which Thai dual citizens have been hassled to enter Thailand using their foreign passport if Thai immigration becomes aware that they have another passport and used that passport to purchase the ticket and check-in for the flight to Thailand.  Again, doing it the way I recommend (following the numbered sequence) this is not possible because no one is ever shown more than one passport, nor is there any suggestion in the documentation provided that the traveler has more than one passport.  At every stage you use the exact same name to purchase the ticket, check-in at the airport, and enter the destination country.  No problem, no fuss, no explanations necessary.  You only need to show the one proper passport to any one official.

Finally, long term it would be desirable to get your son's passports to use the same name, but I imagine you already know that ;-) I'm always amazed at how something like this could happen (different names for the same person on important documents) but it does seem to happen occasionally, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised.  Happy travels to you and your son.

Got me a little confused here !  I recently flew into  UK on expired UK  PP, flew out on Aussie PP and into Thailand. Did i do something wrong.  Brit Immigration questioned my expired PP but i said that i was back to stay, so he said OK !

 

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, oldsailor35 said:

Got me a little confused here !  I recently flew into  UK on expired UK  PP, flew out on Aussie PP and into Thailand. Did i do something wrong.  Brit Immigration questioned my expired PP but i said that i was back to stay, so he said OK !

 

 

I think you may have done something wrong... If I am not mistaken >>

 

As a dual Passport holder your primary passport is always that of the country you are in. 

i.e.

In Australia you are 'only Australian', your Australian citizenship takes precedent - you should use that passport for entry and departure. 

In the UK you are only British, your British citizenship takes precedent - you should use that passport for entry and departure. 

In any 'other country' you can choose which Passport & Citizenship to enter with. 

 

Thus: You should have exited the UK using your British passport - in this case, Obtained a new British Passport and used that for departure. 

 

Also: I don't think you can be refused entry upon returning to your country of Nationality if your passport has expired, but as you mentioned, it may raise a question. 

[skatewash]

2 hours ago, oldsailor35 said:

Got me a little confused here !  I recently flew into  UK on expired UK  PP, flew out on Aussie PP and into Thailand. Did i do something wrong.  Brit Immigration questioned my expired PP but i said that i was back to stay, so he said OK !

 

I think you may have done something wrong, namely, exiting the UK using a passport you didn't use to enter.  I also think you may have gotten away with it and it probably won't cause any problems for you going forward.

 

Entering on an expired UK passport is allowed.  I would have thought that they would have let you enter (as they did) but also told that you needed to get a new UK passport.  Perhaps, you got this advice from UK immigration.  Or they may not have told you to get a new UK passport after you told them you were "back to stay," thinking you would not be leaving the country again.

As has been pointed out the correct thing would have been to apply for a new UK passport while there and use that to exit the UK.

 

Potentially you could have been queried by UK immigration when you exited to come to Thailand using your Australia passport.  It's possible the Australian passport might not have had a UK entry stamp and the passport might have indicated it was issued in Australia (rather than, say, the Australian Embassy in London).  A clever UK immigration officer might have questioned how an Australian entered the UK without getting an entry stamp.  You then could have explained you are a dual citizen and entered on your UK passport.  The UK immigration officer might have insisted that you exit on your UK passport, which would have meant getting a new one as your current was expired.  I don't believe it's possible to exit the UK on an expired UK passport.  They would have told you that you needed to get a new UK passport, I think.

All that said, you do appear to have gotten away with it.  I think if it were going to cause you problems, it would have caused you a problem when you exited the UK on your Australian passport.  If it didn't, I don't think you have anything to worry about going forward.  Except, of course, that you should always exit a country on the passport you used to enter it.  Consider yourself lucky.  Maybe a good idea to apply for a new UK passport since it sounds like you're still globetrotting, and having one would make long term stays in the UK easier ;-)

Edited December 13, 2016 by skatewash
spelling

[Eff1n2ret]

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 6:31 PM, BlueScouse said:

I plan to take my son to UK soon. He has both Thai and UK passports. However, they have different first names, but same family name.

Should I buy the plane ticket using the name in his UK passport or his Thai one?

My wife is the other way round - her UK passport has our married surname, her Thai passport her original family name. I always book the return ticket in the UK passport name. Going to UK she checks in with the UK passport, goes through Thai immigration with her Thai passport and enters the UK with the UK passport. Embarking from the UK, she shows the airline both passports so they know she is the passenger named on the ticket but also has the right of abode in Thailand, and on arrival at BKK she just shows her Thai passport.

 

It's not complicated, it's never been a problem.

[LongTimeLurker]

On Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 5:02 PM, skatewash said:

<snip>

As has been pointed out the correct thing would have been to apply for a new UK passport while there and use that to exit the UK.

 

Potentially you could have been queried by UK immigration when you exited to come to Thailand using your Australia passport.  It's possible the Australian passport might not have had a UK entry stamp and the passport might have indicated it was issued in Australia (rather than, say, the Australian Embassy in London).  A clever UK immigration officer might have questioned how an Australian entered the UK without getting an entry stamp.  You then could have explained you are a dual citizen and entered on your UK passport.  The UK immigration officer might have insisted that you exit on your UK passport, which would have meant getting a new one as your current was expired.  I don't believe it's possible to exit the UK on an expired UK passport.  They would have told you that you needed to get a new UK passport, I think.

 

In my experience of exiting UK through Manchester there is no immigration or passport control for either Brits nor foreigners.

[theoldgit]

23 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

In my experience of exiting UK through Manchester there is no immigration or passport control for either Brits nor foreigners.

There's no embarkation controls at UK airports for those leaving the county, details  of those exiting the UK is collected by the carriers and passed on to the UKBA.