Son's Thai passport has expired should he enter on British one???

[Earlyant]

Son's Thai passport has expired should he enter on British one???

As he will be staying there permanently, and if he shows his British one he will only get a 30 day on arrival visa which will obviously expire and he will unhappily join the 'overstayer' club.

Immigration at arrivals at the airport have never wanted to see his Thai passport before just the British one that he has the exit stamp from the UK on. Never been an issue before as he has just gone for 2 week visits.

He's got a Thai birth certificate so perhaps he could present that with his expired Thai passport. Probably not that simple though.

Can't get a new one here for him as his mum has long gone and no longer has any interest in him.

Thanks in advance for help guys.

[Tony & Apple]

This happened to my wife last year, when we reached the immigration desk my wife showed her British passport but they asked for her expired Thai passport and stamped it and told her to renew her passport during her stay, which she did in Bangkok and it took 72 hours.

It took a good 20 minutes of waiting at the immigration desk while they checked their records as it had been over 3 years since she was last in Thailand but there were no issues.

The official stated that a Thai citizen must enter and leave Thailand on a Thai passport only.

[colin244]

Probably something to do with dual nationalities.

colin 244

[bifftastic]

Or something to do with officials not having a clue what they're on about and just winging it?

[Earlyant]

The official stated that a Thai citizen must enter and leave Thailand on a Thai passport only.

Confused now. As I offered Thai passport to Immigration but they were only interested in the British passport that my son left the UK on.

Also, what will happen at check-in in the UK when my son goes to check in for a flight to Thailand and does not have a Thai visa in his British passport and just a one way ticket??? Will they accept the explanation that he is returning to live there and let him fly?

[colin244]

Also, what will happen at check-in in the UK when my son goes to check in for a flight to Thailand and does not have a Thai visa in his British passport and just a one way ticket??? Will they accept the explanation that he is returning to live there and let him fly?

Yes as a Thai national and passport holder going home. There was a recent thread about this if you do a forum search (sorry can't do links)

colin 244

[ddwjg]

Look at the "similar threads" directly underneath this thread, under the words "+ Reply to Thread" and click on them.

[bifftastic]

just the British one that he has the exit stamp from the UK on.

I've never had an exit stamp in my passport when leaving the UK.

Your son is a Thai national, so he can't overstay in Thailand. Well, I suppose technically he could if he was stopped by the police and showed them the British passport with an expired entry stamp in it. But by then, presumably, he would have got all his Thai documentation sorted out? ID card, Tabien Baan etc. so he would show them his Thai ID card.

They should let a Thai national into Thailand on a Thai passport, expired or not.

[Earlyant]

I've never had an exit stamp in my passport when leaving the UK.

Yes, my mistake. No Exit stamp. Just a quick perusal by UK Immigration.

So, in a nutshell. Book flight on son's British passport. If problems about having no return ticket and visa at check in, explain he is going home and has dual nationality and show his expired Thai passport and Thai birth cert if asked for documentation.

And when get to immigration at Bangkok airport show his expired Thai passport to them. And expect him to be told by them to renew it.

Does that sound right???

Phew. Hope it will be that easy.

[KhunIanB-UK]

Sounds good to me

[colin244]

The answer you want to hear is correct and there has a lot of posts about this recently, i.e. a Thai going home.

colin 244