Brit passport? Thai Passport?

[andye]

I will be taking my Thai Stepson to LOS shortly, and was thinking of only using our British Passports. ( 30 day visa on entry to Thailand ).

His nibs has his Thai passport with his return Thai landing card in it.

Anyone know if ignoring this for this one trip................may cause a problem.

I have my reasons for doing it the Brit way!............... one of which means he will have to leave LOS and complete his education on his return to the UK.

andye

[Nick1810]

Andye

I can speak from recent experience that this is likely to be a problem. If a Thai national born in Thailand enters or leaves the Kingdom then Thai immigration law states that they must use a Thai passport to do so.

On our recent trip to Thailand we experienced a problem with immigration when leaving. Fon's Thai passport had expired and Thai immigration had asked to see it when entering after she confirmed she was Thai when asked - even though she presented a British passport. Unbeknown to us they added a note under the entry stamp in the expired Thai passport stating that it must be renewed in Thailand - although the immigration officer didn't say it HAD to be done We were hoping to get it done up in Khon Kaen but due to the Songkran closedown and various other commitments we didn't have time to sort it before leaving for home. It's ok I thought she has a valid British one and will renew the Thai one back in the uk when sorting out a Thai passport for our daughter. Big mistake! Checked in ok at the airport using valid British passport - seats allocated and bags on their way, security passed only to find that Thai immigration stopped us asking where the new Thai passport was? They then refused to let Fon leave until she had a valid Thai passport even though she had a valid British passport as "she is Thai" So we get bumped off the flight and have to find a hotel and wait until the passport office opens on Monday morning. New passport picked up Wednesday morning and get back to the UK five days late (boss not pleased!)

So the moral of the story is to use the Thai passport if your stepson was born in Thailand. If you lie to immigration and state that he was born in the UK you are likely to come a cropper IMHO as the place of birth is clearly indicated.

A costly mistake for us and probably additional costs for changing flights etc not covered by travel insurance.

Do what you feel is right for you but I personally wouldn't take any chances with Thai immigration as they are really on the ball.

Nick

[prioritypress]

Are you sure about "having" to use a Thai passport?

Although I can see there being problems on leaving if your wife didn't have an "entry" stamp in her UK passport.


Nick

[Nick1810]

I am only going by what the Thai immigration Captain told me that a Thai national born in Thailand is Thai first and foremost and must therefore use a Thai passport. I noted a couple of threads recently discussing expired passports for entry and that is no problem - but a valid Thai passport is absolutely necessary for leaving the kingdom.

Nick

[andye]

Nick
Thanks for the reply
The lads Thai passport is current. He is a dual National, and I am not trying to get around imigration Thai law.
In fact I'm trying to use it as a means of ensuring his return to the uk.

Though I have had a bad experiance once when the carrier insisted upon a UK visa in the Thai passport ( a new one, without visa stamps) at BKK airport..............wouldn't accept the Brit Passport until a senior member of staff was called.
But that is another story.

Some Thai Officers are very pro Thai.........and often will try the ruse of not recognising Dual Nationality.
Previous trips at beter times both Passsports have been produced, coming and going with no problem.

I just wondered if I absolutely had to produce it on this occasion.

Another trip down the line ...........we may use it for the entry.............at wich point the return card would be closed off, as having returned.

A few years back I did write about a friends son who even though Thai, entered on his Brit passsport. They insisted he leave the country at the end of his Visa period, Before returning on his Thai one.


This visit is a very fraught one to see the lads Mum.........it could become very sticky and emotive..........I wan't the lad to finish his education before stepping off into one camp or the other.


andye

[Nick1810]

Andye

I completely understand where you are coming from in your current situation and if you are travelling without his mother and just present British passports on arrival they may not notice the place of birth as being in Thailand. If they do you will probably be asked to provide a Thai passport and ID card for him. It may be down to the individual immigration official as to how they interpret the dual nationality but our experience would indicate that they treat being born in Thailand as Thai over any other recognised nationality when entering or leaving the kingdom.

For us in the future Fon will leave the UK on British passport then enter and leave Thailand on the Thai one, before re-entering the UK on her British one. Me and Selina will just use British passports even if we get a dual nationality Thai one for her later.

Good luck for your trip and hope everything works out for you.

Nick

[the_link]

andye, I understand what you are saying and your reluctance to travel with your lad's Thai passport under present circumstances, but don't you think you are being a little over-cautious. What will be, will be.

[maokaang]

I don't think entering on a British passport will force him to return to the UK. Surely as a Thai citizen and can stay there for as long as he likes as far as the law is concerned, regardless of which passport he entered on?

Enter him into Thailand with his Thai passport, I don't think it will make any difference to the outcome, however ...

A few years back I did write about a friends son who even though Thai, entered on his Brit passsport. They insisted he leave the country at the end of his Visa period, Before returning on his Thai one.

Bizarre. Jobsworth logic?

[andye]

_ Link

Maybe I am ............Maybe I'm not.

But my question was ................do I have too?

If I do not have any choice , so be it.

Nick has raised some very good reasoning................I would not be hiding his birth place.
But surely they should recognise his UK passport?...............but then again this is Thailand.

Again, thank you for your comment............
Maybe I will have to submit to the everlasting toothy grin of the Thai Imigration Officer.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

andye

[the_link]

No problems, Andy. Just trying to give you something to think about, though easy for me to say.

Take it easy on yourself in the meantime.

[andye]

I mean no disrispect to my Lad.
He's as good as gold................and doing well in the UK.
I worry...........maybe needlessly............that the heat of situation will over rule common sense.

Your heart can do that to you.

So I look to cover the bases if I can...............when I can.

If I can't, I weather the storm............knowing I've done my best.

andye

[the_link]

Good luck, Andy. When are you travelling?

[andye]

12th July............there for 16 glorious days...........rain in the evening permiting.

Looking forward to seeing my other little one.............who is with her mum.

She is a good mum.............if not an entirely sensible one.

andye

[the_link]

Day before we travel over, Andy. Bon voyage.

[SDM]

We used to come here three times a year and my wife for many of those years entered and left on her UK passport with no issues whatsoever. One year she was even fined for an overstay even though we argued she was a Thai National. The Immigration people took the view that if my wife entered the country on a British passport that she would be bound by the rules as if she was British, which technically she was as a dual national. They did say that if she had shown her Thai ID card however on entry that they would have stamped the
passport for one year !


I wouldn't worry and in your shoes I might keep the Thai passport in reserve but enter on the British.

Regards

Stephen