Frank Hovis wrote:nangyang, what is the source of that detailed information?
Was it the MFA or just some website staffed with Thai lawyers with years of experience in naturalisation & legalisation, or just some website ?
Thai lawyers with years of experience in naturalisation & legalisation, ...& bullshit.
Just from a, random, sample on a Google search.
I didn't find one that stated Thailand allowed dual nationality.
nangyang, the reason I asked is because The Netherlands were also listed as not allowing dual-nationality and I know for a fact that they do allow it although they discourage it to some degree.
I'm gonna tell you a story (as Max Bygraves) would say.
A few years we drove to Malaysia/Singapore on a touring holiday. My wife and kids left Thailand on their Thai passports and entered Malaysia on their British passports. Spent a few weeks over the border and came back - no problem.
The next time we did the same. When we arrived back in Thailand, I joined the foreign passport queue whilst my wife and kids joined the Thai one. When I was done, I couldn't find them. I was told that they'd been arrested. Off I went to the Chief Immigration Officer and demanded 'Why?'. He pointed out that there was no entry and exit stamp from Malaysia in their Thai passports. He told me that they can't do that and if travelling on a Thai passport then that's the only one they can use. 'You can get away with it at airports but not a land crossing!'. He eventually let us go, but not before some 'tea money' had been extracted.
The translation of The Nationality Act is as amended only 2 years ago, so not that old.
The lady I mentioned who had to come to Thailand on her British passport was told by the Thai Embassy in London that she couldn't use her expired Thai passport unless she was being repatriated to Thailand. Hence the need to use her British passport as there was no time to renew her Thai one.
At the end of the day, my wife(ex) is currently in Finland on her British passport. My kids used their British passport a while ago to enter and leave the UK. As I said before, one passport does not talk to the other one so if you never tell the Thai authorities, then how are they to know?
Incidentally, Thaksin hasn't received any of his passports on the back of nationality!!
The King was born in the USA and can claim US citizenship if he wishes as far as I know.
nanyang wrote:If they (Thai Immigration) were cute they could soon find out - in your case.
So what?
Equally, when she leaves Thailand she doesn't have the required visa in her Thai passport to enter the U.K.
She doesn't need it. She's a British citizen. She has a British passport.
So on leaving Thailand she would show her UK passport at the airline check-in desk (to satisfy them that she can enter UK) but shows Thai passport to Thai immigration when departing Thailand ?
Some of the previous comments in the earlier thread regarding ILR stamps / stickers in Thai passport no longer apply as the ILR is now issued on a separate BRP plastic card.
In 2012 Mrs Deepee was getting her Thai passport renewed and I asked the official just how did Thailand view dual citizenship. He replied that Thailand was a signatory to an international anti-terrorism agreement and that Thailand was supposed to be cutting out dual citizenship in support of this, but for now still ok.
And on all the occasions she has departed Thailand last year she was asked to show BOTH nationality passports at the flight desk and they recorded details of both.
chopsticks wrote:So on leaving Thailand she would show her UK passport at the airline check-in desk (to satisfy them that she can enter UK) but shows Thai passport to Thai immigration when departing Thailand ?
My wife and daughter have had dual nationality for years with no problem. They enter and leave Thailand using their Thai passport and nearly everywhere else using their U.S. passport. As far as an expired passport goes, if it expires while here get it renewed here; if it expires while living in another country get it renewed at the Thai embassy there. Both my wife and daughter have used one or both of these options.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
My wife also does what HHF's wife does (perhaps because they advised us to!) She uses her Thai passport in, and out, of Thailand and her US everywhere else.
Last year she did not look and, while we were in Thailand, her Thai passport expired. When we went to leave immigration would not let her leave. We showed them her US passport, but no good, since she came in on a Thai passport she had to leave on a Thai passport.
She had to stay an extra 5 days since we were leaving on a Friday.
Kudos to China Air, they didn't charge a penny for the last second change!
It was tough on me though, 5 days of no wife, I had to commiserate with a bottle of wine, a nice cigar, and a steak each night (and no one to say how unhealthy it was)
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
nanyang wrote:Oh dear! I guess your colouring response is an emotional response
Nothing of the sort! Just found it the easiest way to reply. I doubt she gives two hoots that the Thai authorities may find out about her dual nationality, after all, its hardly uncommon and she doesn't keep it a secret.
I agree that many Thais have two passports. We all know that it's common. The question, however, was about legality. Although it goes on, the fact is that technically, Thailand does not recognise/accept dual nationality.
As usual with immigration, it depends who you ask. You can get two completely different answers from two different officials.
I asked a friend of mine who is a lawyer (Thai) and he confirmed that officially, Thailand is not a dual nationality zone. However, he also confirmed that it does go on and the authorities have little chance of stopping it.
hhfarang wrote:My wife and daughter have had dual nationality for years with no problem. They enter and leave Thailand using their Thai passport and nearly everywhere else using their U.S. passport.
migrant wrote:My wife also does what HHF's wife does (perhaps because they advised us to!) She uses her Thai passport in, and out, of Thailand and her US everywhere else.)
Is that right?
A Thai national can travel to US using their Thai passport. Without a visa?
Thai lawyers with years of experience in naturalisation & legalisation, ...& bullshit.
