Can I switch passports at the land border while applying for a Thai business visa in Laos?

passport switching Thai visa NON-B visa Laos border immigration rules dual citizenship visa application process

Mar 27, 2018

7 years ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hello members, I got a question about changing passports and landborders. 

Currently I am on a tourist visa with my Spanish passport.  But I need to get a non immigrant business visa in my Dutch passport in savanakhet.  I heard some mixed stories about changing passports at landborders. You think I can swap my passport at the lao border already without problems?Or maybe at the Thai border going back from Laos when I got my bussiness visa in it?

Any stories or opinions or answers are welcome.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The consensus in the community is that switching passports at land borders is not allowed. If you need to change from a Spanish passport to a Dutch passport while obtaining a non-immigrant business visa, you must fly, as authorities will not permit entry or exit at land borders when using different passports. For successful travel, ensure you have a Thai exit stamp in the passport you're using to apply for your visa. An approach involving flying to Vientiane and then traveling to Savanakhet is recommended.

Pierre ********

Of course if you fly somewhere via Hongkong the problem will not occur because Hongkong no longer puts stamps in western passports.

7 years ago

Tod *********

There are more than a few stories on the inter-web where people were NOT able to get a visa from the thai consulates in lao because they didn't have a thai exit stamp in their passports when flying into the country.

7 years ago

Iñigo ************

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Liam ****

oo thanks! Very useful information

7 years ago

Liam *****

So here's the craic with passport switching by air into Laos: If you have a Laos visa in advance you can do it and there is no problem. I have done this countless times (I go between Thailand and Laos all the time for work, and have a visa for both countries).

You can also passport switch and get a visa on arrival, but this is where you enter a bit of a grey area. The bottom line is you can do it (I have done it a few times), and, completely anecdotally, I would say 9 times out of 10 you will be fine. However, if the immigration officials catch you doing it then they'll insist on stamping the passport you left Thailand on. I used to avoid this by hiding my other passport away (rather than holding it my hand - i honestly saw someone get caught out that way), and I was never caught. Once they asked me where I had been, and I said "I connected from Hong Kong" which doesn't stamp passports, and they shrugged and let me in.

I wouldn't imagine the consulate is Savanakhet has a problem because, as far as they are concerned, this could be your first trip to Thailand (they presumably need not know you are currently there, on another passport. As fair as they know, this could be your first time in Asia...

7 years ago

Tod *********

@Iñ***

, I read it a while back when someone was tryin' to switch passports entering Lao by air.

If I recall either they were either unable to use their passport IN lao that didn't have the thai exit stamp in it,

OR

they were unable to use it at the thai consulate in Lao to get the visa because there was no exit stamp.

I can't remember which one it was, sorry. However thinking about it now I'd say it was the first instance and they couldn't get a Lao visa on arrival because they had no exit stamp in the passport they were using when they got off the plane.

Sorry to have gotten it mixed up.

7 years ago

Iñigo ************

ORIGINAL POSTER

Uhmm Tod, where did you see this story? Because it would be really weird that a thai visa require a thai exit stamp ( what if the person has never been to Thailand) But I will have a thai exit stamp in my dutch passport from a few months ago. So I will be okay then?

7 years ago

Reply to

Iñigo ************

Ron *******

You can fly there via Laos airways.

7 years ago

Ron *******

According too skyscanner there are loads of flights as I said on Laos airways. It's stops in Pakes first.

7 years ago

Liam *****

The OP will have to check... there used to be flights to SVK but I have a feeling they're not running any more

7 years ago

Reply to

Liam *****

From a dual passport holder let me tell you now that they will not let you through the land border if you stamp out on one passport and stamp in on the other. However, you can do this when flying. So, to Savanakhet, you are going to have to fly to Vientiane and take an internal flight/bus to Savanakhet

7 years ago

Liam *****

(So Savanakhet wasn't the best choice!)

7 years ago

Reply to

Liam *****

Robert *******

No, you can not swap passports at land borders. You have to take a flight to make this possible.

7 years ago

Reply to

Robert *******

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