Can my wife's niece enter Thailand on her expired Thai passport and renew it while staying there?

Oct 23, 2023
a year ago
Tim ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Wife's niece ( Thai/Australian) Thai passport has expired. If she enters on her Aus passport, renews her Thai one here (Pattaya), planning to stay 3 months or more, would she have to leave Thailand on Aus passport during that time in order to not overstay on Aus passport or as she will have a new Thai one not have to worry?

Thanks for advice 😎
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the visa situation for a Thai-Australian woman planning to enter Thailand on her Australian passport while her Thai passport is expired. It highlights that entering on her Australian passport grants her a 30-day visa exempt entry, but she can apply for a 1-year extension as a Thai citizen upon entering. Recent regulations suggest that Thai citizens can enter Thailand on an expired passport, allowing her to carry both passports for verification purposes. The responses offer advice on how to navigate her entry and potential immigration processes.
Tod *********
This sure turned into a proverbial train wreck 😮

Evidently they can show their expired thai passport when they enter the country (there for a while thais COULDN'T get in on expired passports) but I think they can now

OR

They can enter on their Auzzie passport and then do one of two things,

1 - OVERSTAY (seeing as they're allowed to do that now without repercussion)

OR

2 - Go to the immigration office and for 1900baht get a year long extension based on being a thai who entered on a foreign passport.

Those are their choices..

And now I'm closing comments on this runaway train.

Good Luck to the O/P's wife's niece..
John **********
If she enters on the Oz passport she will be treated as Australian but as a Thai national she can go to immigration and get a 12 month extension
Dca *****
@John *********
No, a recent Memorandum issued by Thai Immigration Bureau would be that Thai citizens using foreign passports to enter Thailand would be treated as Thai nationals (and not considered overstay when exiting): also negates the need to get a 1-year extension as a Thai national....
John **********
@Dca ****
not being on overstay is not quite the same thing
Dca *****
@John *********
True! However, the foreign passport would still have a 'stay permitted up to' end date stamped according to how these unique, special case dual nationality/citizenship/passports entered into Thailand (usually visa exempt, but there are cases where they may have a Thai visa)....

Nevertheless, hopefully, it will be a straightforward process for them to enter Thailand with an Aussie passport and carry both their expired Thai passport and current Thai ID card
James ********
@John *********
and she can get a NEW Thai passport easily in Thailand. Processing time is quick... WITHIN days of making application for the New Thai Visa.
John **********
@James *******
a couple of hours at some offices
James ********
@John *********
Yes it's amazing how fast the Thai passport can be issued 👍 and now can be issued for 10 years vs prior 5 years validity.
Dca *****
Referencing Memorandum # 0029.161/ว 3263, dated 22 August 2023 (2566) of the Thai Immigration Bureau (สตม), highly suggest to carry your current Thai ID Card, along with your expired Thai passport for entry into Thailand using your Australian passport....
Ar***
Can enter any of passport. Thai or Aus. If Aus she will get 30 days and can go to immigration and apply for 1 year just show ID and housebook.
John *******
My Thai stepson has both Thai and Oz passports , on his last trip into Thailand he entered on his Oz passport ...had to go to immigration when he looked at his entry stamp and realized he had 30 days ... costly unnecessary mistake
Tod *********
@John ******
hardly costly, it's 1900baht for a thai to get a year extension when entering the country on another passport. AND it's the easiest extension that the immigration office offers as far as documentation etc.
John ********
@John ******
why would he do that?
John *******
@John *******
I wasn't there ...happened some time back
John *********
@John ******
and what was the solution?
John *******
@John ********
paid for an extension
Ellie *******
When she enters on her foreign passport, she will be treated as a Thai and she will not be charged for overstay (regulation has been changed recently). if I remember right, Thailand doesn't allow people to enter on expired Thai passports anymore, but I might be wrong.
Serge ********
@Ellie ******
every citizen in the earth can enter it's own country on expired passport
Ellie *******
@Serge *******
, not “every single” country.
Serge ********
@Ellie ******
which one not, then? I'm really curious
Ellie *******
@Serge *******
, and it's not Thai visa related at all
Kevin ***********
@Ellie ******
No country refuses entry to its own citizens as far as I know.
Will ************
Enter on used Thai passport. Leave Aus on Aus passport. If entering on Aus passport will get a 30 day visa exempt stamp and then things get complicated as would have to leave Thailand within 30 days to close the stamp
Kevin ***********
@Sam ********
I think you misread.
John *******
Wannikea *********
I believe as a Thai if she had entered on the Aussie passport she would be eligible for a 1 year extension being a Thai citizen.
Wayne ********
@Wannikea ********
just use the expired thai passport. A few years ago going to USA, I didn't know her Thailand passport was expired, her US was new. The immigration officer asked if she had another valid travel document..aka passport. Have a good trip, use the expired on return no problem.
John *******
@Wannikea ********
I think u believe wrongly
Tod *********
@John ******
no issue at all with a thai entering on another country passport, then going to the immigration office to get a year extension of stay by showing their thai i/d
Ellie *******
@John ******
there is 1-year extension based on being a Thai national
Lloyd ********
As a Thai national she will be allowed to enter on her expired Thai passport
Tim ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lloyd *******
Thanks. Is that a definite?

She will be traveling alone first time, so wouldn't want any problems. Just that another post says they can't enter on expired passport anymore 🤔
John ********
@Tim *****
do you really think Thailand will deny entry to a citizen?
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