Answered3 years ago
Does my Thai wife need a visa to enter Thailand if she has a UK passport?
I’m coming to Thailand with my Thai wife if she enters on her British passport does she require a visa
Answer summary
A UK passport holder can enter Thailand without a visa for stays of up to 30 days under a visa exemption. However, if your wife uses her Thai passport, she can stay indefinitely without a visa, even if it is expired. Several commenters suggest it's less complicated for her to enter using her Thai passport and recommend checking in with that passport despite its validity issues. Alternatively, she can leave the UK on her UK passport and enter Thailand on her Thai passport. If the Thai passport is expired, it is still possible for her to enter Thailand, as Thai citizens are allowed entry without the six-month validity rule usually applicable to foreign nationals.
41 repliesnewest first
Click comment and we will ask for your email, then OTP, then name.
Nick *******
You have a Thai wife, and you don't know this?
Simon **********
No
Daniel ************
nope - 30 days visa excemption
Bob ********
AS others say, use the Thai passport, even if expired, she can even get in with her ID card in an emergency, You can get a new passport in 24 hours. MBK has a walk in, several more all around, you can lodge and have it express posted back in next morning. My wife did it in Jan, and 2 daughters 3 months ago.
Peter *********
She will only get stamped in for 30 days
Glenn *********
No but if she stays over the visa rules she will be on overstay...
Jay *********
My wife is Thai and was able to enter Thailand with her Thai passport with less than six months validity, she renewed it after we arrived and it was fine. Just have her do that
Stuart *********
OPThank you for the information
Gary *********
Why doesn’t she enter on her thai passport ?
Chris ********
She can enter on a thai passport at any time with any validity. She’s not a foreign national so the 6 month rule doesn’t apply to her Thai passport. As others have said it’s possible to enter on an expired passport and get it renewed in Thailand. It take 3 days to get the new passport in the mail or you can pay extra to get it on the same day.
************************************************************
Andreas *********
@Chris *******
what kind of "6-month rule" are you talking about? There isn't any such ruleChris ********
@Andreas ********
the one where the OP says that a passport must have at least 6 months validity to travel.Chris ********
@Andreas ********
it’s possible. I’ve entered on an expired Thai passport before.Andreas *********
@Chris *******
ah, okay. A Thai citizen can enter Thailand even with an expired passport, see the answers above. Can she check-in to the flight from the UK to Thailand, with an expired passport? That's a good question. Technically yes, because she can enter Thailand with a passport of less than 6 months validity and even when it is already expired
Nongnuch ********
Buy the ticket on British passport
Check in with Thai passport (no visa needed, no onward travel proof needed)
Leave UK with British passport
Enter Thailand with Thai passport
Return:
Check in with British passport (no visa for UK needed!)
Exit Thailand on Thai passport
Enter UK with British passport
Check in with Thai passport (no visa needed, no onward travel proof needed)
Leave UK with British passport
Enter Thailand with Thai passport
Return:
Check in with British passport (no visa for UK needed!)
Exit Thailand on Thai passport
Enter UK with British passport
Marc *******
That's the way
Colin ***************
Thai passport. Less hassles.
Phil ******
@Stuart ********
yes. Leave uk on uk passport and enter on thai passport. It used to work
David *******
@Phil *****
Can’t do thatMust use sane passport used at entry
When landed in uk at boarder then can fast track with uk passport
We do it that way after info from thai and UK boarder controls
Phil ******
@David ******
thats funny as my thai friend has done this from Australia before with no issues....has things changed?Oh as a side note recently a friend who has a kiwi passport and a UK passport did leave Australia on his NZ Passport and entered Thailand on his UK Passport with no issues. He was marrying and wanted his UK divorce registered for his upcoming marriage to his thai wife. Another reason is he was worried about having a record in NZ that this would be investigated by the embassy (clean record in UK).
Sean **********
@David ******
ran into this same subject with my Ex in Colombia. Colombia is adamant that citizens enter and exit using their native countries passportPhil ******
@David ******
yes totally agree. My friend Alister used his kiwi passport to exit Australia as he was resident here under the treaty he entered thailand under is UK passport. THERE WERE NO ISSUE S.MY THAI FRIEND LEFT AUSTRALIA UNDER HERE AUSTRALIAN PASSPORT AND ENTERED THAILAND UNDER GER THAI PASSPORT. NO ISSUES.
Did I clarify myself?
David *******
@Phil *****
You can ask directly Immigration or boarder customs
They will tell you
If your a thai use thai passport to enter and leave Thailand
UK you can renter with UK passport
If you use a UK passport and your UK citizen or a Thai citizen and you use a UK passport to enter Thailand then regardless of nationality you are liable for visa
Above is a fact believe me
Michael ********
Actually doesnt matter which passport she uses rules changed about six months ago
******************************************************************************************
**********
**********
*****
*****
*****
9/permalink/*****
*****
*****
1/?mibextid=Nif5oz
Tal **********
It is better for her to go to the Thai consulate and ask them to issue a one-time transit permit for her, and in Thailand renew her Thai passport.
John ********
@Tal *********
you’re joking right? Transit ?Stuart *********
OPThank you all for your advice
I only asked because her Thai passport expires in December so couldn’t use it to check in online
Because didn’t have 6 months
I only asked because her Thai passport expires in December so couldn’t use it to check in online
Because didn’t have 6 months
Edna *******
@Stuart ********
get it renewed, pay extra to expedite it.Michael ********
@Stuart ********
that doesnt matterIf her passport is expired can still enter.
If she has ID card very easy to get new passport now got machines in several malls
Graham ******
@Stuart ********
She can enter Thailand on an expired Thai passport (then renew it before exiting), just exit the UK on her British passport
Kal *********
Tell her to come in to Thailand with her Thai passport... less headaches... can stay as long as she wants without visa ect ... if she comes in using her foreign passport she will need to pay for extended stay and visa
David *******
If shes thai why would she need a visa, she not have a thai passport?
Will ************
Leave the UK on UK passport. Enter Thailand on Thai passport, use the passport you booked the ticket on to checkin at departure
Stuart *********
If she uses a UK passport then she’d require a visa (for a stay of over 30 days). There are options for getting a year extension and stuff but probably best to use the Thai passport on arrival and departure if that’s possible.
Kool *******
@Stuart ********
last month a rule was put in place that a Thai citizen entering on a foreign passport could never be charged with overstay, so once that person is in Thailand, how they entered is no longer of any concern. This is new.Stuart *********
@Kool ******
Ok.Stuart *********
Yes I realise she could get an extension so technically 60 days.
Andi ***********
No, she gets 30 days visa exemption which can be extended for 30 more days.
Henry *********
No. UK passport holders get 30 days visa exempt.
Activity
29 joined29
people
Related
25What is the current duration for tourist visa stamps upon entering Thailand?
4.4k41385mo
Can I get two 30-day extensions for my stays in Thailand within a year?
7.2k221678mo
Can I transfer my Thai visa to a new passport without carrying two passports?
1.9k14189mo
What should my friend do after applying for a visa while in Thailand?
739441y
Should I list my friend's address or a hotel address on the TDAC form when entering Thailand?
3.1k841y
What happens if I travel from Bali before my daughter's DTV gets approved in Thailand?
2k16161y
Can my wife enter Thailand with a slightly wet passport that is now dry?
15.5k1351522y
Can I extend my non-OA visa while traveling out of Thailand?
898482y
How many days of visa will I receive if I cross back from Laos into Thailand on a 30-day visa exempt?
1.2k793y
Is a UK passport expiring one day before the six-month validity acceptable for entry to Thailand?
1.4k1083y
Can I extend my stay in Thailand with a 60-day visa, and what are the rules for visa extensions and border crossings?
1k3133y
What options do I have for a 33-day stay in Thailand without a 60-day visa?
1.7k9163y
What is the simplest way for a U.S. citizen to stay in Thailand for 3 1/2 months when married to a Thai citizen?
2.5k13354y
Will I be charged an overstay fine if I go to the immigration office on January 4th after my tourist extension expires on January 1st?
2.6k21215y
Can I enter Thailand on a 30-day stamp and apply for a retirement or marriage visa later?
4.1k42145y
Will UK passport holders be required to self-monitor when traveling in and out of Thailand?
1k767y
Is my passport validity sufficient for travel to Thailand if it's less than 6 months when I leave?
1.7k10147y
Do I need to register my stay at my girlfriend's house in Thailand if I'm on a 30-day visa exempt entry?
1.8k13137y
How long can I extend my UK visa exemption in Thailand and do I need to show proof of onward travel?
1.6k11137y
Is it possible to extend my stay in Thailand after receiving a 30-day visa-exempt entry stamp?
1.5k10117y
What should I do about my expired work permit in Thailand after leaving my job?
758278y
Do tourists on visa exempt entries need to file a TM30 in Thailand?
1.7k1568y
Can my friend leave Thailand on her US passport and re-enter with it after exiting on her UK passport?
39638y
Where is the cheapest place for a border run from Sisaket, Thailand, and how long do I need to stay out?
1.5k10118y
Can I leave Thailand during my single entry visa validity and return for a 30-day stay?
889569y
Resources
Need help with your Thai visa?
#1 visa agent · 4,000+ reviews · 100,000+ expats served