My friend from USA traveled to Thailand (dual citizenship). Her Thai passport had expired so she used her USA passport to enter and was given a 30 day visa exempt. She later went to immigration and asked for a 30 day extension and they literally stamped her in for 1year without any steps to show any banking requirements.
They told her that since she’s a Thai citizen w a Thai ID card she’s immediately eligible for 1year resident extension on the 30 day “Visa Exempt” stamp in her USA passport.
Was this a mistake by immigration or do they automatically give out 1yr extensions to a Visa Exempt stamp for Thai ID card holders w out having to meet any financial requirements similar to other visas???
I was in the impression that dual citizens are governed solely by which passport they use upon entry. But it seems they make exceptions to dual citizens?
Pls advise.
TLDR : Answer Summary
A U.S. citizen with dual Thai citizenship entered Thailand using her U.S. passport, was granted a 30-day visa exempt status, and later received a 1-year extension based on her Thai ID card. This situation raises questions about immigration procedures for dual citizens. Generally, while it might seem that entry on a foreign passport would classify one solely as a foreigner, Thai citizens can often secure longer extensions with proof of their Thai nationality. The consensus is that it is not uncommon for dual citizens to obtain a year-long extension effortlessly, typically with minimal requirements.