Thailand to issue new immigration card

Post by **moja** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:33 am

Bangkok is not the only airport in the world that takes photos upon arrival.

In Japan you have your finger prints taken!

Even in the UK if you arrive on a domestic flight at Gatwick your photo is taken before you fully enter the airport building

Post by **hhfarang** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:15 am

Farangs married to a Thai and who are passing through Thai Immigration together can simply walk to the Thai counter

Lomu, this line intrigued me as I've never heard that before. Can you elaborate a little? Do you have to show some proof of marriage or do they just take your word for it?

The reason I ask is that my wife and I were officially married in the U.S. In Thailand we had the Buddhist ceremony for the sake of her family but we never filed the papers with the Thai Government to make it official here. That's why I live here on a retirement visa rather than a marriage visa.

Spitfire · Post by **Spitfire** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:16 am

It would be interesting to know just how many would even be eligible for it and how many hoops you would have to jump through to get it. How many actually go in and out 3-5 times a year?

'The Ministry of Good Ideas' at it again? HHHmmmm. We'll see.

Post by **niggle** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:25 am

HHFarang:
I heard about this earlier this year so when we went to UK in June, we were faced with huge (mega huge) queues for foreigners at Heathrow airport. Went up to the UK desk, and asked if wife can go through this channel and told - "yes, spouses can enter through UK channel as long as other half is present"
Will try it again in December at Manchetser when I go back (again!!)

Post by **niggle** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:28 am

Sorry = brain dead this morning. Thought you were talking about at UK immigration
Sorry !

Post by **hhfarang** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:51 am

Sorry = brain dead this morning. Thought you were talking about at UK immigration

No problem, completey understandable as it takes me two cups of coffee each morning to become coherent too!

I wonder if the U.S. is like that. Whenever we've entered, I've always gone in the much longer line my wife was directed to rather than whizzing through the citizen line.

Post by **lomuamart** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:52 am

hhfarang,
I must admit that I've only been through Swampy once with my Thai wife and we went through our own channels as we didn't know any different at the time. The same went for Heathrow.
Since then, however, I've heard from a number of people that my wife was eligible to go through the UK/EEC channel at Heathrow (as Niggle says) and I was eligible to go through the Thai channel at Swampy. So, third hand knowledge, but... There was a thread on this some time ago. I'll try and find it later.
As to how they check marital status, I'm not sure, but if your wife has changed her maiden name on her passport to your family name, then that would be a pretty good indicator. I don't know if they'd want to see a marriage certificate, but I doubt it.
You mention that the two of you were married in the USA. If that was official, I'm certain that you'll find that the American certificate will prove your status almost anywhere in the world and certainly over here. The same definitely goes vice versa for the UK. A Thai marriage certificate is recognised in the UK. I don't need to register anything with the British Embassy in BKK to make it legal in the UK. If I was to marry again (without first being divorced) I'm committing bigamy anywhere in the world (Outer Mongolia might be an exception!!).
You mention visa extensions. You're eligible for both those based on family income (the old marriage one) and retirement. If you were to go the "marriage" route, Imm would almost certainly need to see some letter/certificate from your Embassy to prove you were married in The States and I should think that letter would need to be translated into Thai and certified by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in BKK. Just like the affirmation of freedom to marry letter you need if you get married here.
However, Imm are likely to push you towards the retirement extension as it involves less work. Remember that HH Imm cannot approve a family income/marriage extension. They all have to go through Soi Suan Plu in BKK. With the retirement extension, HH (and any other provincial office, if you live in that province) can approve it there and then.
Sorry I can't be more specific, but I'm pretty sure that you'll find all of the above is correct. To be certain, have a word with your Embassy and Imm here.

Post by **Wanderlust** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:14 pm

I am the one who has posted a number of times about the immigration desks you can pass through when entering/exiting countries; I was actually told a long time ago that immigration officials everywhere always want people travelling together to be checked by the same official, so you don't even need to be married I don't think. Anyway, I am married to a Thai, but have passed through the Thai desks on exit/entry from/to Thailand, and the UK entry/exit desks with my wife on several occasions, so this is first hand information!

Post by **Winkie** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:16 pm

Can confirm I've done the same in UK and in Indonesia

Post by **lindosfan1** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:27 pm

In the last year we have been through Swampy Athens and Heathrow we were not married. Swampy we used the Thai queue Athens and Heathrow the EU queue. No problems we were allowed because we are travelling together.
The only problem was leaving thailand when it was noticed my Thai partners passport had not been stamped on entry took us 5 minutes longer to sort that out.

Post by **caller** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 1:37 pm

There are now signs at Heathrow telling foriegn spouses/whatever to use the eu gates with their partners.

Super Joe · Post by **Super Joe** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:02 pm

At Bangkok me and legal wife, same passport name, go through the "Thai Passport" desks no problems. She tells them we married and he checks passports.

SJ

Post by **BaaBaa.** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:22 pm

Heathrow and Manchester are already using the Iris scans.

You register at an office at the Airport on your way out and then on your return rather than heading to the usual Immigration you go in a booth, look in a screen, then your in. No passport.

Post by **crazy88** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:50 pm

"Meanwhile, the Immigration Police will open Call Centre 1178 early next year to provide tourism-related information in eight languages."

I will try to keep it to a minimum but I am going to have to keep phoning them up and ordering pizzas etc. Probably be more likely to get a stuffed crust hawaiian than a straight answer in any case .

Crazy 88

elem · Post by **elem** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:20 pm

I would fit in the 3-5 times/year group, but as said before, how many would....?