Citizenship

[kendo]

My wife has had indefinate leave to remain, for almost a year, what i would like to know is the pro's and con's of her taking british citizenship.
The obvious pro's are unrestricted travel around Europe and if there was a war in Thailand the Embassy would have to help her get out.

Would British citizenship, affect land and house ownership could there be any tax implications ?

Would Thai officials treat her differently?

Any opinions and prospectives on this, or anyone had any experiances of this please post away.
Kendo.

[Spitfire]

Would British citizenship, affect land and house ownership...................

Would Thai officials treat her differently?

Hi Kendo, IMHO, 'Yes' to both of the above. To what extent would require some 'delving around' to get the exact answer.

I have a sneaky feeling that dual citizenship for Thais is not possible after a certain age, and those that have both when young have to decide which passort to keep at 17/18 or something. I looked into it a few years ago and the replies/feedback was not positive.

Almost certainly a 'no-no' on the land ownership as technically she would not be Thai. Might also be a problem with inheritance of land aswell.

Just my 10 bahts worth and might have changed in the last couple of years, you know how it is.

[Khundon1975]

My wife has had indefinate leave to remain, for almost a year, what i would like to know is the pro's and con's of her taking british citizenship.
The obvious pro's are unrestricted travel around Europe and if there was a war in Thailand the Embassy would have to help her get out.

Would British citizenship, affect land and house ownership could there be any tax implications ?

Would Thai officials treat her differently?

Any opinions and prospectives on this, or anyone had any experiances of this please post away.
Kendo.

Hi Kendo.

The wife has just done Citizenship and awaiting passport.

They send back both passports when her friends have gotten their new UK passport and I think you will find most Thais travel to/from Thailand on their old passport and use UK one for the rest of the World.

As for land ownership, they use their Thai passport and ID for that, so I cannot see to much of a problem.

Having said that, it may pay you to get a bit of legal advice to be sure of where she stands, especially on Thai wills as they can be a bit confusing.

[Big Boy]

My wife has a British passport, and always uses it to travel to Thailand (and other places). She has deliberately let her Thai Passport lapse. She does, however keep her ID Card in date.

spitfire is correct when he says

dual citizenship for Thais is not possible after a certain age

A decision has to be made at age 21 regarding which nationality they wish to retain.

We understand the regulations, and when we retire to Thailand (eventually), we know that my wife will have to let her British nationality lapse. She will purchase land using her ID Card as a Thai National.

Would British citizenship, affect land and house ownership could there be any tax implications ?

It isn't permitted - just don't go there. I know you have land etc already - providing somebody doesn't shop you, nobody will know any different. I know dozens of couples in the UK in a similar situation. They also understand that if they move to Thailand full time, they will have to let their naturalisation lapse.

You will also find that there are difficulties maintaining 2 passports. When you renew the Thai Passport, you need to get the UK Indefinite visa transferred. You will find that you request will be refused on the grounds that you already have a British Passport. In this Big Brother age with the Home Office being all joined up - it's a simple computer enquiry. I've seen people ignore this advice from me recently and lose their fee as well - a refusal is a refusal etc.

Would Thai officials treat her differently?

You don't tell them - it's illegal.

I hope this helps. If you need any further clarification, please ask.

[PeteC]

The other side of the coin. I know many Thai wives who have US citizenship and maintain both a USA and Thai passport. They travel into and out Thailand on their Thai passport to avoid any stay limitations. They also renew their Thai ID card periodically with no problems.

I know the above from personal experience and communication with these people, not from any official documentation or regulations that may be enforce. Pete

[Spitfire]

Well, there you go Kendo, must admit it was a few years ago I looked into it, time sure flies.

[Big Boy]

Don wrote

I think you will find most Thais travel to/from Thailand on their old passport and use UK one for the rest of the World.

Please see my advice above. That will work until there is a need to re-new the Thai Passport. At that point the UK visa wii not be re-newed.

[Big Boy]

Pete wrote

They travel into and out Thailand on their Thai passport to avoid any stay limitations.

Maybe US immigration is not so paranoid as the UK (although I would be surprised). What I am stating about Thai Passport renewal and transfer of the visa by the UK Home Office is fact.

[hhfarang]

Big Boy, I'm confused by your statements

If a person has both a Thai passport and a UK passport, what visa is necessary?

When entering Thailand they just use the Thai passport and when entering the UK they just use that passport... no visa's required as citizenship is implied by the passport used to enter the country. I know people who do this with Thai and U.S. passports...

[Khundon1975]

Pete wrote

They travel into and out Thailand on their Thai passport to avoid any stay limitations.

Maybe US immigration is not so paranoid as the UK (although I would be surprised). What I am stating about Thai Passport renewal and transfer of the visa by the UK Home Office is fact.

Hi Big Boy

Agreed, the transfer of ILR is the thing that will end the use of Thai passport.
When you retire to Thailand, what visa will you be going for, as husband of a Thai spouse won't work will it once her Thai passport lapses?

Will you both have to do the visa run/retirement visa thing?

I ask this because I will be in the same boat, and my last visa was retirement visa.

[Big Boy]

When they leave Thailand:

- If using a Thai Passport they will need the appropriate visa.

- If using a UK Passport they will need the appropriate immigration stamps.

[Khundon1975]

Big Boy, I'm confused by your statements

If a person has both a Thai passport and a UK passport, what visa is necessary?

When entering Thailand they just use the Thai passport and when entering the UK they just use that passport... no visa's required as citizenship is implied by the passport used to enter the country. I know people who do this with Thai and U.S. passports...

Hi HHfarang

If a Thai wife in UK on Thai passport with ILR stamp on her passport goes to renew passport when it lapses and if she also holds a UK passport, the UK will not transfer ILR to her new Thai passport as she already holds a British passport, they just check computer and refuse to transfer ILR.
I think that is what BB is saying.

[Big Boy]

Agreed, the transfer of ILR is the thing that will end the use of Thai passport.
When you retire to Thailand, what visa will you be going for, as husband of a Thai spouse won't work will it once her Thai passport lapses?

Will you both have to do the visa run/retirement visa thing?

I ask this because I will be in the same boat, and my last visa was retirement visa.

We will both enter Thailand using UK Passports - I will be travelling on whatever visa I will need to be able to extend to a Retirement visa (I'll probably ask Lomu what I need when the time comes).

My wife will be travelling as a tourist (30 days on arrival).

Upon entry to Thailand, my wife's passport will be put away, and she will survive on her Thai ID Card alone. We would advise the British authorities that my wife had decided to relinquish her naturalisation.

If there was a future need for my wife to travel outside of Thailand, she would simply apply for a Thai Passport advising that her previous one had expired/could no longer be found. We would then obtain any appropriate visas.

[hhfarang]

We had visitors last month that we've known for a long time from back in the U.S.

The husband is Irish but works and lives in the U.S. with an employment visa. His wife is Thai and she has a Thai passport, a U.S. passport, and an Irish passport.

I asked her that very question when they were here and she said that when she travels to Thailand, she enters using the Thai passport, entering the U.S. she uses the U.S. passport, and entering Ireland she uses the Irish passport. She just uses which ever one requires no visas or anything else to enter or leave the particular country. I asked her specifically if that ever caused a problem because of switching passports on a trip and the lack of stamps in a passport that would show a paper trail of where she has been (in a single passport) and she said no one had ever looked or questioned her about it. She's been doing this for years...

She said that she shows her U.S. passport at the airline counter here so they know she is legal to board a flight to the U.S. and shows her Thai one (which she used upon entry) to immigration to exit into the international departure area.

[Khundon1975]

Agreed, the transfer of ILR is the thing that will end the use of Thai passport.
When you retire to Thailand, what visa will you be going for, as husband of a Thai spouse won't work will it once her Thai passport lapses?

Will you both have to do the visa run/retirement visa thing?

I ask this because I will be in the same boat, and my last visa was retirement visa.

We will both enter Thailand using UK Passports - I will be travelling on whatever visa I will need to be able to extend to a Retirement visa (I'll probably ask Lomu what I need when the time comes).

My wife will be travelling as a tourist (30 days on arrival).

Upon entry to Thailand, my wife's passport will be put away, and she will survive on her Thai ID Card alone. We would advise the British authorities that my wife had decided to relinquish her naturalisation.

If there was a future need for my wife to travel outside of Thailand, she would simply apply for a Thai Passport advising that her previous one had expired/could no longer be found. We would then obtain any appropriate visas.

Big Boy

Ah then you have a cunning plan indeed

One question, does your wifes ID show her maiden name or married name, and if it is the latter, does this pose any problems?