Wife returning to Thailand under state quarantine traveling under Thai and US passports.

[Mai Pai]

Due to my father-in-law's sudden illness, my wife had to make an emergency trip to Thailand.  She is traveling under the Thai State quarantine program and is currently sequestered at a hotel in Pattaya.  Because of the program, she travelled under her Thai passport instead of her US passport.  The process was involved but several instructional docs. and articles on the US -DC Thai Consulate's website were tremendously helpful as were the staff. We found the plane ticket on Etihad from Chicago to Thailand to be very affordable (<$500 one way) and she said the service was wonderful.  The hotel is 4-statr and comfortable but the food is average (if you have a Thai wife then you know no food meets her particularly high standard).  Our only concern is her return flight.  Her Thai Passport is in her maiden name as is her round-trip ticket.  Her US passport has her married last name. Will she be able to return to US on her Thai passport? Should she return on her US passport even though it has no stamps of entry, visas, or exit stamps? Will an airline let her fly with a married name even if the ticket has her maiden name if she has her marriage cert. and both passports proving she is that person?  Does she need to worry about using both passports?.  Any help is greatly appreciated and we will report on how things turn out regardless.

[macster44]

Hi

 

Here is my .02 worth....I hope it helps

 

Her ticket is in her maiden name as is her Thai passport....she will have to use that to check in at Airport.

She will then have to show her U.S. Passport as proof she is legally allowed into U.S. with no visa.

 

However...I would strongly recommend she contact the Airline and speak with a higher level Customer service representative to

make sure she won't be denied boarding at the airport because of the two names and different passports. They most likely have seen this scenario before.

 

I don't believe Homeland security cares until she presents her U.S. passport at the entry point to United States and they will allow her entry as long as her U.S. passport is correct and valid. I don't believe she will be permitted to fly or admitted to U.S. on her Thai passport as she would need a visa in it for permission to enter U.S.A.

 

fyi: She needs to have both passports in the same name from now on. If she is in Thailand "next" time she should have her name changed on her Thai passport. I would not do it now as it would likely complicate things even more (require her to buy a new ticket with her new name, unless the airline is very generous and allows  a name change on a previously issued ticket. (my guess is the won't)

 

best of luck

mac

 

[Upnotover]

I'd check if Etihad will change the name on the return, likely not for free but I have seen name changes done.  If they would do so (after all Thai women change their name a often as their underwear) then she can get a new passport.  Either way Etihad need to be spoken to.

[teacherclaire]

OP, I also believe that the best way would be to get in touch with the issuer of the ticket.

 

It was an emergency and that should your wife also explain. 

 

 

[teacherclaire]

33 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

I'd check if Etihad will change the name on the return, likely not for free but I have seen name changes done.  If they would do so (after all Thai women change their name a often as their underwear) then she can get a new passport.  Either way Etihad need to be spoken to.

It's convenient when you can change your name and move to another province.

 

But something will never change and that's their 13 digit number, similar to the American social security number. That's how such a person can be "tracked."   

[khunjeff]

A Thai-American friend of mine just did exactly what you're describing, flying on Korean to Thailand and on United back to the US.

 

The Thai consulate required her to use the name in her Thai passport on the repatriation flight, and there was no issue checking in and leaving the US on her American passport (of course, there's no exit immigration control upon departure from the United States).

 

For her return from Thailand, I think she ended up using her Thai passport (maiden) name again, though it really wouldn't have made a difference either way, as she would have been admitted to the US with her American passport regardless of the name on the ticket.

 

A mismatch between the passport and the manifest can potentially cause a brief delay upon arrival, but just showing the other passport and explaining the situation will typically resolve it quickly.

[doontp]

I have both passports. They refused my entry into LOS with my Thai pp last year.  The immigration officer demanded my US pp.  I gave in because I was so tired and only there to visit for a few weeks.

 

I'll be permanently returning to LOS in about a year and I'm pretty sure that same damn officer will be sitting there at midnight.  

 

Any advice?  Do they have supervisors working during the late night hours?  My incoming flight always seems to land around midnight.

 

[kensawadee]

My Thai wife went the same way back at the end of Sept.    She did her Quarantine and went on to Korat.... She went with the THAI Embassy group and on a one-way ticket with Asiana (Via Korea) and she flew on her Thai Passport in her maiden name..... No Problem   She doesn't want her married name on her Thai passport as she owns property and wants Thai medical services, Etc....

SOME OF YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS......... I signed up for a Chase 'United Airline' Credit card (I think American and Delta have similar) for which I will earn 50,000 Bonus Miles when I spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.... Then I have booked her a one-way ticket coming home in January using 44,000 miles plus $50 tax.. and costing me 'Nothing" (except tax)

Coming back to the US she will check in with her US Passport in her married name and clear customs/immigration upon arrival...

 

Outside OP Topic, But valuable INFO.... Added note... For those who charge everything to a Credit Card, as I do..... I have amassed many other miles and a couple dozen FREE HOTEL NIGHTS similarly with Sheraton, Marriott, and Hilton Etc.

[kensawadee]

7 hours ago, doontp said:

I have both passports. They refused my entry into LOS with my Thai pp last year.  The immigration officer demanded my US pp.  I gave in because I was so tired and only there to visit for a few weeks.

 

I'll be permanently returning to LOS in about a year and I'm pretty sure that same damn officer will be sitting there at midnight.  

 

Any advice?  Do they have supervisors working during the late night hours?  My incoming flight always seems to land around midnight.

 

I have heard of other friends entering Thailand on a foreign Passport and afterward going to the Thai Immigrations in Thailand and converting their remaining stay to their Thai Passport, seem like I remember at NO CHARGE....... Inquire with the Thai Immigrations to be sure...

[allen303]

My wife entered Thailand on her US PP, not her Thai several years ago. Immigrations said she was in the country as a US citizen and the only way to change was to depart Thailand on your US PP and reenter on your Thai PP. When I went to Laos for another O visa, she left on the US PP. So that closed her out of Thailand and hen reentered on her Thai PP, no problem. I don’t think the IO will change just asking them to, but just speaking from experience.

 

As for as names on PP the Thai wife needs to change her name on her Thai PP to match her other PP. My wife did that several years ago. Solves the problem of different names on ticket. She loses no rights as a Thai citizen with a different last name on her PP. She can buy/sell property, use the government hospital and even sign up for her Thai SS or what ever its called when she reaches that age.

[ericthai]

On 12/10/2020 at 11:39 AM, macster44 said:

fyi: She needs to have both passports in the same name from now on. If she is in Thailand "next" time she should have her name changed on her Thai passport

 

best of luck

mac

 

My wife never changed her maiden name on her Thai passport or Thai license and never plans to. She has never had an issue in Thailand or USA with her maiden name on her Thai passort and married name on US passort as she just shows both or whatever ID matches the one she is using for travel. This has never been a problem in the last 6 years or s. We also have several friends that do the same thing.