UK Passport Office Will Not Renew Passport To My Thai Wife due to name differences

[paul-s]

We are currently here is the UK. My Thai (partner) Wife is trying to renew her UK passport, that she has had for 20 years. The UK Passport office has refused renew it because the surname in the Thai Passport is different. Basically, they are saying the name must match exactly. in both passports They are telling her she must change the name in her Thai Passport.
She doesn't want to change her Thai name for a whole bunch of reasons.

What I am trying to prove to the UK passport office is: 
I order to change her name she will have to travel to Thailand and change her name in her house-book that is registered with the Ubon Ratchathani Province Ampur. before she can change it in her passport.
I cannot find any website that clearly states how she would change her name, and I ideally need it from some sort of official source.

Can anyone help or give suggestions please - thanks ????

[blackcab]

Would the passport office accept her changing her UK name to match her Thai name?

 

If they will then you can use an unenrolled deed poll that can be printed off various websites for free and witnessed by two people, one of whom can be you.

 

That is going to be so much easier.

[The Hammer2021]

Why show them the Thai passport?

[paul-s]

We have considered changing her name here on the UK, but travel to Thailand in 5 weeks.

 

 

And Hammer 21, we were asked whether she had a thai passport, and without thinking about we said yes

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

When my daughter (dual national) travelled to Europe, I drummed the following into her, repeatedly, for weeks...

 

When you arrive in Europe, don't tell them you're Thai.

When you come back to Thailand, don't tell them you're British.

[paul-s]

Very true mate, but solve my current situation  

The horse has already bolted.

 

Plus she has had a UK passport for 20 years with no problems 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Why do you need the passport now? Can't you just wait and renew the passport in Bangkok after sorting the naming convention at Amphur?

 

EDIT: You stated she doesn't want to change her name on the Thai side. This is needless complication. She's British and can never be refused entry to the UK, but it sounds like she's making things harder than they need to be. This is one of those things you can't have both ways. Choose a name.

If you're ordinarily resident in the UK and her Thai name is a comedy name (Mrs Tittiporn), I suggest she sticks with her married name.

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

[blackcab]

4 hours ago, paul-s said:

We have considered changing her name here on the UK, but travel to Thailand in 5 weeks.

 

Changing your wife's name in the UK can be done in a matter of minutes, for free.

 

Use this website to create a deed poll:

 

https://freedeedpoll.org.uk/

 

In the UK a deed poll does not need to be registered. Instead it can be unenrolled. An unenrolled deed poll is completely acceptable to the passport office.

[Neeranam]

17 minutes ago, blackcab said:

 

Changing your wife's name in the UK can be done in a matter of minutes, for free.

 

Use this website to create a deed poll:

 

https://freedeedpoll.org.uk/

 

In the UK a deed poll does not need to be registered. Instead it can be unenrolled. An unenrolled deed poll is completely acceptable to the passport office.

Interesting, thanks.

One of my daughters has one letter different in her UK/Thai passports.

Could this be an issue?

It's her middle name- Noppasorn v Noppason.

 

I had no idea it was so easy to change UK name. I might change my name in the future to the name I chose when becoming a naturalized Thai.

 

[blackcab]

19 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Could this be an issue?

 

The UK has been insisting on identical names in all passports for some time, however I cannot speak for the passport office.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

2 hours ago, blackcab said:

Changing your wife's name in the UK can be done in a matter of minutes, for free.

I looked at that site it says she would have to be a UK citizen from birth. It appears in her case it will not be that easy.

It appears to me their best option might be to apply for the UK passport without informing them she has another passport when applies again.

[blackcab]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I looked at that site it says she would have to be a UK citizen from birth. It appears in her case it will not be that easy.

It appears to me their best option might be to apply for the UK passport without informing them she has another passport when applies again.

 

You don't have to be a UK citizen from birth to execute a deed poll. Anyone can execute a deed poll, it is more a matter of whether the UK passport office will accept the document.

 

The main issue for dual nationals using a deed poll is whether their second country will recognise the legality of the name change.

 

In this particular case, as the passport applicant would be changing their UK name to match their Thai name, there would be no issues in Thailand as no Thai-based documentation would need to be changed.

 

More detailed information can be found below:

 

https://deedpolloffice.com/change-name/who-can-change-their-name#nationality-restrictions

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, blackcab said:

You don't have to be a UK citizen from birth to execute a deed poll. Anyone can execute a deed poll, it is more a matter of whether the UK passport office will accept the document.

The site for the free deed poll states otherwise. 

More info is shown when you click read theses instruction first. (https://freedeedpoll.org.uk/special)

[blackcab]

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It appears to me their best option might be to apply for the UK passport without informing them she has another passport when applies again.

 

The problem with this is that the UK passport office already know about the issue, and I guarantee that it will be recorded in the applicant's case notes as an action point.

 

Secondly, applicants are specifically asked in question 3 of a UK passport application, "Have you had or been included on any sort of passport before?" The question has a Yes/No tick box.

 

Personally, I wouldn't advise an applicant to sign a declaration when applying for a passport in this way, especially after the applicant has been notified about issues with the alignment of their dual passports.

[blackcab]

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The site for the free deed poll states otherwise.

 

Yes, I know ????

 

Fortunately in this case I believe the website is incorrect.

 

Further investigation will show that the issue is not with the UK passport office. Instead, it is with second countries that take issue with a UK deed poll being used to try and change identity documents from the second country.

 

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, blackcab said:

Further investigation will show that the issue is not with the UK passport office. Instead, it is with second countries that take issue with a UK deed poll being used to try and change identity documents from the second country.

It really seems to be minor matter of a different spelling of her name when it was translated from Thai for the UK passport.

A Thai passport has the same spelling on it as what is on their Thai ID card in english.

I think the UK passport office is being bit over the top about the spelling. Maybe showing her ID card with the spelling in english would help

[soi3eddie]

I'm assuming the difference in name is with the first name rather than last name (surname)? Seems OTT of UKPO to make an issue of this now after holding a UK passport for 20 years. I see no reason in having same name in both passports and was not a problem with UKPO. My ex kept everything Thai in her maiden name and eveything British in her married name. Was never an issue. My British/Thai son got his Thai passport from RTE in London just after getting his British passport so all his names are aligned.

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by soi3eddie

[Eff1n2ret]

My wife confronted exactly the same problem as the OP when she renewed her UK passport 3 or 4 years ago. The UK passport office is rather arrogant in stating that dual nationals should change the name in their other passport, because it is perfectly possible and legal to change your UK name, which is what she did. We did it online from Thailand*, and it was fairly cheap and quick, far more so than getting her Thai i/d changed on everything she has in Thailand. It is a legal requirement to declare all the passports you hold when applying for a UK passport and the names must be the same. I assume they perceive it as a measure against i/d fraud.

 

*Getting the change of name deed quickly in Thailand might be more difficult now, because of the lamentable state of the Thai Post Office, in our locality at least. Doing it in the UK should be a doddle.

[blackcab]

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think the UK passport office is being bit over the top about the spelling. Maybe showing her ID card with the spelling in english would help

 

The UK passport office has been quite firm about dual and multi nationals having identical passport names for some time now.

 

They are rather inflexible, or should I say that the individual examiners have no authority to override the rule.

[Eff1n2ret]

OP, as best I remember, we used this company:-

How Long Does It Take To Change My Name | UK Deed Poll Service

[howerde]

It  goes into detail here, even a slight spelling  ie   swop Michael to Micheal has a process

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/965572/Names_-_evidence_to_change_a_name.pdf

 

ot

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/967252/Names_-_Change_of_name_passport_applications.pdf

Edited November 30, 2021 by howerde