Hi. Does anyone have any recent experience, please, of renewing or replacing a Thai passport in the UK? My wife is here on ILR, still a Thai national, her passport expires next June, and we're tentatively thinking of a trip to Thailand in Jan or Feb. Her current passport is in her maiden name, so would it be advisable to get the new one in her married name? Would we need to surrender the old passport, and if so what happens to the ILR stamp in it; would we get a replacement in the new one? Finally, would that "6 months validity" rule apply when travelling; after all, she'd be entering Thailand as a citizen of that country (ie not as a visitor or tourist), and when she came back surely she'd have right of entry/abode under the ILR. Thanks very much indeed for any help or information.

The choice of whether the new passport is issued in either your wife's maiden or married name is hers. However, simply renew her passport and then return to the UK with both the expired passport containing the ILE/R and the new one. In relation to the six month rule, surely your wife is either Thai or she isn't? If she is, how can they decline her entry to her own country just because her passport has less than 6 months to run? That would be positively bizarre and perverse.

Scouse.