Uk Passport Fot Thai

[scooty]

Hi all,

I would appreciate some advice on my dilema.

I have a Thai wife and weve been living in UK together for 2 and a half years or so , my wife has ILR in her Thai passport.The Thai passport is in her maiden Thai name and her Thai ID card is still in her Thai name.Her Thai passport expires in February 2011.We are planning to holiday in Thailand in January 2011, firstlly i am wondering,When we arrive back in UK ( late January)are there any requirements as to how long she has to have left on her Thai passport for her to be allowed entry into UK , even though she has ILR in her passport ?

Secondlly , if we decide to apply for a new Thai passport this year through the Thai embassy in London , ( i understand now that she will apply for the new style E passport) we are wondering , because her new Thai passport will still have her Thai maiden name ( because she still has her Thai ID card in her Thai maiden name) when we apply for her to get a British passport, Will she be able to have a British passport in her married name , ( my sirname) or can she only have the British passport in her Thai sirname because of her Thai sirname in her Thai passport?

I would very much appreciate some advice so as we can make our plans.Thanks .

Regards

Scooty and wife

Oh also out of interest, if for example my wife gets a British passport and she does not have a Thai passport , does that mean that she would have to get a visa to visit her own country, for example the 60 day tourist visa?

[7by7]

When she returns to the UK she must have a valid, in date passport. There is no official limit on how long the passport must be valid for, but most airlines may refuse to carry her if it has less than 6 months validity.

I would suggest that she renews her passport while in Thailand as doing so there will be quicker and cheaper than doing so at the RTE in Kensington.

There is no need to transfer her ILR visa to a new passport, she simply carries both old and new passports and presents both when necessary.

As long as there is no intention to deceive, there is no reason why her Thai passport cannot be in her maiden name and her British passport in her married name. She can, if she wishes, have a stamp placed in her existing Thai passport changing the name to her married one. She could then have her new Thai passport in her married name, and this stamp would provide the link between her ILR stamp and her new passport.

This is also important if using both passports to travel, as the names on the passports need to match the names on the airline tickets.

Even though she is a Thai citizen, if she enters Thailand with a British passport she will be treated by Thai immigration as a British citizen, so subject to the same visa rules and overstay fines as any other British citizen.

[scooty]

Thank you very much 7 by 7 , that sorts things out for me.

We probablly will apply for the new Thai passport in Bangkok its just the fact that it uses up about 3 days of our valuble holiday time that puts me off.

[7by7]

I can relate to that, but applying in the UK would mean a trip to Kensington.

She doesn't have to apply in Bangkok; see this post for other passport offices in Thailand.

[scooty]

Thanks again 7by 7 . We applied for her original passport at Khoen Khen, but it seems that it takes longer at these other passport offices. From what i can gather Bangkok is the quickest. I do try to avoid Bangkok now if at all possible but always seem to end up there for one reason or another.