Help? Passport And Marraige Name Change Question

[mullinsben]

Hello!

So, my wife (a thai citizen) and I (a US citizen) just got married and and are traveling to Thailand (Phuket & Bangkok) in October.

We purchased our tickets through an Air Brokerage and she put the name on her ticket as her new last name. Well, she went to the Thai embassy in LA and they told her that she cannot change her last name on her passport unless she goes to Thailand to do it. So, now she has a ticket with her new last name and a Thai passport with her old last name that can't change until she goes to Thailand. The air brokerage said that they cannot change the name on the ticket without charging us for a new ticket. (!$#%)

We're wondering if there's a solution to this without having to buy a new ticket. We realize that we messed up for sure- but I was hoping to get some advice on possibly working this out.

Is it possible that we bring our marraige license that shows her new last name even though the ticket and her Thai passport do not match? I'm hoping someone here can give us advice. We're flying Korean air to Phuket, but Korean air said that it depends on the security policies of the country and airport. Can anybody help us or point us in the right direction? We're hoping that we can just bring tons of documentation showing that she is indeed the person on the ticket and explain our case, but we're worried that she will get stuck!

please help!

[keeniau96]

For flying out from USA your best bet is to contact Homeland Security re the airport goons. Try that first, then maybe contact your Congressman office to help smooth the way. Probably changing planes in Inchon but staying in transit area should be OK. Once in TH should be able to talk to Immigration people.

[kevc]

Don't know if it's the same but when we married in the UK we had to send my wifes passport to the UK immigration for her to get an indefinite leave of stay stamp. They also added a change of name to one of the pages. everytime we went through check in we had to show them the name change inside but never a problem once they seen it.

[blue eyes]

We had the exact same problem.We had purchased tickets through a travel agent and they used our married name.Never even thought about it until a few days before we left.Could not change the name on her tickect so we took with us to the airport the following.The origanl marrige cert.and a copy,her alien registration card (green card)her learners permit in her married name, social security card in married name and her Thai passport in Thai name.It took about 30 minutes at the counter to get checked in.They had to call a superviser who called the TSA who called Homeland security.But once it was all done she was allowed to board.They had to check her Thai name to the do not fly list.

They said to change her passport to the married name as soon as possible or to make the ticket in her Thai name next time.The check in guy said not to try this again because they really are not suppose to let you board when the ticket and passport do not match.He also said if we did not have the marrige cert. and offical id with her married name she would not have been allowed to board.

Funny thing is when we left Thailand no one said anything about it.After checking in to Korean air in Thailand I asked (maybe that was dumb thing to do,ask that is)They said they already know,it is in computer.

Now we always just make the ticket in her Thai name.When we return to the USA the customs officers never say anything about the different names on the passport and the alien registration card.I guess that is becuse it is in the computer.

Maybe good idea to call the airline and explain first though.We did not but luckly it worked out.

[mullinsben]

Hi Blue Eyes-

This was very helpful! We had a friend tell us the same thing- I guess there is a document that we can attach to her thai passport that shows that her name has changed. Hopefully we will have her green card also by that date so we will have enough information to get by TSA and homeland security- and we will change her Drivers license to her new last name. We talked with Korean air and they said that it comes down to the immigration officials at the airport and not their company policies- Korean air said that we should change the name on the ticket, but our travel agent will only do it for another full price ticket! Hopefully we will be okay since we will have plenty of documentation (we are also translating the USA marriage license to Thai just in case- good to know we are not the only ones who have had this problem! We can't wait to go to Phuket

We had the exact same problem.We had purchased tickets through a travel agent and they used our married name.Never even thought about it until a few days before we left.Could not change the name on her tickect so we took with us to the airport the following.The origanl marrige cert.and a copy,her alien registration card (green card)her learners permit in her married name, social security card in married name and her Thai passport in Thai name.It took about 30 minutes at the counter to get checked in.They had to call a superviser who called the TSA who called Homeland security.But once it was all done she was allowed to board.They had to check her Thai name to the do not fly list.

They said to change her passport to the married name as soon as possible or to make the ticket in her Thai name next time.The check in guy said not to try this again because they really are not suppose to let you board when the ticket and passport do not match.He also said if we did not have the marrige cert. and offical id with her married name she would not have been allowed to board.

Funny thing is when we left Thailand no one said anything about it.After checking in to Korean air in Thailand I asked (maybe that was dumb thing to do,ask that is)They said they already know,it is in computer.

Now we always just make the ticket in her Thai name.When we return to the USA the customs officers never say anything about the different names on the passport and the alien registration card.I guess that is becuse it is in the computer.

Maybe good idea to call the airline and explain first though.We did not but luckly it worked out.