combovan Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 my thai wife and i are travelling out to thailand in a few weeks and i want to know if she can go through the UK passport lines along with me in Heathrow and can i go through the Thai line with her in Bangkok. she has FLR and has been here 16 months. we are flying Belfast-London and then on to Bangkok so we will already have went through passport control in Belfast. thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tw25rw Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 Believe it's yes in both cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetley Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Went through the Thai counter with my Thai wife only a few nights ago with no problems. She goes first and points out that I am her husband and is it ok etc. Never been refused so far which has avoided a few delays when we have arrived at the same time as a couple of jumbos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artamus Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Not sure if this is something new, but last time I travelled out of Thailand (this month), there were three signs up at passport control - foreigners - thai - foreigner/thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulandmaneerat Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 The possession of all the right documents gives a good feeling (including a visa for the UK) but that didn't stop a small problem when I took my wife to the UK a few years ago. We went through immigration at Suvarnabhumi in different channels - I had thought I would be refused if I tried to go through the Thai line with my wife and I didn't want to waste my time queueing twice. And anyway she had all the right documents. But when I got through to the duty free area my wife was not there despite it being a faster moving queue. An immigration officer came looking for me. My wife had pointed me out to him. She had been detained at a small desk and was looking very worried. She had to personally identify me as her husband, then formally prove it with matching surnames in passports. Then everything was okay, but it was a worrying moment. In Heathrow, the reverse was true. I went through the 'foreign passports' with her as she was very nervous. I briefly explained at the immigration desk why I had done it and they understood perfectly. The immigration office smiled and asked my wife one or two simple questions - and even tried out his Thai from a previous holiday. The whole procedure took minutes and left my wife with a very favourable impression on UK immigration. Hope this helps. P&M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWPattaya Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 When I went through immigration recently all the immigration counters had Thai & Foreign signs. When I came through with my long-time girlfriend a few months ago we separated into different queues. An Immigration officer came running over to me to tell me to join her even though it was signed Thai. In the UK though it may be a different matter. I have seen them split people up before they join the queue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve187 Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 my wife and i always go through together at LHR ( UK Passport holders) and BKK ( Thai passport holders), I hold a UK passport and my wife a Thai with ILR, just makes things easier and quicker. Never been a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javabear Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 How about the same question for the US? I anticipate my wife's paperwork being approved this summer and we are thinking of going to the US for Thanksgiving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChangMaiSausage Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Javabear not sure about the US I always have problems with imigration when I've flow to the US. UK and Thailand no problem I go though with the wife be it the Thai counter or EU counter in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChangMaiSausage Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Javabear not sure about the US I always have problems with imigration when I've flow to the US. UK and Thailand no problem I go though with the wife be it the Thai counter or EU counter in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 In the UK it's actually policy that families will not be split when clearing border control, we have never been refused when we have joined the UK/EU passport line, though it's worth looking at the other passport lines as they are sometimes quicker especially since the implementation of all passports being swiped for checking against the warnings index. On arrival in Thailand we have always joined the Thai line with my good lady pointing me out to the IO, again we have never been refused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rinrada Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 FYI....might be worth registering with IRIS....look into the machine and you are through.. We have been using it for the last 3-4 years and no probs. IRIS – speed up the process If you are a frequent traveller, find out about IRIS, the automated barrier system which allows registered passengers to cross the border more quickly. http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travelli...heuk/usingiris/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
combovan Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 thanks for all your answers guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 (edited) must the surname in the two passports for thai wife and western husband be the same for one to accompany the other through the same lane at airport immigration either in the west or in Thailand? This is not clear from the discussion... Edited June 1, 2010 by tutsiwarrior Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 ^^^ My partner and I are not married so our surnames are different, and we have always gone through together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 (edited) In the UK it's actually policy that families will not be split when clearing border control, we have never been refused when we have joined the UK/EU passport line, though it's worth looking at the other passport lines as they are sometimes quicker especially since the implementation of all passports being swiped for checking against the warnings index.On arrival in Thailand we have always joined the Thai line with my good lady pointing me out to the IO, again we have never been refused. They must have forgotten about that the 3 times I went to Uk with my missus, the second time I was carrying our 1 month old baby that has UK passport while waiting for the missus, and the third time the kid was 1.5. Edit: arriving Bangkok we've been ushered through the Thai queue when the other queues have been mobbed, even though she's not Thai. Edited June 2, 2010 by PattayaParent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 They must have forgotten about that the 3 times I went to Uk with my missus, the second time I was carrying our 1 month old baby that has UK passport while waiting for the missus, and the third time the kid was 1.5. If you had gone to the UK/EU desk together your wife shouldn't been turned away, it certainly is policy though I doubt if it is writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattayaParent Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 They must have forgotten about that the 3 times I went to Uk with my missus, the second time I was carrying our 1 month old baby that has UK passport while waiting for the missus, and the third time the kid was 1.5. If you had gone to the UK/EU desk together your wife shouldn't been turned away, it certainly is policy though I doubt if it is writing. We did go together and they told her to get in the foreigners queue. And when I joined her in the foreigners queue they told me to get out of it. This was around 7 years ago so maybe they've lightened up in the meantime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 This was around 7 years ago so maybe they've lightened up in the meantime. Hopefully they have at least improved their interpersonal skills, maybe you were just unlucky with the IO's you had to deal with. Obviously it's better if you are able to clear the border together in case of any queries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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