Just be glad your wife is not from Laos, they have to travel to Bangkok and stay in Thailand while the application is being processed.

Isn't there an agreement between Thai/Lao to allow travel between the countries on ID cards? (I'm assuming Lao have ID cards and they have the same rules as Thai's when travelling between. My thinking, she could enter Thailand on her ID card, drop off her passport and return to Lao. Then do the same when she wants to pick it up. I am totally speaking speculative here. My wife's Thai and prior to her having a passport we simply did the ID card and paperwork commute. If that's at all possible may be cheaper than weeks of waiting

Isn't there an agreement between Thai/Lao to allow travel between the countries on ID cards? (I'm assuming Lao have ID cards and they have the same rules as Thai's when travelling between. My thinking, she could enter Thailand on her ID card, drop off her passport and return to Lao. Then do the same when she wants to pick it up. I am totally speaking speculative here.

Yes, there is an agreement to do this, but it's pretty restricted. It's intended for short visits near the border probably only as far as Udon Thani, or somewhere of about a similar distance, certainly not for Bangkok. Whilst they would probably get away with it, the UKBA will advise them to stay in Bangkok and will expedite their application. It doesn't get around the requirement of having your passport on your person, or easily available, when in Thailand.

Have to admit this is not first hand knowledge, it's something I picked up on this forum from a member married to a Laos lady.

@theoldgit... good info. I had no idea about the "restrictions" placed on them. Does that apply for thais in Lao? Not that it really matters, anytime we travel now she goes on her passport. Just interesting stuff