Wife Married In The Uk - Surname Change

[qpgwmh]

Hello,

Has anybody got experience of changing the name in a Thai passport in the UK?

My wife now has the FLR visa in her maiden name and we're concerned that changing the name will cause us problems.

- Is it a stamp that it is put into her passport, rather than a newly issued passport?

- Would a name change invalidate her FLR (or potentially cause problems when the passport is requested as a form of ID by UK companies)?

- What is the procedure for the passport name change?

- Will the name change here affect anything in Thailand, either upon our holiday return or for her land ownership deeds?

Thanks

C&F

[qpgwmh]

I should probably add that we are recently married and that she wishes to take my surname.

[Unknown]

For the wife to take the surname of her husband in Thailand is very easy, just go the office and change your passport and ID card.

And it does not affect at all your rights as a Thai citizen.

And why should it change the FLR visa, different name, same person...?

[qpgwmh]

For the wife to take the surname of her husband in Thailand is very easy, just go the office and change your passport and ID card.

And it does not affect at all your rights as a Thai citizen.

And why should it change the FLR visa, different name, same person...?

Thanks, but we're in London... and if the Passport is changed then what would happen to the visa that is stuck into the former passport?

[vinny]

It may be possible for the Royal Thai Embassy to endorse Non-biometric passports with name changes. However, in the case of the new biometric e-passorts, they recommend the following:

At the moment, the Embassy has already started providing e-passport service. For the new passport, the Embassy is advised by the Foreign Ministry that the endorsement page can be used only for giving the previous passport detail.

If the passport holders wish to change their surname after marriage, the Embassy will recommend them to make a power of attorney at the Embassy with the legalization of the Embassy requesting their relatives in Thailand to change their surnames after their marriages in the House Registration Document at the District Registrar in Thailand. After that, they can use the House Registration Document to apply for new passport at the Embassy.

While both of you are in Thailand, I wish to recommend her to change her surname in the Thai I.D. Card and the House Registration Paper in order for applying for a new biometric passport in the future.

Any visas that are stuck in the former passport will remain there. However, your marriage certificate should be sufficient to provide the link between the old and new names.

Name changes shouldn't effect any rights she has.

Edited October 3, 2006 by vinny

[qpgwmh]

Thanks Vinny.

That all sounds rather scary (what I understand of it anyway!). Is there any way to convert that site into into English?

Cheers

[mrbojangles]

By the looks of it, this is probably another plus to getting married in Thailand. It took us no time at all to get her ID and passport changed in Thailand.

Maybe we should have a list of pro's and cons, to marrying in Thailand or the UK and then pin it ?

Good luck gpgwmh

[roamer]

On non biometric passports the Thai Embassy simply endorse the passport with a stamp recording details of the marriage,that was our experience a few years back anyway. Doesn't affect your Leave to remain stamp.

Worth pointing out that under the new commercial set up of Home Office visa section that getting an FLR stamp or similar transferred onto new passport from an expired one costs over a couple of hundred quid.!!

[qpgwmh]

Worth pointing out that under the new commercial set up of Home Office visa section that getting an FLR stamp or similar transferred onto new passport from an expired one costs over a couple of hundred quid.!!

Absolutely disgusting! So each time my wife changes her passport (once she has ILR) we will need to pay through the nose for a 'new' stamp!?!

[GU22]

It's actually £160.

And yes, it is a rip off.

Two ways of avoiding this charge.

1) When Thai passport expires, carry both old and new passports and show both at UK immigration.

2) Once qualified, apply for British nationality and then use Thai passport for entering and leaving Thailand and British passport for entering and leaving the UK.

[mermot]

I have come across this post as I have similar questions to that of qpgwmh.

My gf will be coming to the UK next year on a fiancee visa so she can marry here. Immediately after the wedding we will apply for the FLR, but she is hoping to change her name to mine. If during the two year period of the FLR she wants to return to her home for a 2 week holiday, would she have problems if she used her original passport (referencing her maiden name) on entering Thailand and then re-gaining entry to the UK? Or is there a legal requirement for her to apply for a new Thai passport in her new married name?

Cheers

Mermot

[Mahout Angrit]

My gf will be coming to the UK next year on a fiancee visa so she can marry here. Immediately after the wedding we will apply for the FLR, but she is hoping to change her name to mine. If during the two year period of the FLR she wants to return to her home for a 2 week holiday, would she have problems if she used her original passport (referencing her maiden name) on entering Thailand and then re-gaining entry to the UK? Or is there a legal requirement for her to apply for a new Thai passport in her new married name?

There is no requirement in Thailand or UK for her to change her name to yours. However if she wishes to do so then she can start to use your name after you marry. She will however have to apply for FLR in her current passport and subsequently travel to Thailand on that passport.

No problem travelling like that if you buy the air ticket in the same name as the passport.

If she has a biometric passport she cannot have a name change endorsed in it so will have to get a new one issued in the married name. She will have to change her name on her ID card first (as that is required to apply for a passport) and she can only do that at her Amphur office in Thailand so she can apply for a new passport when next in Thailand or change the ID card and apply in London after she returns.

She can return to UK (if she gets a new passport) showing both passports and the marriage certificate.

She can continue to carry both passports when travelling until the FLR expires (the old passport will be cancelled but the FLR is not) and is renewed or changed, the new leave can then be entered in the new passport.

She can have the leave to remain transferred to the new passport if she wishes at a cost of £160 but there is no compulsion.

[mermot]

Thanks Mahout

She can have the leave to remain transferred to the new passport if she wishes at a cost of £160 but there is no compulsion

If it is acceptable for my future wife to show her old and new passports and her marriage certificate when she re-enters the UK, what is the advantage instead of forking out £160 to have it transferred?

If none, isn't this just another attempt by the Borders and Immigration people at squeezing more money from those who have already had to/going to shell out a not insignificant amount for the visit, marriage, FLR, ILR visas, Life in the UK tests etc.

[Mahout Angrit]

If it is acceptable for my future wife to show her old and new passports and her marriage certificate when she re-enters the UK, what is the advantage instead of forking out £160 to have it transferred?

If none, isn't this just another attempt by the Borders and Immigration people at squeezing more money from those who have already had to/going to shell out a not insignificant amount for the visit, marriage, FLR, ILR visas, Life in the UK tests etc.

For future travel (until she gets her second period of leave to remain stamped in her new passport) she only need to carry old and new passports as there will be a reference in the new passport to previous passport where her leave to remain is.

So no advantage except no need to carry old passport. I suspect that the BIA really don't want the work of doing the transfer so discourage people by raising the price as there is a simple solution without the transfer.

Dont worry about the costs, I'm sure she's worth it and think what she gets for it!!!