Warning to others: Don't change your thai spouse's name on marriage.

[jyaku 138]

I've a big ###### headache here after she took my name.

Basically the embassy refuses to give her a new passport in the new last name without her going to the amphur to change it.

She contacted her family and they went to the amphur with signed affidavit's and paperwork and they refused to do it since her family name is not Thai. According to them she can change her first name at age 25 but her family name is there for life unless she marries another Thai.

Technically she can travel back to Thailand herself on her Thai passport but on her way back, how will she prove she's the same person and not committing identity fraud by having advanced parole/ green card papers in another name? Will they even let her on a plane with a passport in one name and all documents in another?

Sigh what a ###### mess.. Guess she'll have to wait till she gets the US citizenship.

[milimelo 4,477]

She travels with GC and marriage certificate proving name change. Of course, tickets always booked with her passport name.

Edited March 8, 2015 by milimelo

[Ning 619]

I've a big ###### headache here after she took my name.

Basically the embassy refuses to give her a new passport in the new last name without her going to the amphur to change it.

She contacted her family and they went to the amphur with signed affidavit's and paperwork and they refused to do it since her family name is not Thai. According to them she can change her first name at age 25 but her family name is there for life unless she marries another Thai.

Technically she can travel back to Thailand herself on her Thai passport but on her way back, how will she prove she's the same person and not committing identity fraud by having advanced parole/ green card papers in another name? Will they even let her on a plane with a passport in one name and all documents in another?

Sigh what a ###### mess.. Guess she'll have to wait till she gets the US citizenship.

Warning to others: Do not believe this is correct nor true. Someone has explained this poorly.

I married my husband in Thailand then went to my amphur where I changed my name to his. When we decided to immigrate I applied for a passport. I had zero problem obtaining it.

She will be allowed on the plane with a valid passport with a visa in it.

[Darnell 8,478]

She travels with GC and marriage certificate proving name change. Of course, tickets always booked with her passport name.

^^^ This.

That's it, that's all - OP - please stop stressing about this, ok ?

[jyaku 138]

Warning to others: Do not believe this is correct nor true. Someone has explained this poorly.

I married my husband in Thailand then went to my amphur where I changed my name to his. When we decided to immigrate I applied for a passport. I had zero problem obtaining it.

She will be allowed on the plane with a valid passport with a visa in it.

She came on a K1. We married here in New York and she changed her name when she got here.

Her amphur in Nong Khai refuses to change the name to my last name so she can get a passport that would match her new legal name.

Any ideas?

We've tried calling, we've tried sending her mother over with translated notarized copies of marriage certificate and the official documents from the embassy but still it's a NO.

And she's past the point of getting a visa.. her K1 has been used already.

Edited March 9, 2015 by jyaku

[Ning 619]

She came on a K1. We married here in New York and she changed her name when she got here.

Her amphur in Nong Khai refuses to change the name to my last name so she can get a passport that would match her new legal name.

Any ideas?

We've tried calling, we've tried sending her mother over with translated notarized copies of marriage certificate and the official documents from the embassy but still it's a NO.

And she's past the point of getting a visa.. her K1 has been used already.

Yes I know she is here.

Has she contacted the Thai embassy in L A? Maybe they could issue a passport?

Is she from Udon? I may, & I stress may, have a contact at the ampur there. Not suggesting anything underhanded.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Ning

[AaronLV 12]

As Ning stated contact the embassy in LA or Washington DC. They will be able to sort it out.

You will learn in Thailand most of the government offices especially in the Rural areas have no idea what the actual rules are and go by what they "Think" is correct, and not what is actually correct. (side note: Thai Banks are the same way).

I also believe for the name change she will need to register the marriage here in Thailand. I wouldn't bother changing her name here. We have been married 6 years we use my last name for all things US, and her last name in Thailand for all things Thai. Never had an issue travelling back and forth with the different names, and never once have we had to show the marriage certificate (passport in one name, and GC in a different name). I assume it is all linked up in the computer. I usually booked the tickets in her passport name, but I did make a mistake twice and used my last name on airline tickets and there was no issue when we got to the airline counter, we showed her GC and passport, and non-issue.

[jyaku 138]

Yes I know she is here.

Has she contacted the Thai embassy in L A? Maybe they could issue a passport?

Is she from Udon? I may, & I stress may, have a contact at the ampur there. Not suggesting anything underhanded.

She's from Nong Khai.

I could give it a shot but the embassy in New York just said they can give her a new passport no problem once her name has been legally changed at the Amphur.

As Ning stated contact the embassy in LA or Washington DC. They will be able to sort it out.

You will learn in Thailand most of the government offices especially in the Rural areas have no idea what the actual rules are and go by what they "Think" is correct, and not what is actually correct. (side note: Thai Banks are the same way).

I also believe for the name change she will need to register the marriage here in Thailand. I wouldn't bother changing her name here. We have been married 6 years we use my last name for all things US, and her last name in Thailand for all things Thai. Never had an issue travelling back and forth with the different names, and never once have we had to show the marriage certificate (passport in one name, and GC in a different name). I assume it is all linked up in the computer. I usually booked the tickets in her passport name, but I did make a mistake twice and used my last name on airline tickets and there was no issue when we got to the airline counter, we showed her GC and passport, and non-issue.

Hmm are you saying the embassy in DC or la is more competent than the one in New York?

And yes I think that's what it is with them giving me the runaround for some tea money or something.

My primary concern is with a passport in one name and a green card/ advanced parole in another.. this could be big problems with the TSA or immigration officials at JFK/ BKK and whatever airport we have to layover at and it could have so simply been avoided if the amphur in Nong Khai would just register the marriage. We sent them the marriage registration signed, notarized but no..

I've been trying to get this done since last June but they are adamant and I don't know what can be done.

BTW is it really possible to change your legal name in another province? Is it as simple as getting a new national id in another province?

[AaronLV 12]

Hmm are you saying the embassy in DC or la is more competent than the one in New York?

I have never dealt with the NY consulate, so I am not sure. I have called the LA one and they were always helpful, but that was years ago.

And yes I think that's what it is with them giving me the runaround for some tea money or something.

That seems to be the goto answer when they can't help people, and I would say 99% of the time that is not the case. Most of the time I believe it is the fact that they don't want to lose face because they are unsure of the process or they heard from so and so that is how it is done.

My primary concern is with a passport in one name and a green card/ advanced parole in another.. this could be big problems with the TSA or immigration officials at JFK/ BKK and whatever airport we have to layover at and it could have so simply been avoided if the amphur in Nong Khai would just register the marriage. We sent them the marriage registration signed, notarized but no..

No concern with TSA carry passport, green card, and marriage cert. Been through the airport at least a dozen times, with different last names and never an issue her Thai name is linked in the computer to her GC, they might ask for the marriage cert, as I have read here on VJ people have been asked, but I have never been asked.

As for registering the marriage that is different from just changing the name, although they can coincide. A US notarization means nothing to the Thai government. If you look on a recent thread you will see that registering your marriage here, they need an affidavit from the US Embassy, that has been translated and certified from the Thai MFA. Then you can take it to the Amphur and have it registered.

On the Thai embassy website there is information about legalizing documents http://www.thaiembassydc.org/?page_id=32

I assume from reading the information, legalized is the process of getting a US document stamped from MFA outside of Thailand, where as in Thailand you need the affidavit from the US embassy.

You are most likely missing the MFA stamp which is why they will not register the marriage and change the name, and is most likely lost in translation from your wife to you on what you need.

[joshandgigi 8]

Why change it on her passport. If she gets a Farang last name from what I have heard from my Thai friends she cant ever own property in Thailand

[khwaidee1 196]

So, if my wife gets U.S. Passport, ticket issued in that name. Flying into Thailand does she present Thai passport and then use the U.S. passport when leaving so as to match the ticket? Or just use Thai passport coming and going and use the U.S. passport at POE in U.S.? I see this only as an issue with Thailand as the U.S. passport would be used for all other international travel.

[AaronLV 12]

Why change it on her passport. If she gets a Farang last name from what I have heard from my Thai friends she cant ever own property in Thailand

That is false. That was an old law that was changed in the 90's.

So, if my wife gets U.S. Passport, ticket issued in that name. Flying into Thailand does she present Thai passport and then use the U.S. passport when leaving so as to match the ticket? Or just use Thai passport coming and going and use the U.S. passport at POE in U.S.? I see this only as an issue with Thailand as the U.S. passport would be used for all other international travel.

At the airline counter when leaving the US show the passport which you booked the ticket name in. (if you have different names in the passport), if it happens to be the US passport, and you are have a ticket without a return flight then show the Thai passport with the US passport to show you don't need a visa to stay in Thailand.

At TSA show the passport which matches the boarding pass name.

Thai immigration SHOW ONLY THE THAI passport. It doesn't matter if she has both, but I have heard of immigration trying to force Thais to use the US passport to enter Thailand, even though they should not, which brings up a point they should never enter on their US passport, and if the officer at the counter ever tells them to they should talk to a supervisor. No law in Thailand against Dual Citizenship.

When leaving Thailand, at the Airline ticket counter show both passports, which shows they can enter the US without a visa, this is the same process as when having a Green Card, they require to see the Green Card when leaving.

When at Thai Immigration, exit on the Thai Passport.

When enter the US enter on the US passport.

The other part is if you are travelling with your wife go through the Thai passport control line rather than waiting in the foreign line, it is much quicker.

[lvriesling 11]

That is false. That was an old law that was changed in the 90's.

There was a change in the '90s, but it wasn't "change you can believe in".

See http://www.phuketland.com/gaz/gaz67.htm

[lvriesling 11]

There was a change in the '90s, but it wasn't "change you can believe in".

See http://www.phuketland.com/gaz/gaz67.htm

Then see http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2015/02/thai-courts-rule-thousands-of.html