lamphong

Hi Everyone,

I'm probably being too paranoid, but we are going to travel back to Thailand with an AP in
hand and I'm having visions of my wife getting turned away when we try to re-enter the US.
A disaster for both of us.

While in Thailand, we intend to renew her passport and change to her married name. What
about the various stamps and annotations that have been made in her soon to expire
passport? We will get her old passport back, but it will be canceled. Does this matter?

It seems to me that this should not be a problem, but I would hate to find out at the
point of entry that I'm wrong. Has anyone done this before. I know a lot of you have used
AP, but what about the cancelled passport? Anyone have experience with this?

Would it be more advisable at this time to just extend her passport using her maiden name?
If we do this, I understand Thailand just stamps her existing passport and there is no new
document involved.

Thanks for any insight.

Dave & Lamphong

ritapetrie

It is okay to worry but in this instance think you are building sand castles too far from
the water's end. They are not being recycled as quickly as they should.

She will not have a problem with using the A/P and re-entering the US as long as she has
not overstayed any visit to the US by more than 179 days. As for her passport, as long as
she receives the cancelled passport back, she will be able to retain the K-1 visa and/or
stamps therein without problem. To be on the safe side, photocopy those pages before
renewing her passport for your records.

The only problem with using A/P, and it is not normally a problem, is that you are paroled
into the custody of the Deputy District Director of the local INS office you are using.
That means that if there is a problem she has waived some of her rights but if she has a
clean record, no overstays, no criminal record and your marriage is legit, she and you
will be fine.

Rita

hartsleeve

Hi,

My Thai wife just had her name changed in her passport. You will need a certified copy of
your marriage certificate. It will need to be authenticated by the US Embassy in
Thailand. You may want to contact them first to find out if they can authenticate the
seal from your State.

I took an original document and sent it to the Secretary of State in Ohio where we were
married to have it authenticated. Then I sent the two docs (original and State
authentication) to the US Department of State to have it authenticated. Then we took the
three docs to the US Embassy in Bankok and they authenticated the whole thing. The US
Embassy guarantees the Dept of State seal which guaranteed the State seal which guaranteed
the seal of the local office which issued the Marriage Certificate. Whew. Not sure we had
to go through all that, but I did it all by mail and it wasn't too bad. Here's a link for
more info: http://travel.state.gov/authentication.html If you do this, get a few made, as
you will find these handy later on.

Regarding her registering the name change, she will need to take this authenticated
document cluster to her family province and apply for a new identification card. This must
be done before the passport. Natthaporn's was done same day. But they insisted on keeping
the authenticated marriage document. Good thing I had more than one.

Once this is done, she goes to the passport issuing office in Bangkok. This was pretty
straightforward too. They simply added a name change stamp on the second page which showed
that she had changed from her maiden name to her married name, with appropriate government
seals and signatures. That was it for her and she had it in 2 days. So she got to keep her
passport with the visa and stamps and such. But I'm sure that was because her passport was
not due to expire for another 3 years.

If it is time to renew, they will likely issue a new passport. And as someone else in the
group already said, you should INSIST on getting the old passport back. Make sure they are
really clear. In fact, knowing Thailand, I would probably not turn it over. I'd keep it.
Let them make copies. You can try anyway.

Chok dee krap. Hartsleeve

> While in Thailand, we intend to renew her passport and change to her married name. What
> about the various stamps and annotations that have been made in her soon to expire
> passport? We will get her old
passport
> back, but it will be canceled. Does this matter?

lamphong

Thanks for the assurance Rita, from the various responses, I'd say I'm worrying more than
needed. I do have one question regarding your response...

If she is paroled into the custody of the Deputy District Director of the local INS
Office, do we need to return to Guam? I would like to leave Guam, and re-enter the US in
Seattle. Is this possible?

This whole process has been nerve racking. Having this group helps a lot.

Thanks again,

Dave & Lamphong

> The only problem with using A/P, and it is not normally a problem, is that you are
> paroled into the custody of the Deputy District Director of the local INS office you are
> using. That means that if there is a problem she has waived some of her rights but if
> she has a clean record, no overstays, no criminal record and your marriage is legit, she
> and you will be fine.
>
> Rita

lamphong

Thanks Hartsleeve

Sounds like I need more detailed documentation than I thought. I'll have to contact the
State Department to see what they say. I have a copy of the Certified Copy of Vital
Records from Guam, but the US Embassy in Thailand may not be familiar with this seal.

Thanks for your help.

Dave & Lamphong

> I took an original document and sent it to the Secretary of State in Ohio where we were
> married to have it authenticated. Then I sent the two docs (original and State
> authentication) to the US Department of State to have it authenticated. Then we took the
> three docs to the US Embassy in Bankok and they authenticated the whole thing. The US
> Embassy guarantees the Dept of State seal which guaranteed the State seal which
> guaranteed the seal of the local office which issued the Marriage Certificate. Whew. Not
> sure we had to go through all that, but I did it all by mail and it wasn't too bad.
> Here's a link for more info: http://travel.state.gov/authentication.html If you do this,
> get a few made, as you will find these handy later on.
>
> Regarding her registering the name change, she will need to take this authenticated
> document cluster to her family province and apply for a new identification card. This
> must be done before the passport. Natthaporn's was done same day. But they insisted on
> keeping the authenticated marriage document. Good thing I had more than one.
>
> Once this is done, she goes to the passport issuing office in Bangkok. This was pretty
> straightforward too. They simply added a name change stamp on the second page which
> showed that she had changed from her maiden name to her married name, with appropriate
> government seals
and
> signatures. That was it for her and she had it in 2 days. So she got to keep her
> passport with the visa and stamps and such. But I'm sure that was because her passport
> was not due to expire for another 3
years.
>
> If it is time to renew, they will likely issue a new passport. And as someone else in
> the group already said, you should INSIST on getting the old passport back. Make sure
> they are really clear. In fact, knowing Thailand, I would probably not turn it over. I'd
> keep it. Let them make copies. You can try anyway.
>
> Chok dee krap. Hartsleeve
>
> > While in Thailand, we intend to renew her passport and change to her married name.
> > What about the various stamps and annotations that
have
> > been made in her soon to expire passport? We will get her old
> passport
> > back, but it will be canceled. Does this matter?

ritapetrie

She can re-enter the US at any POE. There is no restriction on that at all.

>
>
> Thanks for the assurance Rita, from the various responses, I'd say I'm worrying more
> than needed. I do have one question regarding your response...
>
> If she is paroled into the custody of the Deputy District Director of
the
> local INS Office, do we need to return to Guam? I would like to
leave Guam,
> and re-enter the US in Seattle. Is this possible?
>
> This whole process has been nerve racking. Having this group helps a
lot.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Dave & Lamphong
>
> > The only problem with using A/P, and it is not normally a problem,
is
> > that you are paroled into the custody of the Deputy District
Director
> > of the local INS office you are using. That means that if there is
a
> > problem she has waived some of her rights but if she has a clean record, no overstays,
> > no criminal record and your marriage is legit, she and you will be fine.
> >
> > Rita

Lex

I am getting a little confused here. The authentication is required only to get the
passport changed, right? If my wife keeps the passport with her maiden name but has her
married name on the AP, does she have to authenticate the marriage certificate to be
admitted back to the US?

Thanks,

Lex