Childs Surname

[Lesh]

Hi, just wondered if any one could tell me, if a child can be given his fathers surname if his father is not married to the childs mother? Can the child use his fathers surname for documents such as passports if his father is registered on his Thai birth certificate? Cheers

[too true]

Hi, just wondered if any one could tell me, if a child can be given his fathers surname if his father is not married to the childs mother? Can the child use his fathers surname for documents such as passports if his father is registered on his Thai birth certificate? Cheers

I want to say it's not a problem at all, but perhaps the rules are different for Thai women with foreign men and Thai men with foreign women. I fall into the latter category and was not married when my first son was born. He's got his father's surname on his birth certificate and a passport in his father's surname. Infact, no one in the hospital asked if we were married or what I wanted his last name to be.

But again, as I've learned, the same rules don't always apply to TG/FM and TM/FG relationships.

Cheers,

TT

[chanchao]

Hi, just wondered if any one could tell me, if a child can be given his fathers surname if his father is not married to the childs mother? Can the child use his fathers surname for documents such as passports if his father is registered on his Thai birth certificate? Cheers

Yes.

Also when the father and mother are not legally married (so not registered, i.e. 'single') then the child can get the father's surname. Also you can have more than one given name if you want, such as a Thai sounding one and an internationally sounding one.

When not married though, do check if there are any special regulations in your own country that you need to be aware of in order to let the kid get your nationality, and your last name. This is different per country. For some countries, you would need to make a certified document stating that you recognize the child, and this may need to happen BEFORE the child is born.

[Shah Jahan]

We just had a baby last month in CM and the doctor told us that if my wife and I weren't married then the baby couldn't have my surname. But it may differ for hospital to hospital doctor to doctor

[Austhaied]

We just had a baby last month in CM and the doctor told us that if my wife and I weren't married then the baby couldn't have my surname. But it may differ for hospital to hospital doctor to doctor

<deleted>. The kids have the right to the fathers surname, end of story.

[Lesh]

Thanks for the info guys. From what i can make out there is no problem getting the fathers surname on the childs Thai birth certificte or using the fathers surname for registering the birth at the British Embassy, if the parents aren't married. Only one point now i'm still unsure about, and thats weather or not the child will automatically claim British citizenship if he is illegitimate? Will the child be able to get a British passport?

[chanchao]

That's a really good question to ask the British Embassy first thing Monday morning.

Shah Jahan: We were in Chiang Mai too, no problem getting my name on the birth certificate, and then of course to be my daughter's last name.

Of course the common thing in Thailand for people 'sans-clue' but in positions where they feel they should have a clue, is to just boldly make a guess and make it sound authoritative. Doctors especially suffer from this. Just get a second opinion.

Edited March 31, 2007 by chanchao

[sonicdragon]

At the time my kids were born we were not married, and they both took my name. The names are transliterated into thai language for the thai birth certificate and tabien baan, while the UK birth certificate and passport (obviously) and their thai passports all have their names written in english alphabet.

Hope it helps

SD

[lio]

Hi,

I had my daughter in Ubonratchatani,

in Amper they said that because we are not married she cannot have my surname.

My surname has father is on the birth certificate and the tabienban.

If I understood from various post, my daughter should have my surname married or not with her mother.

Anybody not married with kids in Ubon, please PM me.

Anybody that knows where to get the law written about this, please let me know.

Any help really appreciated.

[Godders]

Thanks for the info guys. From what i can make out there is no problem getting the fathers surname on the childs Thai birth certificte or using the fathers surname for registering the birth at the British Embassy, if the parents aren't married. Only one point now i'm still unsure about, and thats weather or not the child will automatically claim British citizenship if he is illegitimate? Will the child be able to get a British passport?

Yes. You can apply for the passport at the same time as you register the birth at the British Embassyh. Check their website for for more info and to download relevant application forms.

[soihok]

Me and the then GF had a baby girl.

She was born near Korat and I signed her birth cert. as I was present at the birth.

She had her mothers family name.

We got married about a year later.

Had to change the wifes and daughters family name to mine(of course) ,at the Amphur office.

As we were resident in Singapore the Thai Embassy there noted this and stamped the change of names in the passports.

When I approached the British Embassy in Singapore ,due to the fact that my Daughters name being different to that on her birth cert,I had to change her name by Deed Poll.

This was done at a solicitors in Singapore , it took 10 minutes, and endorsed by the Thai embassy.

She then became a Thai/British citizen

She will have to choose between one or the other when she is in her late teens as she will not be allowed to hold dual nationalities as an adult.

A bit of a carry on I know.

But thats the world we live in.

Hope this helps

[samran]

This was done at a solicitors in Singapore , it took 10 minutes, and endorsed by the Thai embassy.

She then became a Thai/British citizen

She will have to choose between one or the other when she is in her late teens as she will not be allowed to hold dual nationalities as an adult.

A bit of a carry on I know.

But thats the world we live in.

Hope this helps

Just to let you know, neither Thailand or the UK have any problem with a child continuing their dual nationality into adulthood. A Thai regulation exists, which gives the option for a dual national child born to a foreign father to renounce their Thai nationality between the ages of 20 and 21. If no decision is made between those ages, they continue to remain Thai nationals, as well as keeping their foreign nationality.

However this rule I mentioned often gets misinterpreted as being a requirement. It is not. Rather, it is simply a one year window which allows renounciation.

[soihok]

Thats the best news I,ve received for quite some time.