Thai Child Name Changed In Another Country

[SNGLIFE]

My Thai national step-daughter's name has been (quite easily) changed in the USA. Received green cards, wife filed a petition with the Circuit Court, short wait for paper shuffling, and BAM. Done deal.

So, in a few years' time, daughter will be eligible for a US passport with my surname on it.

Does anyone know the process for getting the name change recognized in Thailand? No, Thai adoption is not the answer to everything - checked and was told by multiple Thai court sources that is not absolutely required, but those same sources could not answer my question because they never tried to have a name changed in a foreign country recognized in Thailand. Does not mean it cannot be done.

Thanks in advance.

[Boo]

Some Thais change their names all the time, based on horoscope, luck etc. A visit to the relevant amphur with ID card & filled in the right form & it can be done. My mil was going on about doing this a couple of years ago, wanted us all to it!!!

So I suggest when next over in Thailand your wife & step daughter visit the amphur & ask there.

[Jahil]

I adopted (in Belgium) my Thai wife's daughter and we changed her name in mine. I let translate in Thai the decision of the Court, let it legalized by Belgian Ministery of Foreign Affairs + Thai embassy.

With this document having all the necessary stamps, I went to the city office in Thailand and they changed the name of my daughter very easily. She got a new ID and based on this the Thai Embassy oin Belgium gave her a new passport stating my family name.

Hope it helps

[SNGLIFE]

I adopted (in Belgium) my Thai wife's daughter and we changed her name in mine. I let translate in Thai the decision of the Court, let it legalized by Belgian Ministery of Foreign Affairs + Thai embassy.

With this document having all the necessary stamps, I went to the city office in Thailand and they changed the name of my daughter very easily. She got a new ID and based on this the Thai Embassy oin Belgium gave her a new passport stating my family name.

Hope it helps

I am looking for information on how to do the name change in Thailand without going through any adoption process in either country. As in the US and other countries, I am sure the law says somewhere that it only requires paper shuffling. It only cost me $140 in fees and a 1 month wait in the US with notification by mail and required only the consent of the biological parent (or legal guardian) acting on behalf of the minor child.

The wife will be going back to the Amphur where my wife changed her first name in the past prior to marriage and last name after marriage with no problem. It would seem that as the parent, she should be able to do the same on behalf of her minor child (perhaps with the biological father's consent or just a legal posting). Nobody really knows much at rural Amphurs and we have had to correct them on the law for other matters in the past.

Does anyone have a citation or first-hand reference where the official written law can be found? That would be a big help.

[SNGLIFE]

Some Thais change their names all the time, based on horoscope, luck etc. A visit to the relevant amphur with ID card & filled in the right form & it can be done. My mil was going on about doing this a couple of years ago, wanted us all to it!!!

So I suggest when next over in Thailand your wife & step daughter visit the amphur & ask there.

Yep, we are going back there to try again. That was the first stop 5 years ago when we married. We were told we had to hop through a bunch of hoops and nonsense which boiled down to "Duh, we really don't know".

I would like to return with the written law in my hand as I have had to do in the past to get other things done. Know of where I can get that without going through a useless lawyer? A particular book in a bookstore which may have the proper legal reference or citation?