Use Married Name Or Nee Name In Visa App

[stament]

I was wondering is it best for my wife to keep her current name after we get married in Thailand to apply for her settlement visa. Or is it best for her to get her ID changed and a new passport in her married name?

I'm guessing if she applies with the married name, she will need to put her old passport and ID name on the visa application anyway.

I was just wondering if either route was best in terms of ease both here and in the UK? I know I will have to get documents translated.

Thanks

[dr_Pat_Pong]

There's no compulsion about name changing, but it is probably less confusing. Airline ticket, various credit/debit cards and the like. I'd do it if I were you.

[stament]

There's no compulsion about name changing, but it is probably less confusing. Airline ticket, various credit/debit cards and the like. I'd do it if I were you.

Thanks, just wondered if it would cause any issues or delay things. I'm figuring it will be easier to have her married name in UK.

[sk1max]

If you bride to be is Thai then she must change her name ~ no choice. So she has to do it within 60 days if I recall correctly. Then she has to change her ID card etc. It's surprisingly straight forward so it is no big hassle.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

She may keep her current name id card or change it to your surname, its not compulsory to do this.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If you bride to be is Thai then she must change her name ~ no choice. So she has to do it within 60 days if I recall correctly. Then she has to change her ID card etc. It's surprisingly straight forward so it is no big hassle.

INCORRECT ADVICE. Your knowledge is years out of date. DO NOT post advice here unless you are 100% certain.

[sumrit]

If you bride to be is Thai then she must change her name ~ no choice. So she has to do it within 60 days if I recall correctly. Then she has to change her ID card etc. It's surprisingly straight forward so it is no big hassle.

She doesn't have to change her name in Thailand if she doesn't want to any more. She just had to change her ID card and tabien baan to show she was now married but my wife tells me the law has recently changed so she doesn't even have to do that now.

It makes no difference whatsoever whether she applies for a visa in her married or maiden name but the name on the application form MUST be the same as the name on her passport and ID card. The TB certificate can still be in her maiden name if she's done that before you get married, even if she decides to change everything else into her married name.

Again, in England it makes no difference which name she chooses to use but if her passport/visa is in her maiden name she will also need a certified translation of her marriage certificate if she chooses to open a bank account etc in her married name.

If she chooses to change her name in Thailand she must first change her ID card at her local Amphur (takes less than an hour) then go to the passport office to change her passport (done the same day within an hour or two, and I think costs 1000 baht). They used to just endorse the passport with the married name but they now issue a new one.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

She may keep her current name id card or change it to your surname, its not compulsory to do this.

She is required to get a new ID card reflecting her change of marital status. No name change is necessary.

[sumrit]

She may keep her current name id card or change it to your surname, its not compulsory to do this.

She is required to get a new ID card reflecting her change of marital status. No name change is necessary.

My wife insists not any more. She says the law was changed last year (she thinks around Feb/March 2008) and you can now choose whether to keep nang sow (miss) or change to nang (mrs).

When we got married last year my wife wanted to change and use her married name and I know she was given the choice on both using her married name AND changing her marital status because I was with her at the time.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

My wife has not done anything with her id card or passport its the same same as they say....

[yeesipha]

She may keep her current name id card or change it to your surname, its not compulsory to do this.

She is required to get a new ID card reflecting her change of marital status. No name change is necessary.

My wife insists not any more. She says the law was changed last year (she thinks around Feb/March 2008) and you can now choose whether to keep nang sow (miss) or change to nang (mrs).

When we got married last year my wife wanted to change and use her married name and I know she was given the choice on both using her married name AND changing her marital status because I was with her at the time.

Hi sumrit,yes the law did change last july 2008,but i think you have got it the wrong way around,now if a thai lady marries she has to change

from miss to mrs but not take the mans new surname if she wishes,now if this couple divorced one week later under the old law the thai lady

could not change back from mrs to miss,so in theory if that said thai lady wished to stay singlefor the rest of her life it would have stuck with her regardless ,now thats were the new law has come into force,it allows the divorced lady to change back from mrs

to miss,so then if a thai lady marries she would then have to by law change at least her ID card and her tabien baan to mrs,but not change her surname if she wishes.

now i only no this because the sister in law took full advantage of this law change,and was banging on the aumpers door the very next day it was allowed to do so .

[sumrit]

Hi sumrit,yes the law did change last july 2008,but i think you have got it the wrong way around,now if a thai lady marries she has to change

from miss to mrs but not take the mans new surname if she wishes,now if this couple divorced one week later under the old law the thai lady

could not change back from mrs to miss,so in theory if that said thai lady wished to stay singlefor the rest of her life it would have stuck with her regardless ,now thats were the new law has come into force,it allows the divorced lady to change back from mrs

to miss,so then if a thai lady marries she would then have to by law change at least her ID card and her tabien baan to mrs,but not change her surname if she wishes.

now i only no this because the sister in law took full advantage of this law change,and was banging on the aumpers door the very next day it was allowed to do so .

My wife agrees with what you say about being able to return to to nang sow (miss) after a divorce but still insists that part of that law was also being able to stay miss and not having to use mrs after getting married if she wanted to.

[chanwit]

Hi sumrit,yes the law did change last july 2008,but i think you have got it the wrong way around,now if a thai lady marries she has to change

from miss to mrs but not take the mans new surname if she wishes,now if this couple divorced one week later under the old law the thai lady

could not change back from mrs to miss,so in theory if that said thai lady wished to stay singlefor the rest of her life it would have stuck with her regardless ,now thats were the new law has come into force,it allows the divorced lady to change back from mrs

to miss,so then if a thai lady marries she would then have to by law change at least her ID card and her tabien baan to mrs,but not change her surname if she wishes.

now i only no this because the sister in law took full advantage of this law change,and was banging on the aumpers door the very next day it was allowed to do so .

My wife agrees with what you say about being able to return to to nang sow (miss) after a divorce but still insists that part of that law was also being able to stay miss and not having to use mrs after getting married if she wanted to.

I'll stand with you Sumrit on what your wife has reported. My wife did changed her last name to mind but kept the Miss on her ID card. I thought it was unusual and odd but she said the new law gives women more power to do what she pleases in cases of marriage and divorce. The District office said she could use Miss or Mrs or Ms.

I do have some information about the changing of the last name on the ID card. There may be guild lines to do so within some time period but nobody is going to go to jail over this.

UNDER THE OLD LAW, my experience is that if a Thai woman didn't change to her husband's last name on her ID card then she couldn't get a divorce until she did so.

It's like saying you couldn't get a divorce unless you showed you are married. (The marriage registration paper should have been enough evidence).

UNDER THE OLD LAW, a Thai woman couldn't get a divorce if she was already pregnant. She would have to wait until after the baby was delivered.

According to my wife all these things have changed in favor of the woman's rights.

[sumrit]

I'll stand with you Sumrit on what your wife has reported. My wife did changed her last name to mind but kept the Miss on her ID card. I thought it was unusual and odd but she said the new law gives women more power to do what she pleases in cases of marriage and divorce. The District office said she could use Miss or Mrs or Ms.

I do have some information about the changing of the last name on the ID card. There may be guild lines to do so within some time period but nobody is going to go to jail over this.

UNDER THE OLD LAW, my experience is that if a Thai woman didn't change to her husband's last name on her ID card then she couldn't get a divorce until she did so.

It's like saying you couldn't get a divorce unless you showed you are married. (The marriage registration paper should have been enough evidence).

UNDER THE OLD LAW, a Thai woman couldn't get a divorce if she was already pregnant. She would have to wait until after the baby was delivered.

According to my wife all these things have changed in favor of the woman's rights.

Agree with you there My ex wife who's also Thai never changed her ID card (she said it didn't matter because we lived in England) and when we went to get divorced in Thailand she had to change her ID card at her local Amphur into her married name first then change it back again as soon as we were divorced in the same office about an hour later.

A Thai woman getting divorced can't remarry (in Thailand) for about 300 days (not sure of the exact length of time) to make sure she isn't pregnant by her ex husband.

[Thongkorn]

I got Married in Thailand , My wife did nothing never changed her ID card or name , She left her name alone because it was better, It was quicker and easier,We did not have to change her passport , When she came to the UK all she did was add my sir name to the end of hers.

[DannyTheWriter]

I know several women (including my wife) who live in the US with green cards and all US ID (driver license, credit cards, etc.) in married name but have retained Thai passports and ID cards in their maiden names.

The only complication is that international air tickets must be in the name in the passport, which can make getting credit for air miles a little more difficult (but not impossible).

[Pash]

If you bride to be is Thai then she must change her name ~ no choice. So she has to do it within 60 days if I recall correctly. Then she has to change her ID card etc. It's surprisingly straight forward so it is no big hassle.

She doesn't have to change her name in Thailand if she doesn't want to any more. She just had to change her ID card and tabien baan to show she was now married but my wife tells me the law has recently changed so she doesn't even have to do that now.

It makes no difference whatsoever whether she applies for a visa in her married or maiden name but the name on the application form MUST be the same as the name on her passport and ID card. The TB certificate can still be in her maiden name if she's done that before you get married, even if she decides to change everything else into her married name.

Again, in England it makes no difference which name she chooses to use but if her passport/visa is in her maiden name she will also need a certified translation of her marriage certificate if she chooses to open a bank account etc in her married name.

If she chooses to change her name in Thailand she must first change her ID card at her local Amphur (takes less than an hour) then go to the passport office to change her passport (done the same day within an hour or two, and I think costs 1000 baht). They used to just endorse the passport with the married name but they now issue a new one.

Well it took my sister in law all last week to get her passport changed. She got it back Friday(4/12/09)! If you pay the premium it can be done faster and just for the usual idiots who say tea money the same things apply to most nationalities at most embassies e.g. U.K, OZ German etc etc.

[sumrit]

If you bride to be is Thai then she must change her name ~ no choice. So she has to do it within 60 days if I recall correctly. Then she has to change her ID card etc. It's surprisingly straight forward so it is no big hassle.

She doesn't have to change her name in Thailand if she doesn't want to any more. She just had to change her ID card and tabien baan to show she was now married but my wife tells me the law has recently changed so she doesn't even have to do that now.

It makes no difference whatsoever whether she applies for a visa in her married or maiden name but the name on the application form MUST be the same as the name on her passport and ID card. The TB certificate can still be in her maiden name if she's done that before you get married, even if she decides to change everything else into her married name.

Again, in England it makes no difference which name she chooses to use but if her passport/visa is in her maiden name she will also need a certified translation of her marriage certificate if she chooses to open a bank account etc in her married name.

If she chooses to change her name in Thailand she must first change her ID card at her local Amphur (takes less than an hour) then go to the passport office to change her passport (done the same day within an hour or two, and I think costs 1000 baht). They used to just endorse the passport with the married name but they now issue a new one.

Well it took my sister in law all last week to get her passport changed. She got it back Friday(4/12/09)! If you pay the premium it can be done faster and just for the usual idiots who say tea money the same things apply to most nationalities at most embassies e.g. U.K, OZ German etc etc.

It took my wife two and a half hours (the length of the queue) at Bang Na about a year ago and she paid about 1000 baht. As far as I was aware that's just the cost of the passport but if that also includes a premium to process it quickly I apologise, I didn't know .

Edited December 6, 2009 by sumrit