Thai Wife With Farang Surname

[roiethome]

For many years my wife has bought land around our village in Isaan under her maiden name.

After getting married, she changed her name to my surname and has ID and passport with my surname.

Now she wishes to buy land in Hua Hin, and the local govt office informs her that as she has Farang surname she cannot purchase land any more.

I remember reading several years ago that this was changed and Thai wives with Farang surnames can still buy land using their Farang surname.

Anyone have experience of their wives buying land after changing names ?

thanks for any info

[H2oDunc]

I believe the only thing you have to do to allow your wife to buy land is sign a declaration stating you have no claim to the land and any money you may have given to your wife to purchase the land was given as a gift. Or words to that effect. I'm sure a more knowledgeable poster will be along soon to better explain

[wolf5370]

This is of course completely wrong. She doesn't stop being a Thai citizen because she is married to a foreigner or has a foreign name. It bis probably against the constitution too to deny her her rights as a citizen. She should go back and argue the case - or take a lawyer along to slap them around a bit. My Mrs has my surname - has had for 13 years - certainly not a Thai one, and she owns/buys lands

[gotlost]

The law that the land office is referring to went out of date a long time of ago. She may need to use an attorney to straighten them out.

[Lite Beer]

As said above. There is no such rule.

[quiksilva]

My wife has my surname and owns land. That old rule has long since expired

[InterestedObserver]

The Thai Supreme Court ruled, in 1998 I believe, that all Thais have equal rights to land ownership. The Hua Hin local land office is misinformed about the ability of a Thai wife with a foreign husband and surname to purchase land. You may need a Thai lawyer to speak to them.

[TongueThaied]

The law that the land office is referring to went out of date a long time of ago. She may need to use an attorney to straighten them out.

Don't waste money on a lawyer. Your wife needs to live up to her surname, have some balls and go in there and tell them how the hog ate the cabbage. It's that simple. DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. If you let them jack you around, you deserve everything you get. I believe in jai yen, mai bpen rai and all that good shit, but at the end of the day, if you are right, you are right. What you are getting is horse shit and you have to say "no". Sit on your rights and you lose them. Capiche?

[oracle]

The law that the land office is referring to went out of date a long time of ago. She may need to use an attorney to straighten them out.

Don't waste money on a lawyer. Your wife needs to live up to her surname, have some balls and go in there and tell them how the hog ate the cabbage. It's that simple. DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. If you let them jack you around, you deserve everything you get. I believe in jai yen, mai bpen rai and all that good shit, but at the end of the day, if you are right, you are right. What you are getting is horse shit and you have to say "no". Sit on your rights and you lose them. Capiche?

You mean sit on your wife´s rights, as a foreign husband you basicaaly don´t have any.

[donx]

To the OP, I assume you did not accompany her to the government office which I assume to be the local land department office. Perhaps what your wife was told was that she can't buy land without your signature on that document that H2oDunc alluded to. If you are in Thailand, go with her to the local land office and see what they say then. If you are not in Thailand, you will need to sign the document and make it available to the Thai consulate or embassy in your location.

Can you confirm or deny that you went with her to the land department?

[CDNinKS]

Hua Hin Land office is notorious for it's "tea money" practices. I'm sure this was the case here as all posters are correct, Thai citizens surname has nothing to do with land purchase. However, the foreign husband having to sign the non claim form is in place regardless of what the Thai's surname is. I had to sign it even before my wife changed her name.

I was held up by these crooks when I wanted a usafruct registered on my wife's land. Can not, can not......ok, 10,000 baht, can

Hua Hin immigration is the same, when applying for any kind of visa or extension they make no bones about asking for a "tip"

TIT

[H2oDunc]

Does the reverse work ?

Can I change my name by deed poll to Somchai Ramndomnoen and be able to buy land ?

[roiethome]

Thanks for all the advice, guess I will send the wife back to argue her case,

cheers guys

[ESB7]

I believe the only thing you have to do to allow your wife to buy land is sign a declaration stating you have no claim to the land and any money you may have given to your wife to purchase the land was given as a gift. Or words to that effect. I'm sure a more knowledgeable poster will be along soon to better explain

This is correct, we did this at Cha am land office a few years ago and my wife has my surname..Hua Hin authorities are a nightmare. When my second child was born at Hua Hin hospitol and we asked for the paperwork from them so we could register him and get his birth cert, they first told us 'oh no, cant do that as the father is foreign'...what utter rubbish, eventually they realised they were wrong.

[old wanderer]

I have exactly your situation, my wife has my sir name.

She also has a big stack of chanotes in her farang sir name.

2 ways this happens:

1. I sign a statement that this land was purchased with her money

2. Her mother gives her land. (that maybe she just purchased), so it is an in-family transfer and does not need my signature.

[Artfullmover]

The easiest and cheapest way is to front up with the filled out form that says you as the husband has no claim to the land. The form says what its about and the law. If they have any queries they can and probally will check with their boss.

Really I think they are playing games with your wife as they sometimes do.

Edited February 5, 2011 by Artfullmover