Child'S Surname Change

[thelegend]

I have a 13 yr old 'daughter'[my wife's child by a previous marriage]. She is not my natural child but I am the only father she has ever known, her natural father having abandoned her before birth, and has never seen her .

What I would like to be able to do is change her surname to our family name for obvious reasons of convenience, but I seem to hit an official brick wall on every attempt .Adoption isn't an option as the cost in my country is prohibitive and the process takes years.

I seek information as to how this can be done by a means similar to DEED POLL in European Countries , or anyother simple solution.

Should you be able to offer any practical solution, my little girl and I would be forever indebted to you .

Thanks in anticipation

The Legend .

[Mario2008]

Her mother can change her name at the amphur, that is the auhtorithy regarding name change. She should be able to change the name of the child to her own name. But you give too little information regarding the brickwall you face.

[regine]

Convenience? Do you live in Thailand? Is your stepdaughter 100% Thai?

If so, then leaving her with her Thai birth name will be more convenient for her when she's older rather then changing to that of a farang IMO.

[MikeyIdea]

I am not sure if name change require both legal parents signature (like passport) but I really doubt it - it sounds like the mother probably has sole custody even (did mother and father marry?). As far as I know, the child can take the mothers (new) name, not your name if the mother doesn't have it. If father is not legal father, then there should surely be no reason why it can't be done. Now, that is the law... But the foreign name is the problem, right?

Official brick wall? Could be. Let's try this; The mother should go down to the amphur (with the original birth certificate and tabien baan of course) and request form por kor 14 (that states that she has sole custody of her child) or if they did register the marriage por kor 11 (states shared custody), then AFTER she has that, then she brings the child and requests to change name, the child requests is even better

If Amphur still refuse, then the child (or the mother but the child is better) has the right to take this to Juvenile court. Juvenile court respect 13 year olds opinion so she is likely to get this granted if she gets there. Request to make an appointment with Ajjagarn (that's the district atterney) to get information about the juvenile court path. If the mother has sole custody and the child wants to change to her new name, then I doubt Amphur will still refuse at this stage. If they do, let the child and the mother push for appointment with Ajjagarn. Now, Ajjagarn is of course busy and can't see them but request appointment next week (in writing is good). If Ajjagarn confirm that there actually is a law stopping the western name, then don't give up hope. Juvenile court is still likely to grant the childs wish regardless of law (if they take it up) - I would not mention the western name when filing, just let the child do the talking

Juvenile court case will (easily) cost less than 50,000 bath, Thai only speaking lawyer of course

Edited August 8, 2011 by MikeyIdea

[MikeyIdea]

Convenience? Do you live in Thailand? Is your stepdaughter 100% Thai?

If so, then leaving her with her Thai birth name will be more convenient for her when she's older rather then changing to that of a farang IMO.

The OP stated that the child wanted to change too...

[Mario2008]

A name must have a meaning in Thai, that is why the name change could be refused to a foreign name. Question is if that would also be the case when the mother wants to change it to her own foreign last name.

[soihok]

Our first daughter was born in Thailand ( mother is Thai ) before we were married and assummed the Thai family name.

( I was present at the birth and my name went into the birth cert though ).

After we were married my wife assummed my " Farang " family name.

We changed my daughters Thai family name to our " Farang " family name at the local amphur.

Her Thai passport is in our name but we cannot change the name on her Thai birth certificate, which remains the original Thai family name.

She also holds a Brit passport and birth cert. However, to have her " Farang " family name on the both we had to change her name by deed poll as the birth cert is the Thai family name.

This was done at the British High Commission in Singapore ( as we were living there at the time ).

So along with her birth cert (s), she has a deed poll document to with them.

Hope this helps.

[soihok]

A Brit friend went through the adoption process successfully a few years ago.

It wasn't an easy task and they had to find a reletive of the childs father to sign some papers. The fathers whereabouts was unknown and the relative wanted paying, naturally.

All turned out well though and the child assummed his Farang family name ( his mother, my friends wife, had already assummed the Farang name ).

[soundman]

If Amphur still refuse, then the child (or the mother but the child is better) has the right to take this to Juvenile court. Juvenile court respect 13 year olds opinion so she is likely to get this granted if she gets there. Request to make an appointment with Ajjagarn (that's the district atterney) to get information about the juvenile court path. If the mother has sole custody and the child wants to change to her new name, then I doubt Amphur will still refuse at this stage. If they do, let the child and the mother push for appointment with Ajjagarn. Now, Ajjagarn is of course busy and can't see them but request appointment next week (in writing is good). If Ajjagarn confirm that there actually is a law stopping the western name, then don't give up hope. Juvenile court is still likely to grant the childs wish regardless of law (if they take it up) - I would not mention the western name when filing, just let the child do the talking

Just to clarify (sorry mickey, but it could be important for the OP ) - Ajjagarn would be pronounced more correctly as ai-ya-gahn. อัยการ

[BuckarooBanzai]

If you wish to follow through with a Thai adoption see Check out entry #13 as I have posted the paper work. Does not cost and was quick at least when I did it. Name change was no problem. All done at the Amphur with walk in service.