Thai Name Change After Marriage

[scottydel]

Apologies I could have sworn I was on a thread recently that addressed this, but can't find it.

My g/f and I are going to the amphur to get a marriage certificate soon. We had a village ceremony 4 years ago, just going through the legal formality now. What is the policy regarding her name change and new Thai ID card? I believe if we marry at the amphur she is registered at, the name change and new ID card has to be done then and there. If we go to any other amphur, she has a certain time period to do both of those tasks. Does this ring a bell to anyone?

If anyone can shed any light on this I'd appreciate it!

Shortly after we marry, we're applying for her immigration visa, and I want to know which name and ID card I should use for that process. Obviously would look best if she had my last name.

Thanks,

-Scott

[scottydel]

Also, should we get her a new passport to reflect her new name? Any hang-ups with US visa applications if her Thai passport doesn't reflect her new name? Sounds like it might throw off some flags...not sure how long a passport is still valid if someone changes their name.

Any help appreciated!

[robio7]

I found this on the Thai Ministry of foreign affairs website:

See point 3

Procedures

1. Marriage registration can be filed at any District Office or Minor District Office nationwide regardless of the birthplace of the couple.
2. Once the marriage registration is completed, each party will be given a copy of the Marriage Registration Certificate as evidence.
3. If the marriage registration is filed at the District Office located in female's birthplace (where the name is registered on the House Registration Certificate), the title used with the forename and the last name of the female will be changed by the District Officer. The female is required to file for a new Identification Card within 60 days. A service fee of 10 baht is required. If the marriage is registered elsewhere, the female is required to contact the local District Office to change her name and last name, as well as filing for a new Identification Card.
4. If both parties are unable to file for marriage at any District Office of Minor District Office, the couple can submit a request to the Registrar to register their marriage at any location under the supervision of that District Office. The parties filing for marriage are required to provide transportation for the Registrar. A service fee of 200 baht is required.

I was also thinking about this.

I am getting married in December and after this we will be handing her passport into the consulate in BKK for visa application. where it will be sent to the embassy and if approved the visa stamp will be applioed to that passport.

If she has to change her ID card then surely she has to change her passport too.

So how will this work in my scenario?? I think the change of passport takes several weeks and how can we do this when we plan to hand the passport to the embassy.

BTW we're getting married in thailand and I am Irish citizen (applying for Irish spouse visa)

Thanks,

Rob

Edited September 19, 2011 by robio7

[scottydel]

Huge thanks Rob, that MOFA page was what I was recently reading!

I am in the exact same boat as you, within a week or so after our marriage she will be applying for a visa and presenting her passport to the US Embassy. She will have an ID with her new name and a passport with her old name. Not to mention our son's two (Thai and US) birth certificates have her old name.

HOWEVER, I did read on the visa instructions page for the US that a Name Change Certificate must be submitted if any name change occurs. I can only assume that this certificate would keep the old passport and other documents valid and link it with her new name. Maybe the same would be true for Ireland? Sounds like a question for the consulate staff. Oh how those folks love answering our questions!

[robio7]

Huge thanks Rob, that MOFA page was what I was recently reading!

I am in the exact same boat as you, within a week or so after our marriage she will be applying for a visa and presenting her passport to the US Embassy. She will have an ID with her new name and a passport with her old name. Not to mention our son's two (Thai and US) birth certificates have her old name.

HOWEVER, I did read on the visa instructions page for the US that a Name Change Certificate must be submitted if any name change occurs. I can only assume that this certificate would keep the old passport and other documents valid and link it with her new name. Maybe the same would be true for Ireland? Sounds like a question for the consulate staff. Oh how those folks love answering our questions!

Hopefully that is the case that she can name change the ID card etc and not have to change the passport!

I've emailed my consulate in BKK so when i hear back from them then i'll let you know what they say.

Also from what i've read on that mfa site it seems a lot quicker if the marriage is registered in the Amphur in her home town rather than BKK where of course the embassy and ministry of foreign affairs are!!!

[robio7]

The consulate in BKK replied to me and said it is not required to change her name but if she does want to chacnge her name she has to go to her home Amhpur office and change there.

If you marry in her home town they seem to just replace the ID card and amend the house registration book then and there

But if you marry in amphur in BKK and she wants to change her name then she will have to bring the marriage cert, change of name cert (given to her at amhpur where u marry), her ID card and house registration book to the Amphur in her home to change her name and she only has 60days from date of marriage to do this.

So sounds like you should marry in her home town which is actually a bit of a pain seems you have to go to BKK anyway for embassy and MFA to stamp affirmation to marry, then return to BKK again after you've been married in the home to hand the visa application to the embassy!!

Also my fiancée found out from her friend in England that it takes 3 days to change her passport in BKK but if she does it in another passport office, i.e. Phuket, it will take up to a month

From what her friend told her about her experience in UK it sounds like everything is a little easier if she changes her name before applying for visa.

Another thing to consider when deciding to change surname is if you intend to go back to thailand and live there in the future.

From what i've been told on this forum, altho she still has the right to buy land in thailand its a little bit difficult to prove the money didnt come from foreign spouse especially now she has a farang surname! I'm not worried about that tho, if its true or not.

Edited September 20, 2011 by robio7

[daboyz1]

The consulate in BKK replied to me and said it is not required to change her name but if she does want to chacnge her name she has to go to her home Amhpur office and change there.

If you marry in her home town they seem to just replace the ID card and amend the house registration book then and there

But if you marry in amphur in BKK and she wants to change her name then she will have to bring the marriage cert, change of name cert (given to her at amhpur where u marry), her ID card and house registration book to the Amphur in her home to change her name and she only has 60days from date of marriage to do this.

So sounds like you should marry in her home town which is actually a bit of a pain seems you have to go to BKK anyway for embassy and MFA to stamp affirmation to marry, then return to BKK again after you've been married in the home to hand the visa application to the embassy!!

Also my fiancée found out from her friend in England that it takes 3 days to change her passport in BKK but if she does it in another passport office, i.e. Phuket, it will take up to a month

From what her friend told her about her experience in UK it sounds like everything is a little easier if she changes her name before applying for visa.

Another thing to consider when deciding to change surname is if you intend to go back to thailand and live there in the future.

From what i've been told on this forum, altho she still has the right to buy land in thailand its a little bit difficult to prove the money didnt come from foreign spouse especially now she has a farang surname! I'm not worried about that tho, if its true or not.

This post is exactly correct. We married in BKK, but she had to travel back to Si Saket to deal with all the name change stuff. Then have to deal with the passport change after at the passport office.