Changing Babys Surname To That Of The Fathers

[Steps]

Hi,

I want to apply for a birth certificate and passport from the UK embasy for my child who was born in Thailand after 2006. I have read a few topics concerning the procedure for application and feel pretty confident with this process. However, my childs surname is that of the mothers and i would like to change it to mine so there is no complications for when he is sent to school in the UK.

My question is:

1. Can this be done?
   
2. What is the process for changing a childs surname to that of the fathers?
   
3. Will this have any implications when applying for the UK birth cert and passport?
   

All help would be much appreciated

Steps

[GooEng]

is your name on his birth certificate?

[GooEng]

i was estranged from my wife when my first son was born and had to go through the palaver of getting my name onto his birth certificate then getting name changes done and it was a complete bloody pain in the neck getting past petty officials in the various offices we were directed to.

you have to endure the blatant racism and discrimination that these little hitlers and hitlerettes seem to enjoy displaying any time they deal with a foreigner, so be prepared to smile and persevere as they "tut tut" and frown at you and scold you for your stupidity etc ....

i almost gave up but in the end got there and persuaded them to change my first son's surname to mine although i was unable to get his first name changed from the thai name my darling mother in law made the missus give him when he was born.

[Steps]

Yes, i am on the birth cert as his father but i did not sign the cert myself which has some consequences right?

Will i have to do all this in the province where his birth is registared or can i do this in Bk. Does the mother need to be present & do i for that matter due to us both working in another province or can we send all the docs over and get her mother to do it?

Thanx a bunch

[Mario2008]

You do not seem to be the legal father, see for more info this topic: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/381917-how-to-gain-parental-rights-as-a-father/

Right now it very much depends on the amphur, but strictly speaking the child cannot have a foreign name as long as you are not the legal father. (Names must have a meaning in Thai).

The amphur to do this will be the amphur where the child is currently registered. Contact them first and see if they are willing to change the name without you being the legal father.

[Forethat]

Interesting topic. What if there's dual nationality involved. For instance, if the child is both British and Thai, I reckon the name change must be synchronized somehow. Otherwise you'll end up having one name in one passport and another in the second passport. Weird...

[Mario2008]

Some people have indeed two passports with different names.

But in this case, when the father is the legal father, one can freely choose the name. But a foreign name will be (phonetically) translated into Thai, as all Thai docuemtns are in Thai (with passport and ID card also having the name in English.

[Forethat]

Some people have indeed two passports with different names.

But in this case, when the father is the legal father, one can freely choose the name. But a foreign name will be (phonetically) translated into Thai, as all Thai docuemtns are in Thai (with passport and ID card also having the name in English.

So what if the name change is initiated in Europe? The name is later translated in a new passport?

[GooEng]

Interested to see what people have to say on this - its been my intention to leave my sons Thai identification papers (ID card passport etc) in his Thai first name with my surname, as it seems that his first name cannot be changed, although the reasons are opaque .... When we tried to do it when I had his surname changed the official said it was because the name we wanted to change it to was not Thai she would not allow it. there a law stating the name must have a meaning in thai apparently, but i hear this law is not always enforced and indeed when the second baby arrived we had no trouble at all naming him with a very british name ...

anyway my plan at some later date is to have the first sons name on his British birth cert and passport changed following a deed poll change in the UK.

I don't see how two sets of documents would be a problem, he can use his uk papers for any purpose in the uk and his Thai ones in Thailand - both would be 100% legitimate and valid.

No Thai officials would ever look at his uk papers and vice versa.

[Forethat]

Interested to see what people have to say on this - its been my intention to leave my sons Thai identification papers (ID card passport etc) in his Thai first name with my surname, as it seems that his first name cannot be changed, although the reasons are opaque .... When we tried to do it when I had his surname changed the official said it was because the name we wanted to change it to was not Thai she would not allow it. there a law stating the name must have a meaning in thai apparently, but i hear this law is not always enforced and indeed when the second baby arrived we had no trouble at all naming him with a very british name ...

anyway my plan at some later date is to have the first sons name on his British birth cert and passport changed following a deed poll change in the UK.

I don't see how two sets of documents would be a problem, he can use his uk papers for any purpose in the uk and his Thai ones in Thailand - both would be 100% legitimate and valid.

No Thai officials would ever look at his uk papers and vice versa.

Excellent.

[Mario2008]

Some people have indeed two passports with different names.

But in this case, when the father is the legal father, one can freely choose the name. But a foreign name will be (phonetically) translated into Thai, as all Thai docuemtns are in Thai (with passport and ID card also having the name in English.

So what if the name change is initiated in Europe? The name is later translated in a new passport?

Not sure, it might be that the name change can only be effected in Thailand or that if you change the name in Europe, the name change will only have effect there but not in Thailand.

Having a Thai and another countries passports wiht slightly different names is not uncommen.

[GooEng]

following this is the sort of procedure i had planned

http://www.ukdp.co.u...ur-childs-name/

i hope it is "excellent" and there isn't something i am missing - seems ok though.

Edited March 9, 2012 by GooEng

[bkk_mike]

Not sure about different names in the passports in the longer term...

Wouldn't that give you problems if you're doing the dual nationality passport swap when travelling between countries as the name on the ticket will only correspond to one of the passports.

[Mario2008]

You simply show both passports. In a world of growing fears of terorism it will always be an inconvinience, but immigraiton officers and airline officials will be familiar with. As long as there is evedience it is the same person, there should not be a problem. In other words, cary evidence of the name change.

[GooEng]

hadn't thought of the possible complications of travel actually, i guess mario is right tho - carry the deed poll documents to support the name change - after all, it's only the uk end that would want to see the uk passport.

i suppose if push came to shove you could by two one way tickets - use the one in the thai name to board in thailand and fly to the uk(in our case) and then vice-versa for the return journey.

it's a long way away anyway - i don't expect to travel to the uk for a long time and i would probably leave the name changing until my son is 18 anyway and let him do it himself if he desires.

again i might be missing something but seems ok. any thoughts anyone?

Edited March 12, 2012 by GooEng

[Sing_Sling]

I'd suggest that having two different names in two different passports will case trouble when travelling - unless you only use one . . .

I've been pulled up several times because I used one passport for one leg of a journey and another for a different leg, or even following leg . . . and the name and all details are the same, both passports being western ones as well.

Trouble it will be . . . simply use only one

[Steps]

So My appologies to everyone as i have already posted this topic here. I have informed the forum moderator to remove my identical topic as i had an altzymer moment.

So if there is any more experiences with changing your babys name then please could you share. I am 1 week away from my own experience and shall share it with you once i have gone through it.

Cheers

P.S. Anybody know how to do spell check?