Changing Name On My Wife'S Thai Passport

[Madivad]

Short version: my wife and I are legally married in Australia. She has a Thai passport in her Thai name. Her Australian 309 visa is in her Thai name. The situation has arrived that we'd like to have everything in her married name. We spend the vast majority of time in Australia, altho right now we're back here in Thailand.

More detail: we haven't had an issue with her Thai name in odd places, she does use and have multiple forms of ID in her married name. But her visa was issued in her maiden/Thai name which unfortunately requires that all her medical stuff (Medicare and hospital visits) are in her maiden name. This has now become an issue because we're about to have a baby and I want her name to be her married name on our son-to-be's birth certificate.

I'm thinking we have to get her passport changed first then go through DIAC and get her visa reissued in her new name. We're planning on getting her passport changed back in Australia through the Thai embassy in Sydney.

We have approached Medicare and they will not entertain the idea of using her married name. They insist they are bound to use her visa name. I do understand the underlying issues.

Call me old fashioned but I want our son to have a clean birth certificate (even if it is only a problem in my own mind). By clean, I mean I'd like for it to show his mother was in fact married and had his fathers name at the time of birth.

I would appreciate anyone's insight on this and not a critique or criticism on my beliefs. Please keep it on topic and avoid the "why didn't you plan for this before deciding to have a bub." Yes, hindsight is wonderful. But this is where we're at now.

Thanks in advance.

[flying]

My wife & I were not married in Australia but our chain of events went like this....

We were married in USA & she took my name on our marriage certificate

On out next trip to Thailand.......

We went to the US Consulate to stamp her US marriage certificate as approved/official

Next went to translate into Thai our marriage certificate

Next to Amphur with translated marriage certificate to change her name on Thai ID card

also registered the marriage

Then took papers given by Amphur to subdistrict office to change her

name on other things like blue book for condo.

Then back to Amphur with papers given from subdistrict office.

Then to Motor Vehicles to change driver & scooter license

Lastly we went to change her passport but could not.

Not due to anything on our part but it was Red Shirt Demonstration time & they were closed due to

mobs outside protesting

So we had to come back to the USA & have it sent to the LA Thai Consulate. Since she already had

the new Thai National ID in her married name it was easy.

Basically it sounds like a lot more than it is & your wife will handle it surely

But the main thing is you have your marriage certificate.

We also had our birth certificates but do not remember if any section asked for a copy or not.

My wife says yes..............

Good Luck

Edited April 24, 2012 by flying

[lovetotravel]

I had wifey change her name also. It was quite easy, though did take a trip to the local office in her village, and of course offer a bribe as she was married to a farang.

The whole process was fairly easy, and now everything is the same on all her docs. It just made life easier for us.

[bangkokburning]

How has it made life easier?

I would think she would have far less hassle in Thailand with her own name?

Could see the benefit as the OP stated, but also outside Thailand - but inside??

[lovetotravel]

How has it made life easier?

I would think she would have far less hassle in Thailand with her own name?

Could see the benefit as the OP stated, but also outside Thailand - but inside??

Everything is in one name now, not two as before. In the US, she used her married name. When traveling, we ran into a problem where the ticket was in her Thai name but the passport was in her married name. That was not fun to deal with.

Now, only one name to worry about. Just makes everything easier as we don't have to worry about what name to use.

I have heard it can cause some problems with regards to real estate investments here...but that's another topic.

[flying]

In the US, she used her married name. When traveling, we ran into a problem where the ticket was in her Thai name but the passport was in her married name. That was not fun to deal with.

I agree with this..........

I cannot say how or of it will have repercussions in Thailand

But in the USA it is pretty much impossible these days to book a flight if all forms of ID required to travel do not match.

TSA..........

In my story about having to return to USA with her old passport the customs agents at arrival in the USA said they were amazed we were

allowed to boards since the green card & passport did not match we should have been refused entry to the flight leaving Thailand for the USA.

Man we were happy when he said welcome home ....

Was worried for a second

[bangkokburning]

OK so you had different names in separate docs, I get that.

Yeah, I was precisely thinking of real estate as well as negative - or positive sentiments when applying for work.

General discrimination here I guess. That is my worry. My GF really wants to change her name.

Have you considered any repercussions if divorce were to occur or are you living in USA permanently so that is moot?

Edited April 25, 2012 by bangkokburning

[flying]

OK so you had different names in separate docs, I get that.

Yeah, I was precisely thinking of real estate as well as negative - or positive sentiments when applying for work.

General discrimination here I guess. That is my worry. My GF really wants to change her name.

Have you considered any repercussions if divorce were to occur or are you living in USA permanently so that is moot?

Hi

Not sure if your question was to me of LTT

But in our case we are moving full time to Thailand next month.

We have always stayed 3 months at a time for the past years.

We had heard some stories about land but my wife assures they are false from speaking with other ladies married to foreigners

& it in no way infringed on their right to buy land. Plus we already own a condo & a home.

As for work I guess it could be a discrimination possibility when working for others.

But my wife like myself have always been self employed so should not be a problem.

Hopefully the fact she is a nice person & always courteous will continue to result in the nice way

she (& I ) have always been treated.

PS: if divorce ever occurred ( I hope not ) I imagine she could change her name back.

Edited April 25, 2012 by flying

[kevjohn]

Just had a talk to my wife

.

From what we can remember, she could not change her

name from what was in her Thai passport, for medicare

until she had her Australian citizenship but please don't

take this a gospel.

Up until her Aus citizenship She had a seperate card to me.

Edited April 25, 2012 by kevjohn

[bangkokburning]

Flying - I believe Thai's must have foreign spouse signature on any property purchased after marriage stating it is their property (?) - You cannot own home/property so I would think this applies to condos. BUt I do not know much more than that honestly. If there was no name change, you could avoid the paper hassle and maybe secure the property more to yourself as well ???

Most of your issues and those mentioned are indeed +'s for name change abroad. Here in Thailand, I am not so sure. Of course - women not working or self employed obviously doesn't matter. Might even be a plus depending on business.

[kevjohn]

Flying - I believe Thai's must have foreign spouse signature on any property purchased after marriage stating it is their property (?) - You cannot own home/property so I would think this applies to condos. BUt I do not know much more than that honestly. If there was no name change, you could avoid the paper hassle and maybe secure the property more to yourself as well ???

Most of your issues and those mentioned are indeed +'s for name change abroad. Here in Thailand, I am not so sure. Of course - women not working or self employed obviously doesn't matter. Might even be a plus depending on business.

Yes.

I had to sign paperwork stating that the money, that my wife used to buy land in Thailand, belonged to her.

Edited April 25, 2012 by kevjohn

[flying]

Flying - I believe Thai's must have foreign spouse signature on any property purchased after marriage stating it is their property (?) - You cannot own home/property so I would think this applies to condos. BUt I do not know much more than that honestly. If there was no name change, you could avoid the paper hassle and maybe secure the property more to yourself as well ???

Thanks & yes I had heard that too.

My wife already had both when we met so not an issue for me.

Although after being married my wife insisted on adding my name to the condo.

But because it is counted as a Thai unit we could not do it. that was because the Foreign quota was already full in our building

But we have considered another condo & would buy it in both names.

The problem with condos is even though we are Thai/Foreign 50/50

we still need to buy only in the foreign quota ( 49% ) section of each condo unit

to allow my name on ownership.

Those always cost on average more due to limited availability:)

[kevjohn]

Have been going through paperwork and old passports and found that when

my wife changed her name, at the Thai consulate in Sydney, that they only

made a notation on the 4th page of her passport to this affect.

They did not issue a new passport.

From what I can find, all government letters came addressed to her using her old family name

until she received her citizenship.

[fredob43]

My I just suggest that you register or re marry in Thailand that way you can change her name on her ID all done at the local Amper simple, once you have that you can use it to deal with the hospital's/passport's and any other thing's you need to do.

[Madivad]

My I just suggest that you register or re marry in Thailand that way you can change her name on her ID all done at the local Amper simple, once you have that you can use it to deal with the hospital's/passport's and any other thing's you need to do.

I wish I'd brought our stuff with us this time. I can see now I should have done that, I just didn't think to do it at this end because this trip is only a quick one. I usually carry an electronic copy of all our certificates and odd paperwork, however I didn't even do that this trip.

I'm kind of hoping that a name change registered with the Thai embassy and an Australian marriage certificate would help with having DIAC change it as well. Appears it may not be the case. I'll do some hard research when we get home.

How does a Thai living abroad update their ID card? Wouldn't/couldn't the embassy in Australia be able to issue one?

[flying]

How does a Thai living abroad update their ID card? Wouldn't/couldn't the embassy in Australia be able to issue one?

This may be possible in Australia.....not sure but,

In the USA the way folks in your situation do it is though the L.A. Thai Consulate.

Once a year in January for our State.....They come to town with all the forms etc & gather up the info & passports of those who

want such services done. They then go back to their Consulate & do all the mailings etc. Once done they send them back to you

in Express mail envelopes that they have you buy & fill out when you have your meeting with them.

I would imagine the same would be offered where your at because many folks do not or are not able to make trips to Thailand for many years. So check with the Australian branch of the Thai Embassy/Consulate when you get back.

Edited April 25, 2012 by flying

[Madivad]

This may be possible in Australia.....not sure but...

thanks for that info. Now that you mention I think i may have heard that somewhere once before. I'll chase it up when we get home.

[Madivad]

On a side note, and I will follow this up later when I get home, but what are people's experiences with Australian (NSW specifically) births, deaths and marriages? I'm wondering does the name my wife use have to be the one on the Medicare card? She does have bank accounts and ID from the road transport mob in her married name. I'm thinking maybe we can use those IDs for the purpose of registering the birth. I really have no idea (hence why I'm posting). Does anyone have any insight on how that works?

[Madivad]

Well. A surprise result. I thought I would send BDM an email yesterday explaining our situation. This was their shocking, but pleasing reply. Emphasis added:

Good Morning Dave,

Thank you for your enquiry.

No, that will be fine. When new parents send the Birth Registration Statement [bRS] in to register the birth, no identification is required. Just put the names as you want them in that part of the form asking for mother's details [Part C].

If you require further assistance, please contact us.

Kind regards,

[flying]

Well. A surprise result. I thought I would send BDM an email yesterday explaining our situation. This was their shocking, but pleasing reply. Emphasis added:

Congrats !

[Madivad]

Congrats !

Not sure if you're yá

King about the ease of changing my wife's name on the birth certificate, or for the bub; either way, thanks!

I got a reply from the embassy as well, however it's only a link that doesn't produce much on the iPad. I'll investigate more when I get home. It's all rather non important now after receiving the reply from BDM.

Whatever happens, if I can get her name changed on the visa, or not, I'll update this thread down the track.