How Can New Baby Have My Surname?

[simon43]

After waiting what seemed like ages for my UK divorce to be finalised, I finally got my divorce documents last week. And after a week of being single (yippee!!), this morning I went to the local amphur office and legally married my Thai partner. (We had already had a religious ceronmony last year...)

This marriage was just in time because she is due to give birth to our son in a few weeks. My wife wants to change her surname to my surname and also wants our son to take my surname.

We understand that for her to change her surname, she really needs to go back to her mooban in Issan, where she is currently registered. However, she is too pregnant to travel, so she cannot change her surname/id card until after the birth. But will our son automatically have her surname at birth, (and then we need to change it later to my surname), or can we get his birth registered with my surname from birth?

Any advice appreciated!

Simon

[GU22]

According to my wife; as you are married then when you register the birth you can use either surname for the child.

Remember, too, to register the birth at the British embassy and get a British passport for the child.

See Consular Birth Registration

[sbkpeterpan]

According to my wife; as you are married then when you register the birth you can use either surname for the child.

Remember, too, to register the birth at the British embassy and get a British passport for the child.

See Consular Birth Registration

They are very liberal in that respect, you don't have to be married to have the child registered with your surname. Both my children have my surname, last one born 6 months before we were married.

[billd766]

I can help a little here but only on the baby side.

My wife and I are legally married in the UK but we did not bother in Thailand and she has kept her own name.

A couple of weeks after our son was born in Nakhon Sawan 125 km away from where we live I went bak to the hospital with my passport and my wife had done most of the Thai side already.

His family name is my family name (though of course he can change that when he is older if he wishes) and he now has a British passport and birth certificate and also a Thai birth certificate.

The hospital registrar needs your passport to get your name correct and also your childs.

Be sure that you check it carefully and get your wife to check the Thai language as well because once you leave the hospital, if there is a spelling mistake it will be compounded as you go through the translation for your embassy.

I wish you the best of luck with your baby.

I am 61 and I now have more time to spend with this baby than I did with my other son in the UK though I must say he seems OK though we haven't seen each other for a couple of years.

I get to bath my son and we play around for a while (he is 20 months old) but I also get the sh***y end of the pampers too.

On the other hand revenge will be sweet when I am old and he gets to bath me and change my pampers.

[think_too_mut]

They are very liberal in that respect, you don't have to be married to have the child registered with your surname. Both my children have my surname, last one born 6 months before we were married.

My experience too. Not legally married, I showed my passport, told them baby name and it was all done. Birth certificate in Thai and English, automatically.