Changing wife's name back to maiden name

[Lostworld2016]

My Thai wife has my farang name. No problem, she knows she can have land, etc. But her mother is divvying up the land among the family and is about to refuse to give my wife her share because she no longer has 'her' name.

Is it easy for my wife to change back to her family name and get ID with that name to show her mum? We don't want divorce, I believe it would not affect my status here, and it's needed only to placate her mother – can she do it? Is it the same as any other name-change, I know Thais often change their surname?

[96tehtarp]

She should be able to change her name. I have a male Thai relative who changed his surname. I doubt your wife can change her title from Mrs. to Miss.

When I married my wife she kept her Thai surname and definitely had to change the Miss to Mrs on everything... ID card, Tabian Bahn etc.

You may both want to first try to get someone "official" to convince your wife's relatives a name change is not necessary. Someone in authority at the land registry might be able to set them straight.

Edited July 8, 2014 by 96tehtarp

[Lostworld2016]

She should be able to change her name. I have a male Thai relative who changed his surname. I doubt your wife can change her title from Mrs. to Miss.

When I married my wife she kept her Thai surname and definitely had to change the Miss to Mrs on everything... ID card, Tabian Bahn etc.

You may both want to first try to get someone "official" to convince your wife's relatives a name change is not necessary. Someone in authority at the land registry might be able to set them straight.

Thanks. It's not 'necessary', we know, but the old bag (mother-in-law, not the wife in this instance) is cranky and won't budge. This is not about paperwork.

Also, I have heard many times of Thai ladies being offered the option of Miss or Mrs on marriage. As ever, it will vary from one amphur to another, of course. It's not really important as we would consider changing her name back to mine once the land is in her name - like I say, we just have to 'humor' ma-in-law, and it's currently holding up distribution of the land to the brothers and sisters.

[96tehtarp]

Thanks. It's not 'necessary', we know, but the old bag (mother-in-law, not the wife in this instance) is cranky and won't budge. This is not about paperwork.

Ahh the cranky MIL. Well you'll just have to accommodate her in this case then.

Get down to the Amphur right away. When my male relation did his name change he had quite a lot of running around to do. He also had to fix his military service record as it was in his former name and that record was required for his new employment. I seem to recall it took quite a while. So get cracking.

Hope it's a big piece of land, and good luck.

[firefox999uk]

She should be able to change her name. I have a male Thai relative who changed his surname. I doubt your wife can change her title from Mrs. to Miss.

When I married my wife she kept her Thai surname and definitely had to change the Miss to Mrs on everything... ID card, Tabian Bahn etc.

You may both want to first try to get someone "official" to convince your wife's relatives a name change is not necessary. Someone in authority at the land registry might be able to set them straight.

Our lass had the choice to change to Mrs....she kept with the Miss because it made her

appear younger on paper.....she has a document to say she is a Miss.

Have a Nice Day

[landslide]

It is not a problem. When my wife and I married, she took my name. She discovered a week later than her new name in numerology terms (don't ask me to explain it) was not auspicious. We went back to the Amphur office in Muang Prachuap Khiri Khan where we registered our marriage, and had her name changed to her maiden name, but the Mrs. prefix remained. It took about 20 minutes. Just take the original marriage document with you.

[thaicookingchef]

So now we are sure it was a great idea to change her name <3

[Greg Nixon]

Thanks for the good idea. Once my father-in-law dies, i will get my common-law wife to change her last name to mine. That should make my ex really livid.