Hi. I am married to my wife ( but of course ) and I have 2 step children. we live in the UK. I and they, would like to have my surname. last summer we went to surin's ampur to enquire about this but was told we would have to go through the process of adoption in bangkok first, before we could change their surnames.

can someone please provide a link or provide information on where we need to go, what details i need to provide, and can we change the surname in BKK or do we have to go back to surin to do this?. and how long does the process take? i am thinking maybe we can go to thailand this coming summer for 1 - 2 weeks and get this all done.

any guidance is most welcome

thanks

You cna try at any amphur, but presume it must be done at the amphur for where the children live (are registered on a household book). Thais can chage their names very easily, but the law states that a name must have a meaning in Thai. (Exeptions are made for foreigners). As the children are not yours, the amphur seems to refuse to give them your name. That is all within the law and reason why they sugest you formally adopt the children.

That will be a lenghty process and as you live in the UK the process might need to start there.

Mario, I would greatly appreciate any input you have. I was told (by a lawyer...) that a Thai child can always take his mother's name, whether it is local or farang, even under the age of 20. My wife recently changed her name to my farang surname in order that her son can have my name, which he wants. You are saying the amphoe is able to refuse this?

They did refuse (at the amphoe where they have their tabien baan), but are they 'wrong'? The lawyer is now not responding, surprise surprise. But he did say the amphoe "cannot refuse". Are they just being difficult? Adoption is a huge job and takes forever, and it's totally unnecessary from the son's point of view. He just wants my name.

Like I say, if you have any useful input I would be most grateful. Cheers.

I can't say I know all the rules, so it might be legal to change the name to that of the mother. But on the otherhand names must have a meaning in Thai according to the law. Reason why Thai amphurs deny a name change to a foreign one.