Did your wife take your last name after you married?

[Daniel Boon]

Here's another angle.

My dear wife passed away when our only son (born in Thailand) was quite young.

Initially the advice we had, from a lawyer, was that it was illegal for her to change her surname on marriage to a foreign name.

Hence when son was born his surname was recorded same as mothers Thai surname.

Later, after my wife passed away, I discovered that the initial advice on name change was totally wrong, it is possible.

So when son was mid teens I asked him if he wanted to change his surname to mine. Instant yes.

Because of our overall circumstances we had to have an interview (son and me) with the Interior Ministry. That happened quickly and was quite pleasant, the interview all completed within 1 hour and we got an approval letter within 7 days.

Now to the amphur office to record sons' new surname on the Tabien Baan book, get a new ID card, then new passport etc. Son very proud of his new documents, same name as dad. His first name (chua), very Thai, wasn't changed.

Now the little bit more sticky part. Son got hell at school from his class mates. There were no look-krung kids at his school so he was a first to have a foreign name. But he's robust and he brushed it all aside.

Later at university his first home room teacher told him, in front of the whole class, that his family name was ugly and she told him that she wouldn't teach him until he changed his name.

There were other incidents with other students, different subject areas, where this same teacher was quite abusive and unpleasant.

He ignored her demands to change his family name, and just got on with his studies.

Sounds like a fine, upstanding individual .. you would be proud ...

[Docno]

My ex-wife took my surname when we got married and I wish she would give it back...

[Docno]

My ex-wife took my surname when we got married and a lot more when we got divorced...

[northernphil]

My wife has no passport but he ID and driving licence has my name on them. Pity she can't pronounce it. My Christian name is a problem too. My name is Phil Ross , my wife pronounces it Few Rocks, on the gate my house sign is Few Rocks . At least it is not Few Locks.

[Stevemercer]

My wife kept her Thai maiden name (married in Australia and registered in Thailand). We plan to live in Thailand and I thought there might be problems with land ownership and the Thai bureaucracy etc. if she had a farang name.

[chilli42]

My wife (Thai) went with my family name when we married. I honestly could have cared less. It was her choice. I have been here 26 years, 18 of those married. There are no "practical" pros or cons. it's just how you feel about it. When proof of marriage is required you will have to produce a marriage certificate.

[mikiea]

My wife took my last name when we got married in the US and is now a US citizen and has a US passport which she had for several years, she also has a Thai passport with her maiden name, which she had to renew a couple of months ago while visiting Thailand

she never had a problem

leaves the US with her US passport , enters Thailand with Thai passport , leaves Thailand with Thai passport enters US with US passport, never had a problem.

We own a couple of pieces of property in Thailand, under her maiden name in fact she just purchased the second piece of property while there a couple of months.

typo edit

Did you register your marriage in Thailand? If so, how did your wife retain her last name when marriage in US applies fully legal in Thailand?

i smell dead fish in this mans p/port story ...........hmmmm ......yes dead fish

[Just1Voice]

My wife didn't change her name, but my Thai son, whom I had legally adopted, changed his last name to mine. When someone asked him why, he told them: "To honor the man who is my father." Doesn't get any better than that.

[akentryan]

My wife took my name. We moved back to the USA long enough for her to become a citizen and get a US passport. I can see where there might be problems down the line with Social Security and collecting other benefits if the last name is not changed. Unfortunately she died before me.

[billd766]

My wife didn't change her name, but my Thai son, whom I had legally adopted, changed his last name to mine. When someone asked him why, he told them: "To honor the man who is my father." Doesn't get any better than that.

When we got married my wife simply kept her Thai name.

A few years later when our son was born he was given a Thai first name and my family name which was nice.

He also has an English name as his nickname and he has been to 3 schools and kindergarten in his 12 years and had no problems with the teachers. Our neighbours daughter has a Thai name as her Mum is not married to her Dad but also has an Englich nickname.

I caused a bit of confusion in their early lives when the 3 of us were out together as I am obviously a farang, my son is Thai/English and looks Thai and the daughter is Thai/Kiwi and looks 100% farang. In BigC one day a lady asked me if my daughter could speak Thai and was confused when I told her that 1. She wasn't my daughter and I had only "borrowed" her for the day and 2. She actually WAS Thai.

[RT85]

good question...

i always thought it may be a big hassle to change her name on all her banking/mobile/MEA/water etc. accounts? yes? no?

also.. do we need to have our marriage registered in thailand? we were married in my home country... just wondering

thanks for bringing this topic up OP!

[whatproblem]

My wife took my name and money when we got married ,when we got divorce she kept my name and money

[brianj1964]

The Thai consulate in London told me my wife had to take my name when she renewed her Thai passport. I did the application and put her maiden name, as her old passport and they told me to change it.

[sometimewoodworker]

good question...

i always thought it may be a big hassle to change her name on all her banking/mobile/MEA/water etc. accounts? yes? no?

also.. do we need to have our marriage registered in thailand? we were married in my home country... just wondering

thanks for bringing this topic up OP!

As to the hassle it just takes time it's not a big deal, Thai people quite often change their names for luck so the institutions are used to name changes.

As the the need to register the marriage you may need to if you want a marriage extension, or other things, but there is no legal need or requirement to register.

[fertilizer]

I changed to my Thai wifes surname when we married 10 years ago.

Luckily it is pretty short beeing a Thai surname and is easily pronounced by western people as well.

Good choice it turned out to be to me!

[spacemand]

Here's another angle.

My dear wife passed away when our only son (born in Thailand) was quite young.

Initially the advice we had, from a lawyer, was that it was illegal for her to change her surname on marriage to a foreign name.

Hence when son was born his surname was recorded same as mothers Thai surname.

Later, after my wife passed away, I discovered that the initial advice on name change was totally wrong, it is possible.

So when son was mid teens I asked him if he wanted to change his surname to mine. Instant yes.

Because of our overall circumstances we had to have an interview (son and me) with the Interior Ministry. That happened quickly and was quite pleasant, the interview all completed within 1 hour and we got an approval letter within 7 days.

Now to the amphur office to record sons' new surname on the Tabien Baan book, get a new ID card, then new passport etc. Son very proud of his new documents, same name as dad. His first name (chua), very Thai, wasn't changed.

Now the little bit more sticky part. Son got hell at school from his class mates. There were no look-krung kids at his school so he was a first to have a foreign name. But he's robust and he brushed it all aside.

Later at university his first home room teacher told him, in front of the whole class, that his family name was ugly and she told him that she wouldn't teach him until he changed his name.

There were other incidents with other students, different subject areas, where this same teacher was quite abusive and unpleasant.

He ignored her demands to change his family name, and just got on with his studies.

Wow quite a story but I am not surprised on what he had to go though, good to hear he took well.

Been with my future ex-wife for a couple of years and when it comes to the last name I think it will depend on where we live, back home she will take my last name, living in Thailand might be better off keeping her own last name.

[spacemand]

As she works for the government, it has proved much easier to register me as her legal husband and I now have an ID on the "system" and have been able to register for government healthcare as her spouse..

Thanks for this info I have been looking for it

I am most likely going to marry my gf and when we talked about healthcare as her husband she wasn't sure if it covered me because I am a foreigner.

[Stevemercer]

If your wife is a Thai national and works for the Thai Government she has public heathcare. She is also allowed one other person for the scheme. This is normally her mother or father, but can also be her husband. It doesn't matter if you are a ferang. It can be a slow process to get you on the government register (figure 3 - 6 months), and then you have to sign up at individual public hospitals that you will use (say at your local village/town for minor injuries, at a major town for medical procedures and at a provincial capital for surgery/hospital stays).

Mind you, this is the public health care system which can be pretty crowded. If you need a hospital stay you can often pay a bit more (say 600 Baht a day) to get a good private room.

[Stevemercer]

I had a Thai friend who changed her name 17 times (as Thai tend to do). It was hard for her when she applied for a long term Australian visa because she had to get 17 different police checks, for each name, to support her application. She ended up having to fly back to Bangkok to sort it all out.

[Thongkorn]

When my wife Came to the UK , all she did was use my last name, Her Thai I D and passport are in her Maiden name, Her English passport is in Her Uk name.

[Acharn]

My wife is still using her maiden name.

Simple to change a name on the ID card, but land/house papers, bank accounts, utilities, medical registration, pension and payroll need multiple visits.

As she works for the government, it has proved much easier to register me as her legal husband and I now have an ID on the "system" and have been able to register for government healthcare as her spouse..

She came for a holiday to the UK on a family visitor visa last year, no issue with her still using her maiden name.

Yes, this was one excellent aspect of the revision to the Family Law back in -- I dunno, 2001? Under the old law it was required she take her husband's last name, and do it at once. I remember there were cries from older, more conservative senators, that the change would lead to incest and a breakdown of the family. In response to the original question, my wife said she was going to but never got around to changing her name. I just ran across her U.S. military dependent's ID card, and we used her maiden name on that, too.

[streboris]

My wife took my name and even tho she can't pronounce it, she's very proud.

We had no choice really tho because she would never have got a visa for Saudi if her name was different...

I sometimes think it would be better in Thailand if she kept her maiden name... there's no avoiding farangs prices now.

As an example I'm gonna ship stuff in when we move and I've been told to send her alone to clear customs, but even if I don't go, my name is an obvious 'Cher ching!' To anyone wanting a few extra baht...

[Asheron]

Now ex-wife didn't take my surname mainly because i didn't want her to. I see the "woman taking husbands surname" as something archaic.

[sandyf]

When we got married my wife was keen to change her name to mine but when I pointed out the problems that may arise with her work she decided to keep her Thai name.

It has never been a problem with visas to the UK and probably a certain amount of benefit here in Thailand.

[GOLDBUGGY]

My Wife had to change her name to mine. Otherwise I would never known how to spell it. I'm still working on her first full name after 9 years.

[Sewell]

My wife and I both intended to hyphenate her last name with mine. Her local amphur told her she couldn't use a hyphen in her name, so now we both have her last name as a middle name and my last name as a surname.

[huawei]

My wife is still using her maiden name.

Simple to change a name on the ID card, but land/house papers, bank accounts, utilities, medical registration, pension and payroll need multiple visits.

As she works for the government, it has proved much easier to register me as her legal husband and I now have an ID on the "system" and have been able to register for government healthcare as her spouse..

She came for a holiday to the UK on a family visitor visa last year, no issue with her still using her maiden name.

Yes, this was one excellent aspect of the revision to the Family Law back in -- I dunno, 2001? Under the old law it was required she take her husband's last name, and do it at once. I remember there were cries from older, more conservative senators, that the change would lead to incest and a breakdown of the family. In response to the original question, my wife said she was going to but never got around to changing her name. I just ran across her U.S. military dependent's ID card, and we used her maiden name on that, too.

Are you sure. It was best not to register the name change due to inability to buy property etc..didn't know it was mandatory..

[elliottm]

Yes, she had to by law, think the deadline was something like 90 days.

On Facebook she's using a double barreled equivalent.

[Brit_Doggie]

Well my wife took my surname, half the house, cleaned out my bank account well the 1 she new of anyway hehe, so my advice is don't do it.

[sometimewoodworker]

Yes, she had to by law, think the deadline was something like 90 days.

On Facebook she's using a double barreled equivalent.

That has not been the law for at least the last 10 years. Before that I don't know.