Does My Wife Have To Change Her Name?

[jauntyjohn]

Recently married a Thai.

Is she required by law to use my surname? Implications for future visa applications to Australia etc?

Any advice appreciated.

JJ.

[Artisan]

Recently married a Thai.

Is she required by law to use my surname? Implications for future visa applications to Australia etc?

Any advice appreciated.

JJ.

Not anymore....since 2002 she can choose to retain her maiden name or adopt her husband's surname. If she chooses to retain her maiden name, I really don't think this will be disadvantageous when she applies for a visa.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Artisan

[C-sip-degree]

Recently married a Thai.

Is she required by law to use my surname? Implications for future visa applications to Australia etc?

Any advice appreciated.

JJ.

Not anymore....since 2002 she can choose to retain her maiden name or adopt her husband's surname. If she chooses to retain her maiden name, I really don't think this will be disadvantageous when she applies for a visa.

Artisan

You seem very sure about this so I will not question you.

Jauntyjohn has just been married so upon his/her signature of local register he would of come upon this and her Thai card would of needed to be changed if so.

He should know the answer.

Implications for the future visa applications, if Australia looks upon her as your wife, Yes like what Artisan said there will be no disadvantageous.

When I was married my wife had to change her Thai card to my surname, which wasen't a problem to do just more paper work, visa's for her to my country over the years have been quick and painless to get.

The only one drama is buying land in the Kingdom which is of cause possible but it takes "extra" to do. "I'll just drop you the hint there" go and check it out.

If the rules have changed since great, weight it all up and good luck.

C-sip

[jauntyjohn]

[Artisan

You seem very sure about this so I will not question you.

Jauntyjohn has just been married so upon his/her signature of local register he would of come upon this and her Thai card would of needed to be changed if so.

He should know the answer.

Implications for the future visa applications, if Australia looks upon her as your wife, Yes like what Artisan said there will be no disadvantageous.

When I was married my wife had to change her Thai card to my surname, which wasen't a problem to do just more paper work, visa's for her to my country over the years have been quick and painless to get.

The only one drama is buying land in the Kingdom which is of cause possible but it takes "extra" to do. "I'll just drop you the hint there" go and check it out.

If the rules have changed since great, weight it all up and good luck.

Married at registery office two weeks ago - no mention of requirement for wife to change name on her id card - in fact no mention of this at all - maybe not a legal requirment anymore?

[lopburi3]

The name can remain but her prefix should be changed to Mrs. so a new ID card should be made.

Buying land when married to a foreign spouse requires the same paperwork regardless of name. The Thai party must sign that money is theres and the foreign spouse sign they understand it is not joint marriage property. A formality that all land offices should be aware of by now and not a big deal.

[Pink Mist]

I can't say with any certaintee if it makes any difference, for what it's worth my Wife took my surname, but in Oz this day and age a fair percentage of women dont take their spouses name.

One advantage could be the english style name could be a little easier for forms and the like.

[Mahout Angrit]

Recently married a Thai.

Is she required by law to use my surname? Implications for future visa applications to Australia etc?

Any advice appreciated.

JJ.

Dunno about the law but I've been married for 18 years to a Thai, my wife has always continued to use her family name. I lived in Thailand for 10 years and never had a problem getting Non Imm 'O' visas at a number of different Thai embassies or 1 year extensions in country. My wife never had problems to get Visa for Europe at embassies in Thailand or outside. All what is ever required is a copy (sometimes a need to see the original) of the marriage certificate. We were married in South Africa though so certificate is in English (but not very impresive). I would think if you married in Thailand you would need to have a certified translation to show to officials outside Thailand. She was once challenged when she went to renew her ID card at the Amphur "How come you are still 'Miss' and over 30?" (I think they saw me sitting outside!) but she said she wasn't married and that was the end of that. In UK she uses the title Ms but her complete Thai name for bank accounts etc. Never had a problem.

[Crossy]

We got married in the UK using wifeys married (divorced) name, that was what her PP and ID said. There is no requirement in the UK to change surname, some do, some don't, you can even go double-barrelled.

When we moved to Thailand missus says 'I go change name now', she did, BUT she changed it back to her fathers name

So I now have a UK marriage cert with the family name 'Tharasep' and a wife with PP and ID with the name 'Kritsuwan'

We have had zero problems with visas for the UK, or my visa for Thailand although I always take the missus along with her pile of paper that links the two names.

No trouble buying our (her) land, I just signed the standard 'no financial interest' document and the usufruct stuff.

[Thai-Spy]

The name can remain but her prefix should be changed to Mrs. so a new ID card should be made.

If the marriage registrar did his job properly there is already a footnote on her entry in the national identity database which cross-references the marriage record. Changing the ID card now is not, so far as we know, an absolute legal requirement.

Culturally speaking, Mrs. carries more weight than Miss, so she might be keen to do this sooner rather than later. Even if she skips doing the card replacement now, the title Mrs. will be applied to her new card when the next mandatory renewal or replacement-for-loss takes place, barring a lawful termination of the marriage.

[Unknown]

Recently married a Thai.

Is she required by law to use my surname?

No, but she can.

[aussiestyle1983]

I spoke to Embassy staff afew days ago and they said your wife can apply for a visa using her Thai surname. The reason I asked is because our situation is similar, we will be applying for a spouse visa to Oz for my wife and she hasn't changed her surname yet.

We also asked if we could change her surname after we apply for the visa and they said she can change her surname any time before or after the lodging of the visa. When you submit the application all the doccuments she has translated and submits must match the name on the passport she will be using to get the visa. If she changes her name at a later date, she must then get new ID card, household, Name change cert, passport, etc, and then translate these new doccuments again and give them to the embassy, thats all.

Thats what we were told and thats what our plans are if it helps.

[Richard W]

Even if she skips doing the card replacement now, the title Mrs. will be applied to her new card when the next mandatory renewal or replacement-for-loss takes place, barring a lawful termination of the marriage.

I think only an annulment could stop her having to be 'Mrs' on the next card.

[Johpa]

Dunno about the law but I've been married for 18 years to a Thai, my wife has always continued to use her family name. I lived in Thailand for 10 years and never had a problem getting Non Imm 'O' visas at a number of different Thai embassies or 1 year extensions in country. My wife never had problems to get Visa for Europe at embassies in Thailand or outside. All what is ever required is a copy (sometimes a need to see the original) of the marriage certificate. We were married in South Africa though so certificate is in English (but not very impresive). I would think if you married in Thailand you would need to have a certified translation to show to officials outside Thailand. She was once challenged when she went to renew her ID card at the Amphur "How come you are still 'Miss' and over 30?" (I think they saw me sitting outside!) but she said she wasn't married and that was the end of that. In UK she uses the title Ms but her complete Thai name for bank accounts etc. Never had a problem.

I've been married a similar amount of time, starting back in the days when there was more legal discrimination against women married to Farangs than today. We were married in Thailand and after being asked for some tea money upon registering the marriage at the Amphoe, we simply avoided the next office where we were asked to go change her name. So her documentation in Thai is in her maiden name and and her US documenation in the US is is my family name. And yes, she also gets questioned a bit about still being a "Miss". Never had any problems apart from one incident with a Queen B**** at a Thai consulate who became quite upset about the matter.

[C-sip-degree]

Dunno about the law but I've been married for 18 years to a Thai, my wife has always continued to use her family name. I lived in Thailand for 10 years and never had a problem getting Non Imm 'O' visas at a number of different Thai embassies or 1 year extensions in country. My wife never had problems to get Visa for Europe at embassies in Thailand or outside. All what is ever required is a copy (sometimes a need to see the original) of the marriage certificate. We were married in South Africa though so certificate is in English (but not very impresive). I would think if you married in Thailand you would need to have a certified translation to show to officials outside Thailand. She was once challenged when she went to renew her ID card at the Amphur "How come you are still 'Miss' and over 30?" (I think they saw me sitting outside!) but she said she wasn't married and that was the end of that. In UK she uses the title Ms but her complete Thai name for bank accounts etc. Never had a problem.

I've been married a similar amount of time, starting back in the days when there was more legal discrimination against women married to Farangs than today. We were married in Thailand and after being asked for some tea money upon registering the marriage at the Amphoe, we simply avoided the next office where we were asked to go change her name. So her documentation in Thai is in her maiden name and and her US documenation in the US is is my family name. And yes, she also gets questioned a bit about still being a "Miss". Never had any problems apart from one incident with a Queen B**** at a Thai consulate who became quite upset about the matter.

Hello there.

Could you please explain how then a prefect stranger could connect the dots between you and your wife upon looking at her Id card.

I’m only trying to understand this, say she needs to show her Id for what every reason in Thailand this person looking at her Id card would think what?.

In my situation my wife’s Id card reads Mrs. XX with my surname.

Marriage certificates are the same, with my name translated into Thai.

No I cannot read Thai but working out a couple of names wasn’t that hard.

When it has come to buying land for all the other posts, I have never signed anything (apart from the cheque) as it’s not my land.

But they look at her family name in the (blue book) compare it too Id card and this causes a problem with her buying land first hand from the seller.

You can all tell me that I’m wrong and it works like this!! But this wouldn’t have helped me at the Amphur on these days.

In the end my wife owns more than one piece of land of which all is in her name now.

We live Roi-et Selaphum area each land title has been done this way over the last eight years, so even I can see that the local Amphur interpretation has not altered.

Cheer

C-sip

[Mahout Angrit]

Hello there.

Could you please explain how then a prefect stranger could connect the dots between you and your wife upon looking at her Id card.

I’m only trying to understand this, say she needs to show her Id for what every reason in Thailand this person looking at her Id card would think what?.

Cheer

C-sip

Yes Simple

If the wife wants to buy land she is single on all Thai ID and thats all she needs and prevents strange looks and backhanders. Anyone looking at her ID card would know she is Thai and single. The ID card is a personal ID not a proof of marriage

If the wife wants a Visa because she is married to her foreign husband she shows a copy of his passport, her passport and the marriage certificate (which has the single names of the couple married matching both passports)... perfect stranger can connect the dots!!!

If the husband wants a Thai visa because he is married to a Thai he shows the same documents....different perfect stranger at immigration can connect the dots!!!

Hope that helps

Cheers

[C-sip-degree]

Yes Simple

If the wife wants to buy land she is single on all Thai ID and thats all she needs and prevents strange looks and backhanders. Anyone looking at her ID card would know she is Thai and single. The ID card is a personal ID not a proof of marriage

If the wife wants a Visa because she is married to her foreign husband she shows a copy of his passport, her passport and the marriage certificate (which has the single names of the couple married matching both passports)... perfect stranger can connect the dots!!!

If the husband wants a Thai visa because he is married to a Thai he shows the same documents....different perfect stranger at immigration can connect the dots!!!

Hope that helps

Cheers

Thanks

I see, so this is all good information for everybody that’s reading, if its possible keep her Id card in her family name and just change her prefix, again if possible from your area.

We didn’t have an opportunity like this, as stated in the thread above since her Id card had to be changed when sign-in marriage registration, right or wrong at the time it wasn’t appropriate to argue about.

Then later down the line some land was for sale upon this day it hit home, answer again right or wrong she was not able to buy.

Corrective action was to buy land using the Mother In-law name (as she was still with us at this time) from the seller.

Months later, Mother can past land to daughter quite easily, but this fee has increased over the years. (NO tea money involved folks)

This is what I have experienced and how it’s been done in a round a bout way.

I can see why I'm alone it the corner on this one.

regards

C-sip