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Does Thai Wife Need To Change Surname For Me To Get "O" Visa?

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Hi all

 

Apologies if the answer is somewhere on this website, but i could not find it.I am a UK national, and i have a Thai wife & son. I have lived in Thailand previously, but not now for 6 years.

 

We are planning to go back to Thailand to live next year, and i will be applying for a multiple entry non-immigrant "o" visa. My wife kept her maiden name after we got married many years ago. Does she need to change her surname to mine in able for me to get this visa? I seem to remember reading somewhere 2 or 3 years back that this was one of the requirements? That you could not just show the marriage certificate, but the wife's surname had to be the same as the person applying?

 

I have looked on the Thai Embassy website in London, and it does not say anything about this? It just says a "copy of marriage certificate" as one of the requirements. Thanks in advance.

No your wife does not have to change her surname.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place

 

If you are 50 or over, get your O and than a retirement extension based on that. Much easier as long as you meet the financial requirements.

  • Author

Okay thanks just wanted to make sure.

No because your wife's maiden name (current) is the name on the marriage certificate and should be the name on the Tabien Baan and her ID.

Embassies, consulates and immigration do not require that your wife has changed her name to yours. They cannot do that since it would be against the law.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Embassies, consulates and immigration do not require that your wife has changed her name to yours. They cannot do that since it would be against the law.

My wife had to legally change her name at her registered amphur (hometown) within 3 months(?) ie new ID card, updated house book, change of name certificate etc - or is my memory playing tricks on me in middle age?  

Seem to remember a recent thread saying London does not give out multiple entry non o visas anymore. Was that confirmed or just a false alarm ?

4 minutes ago, elliottm said:

My wife had to legally change her name at her registered amphur (hometown) within 3 months(?) ie new ID card, updated house book, change of name certificate etc - or is my memory playing tricks on me in middle age?  

My wife had to change her name when we got married but that was before the law was changed in 2002 to comply with the 1997 constitution.

Just now, Denim said:

Seem to remember a recent thread saying London does not give out multiple entry non o visas anymore. Was that confirmed or just a false alarm ?

Incorrect info is what it is. Only the honorary consulates in the UK are prohibited from issuing multiple entry visas. It is not only in  the UK that has been done. It is almost worldwide according to earlier topics.

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Incorrect info is what it is. Only the honorary consulates in the UK are prohibited from issuing multiple entry visas. It is not only in  the UK that has been done. It is almost worldwide according to earlier topics.

Ok.....thanks for the update. Hope Savan is one of the exceptions or it will be bad news for a lot of people. There were about a hundred people queing outside in the sun last time I went.

7 minutes ago, Denim said:

Ok.....thanks for the update. Hope Savan is one of the exceptions or it will be bad news for a lot of people. There were about a hundred people queing outside in the sun last time I went.

Savannakhet is a official Thai consulate so it is not effected by the new rules.

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Savannakhet is a official Thai consulate so it is not effected by the new rules.

That is good news......thanks.

2 hours ago, elliottm said:

My wife had to legally change her name at her registered amphur (hometown) within 3 months(?) ie new ID card, updated house book, change of name certificate etc - or is my memory playing tricks on me in middle age?  

How long ago did you marry?? If your wife opted to change her last name to yours at Amphoe when you got married then yes she has to do all the ID/house book/passport ect ect ect at her home town Amphoe within a certain time scale. as Joe stated before 2002 I belive it was mandatory. 

21 hours ago, Shot said:

If you are 50 or over, get your O and than a retirement extension based on that. Much easier as long as you meet the financial requirements.

Immigration will love you for it too, they hate marriage visa's [ extensions].

How and why as to the rules i have no clue, but indeed my wife had to change her name when we got married for the law. Also no sure if this was for the non o visa i have. But she did have to change to my surname......

2 hours ago, BuriramDevelopers said:

How and why as to the rules i have no clue, but indeed my wife had to change her name when we got married for the law. Also no sure if this was for the non o visa i have. But she did have to change to my surname......

Did you get married before 2002?

After that year they could not force her to change her name.

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Did you get married before 2002?

After that year they could not force her to change her name.

No married in 2011..But yeah i've always doubted her understanding of this situation myself, but did not find it nescessary to figure out.  I do know the lady there pushed her to change name, but what exactly has been said??    Kinda liked her having my name so i see no problem. They said it was something like transparancy in dealings in Thailand with the Farang husbands money....

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