Hello,

 

My wife and I were married a few years ago in the US. She has dual US/Thai citizenship. Her American ID's have her new last name, but she's yet to change her Thai ID and Passport to her new last name. She's from Phuket and her tambien ban (ทะเบียนบ้าน) is based in (registered in?) Phuket. We're currently in Chiang Mai and were previously told at the Amphur office in CM that we must go to Phuket to change her name. The employee was very unhelpful and I'm not convinced this is accurate. This seems ridiculous we'd have to go to the other end of the country to change her name. Is there any way for us to avoid the trip to Phuket and just get her name changed here in Chiang Mai? 

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

-CTD

Sorry but if it's that important to change your wife's surname Phuket is the only place to do it.

Maybe there are Thai agency's that can do it,  try google.

She doesn't legally need to change her name,why not just leave it as is ?

Just now, johng said:

She doesn't legally need to change her name,why not just leave it as is ?

We're buying a house. We want it to be in her proper name. 

Look up Nok Air and Thai lion Air and I bet you can get four flights (CM to BKK, BKK to Phuket and back) for under 6,000 baht. ( I haven't actually checked)

But they are very reasonable and done and dusted in two days. You could even go with her and have a short holiday!!!

HL 

Reference my post above I just checked and Nok Air fly direct to Phuket, prices vary a bit but I looked up a couple of dates and it was 7,000 baht return.

not bad.

HL

7 hours ago, happylarry said:

Reference my post above I just checked and Nok Air fly direct to Phuket, prices vary a bit but I looked up a couple of dates and it was 7,000 baht return.

not bad.

HL

Alright, I agree that price is reasonable but it still stands that we'd prefer to avoid the trip there. There's worse places to have to go, I suppose. In any case, I find it absolutely crazy that this can't be done accomplished outside of Phuket. Thanks for your response. 

If you lived in Chiang Mai and had opened a bank account in Phuket and need your bank book replaced ypu would have to come all the way across the country to get it so does not seem surprising official business would require the same trip.  I could see it being a hassle if both cities had no airports but they do. Book a flight and a room with a view on Cape Panwa and let her go do her business and presumably visit her family since shes from Phuket while you sip cold beverages overlooking the blue waters Chalong Bay for a few days.  Or stop crying and stay home in the smokey pit of cheap skates you live in and just put her on the plane. Sheesh, marrying you was like moving into the Magic Castle at Disneyworld.

In a nutshell, No!

 

Thailand's provinces are like autonomous regions, each province has it's own administration process.

You can only do the name changes at the Amphur where she is registered.

 

Long term if Chiang Mai is to remain your permanent residence she should surrender her Tabien Baan to Phuket, and obtain a form to take to CM and register there instead. Unless she does this she will not get any of the free or subsidised services offered in CM while being registered in a different Province.

Banks, government hospitals, government offices, schools only offer free services to those registered in the same Province.

 

As you stand, if your wife needed urgent medical treatment, she would need to return to Phuket in order to get treatment under the Thai health scheme. Chiang Mai would charge for that treatment.

Similarly, if she had a bank a/c in Phuket but makes withdrawals in CM, she will incur an an 'out of province' withdrawal fee.

 

 

3 hours ago, csabo said:

If you lived in Chiang Mai and had opened a bank account in Phuket and need your bank book replaced ypu would have to come all the way across the country to get it so does not seem surprising official business would require the same trip.

Alternatively you can just transfer the a/c from Phuket to CM.

The CM bank can complete a transfer without the need to return to Phuket.

I have a similar question, sorry if this is not the right place to post. But I brought my Thai girlfriend to USA and we got married in USA. Now we want to get the name changed on her passport. I'm told we can to go to the Thai embassy in New York City to have it changed. Anyone know if this is true. Would be a slight problem to go  Thailand to do it as the name on passport would not match the name on plane ticket one half of the trip. 

  Thanks

1 hour ago, Tedly said:

I have a similar question, sorry if this is not the right place to post. But I brought my Thai girlfriend to USA and we got married in USA. Now we want to get the name changed on her passport. I'm told we can to go to the Thai embassy in New York City to have it changed. Anyone know if this is true. Would be a slight problem to go  Thailand to do it as the name on passport would not match the name on plane ticket one half of the trip. 

  Thanks

You can't change the name on a passport, only obtain a new Passport.

New York is a Consulate but may have a mobile unit to take her biometrics, otherwise contact the Embassy in DC for further information on obtaining a new passport due to marriage.

http://thaiembdc.org/thailand-e-passport-ไทย-english/

 

 

9 hours ago, dentonian said:

You can't change the name on a passport, only obtain a new Passport.

New York is a Consulate but may have a mobile unit to take her biometrics, otherwise contact the Embassy in DC for further information on obtaining a new passport due to marriage.

http://thaiembdc.org/thailand-e-passport-ไทย-english/

 

 

Thanks for the info