After you got married did your wife change her name to yours?

[ubonr1971]

It obviously happens a lot in the West. If you married in Thailand, did your wife change her surname to yours?

 

My wife is a medical professional. If we were to open a clinic and she had my surname on the window do you think it would be bad for business in Thailand? If they don't see a full Thai name perhaps they might not use our clinic? If you have any experience with this can you please give your opinion.

 

thanks

[jaymbkk]

My wife kept her name and added mine. It's pretty common nowadays to have both. Kids have only mine tho.

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[cliveshep]

My wife changed her name legally and also on her I.D card and Tabien Baan. Then we were able to register the marriage properly, and later I got my own pink ID card and Yellow book.

 

[wildewillie89]

Depends on how useful the name is, My wife's old man and his brother are high army (now Mayor)/police, so even though she wanted to ditch her family name, I told her to have both (and made our daughter have both). It continues to be very useful for us in day to day life. If living back home she would have just gone with mine. But living here is a bit different. However, I would say Thai people would feel more comfortable recommending another Thai name rather than your name (in terms of business). 

[Boatman37210]

Did not change.  Assumption was made, right or wrong, that documents would need to be changed.  i.e. drivers license, passport, housing papers, others?  It was not that important to either of use.  Married 5 years.

[Kwasaki]

My wife changed to mine but it's still written in Thai not been a problem.

[ubonjoe]

My wife had no choice when we registered our marriage since it was before 2002 when they changed the law that said she had to take my family name.

Never been a problem for her. She has bought land and done many other things. She was even the village head for 5 years.

[jeab1980]

Yes she changed her surname to mine. Her choice. She still writes her name in Thai. So it is a full thai name? As yours would if she opened a clinic there would be no stigma. 

[brewsterbudgen]

No. My wife has kept her own last name. No reason to change, as far as I can see. Seems rather old fashioned to do so.

[happylarry]

One good reason to change names is when you book into a hotel as a couple but using different names, many women would lose face by doing this I would have thought.

Also it must help when applying for visas to different countries.

Personally we couldn't see the point of not doing so, it's not as if it's a big hassle changing a few id's.

HL

[al007]

My wife changed to mine nearly ten yrs ago when we were married

 

She is very proud to have my name and so far can see no reason not to, many advantages, on cruise ships for instance at least they think she is my daughter, not my bit on the side !!

[cyberfarang]

Many married women, even in western countries will officially change to their married names and still use their maiden names for business or professional purposes. Some will use their married names and add their maiden names as a middle name combining both. Even on facebook many married women still use their maiden names on their profiles, so that family members and old friends can find them on there plus they don`t completely lose their identities.

 

When married women still unofficially use their maiden names in certain circumstances is quite normal and providing a wife hasn`t change her facebook status to single, then the husband has nothing to worry about.

[Bob12345]

My wife changed her last name to mine, but took her old last name as middle name.

So now she can either use her first name + last name (my last name) or first name + middle name (which is what she was born with).

 

As far as I know this is pretty normal in Thailand for the wife to do.

 

Btw, my wife is a medical professional also and her doctor's coat gives her full first name with the first letter of her maiden name. 

In hospital documentation she is always referred to with her (new) last name.

 

Not sure if it will effect your wife's business, the patients visiting my wife have little choice who to pick (private hospital, not clinic competing with other clinics and hospitals).

[Denim]

17 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

No. My wife has kept her own last name. No reason to change, as far as I can see. Seems rather old fashioned to do so.

 

Same here. No benefit in changing and could cause future hassles. Made no difference in me getting a yellow house book either.

[klauskunkel]

17 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

No. My wife has kept her own last name. No reason to change, as far as I can see. Seems rather old fashioned to do so.

 

21 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

Same here. No benefit in changing and could cause future hassles. Made no difference in me getting a yellow house book either.

ditto

[dotpoom]

I don't know a lot about these things...

it just struck me ...can't a person open a businesd in whatever name they choose.....like Joe Blogges's for example....if they are not copywriting a different company's name?

[Gandtee]

No. Se retained her own name. This overcomes problems in business dealings.

[OmarZaid]

My wife (retired teacher) on her own initiative, changed her name immediately on registering our marriage some ten years ago. She said it was Thai custom for a lady to take her husband's name. All her documents had to be changed, including bank books, bank cards, license, Thai ID and passport.  Makes it much easier also if we travel abroad and at border crossings. Aids legitimate acceptance of the relationship all the way round.

Cheers!

[1FinickyOne]

There is a well respected doctor in Chiang Mai with an English surname... it probably just makes it easier for her customers to pronounce and surely has not cost her any business... if anything it puts an exclamation point on the fact that she speaks English perfectly too. 

[Just1Voice]

Been married almost 9 years, and no problems with wife not taking my name.  But when I adopted her son, at the age of 30, he immediately had his last name changed to mine, to "honor my father".  He's one hell of a good young man (now 34), and I couldn't ask for a better son.  Also have a 21 year old niece who flatly tells everyone that I am her father, and is proud of it.  She's got 2 years to go to finish her degree and become a lawyer.  I think I'm fairly lucky.  

[smotherb]

15 hours ago, happylarry said:

One good reason to change names is when you book into a hotel as a couple but using different names, many women would lose face by doing this I would have thought.

Also it must help when applying for visas to different countries.

Personally we couldn't see the point of not doing so, it's not as if it's a big hassle changing a few id's.

HL

Can't see losing face to a room clerk because you check-in with your husband and have different names. My wife checked into a hotel using her credit card a day before I arrived. We spent two days together and when my wife checked-out there was a charge for having a girl in the room. I just stood back and smiled as my wife 'splained it to the room clerk and got a significant discount for the misunderstanding.

[NoshowJones]

No, what difference does it make?

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

 

Same here. No benefit in changing and could cause future hassles. Made no difference in me getting a yellow house book either.

Same here.

[smotherb]

33 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

There is a well respected doctor in Chiang Mai with an English surname... it probably just makes it easier for her customers to pronounce and surely has not cost her any business... if anything it puts an exclamation point on the fact that she speaks English perfectly too. 

My doctor is a Yale graduate; he proudly displays his diploma and Yale banner and he thinks it gets him business with the Thais as well as the farangs, and his name is Chinese.

[Stevemercer]

I think it would be better for your wife to use her Thai name if she is establishing a new business outside of Bangkok or the main tourist areas. Thais feel more comfortable with other Thais and some potential customers might be put off if they think the clinic is somehow foreign.

 

I've seen it with a restaurant with a farang name. The Thais aren't sure what to make of it and tended to stay away. Change the name to a Thai name and no such problems.

 

Of course I am talking about provincial Thailand, I guess it is different in Bangkok. I guess your wife can call the business (and herself) anything she wants so her formal name might not matter.

[jeab1980]

1 minute ago, Stevemercer said:

I think it would be better for your wife to use her Thai name if she is establishing a new business outside of Bangkok or the main tourist areas. Thais feel more comfortable with other Thais and some potential customers might be put off if they think the clinic is somehow foreign.

 

I've seen it with a restaurant with a farang name. The Thais aren't sure what to make of it and tended to stay away. Change the name to a Thai name and no such problems.

 

Of course I am talking about provincial Thailand, I guess it is different in Bangkok. I guess your wife can call the business (and herself) anything she wants so her formal name might not matter.

Completley disagree. She can spell her name in Thai foriegn or thai surname. Provincial Thailand is if anything a lot more laid back.

[happylarry]

20 minutes ago, smotherb said:

Can't see losing face to a room clerk because you check-in with your husband and have different names. My wife checked into a hotel using her credit card a day before I arrived. We spent two days together and when my wife checked-out there was a charge for having a girl in the room. I just stood back and smiled as my wife 'splained it to the room clerk and got a significant discount for the misunderstanding.

Well I guess it depends on the wife's background as to whether or not she would be embarrassed about sharing a room with a man who was not obviously her husband. My wife certainly would be and I guess yours was as well because she "splained it to the room clerk".  Anyway you have given a good reason for adopting the husbands name to save confusion and embarrassment.....lol

[smotherb]

1 minute ago, happylarry said:

Well I guess it depends on the wife's background as to whether or not she would be embarrassed about sharing a room with a man who was not obviously her husband. My wife certainly would be and I guess yours was as well because she "splained it to the room clerk".  Anyway you have given a good reason for adopting the husbands name to save confusion and embarrassment.....lol

My wife has taken my surname and it was on her credit card. However, I do not see the embarrassment no matter what the room clerk thinks.

[Kwasaki]

13 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

No, what difference does it make?

It wasn't a case of  " up to you "  it was was up to my Mrs. 

 

Many on here say no problem but maybe just a error of mis-understanding from an local gov official,  a funny thing happen to us, we were buying land from my wife's sister, my wife put the papers in for change of land name, she was refused because falang can't own land. 

[Rc2702]

My son bares the Mrs surname and when we marry I will take hers.