The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

Sir Burr

When you get married officially, ie. register at the Umpur with all the documents, does the wife take the surname of the husband as done in the West?
In Thailand is this voluntary, or, mandatory?
If she does take the husbands name, can the wife get a new ID card with her new surname on it, or, does she always have to have her Thai family name?

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Phuket - Veni Vidi Veni

chinthee

It's not obligatory to take the husband's name. However, if they do take your name, their passport is not changed, just a notation is made of the name change. ID cards, however, are changed with the western surname.

Some Thai women don't like having a western surname because they believe it hinders them and labels them in dealings in Thailand. However, it makes it easier traveling if she has your surname, and issuing credit cards, etc..

Sir Burr

Thanks a lot chinthee.

chinthee

My advice is that if you're going to be traveling a lot internationally, or perhaps living in the west for some periods do the name change. If you're staying in Thailand, she's better off with her Thai name.

Sir Burr

Staying in Thailand, though it'll be her choice.

blackgang

my wife changed heres the time we registered and had her new ID card made, she has had no problems with my name on her IDs.

chinthee

Yes, have her talk to friends who've married Farangs. There are lots of subtle prejudices & jumping to false conclusions by some Thais in government agencies, banks, whatever, and this is whether she's Thai Thai, Isaan, or Thai-Chinese.

tamadah

If she has a farang name on her Thai ID and she is pursuing a land purchase, she may be asked to get you to sign a letter stating that the wherewithal and money to do so is entirely hers and as well as you agreeing to waive all claim to said land ownership regardless of what may happen in the future. The Thai government expects you to sign your name to this even if it is a bald faced lie.

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Stick with me doll and you'll wear diamonds.

Sir Burr

No worries. Firstly, I don't plan on buying any more land in LOS.
Secondly, if I did, I would do the same as I have done with my land and house; take out a 30 year lease.

Texpat

I believe Chin's on the money with his advice.

My wife was an orphaned pup from the start. She "borrowed" a neighbor's name as a newborn because her Thai father fucked-off and left Lao mother with a baby in Thailand. She would have been persona non grata if not for the generous neighbor. She was happy to have her own name and family book when we registered our house here.

DrAndy

my wife changed hers on her passport, so had to change her ID to match

no problems, besides queueing a lot to do it

I think if she does opt to change it, then her ID must change and her passport will also be issued in her new name. If she already has an old passport, then that will not be changed unless you ask for it to be, until renewal

If she is married, whatever name, then you have to sign that it is only her money involved if buying land

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keep 'em coming

blackgang

Only bad things that happen to my wife is she is asked by broads in banks and damn near everywhere she goes is if she knows any other farang that would like to marry a Thai..

chinthee

That's one of the things I was referring to. It's incessant. As soon as they find out she's married to a Farang, the questioning starts, from all angles. Either they want to meet a farang, or their sister wants to, or they're thinking she's got money and a good person to know, blah bah.

blackgang

She does have money, but above all else,, she has me,,, lucky girl.

chinthee

BG, I'm sorry to say, but it's time to take that beer bottle our of your naval. It's causing delusions of grandeur.

Bluecat

So did my wife. As well as on the passport.

blackgang

Whadda ya mean "Your Naval" Don't ya see the fine tits on that broad??

chitown

I almost started a new thread abut this.....

I want to ask if anyone knows about what I just heard last night. A friend of mine told me that when a Thai woman marries a farang and takes his last name. she can't own property in Thailand, she can't use the 30 baht insurance scheme (which we do not want anyhow), and also loses other rights as a Thai citizen. He even said that his wife had to sell some property she owned before they met when she took his name.

I told him sone of it was true, and he kept insisting that it was.

Any input from you guys??

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It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Texpat

I think I might have misunderstood the OP.

Are you inquiring about a

quick-marriage question
or a
quick marriage-question?

kingwilly

used to be true, but its changed now is my understanding!