Benefits of changing to married name on Thai ID card?

[caller]

Now that I'm a married, albeit temporarily seperated man, I've been giving some thought to what the wife should do?

The original and current plan is for my wife to change her family name on her ID card to my, non-Thai one.

However, I'm just wondering what the pluses and minuses may be of leaving it as it is instead of changing it?

And whether these will vary dependant on whether you live in LOS or your home Couintry?

Or is this a non-question?

Thanks for any advice,

Caller

[PeteC]

It's a big question, depending upon where you will live and what your goals are concerning housing etc., if you decide to live here. You've seen the "property" posts of late I hope. I'm absolutely convinced that given the current climate in this country about many issues, let here keep her Thai last name on her Thai ID for now, IF you are coming here to live. If you're staying where you live now for the better part of the rest of your lives, it's not an issue, change it if it makes you both happy. Be flexible though, things change, you can change the name later easily here if that is what is best for you at any given time.

It's a difficult question Caller but, not a "non question". Confusing answer from me.....you're right. You need to think about your future plans, here or there? Pete

[Wanderlust]

By law, she is supposed to change it within (I think) 60 days of getting married. no ifs or buts. However the penalty for not doing so is a paltry fine, if it is ever discovered. For me, the fact that my soon-to-be ex-wife did not change her ID card has cost me about 80,000 baht, as she has refused to give me a divorce quoting wanting to retain her original name on the ID card as the reason, forcing me (despite being separated for over 3 years and having given her over a million baht as part of a divorce settlement) to go to court again to get a one sided divorce. My advice is - make her change it as the name means nothing legally - she is a Thai national one way or another, and it doesn't matter where you live. This would not be an issue if you were Thai, so why should it be because you are a farang? I assume you have paid some sort of dowry so you have every right to insist that she takes your name - end of story.

[caller]

I think Pete read my mind on this one!

But Wanderlusts post has provided info I guess I should have known, but didn't!

I was also considering the merits of a name change on the wifes passport and ID for UK spouse visa purposes. although I would like to think that is all covered in any case - will find out soon.

Although the longer term plan - not too far ahead - is to relocate to LOS!

Confused? I know I am!

[lomuamart]

My wife changed her name straight after getting married. I've just asked her whether she had to change it and she said no, it was just something she wanted to do. Not saying you're wrong Wanderlust as she could well be and I simply don't know.
I was happy with that decision as I felt it was better for future visa applications (for both of us) to have the ID card and now passport name the same as mine. The thought of property dosn't come in to our equation as it wasn't anything that I would have considered even before the current debates. As an aside, I thought either party could apply for a divorce if the parties had been seperated for a year. Show that and names mean nothing - again I've probably got it wrong, but after looking into it on behalf of someone else a while ago, that's the information I was given.

[lomuamart]

Thinking about the divorce thing again, I've just realised that the advice was given to a Thai lady who's husband had deserted her 4 years previously. So, quite conceivably a totally different situation from Wanderlust's.

[Wanderlust]

lomu,
Essentially the divorce situation is the same, except that my ex had already agreed to divorce and signed an agreement as I already stated. However when it came to actually going to the office to do the deed, the office would not do it because she still had her ID card in her original name. They told her that she had to go and change it to her married name first (which had to be done where her ID card was issued from, in this case, Surin- it has subsequently been changed to Kanchanaburi) and then come back and divorce, then go again to change it again! She refused to do this, and at the time I wasn't that bothered - we agreed that we would do it at a more convenient time. However, over 3 years later she had changed her mind and refuses to go and get divorced, hence I am now having to go to court in Kanchanaburi (4 trips for my Bangkok lawyer) which will eventually get me a one sided divorce. I think I could have found another cheaper lawyer but after my earlier experiences with a con man lawyer I would rather use this guy as he won my earlier court case. I hope that clarifies things a bit more.

[silverbird]

[quote="caller"]Now that I'm a married, albeit temporarily seperated man, I've been giving some thought to what the wife should do?

The original and current plan is for my wife to change her family name on her ID card to my, non-Thai one.

------------
After I married my thai wife I changed my name instead. To me it feels fine as I intend to live in LOS for the rest of my life. We have got a lot of good comments from our farang as well as thai friends.

[Wanderlust]

After I married my thai wife I changed my name instead. To me it feels fine as I intend to live in LOS for the rest of my life. We have got a lot of good comments from our farang as well as thai friends.

silverbird,
That is very liberated of you but did you marry in Thailand or your home country? Also unless you are Thai your name change would have to have been done in your own country. I don't know for sure, but at a guess I would think that in Thailand that may not be recognised legally, and your wife may still have to change her name to your original one by law. However that will probably never be an issue, except that her ID card will list her as 'Miss' and not 'Mrs' unless she specifically asks for that to be changed. It only has an effect if you split up, which I hope never happens to you.

[PeteC]

Talking about Thai ID cards. I saw one of the new ones with the magnetic data strip on the back last night. It also had the person's Thai name in English? She didn't know if this was optional but said "they just did it...". Anyone else know about this? Pete

[caller]

Can't answer Pete's question, but it turns out that my question was a "non-question" after all!

The wife proudly informed me - and surprised me - earlier today, that she has changed her ID card so that her family name is now the same as mine!

Isn't that lovely!

[silverbird]

After I married my thai wife I changed my name instead. To me it feels fine as I intend to live in LOS for the rest of my life. We have got a lot of good comments from our farang as well as thai friends.

silverbird,
That is very liberated of you but did you marry in Thailand or your home country? ....

Regret late comment Wanderlust. Yes, we married in Thailand and made a formal registration and Marriage Certificate was issued. This showed her old surname and mine as well. I then made a registration in my home country and enclosed the Marriage Certificate as well as I requested my surname should be changed. This can not be refused by them even if it is a strange name – but that vary of course from country to country. So the conclusion is likely to be that in Thailand of today the husband and his wife do not even have to have the same surname.

[Wanderlust]

silverbird,
No worries about late replies! The only thing that should be done then is that your wife's ID card needs to show that she is married (a legal requirement) although that will only ever be an issue if you were to ever break up because to get a divorce her ID card needs to show her as married (different to changing the name)! I very much doubt that banks or such like would be concerned about it, although maybe if you were to try and open a joint account? Someone else would be better qualified to answer that.

[silverbird]

silverbird,
No worries about late replies! The only thing that should be done then is that your wife's ID card needs to show that she is married (a legal requirement) although that will only ever be an issue if you were to ever break up because to get a divorce her ID card needs to show her as married (different to changing the name)! I very much doubt that banks or such like would be concerned about it, although maybe if you were to try and open a joint account? Someone else would be better qualified to answer that.

Wanderlust - Wy wife had to change her ID card after our marriage and it now states she is Mrs. I do not worry regarding a break up - but should it happen prenuptial agreement registred in both countries are likely to help regarding financial matters. I can also add that the change of my surname got me into a lot of paper exercise. Passport, visa, driver licence, registration of properties and so on had to be changed! But for a good thing that was ok.

[silverbird]

silverbird,
No worries about late replies! The only thing that should be done then is that your wife's ID card needs to show that she is married (a legal requirement) although that will only ever be an issue if you were to ever break up because to get a divorce her ID card needs to show her as married (different to changing the name)! I very much doubt that banks or such like would be concerned about it, although maybe if you were to try and open a joint account? Someone else would be better qualified to answer that.

Wanderlust - Wy wife had to change her ID card after our marriage and it now states she is Mrs. I do not worry regarding a break up - but should it happen prenuptial agreement registred in both countries are likely to help regarding financial matters. I can also add that the change of my surname got me into a lot of paper exercise. Passport, visa, driver licence, registration of properties and so on had to be changed! But for a good thing that was ok.