Ms. Khakkingrak Khikkhiksaranang

[parrot]

I've asked a variety of expats I know the question, "Did you personally know anyone back in your home country who changed their name? (other than the result of marriage/divorce)".......and I always get the same answer, "No."
Here, on the other hand, it appears to be common practice to change one's name. The woman who lives next door to us did it......her daughter has done it twice. A few years ago, I recognized someone we met in the late 90's.....greeted her by name.....she promptly asked me to not call her that again as she had changed her name to ward off bad spirits. I called her by her new name....and then asked how her business was doing......terrible, she said (apparently, the new name didn't have the desired effect.) My neighbor and her daughter, likewise, have not struck it rich (actually, they're both quite miserable.....maybe time for another new name).

Makes me wonder if Thai obituary columns (if there is such a thing) report the previous names of the deceased. Seems they'd have to......if you were best childhood friends with Jim Smith, and he subsequently changed his name to Tony Wankle, you wouldn't know Jim Smith had died unless the obit reported both names.

Well, I know one thing for certain.....changing names is one of those 220v things that Thais do and as I'm wired for 110v, I'm sure to never understand.

http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newson ... RVd01BPT0=

[Shado]

My wife was the youngest of 9 children and was quite small when born. Her father called her นิด Nid (Nit). She never had another name as a child. As she grew older and had to register to get her ID card she required a proper name. So, she went to the appropriate government office and named herself. She picked a name she liked and has used that name for all official documents ever since.

[Laan Yaa Mo]

My eldest daughter was given the nickname of Noy Naa (น้อย หน่า)when she was born. However her registered birth name is Chiraprapha Pamela. Nowadays she only thinks of herself as Noy Naa, and that is the only name used by her family and friends. At work in Toronto, she is Pamela.

[Bandung_Dero]

There are certain situations where one has no choice! To get TW's daughter a passport we had to change her birth name to TW's maiden name. A long winded process requiring legal representation, court orders, TEA MONEY and strong family co-operation.

[trubrit]

I've asked a variety of expats I know the question, "Did you personally know anyone back in your home country who changed their name? (other than the result of marriage/divorce)".......and I always get the same answer, "No."

http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newson ... RVd01BPT0=

I am not sure if you are referring to Christian name , as we call it, or surname. However in the UK it is quite legal and fairly frequent to change one's surname. Just go to any solicitors office.It's called a "Deed Poll" Needs a witness and is then used for all purposes, including passport and other government records. The Christian name however can not be changed from the one on the birth certificate, but is often altered by simply using a nickname in practise.
In Thailand however the situation is reversed.The surname can be changed but only to one having a legitimate connection.ie; marriage , adoption or mothers rather than fathers. You cannot pluck one out of the air as you can in the UK.On the other hand the first or as we call it, christian name, can be changed at will, my two step kids have both done so, as has my wife, her family name changing back to her maiden name after the death of her husband. Also it is worth noting, upon marriage, she doesn't have to take her new husbands surname, which is the same in Uk as well.

[merchant seaman]

Some years ago if a Thai woman married a foreigner she lost her right to own land. To side step this they would not take their husbands family name. Of course this law has changed and they don't lose their right to own land.

[rct]

I have an American friend born with the surname Schmidt, and he looks like a Schmidt. He married a nice woman in Japan, and in order to keep her family name going as there were no male heirs, he agreed to change his family name to hers, so now he and their children go by the family name "Nakagawa." That's love!

[FrazeeDK]

when "marrying" Thais women do not always change their family name.. I have a nephew who is 52. He had never gone to the Amphur to get officially married to his wife of well over 20 years.. When they finally did, she kept her own family name.. Then of course, Thais, at least northeastern Thais don't seem to care much about the varying levels of "marriage." When just living together, the couple is "married" in the eyes of the neighbors, after undergoing a temple wedding which has no binding legally, they're "married"... Some "married" couples as my nephew did don't legally tie the knot at the Amphur for decades....

[trubrit]

when "marrying" Thais women do not always change their family name.. I have a nephew who is 52. He had never gone to the Amphur to get officially married to his wife of well over 20 years.. When they finally did, she kept her own family name.. Then of course, Thais, at least northeastern Thais don't seem to care much about the varying levels of "marriage." When just living together, the couple is "married" in the eyes of the neighbors, after undergoing a temple wedding which has no binding legally, they're "married"... Some "married" couples as my nephew did don't legally tie the knot at the Amphur for decades....

Whilst that not be a problem for the Thai's there is a possible BIG problem for us Farang.Putting aside the likes of widows benefits etc which is an individual thing with each couple, up to them as they say, the problem raises it's ugly head upon the death of the Farang in a non registered marriage .The "wife" is not regarded as next of kin and is therefore unable to administer the estate. This includes arranging for the removal of the body from hospital and authorising it's disposal, funeral, cremation whatever .It is then up to the Embassy to contact a relative back home to get the necessary instructions . This as you may realise can be a time consuming, and possibly expensive operation during a period of emotional distress for those left behind in both countries.Something to consider.

[Bandung_Dero]

....The "wife" is not regarded as next of kin and is therefore unable to administer the estate. This includes arranging for the removal of the body from hospital and authorising it's disposal, funeral, cremation whatever .It is then up to the Embassy to contact a relative back home to get the necessary instructions . This as you may realise can be a time consuming, and possibly expensive operation during a period of emotional distress for those left behind in both countries.Something to consider.

Very easy to write up a Thai will, linked/x referenced to the will you have home land, with instructions regarding disposal of your body, Thai assets etc. You nominate an executor here to carry out your wishes, does not have to be your TW/TGF but can be whether legally married or not.

[trubrit]

....The "wife" is not regarded as next of kin and is therefore unable to administer the estate. This includes arranging for the removal of the body from hospital and authorising it's disposal, funeral, cremation whatever .It is then up to the Embassy to contact a relative back home to get the necessary instructions . This as you may realise can be a time consuming, and possibly expensive operation during a period of emotional distress for those left behind in both countries.Something to consider.

Very easy to write up a Thai will, linked/x referenced to the will you have home land, with instructions regarding disposal of your body, Thai assets etc. You nominate an executor here to carry out your wishes, does not have to be your TW/TGF but can be whether legally married or not.

My post above has nothing to do with a will or executor. It is simply that the hospital will not release the body to anybody but a next of kin, or written permission from them, to anybody else.Until they get that, it stays in the mortuary accumulating expensive storage charges.After release the deceased's own instructions can then be implemented.

[Bandung_Dero]

Getting OFF Topic - Sorry

Well, having been involved in a number of Farang cremations here in Ban Dung (as JackSpratt will acknowledge) all I can say is what you may think and what happens are 2 different things!

The hospital here will release the body to anyone who wants to take it, sooner the better with the body placed in a refrigerated coffin and off to the WAT or home to lay in state before the ink has dried on the death certificate. The usual 3 day party, as per Thai tradition commences, during which time my duties were to contact the Embassy, Relatives etc.

AND legally an Executor of a Will has more authority than Next of Kin. Also, how does anyone prove to a hospital clerk that he/she is Next of Kin. Being legally married to TW does not necessarily make her NoK.

[BigBubba]

I knew one person. A salesman who worked for me in the car business in San Diego. He was adopted into the Smith family as an infant and named Jay. Quite a normal sounding name, Jay Smith. In his early 20's he changed it to Alex Sovereign. He was a very intelligent and interesting young man. He used to always complain about the work schedules I'd make up. One day I told him to come up with a schedule he liked, get the approval from a majority of the other sales people first, and bring it to me. He did, and we used it for the duration of my time there. I've searched for him many times on FB, using both names, but no luck.

[parrot]

Thank you, Bubba. I'd be willing to bet that the reason Jay changed his name had nothing to do with ridding his life of bad juju....which seems (to me) to be the primary purpose of Thais changing their name.
Our neighbor.....name changed.....same bad luck as always. She doesn't win the lottery any more frequently and........she fell down two steps a few days ago and broke her arm.
Might be time for another name change.

[Frankie 1]

However in the UK it is quite legal and fairly frequent to change one's surname.

Even the royal family changed their name, their original name sounded too German. The Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family suddenly became the Windsor family.

[parrot]

Along the same lines as a name-change-for-a-change-in-fortune-purposes......my Thai teacher, who works for True, says the number one reason people come into the shop for new phone numbers is NOT because they have a new phone......instead, it's all about changing the trajectory of their juju.