Questions about Thai surnames

[TurquoiseLover]

Hi.
I would like to know if it is true that if a Thai person shares the same surname, they are 100% related to each other as it is rare for thai people to have the same surname without having any relations. Well, is it true?

[Susana]

That is what I have been told. I think there can always be exceptions, however.

[TurquoiseLover]

Thanks for being the first person to reply. I still want to know more, for example ex-PMs Seni Pramoj and Kukrit Pramoj share the same surname. Actors such as Panomkorn Tungtatsawat and Supakij Tungtatsawat are also having the same surname, plus actors Phuri Hiranpruk and Krit Hiranpruk.

[5tash]

From Wikipedia;

Last names only became legally required of Thais in 1913:(1) before then, most Thais used only a first or individual name. The names generally convey positive attributes. Under Thai law, only one family can use any given surname: thus any two people of the same surname must be related, and it is very rare for two people to share the same full name.

As a measure of the diversity of Thai names, in a sample of 45,665 names, 81% of family names were unique, and 35% of given names were unique: the people with shared family names are thus related, and the diversity of given names is conventional.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_name

[TurquoiseLover]

thanks for the info, 5tash.

[5tash]

Thanks for being the first person to reply. I still want to know more, for example ex-PMs Seni Pramoj and Kukrit Pramoj share the same surname. Actors such as Panomkorn Tungtatsawat and Supakij Tungtatsawat are also having the same surname, plus actors Phuri Hiranpruk and Krit Hiranpruk.

Both Seni Pramoj and Kukrit Pramoj are descendants of King Rama II. I don't know about the actors.

[travelbum]

Great info 5tash, thanks for sharing that, I had the same question.

[Zea]

Thanks for being the first person to reply. I still want to know more, for example ex-PMs Seni Pramoj and Kukrit Pramoj share the same surname. Actors such as Panomkorn Tungtatsawat and Supakij Tungtatsawat are also having the same surname, plus actors Phuri Hiranpruk and Krit Hiranpruk.

Seni Pramoj is an older brother of Kukrit Pramoj.
Panomkorn Tungtatsawat is a younger brother of Supakij Tungtatsawat.
Phuri Hiranpruk and Krit Hiranpruk, I have no idea about them but they may be the cousins.

If you wanna change your surname, the officer will check for surely that is a unique surname and then you can get it. If not, you must be allowed by the person who is the owner. The wife can use automatically the husband's surname, if she wants. The same surname means they are related to each other by lineage, or by law such as sister-in-law.

[TurquoiseLover]

Owh..now I get it..
Thanks a lot everybody!

[nigel]

My gf's aunt and cousin have just changed their surname. They decided that the one they had was not lucky enough and chose another one.
In a country where respecting parents is very important it seems crazy that changing surnames is such a trivial matter.