Bangkok: The Constitutional Court has scheduled a critical hearing for July 8 concerning the legality of a personal name law that mandates divorced women to revert to their original surnames. This law is being challenged as a violation of constitutional principles.
According to Thai News Agency, the Thanyaburi Provincial Court submitted a petition that counters an objection by Ms. Saengsri Chiyachan. She has contested the Personal Name Act B.E. 2505, Section 13, which dictates that a woman, upon divorce, must return to her maiden surname. Ms. Chiyachan argues that this requirement infringes on women's freedom and contradicts the principle of equality under Section 27 of the Constitution.
The Constitutional Court has deemed the case to be purely legal with sufficient evidence for a decision. Consequently, the investigation process has been concluded in line with the Organic Act on the Procedure of the Constitutional Court B.E. 2561, Section 58. The court has scheduled an oral statement, consultation, and voting session for July 8, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.