Thai name

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Thai names follow the Western order of a given name followed by a family name. This differs from the patterns of Cambodian, Vietnamese, and other East Asian cultures, which place the family name first.

Thai family names are a relatively recent introduction and required to be unique to a family; they are usually quite long as a result. Until the promulgation of the Surname Act of 1913 by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), inhabitants of Siam did not have surnames, identifying themselves instead by their parents' given names or the place they resided.^[1]

While given names are used in formal settings and for recordkeeping, most Thais are also given a nickname at birth that is used in daily life. This nickname takes precedence over the given name in most other social situations, including school or the workplace.