flyingsaucersarereal

Hi there,

So I got married about 5 years ago but am now since divorced.

I remember going to a marriage registration agency (lawyer agency) and everything was DONE same day.

Now since I am wanting to get remarried to a new lady I am reading about the process and I am being told it will take 5 business days!!!

What has changed why did it go from taking 1 day to taking now 5 business days? Also I have been quoted 15000 baht all the way up to 25000 for some of these marriage registration services.

Are these worth it guys or can I do all this stuff myself after I get the documents from the Embassy?

Are there any good agencies you would recommend that don't cost so much?

I am looking to do everything in Bangkok but live in Isaan.

Thanks

A mailman on a motorcycle just delivered it about 20 mins ago! So I mailed it in on Feb 4th the Embassy got it on the 6th and I received it at my house in Isaan on the 22nd.

Yeah Thailand Elite is advising that I have to go to Chaengwattana to transfer the visa from the old passport into the new one. I probably could get a new one in the airport if I left the country and came back but I would rather not have to do that. So I think I will fly from Udon to Bangkok get the visa inserted and fly back. But would have been nice not to have to make a trip down to Bangkok. 

So I want to share my experience here in case anyone else is in this situation. 

I currently live in Isaan and I mailed in my U.S. Passport in for renewal.

What I have been told from Thailand Elite is when I get the passport back I have to go to my local immigration and get the entry stamp transferred to the new passport.

But I will have to make a appointment with Thailand Elite to get the Visa transferred into my new passport. That appointment takes 5-7 days to schedule and it can only be done at Chaengwattana in Bangkok. 

I am a little bit frustrated I have to go to Bangkok and this can not be done at the local immigration but obviously replacing a passport doesn't happen often.

Would this situation be the same if I had a marriage extension or a retirement extension???? Could everything be done at the local immigration but just not the Elite visa????

So I got a email on Thursday morning that the US Embassy will be mailing my passport to me on the next working day by Thailand post. How do I get the tracking number? I never received one from the Embassy since I mailed in my passport for renewal.

YO the Chinese have the Coronavirus why would you want them coming in on visa exempt entry????? Come on!!!

Hi there so it is that time again to renew my passport.  I read the online instructions and decided to mail in my passport for renewal on February 4th. 

On February 6th I checked DHL tracking and the embassy got the passport and signed for it. 

I live in Udon Thani wondering when I can expect to receive it back?

I was reading online from some people stating I should receive a email when they mail the passport back. 

Anyway going to give it a few more days then might call the Embassy to check. How long did it take to receive your passport back guys???

6 minutes ago, regularguy said:

I went to the US embassy last week to get the freedom to marry affidavit. I was divorced in the US and brought my Divorce Decree with me. I checked the box “Divorced” and submitted the affidavit. They did not ask to see my divorce decree and was able to get my affidavit. The embassy affidavit does not ask what country you were divorced in. Where you might need your divorce decree is at the local Amphur. I had mine translated to Thai and they looked at it but they said I didn’t need it. So, just bring it with you to the Amphur in case they want it.

I have my Thai divorce decree in Thai language but wondering if that is enough or that divorce paper has to be translated into english for the embassy if they need to look at it? But as you say they didn't even need to look at it.

1 minute ago, pagallim said:

I understand your logic, however you're a US citizen, and as a non-Thai wishing to marry in Thailand, you still require the affidavit of freedom to marry from your embassy. 

I understand I need the affidavit the question is because the marriage was in Thailand and you don't register the marriage in America at the Embassy (that would be done in the state if you move back to America) how would they know if I was married or not? I am just going to give them the divorce paper but I am wondering if they need copies or they just look at the paper. A affidavit is just saying what you are telling them is the truth but they have no way to verify it.

I have nothing against showing the Embassy my Thai divorce paper but not sure if it is necessary since the marriage was in Thailand and really has nothing to do with America. 

Hi there I have some basic questions about getting remarried in Thailand.

1. I understand I need a Affidavit of freedom to marry at the US Embassy (since I am American.)  Does the US Embassy need to see my Thai divorce paper if my ex wife has never been to America? Would I have to give them a copy of that?

2. Is there anything more involved in getting remarried that I have to show to the Thai offices besides the original divorce paper to get remarried in Thailand. 

Thanks

As a Farang and a Thailand Elite visa holder I feel so very welcome when I hear comments like this.  Maybe you should include people wearing face masks in your Thailand Elite visa promotional video. Welcome to Thailand Elite where you can enjoy all the privileges of a Elite visa member while wearing your mandatory face mask. Forget the gold outfits and the wai greeting in the airport!

28 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Don't think backbone has much to do with it, a laugh and a joke 2 or 300 bht saying that's all you have and your on your way.

If you are like me and have a Thai drivers license current vehicle registration and you have not been drinking or done anything wrong then paying a bribe is just encouraging the cycle of police corruption.

They prey on the fact that most people are scared of the police and just choose to pay. It's your life you can do what you want I just think it encourages them to continue this practice. This situation is not always black and white you obviously don't want to be hauled off in handcuffs for doing nothing but I would try to hold your ground and not just hand over money.

I have lived here a long time about 10 years. I thought I would be a lifer but I feel like Thailand has been moving in the wrong direction with a lot of things. I will be leaving soon with the soon to be wife. There are better places and better opportunities for me elsewhere. 

6 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

They look after their own, also many people don't mind the odd 200-400 bht instead of police station visits making it a record.

Obviously this is Thailand and you have calculate if something is worth making a big deal about or not. But the fact that people just give in and pay compounds this problem. If people had some backbone these situations might be reduced. 

2 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

You are absolutely right but they are not interested in reducing crime and corruption. That is what feeds the monster.

 

They merely want to give the appearance that they are doing something about it, which is as usual, all hot air and zero action.

 

Whatever new regulations or laws get introduced into this country, it is just a smokescreen for further corruption by the police.

 

They sit at Immigration offices refusing to do their job regarding retirement extensions or whatever until they have received a sweetener. These roadside tests are done with cheap, unreliable, inaccurate equipment. They stop you for speeding without a speed gun only their naked eye, they fine you for TM30s when it is the responsibility of the Thai landlords, it is all scam, scam and more scam.

I have lived here for about 10 years and I think I am done with Thailand. Sad because I really used to like this place but it just feels like it is going in the wrong direction. Taking the soon to be wife with me.

What I think would be funny is have your own breathalyzer in the car. You can buy them online so when they test you with their rigged tester say my tester says I am good!  

31 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I'd be telling them I want a blood test, which is far more accurate than any breathalyzer. I don't know if any Thai police station has that capability.

Or asking for another unit to be used, although they may have rigged all of them.

Bear in mind other organics than alcohol will give a false positive, such as sucking on a menthol lolly or a Fisherman's Friend.

No joke I had a fisherman friend about 3 hours before.  But that is a long time. 

55 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Strange the cop didn't try a different wand

Its got to be a scam because when the GF and me started giving them a lot of lip they were like oh you can go. Thing is I hardly ever drink at all it has been months since I have even had a beer. Then being accused of driving drunk. Whatever TIT!

28 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

The OP wasn't breathalyzed in the context we are accustomed to in our home countries. The cop working the traffic stops has the wand type alcohol detector which should not turn red as he described so I reckon it's a duff wand before I would call a scam. Especially since they didn't persist and rolled over on the stop.

 

Even if the OP had some alcohol on his breath, that wand detector is only an indication of alcohol presence and not how much and he would have been asked to park up and do the full blow on the calibrated, desk top tester that is typically operated by a more senior officer. If that is below the magic number, you're on your way. If it's over, it's time to check if you have your ATM card with you or, failing that, phone a friend.

 

If there wasn't a road-side secondary testing table set up nearby, then it may well have been some of the more dodgy cops on the take with a flaky tester. Only the OP can tell if this traffic stop was at a regular traffic stop location or a one-off, out of the way stop.

There was just the wand they never pulled out a tester that would give a number. I blew into the wand it came back red then they said pull the car to the side. I told them I came from big C I have groceries in the back and have not had anything to drink. They pulled out the wand again said try again it came back as red. Then my girlfriend started to get on them that I have not had anything to drink. He then said fine and said you can go. As far as I could see there was no table setup to do further check. But there was a long line of cars and numerous people in front of me were also being flagged to the side of the road and questioned like me.

What a waste of time focus on this Coronavirus!!!!