MangoKorat

It is and it did. Bangkok Amphur managers will be very happy about these changes. So will their bank manager.

I'm not sure which forum to post this in but no doubt the moderators will move it if necessary. There have been some additional changes to the prodedure for a foreigner to register a marriage to a Thai national recently. Many years ago, you could do the whole procedure in one day - including the Affirmation of Marital Status if you timed it right. It was hard going but do-able - I did it. Over the years things have tightened up - notably a few years back when some nice Indian gentlemen started providing fake MFA documents and affirmations. An Amphur manager was fired for accepting fake documents which resulted in some Amphurs simply refusing to conduct foreign marriage registrations for a while as their managers stated that they had no way of knowing which documents were real and which were fake. That settled down but it resulted in most Amphurs requiring appointments as only the manager can handle foreign marriages. Then the MFA 'streamlined' and 'digitised' their part of the service resulting in an average wait time of between 2 and 5 working days and also requiring an appointment booking online. I recently helped a friend through the procedure and discovered some further changes on the last hurdle - the Amphur. He had his Affirmation booked and attended that collecting both his marital status document and passport certification as we left. I then took him to a translation service that I knew and recommended he let them take care of the MFA legalisation. At that point I learned about the MFA changes - its been a while since I went through the procedure. To me, 'streamlining' and 'digitising' usually makes a procedure faster and easier - not at the MFA it seems. Anyway it was 5 days until the translation agency sent his documents back and last week I got a frantic phone call from him to say that he and his intended had booked an appointment at the Amphur, arrived for it only to be told that their documents had to be checked and they would have to come back later - 1 to 2 months later! My mate was only here for 16 days. A phone call to a lawyer friend who said she was aware of these recent changes, resulted in the couple being sent to a different Amphur in the same district who agreed to do the 'checks' in 1 week. They said they normally take 2 to 3 weeks. An important point impacted by these changes is that the Affirmation of Marital Status document must contain the month in which the marriage registration will take place. Bear that in mind - you need to find out how long the Amphur you choose will take to 'check' your documents. Quite what they are checking when its all stamped by the MFA, I know not. If they want to check the authenticity of the MFA legalisation then surely a phone call would sort that out? Unless you book a faster service (see down), if you arrive on say the 15th of the month and are staying for 2 weeks, you are unlikely to complete your marriage process. People intending to get married should note that you have to state which province you will register your marriage in when you do the Affirmation/Passport Certification and it will be stated on the document. So, if at the last minute, you discover that your chosen Amphur is going to take too long, don't think you can zoom back down to Bangkok and get things done. Unless you've already stated Bangkok, you can't. The registration can be carried out at any Amphur in the province stated but not in a different province. Quite a lot of foreign men marry a Thai national but don't live in Thailand full time - I used to visit for 2 weeks at a time when I was married. If you do the same, you're going to have a hard time getting everything done in 2 weeks. The full procedure is: Book and attend your Embassy for an Affirmation of Marital Status and Passport Certification. Book your MFA appointment to coincide with your completed translations (prior to arriving in country - there may be a wait). Take the above documents to a translation agency - normally ready the same day if you early enough. Take the translations to the MFA for legalisation - I recommend letting the translation agency do that (for a fee). Visit your chosen Amphur for the first step in the marriage regsitration process. Second visit - they will tell you when and you're done. As stated earlier, you also may need to book your appointment at the Amphur so once you have an idea of how long your translations etc. are going to take - get your intended to book that too. You also need to have 2 witnesses with you at the Amphur (they are supposed to have known you for 2 years) and a translator if you don't speak Thai. A witness can also be the translator. As with everything Thai - check with each agency/organisation to find out exactly what documents they require to carry out each process - they can differ. There may be some light at the end of the tunnel though - I spoke to the translation agency and they told me they can get the MFA legalisation done in 2 days and the marriage registration in 1 day but only in Bangkok. That comes at a cost and I can't say if its reliable or not. I won't name the agency as I think than most Bangkok translation agencies will be able to offer the same but if anyone has problems - PM me and I'll put you in touch. No doubt some smart Alec will come along and say that the above is a load of rubbish, they just got married in 1 day at their Amphur. This is what just happened to my mate last week and my lawyer confirmed that she was aware of these recent changes. Fot those that don't know - an Amphur is a district registry/administration office. The registration process for a marriage is just that, there is no ceremony. As a foreigner, the manager will explain what your comittments are and check that you are not under any form of duress. Its a cold and clinical process that many Thai's do in their work clothes. Thai's place far more importance on the ceremonial wedding but that has no legal status. More and more Thai's are choosing to skip the ceremony (due to cost) and simply register their marriage. Just don't expect the registration process to be anything like it is in your home country. However, the (still) normal process for Thai's is ceremony then registration later. Thai wedding ceremonies can last 3 days but 1 is the norm.

Thanks for the advice. The business start up has been delayed a little but as luck would have it, one of the future staff members is an IT professional with SEO experience.

Total free speech is dangerous. Look around you at what happens because of the 'free speech' that Social Media provides. All the lunatics in the world now have a platform from which to spread hatred, lies and fantasy. It would be nice to allow total free speech but sadly some people believe things they read online without checking them. Some people are easily influenced.

Not quite true. You need to check the rules at the Land Office where you intend to buy the land. Many will only allow a maximum of 39% foreign shareholding if the company owns or buys land. However, there are ways in which you can control the company even if you are a monority shareholder. I am told, but you need to check this out with a good Thai lawyer, that you can initially set up the company with Thai only shareholding, buy the land and then take over 49% of the shareholding - clearly there are trust issues there. Whatever, it is perfectly legal for your (properly structured) Thai Ltd Company to own land but don't even dream about having nominee directors. Basically there is one clause in the Thai land law that states that it is illegal to use any method to circumvent the Thai land laws by creating a situation where a foreigner or a company with a foreign majority shareholding owns land. Providing you stick to that and the company actually trades and has a reason to own land, you should be fine. There are many here and on barstools all over the country that will tell you they own their house/land and have done for many years, they set up a company to do so and they 'pay a little tax every year' so everything works fine for them. It might well, but if for any reason they are investigated (and its happening more and more at the moment) and are found not to comply with the land laws, they are very likely to lose out big time. It has happened!

A million a month? What planet are you from?

Maybe you are unaware but governments have always made laws. The exception being 'case law' which arises from a judicial ruling and is regarded as law but open to challenge in a higher court.

Total free speech cannot be allowed - the reasons why are pretty obvious.

Maybe because you're an existing customer, I don't know but their website now says the maximum age for insuring motorcyles is 65. I e-mailed them about that - maybe 3 months ago. Still waiting for a reply.

Oh dear, they are likely to lose their navy - again!!! Reagan sunk it, does Trump have the bottle?

It never is when you know how. There just aren't hoards of birds targetting you there.

My comments weren't aimed at you personally, only that things seem to have changed since you called it dull. Not everybody wants the Pattaya lifestyle, Nan is real Thailand. If I didn't already have a house in Pak Chong, I would seriously consider living in Nan - its one of the most beautiful areas in the country and the biking roads suit me personally. The city is well kept and the night market is very popular. There seems to be plenty going on in Nan.

I have no idea what things were like in 2018 when the above quote was written but its not quite true now. Granted, its Thai style (thank the lord) but I guess it depends on who you are and how much work you're prepared to put into it. There's a smallish but vibrant bar/nightclub/restaurant area along Pha Sing - for location use the Hop Inn Hotel. If you want company then you're going to have to work at it, don't expect young lovelies in Nan to fall over themselves to 'pull' a fat middle aged foreigner like they do in Pattaya/Bangkok. Nan is a place where old foreigners learn they are not really a 'hansum man'. I was there last night and had a good time - I'm told there are a few other places but I don't have time to check them out this trip - back next month.

Sorry, I don't understand your reasoning at all. In every country I know, the left wing fight for the poor - or at least claim to. 'Millions of people flooding onto a country increases the size of government, drives wages down, drives housing costs up, reduces the quality and availability of social services, overburdens public schools which forces up the cost of education, while at the same time reduces the quality of education.' Why would the left wing love that?

Eh? I don't deny that the rich benefit from illegal immigration but why would a socialist leaning person love the poor being hurt. Does left wing in the US mean the opposite of what is does everywhere else?