poppysdad

Finally getting some good progress. Despite the Australian embassy website saying that all enquiries re death, birth and marriage certificates has to be done through the relevant Australian states government website, I got an email from Bangkok embassy saying that Bangkok can issue us with a certified copy of her death certificate and for that we now have an appointment for end of the month, that’s the earliest available slot. I assume then that we can get that translated into Thai and the MFA will happily apply their stamp to it. I’ve ordered her to go nowhere near a laminating machine now or ever again. Now just need to arrange to get her married name returned to her maiden name. Will they give us any more hurdles to clamber over.

Howerde, that is what we are trying to do, the Bangkok embassy state you have to contact the Australian state where he died, all I get from (WA) is to apply online and then after 2 pages we get to proving identity and all the options are all for Aussies and no other option which then says contact us to which they reply with the online one again.

I’m beginning to regret ever thinking about marrying my Thai lady. Firstly because she laminated her Aussie husbands death certificate the MFA don’t want to know, Australian embassy don’t appear to want to know although I’ve managed to get an appointment for her at the end of the month, I’ve sent emails to Western Australian gov but only get a standard reply of applying online which if you are not Australian you come to a dead stop after a couple of pages and say contact us to go around in a complete circle. We went to our local Tessaban who then threw another spanner in the works by stating that to get remarried she has to revert to her maiden name in the province where she was born. Wondering if this was just a local requirement she just telephoned her home province who confirm it is a national requirement so that means a 7 hour drive to do that and then my Thai lady is now wondering how that name change will/might affect all her other legal documents for her land, her house, her farm, her shop etc etc which are all in her current name. It simply seems a never ending saga, starting to get her down and she’s not sleeping, costs of travelling, copying, phone calls etc going up, getting stressful to me as well now. Is it all worth it. I don’t really know. Surely getting married must be far simpler than this and probably is for most people. The ironic thing is that all the legal requirements for me are done and dusted and all very easy. She being a Thai it seems a great many hurdles to overcome in her own country.

Upnotover, yes we have got that far, the problem lies in proving identity in all 3 options. They want 3 different proofs from the 3 options but all are based on being Australian or living in Australia and I see no workaround. In fact the site states if you can’t provide all these proofs you must contact them. I’ve sent them an email.

Due to my Thai lady having laminated her Aussie husband’s death certificate the MFA won’t put the required stamp in its translation. So onto the Australian government website and it seems that if your Australian and indeed living there it’s an easy process to get a replacement and can be done online. But, I cannot find even one word about if your are not Australian and don’t live in Australia on how to get a replacement. So, any Australians or others who have had the same problem here in Thailand can offer any help. I’m reluctant to try removing the laminate as 3 copy shops tell us that we’ll also remove some of the print if I try but I can see what looks like fine air bubbles in some places so still considering. For what it’s worth our local Tessaban has no problems with laminated documents but still requires the MFA stamp on the translation.

Thanks everyone, translation agency has posted it back to us today so maybe Monday can start the operation. Pacov146, you have me completely and utterly lost.

Yes, you read correct and it’s no April fools joke. Having lived in Hua Hin for 15 years the most I ever needed was the form and in the past 2 years not even that as I either did it online or at Bluport with just my passport. 90 days ago I did my first 90 days in my new province and filled in the form just in case they needed it and was shocked when they sent my lady out to get all my passport pages copied. Today was due again, could have tried online but as I knew immi had recently moved to a new place I decided on a personal visit. To be on the safe side this time I copied all my stamped pages plus tm 28 plus arrivals card plus the recent 90 day slip - 11 pages including the form. The new office is very nice, I was seen immediately and handed over the lot. The officer flicked through the lot without comparing with my passport and then with a look of complete satisfaction on his face simply stapled the whole lot together and printed out my new report and wished me a nice day. He was friendly and I almost asked him where they stored all this paperwork but just smiled at him and said much paperwork today which brought another smile to his face.

Not an April fools joke. After getting all my affirmation etc done in Bangkok earlier this week and documents handed over for translation and MFA approval it appears that because my Thai lady laminated her husband’s Aussie death certificate it is no longer a valid document. I’ve done a Google search and with some care it can be removed, so has anyone successfully done this and was it easy or otherwise. As it stands the document is useless and will need to be replaced so even if gets damaged in the removal process it will still have to be replaced. I think we call it “Hobsons Choice”.

Reminds me of something that was said to me a few decades ago. Out with some workmates at a conference one asked me how many kids we had. I replied that unfortunately we couldn’t have any. He replied that I was probably not doing it properly. I tipped my beer over his head.

Many thanks to you both for all your help and advice. If we’re getting mine done then getting hers done at the same time shouldn’t be an issue. lol and fingers crossed.

A possible sudden issue just hit me, I visit the uk embassy in the morning for my affirmation certificate and then translation etc. My wife to be is Thai but she was married to an Australian who died in Australia. She has his death certificate which is in English which we intend to get translated into Thai along with mine tomorrow. But does she also need the MFA stamp as I do. A quick answer would be most helpful and many thanks for doing so.

Many thanks ubonjoe. Always there when we need you.

Thanks for all your advice guys, it does seem that using an agent will be the best way forward. I just tried to book an appointment at the MFA and the first vacancy is 2 weeks after my British embassy visit which if I calculate travel costs and a possible overnight to come back to do it would probably be around the same cost as an agent and would be quicker. I’ve never used an agent before for anything so is there any scams I need to be aware of or are they all reasonably trustworthy, is 3000 baht the going rate and do I just accept the first one to approach me and where will I find an agent in the first place. Thanks again.

Finally got my confirmation of Affirmation for marriage appointment at the British embassy after a few frustrating phone calls and emails but the staff were always very helpful and friendly. So when I walk out next week with my document, I assume the next step is translating to Thai and again assume there will be any amount of companies supplying the service in the close vicinity. And then it’s off to the MFA I presume. Do I need to make an appointment or is it a walk in and wait service. Living a 5 hours drive away I obviously want to get it all done in one journey if I can and if that means a couple of nights in Bangkok then so be it. I’m also aware there will be the usual few stupid comments on how stupid I am and how easy it all is and yes when I’ve done it all once, it will be easy for any next times so thanks for any help and advice you can offer to me.

Just curious, but has anyone ever cancelled a Wise transfer after seeing that the rate has significantly increased in their favour after making a transfer. They then cancel that transfer ( obviously before the money is on its way to you) and immediately make a new one at the improved rate. Did it all go smoothly?

I’m sure most of us at least once have been totally bewildered or gobsmacked by something your Thai lady has said or done or believed. My latest was yesterday evening. Whenever we go shopping we usually buy grape (why do Thai people never use the s), if she chooses it’s always green or if I choose it’s red or black and I always simply thought it’s just personal choice until last night. She came home from her business and noticed I’d been eating the black grapes and asked if I had washed them thoroughly before eating, she’s very conscientious about washing all fruits veggies etc before eating but then said to me why do you always choose the black ones, to which I replied I think they’re sweeter and generally considered to be more healthier. No no she says, black grape are green grape, they spray them to change colour. No I says honey, there are 100’s of different grape varieties around the world. She started to get angry and asked me why I always want to fight with her when she knows. I work on grape farm in Australia many years ago she says and I see them spray baby green grape which then turn black when they get older. I was about to try and convince her but decided to let her have her day again. I sure many others have equally amusing experiences.

A few weeks ago I attended a funeral in another province, there were many people all sitting around on a small covered area. A couple of days later I started to feel the symptoms of a cold coming followed by 3 days of what seems to be a very bad cold, throat always ticklish etc with all the usual poor feeling’s, then I improved very quickly and after 7 days was as if nothing had been wrong. No one else around me suffered from anything nor did I hear of any colds doing the rounds so did I have a mild covid attack or was it simply a bad cold?

Thanks brainthainess, and I hope your “you can’t cure stupid” isn’t aimed at me. yes I am aware of what’s needed and my first port of call will be the embassy with my long since departed wife’s death certificate for affirmation, then it needs to be translated into Thai at some ministry in Bangkok (or can it be done at any registered translation office?). Then I’ll hand over all other arrangements to my prospective better half to organise and turn up wherever and whenever needed. If you can also offer some other useful info I’m all ears.

Thanks Old Croc and Ubonjoe.

Having had 800,000 tied up for 15 years, expensive and useless medical insurance that doesn’t cover me for what I suffer from and to make my lovely lady happier than she’s ever been I plan to get married and change to marriage extension for some of the reasons stated. I live here on retirement extension renewal by end of May, do I have to leave the country to make the change? The money is in the bank and has been for 15 years so no problem there. Do I apply on the standard TM7 form. What extra paperwork do I need over the retirement extension. And any other useful titbits of info and I do realise that there are generally more hoops to jump through.

I ordered some medicines from a clinic where I used to live and we decided on Kerry as the delivery company. I was told to expect delivery by Saturday or Sunday so not a specific day. I don’t know about you but I’m out and about for some part of most days even if only popping out to the shops for half and hour. Anyway, come Wednesday my package has still not arrived so on contacting the clinic they checked and told me that Kerry say they have tried to deliver 3 times. So why on earth can they not telephone me to say they are attempting delivery, if not that why can they not put a simple note in your post box to say they have tried to deliver so you can contact them to arrange acceptance of the package, a simple preprinted note is all that is needed. My Thai lady is understandingly unhappy about me going in to tell them so. To finish, the clinic resent the parcel via the postal service complete with a tracking number which is in the local post office now and my lady is on her to to collect it. I think I’ll use the post office rather than Kerry in future.

It is what is, what a pointless comment, I am merely commenting on why sending identical documents back to the UK, the price is around 3 times the cost of them being sent here.

A couple of weeks ago I received from the UK some documents to sign, cost according to stamp on envelope was a little over £10, approx 450 Thai baht and took just 6 days from day of posting to my house here. I signed the documents and returned them but it cost 1050 baht for exactly the same documents, almost 2.5 times the price. Today I received another document to sign, this time the cost from the uk was £7.50 or approximately 330 baht and again received in 6 days. I returned the signed documents a short while ago and once again it was 1050 from here so over 3 times the cost of receiving. I have no complaints as being legal documents speedy and safe receipt and delivery is most important but why such a difference in the costs. And yes I also think that 6 days on each occasion is excellent.

The province is Chaiyaphum

I’ve been with Santander for years and use online banking here on my iPhone and I do receive OTP passwords sometimes but not always as mine is set up for Face ID which works flawlessly.