Marriage to a Thai

[datcook]

Can any one tell me if a "village" wedding can be registered as an amphoe wedding and a wedding certificate issued

[FritsSikkink]

No, you have to wed at an amphoe and give a list of documents.

[Esso49]

A "village" wedding is nothing but a traditional thing, thow in a Monk for added mumbo jumbo and it remains exactly that a meaningless (in the legal sense ) tradition.  You go to the Amphur not to register a village wedding but to actually become married, registered as such in the legal sense. For that  as a foreigner you will need an affirmation of marriage from your embassy, translated into Thai, to state you are free to marry. Divorce certs if applicable plus 2 witnesses. Naturally your passport. Its cheap to but prices are rising 'cos the 1st time for me it was only 20 baht and same for the divorce several years later but the last time married it was a ridiculous 100 baht. As a word of advice get divorced at the same Amphur to avoid additional unnecessary paperwork. 

 

Don't forget to take the future wife ????

[ubonjoe]

The village marriage cannot be registered.

You will need to have a affirmation of permit to marry from your embassy. Then it has to be translated to Thai and the translation certified by the Department of Consular affairs. Then you and your wife can register your marriage at an Amphoe. 

[elviajero]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The village marriage cannot be registered.

You will need to have a affirmation of permit to marry from your embassy. Then it has to be translated to Thai and the translation certified by the Department of Consular affairs. Then you and your wife can register your marriage at an Amphoe. 

Slightly misleading IMO. The documents you list are required to get married at the Amphoe; then it is that marriage that is registered. 

[ubonjoe]

27 minutes ago, elviajero said:

The documents you list are required to get married at the Amphoe; then it is that marriage that is registered. 

You don't get married at an Amphoe. There is no ceremony and such.

The only thing done at an Amphoe is the registration of a marriage.

[Esso49]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You don't get married at an Amphoe. There is no ceremony and such.

The only thing done at an Amphoe is the registration of the marriage.

Disagree. You receive the registration of marriage in the form of a "Certificate of Marriage".  This confirms that the marriage has been registered. The second page of the certificate states that witnessed by the registra the married couple have agreed to be husband and wife. Therefore by association a marriage must have taken place. Of course you don't need a ceremony to get married. Same as the UK system .

 

When asked for place and proof of marriage for all Thai institutions  the date and place of marriage is deemed to be that as stated on the Certificate of Marriage, for here in Thailand and for both the UK and US legal jurisdictions.

 

[elviajero]

14 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You don't get married at an Amphoe. There is no ceremony and such.

The only thing done at an Amphoe is the registration of a marriage.

Not sure how you can register something that hasn't happened?

[Esso49]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

No, you have to wed at an amphoe and give a list of documents.

and if you are from the US here is the US guidelines for 

https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/getting-married-in-thailand/

And if from the UK guidelines from a TV sponsor

https://www.siam-legal.com/Thailand_Service/thailand-marriage-uk.php

[ubonjoe]

54 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Not sure how you can register something that hasn't happened?

You state you want to register your marriage which is equal to being married. Just a small matter of wording.

[JackThompson]

I recall one report where a foreigner and his Thai wife arranged for the amphoe personnel to come to his "village wedding" and do the document-signing business there. 

 

But, it is certainly correct that the "wedding ceremony" has no legal-weight by itself, and combining the two is rare. 

 

It is important to consider that the ceremony may have great importance for the wife, family-members, etc - who may value it more than the legal part.

[richard_smith237]

With all your documents prepared it is possible to arrange for the Amphur official to register your marriage at your Wedding Ceremony... You could choose to have this as an additional part of your ceremony should you so wish. 

 

Of course, you would have to pay them to come out to you. 

 

It could be simplified as: 

The Wedding Ceremony is the 'moral' part of the Wedding (commonly in the morning in Thailand)

The Wedding Reception is the 'fun' part of the Wedding (commonly an evening ceremony at a hotel etc)

Registering your Marriage is the 'legal' part of the Wedding (commonly carried out at the Amphur).

[FritsSikkink]

13 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You don't get married at an Amphoe. There is no ceremony and such.

The only thing done at an Amphoe is the registration of a marriage.

You DO get married while signing the certificate after listening to a speech of the civil servant, in the Amphoe I was, we got a couple of pictures too. 

[FritsSikkink]

14 hours ago, elviajero said:

Not sure how you can register something that hasn't happened?

The only thing I can think of now, is that what the church wants you to believe.

[GreasyFingers]

On 10/6/2018 at 3:01 PM, ubonjoe said:

The village marriage cannot be registered.

You will need to have a affirmation of permit to marry from your embassy. Then it has to be translated to Thai and the translation certified by the Department of Consular affairs. Then you and your wife can register your marriage at an Amphoe. 

A bit late coming to this topic but we are running into problems with the local Amphoe. I know what I am required to do with documents at Consular Affairs but the Amphoe is telling the gf that she has to get her documents legalized in Bangkok as well.

Never heard of this before but they are a lazy bunch at the local where farangs are concerned.

If you can help?

[colinneil]

On 11/17/2018 at 8:46 PM, GreasyFingers said:

A bit late coming to this topic but we are running into problems with the local Amphoe. I know what I am required to do with documents at Consular Affairs but the Amphoe is telling the gf that she has to get her documents legalized in Bangkok as well.

Never heard of this before but they are a lazy bunch at the local where farangs are concerned.

If you can help?

Easy answer to your problem, you say Amphur staff being difficult, go to another Amphur, you can get married in any Amphur.

Local Amphur here said ohh what we do when farang gets married to a Thai lady, so we left and went to Khonkaen, easy job done 15 minutes.

[BritManToo]

On 11/17/2018 at 8:46 PM, GreasyFingers said:

A bit late coming to this topic but we are running into problems with the local Amphoe. I know what I am required to do with documents at Consular Affairs but the Amphoe is telling the gf that she has to get her documents legalized in Bangkok as well.

 

It's their way of telling you they don't want to do it.

Goto another Amphur office.

[GreasyFingers]

51 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Easy answer to your problem, you say Amphur staff being difficult, go to another Amphur, you can get married in any Amphur.

Local Amphur here said ohh what we do when farang gets married to a Thai lady, so we left and went to Khonkaen, easy job done 15 minutes.

 

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

 

It's their way of telling you they don't want to do it.

Goto another Amphur office.

Thanks guys. Did not know you could go any amphur. Next on the list will be the yellow Tabien Baan. They have said impossible if not married, will probably be impossible after marriage as well.