Getting Married Process & Tips

[tonymontana32]

Hi Everyone. 

 

I'm looking at getting married to my gf of 7 years.

 

Just looking for someone to give me a rundown of the actual process (in Covid times) and any tips on cheap translation services etc.

 

I'm British and live in Samut Prakan if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance. 

[nobodysfriend]

It is actually a very fast and easy procedure if you just marry at the local amphur . Just find out what papers you need to bring  ( not a lot ) .

Don't forget to bring your future wife , too ...

Just a few signatures and it is done ... u r officially married ...

Divorce is more difficult many times ...

Love is a beautiful thing , but mostly it fades with the time ...

Try to avoid the ' thai style village marriage ceremonies ' if possible ... it does not bring any advantage to u , but a lot of costs ...

I married my wife without that ' sin sod ' paying etc , just the local government office ... in the 25 yrs we are married now , I did regret this a few times , but we are still married .

[jayceenik]

First thing is to get a Non Impeachment to Marriage affidavit from your British Consulate. That involves an "interview" in person with you and your TGF by an official at the Consulate. Check with your Consulate to get a date and what documents to bring. There might be problems with this Corona chaos.

Then you'll have to get that document and your passport officially translated in Thai.

Then you''ll go to the Amphoe with the translated document and go through the process there.

Your TGF will be "interviewed" there. You not as the document you got from the Consulate translated in Thai serves as "interview".

They just called me at one point to decline my full name.

 

I'm Belgian. I applied for the document on 02OCT19 at my Consulate in BKK. 

My TGF arranged for translations and then it was a simple thing to go to the local Amphoe.

We got married on 23APR20

Edited October 26, 2020 by jayceenik

[brianthainess]

I don't remember having to get my PP translated.  We married at the local Amphur office and i think it was free, you will need to take 2 Thai witnesses and one must speak english (not your GF) and explain the forms/marriage to you. That was our local Amphur rules.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Try to avoid the ' thai style village marriage ceremonies ' if possible ... it does not bring any advantage to u , but a lot of costs ...

Actually it avoids a lot of costs when the marriage goes plunk. No legal costs if walking away.

If one is getting a pension from home, it will probably be reduced when married. If one does not tell pension people you have a long term relationship will get single ( higher ) rate pension.

 

The only cost to my knowledge is gifts for the monks and the feast for the villagers.

[thaibeachlovers]

22 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I don't remember having to get my PP translated.  We married at the local Amphur office and i think it was free, you will need to take 2 Thai witnesses and one must speak english (not your GF) and explain the forms/marriage to you. That was our local Amphur rules.

Every amphur is different. The staff were my witnesses.

It's not free. Costs about 20 baht or something like that.

[fak119]

On 10/7/2020 at 2:52 PM, tonymontana32 said:

Hi Everyone. 

 

I'm looking at getting married to my gf of 7 years.

 

Just looking for someone to give me a rundown of the actual process (in Covid times) and any tips on cheap translation services etc.

 

I'm British and live in Samut Prakan if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance. 

First Tip: Don’t

Second Tip: Don’t buy anything in your wife’s name.

[ThaiFelix]

RUN

[paahlman]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I don't remember having to get my PP translated.  We married at the local Amphur office and i think it was free, you will need to take 2 Thai witnesses and one must speak english (not your GF) and explain the forms/marriage to you. That was our local Amphur rules.

My experience too.. Proof of not married from home country.. No interview.., Can not remember any translations.. Passport and wife and id, Probably housebook for her and certificate of residency for the foreigner I guess..Proof of non marriage is not required from her as her ID will show it unless changed name. Arrival card from passport and two witnesses is also necessarry.

 

 

[StevieAus]

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Actually it avoids a lot of costs when the marriage goes plunk. No legal costs if walking away.

If one is getting a pension from home, it will probably be reduced when married. If one does not tell pension people you have a long term relationship will get single ( higher ) rate pension.

 

The only cost to my knowledge is gifts for the monks and the feast for the villagers.

Interesting point about the pension, a couple of Australian friends advised the Australian Government they were married and their retirement pensions promptly reduced.

[Upnotover]

Suggest you read here.  https://www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad/y/thailand/opposite_sex

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, paahlman said:

My experience too.. Proof of not married from home country.. No interview.., Can not remember any translations.. Passport and wife and id, Probably housebook for her and certificate of residency for the foreigner I guess..Proof of non marriage is not required from her as her ID will show it unless changed name. Arrival card from passport and two witnesses is also necessarry.

 

 

Don't have to be living in LOS to marry a Thai- at least when I got married, as I wasn't living there then.

I definitely had to get translations.

Witnesses not necessary for me as staff did that.

Arrival card not necessary for me.

Edited October 26, 2020 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

11 hours ago, StevieAus said:

Interesting point about the pension, a couple of Australian friends advised the Australian Government they were married and their retirement pensions promptly reduced.

Not advisable to not notify home pension people as they will find out anyway.

[ChakaKhan]

Some would argue here in this case is better to lease than own.....im speaking of cars of course -new family ????

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I tried to get married in Samut Prakan a few weeks ago. Was told we had to book an appt about a week out so that the big boss could show up. They recommended we go to Bangna. Went there, and was told the same thing. Then I heard Bang Rak was the easiest, as many like to go there for the lucky name. Three times in a row, got the same story. I'd always heard this was a one day thing.

 

So, yesterday we did it at her hometown amphur here in Issan. They took three hours just looking at the documents. Then they told us it'd take about a week, again for the big bosses to show up. Haha, what is going on? Wife thinks they want money. I really don't have much to give. I've already been helping the family a lot.

 

Wife told them we gotta be back in BKK by the end of the week, so the officer said he'd do what he can. Granted, he was rather soft spoken, polite, and gentle with our documents, the polar opposite of immigration.

 

Documents were an affidavit saying I'm single from my embassy, and a certified copy of my passport from my embassy, both translated and stamped by the MFA. They asked to make sure we had the certified passport. Wife provided copies of house book, ID card, and divorce paper. Mom and dad came with us, provided copies of their ID cards and signatures. Now keeping fingers crossed. If not done this week, it'll have to be when we come back for the Christmas break. I'm but a lowly English teacher in Amazing Thailand.

 

I've been making payments on a motorbike in the wife's name, less than 3000 baht a month. I've been quoted around this same amount several times from farang coworkers wanting to rent their extra, used bikes. Why give money to them and end up with nothing, when the wife could end up owning a brand new bike, I figure. She was able to get finance with her ID card and house book. I didn't have an extra 60k in cash laying around.

Edited October 27, 2020 by CrunchWrapSupreme

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Update: The amphur called us back this afternoon, said to come in after lunch. Ended up waiting another 3 hours. The big boss finally showed up and went to his office. Turns out the reason they say "up to a week", is because two other couples showed up to be married today. The big boss doesn't want to waste his time coming in for just one. Signed the papers with mom and dad, paid just 20 baht, and now we are married. ????

[StevieAus]

On 10/27/2020 at 3:51 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Not advisable to not notify home pension people as they will find out anyway.

Not that it affects me, as I don’t receive a government pension and while I believe in the institution of marriage, if one is concerned about a reduced pension probably better to have a “Thai marriage”

You can still protect your “wife’s“ interests by way of civil agreements, will etc.