Is marriage in our local amphur legal and recognised by immigration and banks etc.

[notrub]

We are planning to get married fairly soon.  My divorce documents will be authenticated by the Canadian Embassy on Monday (I hope!)  If we marry at the offices of our local amphur (Ban Mai Chaiyaphot) is  that totally official and legal?  A friend just told me that we must got to BKK to marry officially.  Is that true?  Thanks very much.

[473geo]

I married at the local Amphur in Isaan, first foreigner to do so - it's legal you get a certificate, means they get to know you too, always a plus

Edited November 21, 2020 by 473geo

[Tyler Visan]

5 minutes ago, 473geo said:

I married at the local Amphur in Isaan, first foreigner to do so - it's legal you get a certificate, means they get to know you too, always a plus

Do you mean the girl you marry gets to know you, or the folk in the Amphur?    LOL

[Peterw42]

You can get married all over Thailand (legal and oficial), there is no requirement to go to Bangkok. 

You may find an Ampher that doesn't do foreigner marriages  and will send you elsewhere, possibly suggesting Bangkok, but it can just as easy be the ampher next  town over.

Amphers dont actually say no to foreign weddings, just come up with a stupid requirements that is impossible to meet, in other words, go elsewhere.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Peterw42

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, notrub said:

We are planning to get married fairly soon.  My divorce documents will be authenticated by the Canadian Embassy on Monday (I hope!)  If we marry at the offices of our local amphur (Ban Mai Chaiyaphot) is  that totally official and legal?  A friend just told me that we must got to BKK to marry officially.  Is that true?  Thanks very much.

 

‘A friend’...  is making things up and giving advice without knowledge. 

 

Short answer - it's a legal marriage when notarised at any Amphur office in Thailand. 

 

 

Marriage at an Amphur Office in Thailand includes provision of a Marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3), and with entry of the Marriage details into the Data base system (this document is Kor Ror 2 - I’m not sure what the database is called). 

 

Marriage at an Amphur office is an official legal marriage and is recognised as a legal marriage by all business and government entities in Thailand. If your home country also recognises marriage in foreign countries this marriage will also be legal / recognised in your home country. i.e. Canada, UK etc...  (but not if you are a South Korean which doesn’t recognise overseas marriages). 

 

That said. I’m guessing that IF for whatever reasons a specific Amphur is not connected to the ‘amphur network - intranet’ or whatever its called, there may be some additional difficult / hurdles (or not). 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

 

‘A friend’...  is making things up and giving advice without knowledge. 

 

Short answer - it's a legal marriage when notarised at any Amphur office in Thailand. 

 

 

Marriage at an Amphur Office in Thailand includes provision of a Marriage certificate (Kor Ror 3), and with entry of the Marriage details into the Data base system (this document is Kor Ror 2 - I’m not sure what the database is called). 

 

Marriage at an Amphur office is an official legal marriage and is recognised as a legal marriage by all business and government entities in Thailand. If your home country also recognises marriage in foreign countries this marriage will also be legal / recognised in your home country. i.e. Canada, UK etc...  (but not if you are a South Korean which doesn’t recognise overseas marriages). 

 

That said. I’m guessing that IF for whatever reasons a specific Amphur is not connected to the ‘amphur network - intranet’ or whatever its called, there may be some additional difficult / hurdles (or not). 

 

 

 

Edit: to add to Peterw42’s comments above. 

 

Our local Amphur in Bangkok refused to marry myself and my Wife - we instead had to go to Bang Rak and legalise our marriage there (it took 10 mins). 

 

A friend was also recently rejected at his local Amphur.

 

I suspect some offices don’t know what to do with foreign applications and thus the 'go to response’ was used, we all know the one, it's the response which is common throughout Thailand and utilised by dumb and lazy people .... “Cannot !!!” 

[473geo]

10 minutes ago, Tyler Visan said:

Do you mean the girl you marry gets to know you, or the folk in the Amphur?    LOL

 

I won't spoil your fun ????

 

Get back to me in couple of years when you have worked it out

 

 

[473geo]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Edit: to add to Peterw42’s comments above. 

 

Our local Amphur in Bangkok refused to marry myself and my Wife - we instead had to go to Bang Rak and legalise our marriage there (it took 10 mins). 

 

A friend was also recently rejected at his local Amphur.

 

I suspect some offices don’t know what to do with foreign applications and thus the 'go to response’ was used, we all know the one, it's the response which is common throughout Thailand and utilised by dumb and lazy people .... “Cannot !!!” 

 

That did happen to us, first time around refusal, until my wife diplomatically explained it could be done, showed them all the organised paperwork. Afterwards the amphur officials joined photographs for their records and appeared quite proud to have completed the task. Was a very satisfying day for all.

[notrub]

Thanks Very much.  The person who warned me had been married in BKK and thought this was a requirement.  Our local amphur is very local and the fellow who runs is is very friendly and speaks English perfectly.  I met him when he informed me that, regrettably, I could not have a yellow book for the house that I built and paid for because my partner and I were not married. The elderly father of my partner was once the head man of our village and the whole family is well known and respected.

 

Member T.V., I know my partner very well having lived with her in sin for about 5 years.  Having said that, I recommend anyone entering into any kind of financial arrangement with their partner (buy land, build a house etc.) learn about a usufruct contract and arrange to get one.

 

My lawyer is  Sebastian H. Brousseau, LLB, BSc. and I strongly recommend him. 

 

   Isaan Lawyers (Google Map)

1849/14 Sueb-Siri (Times Square)

Amphur Mueang, Nakhon Ratchasima 30,000 Thailand

Tel: (+66) (0) 84 471 5775

email: ([email protected])

 

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

My wife and I were rejected by three amphurs in and around BKK. Their excuses, "it's difficult for the big boss to come, you must an appointment, takes about a week, why don't you try this other one", and then the same thing.

 

So we finally waited for a long school holiday to go do it in her hometown in Issan. No problem other than we had to wait a few hours for the "big boss" to show up, over two days. Turns out we were waiting for two other couples to do it, he didn't want to drag his rear end out for just one. Then all six of us walked out to the parking lot, flowery certificates in hand.

[notrub]

Thanks very much.  On my way to the consulate in BKK this AM.  I had not realised that it is the tail end of a 4 day holiday...   expect a long slow trip with all the people returning home......

[Preacher]

Sounds like a misunderstanding.

 

You do get marrried at any amphur in Thailand, BUT you must legalise the documents from your embassy with the Thai consular department in Bangkok (or Chiang Mai). Without legalisation by the Thai consular department you cannot get married.

[4MyEgo]

5 hours ago, notrub said:

On my way to the consulate in BKK this AM. 

 

We were married in the wife's village, registered it at the local Amphur, immigration accept an updated Kor Ror 2 every year when I do the annual marriage extension, bank also accepted the fact that I was married, got the yellow book and the pink ID too, however some farangs I know say that my marriage is not recognised as being legal that is why I need a Kor Ror 2 every year.

 

The above said, it makes no difference to me whether we are recognised here as we were married overseas which counts to me and as long as we are in the local Amphur's database, which we are, we can get all the things we require and have. Going to Bangkok to marry sounds like a heck of a drive, but each to their own. Congratulations ????

 

[Thorgal]

You need to make the registration of your marriage at 3 levels:

 

1. At local Amphur in Thai

2. At your consulate if you are registered at the consulate 

3. At your city hall in your home country for tax reasons and to have your data updated in civil registration database.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

21 hours ago, Thorgal said:

You need to make the registration of your marriage at 3 levels:

 

1. At local Amphur in Thai

2. At your consulate if you are registered at the consulate 

3. At your city hall in your home country for tax reasons and to have your data updated in civil registration database.

 

 

With the exception item 1, all that depends on your nationality. 

 

10 years ago it was neither a requirement or necessary to register your marriage at the British Embassy Consular section, neither was it a requirement to register your marriage in your home country (if living outside of the UK).

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

21 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

 

We were married in the wife's village, registered it at the local Amphur, immigration accept an updated Kor Ror 2 every year when I do the annual marriage extension, bank also accepted the fact that I was married, got the yellow book and the pink ID too, however some farangs I know say that my marriage is not recognised as being legal that is why I need a Kor Ror 2 every year.

 

The above said, it makes no difference to me whether we are recognised here as we were married overseas which counts to me and as long as we are in the local Amphur's database, which we are, we can get all the things we require and have. Going to Bangkok to marry sounds like a heck of a drive, but each to their own. Congratulations ????

 

 

‘some farangs’ are wrong !... You need your Kor Ror 2 every year as that is the most updated document. 

 

Your Marriage Certificate could be 10 years old and thus somewhat obsolete with regards to applying for an extension of stay based on Marriage. 

The Kor Ror 2 document is an updated document which proves you are still married and that no divorce has been registered into the Amphur records and is thus a far more logical requirement for Immigration purposes. 

 

The fact that you can get a Kor Ror 2 document is proof itself that your marriage is recognised as being legal. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

22 hours ago, Preacher said:

Sounds like a misunderstanding.

 

You do get marrried at any amphur in Thailand, BUT you must legalise the documents from your embassy with the Thai consular department in Bangkok (or Chiang Mai). Without legalisation by the Thai consular department you cannot get married.

 

[BUT you must legalise the documents from your embassy with the Thai consular department in Bangkok]

 

To avoid any further muddying of the waters: Are you referring to the ‘Affirmation of Freedom to Marry’ ??

 

A 3 step process: 

- The ‘Affirmation of Freedom to Marry’ document is obtained from ones Embassy / Consulate,

- Translated into Thai (at an MFA approved translation service).

- The translation is certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (i.e. Bangkok / Chiang Mai) - this usually takes a few days, the document will be posted back to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[transam]

Maybe a bit off topic but the route many of us took to make things painless.

 

My now wife lived up country with me. We drove to BKK and met a tout outside the British Embassy, she said I will do everything for you including the marriage at a local office for a fee of 8000bht for everything, you will be married tomorrow afternoon.

All went like clockwork, even the taxi together to the marriage place the next day..Recommended...????

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, transam said:

Maybe a bit off topic but the route many of us took to make things painless.

 

My now wife lived up country with me. We drove to BKK and met a tout outside the British Embassy, she said I will do everything for you including the marriage at a local office for a fee of 8000bht for everything, you will be married tomorrow afternoon.

All went like clockwork, even the taxi together to the marriage place the next day..Recommended...????

 

For some, thats got to be worth it, especially if coming from outside of Bangkok.

 

Mine (10 years ago) was a little more long winded

 

1) Booked appointment at British Embassy (about a 2 week lead time)

2) Went to Brit Embassy - obtained Affirmation of Freedom to Marry (±2500 baht)

3) Drove out to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chaeng Wattana - Obtained Translation (waited 2 hrs ±300 baht)

4) Took Translation upstairs at MFA, submitted Affirmation of Freedom to Marry translation for MFA variation. Paid for postage (can’t remember the fees document arrived in 3 days).

5) Went to local Amphur Office (Khlong Toey). Amphur Officer was rude, refused to marry Wife and I - not a good experience.

6) Scrolled the Internet (ThaiVisa.com) found comments that Bank Rak was easier.

7) Went to Bang Rak, filled out a questionnaire - was out of Bang Rak Amuphur office 20 mins and 60 baht later, legally married. 

 

In total  - it took about 5 days (most of which was waiting for the MFA document to be posted to us)

 

 

 

 

[ThaiLawOnline]

On 11/21/2020 at 3:07 PM, notrub said:

Thanks Very much.  The person who warned me had been married in BKK and thought this was a requirement.  Our local amphur is very local and the fellow who runs is is very friendly and speaks English perfectly.  I met him when he informed me that, regrettably, I could not have a yellow book for the house that I built and paid for because my partner and I were not married. The elderly father of my partner was once the head man of our village and the whole family is well known and respected.

 

Member T.V., I know my partner very well having lived with her in sin for about 5 years.  Having said that, I recommend anyone entering into any kind of financial arrangement with their partner (buy land, build a house etc.) learn about a usufruct contract and arrange to get one.

 

My lawyer is  Sebastian H. Brousseau, LLB, BSc. and I strongly recommend him. 

 

 

 

I am now with www.ThaiLawOnline.com if anyone needs help.

 

Sebastian H. Brousseau