Marriage without affidavit in Thailand possible?

[Sp4wnY]

I'm trying to get married with my Fiance who's originally from Myanmar.  First Covid made travel impossible. Now their military is causing mayhem.

I was wondering if anyone knows a Thai lawyer that's not too lazy to work around the issues of not being able to summon a single status certificate due to obvious reasons.

In western countries one can "simply" do a statutory declaration. I was wondering if it's possible in Thailand to swear you are single in front of a legal representative?

We've already visited the Myanmar embassy in BKK but they simply refuse to offer such document. Go back to your home country they say lol

Edited March 14, 2021 by Sp4wnY

[ThailandRyan]

My GF and I just went through the same thing and received much the same response from the Myanmar Embassy.  She is also from Myanmar as well, but is of Karen descent..  She also needs to get a replacement Birth certificate as her original was lost in Myanmar, and the Embassy refused to help with this as well.  She has her Blue Myanmar ID that shows her parents information on it and that was what she used to obtain a new passport 3 years ago.  Keep me informed if you find someone that can help you folks.  I have been looking for the last few months as well.

[Moonlover]

We Brits get our 'affirmation of marital status' from the consular section of our embassy. What nationality are you?

[ThailandRyan]

The issue is getting the affidavit from the Myanmar Government for a single female status for his fiancé and then I am trying to obtain the same for my GF.  Not as easy as what you or I can do at our own embassies, mine being the US Embassy.  From what we have been told by people in Myanmar, the government needs to ensure the lady has never been married, and have that attested to before they will issue the affidavit. There are some obstacles that prior to Covid and now the current coup that an agent in Yangon could have assisted with, but with certain circumstances things have become complicated that is why the OP was looking for a Thai Lawyer.

Get married to a Myanmar man or lady | Myanmar Today (myanmar2day.com)

4 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

We Brits get our 'affirmation of marital status' from the consular section of our embassy. What nationality are you?

 

[blackcab]

I doubt you will be able to get a lawyer to assist. The affidavit needs to be translated into Thai and then legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The legalisation process involves putting a numbered seal on the back of the translation. When you get married that serial number is entered into the computerised record of your marriage, along with all your other biographical data.

The absence of that serial number is going to stick out like a sore thumb. I'm not saying it can't be done, but marriages are taken fairly seriously because of the later problems an invalid marriage can cause, such as illegitimate children; having the automatic right to an inheritance cancelled; being ineligible to acquire the nationality of another country; the division of marital property upon divorce when neither party was legally bound to the other, etc.

In Thai law, a government official can be held personally liable for a negligent action, so not too many senior level officers will want to sign off an incomplete set of documents.

[Sp4wnY]

Not only that but we also need the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Myanmar translate these documents to English before anything can be done in Thailand.
We also have to consider that that in Myanmar everything is still done on paper. There are no serial numbers or fancy computer systems. 
And the fact that not a single country in the world would accept a paper from Myanmar or a registered marriage due to human trafficking concerns. 
I believe we will have to travel to a western country with more modern laws that understand the situation, where the law can see that we've been together and engaged for many years and therefore grant our wish for marriage.

If that doesn't work out I'll change my gender to female and become the spouse ????

[Sp4wnY]

I'll make contact with lawyers from Yangon. Will let you know if I find anyone willing to get us the required documents send over.

[SomchaiCNX]

On 3/14/2021 at 8:57 PM, blackcab said:

I doubt you will be able to get a lawyer to assist. The affidavit needs to be translated into Thai and then legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The legalisation process involves putting a numbered seal on the back of the translation. When you get married that serial number is entered into the computerised record of your marriage, along with all your other biographical data.

The absence of that serial number is going to stick out like a sore thumb. I'm not saying it can't be done, but marriages are taken fairly seriously because of the later problems an invalid marriage can cause, such as illegitimate children; having the automatic right to an inheritance cancelled; being ineligible to acquire the nationality of another country; the division of marital property upon divorce when neither party was legally bound to the other, etc.

In Thai law, a government official can be held personally liable for a negligent action, so not too many senior level officers will want to sign off an incomplete set of documents.

If that law would enforced, I wonder how many officials would be left. 

[SomchaiCNX]

23 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's for his fiance, not him.

Perhaps fate is saying "don't get married"- should listen to fate. If both living in LOS can get a Buddha wedding.

With a Buddha wedding she probably would not get a Visa for his home country.

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by SomchaiCNX

[ThailandRyan]

30 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

With a Buddha wedding she probably would not get a Visa for his home country.

 

It also will be hard to get a family extension of stay for her.  That's the issue my GF and I face, and why a marriage would be beneficial. Plus getting married would assist in getting a visa to my home country one day in the future.

[natway09]

I heard that they are working on making it harder for two non Thais to marry here.

They are encouraging couples to marry in one of their own countries

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

I heard that they are working on making it harder for two non Thais to marry here.

They are encouraging couples to marry in one of their own countries

There goes the billions if baht from all of the Indian weddings and tourism from it then I would say. Pure speculation on your part.

[KKr]

Once travel is again possible, you could go to Vegas.

[Sp4wnY]

Siam Legal replied the following to my "statutory declaration strategy":

Your proposal of stat Dec, yes you can do that as long as your stat Dec are certified by your embassies in bangkok.

The stat dec must follow the template the same as the marriage affirmation.

If it does now conform to the same format or template it will not be accepted by thai authorities.

 

Think it's easier to move to another country than to rely on "Thai Authorities" developing the required lateral thinking skills for this issue but anyway.

@ThailandRyan shall we try to find a Thai marriage affirmation template? I might be willing to spent another day at the embassy in BKK and get the custom affirmation form stamped by the Myanmar embassy.

 

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, Sp4wnY said:

Siam Legal replied the following to my "statutory declaration strategy":

Your proposal of stat Dec, yes you can do that as long as your stat Dec are certified by your embassies in bangkok.

The stat dec must follow the template the same as the marriage affirmation.

If it does now conform to the same format or template it will not be accepted by thai authorities.

 

Think it's easier to move to another country than to rely on "Thai Authorities" developing the required lateral thinking skills for this issue but anyway.

@ThailandRyan shall we try to find a Thai marriage affirmation template? I might be willing to spent another day at the embassy in BKK and get the custom affirmation form stamped by the Myanmar embassy.

 

I think that might be an idea.  I wish they would respond to emails sent to them.  I will try and have my GF call them.  We live in BKK not to far from the Myanmar embassy.

[brewsterbudgen]

I had similar issues trying to marry my Lao GF in Thailand.  We ended up marrying in the UK, as it was far easier.  However, this was before Covid.

[ThailandRyan]

13 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I had similar issues trying to marry my Lao GF in Thailand.  We ended up marrying in the UK, as it was far easier.  However, this was before Covid.

Obviously she needed to obtain a Visa to get to the UK, be it on a tourist visa or something else, certain paperwork was obviously needed.  If my GF could obtain a visa to the US we could marry there without any issues.  It is getting the paperwork needed to support the documents that is the issue at this point.

[brewsterbudgen]

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Obviously she needed to obtain a Visa to get to the UK, be it on a tourist visa or something else, certain paperwork was obviously needed.  If my GF could obtain a visa to the US we could marry there without any issues.  It is getting the paperwork needed to support the documents that is the issue at this point.

Correct.  The UK can issue a Marriage Visitor's visa which allows the couple to marry in the UK, but then leave (within 6 months).  No additional documentation required except passports.

[ThailandRyan]

19 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Correct.  The UK can issue a Marriage Visitor's visa which allows the couple to marry in the UK, but then leave (within 6 months).  No additional documentation required except passports.

Thank you.  The one document that would complete the visa package for my GF is the affidavit of being single that she needs to also marry.  It gets so complicated sometimes and I understand the issues of adulterers marrying when still married to someone else, therefore the need for this specific document.

Edited March 24, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[CharlieH]

Several posts and responses removed as Off topic.

Please focus on matters concerning the original question.