Getting married in bkk

[nomad2019]

Getting married..my divorce in uk will be through 5th april 2023..ill then wait on decree absolute ...

What documents will i need to marry in sathorn amphur bkk.

Ill travel to bkk on 17 may - 30th may 2023....

Hopefully the decree absolute will be through by then i suspect i will definitely need this...so what other papers are nessesary please.

Thankyou ????????????

[grain]

Unless there have been changes since I had my Thai marriage, you need to go to your embassy and get a Affidavit of Freedom to Marry. That document then needs to be translated, then taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be certified. Then you go to the amphur and get married. If I was going to get married again I'd prefer to do it with an agency as there's a fair bit of running around involved, and I guess the agency fee includes a bit for palm greasing that'll get you faster service.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The wife and I got remarried lately in BKK after a brief, purely logistical separation. We checked with several khet offices, including Bangrak (which long had the reputation as being the most farang friendly, and where we originally were married many years ago).

 

In short, things seem to have changed drastically from the past lately in BKK when it comes to the process of farangs legally marrying Thais here. No more just bring your paperwork and do the deed.

 

Instead, Bangrak told my Thai wife we'd need to bring them the various required documents, including the MFA certified translations mentioned above, and only then they'd give us an appointment to come back some weeks later to do the actual deed. Sometimes they also require witnesses and even a formal verbal translator.

 

We said BS to all that... Hunted around a bit, found a translation/visa agency to speed the process. After I got the $50 USD affidavit from my Embassy, the agency did the translations and handled the MFA certifications. Then about a week later, the agency took us to a particular khet office not in the heart of BKK where the whole marriage legalization process was completed in a single morning without any outside witnesses or official translator or anything else. We just sat there, and never actually had any direct dealings with the khet office staff, while our rep handled everything.

 

The total agency fee for that came to about 15,000 baht, including their service and EN-to-TH document translation fees, some thousands more for the multiples of page by page certifications done at MFA, and then lastly presumably some dosh to the khet office involved.

 

Didn't like shelling out the baht. But my wife has a full-time and busy job... And would have liked a whole lot less us having to run around from place to place on multiple trips on multiple days to get everything done the official way, and take probably a month from start to finish to get it all done.

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[NORDO]

Don't marry in Thailand...to much BS and the usually inevitable divorce takes forever.

I took my Thai Sweetie to Vegas and got married.   Piece of cake, less than $500 of their USD and only took an hour. But the best part....no sinsod.  Told that didn't apply to USA marriages.

 

The inevitable divorce though cost me about $3600 of their USD.   I structured my funds as pre marry retirement funds so she couldn't touch them and the judge didn't give her a pence.   So  married one year of bliss, two years of hell and a divorce for less than the airfare.

 

The best advice, the taxi driver suggested I talk to a divorce attorney before the wedding.  Best advice I have ever got.   Should be required for all marriages that you consult with the Preacher and an attorney.

[Kalasin Jo]

12 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The wife and I got remarried lately in BKK after a brief, purely logistical separation. We checked with several khet offices, including Bangrak (which long had the reputation as being the most farang friendly, and where we originally were married many years ago).

 

In short, things seem to have changed drastically from the past lately in BKK when it comes to the process of farangs legally marrying Thais here. No more just bring your paperwork and do the deed.

 

Instead, Bangrak told my Thai wife we'd need to bring them the various required documents, including the MFA certified translations mentioned above, and only then they'd give us an appointment to come back some weeks later to do the actual deed. Sometimes they also require witnesses and even a formal verbal translator.

 

We said BS to all that... Hunted around a bit, found a translation/visa agency to speed the process. After I got the $50 USD affidavit from my Embassy, the agency did the translations and handled the MFA certifications. Then about a week later, the agency took us to a particular khet office not in the heart of BKK where the whole marriage legalization process was completed in a single morning without any outside witnesses or official translator or anything else. We just sat there, and never actually had any direct dealings with the khet office staff, while our rep handled everything.

 

The total agency fee for that came to about 15,000 baht, including their service and EN-to-TH document translation fees, some thousands more for the multiples of page by page certifications done at MFA, and then lastly presumably some dosh to the khet office involved.

 

Didn't like shelling out the baht. But my wife has a full-time and busy job... And would have liked a whole lot less us having to run around from place to place on multiple trips on multiple days to get everything done the official way, and take probably a month from start to finish to get it all done.

 

Much the same for us. Agency is the way to go especially if you are in a hurry. Less than 10k baht back then. Ours was completed in less than 48 hours. I forget now the agency name but not far from the old British Embassy. Everything fine and paid for in that fee apart from getting ourselves to the agent's office on second day. I was accosted at Embassy gate after getting the Freedom (555) certificate to lose my freedom again.

 

What was not included was the reverse translation process ie. Thai to English and the necessary MoFA certification followed by your Embassy verifying the genuineness of the MoFA certification. Only necessary if you want to take your spouse to your country on a spouse rather than tourist visa. If you don't use an agent for that too it's quite a hassle.

[grain]

I was considering remarrying about 12 years ago. I saw an agent in Pattaya and for around 15,000 Bt they offered a 1 day service. They told me they had a streamline service and knew the staff at all the places we had to deal with, they also took care of all the paperwork, they knew every step of the procedure. The deal was we would depart from agent's office early morning, drive to UK EMM in BKK to get the Affidavit. I would have to pay for that, the only extra charge, everything else was included in the 15,000 Bt fee. Then to their favorite translation service, then to the Ministry, then to the Amphur office, where they knew staff they regularly dealt with. Then drive back to Pattaya. All in 1 day. But as I said that was 12 years ago, and there's been the pandemic, so perhaps there are many changes now. It would still be worth checking with several agencies in Pattaya or BKK to see if any are still offering a fast streamlined service.

[Freddy42OZ]

How does it work if you are marrying a Farang in Bangkok?  

Do you still need to get everything translated into Thai?

I guess it will be easy enough getting Russian translated to Thai when the time comes.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Much the same for us. Agency is the way to go especially if you are in a hurry. Less than 10k baht back then. Ours was completed in less than 48 hours. I forget now the agency name but not far from the old British Embassy. Everything fine and paid for in that fee apart from getting ourselves to the agent's office on second day. I was accosted at Embassy gate after getting the Freedom (555) certificate to lose my freedom again.

 

What was not included was the reverse translation process ie. Thai to English and the necessary MoFA certification followed by your Embassy verifying the genuineness of the MoFA certification. Only necessary if you want to take your spouse to your country on a spouse rather than tourist visa. If you don't use an agent for that too it's quite a hassle.

Our 15K fee included the agency picking up our travel expense, a very small item, as we took a taxi together out to the khet office... As well as, after the marriage, the translation and MFA certification of the TH language marriage documents back into an English version.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, grain said:

I saw an agent in Pattaya and for around 15,000 Bt they offered a 1 day service.

These days, from what I understand, the MFA office might put a crimp in that, as I was told they no longer are doing same day service... which is what we did with them originally many years back.

 

But my info on that is from our agent. So I didn't go out to MFA myself this time to confirm that or try to get the same same day service I'd had there in the past.

 

The other complicating factor, for Americans at least, is that the US Embassy in BKK these days has a very miserly appointments schedule for getting the required freedom to marry affidavits.

 

They appear to release new appointment slots only once each month, typically toward the end of the month for the following month...And once those slots are taken, they don't seem to make any more available.

 

As a result, unfortunately, I unknowingly went looking for an Embassy appointment mid-month, and there were absolutely none available anytime any day... Thus I ended up waiting almost two weeks before they finally made a new batch of appointments available at month's end.

 

I seriously considered booking a flight or bus trip up to the Chiang Mai Consulate, where they had better availability of appointments. And I was just about to pull the trigger on that when finally a slot opened up in BKK...about two weeks after I first started looking/trying.

 

Lesson learned -- if you need an affidavit from the US Embassy  in BKK these days, you want to start looking to book an upcoming appointment around the last week of the month, even if the date you want is in the ensuing weeks.

Edited April 1, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[grain]

5 hours ago, Freddy42OZ said:

How does it work if you are marrying a Farang in Bangkok?  

Do you still need to get everything translated into Thai?

I guess it will be easy enough getting Russian translated to Thai when the time comes.

Yes even farang marrying farang in Thailand still need to have the translations done, the translation is for the Thailand staff and Thailand records.

[007 RED]

@nomad2019

 

OP… not sure why so many members have given you information relating to the requirements of the America Embassy in BKK.  They obviously missed your opening remark “my divorce in uk will be through 5th april 2023..ill then wait on decree absolute ...”

 

If you go to the British Embassy website you will find a comprehensive list of obstacles (documents and procedures) you will need to jump through.  For your ease, I’ve attached a link below to the relevant page.

 

https://www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad/y/thailand/opposite_sex

 

However, there are few things that you need to be aware of that may ‘screw’ your plan(s) up’. 

 

Firstly, when making your application for an Affirmation of Marriage you will need to provide the embassy with a copy of your decree absolute, so the question for you will be, will that come through before you come to Thailand?

 

Secondly, appointments for you to attend the Embassy to swear your Affirmation are like ‘gold’ and you may well be looking at several weeks ahead for an appointment.

 

Thirdly, once you have your Affirmation from the Embassy, you will need to get it translated to Thai and the translation then certified by the Thai the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in BKK.

 

FYI.... It may well be advisable to get a certified copy of your passport done whilst you are at the Embassy as most amphur’s require a certified copy which has been translated into Thai and certified by the Thai the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in BKK.

 

It is possible to get all of this done by yourself.  Just allow plenty of time and don’t get too frustrated by all the hurdles you have to jump over.    As someone above has suggested, it is possible to get an agent to help with the ’legwork’ at a cost of course.

 

Hope this helps and good luck.

[Freddy42OZ]

4 hours ago, grain said:

Yes even farang marrying farang in Thailand still need to have the translations done, the translation is for the Thailand staff and Thailand records.

Thanks. Might be easier to fly to the UK then, we both have family there.

[OneMoreFarang]

I am surprised that so many people still marry. What's the point (from the perspective of the man)?

[Yellowtail]

15 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am surprised that so many people still marry. What's the point (from the perspective of the man)?

Kids? That's why I married.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

11 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Kids? That's why I married.

 

 

Yes, that is a reason.

Personally I am not a fan of those noisy and expensive little humans. ???? 

[Yellowtail]

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Yes, that is a reason.

Personally I am not a fan of those noisy and expensive little humans. ???? 

I only have one, and he did not seem very expensive, and the noise was generally welcome. Now he's at university (still not very expensive) and in a few years he'll likely be self-supporting. Nice to have a driver and a strong back around the house too. 

 

After you have a kid, everything else is just stuff.

Edited April 2, 2023 by Yellowtail

[OneMoreFarang]

31 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

After you have a kid, everything else is just stuff.

I really love my rabbits. ???? 

[Will B Good]

Out of the frying pan into the fire?

[JohnOFphon]

27 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I really l ove my rabbits. ???? 

And you can eat the rabbits if want.   ????

[Will B Good]

Just now, JohnOFphon said:

And you can eat the rabbits if want.   ????

I love kids.....but I couldn't eat a whole one.

[brianthainess]

On 3/31/2023 at 5:07 PM, grain said:

If I was going to get married again I'd prefer to do it with an agency as there's a fair bit of running around involved, and I guess the agency fee includes a bit for palm greasing that'll get you faster service.

Well I didn't get married in BKK but all I had to do was get the affidavit, have that translated. Then head back to our local Amphur.  

[Will B Good]

On 3/31/2023 at 11:07 AM, grain said:

If I was going to get married again I'd prefer to do it with an agency

I used a fixer......otherwise it would have been nightmare....think it cost me 500 baht (in 2006).

[brianthainess]

13 hours ago, Freddy42OZ said:

Thanks. Might be easier to fly to the UK then, we both have family there.

That will involve your GF getting a visa for the UK not an easy task, I presume she is Thai, and if you come back to Thailand to live you will need your marriage cert. etc. translated  to register your marriage at an Amphur office if you need to stay on marriage extensions. Why the rush?

[brianthainess]

35 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I love kids.....but I couldn't eat a whole one.

I've heard goat is quite tasty, but i won't bleat on about it. 

[brianthainess]

41 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I love kids.....but I couldn't eat a whole one.

I have heard young goat can be very tasty  also you don't need to get married to have Goats

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, JohnOFphon said:

And you can eat the rabbits if want.   ????

Would you make such a comment about dogs? Why not? Or do you enjoy upsetting people? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 4/1/2023 at 9:58 AM, grain said:

drive to UK EMM in BKK to get the Affidavit. I would have to pay for that, the only extra charge,

When we got married years back, the only thing needed  from the US Embassy was the freedom to marry affidavit.

 

Now, somewhere along the way, at least some amphurs here have also begun requiring that you present them with a certified (by your embassy) photocopy of your passport photo page, which for U.S. folks, adds another $50 to the tab.

 

The US Embassy webpage on getting married in Thailand makes mention that some amphurs are requiring this, and best to check with the one you plan to use. Ours did in fact require that added item.

 

"IMPORTANT: Some Amphurs require a certified copy of your U.S. Passport. Check with your Amphur before coming to the Embassy as there is an additional service fee for a certified copy of a passport."

 

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

 

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pmbkk]

 We got married in Bangrak in Bangkok 10 yrs ago.

 

I think all we needed was a freedom to marry affidavit ( translated across the road from the British Embassy ).

 

The "service" - no witnesses in the office took about 15 mins. Very fast. Don't know why you'd need an agent.

[grain]

6 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Well I didn't get married in BKK but all I had to do was get the affidavit, have that translated. Then head back to our local Amphur.  

Yes, if DIY that's best, do what you need to do in BKK, then head back to wherever and marry locally. But in the case I mentioned above that particular agency offered the complete streamlined process all in one day. You'd leave Pattaya early morning and return late afternoon legally married. From what I've read here it seems unlikely one could get it all done in a day any more, but you never know, a slick agent who has greased the wheels along the way could possibly still get it done.

[brianthainess]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

8 hours ago, JohnOFphon said:

And you can eat the rabbits if want.   ????

Would you make such a comment about dogs? Why not? Or do you enjoy upsetting people? 

My Mothers Rabbit stew was delicious.