Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Thailand News and Discussion Forum | ASEANNOW

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

Registering a US marriage in Thailand - agent recommendation?

Featured Replies

Hoping for advice with regards to a couple (comprising an American citizen and a Thai citizen) who got married in the USA, currently reside in Bangkok, and want to register the marriage in Thailand. According to a previous post:

 

“The first step is to have the marriage certificate authenticated by the state in which you were married. Then it needs to be authenticated by the US State Department. Then it needs to be authenticated by the Thai Embassy in Washington D.C.” (The other steps of the process take place in Thailand.)

 

Any recommendations for an agent to handle the US steps would be greatly appreciated.

The agents here just handle the translation and filing the registration. You need an agent in the US. It took months for ours from the UK. BTW we lost a lot of time having embassy emails flagged as spam. You have the process right but it is not simple, especially with no mail service.

 

Easier to just get married again in Thailand, a lot cheaper and faster. You will need a "free to marry" declaration and a certified passport copy from the US Consulate. Then just go to the local Amphoe office. Take some witnesses that can confirm residence and relationship. If you are divorced, you will need divorce decrees, translated.

  • Author

Great idea.

After all, a married couple should technically be free to marry each other as often as they wish.

 

Wondering, though, if anyone has heard of an overseas-married couple actually doing this.

 

Thanks!

32 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Easier to just get married again in Thailand, a lot cheaper and faster. You will need a "free to marry" declaration and a certified passport copy from the US Consulate.

How can a married couple get a "free to marry" certificate?

5 hours ago, Pawpal said:

Hoping for advice with regards to a couple (comprising an American citizen and a Thai citizen) who got married in the USA, currently reside in Bangkok, and want to register the marriage in Thailand.

Maybe someone can answer this question... Why does a married couple need to register their marriage in another country, when they're married, period?    Do some people think that Thailand doesn't recognise other countries' marriages?

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How can a married couple get a "free to marry" certificate?

They are free to marry each other.

1 hour ago, Pawpal said:

Great idea.

After all, a married couple should technically be free to marry each other as often as they wish.

 

Wondering, though, if anyone has heard of an overseas-married couple actually doing this.

 

Thanks!

I think it is pretty common. You could easily ask at the consulate. I have some friends that got married three times US/Aussie.

1 hour ago, cjinchiangrai said:
2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How can a married couple get a "free to marry" certificate?

They are free to marry each other.

Are they?   Why would anyone want to do that?

10 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Are they?   Why would anyone want to do that?

To get around paperwork hurdles. There is no law saying you cannot have a second wedding.

8 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:
20 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Are they?   Why would anyone want to do that?

To get around paperwork hurdles.

What paperwork hurdles?  Serious question.

24 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What paperwork hurdles?  Serious question.

Getting documents translated and verified. It took almost 6 months and loads of postage.

27 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What paperwork hurdles?  Serious question.

 

For the visa extension based on marriage, you have to get a certificate that you are still married each year. 

 

Would you rather deal with your consulate or let the wife spend ten minutes and B50 to pick it up while you wait in the car? 

 

Would you rather go to court in Thailand with a Thai certificate or a non-Thai certificate? 

 

55 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Are they?   Why would anyone want to do that?

Are you married? What woman would not like to have a second marriage/certificate? 

 

What man would not like a second honeymoon? 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:
57 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Are they?   Why would anyone want to do that?

Are you married?

Several times, yes, but what's that got to do with anything?

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

Several times, yes, but what's that got to do with anything?

That explains a lot.

 

So again, what woman would not like to have a second marriage/certificate? 

 

What man would not like a second honeymoon? 

4 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

What man would not like a second honeymoon? 

Me, for one.   Who needs a second honeymoon if they're married, isn't every night a second honeymoon?

  • Author
4 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

I think it is pretty common. You could easily ask at the consulate. I have some friends that got married three times US/Aussie.

But perhaps they didn't need to first get affadavits stating they were free to marry. I guess I'm concerned about any legal consequences (not that I can think of any legal consequences for marrying somene you're already married to).

20 hours ago, Pawpal said:

Hoping for advice with regards to a couple (comprising an American citizen and a Thai citizen) who got married in the USA, currently reside in Bangkok, and want to register the marriage in Thailand. According to a previous post:

 

“The first step is to have the marriage certificate authenticated by the state in which you were married. Then it needs to be authenticated by the US State Department. Then it needs to be authenticated by the Thai Embassy in Washington D.C.” (The other steps of the process take place in Thailand.)

 

Any recommendations for an agent to handle the US steps would be greatly appreciated.

 

 @Pawpal - The first three steps (1/ getting the marriage cert from the County; 2/ State Apostille; 3/ Dept of State Certification) take about three (3) months. The third step alone takes two (2) months. (On the website they claim up to five (5) weeks, but right now it is around 7-8 weeks.)

 

Neither of the three steps is overly complicated. The forms are fairly basic, simple fillable PDFs. The total cost is around $100, including Priority Mail tracked postage. 

 

If you're going to hire third party to do the legwork, I would not hire a Thai-based agent, but a US-based service. The only service I am aware of is https://www.usnotarycenter.com/post/post172 . I have not used them and I have no information about how reliable they are. 

 

I am not sure they can assist with step 4/ - Thai consulate certification. 

  • 3 months later...
  • Author

I wrote to 5 different US-based agents but got several different responses: one said that our marriage certificate was "too old" to be certified by the State of Pennsylvania (where we were married) and we needed to apply for a new one; another said it was "too old" to be accepted by the Thai Embassy in the US; and the other three said it was fine and no need to replace. The fees ranged from US$200-1,100 (not including courier costs). 

 

Those agents were found by chance on google, and I have no idea of their reliability. Hoping that someone in the forum might be able to have a recommendation based on personal experience (or the experience of a friend).

1 hour ago, Pawpal said:

I wrote to 5 different US-based agents but got several different responses: one said that our marriage certificate was "too old" to be certified by the State of Pennsylvania (where we were married) and we needed to apply for a new one; another said it was "too old" to be accepted by the Thai Embassy in the US; and the other three said it was fine and no need to replace. The fees ranged from US$200-1,100 (not including courier costs). 

 

Those agents were found by chance on google, and I have no idea of their reliability. Hoping that someone in the forum might be able to have a recommendation based on personal experience (or the experience of a friend).

I do not remember any difficulty certifying our US marriage in Thailand. 

 

I you are married to a Thai, why would you use an agent? Just let your spouse do it. 

 

I doubt the certificate expires, but you could always get a new one from the registrar. 

Create an account or sign in to comment

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.