Marrying A Lao National.

[falang200]

hi everyone

i'm british and my partner is lao and we are currently living in bangkok. we would like to get married soon, i have found out what i need to do from my embassy- have a signed document of our intention to marry posted in the embassy for 21 days, and if there are no objections i get a certificate from london. does anybody know what else is needed? ideally we would like to get married in thailand. we already have one son who was born in lao and my name is on the birth certificate. we this affect the process?

thanks for any help!

[technocracy]

hi everyone

i'm british and my partner is lao and we are currently living in bangkok. we would like to get married soon, i have found out what i need to do from my embassy- have a signed document of our intention to marry posted in the embassy for 21 days, and if there are no objections i get a certificate from london. does anybody know what else is needed? ideally we would like to get married in thailand. we already have one son who was born in lao and my name is on the birth certificate. we this affect the process?

thanks for any help!

Well my advice for you is get married outside of Laos then register the marriage with the Lao Embassy in Paris and your life will be a lot simpler.

However if you want to do the full traditional Lao wedding your son is an issue since you aren't legally (in Laos) allowed to sleep together without being married. You can get arrangers here which will do all the paperwork and smooth the paths and palms of the correct people to remove these issues. However depending on you village boss will depend if they sign off the marriage paperwork - some are lenient and will sign off the papers without an issue others will refuse and you'll need to pay fines to police etc.

There is far more to just getting the intention to marry and the like for a Lao wedding - such as 3 police interviews, HIV test, copy of your CV of the lao paperwork format, bank details statements and work references. I am sure there might be a few other bits and bobs but this is the crux of it.

You will need these in Lao and English and your intention to marry need to be countersigned and stamped at the Oz embassy here in Vientiane (around $30).

But like I say all the above is if you want to do a traditional Lao wedding - all the paper work needs to be signed by the local village police, then goes up the chain to be signed off by the head registrar. You will then need go to the registrar for you marriage certificate - once you have this you can have your party!

It ain't easy but it was what I wanted and I wouldn't change anything our wedding party is something of folklore now in my wifes village!

[TBWG]

hi everyone

i'm british and my partner is lao and we are currently living in bangkok. we would like to get married soon, i have found out what i need to do from my embassy- have a signed document of our intention to marry posted in the embassy for 21 days, and if there are no objections i get a certificate from london. does anybody know what else is needed? ideally we would like to get married in thailand. we already have one son who was born in lao and my name is on the birth certificate. we this affect the process?

thanks for any help!

Hi

Not answering your question but I am informed by an acquaintance that having married a Lao citizen you are entitled to a Lao passport in your own right after just 3 months.

This allows you access to Thailand for 2 years without any of the usual visa run nonsense.

I have not verified any of these details so stand to be corrected by anyone more knowledgeable.

TBWG

[technocracy]

hi everyone

i'm british and my partner is lao and we are currently living in bangkok. we would like to get married soon, i have found out what i need to do from my embassy- have a signed document of our intention to marry posted in the embassy for 21 days, and if there are no objections i get a certificate from london. does anybody know what else is needed? ideally we would like to get married in thailand. we already have one son who was born in lao and my name is on the birth certificate. we this affect the process?

thanks for any help!

Hi

Not answering your question but I am informed by an acquaintance that having married a Lao citizen you are entitled to a Lao passport in your own right after just 3 months.

This allows you access to Thailand for 2 years without any of the usual visa run nonsense.

I have not verified any of these details so stand to be corrected by anyone more knowledgeable.

TBWG

Be corrected - nope. You can applied for permanent residency that now only supposed to take 3 months to be processed instead of the year or more previously.

They don't just give Lao passports away to anyone that marries a Laotian!

You can't even be entered on to the household registration book let alone get a passport.

[sjaak327]

Not that a Lao passport will do you any good. There's a short list of countries that allow Laotians visa free (like Russia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and maybe a few others) and that's about it.

Incidentially, having a Lao passport doesn't give you the right to stay in Thailand for two years, yes you can get back to back visa exempt stamps without the 90 days in 6 months limit and without onward ticket, but that's about it. (and some Airlines even give you trouble when you are trying to fly into Thailand on a Lao passport. The last time my Lao partner had to show proof of onward travel out of Phnom Penh airport, Air asia staff doesn't know shit about visas

[sjaak327]

And to add to the OP, I'm guessing that you would also need a legalized document stating that your future wife is indeed unmarried. I don't know how to obtain such a document in Laos, and also if it is going to be accepted by your home countries embassy.

Maybe technocracy can ellaborate on that ?

[falang200]

cheers for the info. at the moment we just want to be married and legal. we plan to go and do the village wedding once we have a bit more $!

the head of the village shouldnt be a problem we have a good relationship with him. we had no problems when my son was born he sorted out everything for us and put my name on the birth certificate. we were very lucky!

if we get married in thailand do i still the same paper work (HIV test, work references etc)? and do we have to register with the embassy in paris or can we do with the bangkok one?

[technocracy]

cheers for the info. at the moment we just want to be married and legal. we plan to go and do the village wedding once we have a bit more $!

the head of the village shouldnt be a problem we have a good relationship with him. we had no problems when my son was born he sorted out everything for us and put my name on the birth certificate. we were very lucky!

if we get married in thailand do i still the same paper work (HIV test, work references etc)? and do we have to register with the embassy in paris or can we do with the bangkok one?

If you get married in Thailand you don't need to provide any of said paperwork or have to have any of the interviews etc. You just arrange the marriage in a normal manner for a foreigner getting married abroad. Yes you can register the marriage at the Bangkok embassy - I just forgot there was one in Bangkok, the times I've given this advice before they have normally been in UK my brain was on autopilot.

Well if you have a good relationship and the village boss knows of you and your wife already then that is the first (and major) hurdle cleared. The rest really is just paperwork well except the interviews . .. . in which they question if you've slept together etc. Your situation isn't unknown and I know of another person who has managed to get everything cleared with a $500 fine paid to the police. Thinking about it if you do this I don't see any reason why they'd interview you since you are essentially admitting you've slept together.

On proving your wife is unmarried - if you marry in Lao then it isn't an issue because of all the paperwork and signatures from the village boss etc. Outside of Laos well I aren't aware of any such paperwork being British all you have you intention to marry posted at Registry Office/Embassy. This in theory covers both - however if you wanted to make double sure, I would guess visiting the main Court in Vientiane (on Road 1 left hand side about 3km out of town - if your heading to Friendship Bridge . . .BIG new build can't miss it!) and I am sure they could produce something.

EDIT: Just to add I would suggest if you want to go it and get the Lao wedding certificate then start all the paperwork as soon as possible since it can take up to 6 months to get things sorted. I do know people who can speed things up a bit . .. .

The alternative is once you've got your offical paperwork in say Thailand then go back have a stinkingly huge village party and get everyone so pissed they have hangovers for a week and the whole family will be happy! :D

Edited April 24, 2008 by technocracy

[Richard W]

Outside of Laos well I aren't aware of any such paperwork being British all you have you intention to marry posted at Registry Office/Embassy.

When I got married in Thailand while resident in England I simply signed an 'affirmation of freedom to marry' at the British embassy and got it legalised - there was nothing equivalent to publishing the banns.

[hgma]

The best thing you can do is marry in Laos(like me)

then live in Bangkok is a lot easyer(near the lao embassy to legalize(certify) your marriage.

Children outside wedlock are subject to very stiff penalitys........

tip!!!!

in your case

try T.D.S.consultants

Vientiane

Mr keovilay

No i am not affiliated

just good advice....it can safe your future

hgma

[technocracy]

When I got married in Thailand while resident in England I simply signed an 'affirmation of freedom to marry' at the British embassy and got it legalised - there was nothing equivalent to publishing the banns.

Yes you can do it this way - much the same as getting it posted outside the registery office.

The banns is if you are having a Christian wedding in Church completely different.

TDS can sure help but I've heard some not great stories about them . . . not warning off in anyway (I have nothing to gain) but just be wary. The children outside wedlock is a problem as I said before - no way around it - if you want a Lao marriage certificate you end up paying a fine depending on who does your paperwork and smoothing of palms will determine the size of the fine.

Remember all you getting when you go through the Lao marriage process is a Lao Marriage certificate, registering you marriage at the embassy has just the same effect.

[hgma]

Just got back from Nk immigration.

Our babynewborn....mother lao...legally married.....housingpapers.....will NOT be able to apply for a Non O dependentvisa if she has a laotian passport!!!!!!!!!!!!

any other western passport will do

hgma

When I got married in Thailand while resident in England I simply signed an 'affirmation of freedom to marry' at the British embassy and got it legalised - there was nothing equivalent to publishing the banns.

Yes you can do it this way - much the same as getting it posted outside the registery office.

The banns is if you are having a Christian wedding in Church completely different.

TDS can sure help but I've heard some not great stories about them . . . not warning off in anyway (I have nothing to gain) but just be wary. The children outside wedlock is a problem as I said before - no way around it - if you want a Lao marriage certificate you end up paying a fine depending on who does your paperwork and smoothing of palms will determine the size of the fine.

Remember all you getting when you go through the Lao marriage process is a Lao Marriage certificate, registering you marriage at the embassy has just the same effect.

[technocracy]

Just got back from Nk immigration.

Our babynewborn....mother lao...legally married.....housingpapers.....will NOT be able to apply for a Non O dependentvisa if she has a laotian passport!!!!!!!!!!!!

any other western passport will do

hgma

This is the problem when living in a country not of your own be it a newborn or not. For a newborn if the parents aren't permanent legal residents in a country then the baby cannot recieve Citizenship directly.

However in this scenario I don't understand what the issue is if the mother has a legal Thai visa in her passport then the baby is covered since Lao passports still do the sensible thing of adding the baby to the mothers passport. Unlike the conning bastards in the UK who want more money over 10 years for an under 16s passport that an adult!

But anyway a Lao person can apply at the Thai Consulate in Vientiane for a working visa in Thailand - what precisely it's called I don't know but I know several people who have them.

[hgma]

I dont think so

NEW RULE !!!!!

every laotian need to have a passport, no more covering in parents passport for children!!!

so NO NON 0 visa to begin with in order to aply for a dependent Non 0 in Thailand

(special entry visa regulation)

hgma

Just got back from Nk immigration.

Our babynewborn....mother lao...legally married.....housingpapers.....will NOT be able to apply for a Non O dependentvisa if she has a laotian passport!!!!!!!!!!!!

any other western passport will do

hgma

This is the problem when living in a country not of your own be it a newborn or not. For a newborn if the parents aren't permanent legal residents in a country then the baby cannot recieve Citizenship directly.

However in this scenario I don't understand what the issue is if the mother has a legal Thai visa in her passport then the baby is covered since Lao passports still do the sensible thing of adding the baby to the mothers passport. Unlike the conning bastards in the UK who want more money over 10 years for an under 16s passport that an adult!

But anyway a Lao person can apply at the Thai Consulate in Vientiane for a working visa in Thailand - what precisely it's called I don't know but I know several people who have them.

[hgma]

Sjaak

would you please explain what you mean with

"lao passportholders not allowed into Thailand for 2 years"

i am VERY interrested

hgma

Not that a Lao passport will do you any good. There's a short list of countries that allow Laotians visa free (like Russia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia and maybe a few others) and that's about it.

Incidentially, having a Lao passport doesn't give you the right to stay in Thailand for two years, yes you can get back to back visa exempt stamps without the 90 days in 6 months limit and without onward ticket, but that's about it. (and some Airlines even give you trouble when you are trying to fly into Thailand on a Lao passport. The last time my Lao partner had to show proof of onward travel out of Phnom Penh airport, Air asia staff doesn't know shit about visas

[technocracy]

I dont think so

NEW RULE !!!!!

every laotian need to have a passport, no more covering in parents passport for children!!!

so NO NON 0 visa to begin with in order to aply for a dependent Non 0 in Thailand

(special entry visa regulation)

hgma

Well it'd have to be a new rule as of the last few days since we have a 2 month old baby we are in the process of adding him to my wifes passport. I asked the question re:baby passport of our family friend who works in the immigration police and she told us, one passport - a Lao person cannot have there own passport until 16. This was also confirmed by the village boss when we registered our baby at the village office for the household book.

We just need get a picture done for the baby and our friend will sort out everything for us - we are just a bit lazy to do it since my wife uses a border pass if we go over to Thailand and just take the babies birth certificate incase anyone asks, which in about 4 or 5 trips no one has said anything.

I think Sjaak was just clarifying TBWGs comments made about people getting a Lao passport when marrying a Laotian and then are allowed to stay for 2 years without visa runs. Which is complete nonsense as Lao get a 30 day stamp just like most people.

[hgma]

Conflicting story in regard to my information.

1.Nextdoor neighbors wife laotian had her child (4) on her passport 2 weeks ago she needed to remove her child from her passport to give her her own passport (valid 3 years!!!)

2.My wifes phonecalls to the lao embassy in Bangkok....very polite people......mentioned only a baby passport

Again you live in Laos we dont so your firsthand information would be very appriciated.

As for us

since we live on Non0 visas(required before 1-1-2007, the date that laotians could enter Thailand without entryvisa restrictions) we hardly have a choice since laotian nationality act 2004 states

Only 1 passport, in fact the Lao embassy wouldnt legalize the official Thai birthcertificate if we didint obtain a Lao passport for our child.

well

Thai immigration said

No Non 0 for laotian baby

by the way can you figure out if the Thai embassy would issue Non0 3 months visas for laotians(in case the father has a non0 retirementvisa in Thailand?

would be very gratefull

hgma

I dont think so

NEW RULE !!!!!

every laotian need to have a passport, no more covering in parents passport for children!!!

so NO NON 0 visa to begin with in order to aply for a dependent Non 0 in Thailand

(special entry visa regulation)

hgma

Well it'd have to be a new rule as of the last few days since we have a 2 month old baby we are in the process of adding him to my wifes passport. I asked the question re:baby passport of our family friend who works in the immigration police and she told us, one passport - a Lao person cannot have there own passport until 16. This was also confirmed by the village boss when we registered our baby at the village office for the household book.

We just need get a picture done for the baby and our friend will sort out everything for us - we are just a bit lazy to do it since my wife uses a border pass if we go over to Thailand and just take the babies birth certificate incase anyone asks, which in about 4 or 5 trips no one has said anything.

I think Sjaak was just clarifying TBWGs comments made about people getting a Lao passport when marrying a Laotian and then are allowed to stay for 2 years without visa runs. Which is complete nonsense as Lao get a 30 day stamp just like most people.

[technocracy]

Conflicting story in regard to my information.

1.Nextdoor neighbors wife laotian had her child (4) on her passport 2 weeks ago she needed to remove her child from her passport to give her her own passport (valid 3 years!!!)

2.My wifes phonecalls to the lao embassy in Bangkok....very polite people......mentioned only a baby passport

Again you live in Laos we dont so your firsthand information would be very appriciated.

As for us

since we live on Non0 visas(required before 1-1-2007, the date that laotians could enter Thailand without entryvisa restrictions) we hardly have a choice since laotian nationality act 2004 states

Only 1 passport, in fact the Lao embassy wouldnt legalize the official Thai birthcertificate if we didint obtain a Lao passport for our child.

well

Thai immigration said

No Non 0 for laotian baby

by the way can you figure out if the Thai embassy would issue Non0 3 months visas for laotians(in case the father has a non0 retirementvisa in Thailand?

would be very gratefull

hgma

Well I intend to give my wife a nudge to get her passport done this coming week - since my parents arrive for a month next weekend so won't have much time afterwards and I don't want it dragging on. So I'll update you when I have passport in hand next week.

As for the one passport thing - this only relates to Laotian on Lao soil (and obviously with the embassy) but our child will have a British and Lao passport. The only thing with it is when dual passport holder are in Laos they have no dual-nationality rights.

I am surprise regarding them being arsey about the Thai birth certificate since the Thai certificate states the nationality on them and we were advise to get a Thai birth certificate first (since he was born in Udon hospital) then it makes the Lao one easier - which it did - done dusted and added to the household book in the space of the day.

[sjaak327]

My Lao partner got a new passport last week, and it's valid for 5 years now instead of 3 and with more pages as before (the passport was almost full after 4 visits to the Netherlands and numerous visits throughout SEA.

Maybe MOFA in Vientiane has changed their procedures ?

[yaraboy]

I thought that if a Lao has another passport that his Lao passport is not valid. That is why Overseas Lao with foreign passports can not buy property in their names

[hgma]

Vriendelijk verzoek

Since the dutch embassy will issue visas for Netherlands ONLY if lao partner has a Non0 in thailand wich is valid for at least 3 months after return to thailand (www.netherlandsembassy.in.th) would you kindly explain to me if and how you got in to the netherlands with your lao partner.

I am very interrested again NOT for myself but for a dutch friend who has NOT a NON0 dependent visa for his wife and kid and is refused visa to netherland without it.

regards HGMA

My Lao partner got a new passport last week, and it's valid for 5 years now instead of 3 and with more pages as before (the passport was almost full after 4 visits to the Netherlands and numerous visits throughout SEA.

Maybe MOFA in Vientiane has changed their procedures ?

[sjaak327]

double post, deleted

Edited May 3, 2008 by sjaak327

[sjaak327]

"Since the dutch embassy will issue visas for Netherlands ONLY if lao partner has a Non0 in thailand wich is valid for at least 3 months after return to thailand (www.netherlandsembassy.in.th) would you kindly explain to me if and how you got in to the netherlands with your lao partner."

Is that from the dutch embassy's website ? Strange, as it's none of their businesss whatever visa a Lao has in Thailand. The dutch embassy in Bangkok is also the embassy for Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia, so if you want to apply for a schengen visa (or MVV) for the Netherlands, and your partner happens to be from any of those three countries (and of course Thailand), you need to apply there. The status of a Lao in Thailand is of no consequence, as the Lao would be living in Laos, and just makes a trip to the Dutch embassy to apply for a visa there (as there is no Dutch embassy or consulate in Laos).

Of course if the Lao states that his/her home adddress is in Thailand, then I guess he/she needs a valid visa for Thailand, so just state the applicants home address somewhere in Laos (parent's address for instance) and you don't need a non-o, b or otherwise.

Maybe not being married makes it easier in this case.

[technocracy]

An update.

It seems as I was mis-informed in the first place.

The bad news for you HGMA is unfortunately it is true that children now do have to have their own individual passports. So the predicament with children not being able get a Thai Visa remains the same.

Apologies for the confusion . . .