To visit and marry in thailand

[toshiba123]

hi ,

my girl friend and i wish to visit thailand and getting marry there.

is there any special documents we need to bring with us?

should we contact our embassy in thailand before we visit?

thank you.

kind regards

[george]

Registration of Thai marriage at Amphur

Thailand has become a very popular destination for people who are not Thai to marry. Very few formalities are required for a non-Thai couple to marry, it is easy to arrange and inexpensive.

The legal marriage registration can be done at any district office in Thailand on any working day between 8am and 3pm.

To marry in Thailand you need to both have your passports and proof that you are single. If you have previously been married which ended by divorce or death you will need the original certificates. If you have never been married the Thai authorities require that you produce to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a statutory statement of non-attachment notarised by your respective embassy. However not all embassies are willing to accept your word that you are single and free to marry and they may require proof of this from your home country. You are advised to contact your embassy in Bangkok directly to enquire as to their individual needs if you are not a UK national.

Your embassy will normally charge a fee for notarising it and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs make a nominal charge for registering it and issuing a certificate to enable you to legally marry anywhere in Thailand. A further fee may be required to have the document officially translated into Thai normally around 700 Baht.

You should allow four working days in Bangkok prior to registering your marriage as you are required to have been resident in Thailand for at least three days before you marry and you must allow time for the paperwork to be processed in Bangkok. This also allows you to visit some of the attractions of this amazing city.

If you wish you can also have a traditional Thai (Buddhist) wedding ceremony, however please note this alone is not sufficient to qualify as an internationally recognised marriage, only the legal registration is accepted.

We know many couples who have found this to be far less expensive than marrying at home and considerably more enjoyable. The opportunity to marry and enjoy your honeymoon in one of the most talked about tropical tourist destinations of the World is a true once in a lifetime experience very well worth considering.

Registration of marriage in Thailand can only be done at a District Office ("amphur"), which is similar to a town hall back home. Please note that a marriage ceremony performed in a church, or in a temple, or a ceremony at home with monks attending the wedding is not legally binding in Thailand, - and therefore not legally binding in your country either.

In order for a foreign citizen to register marriage in Thailand, the Thai authorities request that your Embassy issue a certificate in English and in Thai, which confirms your name, nationality, passport number, issuing passport authority, address in home country, employer, position, and salary. Furthermore, names and age of children from previous relationships, if any. And finally, names and addresses of 2 contact persons (references) in your country, who are not family members.

1. If you wish to marry in Thailand you should therefore contact the Embassy and bring the following original documents:

Passport  

Health insurance card or other official documentation of your present address.  

Salary statement (the latest) or similar documentation of your income, for instance your pension statement or your yearly salary statement from the tax authorities in your home country.  

If you have previously been married, your divorce certificate. The certificate should be translated into Thai. Since the certificate must be legalised by the Embassy, we prefer that the translation is made by the Embassy or by a translation office recommended by the Embassy.  

Certificate from your home municipality concerning notification of marriage  

Names and addresses (references) of two persons you know in your home country, who are not your family.  

Names and age of your children, if any.

Under normal circumstances, it takes two working days for the Embassy to issue a certificate for registration of marriage in Thailand. You will be charged a fee for the Embassy's assistance

Alternatively and in order to save time, you may find it more convenient to forward copies of the documents to the Embassy beforehand, in order that the certificate and any translations are ready when you arrive in Thailand. Please note, however, that you must present all the original documents when coming to the Embassy to pick up your certificate for registration of marriage in Thailand.

2. You should bring the certificate to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be verified as a true document issued by your Embassy.

The address of the Ministry is:

Legalisation

Department of Consular Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Chaeng Wattana Road

(close to the Communications Authority of Thailand)

Bangkok

Tel: 02 503-3905 to 02 503-3907

It usually takes a couple of days for the Ministry to verify a document. Please note that the Ministry will charge you a fee. The Embassy cannot assist you in having the certificate verified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3. When the certificate has been verified, you may register marriage at any District Office (amphur).

The Embassy, however, usually recommends that you register marriage in Bangkok, or in another larger city, as the district offices in the cities are more familiar with the embassies' certificates. You do not need to make an appointment in advance with the district office.

The amphur will charge you a small fee for the registration of marriage. Please note that you might also have to pay a small fee to the two marriage witnesses, if they are provided by the amphur.

4. After your marriage you can come back to the Embassy to have your Thai marriage certificate registered with your country's authorities.