Marriage In Thailand...how?

[Offshore_Chap]

Greetings all,

First of all let me just say thanks to those managing this forum. What a great resource.

What I am after is information on the correct way to go about marrying my Thai fiancee. I'm an Australian chap, having been living in Pattaya for 2yrs or so with a Thai lady.

Like Tukyleith, I work offshore and have been entering the country on a tourist visa. I guess, similar to the rest of you expats, I am just a a little nervous about what the future holds with respect to visas. It did not help that, just as I was about to embark upon the process of acquiring a non-imm B visa, I was told by my trusty visa specialist not too bother due to the huge hassles he is now experiencing.

Our friend Hambali has a ###### of a lot to answer for! How I'd like to string the little turd up by his thumbs!

My intention was to marry my fiancee late next year, however, in light of the changes due in July 04 I think this should now happen sooner rather than later. I would be grateful for any and all advice of how I go about marrying my lady and then making it official.

Cheers.....

[tuky]

Hey Offshore,

Good to hear your similar circumstance, It's a great life isn't it?

I rang the Aussie embassy and spoke with the consular guy, Johnson something is his name, he then emailed all the info I needed.

You will need to go to the embassy and fill out an affidavit, they have the form there. This is to prove your not married/never been married.

Then you will need to get it translated, if you turn right after leaving the embassy there is a translation service on your right 100m or so down the road.

I went there and for 7000 Baht they translated the form, legalised it and then took us both to the Sathorn Amphur where we were married, we got an official translation of the Thai marriage cert. (Not an official cert.) on the spot.

At the Amphur we were married and received our thai cert. two copies in a special blue satin folder All in the one day.

To change my wife's name we went to our local Amphur, marriage cert. in hand and did the usual waiting, she walked out with her ID card in my family name and her family/house registration card thing changed. I wasn't expecting it to be this easy but it is all legit.

I haven't registered it with the Aussies yet, and not too sure if I need to.

All the best of luck mate, congratulations.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

OFFSHORE...good for you as Tukyleith says it is easy. The new ' fork and knife ' doesn't have to change her name to yours nowdays. Australia recognizes Thai marriages. You need an O visa, not a B,once you are married, any Thai Consulate will give you that visa. Once you open a bank account with 200,000 baht, you'll get a one year extension. Please don't even think about using an agent.

[lopburi3]

Once you open a bank account with 200,000 baht, you'll get a one year extension

Let's make that "can apply for" rather than "you'll get". I would want to confirm any tax implications first.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I would want to confirm any tax implications first.

Tax implications Lop....what sort...PM if you prefer.

[Guest ka1234]

Don't forget: the bride-to-be also need a document from her home amphur certifying that she is not already married.

[Offshore_Chap]

Once you open a bank account with 200,000 baht, you'll get a one year extension

Let's make that "can apply for" rather than "you'll get". I would want to confirm any tax implications first.

Gents, thanks for the great advice.

Once you open a bank account with 200,000 baht, you'll get a one year extension

What does the one year extension refer to? I am assuming that this is an extension that can be applied for "in country: rather than having to departing at the end of each visa, is this correct? Regarding tax implications, I will dig a little deeper on this topic, however, am not too concerned about myself but rather the implications regarding my future spouse.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You get a Non-Immigrant O Class visa an your home country or somewhere else outside Thailand that enables a 90 day stay. You go to Immigration ( complying with their requirements ) and apply to have that visa extended one year, ie. you can then stay the full year. No need to leave every 90 days. I do not know what Lopburi means when he talks of tax implications.

[huski]

I went there and for 7000 Baht they translated the form, legalised it and then took us both to the Sathorn Amphur where we were married, we got an official translation of the Thai marriage cert. (Not an official cert.) on the spot

I hope you meant to say 700 baht

Let's make that "can apply for" rather than "you'll get". I would want to confirm any tax implications first.

tax implications? not for having 200,000 baht in a THAI Bank account

[tuky]

Huski,

I did mean 7000 baht.

I considered it money well spent otherwise I would have had to take the affidavit to some other office somewhere and wait 3 days for them to legalise it blah blah!

My wife and I didn't want to go through all the hassle, we started the enterprise at the Aussie embassy at 1pm and were married in the Amphur by 4pm.

We did this only a couple of months ago, with my wife being pregnant she didn't want to wait around and the 3 nights in a hotel (decent hotel) would have cost us that anyway.

My wife's sister married a Japanese guy, they used an agent to do this and it ended up costing them something like 50k baht and took several months as opposed to our several hours.

I bet you could do it much cheaper, but I work hard for my money so I want my money to work hard for me, which it did.

[Edward B]

If you don't want to wait in Bangkok 3 days you can pay only 700 baht and get them to post the stampled translation to you for an extra 50 baht or so. I think the 7000 baht is a bit of a waste. Most of the agencies will offer this option to you if you're in a hurry. What's the hurry though?

[huski]

I work hard for my money so I want my money to work hard for me, which it did.

you were bent over and reamed, i paid 600 baht and came back 2 days later to pickup the documents. didn't your embassy give you a list of translators? there is no way someone on this list would charge that much.

My wife's sister married a Japanese guy, they used an agent to do this and it ended up costing them something like 50k baht and took several months as opposed to our several hours.

i hope you are joking about the 50K and it taking months, for a translation?

[tuky]

Huski,

each to their own.

I don't see myself as having been reamed, the 7k was money well spent in my eyes. It was all over and done with in a few hours, I guess I am a bit lazy and if I needed to save the money I would have but 7k isn't that big a deal.

My wife's sister married a Japanese guy, they used an agent to do this and it ended up costing them something like 50k baht and took several months as opposed to our several hours.

i hope you are joking about the 50K and it taking months, for a translation

unfortunatley I am not joking, I asked him about this and he said he had all sorts of problems being Japanese, it didn't help that my wifes sister was only 17 at the time. 50k is too much, I think the agent saw him coming.

But 7k, that was money well spent

[Edward B]

I work hard for my money so I want my money to work hard for me, which it did.

you were bent over and reamed, i paid 600 baht and came back 2 days later to pickup the documents. didn't your embassy give you a list of translators? there is no way someone on this list would charge that much.

The difference in cost is due to the difference in time it takes to get everything done. Compare 600 baht = wait 2-3 days : 7000 baht = done in 2-3 hours.

I don't think he was 'reamed'. This is the price all agencies charge. It's the price of getting things done quickly in Thailand.

My grudge is: If they can do it that quickly, then wy don't they do it that quickly as the norm? It's a bit like the arplane that was late taking off - the captain comes on the speaker and says: "We're running a tad late but no problems. We will increase our speed a bit to make up for the lost time and we should all arrive at our destination on schedule".

So why don't planes just fly as fast as possible in the first place?

[tuky]

Most of the agencies will offer this option to you if you're in a hurry. What's the hurry though?

Ed B. I work outside of Thailand, so when I am here we have only a limited time. The hurry is I don't want to spend that time in an Amphur or an Embassy, I want to spend it with my wife and her family relaxing , much more enjoyable.

[tuky]

Lets not forget that for the 7k baht we had the affidavit translated, legalised and we were driven to the Amphur where the Translation Service took all the steps to get the head Amphur guy to marry us, all in about 3 hours.

[Edward B]

Most of the agencies will offer this option to you if you're in a hurry. What's the hurry though?

Ed B. I work outside of Thailand, so when I am here we have only a limited time. The hurry is I don't want to spend that time in an Amphur or an Embassy, I want to spend it with my wife and her family relaxing , much more enjoyable.

Your first post mentioned that your wife didn't want to wait in a hotel for 3 days. I said that you wouldn't have to wait in a hotel if you got the agency to post you the translation (with notorised stamp from MFA). This way you save on the 3 day wait in Bangkok, especially if you are from out of town. This is what I did. I don't live in Bangkok. I was in no hurry, I didn't want to wait in Bangkok for 3 days, so I got them to do everything and post it to me - all for 700 baht. I now see that you work outside Thailand so for you this was probably the best option.

Cheers!

[tuky]

I didn't know about the postage option but a good one I am sure.

I was glad to get it all over and done with to be honest.

My wife isn't too good with her English and my Thai is appalling so sometimes we have problems sharing information, or trying to make each other understand.

But all is well that ends well!!!

Great to have your input Edward B

[huski]

The difference in cost is due to the difference in time it takes to get everything done. Compare 600 baht = wait 2-3 days : 7000 baht = done in 2-3 hours.

for me they handed the translated document to a motorbike driver and had him pick it up 2 days later. i could of took it over and had it done in 2 to 3 hours, but choose not to. of the 600 baht, they only charged 200 baht for this part of the total price.

wow, they gave the gentleman and his fiance a ride over to the amphur, he could of took a taxi to both locations and had the whole thing done in the same amount of time.

nothing magical about the agent, except he made alot of money in 3 to 4 hours.

My grudge is: If they can do it that quickly, then wy don't they do it that quickly as the norm? It's a bit like the arplane that was late taking off - the captain comes on the speaker and says: "We're running a tad late but no problems. We will increase our speed a bit to make up for the lost time and we should all arrive at our destination on schedule".

So why don't planes just fly as fast as possible in the first place?

do you drive a car? the faster you go the more fuel you use.

[Edward B]

It was a rhetorical question.

[Pink Mist]

Just my 2 bobs worth the guy in the embassy named Johnson is actually Wilson Johnson and he is good value(was in our case), he was the Acting Principal Migration Officer when we were getting visa.

Tukylieth,

We did the same as you pay the money or in our case stay in Bangkok for another 5 days because I arrived on a Friday, money well spent, they did everything all in one day and no problems with paperwork for Aussie Embassy.

good luck

[kwiz117]

Lets not forget that for the 7k baht we had the affidavit translated, legalised and we were driven to the Amphur where the Translation Service took all the steps to get the head Amphur guy to marry us, all in about 3 hours.

We did it all with the help of Thaivisa.com postings and the help of my wife with paying just 50 Bht to borrow a "Rubber Stamp" from the translator in front of Chanwathana office and 800 Bht for Express Legalising Fees in the Departments.

This took us half a day at Chianwathana consular division.

Marraige Registration, Her name change , Her House registration name change, Her new ID card all did in the following day at Ladprao District Office without no cost. Also in the evening, she changed her name in the Passport at Chianwathana Passport office.

Just read this forum.. "Learning by reading someone else's experiance is always faster and more informative in Thailand"

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Huski,

I did mean 7000 baht.

I considered it money well spent otherwise I would have had to take the affidavit to some other office somewhere and wait 3 days for them to legalise it blah blah!

Achieving it all in the half day was probably well worth it to him ...and he's happy so let him be

[tuky]

Thanks Doc.

I would have moved heaven and earth to marry my little princess,

so what's a little fee?

ofcourse now that we are married Ive realised that the "little fee" is just that, considering the very large fee I am paying her to stay my wife