Filipina And Uk National Marrying In Thailand

[SPIKECM]

I have been living with my Filipina fiance in Thailand. She has been on tourist visas from Laos for 4 years now. We are now getting married in Thailand and probably do it again in the Philippines later to keep her parents happy. I know what is required of me as a UK national and I assume she will need to go to the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok to get some certificate of no impediment to marriage. But I don't really know. Anyone have experience of this?

[lopburi3]

She can not marry more than once so I would do it in the Philippines if that is her desire.

She would need the same paperwork from her Embassy that you require and expect it may be harder to obtain but don't recall any details.

[Gigabyte]

Hi,

I wish you all the best and hapiness and all, but as a man who once got married with a Filipina in the Philippines I strongly suggest that you do not marry there. The Philippines is one of the very few remaining countries in World where divorce is illegal, which means that if things go for the worst and you married in the Philippines, you simply cannot divorce (there's a thing called marriage annulment, however it's very lenghty and expensive - something like 200,000 PHP and one year wait + the usual bribes).

Better you register your marriage in Thailand or in the UK where you can get an official divorce. Thailand will not divorce foreigner couples married in another country. If you want to make the parents happy, try to just do a ceremony but do not sign any marriage contract paper.

And to answer your question, yes you will both need to have papers from your respective embassies stating that you are both eligible to marry. However my knowledge is limited about what to do and how to do it. I can only give advice about what not to do... :-)

I wish you a happy life!

Edited August 14, 2010 by Gigabyte

[bob4you]

I disagree, get married in Philippines (I did) your wife knows at that point that it is permanent (no divorce in Philippines) but you actually can get divorced in another country and you could remarry, if she goes by Philippines customs, she cannot get divorce. I don't ever want a divorce from my Filipina wife and don't want her to be able to divorce me.

[Gigabyte]

I disagree, get married in Philippines (I did) your wife knows at that point that it is permanent (no divorce in Philippines) but you actually can get divorced in another country and you could remarry, if she goes by Philippines customs, she cannot get divorce. I don't ever want a divorce from my Filipina wife and don't want her to be able to divorce me.

Hello Bob4you,

Nice testimony, I'm happy that you have found hapiness. I was actually thinking the same 20 years ago, when I believed that marriage (wherever registered/celebrated) was a permanent status. My life however took another turn when my wife and I split over non reconciliable issues and no hope to get back together. She also wants to get divorced from me and cannot, I think that she wants to give a legal father to the other kid.

Technically yes, you can get divorced in another country. However it's not that easy. For me it is impossible for now; the marriage was registered in the Philippines where divorce is illegal; I cannot divorce in Thailand even if my wife lives here and agrees to the divorce, because we're both foreigners and the marriage was not registered here. And finally I cannot get divorced in my home country because I lost my residency status and it would take me one year after moving back to have the right to bring the case to court.

My advice for SPIKECM (the OP) is still to get married in a country where getting divorced is as easy as getting married. Yes, marriage should be forever, etc. however we never know what will happen down the road and having options is usually never a bad thing. The mini-mart just across my street sells cigarettes; that doesn't make me a smoker...

Edited August 15, 2010 by Gigabyte

[SPIKECM]

Thanks for your replies. Very helpful. I've been living in Chiang Mai for 10 years now and despite having 2 kids to two different Thai women, this is the first time I have contemplated marriage. I am only doing it as I believe that there is more chance that I will become the PM of Thailand, than we contemplate divorce. There's good and bad everywhere, but I think in general filipinas make far better wives than Thais.

I do know some Thais I can trust. Just none that I want to shack up with. I love Thai people, and there are some good girls out there, but the trouble is that most good Thai girls are also the wonderful daughter of some Thai father and they think about their Thai families much more than they could even think about the happiness of their farang.

There is a difference in filipinas in that although they have responsibility to their families, once they get married, their responsibility to their own family takes more precedence over their parents lives. This is in stark difference to Thais.

[Gigabyte]

... There is a difference in filipinas in that although they have responsibility to their families, once they get married, their responsibility to their own family takes more precedence over their parents lives. This is in stark difference to Thais.

No. Their responsibility to their own family (including their parents and extended family) will always take more precedence over your own life, so be ready to support a LOT of relatives, many of them you never heard about yet. Your role will be a financial and emotional support and you will always come the last.

[SPIKECM]

It was a bit of a generalisation to say what I said. Actually with my first Thai women, I never had any problems with her family. Strange story, but it wasn't typical.

I'm not going into my own relationship, but I simply don't have any problems with her family. There's also no mention of this ridiculous idea of sinsot. And what a joke that is....some 40 year old with three kids wanting sinsot......."its Thai culture darling!"...well I don't think so.

[Gigabyte]

It was a bit of a generalisation to say what I said. Actually with my first Thai women, I never had any problems with her family. Strange story, but it wasn't typical.

I'm not going into my own relationship, but I simply don't have any problems with her family. There's also no mention of this ridiculous idea of sinsot. And what a joke that is....some 40 year old with three kids wanting sinsot......."its Thai culture darling!"...well I don't think so.

For that, I think that I had better luck than you, I only mentioned about my bad experience and the consequences of having a marriage certificate issued in the Philippines. Not all Thai women are abusive and greedy, and surely not all Filipinas are.

Anyway, just to stay on the topic of this thread, I still advise that you keep your options open (i.e. do not register a marriage contract in the Philippines). It cannot hurt. And if one day you find yourself in a situation same as me, you will be glad to have the possibility to do something rather than just being frustrated in a dead-end... Lucky for me, my Thai g/f family (and herself) are not talking about sinsot, even if she's in her mid-twenties, never married, and the eldest of all her generation in a rather conservative Chinese descendents family. They know that I'm still officially married without a chance to divorce, and they're OK with that, as long as I take care well of their daughter. And we're even living together now so I guess that all that's missing is a ceremony at some point soon to seal this before the babies start poping out...

[SPIKECM]

and another thing about filipinas... slightly off topic.. but as there isn't a filipinevisa.com.. on the last time out of manila my filipina gf wasn't allowed on the plane without a returnn ticket back to Manila. I have no idea what regulation deals with this except that without a visa in your passport to thailand, theoretically the Thai immigration could refuse a visa.. they don't do in practice but the likes of UK won't let you depart unless you have a ticket out of Thailand. However, if you have a tourist visa in your passport there is no rule in Thailand that you must have a ticket out. Whatever right the Philippine immigration has of stopping you leave the country without a return back, I don't know. But before I stand my ground next time, I would like to check.....

[lopburi3]

Philippine immigration is charged with preventing sexual enslavement so will often block females from international travel and often set there own standards on who can and can not depart.

[SPIKECM]

That will hardly stop sexual enslavement as all you have to do is buy a ticket from Thai airways and then get your money back in Bangkok. It is inconvenient though. I just wonder what will happen if I stand my ground and refuse. They just like to do it for spite anyway.

Philippine immigration is charged with preventing sexual enslavement so will often block females from international travel and often set there own standards on who can and can not depart.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Mario2008
racist remark deleted

[krystian]

Your Filipina partner would need a certificate of singleness from the Philippines you will have to apply it in the Philippines ( ask a relative on her side to apply for that),, This would take a long time since it has to go throught the Office of the president (malacanang palace), this is one of the headache my friend has to go through so decided to get married in the Philippines. So if yo have plans getting married in the philippines just do it there, lesser headache and waiting time. Hope this helps.

[SPIKECM]

Actually, we live in Thailand but have just arrived in the Philippines to get married. We will come back to Thailand married, but we asked on arrival at Manila immigration and they said that no matter what, she will still need a ticket back to the Philippines when she departs. This is ridiculous. That means that a filipina has no right to leave her country unless she has a ticket back. Seems an infringement in human rights to me. Even a ticket to another country isn't enough as one time I got a cheap throw away ticket from Bangkok to Panang and that wasn't enough. It has to be back to the Philippines.

Your Filipina partner would need a certificate of singleness from the Philippines you will have to apply it in the Philippines ( ask a relative on her side to apply for that),, This would take a long time since it has to go throught the Office of the president (malacanang palace), this is one of the headache my friend has to go through so decided to get married in the Philippines. So if yo have plans getting married in the philippines just do it there, lesser headache and waiting time. Hope this helps.

Edited August 31, 2010 by SPIKECM

[tropo]

Hi,

I wish you all the best and hapiness and all, but as a man who once got married with a Filipina in the Philippines I strongly suggest that you do not marry there. The Philippines is one of the very few remaining countries in World where divorce is illegal, which means that if things go for the worst and you married in the Philippines, you simply cannot divorce (there's a thing called marriage annulment, however it's very lenghty and expensive - something like 200,000 PHP and one year wait + the usual bribes).

Better you register your marriage in Thailand or in the UK where you can get an official divorce. Thailand will not divorce foreigner couples married in another country. If you want to make the parents happy, try to just do a ceremony but do not sign any marriage contract paper.

And to answer your question, yes you will both need to have papers from your respective embassies stating that you are both eligible to marry. However my knowledge is limited about what to do and how to do it. I can only give advice about what not to do... :-)

I wish you a happy life!

This is completely wrong and common misinformation.

I just recently married a Filipina in Thailand.

1. In order to get a passport in her married name she had to report her marriage at the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok. This involves filling out in quadruplicate a "report of marriage" form. The marriage has been reported to the DFA and NSO in Manila and also on record at the Embassy in Bangkok and is as binding as any marriage in the Philippines.

2. She cannot get legally divorced now that the marriage has been reported to the relavent Philippine government departments.

3. If the marriage doesn't work out, it's not as difficult for her as many think. The foreigner can divorce her in his own country (or just leave her) and she will have legal capacity to remarry. She would not be technically divorced, but would easily obtain her annulment. This is no big deal at all.

Now if she didn't report the marriage at the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok then the NSO would have no record of her marriage. In that case she could possible remarry and no one would know, however, when the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok issues her with a CENOMAR and an "affadavit of legal cappacity to marry" (both documents are required by the Amphur office in order to marry here) they state that she must report her marriage asap.

I wouldn't be surprised if the NSO keeps a record that she has requested the documents and would follow up on this if she did try to remarry in Philippines.

If a filipina is serious about getting married I'm sure she would want it done legally and binding and would want to have a passport in her married name. If she wanted to do it without reporting it then I would seriously doubt her motives for getting married.

[Hans Brix]

I'm beginning to wonder if all farang-filipina couples live in Thailand. Thailand must be an awesome place or the Philippines is the opposite

[tropo]

HOW TO MARRY A FILIPINA IN THAILAND:

(step by step).

1. Apply for a CLCCM (Cerificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage) at the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok.

Required the following:

i) CENOMAR (Certificate of No Previous Marriage) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) and authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

ii) "Certificate of Live Birth" (Birth certificate) issued by the NSO and authenticated by DFA.

iii) Photocopy of first page of Philippine passport where applicants' photograph and personal particulars are indicated.

iv) a. If your girl is 18 - 21 then she will need a "permission to marry" document from her parents written up and witnessed at her local municipal office in the Philippines.

b. If your girl is 22, 23 or 24 she will need a "parental guidance" document from her parents written up and witnessed at her local municipal office.

c. If she is 25 or over she will not require any of these documents.

Notes:

The CENOMAR and Birth Certificate are issued by the NSO (NSO stamped) in Manila. They need to be taken to the DFA and red-ribbon certified. If your girl doesn't have smart relatives in Manila (must be immediate family - they will NOT issue these documents to cousins or uncles and aunts) then I would suggest you use the online service I used to get these documents. It cost me just under 10,000 pesos and they were DHL'd to my door in 3 1/2 weeks over Easter. At other times they claim it will take about 17 days.

2. When you present the above documents to the Philippine Embassy they will ask her to fill out an "Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Marry" form. You pay 1,125 baht and they will ask you to come back later that day to pick up your CLCCM and your affidavit form stamped by the vice consul.

These are the 2 documents your girl will need in order for her to marry you at an Amphur office in Thailand. These 2 documents (along with your UK Embassy document) will need to be translated into Thai and presented to the MFA office in Bangkok for certification. I used a legal firm in Pattaya to do this.

3. Once you have your translated MFA certified documents in hand you can go to any Amphur office in Thailand to get married. This was very easy and took about 20 minutes at Banglamung City Hall.

You will be issued with 2 documents:

i) Marriage certificate

ii) Registration of marriage

4. Take these to a legal office to get translated into English and certified by the MFA (or you could have them translated and make the trip to the MFA yourself if you want to save some money). I had the same legal office do this for me. I suggest you get at least 2 copies of each form because the Philippine Embassy will keep the originals. 3 would be even better so you each have one copy to keep for yourselves.

5. Take these to the Philippine Embassy and fill out in quadruplicate the "report of marriage" form. This will cost 1,125 baht.

Now is a convenient time to apply for your wife's new passport in her married name. A new passport will take 30 days. When you pick up her new passport make sure you get a "certification" document from the embassy stating that the new passport in her married name replaces her old passport in her maiden name. They will not offer this so you will have to request it. It's free!

Without this the immigration office will not transfer her stamps from her old passport to the new one. With this document and her Thai marriage certificate in hand it still took 30 minutes at the border (Friendship Bridge) to have the stamps transferred.

Edited August 31, 2010 by tropo

[tropo]

This would take a long time since it has to go throught the Office of the president (malacanang palace), this is one of the headache my friend has to go through so decided to get married in the Philippines. So if yo have plans getting married in the philippines just do it there, lesser headache and waiting time. Hope this helps.

I don't think it's easier to get married in the Philippines. Particularly if you want a church wedding as the church has a lot of requirements. Also there are more requirements of proof of no previous marriage for the foreigner. This is dependent on nationality, but many only need to sign a statutory declaration in Thailand.

The NSO documents no longer need to "go through the Office of the president" (whatever that means). They go straight from the NSO to the DFA. It will take about 2 weeks all up. Unless the family member knows what they're doing, this could be a painful process. Bare in mind that the NSO will not release documents to non-family members. Many have been caught out here. A friend or cousin cannot get these documents.

There's also a waiting period in the Philippines where you have to advertise your intention to marry.

All in all, if you use online services for PI documents and legal services in Thailand for translation and MFA stamping, it's a breeze compared to doing it in the Philippines. One trip to the Embassy (do both embassies on the same day) and quick trip to the Amphur office.

[SPIKECM]

correct...Thailand is an awesome place and the Philippines is the opposite.....well, my opinion at least...

I'm beginning to wonder if all farang-filipina couples live in Thailand. Thailand must be an awesome place or the Philippines is the opposite

[tropo]

Talk about wasting my time on here. I offer the OP a detailed step by step and not even a word of thanks in reply.

[lopburi3]

You offered good advise for marriage in Thailand which may be helpful to others now but not to him - he already is in the Philippines to do the deed per post #14.

[junkofdavid2]

... There is a difference in filipinas in that although they have responsibility to their families, once they get married, their responsibility to their own family takes more precedence over their parents lives. This is in stark difference to Thais.

No. Their responsibility to their own family (including their parents and extended family) will always take more precedence over your own life, so be ready to support a LOT of relatives, many of them you never heard about yet. Your role will be a financial and emotional support and you will always come the last.

No. You are only referring to lower-class Filipinos. The educated class and their relatives from good* schools will NOT want any of your support; and will even take offense if you offered it.

*(Note: just like in Thailand, there are also LOTS of "diploma mill" type schools in the Philippines; hence, the proliferation of so-called filipinos with "advanced degrees/diplomas" with sub-standard education and speak bad English).

You'll be amazed at how learned, educated, and well-cultured some Filipinos are from certain sectors of society.

That was my observation when I lived and worked in the Philippines for a couple of years.

.

Edited September 4, 2010 by junkofdavid2

[tropo]

You offered good advise for marriage in Thailand which may be helpful to others now but not to him - he already is in the Philippines to do the deed per post #14.

Thanks. I missed that one. I just have hit reply before I read all the posts.

Edited September 4, 2010 by tropo

[tropo]

... There is a difference in filipinas in that although they have responsibility to their families, once they get married, their responsibility to their own family takes more precedence over their parents lives. This is in stark difference to Thais.

No. Their responsibility to their own family (including their parents and extended family) will always take more precedence over your own life, so be ready to support a LOT of relatives, many of them you never heard about yet. Your role will be a financial and emotional support and you will always come the last.

No. You are only referring to lower-class Filipinos. The educated class and their relatives from good* schools will NOT want any of your support; and will even take offense if you offered it.

*(Note: just like in Thailand, there are also LOTS of "diploma mill" type schools in the Philippines; hence, the proliferation of so-called filipinos with "advanced degrees/diplomas" with sub-standard education and speak bad English).

You'll be amazed at how learned, educated, and well-cultured some Filipinos are from certain sectors of society.

That was my observation when I lived and worked in the Philippines for a couple of years.

You must be a "high" class snob.

It would be nice if you could refrain from using derogatory terms like "lower class". The classes depend on wealth and very few people work their way into wealth in the Philippines as the money is tied up in families over generations. Your so called "uppper class" Filipinos are a nasty bunch of snobs of the worst kind and commonly treat this "lower class" you speak of not much better than animals. (eg. How Manila households treat their 2 - 3000 per month maids from the Visayas - I could tell you a few interesting stories about this)

Talking about Filipinos speaking "bad English" is bit demeaning too. It's a 2nd or 3rd language for all Filipinos. Not eveyone has the same aptitude for languages no matter what their education level. Many well educated "upper class" have lousy English speaking skills compared to native English speakers.

Edited September 4, 2010 by tropo

[techno]

Just been to the British Consul in Chiang Mai and saw an official notice in the window of a British Citizen wishing to marry a Filipino in Thailand. Not sure if this is a legal requirement for a British citizen marrying a fellow alien in Thailand

[lopburi3]

A notice in the window saying what?

[SPIKECM]

actually it is probably my notice. It is not for marrying in Thailand though... we are doing it the Philippines. We were both there in Chiang Mai and to save time we did the NOM certificate in Chiang Mai and once the 21 days are up they will notify Manila that all is OK. Otherwise you have to arrive in Manila and stay there for 21 days before even going to the embassy to apply.

In retrospect I should have listened to Tropo's advise and did the marraige in Thailand. The only reason we did it this way was to please my fiance's parents, but the whole thing is becoming a bit of a nightmare. Just too long hanging around in this terrible place, but we did come too early as we had another wedding to attend. I miss Chiang Mai like a dear dear friend. Every time I leave Chiang Mai it is the same though and there's no more annoying place to come than the Philippines. The Philippine people make such great employees abroad. Where would Dubai be without them? In the Philippines though, they just don't function the same way. They seem incapable of running a tourist industry.

Anyway, off to Borocay in two days time which will take us away from Roxas town. I hear that there is food I can eat there, so here's hoping.

Just been to the British Consul in Chiang Mai and saw an official notice in the window of a British Citizen wishing to marry a Filipino in Thailand. Not sure if this is a legal requirement for a British citizen marrying a fellow alien in Thailand

[tropo]

Every time I leave Chiang Mai it is the same though and there's no more annoying place to come than the Philippines. The Philippine people make such great employees abroad. Where would Dubai be without them? In the Philippines though, they just don't function the same way. They seem incapable of running a tourist industry.

I was surprised that you find it such a bad place to visit. I love visiting the Philippines. Once you know how things "don't work" there and get over it you can really have a great time.

Trying too hard to please the parents is probably your biggest mistake. It is really not that hard to please them as most Filipinos are easily amused (entertained). This "Catholic" facade is not as strong as you may believe....nothing a few gallons of tuba, a few crates of beer and a pig on the spit can't crack.

[tropo]

There is a difference in filipinas in that although they have responsibility to their families, once they get married, their responsibility to their own family takes more precedence over their parents lives. This is in stark difference to Thais.

I don't agee with this. Filipinas generally maintain a very close bond and responsibility to their familes even when they have their own. The family bond is at least as strong as it is with Thais and perhaps even stronger.

[gekkie]

Im in the same situation as mentioned above....want to marry filippina.and have all the needed paperwork almost....

one more question, im staying in Thailand with retirementvisa OA,so if om legally married here what are the steps i have to take

for permanent stay of her with me in thailand?

want some good advice from the members for the easyest way to get her permanent visa....

Thanks,