Need Thai Version Of Marriage Certificate

[baabaabobo]

I married my thai wife 17 years ago and we have just moved to Phuket.

She has a thai passport with my family name on it but her ID card still has her maiden name.

To buy land they ask for a thai mariage certificate (we were married abroad) to change her ID card.

Is this just a translation they want or do we have to get married again.? Can the british embassy help and are there any consular services here in Phuket or do I have to go to bangkok?

Anyone been down this road? Advice please.

[dutch]

I married 28 years ago in Holland with my Thai wife.

6 years ago we went to Indonesia ( work) and there I let my Dutch certificate translated into English.That's something you probably don't have to do ,being British (I suppose).The translation was certified by both Dutch and Thai embassies.

In my preparation for retirement in Thailand, I had my English translation , translated into Thai and this was certified by Thai ministry of foreighn affairs.(translation bureau will take care of that at total costs of about 2500 baht).

Since I use for all occuring occassions this Thai translated wedding certificate and it works fine.

[roiet]

I married my thai wife 17 years ago and we have just moved to Phuket.

She has a thai passport with my family name on it but her ID card still has her maiden name.

To buy land they ask for a thai mariage certificate (we were married abroad) to change her ID card.

Is this just a translation they want or do we have to get married again.?  Can the british embassy help and are there any consular services here in Phuket or do I have to go to bangkok?

Anyone been down this road? Advice please.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

1. Your wife is buying the land, correct.

Or did she talk about about leasing the land to you in front of any official.

2. Who is asking for a Thai mariage certificate, the bank or the land office. If its the bank they are silly, they want to put the nose into your private life.

3. If its the land office they are wrong, never show them your marriage paper, thats where the trouble starts. Your wife is a Thai Citiizen and can buy land with a ID card anywhere anytime. No need to change ID card . She can do any transaction or business in Thailand with a valid ID card. Never ever change her maiden name in the ID card to your name. To conduct important business she needs a Thai name.

PS: Our land office insisted my Thai wife to change her ID card to my name, she refused and stated that she married abroad and forreign laws applied. They accepted.

3. Maybe the land office will try another one, ask your wife where the money comes from and she has to tell them it comes from her. A foreigner can not pay for land. IF you pay from your account you will have never ending demands for statements etc etc.

When the land deal is signed let the wife pay trough her acccount in her maiden names account.

Speaking from experience

[lopburi3]

The District Office will do the ID card change but that is not a requirement under Thai law anymore so not sure what authority they are using to demand it (although it should have been done if you did on passport). The marriage certificate may have to be translated by one of the translation services and registered at the MFA if that is really a valid requirement.

One suggestion is always have a degree holder or lawyer with you when dealing with land office.

[lopburi3]

To conduct important business she needs a Thai name.

Could you expand on that please? You sure do not need a Thai name to buy land.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

To conduct important business she needs a Thai name.

Could you expand on that please? You sure do not need a Thai name to buy land.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Correcto.

[sua yai]

Looking at our marriage certificate, it states on the back that my wife had 60 days in which to change her surname. That was easily done at the tessabahn.

As far as buying land is concerned, surely tabienbahn (sic) would prove nationality. What's in a name?

[lopburi3]

Looking at our marriage certificate, it states on the back that my wife had 60 days in which to change her surname. That was easily done at the tessabahn.

As far as buying land is concerned, surely tabienbahn (sic) would prove nationality. What's in a name?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When were you married? Under the new constitution she does not have to change her name but wonder if they still have that on the marriage certificates today?

FYI: Mine is the blue form from 12 years ago and has no such information about name change. Only info on back is id of man and woman used for marriage.

[AndyMoss]

I married my thai wife 17 years ago and we have just moved to Phuket.

She has a thai passport with my family name on it but her ID card still has her maiden name.

To buy land they ask for a thai mariage certificate (we were married abroad) to change her ID card.

Is this just a translation they want or do we have to get married again.?  Can the british embassy help and are there any consular services here in Phuket or do I have to go to bangkok?

Anyone been down this road? Advice please.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

To buy land she does not need to show her passport, just her ID card. She does not need a passport to buy land, so she does not have to show it. If she wants to buy the land in your name, then you have to jump through all the redtape hoops, it's true.

It is a regulation that, if she has changed her passport to your family name, then she should also change her ID card. That is noted in the passport when the change was made. However, it is better not to do that if you can avoid it. There will be occasions when the officials will ask about this e.g. when you renew your passport, but you can just say you have not yet done it. No time etc.

So, the best way is for her to buy the land in her old name

[TizMe]

When I was married 18 months ago, Misses TizMe changed got a new ID card with her Maiden name on it. Since then she has bought property without me being involved, No pomplem.

Edited August 5, 2005 by TizMe

[Dragonman]

When I was married 18 months ago, Misses TizMe changed got a new ID card with her Maiden name on it. Since then she has bought property without me being involved, No pomplem.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't understand why people think you have to have a thai name to carry on business, buy land etc. My wife's done everything with no problems in having my surname on passport and ID. They also gave us a form when we got married nearly 5 years ago saying the ID had to be changed. Also why is it a problem for a foreign spouse to sign at the land office to say he has no claim on the land, although seems superfluous to me as the law already states he cannot. In fact you are likely breaking the law if married and not declaring you have a foreign spouse when acquiring land.

[baabaabobo]

Some good replies - thanks everyone,

For years she kept her maiden name and has never taken on my nationanality. Lat time we changed her passport abroad they changed her neme to mine. We have lived in Europe for the last twelve years and were worried that the land office would notice that her thai passport has my name and her ID her maiden name. She went back to her natal village to change ID and the umpher said she needed to provide a ''thai'' marriage cert.

Thanks to this forum we have decided to buy the land with maiden name ID and not show passport.

If asked if married she will reply yes but not in Thailand. As for payment we will use cashiers cheque with no name on it ( just the beneficiary). I will keep my farang face outside unless called for.

[roiet]

Dragonman

In fact you are likely breaking the law if married and not declaring you have a foreign spouse when acquiring land.

This I can not understand.

Is this related to the questions about the origin of the money to buy the land ?

[JimGant]

I've wondered what the implication of not telling the land office you're married could be (?). My wife, who kept her Thai last name, bought our land without my ever being involved. A few months later, I went to the land office for the first time to do the 30-year lease thingy. Our marriage status may have come up casually -- I can't remember -- but I've never taken a written or oral oath that the money for the land was hers. I certainly would have (even tho' it's "our" money) if the opportunity availed, or had become necessary.

But why would the land office need something that implies I have no claim to the land? It's not like the wife dies and I show up at the land office singing "this land is my land." (Apologies to Woody Guthrie.) What good would that do, since I can't own it? Also, her will would dictate in this situation -- and it says, effectively, 'if Thai law allows, I can own it. If not, then I can sell it or designate a relative to take title for my benefit.'

I suppose if our marriage ended in a pissing contest -- and I contested the ownership of the land -- the land office could show proof that the land was bought with her money. But, again, why would they even bother -- their only concern is about farangs owning land -- and Thai law is quite clear on that.

So, the only beneficiary in the above situation would be the wife -- and her lawyer, who would be gleefully waving a piece of paper from the land office saying it was her money. But in my situation, they won't find any paper relinquishing any claim.

But none of this was in my thought process when we bought the land. Plus, after 30 years together, there'll be no pissing contest. But I have wondered if somehow not putting me in the picture at purchase time was flirting with fraud or misrepresentation -- and if so, what could be the implications(?). None would be my answer -- but TIT.

[roiet]

To conduct important business she needs a Thai name.

Could you expand on that please? You sure do not need a Thai name to buy land.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A lot of my wifes friends have gone trough endless troubles with landoffices when they showed Thai ID cards with family names of foreign spouses. Had to show husband passports, marriage paper translation followed by comments but your are a foreign national. Never ending discussions and delays and further trouble when buying car etc

Some of these Thai woman changed their ID card back to Thai family names. No more problem with same landoffices.

Of course it depends to which landoffice you go and who sits on the other side of the counter.

[lopburi3]

To conduct important business she needs a Thai name.

Could you expand on that please? You sure do not need a Thai name to buy land.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A lot of my wifes friends have gone trough endless troubles with landoffices when they showed Thai ID cards with family names of foreign spouses. Had to show husband passports, marriage paper translation followed by comments but your are a foreign national. Never ending discussions and delays and further trouble when buying car etc

Some of these Thai woman changed their ID card back to Thai family names. No more problem with same landoffices.

Of course it depends to which landoffice you go and who sits on the other side of the counter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It also makes a huge difference who you are and how you act. As I said earlier I would highly advise only making land office visits with a lawyer or at least a family member with a degree. As was previously pointed out this change name trick may very well be illegal as anyone married to a foreigner has to go through the money source/signing procedure and she would not do so. Be careful of solutions that may come back to bite.

[sua yai]

It's been a while since I was on this thread, but have now seen how it's progressed.

We were married 3 weeks ago. The 60 days, stamped on the back of both of our certificates was the time given by the local amphur office for her to change her surname, if she wanted to do so.

I still think that the important document is the tabienbahn. Unless I'm mistaken, this proves the lineage of a Thai person to the Thai authorities. My wife's family's tabienbahn was changed as well. It just looks like a bank book, with another addition/alteration by name. Her family keep this safe - not us. Bit like a family tree, I suppose.

If I'm barking up the wrong tree, tell me not to p*** on it. I could well be wrong about these assumptions.

[baabaabobo]

Binangonandunnit!!! in 3 hours we had the chanote - waited outside until five minutes later I was called in to sign a piece of paper saying I realised that I cannot own land. When I asked my wife how they knew she was married she replied "They asked where's your husband?" she replied "outside" so much for worrying about names. Next step is the 30 year lease....

[BaDboD]

My wife changed her ID card from her maiden name last year,, some 3 years after we got married in Hong Kong,, all they wanted was a translation of the marriage certificate. Some people keep mentioning "registering our marriage in Thailand",, not sure why or what that means,, she changed her ID already so i guess were 'registered' then?

baabaabobo: Wierd, from what I understand your wife is perfectly entitled to own land regardless of nationality of her husband! the old law was changed a few years ago now. But this is Thailand so there is every possibility it has changed again

Edited August 10, 2005 by BaDboD

[Nordlys]

baabaabobo:  Wierd, from what I understand your wife is perfectly entitled to own land regardless of nationality of her husband! the old law was changed a few years ago now. But this is Thailand so there is every possibility it has changed again 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's my understanding too. That a Thai person can own a land regardless of the nationality of the spouse.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

baabaabobo:  Wierd, from what I understand your wife is perfectly entitled to own land regardless of nationality of her husband! the old law was changed a few years ago now. But this is Thailand so there is every possibility it has changed again 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's my understanding too. That a Thai person can own a land regardless of the nationality of the spouse.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is perfectly true

[MyNameIsFarang]

My wife changed her ID card from her maiden name last year,, some 3 years after we got married in Hong Kong,, all they wanted was a translation of the marriage certificate. Some people keep mentioning "registering our marriage in Thailand",, not sure why or what that means,, she changed her ID already so i guess were 'registered' then?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't guess, find out for sure. What your wife did was give documentation (the translated foreign marriage cert.) to support a request for name change in her personal file in the ID database and thus on her ID card. That has far more to do with her as an individual than you two as a couple.

Registering your marriage is done with the Administration Department of the Ministry of the Interior and it's the same thing Thai couples do to be legal. Note that Thais don't first apply for a marriage license which a religious official or magistrate later signs off on and files on your behalf. They simply register after the fact whenever they get a mood to drag themselves to the big scary building...

The official document just shows the names, birth dates and Thai ID numbers (you don't have one so it will show all zeroes) of both parties, registration number, and place (amphur up-country or khet in BKK) and date of the registration. If you didn't sign anything, chances are good that you are NOT legally registered as married in Thailand beyond whatever rights you enjoy based on reciprocity agreements between governments.