Marry In Thailand

[ianf]

When I go to Thailand for my December wedding, I need to produce my previous divorce certificate at the UK embassy for the affadivit of being free to marry. Trouble is I have two previous marriages and only the certificate for the most recent. Is that OK. The UK embassy website appears to want all of them.

Advice and help please.

[Morden]

Clearly, it would be better to have both but you don't seem to have time to sort that one out. Unless another member can give you a definite answer, I would suggest that you 'phone or email the Embassy pdq. I suppose a sensible view would be that, to marry the second time you would have to be divorced! But that's only a sensible answer.

All may not be lost for December if you don't get it sorted out in time. It's the amphur that will need the freedom to marry declaration for the legal marriage. If you plan the full monty of a traditional Thai wedding, you could still do that. In fact, if it's organised the may be deep trouble if you postponed it!

Good luck in every respect!

[ianf]

Clearly, it would be better to have both but you don't seem to have time to sort that one out. Unless another member can give you a definite answer, I would suggest that you 'phone or email the Embassy pdq. I suppose a sensible view would be that, to marry the second time you would have to be divorced! But that's only a sensible answer.

All may not be lost for December if you don't get it sorted out in time. It's the amphur that will need the freedom to marry declaration for the legal marriage. If you plan the full monty of a traditional Thai wedding, you could still do that. In fact, if it's organised the may be deep trouble if you postponed it!

Good luck in every respect! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Presumably if I do not tell them about previous marriages and produce my most recent divorce certificate everything will be OK?

[Morden]

Presumably if I do not tell them about previous marriages and produce my most recent divorce certificate everything will be OK?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe you would get away with it but I don't think that it's a good idea to try. The Embassy staff won't look very kindly on you if they catch you at it. They can't refuse a Statement but they may not go out of their way to smooth the passage of the paperwork. What 's even more to the point is that you may have greater difficulty should your wife later apply for a visa.

Always tell the Embassy the full story. Always tell them the truth. The staff there make a career out of detecting lies.

[sierra01]

Faxphone the UK court where your divorce was done, ask them to send copies, by courier (TNT or someone). I faxed the court and the papers came in 4 days, normal post. In the covering letter they asked me to forward £1 per copy. It was quick for me but maybe Courier could be even quicker.

[justwilliam]

There may be another factor that you need to consider. I had the same intentions as you, and went through this very process some years ago. The problem I encountered was that all those divorce papers must be translated into Thai, and the authorities here in Thailand will not accept translations from any source but their own translation offices.

This translation took about six weeks in my case.

Perhaps the situation is different now, but I recommend you enquire anyway.

[sierra01]

My translation was done at one of the places next to the MFA on Chaeng Wattana road, took less than an hour and 200bt, went straight across to the MFA and about hour I was out again, job jobbed, and this was on Thursday just gone.

[Dragonman]

I suppose a sensible view would be that, to marry the second time you would have to be divorced! But that's only a sensible answer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Precisely. In fact in the past the British Registrar has kept the original divorce certificate when you apply to re-marry! When I married in Thailand, nearly 5 years ago, they seemed to be aware of this, as you were only asked to produce the last certificate of divorce. They were just as thick in those days though, as I was asked why my divorce was only finalised a week before I re- married. Reason " because if I married before then I would be a bigamist" In other words "mind your own business"

The Embassy now feels they have to check Registrars are doing their job. IDIOTS

[spacebass]

Please advise how this is finally resolved b.t.w. in England you only need the last divorce cert.

Space

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I suppose a sensible view would be that, to marry the second time you would have to be divorced! But that's only a sensible answer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Precisely. In fact in the past the British Registrar has kept the original divorce certificate when you apply to re-marry! When I married in Thailand, nearly 5 years ago, they seemed to be aware of this, as you were only asked to produce the last certificate of divorce. They were just as thick in those days though, as I was asked why my divorce was only finalised a week before I re- married. Reason " because if I married before then I would be a bigamist" In other words "mind your own business"

The Embassy now feels they have to check Registrars are doing their job. IDIOTS

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you retire from the profession early ? I suspect that with those shoulder chips, you had to.

[seonai]

you should only need a certified translation of your last divorce certificate, as other posters have said this takes about one hour max just down the road from the British Embassy.

Mine cost 400 baht.

[Morden]

I'd forgotten about the need for certified Thai translations. A suitable agent would be able to do this and all of the running about for you and could save a lot of time. If you want the contact details of a reputable agent and translation service, send me a PM.

[thaivisitor]

I'm not sure how the UK embassy works as I'm from Singapore. But I think generally the procedures should be about the same as they would probably be determined by the Thai MFA.

What was required of me was to produced the necessary original or certified true copies of documents such as divorced certificate (the second one, as it overwrites the first), letter of good stead (employment), etc, etc to the embassy.

The embassy will then prepare a summarized letter stating the necessary information that I am employed with a good income, is presently not married, has no previous criminal records, etc, etc.

Only this letter is needed to be translated and produced to the Thai MFA. This part was done by an Alien Marriage Agent who will handle everything with 2 days where I appear in a Ampur or something like dat and my marriage was settled.

I also did not have to be physically around to received my marriage certificate as the agent sent it to me my post together with an offcially tranlated version in English. I did pre-sign some documents to have that done as normally you need to sign some documents upon receiving your certificate.

I have checked and my certs are all genuine.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

thaivisitor

[Dragonman]

I suppose a sensible view would be that, to marry the second time you would have to be divorced! But that's only a sensible answer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Precisely. In fact in the past the British Registrar has kept the original divorce certificate when you apply to re-marry! When I married in Thailand, nearly 5 years ago, they seemed to be aware of this, as you were only asked to produce the last certificate of divorce. They were just as thick in those days though, as I was asked why my divorce was only finalised a week before I re- married. Reason " because if I married before then I would be a bigamist" In other words "mind your own business"

The Embassy now feels they have to check Registrars are doing their job. IDIOTS

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you retire from the profession early ? I suspect that with those shoulder chips, you had to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, for some reason other lawyers and civil servants whom I investigated didn't like me

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Figgers