Marrying A Myanmar Woman In Myanmar

[Myome]

I see the posts about marrying a Myanmar woman in Thailand, but what is the latest on a foreigner marrying a Myanmar woman in Myanmar? I understand that the law may permit it, but despite that in the past, officials will not do that.

[hopdafru]

I'm curious too....

can anybody enlighten us?

Thanks!

[mingalaba]

Foreigners are not allowed to marry a Myanmar woman however you can do a religious wedding ie at a church. They will issue a marriage certificate that is accepted by the Myanmar embassies around the world. You then can apply for a Social Visa for Myanmar that allows you to stay within the country for a long time as its expendable. If the embassy of your home country accepts it is questionable.

[simon43]

This information is rather strange to me (here in Yangon). A British work colleague is marrying a local lady in a few days, reception at Trader's Hotel and signing the marriage papers at the government office.

So how does he manage that if it's illegal??

[DagonKhan]

This information is rather strange to me (here in Yangon). A British work colleague is marrying a local lady in a few days, reception at Trader's Hotel and signing the marriage papers at the government office.

So how does he manage that if it's illegal??

It's not. It never was illegal.

What happened was that the Army decided that they didn't like it and instructed all officials to simply not process any of the paperwork. Several foreigners (during that period) got around it by inviting Generals to their wedding in order to get the necessary paperwork. Some got permission to marry in Burmese Embassies abroad, I personally know someone who married a Burmese lady at the Burmese Embassy in London. Others went to Thailand, paid some money under the table or produced fake paperwork from the local authorities here and married over there.

[Channa]

The Burmese government made it difficult because of Burmese women being sold in the sex trade. So, my understanding is that it's not exactly illegal but it's complicated.

I am in the process of doing this and it is a real pain to be honest. She lives with me in Thailand and she had to go back to Myanmar to get the paperwork started. It took quite a while and she had to "tip" some people to get it done. Now she is back and still has to go to Bangkok to get the Burmese Embassy to endorse it and the Thai translation. This is going to require another large "tip".

Then we need to go to another Thai government office and get our affidavits "legalized". Finally we go to the local government office and it's done. I found a very helpful article about the process with a link below.

http://www.myanmar2day.com/myanmar-information/2011/11/get-married-to-a-myanmar-man-or-lady/

[HeavyDrinker]

If you thought Thailand was xenophobic, multiply that by 20 and you have Burmese officialdom.

[Minglaba01]

If a local is found with a foreigner in the same hotel room, the hotel owner might stay 3 nights in jail + a huge fine!

[phazey]

If a local is found with a foreigner in the same hotel room, the hotel owner might stay 3 nights in jail + a huge fine!

Never heard of this one before. Source please.

[phuketrichard]

there is an American guy named Zach that lives in Mandalay an runs motorcycle tours and rents bikes out, he has been married to his Burmese wife for a few years, ask him.

http://www.mandalaymotorbike.com/

[Magdalen]

Like much in Burma, there are often few official pronouncements about social laws but rather an ever changing set of vague ideas which are

subject to individual interpretation by different central and local authorities.

If you are Christian and marrying a Christian woman, there should be absolutely no problem. I have been to a friend's wedding to a

Kachin girl in downtown Yangon. Similarly, if you are Moslem and marrying a Moslem girl, you will almost certainly be able to do it.

The problem comes when the woman in question is Buddhist. To the best of my knowledge it is still impossible to marry a Buddhist Burmese

woman in Burma. I myself went to Sri Lanka to get legally married, without any problem. I have heard that since the recent ethnic/religious

fighting has started, this position is worse than ever

[InsideOut]

So many different answers.

My burmese gf, has a relative, who married a foreigner in Yangoon, to my knowledge no problem at all.

I am planning to marry my girl, but I think I might wanna do it here in Thailand instead.

[KGP2005]

Did someone find a solution??

[gregk0543]

I took my wife to Australia and we got married there at registry office. Have to give one months notice there.

Then you have a good certificate to show at hotels who ask.

you also can use it for other visas.

Some hotels will not let an unmarried mixed myanmar foreigner couple stay. They will ask you to rent 2 rooms.

It is to stop prostitution.

[muffy]

I married a Myanmar lady in Yangon (march 2014 ) , it was a complete waste of time . I wasn't allowed in the courtroom ,or building for my own wedding . Then the government wouldn't certify or issue a statement that she was never married before (required in Thailand ) or certify the marriage by the judge . Remarried in Thailand after red tape . Now on the way to Kuala Lumpur to get a Thai non o so she can be a dependent on my retirement visa . Given a hard time at Malaysia for a tourist visa too . Other governments seem to help the Junta that doesn't do anything for their people .

The US embassy refused to let her affirm that she was never married , they are worse than the Junta .

[muffy]

I am married to a Myanmar lady and am not allowed to stay in her home , yes , you can be arrested for being in a hotel with one .I prefer hotels anyway .Source ? The Junta can and do anything they want .

[phazey]

Sorry mate, but i know more Expats married to Burmese women, living in their own homes with happy thriving families than your post count...............

How about you stop scaremongering and let people have a happy future, and also research a little before posting. The Junta does not exist any more FYI.

[muffy]

Anyone that thinks the Junta doesn't control Myanmar doesn't know much . The military is in complete control , don't fall for the show .

[spidermike007]

I married a Myanmar lady in Yangon (march 2014 ) , it was a complete waste of time . I wasn't allowed in the courtroom ,or building for my own wedding . Then the government wouldn't certify or issue a statement that she was never married before (required in Thailand ) or certify the marriage by the judge . Remarried in Thailand after red tape . Now on the way to Kuala Lumpur to get a Thai non o so she can be a dependent on my retirement visa . Given a hard time at Malaysia for a tourist visa too . Other governments seem to help the Junta that doesn't do anything for their people .

The US embassy refused to let her affirm that she was never married , they are worse than the Junta .

Yes, very, very little has changed in Burma. Mostly window dressing. From what I hear the US agreed to go along with the reform scam, in order to allow the Chinese companies to buy equipment and supplies at more competitive prices, now that the sanctions have been lifted. That is all there is to this so called reform. The generals are still the same billionaire pigs they always were. They are still dealing in heroin, and smuggling rubies to the UK. Do not believe the bullsh**.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[phazey]

Anyone that thinks the Junta doesn't control Myanmar doesn't know much . The military is in complete control , don't fall for the show .

Errr....Have you actually lived in Myanmar for a period of time longer than a two week "finding yourself" stint ?

[kuzmol]

Hi there

Most information that I found in internet that it's different problems to marry Myanmar lady, because officials can't check is it real marriage or human trafficking.

But I can't find any information about marriage between myanmar man and foreign lady. Such couples also have same problems and cann't get official documents? Or these couples can do it little easy?

Junta worry about buddist women, I hope they will not worry so much for their buddist man? Or I'm wrong?

Now I live in Thailand. How much it can cost here, if my boyfriend will come to Thailand for this procedure?

Thank you for any advices.

[Chillout101]

No problem to get married in Yangon, you can even get it stamped at MOFA, but we decided to do it in Thailand since a marriage here is much more trustworthy in the eyes of other countries

[LivinginKata]

an unhelpful post and the profane respone - all removed.

[Kondiao]

So many conflicting viewpoints on the forum today. Everybody cannot be telling the truth. I am in Phoenix, Arizona right now, with the packet of papers to apply for Fiance Visa for my Myanmar G/F who is in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In July, while I was in Chiang Mai, she went to Yangoon to try to get permission to marry me and it was a total snowjob by the various government officials, sending her from office to office all over town until she got to someone who told her NO! They won't permit us to marry -

unless I would convert to Buddhism. Personally I am pretty much a Buddhist in spirit and it would not take much for me to become officially Buddhist - but I will not do this under duress - it would be dishonest. Maybe other people would consider this option.

I don't understand why Phasey is saying there is no problem and that people are scare mongering - the fact is that a militant Buddhist monk introduced the bill to the government to prohibit marriage between Burmese females and farang men. In fact the U.S. government has officially expressed its disaproval for this law, which other people on this forum claim does not exist..

Lawyers in Chiang Mai have told me they would not take take the job of applying for a Fiance Visa or Spousal visa for us to go to the States - because they knew that the marriage would be blocked by the Myanmar government. ANd others in this forum have stated that they have traveled to Singapore to get married, with some level of legitimacy. How does that square with Chillout claiming there really is no problem?

Kusnol, FYI, the law is intended for Myanmar females and not Myanmar men. I met a woman here the U.S. who is trying to get permission to marry a Burmese man and she is experiencing only the normal bureaucratic procedures.

My current plan is to make the application for my G/F/ to come here to the U.S. and we get married here. I have not been able to find out with any certainty of this effort will be blocked or if the the U.S. gov't will go along with it or just string us along and finally deny the visa request on some technicality.

[Tony125]

So many conflicting viewpoints on the forum today. Everybody cannot be telling the truth. I am in Phoenix, Arizona right now, with the packet of papers to apply for Fiance Visa for my Myanmar G/F who is in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In July, while I was in Chiang Mai, she went to Yangoon to try to get permission to marry me and it was a total snowjob by the various government officials, sending her from office to office all over town until she got to someone who told her NO! They won't permit us to marry -

unless I would convert to Buddhism. Personally I am pretty much a Buddhist in spirit and it would not take much for me to become officially Buddhist - but I will not do this under duress - it would be dishonest. Maybe other people would consider this option.

I don't understand why Phasey is saying there is no problem and that people are scare mongering - the fact is that a militant Buddhist monk introduced the bill to the government to prohibit marriage between Burmese females and farang men. In fact the U.S. government has officially expressed its disaproval for this law, which other people on this forum claim does not exist..

Lawyers in Chiang Mai have told me they would not take take the job of applying for a Fiance Visa or Spousal visa for us to go to the States - because they knew that the marriage would be blocked by the Myanmar government. ANd others in this forum have stated that they have traveled to Singapore to get married, with some level of legitimacy. How does that square with Chillout claiming there really is no problem?

Kusnol, FYI, the law is intended for Myanmar females and not Myanmar men. I met a woman here the U.S. who is trying to get permission to marry a Burmese man and she is experiencing only the normal bureaucratic procedures.

My current plan is to make the application for my G/F/ to come here to the U.S. and we get married here. I have not been able to find out with any certainty of this effort will be blocked or if the the U.S. gov't will go along with it or just string us along and finally deny the visa request on some technicality.

If you can get the fiancee' visa to the USA you will be all set and can marry her there , if you read all the above threads I guess if you go to a Burma embassy outside of Burma like Singapore , Thailand they will issue a permission to marry just can't be done incountry.

[Chillout101]

Kondiao, there is no law banning marriage with foreigners and you do not need to convert. I showed you process in the other thread so maybe you should have posted your questions there.

[Tony125]

My friend's neice marrried a farang last week in Yangon so can be done. They both met in California, USA and went to Burma to get married.

[FrankOff]

I reckon 'Status' has a lot to do with which color light one will see at the Gov.desk.

[fireroksy]

I am British lady, married to Burmese.

We had trouble at hotels, were the owners will not agree to put as in the same room or or simply to put us up at all.

I hate myanmar