Registration of foreign marriage in Thailand

[Jimbo]

Hi guys,

I hope someone can help me out.

My wife and I were married over a decade ago in Europe and never registered the marriage in Thailand however the time has now come that I need to do so.

I was always under the impression that I would need to get the marriage certificate certified at my embassy in BKK, then to give it to a translation company who would then translate it into Thai and then get it certified at ministry of foreign affairs in Bangkok. Then I could go to my local Amphur with it.

So I wanted to start the process and I contacted a well known translation agency in Bangkok which many of my friends have used in the past for exactly the same reason. They have told me that the regulations have now changed and that I now need to get my foreign marriage certificate certified by the Thai embassy in my home country first.

Now this has obviously come as a big surprise as I haven't read anything about this on Thai Visa or anywhere else. Can anyone confirm that this is correct?

If not, does anyone have the contact information of a good agency which I can use?

Thank you guys.

[Plasmakid]

Yes, the registration has to be done at the Thai embassy in your home country. In addition you will get there the legalisation stamp for your document. This is basic requirement for any acceptance of your document in Thailand. You could get some problems since your document is some years old already because the embassy reserves the right to do an autenticy check before the put any stamp on it.

Hope for you all goes well.

[MJCM]

Yes, the registration has to be done at the Thai embassy in your home country. In addition you will get there the legalisation stamp for your document. This is basic requirement for any acceptance of your document in Thailand. You could get some problems since your document is some years old already because the embassy reserves the right to do an autenticy check before the put any stamp on it.

Hope for you all goes well.

If the document is already a couple years old, can't you get a fresh copy at any Municipality Office ??

[Jimbo]

Actually we did register the marriage with the Thai embassy in my home country more than a decade ago but they never gave us any paperwork. The only thing I got from that was a stamp from the embassy in my wifes old Thai passport which states that she married me and that she now assumed my last name.

I am in Thailand right now so the only option would be to fly back home and then to go to the Thai embassy again??

[Plasmakid]

Normally the embassy should have done the registration in Thailand for you. You should try to find out if your marriage is registered.

May be you could contact one of the district registration offices ( Amphur) and ask.

[Mario2008]

Contact your embassy first, or simply check their website, the procedure is as you described it and have not heard of any change. Nor would there be any logic to it if your own embassy certifies it is authentic.

[Jimbo]

Hi Mario,

So you don't know of anyone having to get the document certified at the thai embassy in their home country?

[Mario2008]

No, it is normally an option to either go to the Thai embassy in your home country or have it certified by your own embassy in Thailand.