Papers required to marry legally in Thailand

[Sigurris]

Exactly what do I need to go to the local Amphur and get married in Thailand (I am a UK citizen)? I believe I need an Affirmation of freedom to marry but don't know what else. The AFM is obtained from the Embassy I believe but do I have to attend in person? If so do I need an appointment or is it first come first served?

I am sure this is all covered somewhere but i can't find it. Thanks in advance

[Mario2008]

What you need to do is:

1. get a Affirmation of freedom letter from your embassy. Your embassy website has all the details what you require for that.

2. have the letter translated into Thai

3. have the translation and original letter certified by The Thai Foreign Ministry at Cheang Wattana Road in BKK or in Chaing Mai.

4. Make copies/scans of the embassy letter and certification by Thai foreign ministry. Immigation might ask for it.

5. Visit any amphur in thailand with your wife to be with affirmation letter and your passport. If divorced wou will need divorce decree (same goes for her). She will need her household registration book and Thai ID-card.

[GarryUK]

Sorry if it looks like I'm hijacking the thread, but a further question. The GF read on Google that she needs something to say she's single along the same lines as the affirmation I need, I disagree and think she only needs to show she is divorced if she was ever married. Anyone clarify for me, does she need anything more than her house book and ID card? Sometimes I hate Google, all it takes is one misleading post and for her to take it as true and all my preparation goes out the window as she argues I'm wrong.

[Mario2008]

Sorry if it looks like I'm hijacking the thread, but a further question. The GF read on Google that she needs something to say she's single along the same lines as the affirmation I need, I disagree and think she only needs to show she is divorced if she was ever married. Anyone clarify for me, does she need anything more than her house book and ID card? Sometimes I hate Google, all it takes is one misleading post and for her to take it as true and all my preparation goes out the window as she argues I'm wrong.

The marital status of a Thai person is in a central database, that is why a Thai person only shows the ID-card (if an adult). That she is single does not have to be confirmed.

When you divorce in Thailand, you hand in the colorful marriage certificate and in return get a divorce certificate. This divorce certificate must be handed in if the person marries again.

[GarryUK]

Sorry if it looks like I'm hijacking the thread, but a further question. The GF read on Google that she needs something to say she's single along the same lines as the affirmation I need, I disagree and think she only needs to show she is divorced if she was ever married. Anyone clarify for me, does she need anything more than her house book and ID card? Sometimes I hate Google, all it takes is one misleading post and for her to take it as true and all my preparation goes out the window as she argues I'm wrong.

The marital status of a Thai person is in a central database, that is why a Thai person only shows the ID-card (if an adult). That she is single does not have to be confirmed.

When you divorce in Thailand, you hand in the colorful marriage certificate and in return get a divorce certificate. This divorce certificate must be handed in if the person marries again.

Nice clear answer. Thanks.

[Peter123abcd]

Im engaged to be married to a Thai girl, but she rents an apartment so I guessing no household registration book? Is this going to be a problem?

[Mario2008]

Im engaged to be married to a Thai girl, but she rents an apartment so I guessing no household registration book? Is this going to be a problem?

Almost every Thai is on a household registration book, your wife to be will also. She might only not be on the hosuehold book where she lives, but at a house of a family member. That is very normal in Thailand.

But book or not is no reason to deny a marriage. She has an ID-card and that is all that is required, so they can check her identity and status.

[Royrex]

3 weeks ago I got married in BKK, a last second problem when the thai amphor? wanted a translated copy of my passport (lucky it did not need MOFA seal) it took about an hour to find a translator. also don't forget the witnesses and the same amphor wanted me to have a verbal translator so they would be assured that I understood what was going on.

[Mobi]

What you need to do is:

1. get a Affirmation of freedom letter from your embassy. Your embassy website has all the details what you require for that.

2. have the letter translated into Thai

3. have the translation and original letter certified by The Thai Foreign Ministry at Cheang Wattana Road in BKK or in Chaing Mai.

4. Make copies/scans of the embassy letter and certification by Thai foreign ministry. Immigation might ask for it.

5. Visit any amphur in thailand with your wife to be with affirmation letter and your passport. If divorced wou will need divorce decree (same goes for her). She will need her household registration book and Thai ID-card.

Just a suggestion - maybe it would be a good idea to pin this list. I'm sure it must have come up dozens of times already,

Mobi

[Shurup]

What you need to do is:

1. get a Affirmation of freedom letter from your embassy. Your embassy website has all the details what you require for that.

2. have the letter translated into Thai

3. have the translation and original letter certified by The Thai Foreign Ministry at Cheang Wattana Road in BKK or in Chaing Mai.

4. Make copies/scans of the embassy letter and certification by Thai foreign ministry. Immigation might ask for it.

5. Visit any amphur in thailand with your wife to be with affirmation letter and your passport. If divorced wou will need divorce decree (same goes for her). She will need her household registration book and Thai ID-card.

Thanks for this post Mario, it answered a lot of questions that I've had.

In response to another poster's reply, do I need to translate and certify my passport as well, or was that one of those unusual requests by the Thai official?

I'm also divorced (in Canada), do I need to translate and certify that document too?

[Mario2008]

No need to translate and certify the passport, although that might depend on the district office you use, it is not required.

About the divorce documents, that depends on the district office. Some want to see it, some don't as it is mentioned in the affirmation letter from the embassy and that is enough for them.

A lot of foreigners get married at Ban Rak district office in Bangkok. Should be easy there.

[Madgee]

Worthy of a mention:

When you get your affidavit translated also get the I.D. page of your passport done at the same time. If or when you decide to get a yellow tabien ban it will probably be required and it's worth doing at the time, as the translation shops near the British Embassy are extremely reasonable and fast.

[GarryUK]

We got married last week. Train to the British Embassy, we got there about 8:45am and were in and out in under 30 minutes. Contrary to what I'd read on the net they copied my passport and I don't believe they wanted copies of anything else, just a fee of 3350B. Got approached by a tout on the way out, forget it, 12,000B for WHAT! Got a taxi to the Ministry Of foreign Affairs (a long way, taxi meter 177B) and was approached by one of the many touts there offering translation services, said 300B and 30 minutes but it took him a good hour. He showed us upstairs where I got a number from reception and waited to be called (about 10 minutes). They offer express (same day) service for 800B to the first 30 people requesting it before 12:00pm but when we got there at just after 11:00am they'd all been taken so paid 400B and had to go back 9:00am next day. Think I might have needed 2 copies each of my passport info and visa pages, and a copy of the affirmation and translation (and of course all the originals).

Took another taxi to Bang Rak District Office and I think within an hour we were officially married. Didn't have our own witnesses so we witnessed for another Thai couple getting married and they witnessed for us. Don't recall if we paid anything here, that's what old age does to you memory goes. We needed some copies here but the GF (at this point) popped round the corner and was back within a minute or two.

NOTE 1: If you don't marry in her home town you will be married as Mr English Name and Miss Thai name, then you'll have to go "back home" to her local Ampur and register her name change and get a new ID card, so might be worth considering where you marry. That part cost us 20B according to the wife (where in England would you get anything official registered or changed for 40p), though I'm sure I gave her more. Even more copies of stuff needed here.

Last stop was to get her passport changed. We were in Pattaya for a couple of days so did it there. Just needed her new ID card, 1000B fee and a further 40B to get it posted home. Apparently the postal fee is 100B in Bangkok. She should have her new passport in 7 days.

NOTE 2: If you're going to apply for a spouse visa as we are doing you cannot get the TB scan done until she has her new passport, at least that's what the IOM told us today.

Good luck, hope if you've not done it yet that this is some help.

Edited October 15, 2013 by GarryUK

[Shurup]

No haven't done it yet but thanks for the heads up. We are planning for the March 2014 so have plenty of time.

Anyone knows how to transfer her visas from her old passport to a new one after she changes her name? She has a US and Canada multiple entry visas. Will she have to apply for new ones because of the name change? Probably need a new Canadian visa anyways as it will be a different type?