westbounder Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I'm not sure if there have been any recent changes for a man from the UK coming to Cnx to get married. My friend from the U.K. is 65 and will start to get his Pension next month. I think he was married once in the UK in the past but he is now divorced. He wants to come here to Cnx to get married. Can you tell me what he needs to do and what documentation he needs to bring from the UK? Can he do everything here in Cnx without having to go to Bangkok or anywhere else outside of Cnx? Can he just have Star Visa handle everything? Thank you for your help Lefty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I'm interested too in this. He would need a statement showing that he is eligible to marry. I think that starts with some paper from the UK that shows his marital status. Then I think a Thai document has to be made up, but not sure that can happen in Chiang Mai. Anyone else with Chiang Mai-specific experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onthedarkside Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 I know that I had to go to Bangkok to process the paperwork (mind you that was a few years ago). You need to prepare, sign and have witnessed by the UK embassy in BKK an affidavit declaring that you are single/divorced. Plus your divorce papers translated and certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs. I ended up using an agent in BKK to deal with the translations and DHL the paperwork back to me at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawhod Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 No problem...everything can be done in Chiang Mai. It is necessary to obtain an affidavit of freedom to marry from the British Consulate. You can find a model format for the affidavit on-line. Take this together with the original decree nisi to the consulate and they will provide the affidavit, at a cost, of course. The affidavit then needs to be translated into Thai (there is a translator near the entrance to the consulate which we used). The translation then needs to be authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are in the same office complex as the passport office. The next stage is to turn up at the Amphur office in the centre of CM with your intended wife, complete with her id card and with your affidavit and passport and pay the fee, 200 THB I think, and get your flowery certificate. Easy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcomer01 Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 (edited) Need 2 witnesses for the Amphur. Try the UK embassy website, they may be able to clarify some points. If she is Thai best to do it the Amphur that she is registered with her house book. (Blue Book) Edited August 2, 2013 by newcomer01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
market trader Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 (edited) When I got married several years ago, the Thai embassy in my home country suggested that the marriage take place in Bangkok. Because if any unusual requests are made by the Thai government it is much quicker to handle in Bangkok. The embassy was right there were a couple of things that I was not expecting. As on the Dark side says a formerly married person needs to bring divorce papers and take them to their embassy and have them notarized. Then of course all documents must be officially translated into Thai. Then everything must be certified by the Thai government before the marriage can take place. Edited August 3, 2013 by Rooo Fixed post. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiPauly Posted August 2, 2013 Share Posted August 2, 2013 Wow that's a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooo Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 Wow that's a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h Half hour to fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobl Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 This all reminds me why I hate bureaucrats with a passion. Why the hell do they need your divorce papers. You're either single or not. All they should need is an affirmation of freedom to marry - or declaration that you're single. Shiny arsed pencil pushing jobsworths first against the wall come the revolution, my vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted August 3, 2013 Share Posted August 3, 2013 "He wants to come to CM to get married." Thai government requirements for marriage before and after can be troublesome for both farangs and Thais and are often avoided by both. Lots of marriages are not registered here. How about he has a civil service here and registers the marriage in UK if he wants it registered? Might be done without any Thai government involvement as it can be in the States. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluweyze Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 No problem...everything can be done in Chiang Mai. It is necessary to obtain an affidavit of freedom to marry from the British Consulate. You can find a model format for the affidavit on-line. Take this together with the original decree nisi to the consulate and they will provide the affidavit, at a cost, of course. The affidavit then needs to be translated into Thai (there is a translator near the entrance to the consulate which we used). The translation then needs to be authorised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are in the same office complex as the passport office. The next stage is to turn up at the Amphur office in the centre of CM with your intended wife, complete with her id card and with your affidavit and passport and pay the fee, 200 THB I think, and get your flowery certificate. Easy... And turn up with a signed prenuptial agreement! Call me a cynic or a pragmatist! prenuptial agreements need to be lodged at the time you register the marriage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainiain101 Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I'm not sure if there have been any recent changes for a man from the UK coming to Cnx to get married. My friend from the U.K. is 65 and will start to get his Pension next month. I think he was married once in the UK in the past but he is now divorced. He wants to come here to Cnx to get married. Can you tell me what he needs to do and what documentation he needs to bring from the UK? Can he do everything here in Cnx without having to go to Bangkok or anywhere else outside of Cnx? Can he just have Star Visa handle everything? Thank you for your help Lefty It all can be done in CM assuming he brings the correct documentation from the UK. Not sure of the process if his intended is not Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I'm not sure if there have been any recent changes for a man from the UK coming to Cnx to get married. My friend from the U.K. is 65 and will start to get his Pension next month. I think he was married once in the UK in the past but he is now divorced. He wants to come here to Cnx to get married. Can you tell me what he needs to do and what documentation he needs to bring from the UK? Can he do everything here in Cnx without having to go to Bangkok or anywhere else outside of Cnx? Can he just have Star Visa handle everything? Thank you for your help Lefty It all can be done in CM assuming he brings the correct documentation from the UK. Not sure of the process if his intended is not Thai. She would have to do the same as him. Same requirements.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainiain101 Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I'm not sure if there have been any recent changes for a man from the UK coming to Cnx to get married. My friend from the U.K. is 65 and will start to get his Pension next month. I think he was married once in the UK in the past but he is now divorced. He wants to come here to Cnx to get married. Can you tell me what he needs to do and what documentation he needs to bring from the UK? Can he do everything here in Cnx without having to go to Bangkok or anywhere else outside of Cnx? Can he just have Star Visa handle everything? Thank you for your help Lefty It all can be done in CM assuming he brings the correct documentation from the UK. Not sure of the process if his intended is not Thai. She would have to do the same as him. Same requirements.. so a foreign couple can come here with the correct papers then just go to an amphurs office to get married? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I'm not sure if there have been any recent changes for a man from the UK coming to Cnx to get married. My friend from the U.K. is 65 and will start to get his Pension next month. I think he was married once in the UK in the past but he is now divorced. He wants to come here to Cnx to get married. Can you tell me what he needs to do and what documentation he needs to bring from the UK? Can he do everything here in Cnx without having to go to Bangkok or anywhere else outside of Cnx? Can he just have Star Visa handle everything? Thank you for your help Lefty It all can be done in CM assuming he brings the correct documentation from the UK. Not sure of the process if his intended is not Thai. She would have to do the same as him. Same requirements.. so a foreign couple can come here with the correct papers then just go to an amphurs office to get married? Yes. Recognized anywhere in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherOneAmerican Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 The only document any foreigner needs to bring from their home country is their ORIGINAL divorce certificate. Everything else can be done locally in CM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Wow that's a bit of a s-t-r-e-t-c-h Well it is a 'Life Sentence of Marriage' after all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beano2274 Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 I'm not sure if there have been any recent changes for a man from the UK coming to Cnx to get married. My friend from the U.K. is 65 and will start to get his Pension next month. I think he was married once in the UK in the past but he is now divorced. He wants to come here to Cnx to get married. Can you tell me what he needs to do and what documentation he needs to bring from the UK? Can he do everything here in Cnx without having to go to Bangkok or anywhere else outside of Cnx? Can he just have Star Visa handle everything? Thank you for your help Lefty It all can be done in CM assuming he brings the correct documentation from the UK. Not sure of the process if his intended is not Thai. She would have to do the same as him. Same requirements.. so a foreign couple can come here with the correct papers then just go to an amphurs office to get married? No they have to get the Affirmation to Marry done in Thailand, so coming with papers from their home country is useless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loaded Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Common-law marriages are widely accepted by Thai society. There is no need, and no benefit to the man, to make it legal and him responsible for her future financial security. A Thai female marrying a 65 year old male from a foreign country who doesn't speak her language and who he met on the internet is not marrying for love. It's only about his life savings. Protect yourself first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherOneAmerican Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Common-law marriages are widely accepted by Thai society. There is no need, and no benefit to the man, to make it legal and him responsible for her future financial security. A Thai female marrying a 65 year old male from a foreign country who doesn't speak her language and who he met on the internet is not marrying for love. It's only about his life savings. Protect yourself first. Joint property law and rights over children produced within the marriage are two very important considerations for most foreign men. Also if you marry the woman you can pass on some or all of your pension rights. I see no legal downside for an elderly foreigner getting married officially in Thailand. As I stated before, the only documents you need to bring from your home country is your original divorce certificate. Everything else must be sourced locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Common-law marriages are widely accepted by Thai society. There is no need, and no benefit to the man, to make it legal and him responsible for her future financial security. A Thai female marrying a 65 year old male from a foreign country who doesn't speak her language and who he met on the internet is not marrying for love. It's only about his life savings. Protect yourself first. You pay less income tax. And it's nice to be recognized as the parent of your children. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loaded Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Common-law marriages are widely accepted by Thai society. There is no need, and no benefit to the man, to make it legal and him responsible for her future financial security. A Thai female marrying a 65 year old male from a foreign country who doesn't speak her language and who he met on the internet is not marrying for love. It's only about his life savings. Protect yourself first. You pay less income tax. And it's nice to be recognized as the parent of your children. At 65 I'd guess he's not paying too much income tax in Thailand, nor the UK, anyway. Planning to have children at 65 is very unfair on the children. They will be fatherless from a young age. I still can't see any reason to marry at that age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Common-law marriages are widely accepted by Thai society. There is no need, and no benefit to the man, to make it legal and him responsible for her future financial security. A Thai female marrying a 65 year old male from a foreign country who doesn't speak her language and who he met on the internet is not marrying for love. It's only about his life savings. Protect yourself first. Joint property law and rights over children produced within the marriage are two very important considerations for most foreign men. Also if you marry the woman you can pass on some or all of your pension rights. I see no legal downside for an elderly foreigner getting married officially in Thailand. As I stated before, the only documents you need to bring from your home country is your original divorce certificate. Everything else must be sourced locally. New changes to UK pension laws mean that it is unlikely that he will be able to pass over his pension to his bride unless she is also a British citizen or has at least worked in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherOneAmerican Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Common-law marriages are widely accepted by Thai society. There is no need, and no benefit to the man, to make it legal and him responsible for her future financial security. A Thai female marrying a 65 year old male from a foreign country who doesn't speak her language and who he met on the internet is not marrying for love. It's only about his life savings. Protect yourself first. Joint property law and rights over children produced within the marriage are two very important considerations for most foreign men. Also if you marry the woman you can pass on some or all of your pension rights. I see no legal downside for an elderly foreigner getting married officially in Thailand. As I stated before, the only documents you need to bring from your home country is your original divorce certificate. Everything else must be sourced locally. New changes to UK pension laws mean that it is unlikely that he will be able to pass over his pension to his bride unless she is also a British citizen or has at least worked in the UK. Americans can still pass on their full state pension, along with most other EU countries, sorry about the UK. But Brits can still pass on their 'final salary' and private pensions, so not a total loss. If you buy an annuity, 50% spouse pension costs you almost nothing extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherOneAmerican Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 (edited) This all reminds me why I hate bureaucrats with a passion. Why the hell do they need your divorce papers. You're either single or not. All they should need is an affirmation of freedom to marry - or declaration that you're single. Shiny arsed pencil pushing jobsworths first against the wall come the revolution, my vote. Actually their requests are quite reasonable and bring the foreigner information in line with the Thai. Spouse name, spouse parents names, spouse marital status, registered address in Thai for both participants. The only problem is caused by the British consulate which refuses to issue the "Affirmation of freedom to marry" in Thai, which would remove all need for translations, silly as all the staff processing the affirmation are Thai. The MFA does not certify the translation at all, if you actually read the stamp, it certifies that the consular signature on the English language affirmation is genuine. Edited August 5, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saan Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Need 2 witnesses for the Amphur. Try the UK embassy website, they may be able to clarify some points. If she is Thai best to do it the Amphur that she is registered with her house book. (Blue Book) No witnesses needed. If they are required then I'm not properly married. Just rock along to the amphur with the bride-to-be and your good self and the jobs done. It is about as romantic as getting a dog licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madgee Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Hi Lefty, Yes, I believe your friend can do everything in CM. https://www.gov.uk/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand Scroll down to: 'Guidance for British nationals wishing to marry in Thailand' A guide for the AFFIRMATION OF FREEDOM TO MARRY https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/188293/Affirmation_of_freedom_to_marry_in_Thaliand.pdf Don't forget to change the wording accordingly and substitute CM for Bangkok at the bottom if doing this at the British Consulate in CM. This has to signed in front of the consular officer. Get approved translation etc. etc. Congratulations to your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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