Are There Any Advantages to Registering a Marriage?

[1Ping1]

In my humble opinion. Effort not worth the hassles or legal issues down the road. As some have said, and its true,even many Thais never register.

If you truly love them, get a life insurance policy. Of course then theres bounty on your head.

I'm married, not registered, makes no difference in my wifes family.

Also, as for visas do some checking. At this time. Fiancee and married visas are both running neck in neck, at about 10-12 months, basically no difference.

[mikemac]

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies. "you gotta be joking"

Inherit what? her cast off apparel? Her old shoes. c'mon.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office. Not correct in it's entirety, "it is registered at the amphur"

Don't know who you were trying to offend in your post John, but my wife owns two blocks of land, an Isuzu pickup, two motorbikes and lots and lots of old shoes.

[bkk_mike]

Just be warned. My marriage (attempt) was a pain in the butt. First, the US Embassy, then taking all of the forms and getting them translated into Thai for the Amphur office. Problem was--there were small errors in the translation and we had to get it redone 3 times from different translators before they got it right. When we finally went to the Amphur, they had misspelled my last name by one letter off. They wouldn't accept it.

We spent an entire week running around and by then we were exhausted.

I ended up dodging a bullet because the relationship didn't work out after a few years and I was able to walk away. If it had been legal, I would have been screwed.

For once, bureaucratic incompetence saved my behind.

How are you dodging a bullet.

In Thailand, there's no alimony after a divorce. (Child support is a different matter)

The only "bullet" you'll have saved is that if you weren't capable of getting the paperwork right to get married in a whole week (I did it in a day), a divorce might have have been too much for you...

If you get married...

You can get a visa more easily (if you're under 50)

Your wife can get a visa to go to your country more easily (depending on the type of visa).

Your kids, if you have them, can more easily get dual nationality if you're married to the mother (although less of an issue than it used to be - so long as you're named on the birth certificate).

If you're married - you are a legal heir in the event of your wife's death - admittedly, not the only heir if she has children or her parents are still alive. If you're not married - you're not an heir without being named in a will.

[dao16]

Well, for what it's worth, I got married to a Thai lady abroad, which meant lots of embassy trips for a few we only weeks and then a trip to the third country's district office and then back to both embassies. All perfectly legal and accepted, no ampur.

When we eventually did get back here, we went to the ampur to register it just to make it a legal record (plan to be with her for a while..of course, one never knows what can happen in this life) and to change her name. Now she has my name in Thai and English on her passport and Thai ID. This has made a lot of things easier, like flying to other countries where they REALLY, REALLY look hard at the Thai women traveling. Even with a marriage certificate, it is not as easy as having multiple forms of id with the same name on them. If we ever do go back to the West, it will probably help, too, but haven't done that yet. We have only traveled in Asia so far, over the last decade.

[Arkady]

Registered my marriage after 7 years together. I think the main advantage has been that it has made getting visas for farang countries easier than it was before. Less documentation is required for Schengen visas in particular.

People who are working in Thailand might find it interesting to apply for Thai citizenship on the basis of having a Thai wife. This is new since 2008.

Of course, it is easier to register your paternity of any children you may have together.

If you don't want to travel to farang countries with her, don't want to have children with her, don't want to apply for Thai citizenship and don't plan to live longer than her, you can save the paperwork and modest costs and not bother.

Note that the prime minister has not registered her "marriage" even though they have a son together. Not sure what Nong Pipe will feel about being called a bastard, if they decide to send him to boarding school in England. LOL>

[Songhua]

Each to their own as everybody's circumstances differ. We were married in Australia and have never had a ceremony or registered in Thailand. My wife holds an Aussie passport, licences, motor registration, electoral enrolment, assets and business assets in Australia in her married name (as Mrs me) and an ID, tabien baan entry and Thai passport as Miss X in Thailand.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Songhua

[thongsuknork]

non immigrant visa with yearly extensions and 90 day reports and stay in thailand if registered in amphur office peacefully ignor other things what will happen will happen no one can stop u r fate just be happy congrats to u r friend and welocome to our Forum

[jrtmedic]

He could try it in the UK !

Ignore all that Church/Registry office nonsense --------just have a party and declare yourself "married "

This is what most Thai's do. In the eye's of their community you are married and that seems to be good enough here.

If you have spent much time in Thailand you will also know that non-registered Thai "marriages" frequently occur in poor rural areas.

These "marriages" result in many children becoming "fatherless".

The children's mothers are often forced, through dire financial need, to seek "alternative employment" in places such as BKK , Pattaya or Patong.

"Culture" and "Tradition" should not always be admired or supported.

[Anon999]

If he intends to buy a property for her its best to be married as he is then legally entitled to get 50% of the sale if they divorce..

News to me. Has the law been changed recently? What is your source, please?

As I understand the current situation, a house bought in a Thai wife's name is hers, irrespective of where the money came from.

If you supplied the cash it is treated as her money (a marriage gift) and you have to sign a form when the house sale is registered foregoing any claim to the property.

If you don't sign you are breaking the law and risk jail and/or a hefty fine. If you do, the house belongs exclusively to the wife and you have no claim on the sale proceeds should you divorce.

I have asked on this and other expat websites to hear of any falang who has ever been granted a share of the house sale by a Thai divorce court - and have never had a single response. Endless falangs report losing one or more houses to their ex.

I am married to a Thai lady for whom I have bought a house and while I love and trust her, it would of course be reassuring to know that, should we ever part, I would receive at least some financial compensation.

Over to you!

My understanding is that anything owned or bought by you before you marry belongs to you and everything acquired after marriage is joint ownership. However, in the event of divorce Thai lawyers are not going to let you get any part of the assets if at all possible. Consequently avail yourself of a farang lawyer who is familiar with divorce laws. I have heard a case where the farang husband got 75% but don't ask me how apart from the fact his wife agreed to it.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Anon999

[bangarang]

Just be warned. My marriage (attempt) was a pain in the butt. First, the US Embassy, then taking all of the forms and getting them translated into Thai for the Amphur office. Problem was--there were small errors in the translation and we had to get it redone 3 times from different translators before they got it right. When we finally went to the Amphur, they had misspelled my last name by one letter off. They wouldn't accept it.

We spent an entire week running around and by then we were exhausted.

I ended up dodging a bullet because the relationship didn't work out after a few years and I was able to walk away. If it had been legal, I would have been screwed.

For once, bureaucratic incompetence saved my behind.

That sucks,

Mine was 100% seamless. Fill out the papers for the US embassy, have it translated by a reputable company, and go the local amphur. No fuss no muss.

[onthemoon]

In my humble opinion. Effort not worth the hassles or legal issues down the road. As some have said, and its true,even many Thais never register.

If you truly love them, get a life insurance policy. Of course then theres bounty on your head.

I'm married, not registered, makes no difference in my wifes family.

Also, as for visas do some checking. At this time. Fiancee and married visas are both running neck in neck, at about 10-12 months, basically no difference.

My life insurance company wouldn't allow a beneficiary who isn't a blood relative.

Sent from my I-405 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Wat dee]

He is either going to marry her or not marry her.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office.

If he marries her

He will be the father of their children and have parental rights.

He will be able to get a VISA to visit his wife.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies. "you gotta be joking"

Inherit what? her cast off apparel? Her old shoes. c'mon.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office. Not correct in it's entirety, "it is registered at the amphur"

There are thais with assets and property.Not all thais are poor!

[Wat dee]

He is either going to marry her or not marry her.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office.

If he marries her

He will be the father of their children and have parental rights.

He will be able to get a VISA to visit his wife.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies. "you gotta be joking"

Inherit what? her cast off apparel? Her old shoes. c'mon.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office. Not correct in it's entirety, "it is registered at the amphur"

There are thais with assets and property.Not all thais are poor!

[overherebc]

If he doesn't want to be married, and an unregistered marriage is not a legal marriage, why pay for all the village to party?

Have the village party. Collect all the envelopes yourself and at the end of the day split it 50/50 for you and the party.

[dighambara]

He is either going to marry her or not marry her.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office.

If he marries her

He will be the father of their children and have parental rights.

He will be able to get a VISA to visit his wife.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies.

YEP, common property becomes his when she dies, his kids will have dual citizenship, without hassles, She can have an easier time with a visa to visit his home country, etc.

Of course, this is the New World Order, where no one takes responsibility, marriages shouldn't last and children are left to the whims of government.

I have always considered that one are where foreigners have it over Thais, is in the ability to accept responsibility - in all areas where Thais abandon it.

[elektrified]

If he intends to buy a property for her its best to be married as he is then legally entitled to get 50% of the sale if they divorce..

News to me. Has the law been changed recently? What is your source, please?

As I understand the current situation, a house bought in a Thai wife's name is hers, irrespective of where the money came from.

If you supplied the cash it is treated as her money (a marriage gift) and you have to sign a form when the house sale is registered foregoing any claim to the property.

If you don't sign you are breaking the law and risk jail and/or a hefty fine. If you do, the house belongs exclusively to the wife and you have no claim on the sale proceeds should you divorce.

I have asked on this and other expat websites to hear of any falang who has ever been granted a share of the house sale by a Thai divorce court - and have never had a single response. Endless falangs report losing one or more houses to their ex.

I am married to a Thai lady for whom I have bought a house and while I love and trust her, it would of course be reassuring to know that, should we ever part, I would receive at least some financial compensation.

Over to you!

My understanding is that anything owned or bought by you before you marry belongs to you and everything acquired after marriage is joint ownership. However, in the event of divorce Thai lawyers are not going to let you get any part of the assets if at all possible. Consequently avail yourself of a farang lawyer who is familiar with divorce laws. I have heard a case where the farang husband got 75% but don't ask me how apart from the fact his wife agreed to it.

It's called a Prenuptial Agreement. Most clever foreigners have them.

[MrRealDeal]

He is either going to marry her or not marry her.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office.

If he marries her

He will be the father of their children and have parental rights.

He will be able to get a VISA to visit his wife.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies. "you gotta be joking"

Inherit what? her cast off apparel? Her old shoes. c'mon.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office. Not correct in it's entirety, "it is registered at the amphur"

I hate to have to point out the incredible ignorance of your post but not all of us are married to or attracted to poor women my guess is my wife's house is worth more than your net worth with a comment like that.

[MrRealDeal]

The real answer to your question is that if your friend actually want's to be married he has to do it according to the law , the comment that "it's the right thing to do" would most likely correctly be translated to ......" that's what you need to do"

............. in order to be married.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

He is either going to marry her or not marry her.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office.

If he marries her

He will be the father of their children and have parental rights.

He will be able to get a VISA to visit his wife.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies. "you gotta be joking"

Inherit what? her cast off apparel? Her old shoes. c'mon.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office. Not correct in it's entirety, "it is registered at the amphur"

In answer to your two remarks, not all foreigners marry a penniless low class farmers daughter.

1. Quite a lot of Thai ladies own properties that are worth quite a bit of money, something you will inherit at least 50% of, if you are married to them.

2. The only requirements for marriage, are for you to both attend the Amphur office for a bit of form filling. If you further wish to participate in some farcical village ceremony, where many relatives watch you donate large amounts of money to her parents, up to you.

I have attended two weddings and one divorce at my Amphur office (I get to be token translator required by my local Amphur), I can assure you it is not the registration, but the actual marriage which is taking place.

Edited August 29, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[AnotherOneAmerican]

News to me. Has the law been changed recently? What is your source, please?

As I understand the current situation, a house bought in a Thai wife's name is hers, irrespective of where the money came from.

If you supplied the cash it is treated as her money (a marriage gift) and you have to sign a form when the house sale is registered foregoing any claim to the property.

If you don't sign you are breaking the law and risk jail and/or a hefty fine. If you do, the house belongs exclusively to the wife and you have no claim on the sale proceeds should you divorce.

I have asked on this and other expat websites to hear of any falang who has ever been granted a share of the house sale by a Thai divorce court - and have never had a single response. Endless falangs report losing one or more houses to their ex.

I am married to a Thai lady for whom I have bought a house and while I love and trust her, it would of course be reassuring to know that, should we ever part, I would receive at least some financial compensation.

Over to you!

I agree there is much incorrect advice about splitting marital property on divorce.

If I may point out Thai law is very clear on this matter.

Unless one partner can show, without a shadow of a doubt, the money used within a marriage to purchase any asset was exclusively theirs (either gained from inheritance or from before the marriage), then the assets will assumed to be joint and be divided 50/50 by a court on divorce.

The land office form is irrelevant, if one spouse contests the form, the other will be required to show a money trail to prove it was exclusively theirs. I always give foreigners the same advice on house buying, get a home loan, then there is no effective way at all for one spouse to prove it was their sole purchase.

I know of one foreigner/Thai divorce where they went to court over a house and he was awarded 100% of the house value , and two more where they agreed to split 50/50 at the Amphur office. Many foreigners believe the lies they are told about their entitlements and just walk away. Don't do it, the Thai lady knows she will lose 50% in court.

Edited August 29, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[Nana Cowboy]

"This is an interesting thread and I am very interested in people's opinions. What I'm wondering though is the opposite. Is it worth having the whole ceremony thing as opposed to simply marrying at the Amphur as I did?

[mesquite]

Good question. My guess is it is the bride who wants the village ceremony and the farang who goes ahead with it to appease her.

[XINLOI]

He is either going to marry her or not marry her.

Marriage is done at the Amphur office.

If he marries her

He will be the father of their children and have parental rights.

He will be able to get a VISA to visit his wife.

He will be able to inherit her stuff if she dies.

But what about inheriting land/property? What happens to that if she dies before him?

The man would inherit the land/property but them you have 1 year to turn it around and sell it and then depart the country. Unless you change the visa to another type. Got this from hunting survivorship for social security in the states,

[XINLOI]

"This is an interesting thread and I am very interested in people's opinions. What I'm wondering though is the opposite. Is it worth having the whole ceremony thing as opposed to simply marrying at the Amphur as I did?

My wedding ceremony was worth it. I was absolutely floored by my new extended family and the 400 people who attended the ceremony, most of whom I could not talk with..... The entertainment was provided by one of the local pop stars and If I could I would do it over again.......lol

[KuhnPaen]

Just be warned. My marriage (attempt) was a pain in the butt. First, the US Embassy, then taking all of the forms and getting them translated into Thai for the Amphur office. Problem was--there were small errors in the translation and we had to get it redone 3 times from different translators before they got it right. When we finally went to the Amphur, they had misspelled my last name by one letter off. They wouldn't accept it.

We spent an entire week running around and by then we were exhausted.

I ended up dodging a bullet because the relationship didn't work out after a few years and I was able to walk away. If it had been legal, I would have been screwed.

For once, bureaucratic incompetence saved my behind.

How are you dodging a bullet.

In Thailand, there's no alimony after a divorce. (Child support is a different matter)

The only "bullet" you'll have saved is that if you weren't capable of getting the paperwork right to get married in a whole week (I did it in a day), a divorce might have have been too much for you...

If you get married...

You can get a visa more easily (if you're under 50)

Your wife can get a visa to go to your country more easily (depending on the type of visa).

Your kids, if you have them, can more easily get dual nationality if you're married to the mother (although less of an issue than it used to be - so long as you're named on the birth certificate).

If you're married - you are a legal heir in the event of your wife's death - admittedly, not the only heir if she has children or her parents are still alive. If you're not married - you're not an heir without being named in a will.

Well maybe you can send me name of the wonderful people who translated your paperwork for you (unless you did it yourself). Just in case I ever consider doing this again.

Honestly, I think my Thai ghost child messed up the paperwork because he had foreknowledge that the relationship wouldn't work out. The mere fact that you did it in a day doesn't reflect your competence in choosing the proper translating services--rather, it means the tree spirits, ghosts, shades, and karma was on your side. This is Thailand right? If something goes wrong you have to blame the dark forces of the universe.

[frankwhite]

I did the village marriage not the amphur and she is happy as can be. We also have a child and my daughter has my last name on the birth certificate. Was able to get US passport no problem. Plus if me and the misses go our separate ways i will not have any problem taking my daughter to the states because she has my last name.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I did the village marriage not the amphur and she is happy as can be. We also have a child and my daughter has my last name on the birth certificate. Was able to get US passport no problem. Plus if me and the misses go our separate ways i will not have any problem taking my daughter to the states because she has my last name.

In Thailand you are not her father and have no parental rights.

The mother currently has 100% custody and if you were to take the child anywhere at anytime, the mother could have you arrested for child abduction.

[Tchooptip]

I know some girls that have a village wedding to a different foreigner every year, with sin-sot.

The foreigner also gets to pay 2x the real party costs, the extra also goes in the girls pocket.

A real wedding at the Amphur office, puts a stop to that game.

I hope at least not every years in the same village?

[Khunangkaro]

..... the regular Thai marriage with the display of gold and counting out the money , has no validity at all , either party can simply walk away as if nothing had happened .

..... I would advise an older man retiring to Thailand , to get a retirement visa and not to get married at all , or simply to have the traditional Thai wedding with party . My wife and I only had the Amphur wedding , by ourselves one wet afternoon ; we didn't tell anybody until days later .

The marriage visa requires a tiresome pile of documents for the immigration extension of visa each year .

Totally disagree!

And BTW, there is no such thing as a marriage visa.

You must have a visa of class NON-O.

The holders of this type of visa are initially granted a period of stay in the Kingdom not exceeding 90 days.

Those qualified persons can obtain an additional one year stay permit counting from the date of entry into the Kingdom pertaining to the Office of the Immigration Bureau's regulations on extension of stay. The "extension of stay" is at the discretion of the Immigration officer and can be continued for every following year.

Qualification for "visa class NON-O" and for "extension of stay" can be based on prove of marriage/retirement plus prove of income etc..

When based on retirement the extras are:

1) Two sets of Five more copies the same every year plus two new, good to have and fun to take, pictures (in/outside the house) with your wife & you. (Not a tiresome pile!?)

2) Have your time to relax for about an hour while immigration officer has her/his trouble writing down his interviewing of your wife & you, asking for your signatures now and then, checking, colouring and stamping.

3) Come back after one month to collect approved extension as a stamp in your passport (five minutes or less).

4) Have one more opportunity to go in town for shopping at Big-C and to have a good meal.

Edited August 30, 2013 by Khunangkaro

[Khunangkaro]

In my post above

"When based on retirement the extras are:"

Must read:

"When based on MARRIAGE the extras are:"

One more extra is the lesser financial requirements.

Edited August 30, 2013 by Khunangkaro