Registration of Foreign Marriage

[cadjan]

Is there any requirement or benefit to registering a foreign marriage in Thailand?

I married my wife in Australia and the Perth consulate informed me that there is no real reason to register. I'm not looking to get a spouse visa in Thailand or anything (at this stage). Will my wife require it for anything or does the Australian marriage certificate fine?

She doesn't plan to change her name but thinking forward to new passport time, for example - if she decides to become Mrs instead of Miss will the Australian certificate suffice?

Would it be a good idea to get a translated copy of the marriage cert made before she leaves Australia (so she doesn't have to run around Bangkok to the Australian Embassy etc), to have on hand if it is required?

Just a lot easier to jump through hoops here while we are both in the same place at the same time.

Tx

[Mario2008]

It is not a requirement as far as I know but it can make things easier if she and you ever return to Thailand. You have no intention, so could wait. If hse has property in Thailand, it can be handy in case of death.

For the passport it can be handy, but I believe a Thai woman can now choose if she wants to be called miss or misses.

[Surin13]

As to how to do it from a email sent from the Australian Embassy Bangkok.

"if you have the marriage certification from Australia your marriage has been recognised internationally already . Now what you can do is to bring that certification to get it certified by the Consular, AUS Embassy. After that, you will have to get that paper translated into Thai before approaching the Legalisation Division, Ministry of Foreign Affair Thailand.

After that, you can sort out all the formalities such as name change at your local Amphur"

[fifthcolumn]

Im still trying to find any benefit. As American, dont I need to register the marriage in the state where we live anyway? There is no national recognition of a marriage, its all at regional level.

Sorry to hijack

[Songhua]

We were married in Australia twenty three years ago and have never registered in Thailand. At the time however we did have a name change entry (a stamp on the second page) made into my wife's Thai passport at the Thai Embassy in Canberra by simply showing the english language original of our marriage certificate (the passport was never even sent away to the ministry in Thailand).

When she renewed her Thai passport at the Sydney Consulate just a few months ago she was asked if she was still married or not and, if so, whether SHE wanted her new passport in her married or maiden name. The choice was hers.

She requested it in her Thai maiden name. So, in Australia (for all purposes, including her Australian passport) she is Mrs Australian ... yet in Thailand (ID card, tabien baan, passport) she is Miss ThaiSurname.

Not sure if there are any benefits to registering it other than, as pointed out by Mario, in the case of death.