Anyone have a Step by Step Guide to Marrying in Thailand?

[kjhbigv]

Hi,

I have lived here in Thailand for around 6 years and now looking to make an honest woman of my GF.

Can anyone give a step by step guide to the documents and procedures required to register a Thai marriage in Thailand and the UK.

There is lots of info on here but is all over the place.....Initially, I would just be grateful for the procedure for the Thai side of things, getting married here.

Is it a straightforward process?

Both of us want to marry each other, but we don't want a big wedding....we want a small ceremony with close family and a few close friends.

[Satcommlee]

May be a good idea to state your nationality for more accurate info.

But to be honest, life can be made very easy by using the services of a company that will guide you through it all, there is quite a bit of red-tape.

Personally, i didn't do that but i wish I had in hindsight.

[andrewrooney]

The ceremony aspect of it is up to the two of you, your wife to be will fill you in on what do to there.

To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country. If you have previously been married, you also need a letter showing that you've been divorced.

You then need to take that letter to a translator to have it translated into Thai.

The translation needs to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and certified there.

Once you have that, you take those documents (the original letter and the certified translation) along with your passport to any Amphoe or District office to get married. Your wife needs to bring her Tabien Ban and ID card. You also need to take a translator and a witness to the office with you. If you can speak Thai well enough they might just accept two witnesses (no translator needed).

Edit: I don't know anything about the UK side of things, but that's what you need for it to be legal in Thailand.

Edited February 18, 2014 by andrewrooney

[kjhbigv]

May be a good idea to state your nationality for more accurate info.

But to be honest, life can be made very easy by using the services of a company that will guide you through it all, there is quite a bit of red-tape.

Personally, i didn't do that but i wish I had in hindsight.

"Thai marriage in Thailand and the UK"

UK.

I live here and have plenty of time to hang around for bureaucracy and paperwork etc. What red-tape did you encounter?

[kjhbigv]

The ceremony aspect of it is up to the two of you, your wife to be will fill you in on what do to there.

To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country. If you have previously been married, you also need a letter showing that you've been divorced.

You then need to take that letter to a translator to have it translated into Thai.

The translation needs to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and certified there.

Once you have that, you take those documents (the original letter and the certified translation) along with your passport to any Amphoe or District office to get married. Your wife needs to bring her Tabien Ban and ID card. You also need to take a translator and a witness to the office with you. If you can speak Thai well enough they might just accept two witnesses (no translator needed).

Edit: I don't know anything about the UK side of things, but that's what you need for it to be legal in Thailand.

Never married before, I am a UK citizen.

"To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country."....out of interest how long does that take and how do they do that? I guess checking records in the UK?

Edited February 18, 2014 by kjhbigv

[Satcommlee]

Another question that will crop up, is have you ever been married before?

[kjhbigv]

Another question that will crop up, is have you ever been married before?

Been to busy to get married for the last 45 years...now think I am ready! Lol

[andrewrooney]

The ceremony aspect of it is up to the two of you, your wife to be will fill you in on what do to there.

To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country. If you have previously been married, you also need a letter showing that you've been divorced.

You then need to take that letter to a translator to have it translated into Thai.

The translation needs to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and certified there.

Once you have that, you take those documents (the original letter and the certified translation) along with your passport to any Amphoe or District office to get married. Your wife needs to bring her Tabien Ban and ID card. You also need to take a translator and a witness to the office with you. If you can speak Thai well enough they might just accept two witnesses (no translator needed).

Edit: I don't know anything about the UK side of things, but that's what you need for it to be legal in Thailand.

Never married before, I am a UK citizen.

"To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country."....out of interest how long does that take and how do they do that? I guess checking records in the UK?

I'm not sure about the UK embassy, they may have their own process. At the US embassy they basically had me fill out a form, took me at my word, and notarized it on the spot.

[Bantex]

I married

My Thai girlfriend last year.

The form you need is "Affirmation of freedom to marry" - Email the British Embassy in Bangkok & they'll email the form to you which you'll need to retype & select what applies to you.

The form asks for your Name, passport number date & place of issue, expiry date of the passport.

Certification that you are eligible to marry a Thai National, currently single, any dependants, occupation & income, details of 2 people & contacts that can verify the above ( mine were not contacted) your permanent address then sign & date the form,

Get it checked & officially stamped @ British Embassy in Bangkok who will give you the address (in English & Thai (great for taxi)). Then get the form translated into Thai & certified a true copy of original (small shopping centre opposite British Embassy has good translator who works 0830-1700). Then take to Ministry of Foreign Affairs & collect again 3 hours later.

I did this all in 8 hours & it cost approx 5000 Baht British Embassy open for this service 0800-1100.

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[NeverSure]

Oh, I so badly want to make a step by step troll post, but I'll refrain.

Congratulations and best wishes for you.

[kjhbigv]

Oh, I so badly want to make a step by step troll post, but I'll refrain.

Congratulations and best wishes for you.

Go on, you know you want to! Got my answers now...so fill your boots!

[Jasun]

Step 1: certified 'free to marry' letter

Step 2: pre nup agreement

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

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[sotsira]

OP, you may encounter big delays in having the freedom to marry letter certified

at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, due to the current political situation they may not be

currently open for this service or have a substantial backlog to process.

I would check with that before going ahead with the initial steps.

[AlexRRR]

there is one simple step, move to another city.

[FiftyTwo]

The ceremony aspect of it is up to the two of you, your wife to be will fill you in on what do to there.

To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country. If you have previously been married, you also need a letter showing that you've been divorced.

You then need to take that letter to a translator to have it translated into Thai.

The translation needs to be taken to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and certified there.

Once you have that, you take those documents (the original letter and the certified translation) along with your passport to any Amphoe or District office to get married. Your wife needs to bring her Tabien Ban and ID card. You also need to take a translator and a witness to the office with you. If you can speak Thai well enough they might just accept two witnesses (no translator needed).

Edit: I don't know anything about the UK side of things, but that's what you need for it to be legal in Thailand.

Never married before, I am a UK citizen.

"To make it legal you need to get a notarized letter from your embassy saying you are not currently married in your home country."....out of interest how long does that take and how do they do that? I guess checking records in the UK?

I'm not sure about the UK embassy, they may have their own process. At the US embassy they basically had me fill out a form, took me at my word, and notarized it on the spot.

Same at UK emb.

[CharlieH]

There is no need to register anything in the Uk. The marriage legally performed in Thailan is legally accepted and recognised in the UK.

Its not difficult, in fact the whole paperwork aspect can be done in a day. The legal bit at the Amphur is straight forward too, but ask what they want as with all things Thai it varies from place to place.

The village "thai" wedding is up to the wife and her family, that's all ceremony and showing off and saving face etc but means absolutely nothing legally but dependant on tradition and the family concerned may be viewed as "important to them".

Good luck, never spend or invest more than you are prepared to totally walk away from.

Best wishes.

[CharlieH]

Duplicate removed

Edited February 22, 2014 by CharlieH

[kjhbigv]

There is no need to register anything in the Uk. The marriage legally performed in Thailan is legally accepted and recognised in the UK.

Its not difficult, in fact the whole paperwork aspect can be done in a day. The legal bit at the Amphur is straight forward too, but ask what they want as with all things Thai it varies from place to place.

The village "thai" wedding is up to the wife and her family, that's all ceremony and showing off and saving face etc but means absolutely nothing legally but dependant on tradition and the family concerned may be viewed as "important to them".

Good luck, never spend or invest more than you are prepared to totally walk away from.

Best wishes.

Thanks for that. So there are no formalities that need to be done in the UK? Quite surprised at that!

Me and the GF don't want a big Thai wedding and she has already made that clear to her parents, just a little "Wedding Party" for close family/friends, no sinsod, no exchange of any cash (or show of cash), no gold....already discussed and not needed.....to be honest, quite surprised....bearing in mind she has never married before, a single child and has no kids and her family is just happy for her to be happy....and no, they are not HiSo!

To be honest, we are not even that bothered about having a party, but need to go through the motions, show a bit of 'face' to the locals in her village.

Been here long enough to know the score! TBH can not be doing with all that saving face crap, she is onto a good thing and so am I!

Edited February 26, 2014 by kjhbigv

[kjhbigv]

there is one simple step, move to another city.

Why would I do that? Think that says more about you than me! Been stung before?

[kjhbigv]

Step 1: certified 'free to marry' letter

Step 2: pre nup agreement

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Cheers, but don't think pre-nup is really necessary for a PCX and a Truck. Lol

[The Fat Controller]

I got married this week.

The Affirmation at the British Embassy on Monday cost 3640 Baht (£65 at BE rate of 56 Baht to the pound)

Did it in just under an hour, we arrived at 0845 and got ticket number number 15 and they were processing number 9 as we joined the queue.

Translation done over the road in the shopping centre, cost 300 Baht, we went for breakfast whilst they did it, but it should take no longer than 30 minutes.

WARNING : The translations offices are saying that you cannot get the Legalization done in a day at the temporary MFA office in Bang Na, this is not the case, my fiancee had called them the previous week and they said it would be possible.

Next it was the Skytrain from Ploen Chit to Udom Suk and then a taxi to Central Bang Na, about 25 minutes travel time.

The temporary MFA legalization office is at the back of Floor 5 near the B2S bookshop.

The process is a little protracted with form checking and filling and quite a wait to pay the fee, but it can be done the same day.

The express fee is 400 Baht per document so it cost 800 Baht to legalize the Affirmation and Certified Translation.

My receipt was timed at 1409 and we got the documents back 65 minutes later.

We got married yesterday at the Banglamung District Office, arrived at 0845 and all done in 25 minutes.

Service fee is only 300 Baht and we also needed some extra photocopies, another 12 Baht !

They sold us a nice. padded folder that holds the 2 certificates for 600 Baht.

[brucegoniners]

Step one, don't do it.

Step two, read step one again...

[laislica]

When we were married they asked if we wanted to record any properties.

Once the certificates and the Kor Ror papers are ready (one set for you, one set for her).

Make a double sided copy of one of the certificates and ask that the office stamp it for you.

If they ask why, say it's for your embassy.

Best wishes.

[Maggusoil]

Google it

[blueyeshk]

1st step

DON'T

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[Anon999]

From the British Embassy Bangkok: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/188293/Affirmation_of_freedom_to_marry_in_Thaliand.pdf

That is the sample on their website. You can usually get it done the same day. The list of fees is al;so on their website, just google british embassy bangkok.

Getting married is another issue as all you get from the Amphur are 2 Marriage Certificates, one each.

One important thing to remember, if your gf is a widow, some Amphurs will not accept a UK Death Certificate as it has the word COPY on the top. However, that may be a case of fishing for a brown envelope!

[kimbathewhitelion]

The wedding party - 50,000-300,000 bht

The ceremony after - 50,000-1,000,000 bht

Paperwork - a couple hours & very cheap

The family gathering - 10,000+

Furniture & other purchases for Mom's house - infinite!

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[kimbathewhitelion]

Also, don't report to your embassy unless you're sure.

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[Ianatlarge]

A background check would be advisable.

[Mario2008]

Flame removed.