Have been to the British embassy and obtained an affirmation to marry certificate and have taken it to the MFA. Went to the local amphur to see about the wedding itself and have been told that they cannot marry us there. The reason given was "that a new chief has just took over and he is not yet qualified to stamp the certificate". We were hoping to get married next week, any one have any ideas where we could do this as simple as possible?. We live in Bangkok and our local amphur is Khannayao. Also do we need witnesses and a translator at any places suggested??

Many thanks for any help.

did they not suggest where it could be done, no translator needed, they will find the witnesses if you do not have 2 people to hand.

Is the wife in house book in Bangkok

The process is quite simple as long as you have all the correct papers. It involves a lot of sitting around. IF you need witnesses, a taxi driver will do it. You don't need a translator, you just sign everything they put in front of you. As posted above, did you not ask where you could go as an alternative?

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Generally speaking, a Thai marriage can be done at any amphur office, regardless of whether the Thai partner is registered there or elsewhere.

But where the complications come into play are that various amphur offices are either MORE or LESS accommodating to mixed (Thai and other) marriages. Some come up with various excuses for not doing them, or try to pile on complications like witnesses and translators and such to fend off applicants.

In Bangkok, generally, one of the more accommodating amphur offices for mixed marriages has been the Bangrak office not far from the Saphan Taksin BTS station.

Best way to proceed is to have the would-be wife check in advance with the amphur office you intend to use, and get clarity on their requirements. Then you can decide whether to go there or look elsewhere. At Bangrak, when we were there in June, they had a printed sheet in English with their requirements.

For the some amphur offices that require witnesses, you can bring your own. But, at other amphurs such as Bangrak at least until recently, they were willing to have their own staff members serve as the witnesses. At Bangrak, in the past, that's been done in exchange for a small donation (20-40 baht) to one of their wat temple donation charities.

The wifes housebook is registered at the amphur we went to. They asked all the questions about the papers needed, we have all those in order, then came the excuse about the new chief. It is one of those places when I walk in everyone goes quiet, I think I am the only Brit around here. When I have a few suggestions of places I will call them in advance to see what they require

As I said, where your wife's housebook is registered is irrelevant to where you can be married.

You can be married at any amphur office in Thailand that's willing to do so, regardless of her registration location.

OK, Sorted, Bangrak it is then. WTB phoned them and they were very helpful, said for me to bring passport and letter from MFA and WTB just needs ID card and her house book.

Many thanks to those who replied and for the info given

And you know...you'll need multiple sets of photocopies, (I believe 2 or 3) of all those various things, in addition to the the certified originals. Your passport page, your wife's ID card, wife's tabien ban, your embassy's freedom to marry affidavit and the MFA certified translation of that, your I've previously been married and divorced affidavit and the MFA certified translation of that (if there's a prior marriage in your past). And then there's the actuak Kor Ror marriage application in Thai that you wife will need to fill out upon arrival.

Best to bring the photocopies with you. But if you can't manage that for some reason or prefer to wait, there's a small private copy shop just just down the block from the Bangrak Amphur office. Needless to say, they do a lot of copying business there.

By the way, what word did you get from Bangrak as to their current status of either requiring or not outside witnesses? Some have reported here on the forum that they were going to start requiring outside witnesses, but others who went there after my visit mid-year, where they also did not, also said they did not have them required either (in exchange for a small contribution).

Here's what Bangrak looks like, and a copy of their documents info sheet (which unfortunately, doesn't make any mention of their multiple copies requirement.

BTW, even though I've lived in Thailand for some years now, when I went to Bangrak ahead of our marriage visit to check out their requirements, they were VERY fussy about demanding that the home residence address I listed on my marriage affidavit HAD to show an address in my home country, and COULD NOT show my actual address living in Thailand.

The lady at the marriage counter there, in all other respects very helpful and informative, insisted to my wife that if I tried to submit an affidavit document that listed my Thailand residence as my address, they would reject the paperwork. I asked for an explanation of why, considering my only residence for past years has been here. The only answer I could get was "that's the rule." And, I wasn't about to challenge them on the subject. When I obtained my embassy affidavit and the MFA certified translation of that, I listed my former home country address instead.

And you know...you'll need multiple sets of photocopies, (I believe 2 or 3) of all those various things, in addition to the the certified originals. Your passport page, your wife's ID card, wife's tabien ban, your embassy's freedom to marry affidavit and the MFA certified translation of that, your I've previously been married and divorced affidavit and the MFA certified translation of that (if there's a prior marriage in your past). And then there's the actuak Kor Ror marriage application in Thai that you wife will need to fill out upon arrival.

Best to bring the photocopies with you. But if you can't manage that for some reason or prefer to wait, there's a small private copy shop just just down the block from the Bangrak Amphur office. Needless to say, they do a lot of copying business there.

By the way, what word did you get from Bangrak as to their current status of either requiring or not outside witnesses? Some have reported here on the forum that they were going to start requiring outside witnesses, but others who went there after my visit mid-year, where they also did not, also said they did not have them required either (in exchange for a small contribution).

When WTB phoned she asked about witnesses and a translator and they said not needed just the two of you turn up on your own. They did say about bringing photocopies and original documents. When I filled the affirmation form in I put my old UK address as I remembered someone else mentioning this.

They did seem really helpful on the phone, I will find out next week if its as simple as they make out!

Sounds like you're in good shape... Good luck!

Please do report back afterward in terms of how it went...

We married in Bangrak and I can certainly recommend them.. No appointment or translator and they witnessed themselves. They have experience with Thai-Farang couples and were helpful and friendly. It was no problem that my wife's blue book was not from Bangkok.

Wishing you a long and happy life together.