Agent to help Marry a Laotian Girl In Bangkok

[username415]

I am an American wanting to marry my Laotian girlfriend. We both live in Thailand, so considering all the hassles involved in getting married in Laos I am thinking it will just be easier to use an agent in Bangkok.

Can anyone who has successfully done this recommend one?

Also, will this make the marriage legal in Laos so that when we go there we don't have to worry about the police hassling us?

thanks for your help

[HungDonger]

The Laos Government will not recognize your marriage if conducted in Thailand.You will be treated as single if visiting Laos.

You will not 'legally' be allowed to sleep with your future wife in Laos if you marry in Thailand.

A Laos agent can arrange the documents for a Laos wedding for about $US 2000.It will take up to 12 months to arrange.

[username415]

Thanks for the info, do you happen to know a reliable Laos agent?

[uwe_rayong]

One year is a long time and 2000 USD is a lot money.

Have you tried it yourself already?

According to the US embassy in Laos it doesn't look so complicated:

http://laos.usembassy.gov/marriage_in_laos.html

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/laos/19452/pdfs/English%20Instructions%20for%20Marriage%20in%20Laos%20-%20Updated%20on%20June%2024_%202013.pdf

[dddave]

An acquaintance of mine successfully married a Laotian women in Laos. Legal approval was a long, complicated and difficult process and took longer than a year. Officials can be hostile and routinely drag their feet as long as possible signing documents. If the woman's family is supportive of the marriage, as they were in this case it can help a lot. If they oppose it, then it probably won't happen.

[brewsterbudgen]

I'm in the same situation. We've given up trying to marry in Thailand (or Laos) as it's too protracted, complicated, expensive and, as we have a 4 week old child, potentially risky! I've just come back from staying at her village in Laos and had no problems. We gave me name to the village headman, had a beer with him, and he was fine about me staying with her in her home with our child.

If we do get married, which I want to for the sake of my son, we will probably do so in my country (UK) or somewhere like Hong Kong or Singapore. Obviously the marriage will not be recognised in Laos, but it will be in Thailand for visa/extension purposes.

[brewsterbudgen]

The Laos Government will not recognize your marriage if conducted in Thailand.You will be treated as single if visiting Laos.

You will not 'legally' be allowed to sleep with your future wife in Laos if you marry in Thailand.

A Laos agent can arrange the documents for a Laos wedding for about $US 2000.It will take up to 12 months to arrange.

The Lao authorities will recognise a marriage in Thailand. However, to marry in Thailand you need an Affirmation to Marry from Laos, which means jumping through all the same hoops as marrying in Laos.

[nottocus]

If we do get married, which I want to for the sake of my son, we will probably do so in my country (UK) or somewhere like Hong Kong or Singapore. Obviously the marriage will not be recognised in Laos, but it will be in Thailand for visa/extension purposes.

Why won't it be recognised in Laos?

[brewsterbudgen]

If we do get married, which I want to for the sake of my son, we will probably do so in my country (UK) or somewhere like Hong Kong or Singapore. Obviously the marriage will not be recognised in Laos, but it will be in Thailand for visa/extension purposes.

Why won't it be recognised in Laos?

Because Lao women need approval from the Lao authorities to marry foreigners.

[nottocus]

If we do get married, which I want to for the sake of my son, we will probably do so in my country (UK) or somewhere like Hong Kong or Singapore. Obviously the marriage will not be recognised in Laos, but it will be in Thailand for visa/extension purposes.

Why won't it be recognised in Laos?

Because Lao women need approval from the Lao authorities to marry foreigners.

I go married in HK. It was recognized in Laos by the MOFA.

[Sheryl]

There is no need for an agent for the Thai side of things as procedures in Thailand are pretty straightfoward provided you have the required documentation, which is where the problem arises. The problem is getting the needed documents fro the Lao authorities, so it is an agent in Laos you need. And indeed, likely to be just as easy to marry in Laos, maybe easier.

It's pretty much the same in Cambodia. And costs about the same, too (at least 2 K in "tea money").

My Cambodian niece is marrying a foreigner and, although they were both resident in Thailand, gave up on marrying here as she just could not get the necessary document from the Cambodian authorities. (Haven't heard of anyone who succeeded). After much research they are registering the marriage in Cambodia, and it is costing close to 2K through an agent. I've herad of it being as much as 5K for some people.

[brewsterbudgen]

If we do get married, which I want to for the sake of my son, we will probably do so in my country (UK) or somewhere like Hong Kong or Singapore. Obviously the marriage will not be recognised in Laos, but it will be in Thailand for visa/extension purposes.

Why won't it be recognised in Laos?

Because Lao women need approval from the Lao authorities to marry foreigners.

I go married in HK. It was recognized in Laos by the MOFA.

That's good. But presumably to do this you had to get all the required approvals from Laos and pay the required "fees"?

[nottocus]

Because Lao women need approval from the Lao authorities to marry foreigners.

I go married in HK. It was recognized in Laos by the MOFA.

That's good. But presumably to do this you had to get all the required approvals from Laos and pay the required "fees"?

Nah….got married in HK. Then went to the Lao consulate with marriage cert which they translated into Lao language (showed police report, birth cert, single status) and they stamped it. Wife took cert back to Lao and they stamped it. Done.

[brewsterbudgen]

Because Lao women need approval from the Lao authorities to marry foreigners.

I go married in HK. It was recognized in Laos by the MOFA.

That's good. But presumably to do this you had to get all the required approvals from Laos and pay the required "fees"?

Nah….got married in HK. Then went to the Lao consulate with marriage cert which they translated into Lao language (showed police report, birth cert, single status) and they stamped it. Wife took cert back to Lao and they stamped it. Done.

How easy was it for your wife to get her 'single status' (by which I assume you mean the Affirmation to Marry) from the Lao Authorities? If we could get this without having to go through all the Lao bureaucracy we'd marry in Thailand!

[nottocus]

That's good. But presumably to do this you had to get all the required approvals from Laos and pay the required "fees"?

Nah….got married in HK. Then went to the Lao consulate with marriage cert which they translated into Lao language (showed police report, birth cert, single status) and they stamped it. Wife took cert back to Lao and they stamped it. Done.

How easy was it for your wife to get her 'single status' (by which I assume you mean the Affirmation to Marry) from the Lao Authorities? If we could get this without having to go through all the Lao bureaucracy we'd marry in Thailand!

She tells me it was pretty easy. The single certificate was called a 'bai daeng sot'. Police report was easy. Biggest headache was changing her place of residence from Borikhamxay to Vientiane. Once she did that, getting the documents was easy.