Am I married on not in Thailand

[alaninkarachi]

I've just been to the bank to support my wife getting a loan. It appears I an a single person not married to her. We were married in Seychelles 13 years ago and had the normal certificate/paper/documentation to prove it. Accepted in Australia, Pakistan, Korea and other places since.

Do I really need to go to the authorities here in Thailand and explain this or is there some form of bi country understanding about such certificates. Seems amazing if there is not. Or do I remain in the eyes of Thailand a single person living "in sin"... Very strange as Seychelles marriage certificate is recognized on most other countries on presentation. Oh yes and I'm a Seychelles citizen!!

Useful Comments please. (Apart from the obvious "go home and live in paradise"....) Which I'm thinking about...

Thanks.

[TobiasML]

I assume your wife is Thai. In that case you will need to register your marriage in Thailand, regardless if you are legally married in a different country.

[NickJ]

How would Thailand know you were married in a diffrent country....The World Marrage Computer?......

[Swiss1960]

your foreign marriage certificate might well get accepted... but how should the Thai government bodies know about it when you never register it? Same when a foreigner gets married in Thailand... his homecountry will never know about it when the foreigner does not inform his embassy about it, supported by the necessary paperwork...

[NanLaew]

A friend of mine, in pursuit of fast-tracking an eventual US spouse visa for his Thai wife, got married to her in Panama. A few months later, they went ahead and did the Thai ceremony up country and then went to the Amphur in Banglamung to do the Thai wedding registration. One or other mentioned their earlier registered marriage in Panama and the Amphur claimed that since they were married already, they couldn't do it again in Thailand. I think their solution was to get the Panamanian certificates notarised and eventually 'chopped' by the MFA... but really not sure if that was the way they eventually went. I will check.

[SOTIRIOS]

...married is married....

...they accept foreign certificates.....for visas...as long as you bring money into the country....and pay and pay....

...when you want or need something....like basic human rights when your wife 'kicks you to the curb'....."Oh, sorry, marriage not registered"...

...what nonsense....

...nobody ever told me....

...married...in Canada....married in Thailand....but never registered.....

...so wife can now !@#$%^& me as she likes....

...this has to change.....

...a whole world out there with laws....and a mickey mouse club here....for natives only...

...are we welcome here only to be screwed around...until we leave...or die.......???

[roblgs]

You possibly first need the embassy of the issuing country to provide a certified copy of the marriage certificate, which then needs to be translated to Thai and stamped by the translator. This translated certified copy then needs to be notarised by a Thai lawyer or notary public and that then needs to be presented, together with the embassy certified copy of the original, to your local Amphur. These two official copies of the original will then be the basis for entering you into the local marriage register and multiple 'originals' of the Thai marriage certificate issued.

A right Pain in the Parts.

The passport offices on Chaeng Wattana (next to the government complex, not part of it) include official translation and notarisation services under one roof, but be prepared for the notarisation to be a couple of days turn-around. Translation took a couple of hours, but depends on the queue.

Also be prepared for the Amphur to keep hold of the certified original from the foreign embassy, as well as the notarised official translation... so might be an idea to get spares made.

For years I'd been doing extensions of stay on basis of a translation of an embassy certified copy, without it being notarised... Then two years ago that was no longer good enough and I had to go through this process.

Be aware also that not any old translation will do. Must be a 'recognised' translation service and stamped by them before seeking notarisation, and if there are any other documents that might be linked (kid's birth certificates, parents birth certificates) then spellings/transliterations MUST match across all, or there will be headaches at a later date when some other piece of paper becomes necessary.

There may be simpler ways, but this is what I was forced through a couple of years ago and which worked. Subsequent to this, the Thai marriage certificate is the only document now necessary to prove status of the relationship.

[Beetlejuice]

You need to get the marriage certificate certified with the embassy that pertains to the country of the said marriage certificate, then hire the service of a reputable officially registered Thai lawyer to translate the certificate, then visit the Thai Foreign Affairs Office in Bangkok to issue a Thai version of the marriage certificate.

That`s the process my wife had to do several years ago, as we were married in the United States. I doubt that the process has changed since, unless anyone has more up to date knowledge?

[godden]

just enjoy the chance to be a bigamist

[prakhonchai nick]

just enjoy the chance to be a bigamist

Many chances if you live in Thailand!

[joboss]

...married is married....

...they accept foreign certificates.....for visas...as long as you bring money into the country....and pay and pay....

...when you want or need something....like basic human rights when your wife 'kicks you to the curb'....."Oh, sorry, marriage not registered"...

...what nonsense....

...nobody ever told me....

...married...in Canada....married in Thailand....but never registered.....

...so wife can now !@#$%^& me as she likes....

...this has to change.....

...a whole world out there with laws....and a mickey mouse club here....for natives only...

...are we welcome here only to be screwed around...until we leave...or die.......???

stand up straight, clamp your arse cheeks tight, get on with life.

[sanuk711]

...married is married....

...they accept foreign certificates.....for visas...as long as you bring money into the country....and pay and pay....

...when you want or need something....like basic human rights when your wife 'kicks you to the curb'....."Oh, sorry, marriage not registered"...

...what nonsense....

...nobody ever told me....

...married...in Canada....married in Thailand....but never registered.....

...so wife can now !@#$%^& me as she likes....

...this has to change.....

...a whole world out there with laws....and a mickey mouse club here....for natives only...

...are we welcome here only to be screwed around...until we leave...or die.......???

stand up straight, clamp your arse cheeks tight, get on with life.

Yes , as long as your not bitter---that's the main thing...........................

[shaurene]

Why not go down to your local Ampor office and get married only takes 1 hour or so.

[NanLaew]

Why not go down to your local Ampor office and get married only takes 1 hour or so.

The OP is legally married in another country.

See post #5, the Amphur won't register a marriage if the couple are already legally married in another country. Nor will they register a marriage that hasn't happened in Thailand.

Beetlejuice has the correct answer.

[csabo]

How would Thailand know you were married in a diffrent country....The World Marrage Computer?......

They can see the hopelessness in your eyes when you are married.

[RBOP]

Go to your Embassy and have your marriage certificate translated to Thai. Foreign Affairs Department on Changewattana Rd may also have certified translation services.

[gyrosman]

Very simple Dude, I married a Russian woman while working in Saudi Arabia therefore; does your spouse have a passport of your country or other? Secondly, if you are retired here and income but does she have proof of income.

From your ?, this person is not Thai and other people can help on this but I think there are many other HOOPS you will need to jump through. Good Luck!

[stevensg]

Just to share my experience, I register my marriage in Singapore and bring the certificate to Singapore embassy in bkk to certified it as true copy, bring the certificate with certified paper to translate at law firm, bring all documents to Khong soon in rangsit to stamp on Thai version of certificate to make it legal.

But always bring both certificates when ask for marriage cert.

That's the only way.

I'm told that if I register my marriage in Thailand it will be double marriage and it's against the law.

[jerojero]

...married is married....

...they accept foreign certificates.....for visas...as long as you bring money into the country....and pay and pay....

...when you want or need something....like basic human rights when your wife 'kicks you to the curb'....."Oh, sorry, marriage not registered"...

...what nonsense....

...nobody ever told me....

...married...in Canada....married in Thailand....but never registered.....

...so wife can now !@#$%^& me as she likes....

...this has to change.....

...a whole world out there with laws....and a mickey mouse club here....for natives only...

...are we welcome here only to be screwed around...until we leave...or die.......???

If you marry, live and or invest anything in Thailand, be prepared to lose it all if it goes sideways. Tough to accept or understand when in love with a Thai wife or at beginning of serious relationships....but a must know, must accept requirement. And never turn over your control of finances to anyone, unless it's in your will and it's being executed!

[DrDave]

Why not go down to your local Ampor office and get married only takes 1 hour or so.

The OP is legally married in another country.

See post #5, the Amphur won't register a marriage if the couple are already legally married in another country. Nor will they register a marriage that hasn't happened in Thailand.

Beetlejuice has the correct answer.

Yes, Beetlejuice has the correct answer.

But no, your comment that "the Amphur won't register a marriage if the couple are already legally married in another country. Nor will they register a marriage that hasn't happened in Thailand." is incorrect.

In fact, the process that Beetlejuice outlined is exactly what the Amphur requires in order to register a legal marriage that has occurred outside of Thailand. After submitting all of the properly certified and stamped documents to the Amphur, they will register the marriage and issue a Kor Ror 22 document, which is your proof of marital status in Thailand.

[krisb]

How would Thailand know you were married in a diffrent country....The World Marrage Computer?......

Google lol.

[billrose]

How would Thailand know you were married in a diffrent country....The World Marrage Computer?......

By showing them a certified and translated copy of the marriage certificate! That's all the OP has to do.

[NanLaew]

Why not go down to your local Ampor office and get married only takes 1 hour or so.

The OP is legally married in another country.

See post #5, the Amphur won't register a marriage if the couple are already legally married in another country. Nor will they register a marriage that hasn't happened in Thailand.

Beetlejuice has the correct answer.

Yes, Beetlejuice has the correct answer.

But no, your comment that "the Amphur won't register a marriage if the couple are already legally married in another country. Nor will they register a marriage that hasn't happened in Thailand." is incorrect.

In fact, the process that Beetlejuice outlined is exactly what the Amphur requires in order to register a legal marriage that has occurred outside of Thailand. After submitting all of the properly certified and stamped documents to the Amphur, they will register the marriage and issue a Kor Ror 22 document, which is your proof of marital status in Thailand.

Thanks for the correction; I was basing my comment on what was assumed to have happened with my buddy with the Panamanian marriage. Next time I see him or his wife, I will ask if they got their Kor Ror 22 finally sorted out.