Getting married in Thailand

[mamboze]

I'm going thru the paper work necessary to marry my Thai girlfriend in Thailand. I am now at the stage where I am getting the mandatory personal details statutory declaration and divorce document from Australia translated into Thai as per the requirements of the Thai Department of Consular Affairs.

I guess other Thai Visa members have gone thru this routine and I was wondering are there any particular issues I need to be aware of. I've had a look at the Consular Affairs website (translated) and can't find anything there.

One question I do have is that is it better to hire a local Thail legal company to do the work or is do-it-yourself feasible (or sensible). Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

[ubonjoe]

You can do it all yourself.

Most translation services can get the certifications done at consular affairs for you. That is what I did and had them EMS them to me when they were finished.

[lopburi3]

Things may have changed but when I did this translations it had to be by an approved translations service and this was carefully checked by MFA Legalization Department before they would provide a registration stamp. But admit that was yesterday/year and have seen reports of persons doing themselves - but not sure if they submitted or used a service that may have been approved. I would use a translations service and as said they can take care of the MFA registration of document for you.

[mxyzptlk]

I did my "Affirmation of Freedom to Marry" at the British Embassy myself and then used a nearby translation agency to do the translation and get the affirmation & translation stamped at the MFA and mailed via EMS back to me in Buriram....cheaper than spending another night in a hotel in BKK and the associated food / drink expenditure for me & Mrs M...

[giddyup]

I went through the whole procedure, visited the Aussie Embassy and filled out the Stat Dec swearing that I was no longer married and provided divorce papers as proof, had it all translated and sent to the Thai consulate for approval. Was all set to take a visit to the Amphur office for the actual marriage, but only then found out that I would have to notify Centrelink of the marriage and they could in fact reduce my aged pension. I thought the best thing to do was leave sleeping dogs lie, so I spent the best part of 10,000 baht for nought.

[northernboy]

I think is better to get some else to do it for you.

Please note not all registrar offices will now do Thai and Farang registrations like in the last month only one was done in Chiang Mai amphur and they had arranged it over a month ago. This is because new policy change, now the chief officer "balad" must do it not just the regular registrar that does Thai couples. and in larger amphurs they do not have the time or want the hassles to do this job. As they are suppose to physically check that the couple is a "Genuine married couple" (not sure this means video in the bedroom must be supplied or what). This is because thousand of fate marriage between Thai women and south Asian men where found out to be registered without the wife's knowledge or where the "wife" was just paid to get married for a visa.

I recommend you contact Somchit of "Legally Married in Thailand" they might give you a deal on just the paperwork translation and shipping.

[bazza40]

Suggest you carefully explain to your girlfriend that when you reach pension age ( if you are not there already ) and inform Centrelink you are married, your age pension will be cut in half. I'm assuming you will qualify for the OAP.

Curiously, the same will happen if you live in Australia and have a defacto partner for more than one year. However, that is not the case if you live in Thailand, presumably because Centrelink has no way of proving a defacto relationship here, and Thai law does not recognise defacto relationships.

I sometimes think Thai laws are far more sensible than in Australia. When you look at what's happening with property in Australia, the Thais must think we are idiots.

[plumbob90]

i want to get married,but i think i am still married to my last wife,i have not seen her in 9 years.

I not know if i am still married to her,i have destroyed the marriage certificate,i not know her full name or where she lives now.

I have asked lawyers and they say to me,DON'T KNOW.

I want to check if i am still married or not.

Can anybody help me please.

[ubonjoe]

i want to get married,but i think i am still married to my last wife,i have not seen her in 9 years.

I not know if i am still married to her,i have destroyed the marriage certificate,i not know her full name or where she lives now.

I have asked lawyers and they say to me,DON'T KNOW.

I want to check if i am still married or not.

Can anybody help me please.

Without knowing her name or her ID number I am not sure how you will be able to find out anything.

Perhaps if you went to the Amphoe where you registered your marriage they might be able to find a record of your registration. It would help to know the date you did the registration.

[willr]

Why tell centre link anything, you get no extra benifets you cannot claim for her or she can't get medicare.so if you staying here do the marriage and that's it.i tried to register in Australia but no one wanted to know. So be it.

[mankondang]

Hi. Just been through it myself.

Please be aware that IF you are on an Australian Pension and your wife is a non- Australian who is under the pension age in Australia, then CenterLink will reduce your single pension (,approx AUD $21,505/annum) to 50% of a married pension (married pension is approx AUD$32,419, and 50% of that = AUD$16,208). So a single person pension will drop if he marries a "young" Thai lady from AUD$21,505 to AUD$16,208 a difference of AUD$5,203/annum. Maybe this does or does not apply to you. If it does check the Australian CenterLink/Pension rates on the web (Sorry I do not have the link)

[mankondang]

Oh sorry I forgot to add that if you are an Australian pensioner then CenterLink puts the onus on you to inform them of any changes in your circumstances (single to married in this case). If they find out yours have changed, (and let's not be naive that with the internet and increasing Thai/Aussie relationships that they will at sometime) then first they stop your payment and ask for a " please explain", then your up for fraud, inc back payments, fines etc.

My wife always only wanted a Thai traditional and Buddhist marriage. Saved my pension, but now I still have to show the single Bhat.800,000/ annum in the bank instead of the married Bhat. 400,000/annum... Or the Bhat. 44,000/month income which my single pension would have covered...but not enough per month for a 50% of a married pension to cover.

Congratulations and all the best to you both

[anon4546543]

I was married in the boonies of Thailand. Nine monks and the whole village attended. We had a huge wedding. My wife and I went to the Amphoe the next day to register. This is important, the Amphoe will give you the documents for marriage. (You may also need to register a place for residence) My Thai wedding with the supporting documents is recognised by the Australian Govt. I am not interested in cheating the country I was born in - re pensions. I am a proud Australian and a new and accepted resident in my village. And I love it here.

[willr]

I went to birth and marriages in Oz they said only if married in Oz it will be registered there.. can't get any other benifets for her medicare or anything for the kids unless Australian resident.so if your wife is not Australian resident . Same as the tax people see me as single.as far as I am concerned centre link can be kept in the dark,when every other government department don't recognise your status.

[shaurene]

I went through it all. I from New Zealand my wife died from Cancer and I had death cert, like you have divorce cert.

You need to go to your Aussie embassy in BKK and get certificate from them to show you are free to marry.

Go to the Ampore office show them and they will give you your marriage cert to your Thai GF.

End of story.

[giddyup]

i want to get married,but i think i am still married to my last wife,i have not seen her in 9 years.

I not know if i am still married to her,i have destroyed the marriage certificate,i not know her full name or where she lives now.

I have asked lawyers and they say to me,DON'T KNOW.

I want to check if i am still married or not.

Can anybody help me please.

Yes, look for Family Law Courts on line, there is a form to fill in with all the details you have, wife's name, when you were married etc. It will cost A$30 for them to do a search and come up with the divorce finalisation or not. This is assuming you were married in Australia, you don't actually say.

Edited July 5, 2015 by giddyup

[giddyup]

Why tell centre link anything, you get no extra benifets you cannot claim for her or she can't get medicare.so if you staying here do the marriage and that's it.i tried to register in Australia but no one wanted to know. So be it.

If you don't advise Centrelink they will find out that you were married when you die and then they will backdate any monies that are owed to them and take it from your estate.

[giddyup]

I went through it all. I from New Zealand my wife died from Cancer and I had death cert, like you have divorce cert.

You need to go to your Aussie embassy in BKK and get certificate from them to show you are free to marry.

Go to the Ampore office show them and they will give you your marriage cert to your Thai GF.

End of story.

You missed a couple of stages. The Stat Dec from the Oz embassy has to be translated along with death certificate, then that has to be submitted to the Thai Consul for their stamp before you can go to the Amphur office.

[Eneukman]

I did my "Affirmation of Freedom to Marry" at the British Embassy myself and then used a nearby translation agency to do the translation and get the affirmation & translation stamped at the MFA and mailed via EMS back to me in Buriram....cheaper than spending another night in a hotel in BKK and the associated food / drink expenditure for me & Mrs M...

That is what I did as well. After obtaining the affidavit from the british Embassy I went across the road to Homepro (Homebase?). Go upstairs and you'll find a place that offers a translation service (Ploenchit Translation Center - tel 081-446-2705). They did everything for me at a total cost of 2,100 baht.

Alan

[giddyup]

I was married in the boonies of Thailand. Nine monks and the whole village attended. We had a huge wedding. My wife and I went to the Amphoe the next day to register. This is important, the Amphoe will give you the documents for marriage. (You may also need to register a place for residence) My Thai wedding with the supporting documents is recognised by the Australian Govt. I am not interested in cheating the country I was born in - re pensions. I am a proud Australian and a new and accepted resident in my village. And I love it here.

A Thai wedding is NOT recognised by the Aussie government. You have to go to the Aussie embassy and complete all the paperwork there first and that's just the start.

[paz]

I was married in the boonies of Thailand. Nine monks and the whole village attended. We had a huge wedding. My wife and I went to the Amphoe the next day to register. This is important, the Amphoe will give you the documents for marriage. (You may also need to register a place for residence) My Thai wedding with the supporting documents is recognised by the Australian Govt. I am not interested in cheating the country I was born in - re pensions. I am a proud Australian and a new and accepted resident in my village. And I love it here.

A Thai wedding is NOT recognised by the Aussie government. You have to go to the Aussie embassy and complete all the paperwork there first and that's just the start.

Perhaps you haven't read or understood well. Above is about a legal marriage in Thailand. Which is legal and recognized everywhere in the world, just as mentioned.

[giddyup]

I was married in the boonies of Thailand. Nine monks and the whole village attended. We had a huge wedding. My wife and I went to the Amphoe the next day to register. This is important, the Amphoe will give you the documents for marriage. (You may also need to register a place for residence) My Thai wedding with the supporting documents is recognised by the Australian Govt. I am not interested in cheating the country I was born in - re pensions. I am a proud Australian and a new and accepted resident in my village. And I love it here.

A Thai wedding is NOT recognised by the Aussie government. You have to go to the Aussie embassy and complete all the paperwork there first and that's just the start.

Perhaps you haven't read or understood well. Above is about a legal marriage in Thailand. Which is legal and recognized everywhere in the world, just as mentioned.

I don't know what it is I'm supposed to not understand. I was responding to spiderorchid who said he was married in the boonies by 9 monks and then went to the Amphur office to be married. He said the Aussie government accepts that as a legal marriage, I say they don't. Prove to me I'm wrong. If it was that simple why would anyone go through the hassle of going to their emabassy, getting documents translated, then stamped by the Thai Consul, before going to the Amphur office?

Edited July 5, 2015 by giddyup

[paz]

I don't know what it is I'm supposed to not understand. I was responding to spiderorchid who said he was married in the boonies by 9 monks and then went to the Amphur office to be married. He said the Aussie government accepts that as a legal marriage, I say they don't. Prove to me I'm wrong. If it was that simple why would anyone go through the hassle of going to their emabassy, getting documents translated, then stamped by the Thai Consul?

Of course the documents needs to be translated and stamped, which is not a big deal really. Note when that is done in Thailand, there is no "Thai consul" involved.. Recognized means the spouses are legally married for a foreign country. As opposed to a religious only marriage, which is not.

Edited July 5, 2015 by paz

[willr]

Okay if it's legal,I still work in Oz. How come the tax dept and welfare don't recognise. I have 2 kids as well pay through the nose and get back jack shit.my kids are oz citizens.but because they don't live there still get nothing.

[paz]

Okay if it's legal,I still work in Oz. How come the tax dept and welfare don't recognise. I have 2 kids as well pay through the nose and get back jack shit.my kids are oz citizens.but because they don't live there still get nothing.

One thing is being legally married and or a legal parent, another being living together as a family.

[anon4546543]

To giddyup. Mate, you seem to be so bitter. I have done all of the protocols and I am a married man to a Thai lady in Australia and Thailand. Next year my Thai wife and I will visit Busselton in West Australia (most of my Aussie friends are near here) Here we will have a second wedding at the jetty. I am trying to convince my wifes' son and daughter to visit as well but they are so shy. Please try not to be so negative and judgemental. What you troll is not fact

[giddyup]

I don't know what it is I'm supposed to not understand. I was responding to spiderorchid who said he was married in the boonies by 9 monks and then went to the Amphur office to be married. He said the Aussie government accepts that as a legal marriage, I say they don't. Prove to me I'm wrong. If it was that simple why would anyone go through the hassle of going to their emabassy, getting documents translated, then stamped by the Thai Consul?

Of course the documents needs to be translated and stamped, which is not a big deal really. Note when that is done in Thailand, there is no "Thai consul" involved.. Recognized means the spouses are legally married for a foreign country. As opposed to a religious only marriage, which is not.

So what exactly was it that didn't I understand? It's not the Thai Consul (my mistake) where the paperwork goes after it's translated, it's the Thai Dept of Foreign Affairs, I have the document sitting right in front of me. Spiderorchid never completed any of those steps according to him, so he's wrong if he thinks the Aussie government recognises his Thai marriage.

[giddyup]

To giddyup. Mate, you seem to be so bitter. I have done all of the protocols and I am a married man to a Thai lady in Australia and Thailand. Next year my Thai wife and I will visit Busselton in West Australia (most of my Aussie friends are near here) Here we will have a second wedding at the jetty. I am trying to convince my wifes' son and daughter to visit as well but they are so shy. Please try not to be so negative and judgemental. What you troll is not fact

I'm not bitter, I'm pointing out the facts to you. If you think 9 monks ringing a few bells and a visit to the Amphur office constitutes a legal marriage recognised by the Aussie government you are in for a rude shock. But hey, if that's what you want to believe don't let me burst your bubble. BTW, trying to set you straight is not trolling, something else you are wrong about.

Edited July 5, 2015 by giddyup

[Muhendis]

There is one more thing to keep in mind. After my wife and I were married we made plans to move to the UK. In amongst other things the British embassy required photographs of our wedding at the Amphoe office in Bangkok. Unfortunately I wasn't aware of this requirement at the time so we had to go back there again and take pictures a few weeks later. Not a problem because everybody was quite helpful. We took my wife's mother for a trip to Bangkok at the same time so had pictures of proud mum in the package as well.

[anon4546543]

After having been married in Thailand (completed divorce papers and stat dec at Aust Embassy) and then submitting Thai docs for marriage ceremony at Aust Embassy, what exactly seems to be the problem. I have always said I completed all the protocols. At least one person is not only bitter, he needs to calm down, slowly imbibe on a small Leo and reflect that he should not be a know all.