Two friends from the States say they were able to register their Thai marriages at the CM US Consulate a few years back. I emailed the consulate and they said this is not a service they provide. They also said they have never provided this service. They said a marriage must be registered in the state you reside in. This would require me and my wife to return to the USA. Does anyone know if there was a time when you could register a marriage at the consulate?

There is no such thing and it is not required - Thai marriage is fully legal in all US states. The most that could ever be required is translation and registration at Thai MFA so that is a good idea to get done - but in most cases just a translation and copy would be accepted.

Perhaps your friends gave marriage information to Chiang Mai Consul for visa or passport for child reasons?

What if you wanted your Thai wife do be the beneficiary of your Social Security checks?

What if you wanted your Thai wife do be the beneficiary of your Social Security checks?

She physical has to live in the US for 5 years to be eligible for survivors benefits. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/851937-can-my-thai-wife-collect-ss-benefits-after-i-pass/

What if you wanted your Thai wife do be the beneficiary of your Social Security checks?

She physical has to live in the US for 5 years to be eligible for survivors benefits. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/851937-can-my-thai-wife-collect-ss-benefits-after-i-pass/

I think also she has to be legally married to him in one of the states. Or U S posstions. spry about the spelling/ My spell checker couldn't figure it out either. Places like Porte Rico or I would imagine any U S military base.

What if you wanted your Thai wife do be the beneficiary of your Social Security checks?

She physical has to live in the US for 5 years to be eligible for survivors benefits. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/851937-can-my-thai-wife-collect-ss-benefits-after-i-pass/

I think also she has to be legally married to him in one of the states. Or U S posstions. spry about the spelling/ My spell checker couldn't figure it out either. Places like Porte Rico or I would imagine any U S military base.

A Thai marriage (signing name at any amphur) is recognized as legal any where in the world and does not need to be registered in the US. As a mod also said the US Embassy or Consulate do not register any marriage. Key word from "bangmai" is Thai Wife and I take that as a legal marriage as Buddha marriage does not or has never been recognized as a legal marriage even by the Thai government.

There is no need to "register" a legal Thai marriage

If a marriage certificate is required for some bureaucratic reason the original Thai certificate accompanied by a certified translation is all that is required.

Exactly. No one in the US "registers" their marriage. Either your married or your not.

Exactly. No one in the US "registers" their marriage. Either your married or your not.

and if your not married NO FORKING BENEFITS. End of.

Even when applying for VA benefits, there is no need for a Thai marriage to be "registered" with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. All that's needed is your Thai marriage certificate and a certified translation, as sunnyjim5 said in Post #5.

Many U.S. veterans don't know that their wives could be able to receive a widow's pension even if she never lived in the U.S. -- provided they served in the military for 90 days of active service during a "wartime period". This overlooked benefit could be significant for a Thai widow -- it's about 25,000 baht/month, but most U.S. vets don't know about because it they weren't career military and their Thai wives don't have the ability to apply after their death because it's just too daunting for them to deal with the VA.

U.S. vets -- if you served anywhere in the world during a "wartime period" http://www.benefits.va.gov/PENSION/wartimeperiod.asp

You really should get your documents together NOW for your wife if you love her. This means your military records and stamped originals of ALL your marriage certificates and divorce decrees. All these documents can be requested on-line to be mailed to Thailand and should be part of a "master file" she has for you. Also, you'd be doing her a big favor to guide her thru the process to obtain a ITIN. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, Uncle Sam's version of a Social Security number for foreigners. https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/General-ITIN-Information She'll need this in order to collect a widow's pension and it will just delay the time she can collect if she has to obtain an ITIN after your death. The easiest way for her to get one is for her to start by obtaining a Thai passport. That's the best document she can present at the U.S. Consulate as I.D. for her ITIN application.

Foreign spouses cannot claim survivor benefits from Social Security unless they've lived in the U.S. for five years during the marriage. But they can obtain this little-known VA widow's pension after just one year of marriage and never have to live in the U.S. Plus, they can start it at any age.

Guys -- it's a great gift you can give to your wives to get everything in order for her to file the claim. Here is the application form: http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-534EZ-ARE.pdf

Even when applying for VA benefits, there is no need for a Thai marriage to be "registered" with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. All that's needed is your Thai marriage certificate and a certified translation, as sunnyjim5 said in Post #5.

Many U.S. veterans don't know that their wives could be able to receive a widow's pension even if she never lived in the U.S. -- provided they served in the military for 90 days of active service during a "wartime period". This overlooked benefit could be significant for a Thai widow -- it's about 25,000 baht/month, but most U.S. vets don't know about because it they weren't career military and their Thai wives don't have the ability to apply after their death because it's just too daunting for them to deal with the VA.

U.S. vets -- if you served anywhere in the world during a "wartime period" http://www.benefits.va.gov/PENSION/wartimeperiod.asp

You really should get your documents together NOW for your wife if you love her. This means your military records and stamped originals of ALL your marriage certificates and divorce decrees. All these documents can be requested on-line to be mailed to Thailand and should be part of a "master file" she has for you. Also, you'd be doing her a big favor to guide her thru the process to obtain a ITIN. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, Uncle Sam's version of a Social Security number for foreigners. https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/General-ITIN-Information She'll need this in order to collect a widow's pension and it will just delay the time she can collect if she has to obtain an ITIN after your death. The easiest way for her to get one is for her to start by obtaining a Thai passport. That's the best document she can present at the U.S. Consulate as I.D. for her ITIN application.

Foreign spouses cannot claim survivor benefits from Social Security unless they've lived in the U.S. for five years during the marriage. But they can obtain this little-known VA widow's pension after just one year of marriage and never have to live in the U.S. Plus, they can start it at any age.

Guys -- it's a great gift you can give to your wives to get everything in order for her to file the claim. Here is the application form: http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-534EZ-ARE.pdf

A friend of are's qualified for it and was as Nancy said never realized she was eligible. She discovered it through a city life function and it took her two years to get it.

The one thing to be sure of is they have the records. There was a fire a number of years ago in San Francisco where many of them were destroyed. Are friends husbands records were among them. Another friend through the magic of the internet found a picture of him. He had been a POW and they were able to track down enough paper work else where to allow it.