How Much Does It Cost To Register Your Marriage In Thailand ?

[JustAnotherFarang]

Hi guys

I am in a similiar boat to most, living on back to back 30 day runs to Burma, working as a teacher without a work permit and although I am married many years ago to my thai wife, we never got around to registering it..........dagnamit

So with the new visa restrictions and the lack of transparency as to what might happen in the coming months we have been scrambling around for solutions and thought we had got one sorted, dont want to risk back to back consular visits only to find I have been denied for one reason or another and then stuck in that country away from nmy wife and job..... sure you guys know the feeling.

Anyhow, malaysian friend of a friend turned me on to this guy //edit// whose company name is //edit// - Marriage registration and visa service based in Hat Yai and he said that he could arrange everything. My malaysian friend got a marriage visa and a work/business permit for 20,000 bht...... and he wasnt even married and he didnt even have a business...........it was all just on paper.

I doubted he could do the same for me as I figured it was easier for Malays and Thai embassies to do business but my friends friend assured me that he (JT Tranlation) could take care of it for me. So my wife contacted him and explained that I was doing the burma run every month and he said that he could help me to do my marriage visa, just send a copy of my passport, my wifes passport/id card, 2 photocopies of friends passports as guarantors and he would take care of everything else.........

My wife asked for more details and he said that I would be able to stay in Thailand for 1 year but that I would have to go to Penang etc etc every 3 months. My wife told him that we dont have the requisite 400,000 or the legally obtained 40,000 bht per month but the guy said not to worry as he could help us..........when asked how he replied, dont worry I can do it......... We assumed he knew something we didnt.........a loophole per se

He said the fee was 12,000 bht and after receiving our documents we would pay 6000 bht and when everything was ready, we would go to Hat Yai to collect our marriage visa documents, register our marriage at the local amphur with him (in Hat Yai which is not our local for sure) and then I would go to Malaysia and apply for the Non Immigrant visa. We sent our documents that day and after confirmation, deposited 6000 bht into his account

Several times in our further phone conversations we have asked him how he can circumnavigate the rule of 40,000 or 400,000 and we never got a satisfactory answer, only that he could take care of it but in the last day or two we have gotten cold feet and contacted him again and to our surprise it seems he is telling us it will cost 12,000 bht just to get our marriage visa................what ?? Eerything else is step by step and that he cannot help us with the new restrictions concerning savings and income

Can anyone offer me some clear advice here......... Does it really cost 12,000 bht just to register our marriage legally and bear in mind this does not include the UK consular feeof 1,950 bht for stamping our piece of paper that he has sent us (a crummy photocopy with incorrect spelling of my personal details. Surely I could have done all this myself for a whole lot less with a trip to my embassy..........what is the exact procedure and how much would it cost for me....... or an agency to do normally

When asked about refunding our intial 6000, he offered 3000 bht because of translation he said he did..........we have only sent our details and received a piece of paper with incorrect details on it !!! so he has now gone away to reconsider what we should pay for his 2 phonecalls, 2 pieces of paper with incorrect details and the cost of posting it to us, my wife suggested 200 bht and I certainly concur as it seems to be a complete rip off

Cheers for your advice guys

JAF

PS what conceivable benefit is there if I dont have 400,000 bht or 40,000 bht per month obtained legally here and have a marriage visa.........seems pointless to me as I am still in the same boat as everyone else, going to burma or penang hoping they give me what I want

[lopburi3]

What you seem to have been involved in was very likely not lawful and could have resulted in serious consequences.

To marry you have to have the document notarized by your Embassy, translated into Thai and then registered at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I expect translation/registration will cost about 2,000 baht but have no recent knowledge and you can probably save a little by doing the registration yourself. The registration at the District Office will only cost a couple hundred baht for witness, or less.

What the marriage will provide is a reason to visit (family) so you should be able to obtain non immigrant visa for 90 day stay from most Consulates and perhaps a multi entry from a place like KL or Singapore which would only require 90 day border runs for over a year before another required. Believe cost of multi entry visa is about 5,000 baht.

[aussiestyle1983]

Pay your embassy for a stat dec to say that you are single and can marry here. Cost up to your embassy.

Translate that doccument into thai 500 THB

Get doccument stamped from foreign affairs 400 THB

Register marriage at amphur FREE

( if you dont have 2 wittnesses, you will have to pay 2 Amphur staff members 100 THB each to be a wittnes )

Total cost 1000-3000 THB, depending on how much your embassy charges for your stat dec.

Singapore is still issueing 1 year Non O visas as of last week. Cost $220 SGD for visa plus flights and accomidation.

[climb512]

Just wanted to add that I just received my 1 year non-imm "O" from KL, based on my marriage to a Thai national. App submitted Thursday and received back on Friday with no fuss at all (except an awfully long line). Fee was 500 RM (about 5200 baht).

[JustAnotherFarang]

Just wanted to add that I just received my 1 year non-imm "O" from KL, based on my marriage to a Thai national. App submitted Thursday and received back on Friday with no fuss at all (except an awfully long line). Fee was 500 RM (about 5200 baht).

was there any problems regarding savings or proof of income ??

dont mind long queues if it ll works well

JAF

[JustAnotherFarang]

Well for sure its a scam because after chatting to the guy on the phone he says he will only refund 3000 bht because he sent me the form you can download off the internet and incidentally had the wrong personal details on it and for "his expertise and knowledge" which is laughable as he would not answer any of our questions regarding the steps he intended to take.

I still want to register my marriage and will do it myself in due course as it is not complicated but beware bogus companies like //edit and poster warned// in Hat Yai who offer hope and hike up the charges and refuse a refund when nothing has yet been done.

JAF

[Lite Beer]

To obtain a non imm o visa from a consulate you do not have to show income or savings. You only need Marriage certificate, Wifes I D Card, wifes house registration document. Photos .Your passport and the fee.

For what it is worth an agency in Bangkok took care of my marriage registration, including declaration to Embassy. Embassy visit, Translation of Embassy letter and marriage registration for a fee of 9,000 Baht. Easy and all legal. Dont know your nationality but I am British. Your Embassy may be a little different.

[sanook1]

Hi guys

I am in a similiar boat to most, living on back to back 30 day runs to Burma, working as a teacher without a work permit and although I am married many years ago to my thai wife, we never got around to registering it..........dagnamit

So with the new visa restrictions and the lack of transparency as to what might happen in the coming months we have been scrambling around for solutions and thought we had got one sorted, dont want to risk back to back consular visits only to find I have been denied for one reason or another and then stuck in that country away from nmy wife and job..... sure you guys know the feeling.

Anyhow, malaysian friend of a friend turned me on to this guy //edit// whose company name is //edit// - Marriage registration and visa service based in Hat Yai and he said that he could arrange everything. My malaysian friend got a marriage visa and a work/business permit for 20,000 bht...... and he wasnt even married and he didnt even have a business...........it was all just on paper.

I doubted he could do the same for me as I figured it was easier for Malays and Thai embassies to do business but my friends friend assured me that he (JT Tranlation) could take care of it for me. So my wife contacted him and explained that I was doing the burma run every month and he said that he could help me to do my marriage visa, just send a copy of my passport, my wifes passport/id card, 2 photocopies of friends passports as guarantors and he would take care of everything else.........

My wife asked for more details and he said that I would be able to stay in Thailand for 1 year but that I would have to go to Penang etc etc every 3 months. My wife told him that we dont have the requisite 400,000 or the legally obtained 40,000 bht per month but the guy said not to worry as he could help us..........when asked how he replied, dont worry I can do it......... We assumed he knew something we didnt.........a loophole per se

He said the fee was 12,000 bht and after receiving our documents we would pay 6000 bht and when everything was ready, we would go to Hat Yai to collect our marriage visa documents, register our marriage at the local amphur with him (in Hat Yai which is not our local for sure) and then I would go to Malaysia and apply for the Non Immigrant visa. We sent our documents that day and after confirmation, deposited 6000 bht into his account

Several times in our further phone conversations we have asked him how he can circumnavigate the rule of 40,000 or 400,000 and we never got a satisfactory answer, only that he could take care of it but in the last day or two we have gotten cold feet and contacted him again and to our surprise it seems he is telling us it will cost 12,000 bht just to get our marriage visa................what ?? Eerything else is step by step and that he cannot help us with the new restrictions concerning savings and income

Can anyone offer me some clear advice here......... Does it really cost 12,000 bht just to register our marriage legally and bear in mind this does not include the UK consular feeof 1,950 bht for stamping our piece of paper that he has sent us (a crummy photocopy with incorrect spelling of my personal details. Surely I could have done all this myself for a whole lot less with a trip to my embassy..........what is the exact procedure and how much would it cost for me....... or an agency to do normally

When asked about refunding our intial 6000, he offered 3000 bht because of translation he said he did..........we have only sent our details and received a piece of paper with incorrect details on it !!! so he has now gone away to reconsider what we should pay for his 2 phonecalls, 2 pieces of paper with incorrect details and the cost of posting it to us, my wife suggested 200 bht and I certainly concur as it seems to be a complete rip off

Cheers for your advice guys

JAF

PS what conceivable benefit is there if I dont have 400,000 bht or 40,000 bht per month obtained legally here and have a marriage visa.........seems pointless to me as I am still in the same boat as everyone else, going to burma or penang hoping they give me what I want

500 baht to register your marrage if you forget your witness'

[Thaddeus]

The short answer to the OP

Nothing, it costs zero, nada, four fifths of five eighths of sod all, to get married in Thailand.

The preparation work will require digging in your wallet.

There are two ways to do this (I have done both)

Only one thing is common, you need to get a piece of paper from your Embassy declaring that you have no impediment to partake in a marriage ceremony.

You front up at an office/shop/ telephone booth.... and meet a man that can 'sort it out' .... you pay him some money..... he then, let's say, greases the wheels and hey presto, you are married.

Or you do it the right way, you get the piece of paper from the Embassy that you typed in the first place (this doesn't work for all nationalities... some require a trip to your birthplace, not where you live currently ) .... take that piece of paper to a translation agency and turn it into the Thai language, a quick trip to the MFA for an official .Gov stamp, then off to the Amphur of your choice.... there is a good one just around the corner from the MFA in Chang Wattana, really nice people.

Hey presto...... married (am I repeating myself)

That is to get married.... total cost including taxis around 3k Baht.

If anybody says "I can get you married and a one year visa" ..... do some research and pay them nothing.