Marriage type?

[LAguy]

Question here:

What is the difference between the marriage that results from the wedding ceremonies with the families and the marriage that results from going down to the local town hall and registering your marriage?

What are the legal ramifications of each?

Anybody know of any websites/resources that explain this?

I ask because we plan to get married here in the USA, but she wants a ceremony in Thailand - will we then have a marriage license from both countries?  Which one along with which rules takes precendence?

Thanks.  It will be a few months before anything happens, I just want to educate myself on all the particulars.

[singa-traz]

Based on previous post in this forum, the Thai Wedding Ceremony is not recognised under Thai Law ... so you had a great party, but legally you are not yet husband and wife, until you register it (Where ?).

[lopburi3]

There is no real Thai wedding ceremony as such.  There are traditions.  A Thai marriage is a paper signed at a District Office (local government hqs) by the man and woman.  There is no marriage license involved but there is a requirement that foreigners have paperwork (normal from their Embassy) affirming they are not married and of good character/means.  This marriage certificate would be accepted by most countries as a legal marriage.

The traditional Thai wedding ceremony may include the above step but quite often it is only a symbolic affair that would be a blessing/offering to monks, family blessings with the string/flowers linking and water over hands that is often seen in the wedding photo, and what can be a small or large party.  It is basically a good time for all and, like most things here, not strictly regulated by the do/don't most of us expect.

Only the registration process is a legal marriage.  You can come here after/before your marriage in the USA and enjoy this ceremony without the registration part.  Your USA marriage is a legal marriage here, just as a legal marriage here is legal in the USA.

[LAguy]

Thanks for your input.

Follow up question then:  If each legal marriage is recognized in the others' country (between Thailand and the USA, for example), is one better than the other in respect to any differences insofar as property rights, divorce, immigration status, etc.?  Or are both on a level playing field, each making both parties subject to the same rules regardless of where the marriage was officially recorded?

In effect, where should I get the marriage legally performed?

[lopburi3]

Have not had to deal with that but believe divorce is according to where you are living at the time.

FYI:  Thailand is a common property type place.  So anything obtained during marriage is split 50/50 unless exempted by paperwork.

[lopburi3]

Forgot the where to get married question.  All else being equal her visa status would have to be known.  If US Citizen either country would be ok but if she is on a limited type visa you might want to marry in the US and then file for adjustment of status as a marriage over here would require re-entry using an immigrant visa and that process could take up to a year.  But I am not current on requirements so you might want to read up on that.

[Farangy]

Thailand is almost like USA. You must legally register your marriage at the county recorder's office. Before you do that, you need to be legally married by an official (Minister, Rabbi, Monk, Gov. Officer, Judge, etc).

In Thailand, the wedding ceremony is separate from the legal stuff. In USA, we (usually but not always) combine the wedding ceremony with the legal pronouncement (kill 2 birds with one stone.)

Then it gets recorded in the Hall of Records for a small fee.

[LAguy]

Thanks everybody for your help.

[lopburi3]

Thailand is almost like USA. You must legally register your marriage at the county recorder's office. Before you do that, you need to be legally married by an official (Minister, Rabbi, Monk, Gov. Officer, Judge, etc).

You do not do anything in Thailand BEFORE you register at the District Office in Thailand that has any bearing on the legality of the marriage.  A Monk does not marry anyone.

[Thetyim]

I am not sure if you are right Lopburi.

I think if you get married in Th you must get divorced in Th

if you get married in US you must get divorced in US

How can the Thai official cancel a legal US registerd marriage ?

So IF I am right then a Thai marriage could  work out a lot cheaper when you get around to the divorce