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Getting Married in Thailand – Do it Yourself in One Day!

Since first writing this post, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is no longer offering the legalisation express service, which used to return your legalised documents in one day.

They now require 3 days to process your documents.

Additionally, some district offices (amphur) are now putting a maximum limit on the amount of couples they marry in one day; some also require you to make an appointment.

This means that you should now plan for 4-5 days to get this process completed.

Don't be disappointed though. You can still get all your documentation completed in one day.

I strongly suggest reading through the latest comments from other readers to get their most recent experiences.

Okay, let's begin.

Whether you're a foreign national marrying a Thai national, or a foreign couple coming to Thailand to get married, you'll need to jump through three hoops before you can legally register your marriage.

The marriage will only be recognised under the law of your home country if it is valid under Thai law. In other words, simply having a ceremony in Thailand doesn't mean you are legally married.

getting married in thailand

It is very possible to complete the process of getting the correct documentation together in one day, and that's the goal of this post.

However, I advise leaving a two-day window aside to complete the process just in case you run into a problem.

Remember, if you are both foreign nationals, you will need to consider this process for two.

Should I Hire an Agent?

This post focusses on completing the process yourself without an agent. Personally, I prefer to handle things myself, having complete control over efficiency and organisation.

Also consider that having an agent doesn't eliminate the first step of the process (the trip to the embassy), and costs considerably more.

Quotes range from 2,500-5000+ Baht for the agent's fee. Expect to pay around 4,500 for the actual process itself.

Step 1: Going to the Embassy for Affirmation

You must first go to your embassy to obtain an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry in Thailand.

Your embassy will most likely require you to make an appointment to get your affirmation done. Some do, dome don't.

British nationals DO need to make an appointment to get an affirmation. The consular accepts appointments 08:00 – 11:00 on Monday – Friday.

The cost depends on the embassy, but will be around the 3,500 Baht mark.  It costs 2,860 Thai Baht at the British embassy.

Yes, it's an expensive stamp.

Get the earliest appointment you can, closest to the opening time of the embassy, which should be 8am.

If your embassy has the affirmation form online, print it out from embassy website before you go, and fill in the relevant sections. For the British embassy, you will need to print the form.

You will need your passport, and if you've been married before, make sure you have documentation to prove that any previous marriages have been dissolved/terminated (an appropriate death certificate or divorce certificate).

Certificates issued in a third country outside UK and Thailand must be certified by its respective Embassy in Thailand.

This certificate, if not in English, must be accompanied by an English translation. Only the original evidence or an official certified copy will be accepted – photocopies will not be accepted under any circumstances.

NOTE: Also take a photocopy of your passport with you when you leave the house. You will need this for Step 3. 

Book an early appointment. If your embassy offers a walk-in service, get there at opening time. You certainly won't make the one day deadline we're on if you don't get there as close to opening time as you can and get it done quickly.

Step 2: Affirmation & Passport Translation: English to Thai

If it is still before 9.30am, then you are on schedule to complete the documentation process in a day.

You now need that affirmation translated into Thai. This will cost between 300-600 Baht, depending on where you go.

Due to a new requirement, as of 2017/18, you also need your passport certified by the embassy and then translated into Thai.

That means the photo page and the page above or below it, (depending on which country you are from).

The officer at Chaeng Wattana (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) will stamp your passport translation. You will then show this at the Amphur (district office) at your appointment to marry.

For the translation, you have two choices.

The majority of embassies are in and around Wireless Road, including the UK and US embassies.

If you walk to the top of Wireless Road (back toward Pleon Chit BTS station) and up over the bridge onto the other side of the road, you'll be standing outside a language school called Language Express.

Go past the school and turn right. Along this side road you'll find a number of reputable translation services.

Don't dilly dally: choose a translation centre quickly and make it clear you are on a deadline. You need to be out of here by 10.30am.

They should be able to do the translations within 1 hour. If they say they can't do it so quickly, let them know you can pay a little extra.

Alternatively, get in a taxi and go straight to Chaeng Wattana to the Department of Consular Affairs.

This might be preferable because the traffic will be dying down just after rush hour. This journey will cost around 150 Baht. Do take the tollway (60 Baht) if the driver suggests it. This route is much quicker.

You can get a translation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, although it may cost more because the touts will be aware you have no choice but to pay to have your documents authenticated there. However, if option 1 doesn't work out, this option is a sure thing.

Address:

Tell the taxi you want to go to the “Chang Wattana pass-a-bort off-ice!”

Show him the address in Thai: สำนักงานหนังสือเดินทาง ถนนแจ้งวัฒนะ เขตหลักสี่

If you have a smartphone with a decent size screen, show him on this Google Map.

The  Legalisation Division
Department of Consular Affairs
123 Chaeng Wattana Road,
Laksi District, Bangkok 10210

Tel : +66 (0) 2 575 1056–59,  0 2981 7171
Fax : +66 (0) 2 575 1054
(08:30 – 15:30 hrs)

Step 3: Thai Consular Affairs Authentication

If you need your documents translating, get one downstairs as you go in.

You will be approached as soon as you enter by touts for the translation services, so do a bit of bartering starting at 300 Baht. Don't stress too much over 100 Baht, just get it done with the company offering the fastest service and move on.

Note: staff take lunch at 12pm. You'll have to wait an hour until they come back on duty.

Try to get a ticket and get in the queue before they go to lunch. If you make it through processing before lunch, then great. If not, no worries.

Once you have the translation, go to the 3rd floor: up the escalator, turn right and up the stairs.

Go to the desk straight ahead of you and give in your affirmation and its translation, passport translation and photocopy of your passport to the lady at the desk.

Now proceed through the white door over on the other side of the room; the lady will direct you.

Here you will get your documents checked by someone who looks very official. Once you get the okay, you will be asked to take a seat and wait to be called. Keep your eye on the queuing system, you don't want to miss your number.

Once called,  you will be given a day to collect your authenticated documents and the option to have them posted to you. They no longer offer the one-day express service, so expect the pick-up/delivery date to be within 72 hours.

When you get your documents back, you have completed the process. Keep everything safely together in an envelope. You will need all these documents to present to the Amphur office (government office) of your choice when you go to register your marriage after the ceremony.

Of course, you can register your marriage before the ceremony, it's up to you.

If you've finished early, you could go to a local district office and book an appointment to get married. Leave a three-day window, though.

What Marriage Documents to Take to the Registrar

When you go to register your marriage at the government office, you will need to take the following documents:

  1. Your passport – 2 copies
  2. Your visa – copy this too
  3. Your fiancee's ID card (for Thai nationals only) – 2 copies
  4. The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry (the original & the certified translation, plus copies of both)
  5. The MFA stamped translation of your passport
  6. Your fiancee's Tabien Baan (house log) (Thai nationals only) – 2  copies
  7. You will also need two witnesses. The Amphur can provide these but if you have two volunteers it's easier.

One Last Thing !

You may also wish to obtain a sworn translation of your marriage certificate into your native language so that it can be used as a legal document back home. A note for British nationals: You no longer need to file your marriage certificate back in the UK. They did away with that requirement a few years ago.

Congratulations! I wish you a long, happy, marriage.

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  1. Do any of these documents (the affirmation, translations, or Thai Consular Affairs authentications) have expiration dates? Meaning, should I go to the Amphur office relatively quickly once everything is completed, or do I have a few months?

    Great post, really helped me out. Cheers.

    Reply

  2. Hi there,I am planning to marry a Russian lady here in Pattaya.Do we both need copies of our passports to be stamped at respective embassies and certified at MFA for local office in Pattaya? And how long all the documents are accepted by marriage office before they “expire”?
    All comments are greatly appreciated.

    Reply

  3. Hi Rob, what is the actually address of the one in Ari? Is it the Phaya Thai office? I’m in a similar situation as a few posts in this thread.
    My documents are dated for this month, was told by my embassy not to worry about the passport translation and turns out I do need to be. Next appointment with them is May 1st, the day after my documents expire haha.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply

    • Hi Rob, apparently the authenticated passport copy is a requirement now. You might try Bangrak or Ari, these seem to be very popular. If you scroll through the comments you may find other suggestions to. All the best.

      Reply

      • Thanks. I actually live in Ari, didn’t make the connection that the office there is a local district office. I went in this morning to double check things. They don’t require passport verification, but appointments are nessessary.

        Reply

        • Hi Rob, what is the actually address if the one Ari? I’m in a similar situation as a few posts in this thread.
          My documents are dated for this month, was told by my embassy not to worry about the passport translation and turns out I do need to. Next appointment with them is May 1st, the day after my documents expire haha.
          Any help would be greatly appreciated.

          Reply

    • Hi. We have just been through the experience and its been very difficult i must say. I Could write a whole saga on it.

      The translator at the mfa downstairs made a mistake twice. On mine and my partners affirmation and passport thai copy. It cost us a lot of time and taxi money.we gave up with him.

      I would highly recommend lak si . Its the closest to the mfa. Just 20 mins walk or 40 baht by taxi 5 mins.

      after the mistakes by the translator at the mfa lak si offered to translate and arrange to legalise the marriage cert for my phillipine partner . (You dont need to legalise your marriage cert if you from uk) We should pick it up tomorrow. The lady there is really helpful and seems a good spirited person and offered us a marriage slot the next day as it was full that day as we went around mid day.but it seems relatively quiet there.

      In fact if i knew all this before i would gave gone to lak si first of all to translate affimation and passport and they take to legalise for you. The cost should not be much more. it will save a lot of waiting at the mfa . Just take there and pick it up 2 days later at lak si. The lady there who does the photocopying will do the service for you. She seems very nice and jokey too. Enquire at the information desk.

      If you marrying in bangkok you need to certify your passport. Some districts may not need it but i would do it in case. £25 at the embassy plus translation cost.

      If you decide to do it all at the mfa beware the translator downstairs as i said made mistakes. Of course if you dont read thai youll not know till the mfa tell you 2 days later and youll have to get the translator to correct re submit to the mfa and wait all day for it.

      So to sum it up it seems to me Lak si is a good central.place to process all after you get the embassy affirmations done. Just sign power of attorney for them to do for you.

      Reply

  5. Hi, please I need your advice,we wish to get married in bangkok but my fiancee is Macedonian and there is no Macedonia embassy in bkk,if he takes affirmation for freedom to marry from his country will it be accepted here?
    Thanks

    Reply

    • You need to find out where the closest Macedonian embassy is. As far as I am aware that is the rule when there is no embassy in Bangkok, however, things can vary between embassies, so I can’t say for sure. The best thing to do would be to call your embassy back home and ask for their advice. Embassies are generally very helpful to their citizens abroad and they will no doubt have experience with this matter.

      Reply

  6. Hi after my amphur marriage tomorrow do i need to translate my marriage cert and registratiion as a uk national .is it necessary ? My partner will be translating and legalizing hers to english as she needs to register it with the phillipines embassy.

    Thx

    Reply

    • You don’t need to do immediately, but is a good idea to get it done because you may need these documents in English in the future. There is no longer a requirement to file a marriage certificate back home in the UK. Your marriage will be recognised in the UK. However, I would recommend getting a translation of your marriage certificate and any other related documents, because you may need for Visa purposes or other purposes in the UK later down the line.

      Reply

  7. We attempted to do this ourselves in February in Bangkok. Both foreigners UK and Irish. On the UK affidavit we had put the marriage date as Feb 2018 and Bangkok as the area. We went through all the steps and finally got to having our affidavits translated and legalised at chang wattana when it was pointed out to us that we only had 5 days being the end of February to get married using the British affidavit. (Bear in mind the date if you are a Brit) and that we could only have the marriage registered in Bangkok. We dashed across town to the first district office and they told us the chief was not there all week and to go to Bangraak. We went to Bangraak with all paperwork translated and legalized and they told us that we would have to spend a month in Bangkok (we had already been in Thailand for 2 months) because we are foreigners…never heard of this and the lady behind the counter was having none of our pleas and told us to go back to Phuket knowing we couldnt use the affidavit there. We had 1 day left before the affidavit became invalid and having been turned away twice and feeling pretty defeated I called an agent who was willing to charge us 6000baht to get it all done. She first wanted to see the paperwork we had to make sure it was all correct which it was and said there was no reason for either offices to turn us away. None the less the next morning before our trip back to phuket we headed over with the agent to the district office near chang wattana and all the paperwork was accepted and signed…thankfully.

    Reply

  8. Hi, I have a question to ask if anyone could help I would appreciate it..I have dual nationality..UK and Australian. So if my partner and I get married in Thailand,Chiang Mai is where she lives. Do I/we have to register with both embassies? I am currently living in the UK but, in the future we hopefully will be heading back to Australia.
    Many thanks, Don.

    Reply

    • What passport do you have? If you have both, I assume you pick an embassy that you want to deal with and go there. I am pretty sure that you do not have to get an affirmation from both embassies, because the MFA wouldn’t even know that you had dual nationality as you will only be presenting one passport. That said, the British Embassy may say that they need confirmation from the Australian embassy that you are married in Australia, and vice versa; so I suggest you ask the embassy about this because I don’t have a definitive answer.

      Reply

  9. HI . This is a new question. Please help. I have my affirmation stamped ko chang. can I marry in Bangkok amphur instead even though my affirmation says ko chang as have no time to go ko chang now? I am assuming there is a reason for them stamping it a certain district in the first place.

    thx

    Reply

    • Hi Chris/Soraya, Please stop posting the same question over and over again, I have replied to this question a number of times. You will need to contact the embassy and ask, as I can’t be sure on this. I assume that you can get married in any district office in Thailand once you have the MFA approval. However, Thailand is very strict about rules and local officials may see the reference Koh Chang and say that this only permits you to marry there.Don’t wait, Check with your embassy. Or, if you know someone who speaks Thai, get them to phone up the MFA and asked this question.

      Reply

  10. Hi I have a really important question. My partner has his uk affirmation stamped to marry in ko chang Because we just found out ,as Im from Phillipines, I need to register my marriage cert at my embassy afterwards, which will probably take 3 days at the mfa to authenticate beforehand, we now have no time to do it in ko chang. will they accept to marry us in amphur Bangkok even though his affirmation is stamped for Ko Chang?

    Thanks

    Thx

    Reply

  11. hi we pick up on our doc. on Tuesday. and we are planning to be done here in Bangkok. but my partner affirmation have stamp koh chang, can we have chance to get merried in Bangkok? bcoz we dnt have enough time to go in koh chang, pls help us
    thank you

    Reply

  12. Hi, Your information are very helpful. I am from India and My girlfriend is a Thai and we all set to get married next month. We heard not all the District Offices(Amphur) in Bangkok have the facility for Indians to get registered. Could you please help us which District offices in Bangkok having the facility for Indians for marriage registration. Thanks a lot in advance

    Reply

  14. You know what happened yesterday. My fiancée and I went to a district office in our neighborhood in Bangkok to register the marriage. The registration staff looked at my letter of affidavit from freedom of marriage and said ” Mai dai” because of the date. I had it in January, 2018. I found out from her that such document valid upto one month. My embassy cannot issue affidavit here. Therefore, I have to back and get the whole process started from the beginning.
    Have you guys had the same experience? Do you, somehow, know any district office in Bangkok, which has flexibility?

    Reply

    • This is why when people asked me this question regarding how long the affidavit lasts for, I always disclaim my answer with the fact that it may vary. The US embassy has historically advised that you must use the affidavit within six months, and this usually applies. But there are instances I’ve heard of where the district office has said three months, and in your case you have experienced them saying one month. Unfortunately, there are often fractures in communication in Thailand between different areas of government policy and execution. I would advise people to try and get married as soon as possible after obtaining the affirmation, to avoid this kind of issue. Perhaps this is a specific rule for your embassy. What nationality are you? have you tried the Bangrak district office? You might also try the Huay Kwang district office. Someone previously mentioned Ari as a good place to register too. Can anyone else following the comments on this post help out?

      Reply

  15. My bf i have his uk affirmation stamped to marry at koh chang. Is it ok to get married in bangkok instead as i now understand that it takes 7 days to.register it in koh chang and the schedule is too tight . thx

    Reply

  16. Hi we are traslate our doc. Done yesterday, after that we go in amphur district? How long to wait to get merried in amphur? Or its same day after pick up MFA doc. We go amphur and get merried that day?

    Reply

    • You need to go to the MFA to get your document legalised. You you cannot get it done on the same day. You will go to pick it up after 2 to 3 days. In the meantime you might choose to book an appointment to get married at a local district office. or you can wait until your document is legalised with the MFA and then go to find a district office. It is very doubtful that district office will marry you on the same day, most of the offices in Bangkok now require you to make an appointment – because they only marry between four and eight couples per day. don’t forget that you should get your embassy to verify your passport, and then have that translated into Thai. The MFA now requires passport verification too.

      Reply

    • Your affirmation of freedom to marry should be good for six months. Though don’t leave it too long, I’d recommend getting it done within three months. most embassies say the MFA will accept it up to 6 months.

      Reply

  19. Thanks a lot for all your dedication and hard work to this website.

    Quick question.

    Under the heading. .

    ‘What Marriage Documents to Take to the Registrar’

    2. Your Visa.

    Is a 30 day stamp on entry good enough to process the application?
    I was rejected recently for a tourist visa from HCM city and now I plan to get the marriage certificate for a Non-O.

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • Yes, in Thailand you can get married on the 30 day entry stamp, or any other Visa. Plenty of people come on holiday for less than 30 days just for the purpose of having a wedding in Thailand and then honeymoon at the beach.

      Reply

  20. How long should it take to get married? A Thai friend told us that it will take 1-2 months for the amphur office to look at our paper work, is this correct as we only have 2 weeks in Thailand? Also, we are struggling to find information on whether or not I can legally get married without my parent being present as I am 18 yo British citizen. Some websites say that you need to be the marriagble age in accordance to the home country others say the parent will need to be present and others say written permission is fine, we are just very confused! Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Jane, it does not take 1-2 months. Once you have your appointment it takes just an hour or so.

      How it is done depends what type of wedding you are having. Many British nationals get married through a wedding company in Thailand: the company organises the wedding on a beach and then afterwards arranges for you to go to the local district office to sign the paperwork and get your marriage certificates.

      In some cases it can be arranged that the registrar comes to the wedding and does the paperwork there.

      If you are going to do it all yourself, then you need to follow the instructions in my guide and read the comments section here for the experiences of others.

      Generally speaking, you will need to book your appointment at the district office, because now most of them only marry 8 couples per day. So you get your paperwork done at the MFA, you can then go to the district office that you want to get married at and book your appointment. There are some for which you won’t need an appointment, but these tend to be in more rural areas where they are not so busy.

      In terms of your age, under the age of 20, written parental consent is required, which must be translated into Thai. One thing I am not clear on is whether that written consent requires a parent to be there. The reason I’m not clear on this is because a letter from your mother or father giving their permission view to get married would be just that, a letter, without proof that they’d actually written it.

      It may be the case that the British Embassy can verify the letter and then you have it translated into Thai to present to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. I would contact the Thai embassy in London and ask them about this, because I have not come across any British national under the age of 20 getting married in Thailand.

      If someone else knows the answer to this, please do chime in.

      Reply

      • Thank you for that information, I’m glad it doesn’t take as long as we was told. I am hoping that my parents an give written permission to the embassy of Thailand in London for them to certify it and forward it on to Thailand.

        Reply

  21. Hello TheThailandLife, thank you for the very informative article. I’m about to go along its lines, may I ask, why would you need a certified copy and translation of your passport? Do they really require it at MFA to proceed with legalization of the translation of the Affirmation of Freedom to Marry? On the web page of MFA (goo.gl/CRh6HR, point 7) there’s no mention about that.. certainly it could be simply because it’s outdated or maybe i’m looking up wrong document type? Thanks^^

    Reply

    • Hi Greg, they did not used to require this so perhaps they have not updated their requirements. When I got married, this was not required to get the legalisation from the MFA. But if you read through the comments over the past six months to a year you will see that this requirement started to become more common. At first it was just a few people being asked for it here and there, and then after a while it became the case for everyone. It is not difficult to do, all the embassy needs to do is verify that the passport is legitimate, and then you get a translation of that verification.

      Reply

  22. hi I liked your article very easy to understand and helpful.
    i’m from the UK and my girlfriend is from Thailand she says you need to bring your birth certificate to get married in Thailand is this true as your article doesn’t seem to mention this.

    Reply

    • I was not asked for my birth certificate and as far as I know the requirements have not changed. Don’t forget that you have your passport which proves your date of birth. Your girlfriend has her ID card, which proves her date of birth. But hey, there is no harm in taking it with you, just in case you do need some point. I always roll with more documentation than I need whenever I go to do something like this in Thailand, be opening a bank account, extending a Visa, getting a new passport for my daughter, whatever – always be prepared. if you find you’re asking yourself “will I need this?” Then you should always take it with you, just in case.

      Reply

        • just to let you know the uk embassy only opens at 8am-11am and 1pm-3pm Monday to Thursday closed Wednesday and 8am-1pm on Fridays.
          I think the uk has a department now that specialise in getting papers verified before you leave.
          I will call them and post what I find out.

          Reply

          • I have another concern and that is there is a one month waiting list to see the uk embassy in Bangkok. how am i going to get my passport verified.
            if this is true then it puts abit of a spanner in the works for your article saying it can be done in a 3 days.

            Reply

          • my friend says theres a long wait for appointment at uk embassy 5 weeks your article doesn’t seem to mention this gives the impression you can go there on the day and just walk in for an appointment for the same day.

            Reply

            • The article states that you will need to book an appointment online. Generally, appointments are released in batches and usually one can be secured within two or three weeks of the day you are checking. Oftentimes you will check the website and be shocked to see that no appointment is available for the next two months or so. If you check back the following day or at the start of the following week, you will usually see that they have released a new appointments much closer to the date that you need. Some other people have left comments about this before, having encountered similar.

              Reply

    • You need to follow the steps in the article. You should contact your respective embassies in Bangkok, and make sure that there are no specific requirements for your nationalities that fall outside of my recommendations in this article. Also take time to read through the old comments on this comments thread, because there have been people from Pakistan and India asking similar questions, so there may be answers for you or people that you can reply to to get more information. But the best place to start is always with your own embassy, because certain embassies like the Filipino embassy for example, have different requirements to the US embassy or the UK embassy.

      Reply

  25. Im from uk they stamped my affirmation to marry in trat district as requested. My phillipine partner is awaiting the 10 days for her affirmation. We are unsure as to if they stamp the district at the phillipine side as we didnt ask at the time. Does anyone know as if they stamp it to be in bangkok it will not match mine. Have looked for samples on line and can only find one from 2009 and it does not mention any district on the affirmation. Thx

    Reply

  26. Hello,
    My fiance has already his affirmation to marry stamp by his embassy (czech) last february but we werent able to use it as we plan to marry in thailand but we run out of time so we go here in philippines (my country) and just planning to go back in thailand again perhaps on April to marry…
    Is his affirmation to marry be valid and acknowledge still by ministry of foreign affairs thailand?

    Reply

  27. HI Im from philippines..Im still married but we got separated since 1997 and im not using his surname anymore..I use single in my passport and valid ID’s.My american boyfriend wants to marry me,can we get married in Thailand with my status..Thank you..

    Reply

  28. Hi I’m a Singaporean and my Girlfriend is heavily pregnant. One of the criteria for singaporean to marry a Thai national is to get approval from ministry of Manpower. My application to marry my Girlfriend was rejected because she was a work permit holder 2 years ago. I have all the documents except for the ministry of manpower’s approval. Does this mean that there is no way for us to get married legally in Thailand? We do not intend to live in Singapore and we have only gone through the traditional wedding ceremony here in Thailand. She is giving birth in 2 months and I’m feeling lost on what to do next. Kindly advice

    Reply

    • Hi there, where is the Ministry of Manpower? In Singapore? do you mean that before you marry a Thai national you need to get permission from the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore? All you need to get married in Thailand to a Thai national is an is an affirmation of freedom to marry from the Singaporean embassy in Bangkok. I’m quite sure that you don’t even need to tell them who you are marrying. The affirmation of freedom to marry is to simply confirm that you are eligible to marry and that you are currently unmarried and that you are who you say you. you also need to have your passport verified. You then take these documents to get translated into Thai, then you go to the Ministry of foreign affairs in Thailand to get the documents legalised, then you get them back, and then you can go to any district office in Thailand and get married.

      I have no experience with the Singaporean embassy, so I don’t know the rules and whether or not they will ask who you are marrying and if they have any additional requirements, I haven’t heard of any in the past. Perhaps the issue will arise if you try to register the marriage in Singapore, in this case it may be that you need some kind of additional permission. What would it matter whether she was a work permit holder in Singapore two years ago, if she is now living in Thailand and intending to marry you in her home country?

      Reply

      • Unfortunately force, this ruling only applies if my partner is Thai. Honestly, I don’t really care if they recognise my marriage in Thailand but what’s more important is that I’m able to marry my fiancée in Thailand and it is recognised here. The law in Singapore states that as long as you are currently holding a work permit or used to be a holder, you still need to ask permission from MOM. I have the rest of the required documents but when I asked the Singapore embassy in Thailand whether it is still possible to proceed, I was rejected which also means that I won’t be able to obtain the affidavit of freedom. Is it the end of the road ??

        Reply

        • Okay: so what you are saying is that the the Singapore embassy in Bangkok is asking to see permission from the MOM (in Singapore) before they will issue you the affidavit of freedom to marry? If that is the case, then that is what you need to do because you can’t marry in Thailand unless you have the freedom to marry document, and passport verification, from your home country embassy in Bangkok. I have no experience with this rule about Singapore Nationals not being able to marry someone who has currently got a work permit or used to be a work permit holder, so I can’t really help on this front – I only know what is required to marry in Thailand. Each embassy is within its right to have its own requirements for its citizens to obtain the freedom to marry.

          Reply

    • If there is no embassy for you in Bangkok then you will need permission from the embassy that is closest to Thailand. This is generally the rule, as I understand it. However, you may be able to get it from the embassy in your home country, but I am assuming this will not be practical for you because you have to go all the way home so maybe easier to go to wherever the nearest embassy is. The best thing you can do is phone your embassy and get the details from them, as they will no doubt dealt with this situation in the past.

      Reply

  30. hi we are here now in Bangkok . and we got already the affirmation took 30mins to get.
    i just want to ask if possible to register our married in koh chang or if you know if they have district office in kho chang?

    and if they have MFA?

    thank you very much

    Reply

    • You can get married in any district office in Thailand. But bear in mind that they might have their own restrictions, such as the requirement for witnesses, and the requirement to pre-book as they may only marry a certain amount of couples per day. I do not know if they have an MFA, but if you are in Bangkok I really recommend doing it there.

      Reply

      • Thx. So its ok do the mfa in bangkok and marry in the district office in koh chang as i have my uk affirmation now stamped to marry in koh chang. Unsure of the rules i.e if the mfa and marriage have to be in the same district. and cannot see that there is an mfa other than in bangkok. Thx

        Reply

  31. Hi

    Does the permission to marry have a validity period? I am just wondering if it is better to wait until the marriage date is set and the arrangements made etc, or get the permission well in advance so it is not a mad dash to get it when you need it?

    Reply

  32. Took the MRT from Sukhumvit to Silom in early Feb. Short walk to the Cdn. Embassy. When you arrive at the building, 990 Abdulrahim Place, you are taken outside the building again to go through a security check. Then back in and to the 15th floor. Took about an hour, needed two references and paid $50 CAD. My family had driven in from Udon and spent a few days in BKK.

    Then exited the back of the building and able to quickly get motorcycle taxi to take us to a translation place which was on the second floor of a restaurant. Excellent restaurant next door served Isaan food as well. Lady said translations take longer now, lots of fake stamps out there and everything has to be translated correctly for the ministry, no mistakes. Didn’t have to go to the MFA, since we gave her office Power of Attorney to get the stamp on our behalf. Documents are ready, when I go back again in late April will go to our district office (Ban Phue) for the marriage registration.

    Reply

  34. Hi

    This may seem like a very silly question – but I am going to ask it any how!

    With booking into the British Embassy in Bangkok for the affirmation process do I need to book an appointment for each of us or is one appointment for the both fine???

    Latest thread is super helpful – getting married in May!

    Hopefully hear back 🙂

    Reply

  36. I went to get my documents legalised today with my translated Affirmation and passport. They said that the embassy has to stamp the copy of my passport. Is this true? I have the translation but they wouldn’t touch it. They just said we can only legalise the affirmation you need a stamp from your embassy for you passport. The embassy did not tell me this. Can anyone elaborate?

    Reply

    • Hi Eddie,

      I visited the MFA on 9th March, for Affirmation of right to Marry, encountered no problems.
      Took my copy and stamped translation. Only required to give a copy of my passport and Visa stamp in Passport, (on 30 day Tourist at present).

      You will however require a certified copy of your passport, translated.
      As detailed by Peters in depth Blogg on this issue.

      Nearly missed it, as probably read to fast and only nearing the last line caught it.

      Peter may be an idea to highlight this in the Embassy Affirmation section, hope not offended, not my intention. Only trying to help.

      To continue, on my experience with this task.
      Embassy good concise and informative, computers available in waiting area, in case of ammendments to documents.
      As stated by your blogg numerous translation offices, to right of translation school.
      In the end chose translation on left Translation Express 500 each, affirmation and Passport. Chose these as did not try to ppush doing the full service for an extra 1800Bht.
      By the time translation completed. 12:30.
      Jumped straight in taxi, took Tollway on Peters recommendation.
      Arriving MFA
      At approx 1pm.
      Service quick and efficient, paperwork checked, forms filled in fee paid 400Bht plus 40 Bht Postal Service. Clear of building by 13:45.
      Painless

      Many thanks Peter without your information would have been a complete chore.

      Regards

      Robert

      Reply

    • Yes just had the same. The Embassy said you only need them to stamp a copy of your passport (expensive) if you wanted to marry at Ban Rat Amphor.

      However, at the MFA they said I needed it and also at another Amphor. They would not accept a copy and a translation. The next free appointment at the British Embassy is not for another month.

      So anyone else getting their Affirmation stamped at the British Embassy should get their passport done at the same time now.

      Reply

  38. Hi. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. I am from Malaysia and my partner is a Thai lady and we are both divorcee. I have a few questions to ask.

    1. I have all my documents translated in Malaysia to Thai and certify by Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Is it valid for my submission in Thailand for marriage registration? (Maritial Status Document, Divorce Records, Passport)

    2. I will be in Thailand from 28/4/2018 till 8/5/2018 but I will travelling to my wife hometown on 28/4/2018 till 2/5/2018. I will be back to bangkok on 3/5/2018 for my submission for marriage. Do you think we have enough time to get our marriage done in time before 8/5/2018?

    Thank you very much. Really need your kind feedback on my matter.

    Regards,

    Ken Cheong

    Reply

    • 1. No. You need to obtain your freedom to marry document from the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok. Then get it translated in Bangkok, and then take it to the MFA to get it authenticated/legalised.

      2. If it is just the marriage registration part then yes, but to do all the documents, no.
      Why not do all the documentation first, then go to your wife’s hometown and marry at the district office there?

      Reply

      • Hi. Thank you for your feedback.

        1. No matter what. I must have the freedom of marry document from Malaysia embassy in Bangkok. Can I get this document done in Malaysia or only Bangkok? I am currently working in Myanmar, so can i get it here in Myanmar?

        2. I can register in at my wife hometown district office? My wife check with the local district office that we need to register at Bangkok only because i am a foreigner. Advise please?

        Thank you.

        Reply

  40. Thank you! Your post explained perfectly how to get married in Thailand! One question is can we get the Thai marriage certificate translated into English in L.A? If so do we then take it to the county registrar to get the licence and certificate here in the states? Thank you!!

    Dean

    Reply

  41. We plan to do our affirmation on 16 March and my partner for phillipines has to wait 11 days for her document .

    We are going to Cambodia on 18th March We will do our district office on 17th April. Is it ok to use the new arrival card for mfa as I’m concerned that this could affect things as i believe they ask for your arrival card to copy for the affirmation?

    Reply

      • Hi Peter,
        Rob again, yes you perfectly correct, MFA excepted my photo copy of Visa tourist, as a matter of course. It raised no issues with them.

        Further to that my District office are of the same vein. Only require it to ensure your not an illegai in Thailand.

        Yours

        Rob

        Reply

  42. This has been very useful. Thank you for your write up.

    Could i kindly check on Step 3. is this a long process? If i have the completed documents already translated – how long would the wait be if i come at 0830?

    I plan to do the express service and was hoping everything could be done for Step 3 before lunch

    Many thanks

    Reply

    • If you arrive at the MFA that early you will be in and out in less than 2 hours, probably. But you have to wait up to 72 hours now to collect the documents. They don’t do the same day service like they used to.

      Reply

  43. Hi. Firstly, thanks very much for the great information – very much appreciated.

    I live and work in Thailand. I have an appointment for an AFM at the British Embassy in BKK in April. I have downloaded the ‘Application Pack’ from the website. There is a section where you have to put the province, month and year when I plan to register the marriage. My question is ‘is this set in stone?’ i.e if I haven’t actually decided if I want to get married in Bangkok or Koh Samui or if I haven’t decided if I want to register the marriage in July or August, can it be changed?

    I’m assuming not as everything needs to be translated. Therefore am I correct in assuming that I have to plan the actual marriage location and month before my interview for the AFM?

    Thanks for any help.

    Reply

  44. HI. I am from the UK but My partner from Phillipines. We arrive in bangkok March 15 for 3 nights to do the affirmation. She has a affirmation process of 11 days from the date of taking in her documents. When we return to Bangkok we are only there 3 nights 2 days. if the pick up time is 72 hours can it be delivered to our home address abroad translated? Otherwise I will have to extend and change all my flights. Thx

    Chris

    Reply

        • The district office is where you register your marriage. The MFA is where you get your documents legalised (signed off). So yes, if you want to get married, you have to go to an amphur ( a district office). You will need two witnesses to get married there. Also, keep your receipts from your embassy, translations, and the MFA. You may be asked for these.

          Reply

            • No. It takes up to 3 days to process your documents. So you will have to wait and then pick them up when they are ready. A reader recently reported that Bangrak Amphur (district office) marries 8 couples a day. You have to arrive early and take a ticket. There are many district offices though, so you may choose to find another that doesn’t get so busy. Go through all the old comments in this thread and you will find lots of advice on different district offices.

              Reply

              • We plan to do our

                affirmation on 15 Mar

                translations and process at MFA on 18 Apr

                marriage at Amphur 27 Apr

                Thank you

                1. Is there anything to wait for after Amphur 27 Apr marriage date as we fly back on 29 Apr

                2. How likely are we to get the exact date 27 Apr for the Amphur marriage after our MFA apt on 18 Apr?

                Thank you for your help

                Reply

                • 1. No, not once you have the certificates. Though I’d recommend getting an English translation of those at some point.

                  2. Some Amphurs may allow you to pre-book, others you have to arrive early to be one of the 8 couples they marry per day. This seems to be a limit many are setting now, such as Bangrak for instance.

                  All the best!

                  Reply

  45. TheThailandLife.

    Need help please!

    Planning to Marry in 3 months, arrived back in Thailand December, after 3 months work in Portugal.
    Previously here for 15 months 90day Retirement plus Retirement VISA.
    After having stayed 60 days through the hop out, hop in after 60 days, so back on 30 day tourist VISA.

    Have read intently your observations regarding types of VISAS.

    Sorry but, still a little bemused by conflicting info from Embassy and other sites.

    At last my question.
    Can I apply for a 90day on the Tm87 form in Thailand inlight of my upcoming marriage.

    With Kindest Regards

    Robert

    Reply

    • If you’re on a 30 day entry stamp, you can extend your stay by 30 days for 1,900 Baht at immigration. Your marriage will not affect this. Once married, you can apply for a Non Immigrant O visa based on marriage, but you’ll need to do that outside of Thailand. You can then activate the extension for that visa once back in Thailand. If you want a multiple entry Non O based on marriage, you need to get that from the Thai Embassy or Consulate back in the UK.

      Reply

      • Hi Peter,
        Think this might be of interest to yourself and others in the same position as myself.
        On completing my 30 day extension today 26th Jan 2018. I interjected an enquiry regarding marriage, (bearing in mind, my family cannot visit untill next year)
        Was informed by the head of ghe immigration office, that if I supply all relevant documentation regarding, pension details, marriage details from district office, and the legalisation from MFA, they will extend my Visa by a further 60 days.
        Within which timetable, they will process my application for 1 year extension re Thai Wife.

        Yes came as a suprise, however perfect for my situation.
        When all is done its the ceremony that matters for all, not disputing the legal document from the Amphoe.

        Hope this proves useful, may assist in fellow ex-pats, saving them an expensive trip home or a weeks hop out, to visit a Thai Embassy.

        Ask you never Know!

        Kindest For all your help

        Robert

        Reply

  46. Hi there, can anyone suggest me one or two names of reliable and affordable marriage registry agents? I’m coming to Bangkok to marry my fiancee and I want everything should be organised by a marriage agent. Because I’m going there for 15 days only. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  47. Phuket amphoe.
    End of November make appointment with British Embassy for affirmation and passport notarized copy . Appointment date January 8 th .
    Go to amphoe December 6 th to make sure of paperwork required . Assured any day in February will be fine . All ok just bring in documents when you get them
    Go to embassy , get forms and translations , documents arrive Phuket home address by January 14th .
    Go to amphoe January 16 th . Hand over documents, wait an hour and are given a letter to take to police forensics where get fingerprinted and told will take up to a month to process .
    Go to amphoe February 6 th to see what’s going on . Police check not arrived
    Go to amphoe February 16 th to see what’s going on . Police check not arrived , letter reissued .
    Read letter and take a copy this time . Not just a criminal record check but a personal profile check to make sure not just getting married for a non o marriage visa . As stated in the letter .
    Police print off the check form and return to Amphoe . Hand form over
    Still February 16 th now sit down with administrator and fill out a form stating where , when and for how long we met , been together plus other information gleaned off affirmation.
    Told next step would be an interview. Ask for it to be 19/20 th . Said she would call to confirm .
    To date no phone call . So back down amphoe on Monday to get interview date confirmed and then after that we can get married .

    Jan 16 th amphoe expressed irritation at another wedding being applied for , said they must do something to protect Thai girls . Did witness a loveless marriage of convenience or bride for sale so have sympathy.
    February 16 th admin expressed surprise we getting married after only knowing each other 10 months
    Been living together since June 2017
    Me 54 she 47

    Reply

  50. I have question regarding of this

    choice when you go to register your marriage after the ceremony.

    Of course, you can register your marriage before the ceremony, it’s up to you

    What is the meaning
    Its means we just pass all the documents and after that we are offical couple?
    Just alittle bit confuse

    Thank you very much

    Reply

    • A marriage ceremony is not the official marriage. You can have a ceremony but not register a marriage. To get married, you need to go to a district office (called an ‘Amphur). Here you give them your documents which you are all mentioned in the article above. You need your witnesses too. They will then issue you a marriage certificate. At this point you are officially married.

      Reply

  51. Just finalising this process today. My experience is that things have changed a bit. Firstly as a UK national I needed my passport verified by the British Embassy as well as an affirmation to marry. You need to keep your receipts as the Amphur want to see those two, had two knock backs by the MFA due to incorrect translations. We started this process on the 2nd of Jan and only today are actually getting our marriage legalised. Even using an agent doesn’t guarantee anything as I believe this change with the passport verification has taken them off guard. Best advice is check with your local Amphur on what docs they require before starting then make sure you get them and keep all receipts especially the ones from the MFA – good luck

    Reply

  52. Hi there. My daughter is trying to get married in Thailand, we called the Thai Embassy in South Africa and they said that the documents can be stamped and legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok and that she doesn’t have to fly all the way home to SA to do this. She went to Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and they told her that they cant help her, and that she has to have it done in South Africa.

    Help!

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi Ann, your daughter needs a freedom to marry document. She will need to get this from the SA embassy in Bangkok. She then needs it translated. She will also need her passport verified by the SA embassy. She will also need to keep all the receipts from the embassy and translation just in case they ask for them later on. She then takes these documents to the MFA in Bangkok to have them legalised. She can then go to a district office to get married.

      Reply

  53. Hi, I have an appointment for an affidavit to marry at the Bangkok Embassy Monday 6th April. I know after that I need to get my documents translated and certified at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    I have tried to make an appointment to do this at the ministry, but they don’t seem to take appointments. Is that the case, is it just a walk in?

    Many Thanks

    Reply

        • The simplest wedding would be under $1! Just get the documents you need and go to the district office to register the marriage. I think it was 40 Baht they charged us when we did it. Getting all the documentation together is the hardest part, as you’ll read from the comments. Take notes and make sure you get it right first tie, especially if you only have two weeks to get it done.

          If you want to have a ceremony/party, you can do this at your GF’s home for under $500, I’m sure. These things are as expensive as you want them to be.

          Reply

  57. all seems very stressful, after the ceremony am I able to get a marriage visa so I can stay in thailand ? if so,whats the procedure, hopefully stress free ? and I assume my new thai wife has a procedure if she goes back to UK with me for holiday etc.

    Reply

  58. Hi, I was planning to come to Thailand in April and get married to my Thai partner. I have just been onto the British Embassy Website to get my Affirmation of Freedom to Marry and the online booking system says there are no available appointments between April and December!

    Surely that cant be right. In your experience is it that hard to get an appointment? Does it sound like a website problem, or can you only book appointments a couple of months in advance?

    Reply

  59. Hi there! Went to Amphur Banglamung (Pattaya) to get married with my Thai Fiancee. Brought all the listed documents but the officer requested an official receipt from MFA. I showed her the translated and MFA stamped documents but she insisted that I should produce a receipt. Good thing the agency that processed the translation and authentication kept the receipt (they will send it by EMS later) but I don’t know why she requires the receipt, isn’t the stamped documents enough to prove that’s it’s the authenticated document.

    Aside from Amphur Banglamung is there any other recommended Amphur that is a few hours drive from Sriracha?

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply

  60. Hello there, me and my partner both UK Nationals are due to be married in February 2018 in Koh Samui, on our Affirmation form it says that we need to put the Province where we are to be married, can you confirm for Koh Samui that we put Suratthani as the Province.

    Many Thanks

    Reply

  61. Thanks for putting together all this information! It really varies between countries.

    I’m a New Zealander in Thailand trying to get married to my Swiss fiance, you won’t believe the amount of paperwork I need to give for us to get HIS “marriage application” from Switzerland.

    The Swiss embassy here in Thailand needs my New Zealand embassy affidavit (signed here in Thailand) to be legalised by the MFA before they will accept the documents to process the Swiss marriage application; but the translation agency that helps with legalisation says that MFA might not legalise my documents *without* my fiance’s Swiss marriage application.

    Plus, the Swiss procedure takes about 2-3 months from submission to issuance of the Swiss marriage application here in Thailand, which means my documents need to be legalised at least 3 months before we actually register our marriage. But, the agency also told me that the amphur might not accept a legalisation that was done so far in advance.

    Vicious cycle. We’ll find out.

    Reply

    • I have heard they supply witnesses on request. They have a marriage package. If you search through the comments on this post you will find more about it. Or just give them a call as this may have changed since.

      Reply

  63. Hi I’m a Mexican national and my boyfriend is from India. We want to get marry in Thailand on 2018.
    Do you know what about the Hindu and Spanish documents translation in that language center?
    Thank you for your advice

    Reply

  65. Hi there. Both my partner and I are Australian Nationals and we are getting married in Phuket on the 28th March.
    We plan to get this process completed on Monday 19th March as we arrive in Bangkok on Saturday 17th March.
    Do u think this will be sufficient time to have all the documents processed, stamped and then mailed to our wedding planner in Phuket before our wedding day on the 28th March which is a Wednesday?
    Many thanks

    Reply

    • At the British Embassy best to take your Affirmation file in case they ask for changes. If not, they do offer a computer for you to retype the Affirmation with changes. Cost for Affirmation yesterday 2300 THB.
      Apparently some District Offices require an Embassy stamped copy of your passport. Embassy said not necessary in my case but got one anyway just in case. Cost yesterday 1150 THB.
      Translation prices near Pleun Chit station varied from 900 to 5000 THB – if problems you would need to return for changes. Suggest best to go direct to Chang Wattana where we paid 800 THB for translation of Afirmation and Passport.
      We took Skytrain from Pleun Chit to Mo Chit then Taxi to Chang Wattana about one hour journey. They no longer stop for lunch open til 4:30.

      Reply

    • Thanks for this informative information.

      I was just wondering once my partner and I have our Statutory Declarations from our Embassy(Australian) in Bangkok, If we go straight after to the MFA to get them translated in Bangkok, do they provide a service where you just hand them over your documents and they translate them and then certify them and then send the documents to postal address(Phuket) without us having to wait at the MFA to get the documents translated, certified and then sent?

      Reply

  66. Hi, my situation looks bit complicated . Please advice me as this is one of the key decisions in life.
    I’m a Sri Lankan male and my fiancee is a pakistani Muslim girl . We want to come to Thailand and get marry. First I want to embrace Islam as no Muslim woman is allowed to marry a non Muslim man. I wanna know in Thailand conversion can be done? Then how to get married as two Muslim foreigners in thailand ? The above steps are to be followed? Or any change. Please help us.

    Reply

  67. Hello, i’m indonesian going to marry with an Indian in Thailand. Is the procedure same for us ? Which type of visa do we need for the marriage? Can we have some contact person in thailand to help us on this process?
    Thanks.

    Reply

  68. Hi there, for step 3, the endorsement of the translated documents, from what i read above, are you saying that after i have handed all documents to them to check etc, i can opt for the option of posting it to my address, instead of waiting around bangkok for a few days to collect it?

    Reply

    • They used to have an EMS service. I thought it had been discontinued but I’m pretty sure someone mentioned using it in the comments not too long ago. Previously you could prepay and arrange to have the documents sent back to an address in Thailand. Ask when you queue up for your ticket.

      If someone following this post has done this recently, can you confirm if this is still available?

      Reply

  69. Hello, me and my boyfriend are both foreign nationals we are planning to get married in Thailand. He is from Slovenia and I’m from philippines. Is our marriage going to be legal and acknowledged in both countries after?

    Reply

  70. Hello I am thai and planning to marry my Italian bf in Thailand. Is the process above same for all foreign men marrying in Thailand? if anyone has experience with the Italian embassy process, would appreciate your feedback.

    Reply

          • Yes I will for sure. We are planning to sign the papers in April and will keep updating in the forum 🙂 The Italian embassy has asked for his tax documents and freedom to marry document/single status confirmation document along with my ID card and Single Status document from the Amphur.
            Will let you know how this goes 🙂 Thank you!!!

            Reply

          • OK, so here is an update. We went to the Italian Embassy last week and submitted the documents. As he is Italian, we had to submit his single status document along with a copy of his tax return and both our passport copies. After one hour, we received the Right to Marry document. The document was issued in Italian and Thai so we didn’t need to get it translated. Went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and got it attested the same day. We received the documents back in two days.

            We will register our marriage in April, however, got all the documents checked at Bangrak district office and its all good to go. Only thing is, the staff at Bangrak informed us that we cannot book the day in advance as they have a huge backlog. We need to come on the day we want to get married and get a number. Note, they only accept 8 couples per day. The Italian embassy only accepts marriage certificates issued from Bangrak or Laksi district office.

            Also, please note, the documents issued from the Italian Embassy is valid for 180 days. Also, Bangrak district office will accept documents attested by Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the 180 day period. I have been told that each district office has different requirements so best to check with the district office of your choice, or in our case, as instructed.

            Good luck to all 🙂

            Reply

              • Yes it is. In fact, we were told that once documents are attested by the MFA it is only valid for one month. The Bangrak district office confirmed that they accept it within the 180 day period. Highly suggest that you go and check in person as processes here tend to change rather quickly. In January, the staff at Banrak said we could book our date advance, come February and that is no longer the case. Sigh!

                Reply

                • Yes, the goalposts are always moving! Was it the MFA that told you the documents are only valid for 1 month? A long time ago the US embassy said the documents should be good for 6 months, but I hadn’t read that from any other embassy, so I was always cautious when telling people this. I think to be safe it is best to complete the process within a month.

                  Reply

                  • Yes the MFA mentioned that it is usually valid for one month, however, some district offices will accept 90 days. The Italian embassy and Bangrak office confirmed that all documents issued and attested are valid for 180 days 🙂 I was a bit worried when I heard that, so went over to the Bangrak office as soon as we got the attested documents to confirm what they had already told me over the phone 🙂

                    Reply

                    • hello all, just wanna give you another update. So now bangrak district office has cleared their valentine day backlog and while they still accept only 8 couples a day, they allow 3 couples to book in advance per day (hope i made sense there). We went in today and booked for 18th of April and got the 1st que for 7.30 am (yikes). Apparently, it takes an hour and 30 minutes to register our marriage and get the certificate. This works as we can submit the marriage certificate to the MOF for attestation and be done by 12 pm 🙂

  71. Hi guys, so I was able to get married today. It has been one looong and frustrating process and I’m enormously glad it is done! My situation is quite less common with me being the foreigner FEMALE, while my fiance is a Thai male. Most information is available mainly regarding foreigner men marrying Thai ladies.

    Anyway, I got my Single Status affidavit translated and legalized only to find out later (as noted in my comment somewhere below) that most Amphurs were now asking for a notarized passport copy which needed to be translated into Thai and then legalized by the MFA ( we had been planning on going to Bangrak). I didn’t have that and I was in no way going back to the embassy for the 3rd time!! I read somewhere that the Phaya Thai Amphur was still easygoing and so tried our luck there. Called the office and was told to come on a Tuesday only to find out later on reaching there that the officer wasn’t in.
    So we went back the next day and after a 3 hour wait (again waiting for the officer to get back from somewhere), they got us married without any hassle. They even returned most of the document copies we had taken with us (only took one passport copy and the affidavit +translation and my fiance’s housebook copy).

    Mind you, it is much easier for a foreigner female to get married to a Thai male than the usual male foreigner+ Thai female situation.

    TL;DR -If you don’t have an embassy notarized passport copy, go to Phaya Thai! They don’t askf for it there and the folks there are alright.

    Good luck to all.

    Reply

    • Thanks a lot for this super helpful info!
      I’m still struggling to figure out what the process is and our embassy is not really helpful.
      So if I understand correctly, for getting married in Phaya Thai amphur we only need to obtain the free to marry affidavits from the embassy, get them translated to Thai (either in Ploenchit or in MFA itself) and get them certified by MFA. There’s no need to embassy stamp, translate or certify any other documents?

      Reply

  72. Hi everyone.

    An update. I got my affirmation from m British embassy.

    Then got that translates as well as a copy of my passport translated. Both with official stamps on.

    Went to the mfa to get docs authorised but they told me I had to get my passport copy stamped by the embassy. And did not accept it. We wanted just in case but they didn’t like that.

    Instead they took the affirmation, translation, straight copy of passport and copy of my visa. Didn’t accept my thai translated copy.

    Anyway waiting on the docs back and will try get married soon, will update with any other feedback along the way to make other people’s lives easier.

    Reply

    • Update. They required the translated copy at the amphur but it didn’t need to be approved by mfa.

      All docs okay. But we did require to bring our own 2 witnesses. And at least one of them has to speak english and thai.

      Also this was all in Chiang Mai.

      Reply

    • Hi Adam

      I might be misunderstanding you but did you have to get the translated copy of your passport stamped by your embassy as well? I have a copy of my passport stamped by my embassy but now wondering if I will have the get the translated version stamped by them as well?

      Reply

  75. British Embassy now only charges ฿2300 paid this on 14th Dec 2017.
    Translation cost me ฿300.
    Next day (15 DEC 2017) caught train from Nana to Mo Chit ฿44, Taxix mini bus to Consular office ฿25.
    Photo copies at Consular floor 2 only ฿2 each page. I have to go bac to Consular office 19 Dec 2017 at 10am to collect the papers.

    Reply

    • Yes they do. Both of you have to go through the same process. However, if you are from different countries your respective embassies may operate different policies regarding the affirmation of freedom to marry.

      Reply

    • Hi Michael,

      You need to visit your Embassy in Bangkok and then go to the MFA there too. You can marry afterwards in Phuket if you like, once all the paperwork is obtained. I’d register the marriage in BKK though, as you don’t want to go back to Phuket and discover there’s an error on the paperwork and have to go all the way back to Bangkok.

      Reply

  81. The translation service I went to said an MFA legalized copy of your passport translation is pretty much worthless if you don’t get it notarized from your embassy first. So I didn’t bother sending an non-notarized passport translation for legalization. I wish I had known this prior to going to the embassy. I’m still waiting on my affidavit to be returned from the MFA. I wonder if anybody has managed to get registered at an Amphoe that does not ask for a certified passport copy, because I don’t have much time until I have to leave town.
    Anyhow, thanks for all the information you have provided!

    Reply

    • Hi Poppy, The other readers I’ve heard from on this have said they just needed a translated copy to take to the MFA, along with the affirmation. Please let me know if this requirement is now different and I will update the post. The embassy can provide a letter saying that the passport is authentic and belongs to you, etc., and you could then get this translated and then notorized by the MFA.Have a read through the comments and see which Amphurs others have used.

      If anyone else can chime in with a recent experience that would be helpful.

      Reply

  83. Did this last month, touts outside British Embassy, said 300 each for Affirmation, and Passport. Gave it to them at 10am, had it back for 11.30am. They offered to do the whole process for us for 5,000, but we chose to do ourselves. We found at the legislation office, close for lunch, but have less people, so probably not much quicker. They were also offering the express service. We chose to collect in 3 days, and thats where it went wrong. My divorce was done in Wales, so had a Welsh place name in it. To be fair the girl doing the translation, asked me how it was pronounced. In Welsh an F is pronounced as a V, so this is how she translated it. However the legislation office rejected it, and want if translated as an f. So have had to have it redone. Did not find this out until we went back to collect the documents, so Nam is going back on her own to submit the new translation, could have done it while there, but her Dad who was driving us had to be somewhere else.
    We were out of the legislation office for 14.30, so 6 1/2 hours start to finish, having arrived at the embassy at 8am, for a 8.15 appointment. Would have been quicker but the embassy made me redo the affirmation, they made all of us there redo it. But they have a nice fill document on their computers, shame they do not make it available online. So apart from the mistake, nice, and easy. Good job we are not getting married until January.

    Reply

  85. Hi there! currently, I am in a 30 day tourist visa and planning to get married with my Thai fiancée this December. Does the amphur require me to show proof of income?

    Per Thai Department of Provincial Administration regulation no. Mor Thor. 0309.3/Vor 9609 dated 2 June 2015, Males who wish to marry Thai nationals will be required to produce proof of their monthly income.

    Reply

  87. Hi All the way from South Africa.

    My boyfriend and I are eloping to Thailand in mid Feb 2018. We are looking for a someone to perform a intimate ceremony on the islands after we have all the official paperwork sorted in Bangkok.

    Do you have any contacts ?

    Regards

    Chrissi

    Reply

  88. I plan to marry my Thai boyfriend in December. He has been previously married. We have had the divorce certificate translated in to English and Thai (original in German). Do we need to get this authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
    Also can I take it with me to the MFA when I get my affirmation authenticated or does he have to do it?
    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • I am not sure about this. Is he a German national? If so, he’d need an affirmation of freedom to marry from the German embassy. If not, but he married in Germany, was his marriage registered in Thailand? If not, they may want to see proof of that marriage. I’d get him to call the MFA about this as it could be as straight forward as just taking the translated divorce certificate to the MFA, or a tad more complicated depending on his circumstances.

      The answer to your last question is no. He would need to be there in person for the authentication of any document.

      Reply

  89. Hey, thanks for the info, I just have one doubt. I’m an argentinian national and therefore I’m permitted a 90 day stay without needing a visa due to a bilateral agreement between both countries. Do I still need to get a non immigrant visa to get legally married in Thailand?

    ขอบคุณครับ
    Federico

    Reply

  92. Hello, ive lived here with the same Thai lady for 12 yrs, we have talked about getting married as it makes things a bit easier here, ie; visa and others. I live on Koh Samui, can any of this be done by post or do you have to appear in person .

    Reply

    • Unfortunately not. You’ll need to go to your Embassy in Bangkok to get your freedom to marry certificate, and then to Chaeng Wattana with a translation of it and your other to get it signed off by the MFA. You could then get married at a district office in Samui.

      Reply

  93. I am indian but my wife thai i am need officel marrid i unmariid certificet in india but india embassy ask my work prmet incom tix affairs but heu affadavit affairs Certificte unmarrid in india my birth Certificate india statement of my account and my ide card idrentity card my passport income tix ide card

    Reply

    • Have a read through the comments to see the experiences of other Pakistani nationals. Contact your respective embassies in Bangkok and ask about the process, as the rules sometimes differ between countries.

      Reply

  95. I have a question regarding a marriage visa. The contract with my current employer will expire on 31 December 2017 therefore my current Non B visa and work permit will be cancelled. I do not have a job to go to so plan to get a Marriage visa instead thereafter. Do you know if its possible to obtain a Non O Marriage visa in the 7 day window after my Non B visa is cancelled and therefore not need to leave the country? I’ve heard that some people have been able to do it and I’d definately prefer that to leaving the country to apply.
    Also do you think its harder to apply for a UK tourist visa for my wife if I have a Marriage visa compared to a Work visa? She has been to the UK over 10 times with me and has 2 properties here in Thailand and a car, assets etc but I’m not sure if my change of status would make it harder? Thanks in advance for your advice.

    Reply

  96. The lady at the British Embassy told me that Phaya Thai district office (in Bangkok) don’t ask for the notarized passport when registering your marriage – I’m not sure if that’s right but I think we’re going to try there ’cause I haven’t got it done!

    Reply

    • Dies it have to be notorized by the embassy? I thought it was a translation that was required, which is then stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Huay Kwang district office is another to try if you can’t get in at Phaya Thai. Though no one speaks English at Huay Kwang.

      Reply

      • The lady at the embassy told me some offices are wanting a notarized copy of the foreign passport as well – it was going to be another 2,300 baht appointment so she was nice and told me about Phaya Thai not asking for it.
        I haven’t been to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yet, we’re going on Monday so if I need my passport translating I’ll get it done there.
        Are Huay Khwang known to be helpful? Thanks for all the tips by the way, this page is such a good guide!

        Reply

  98. Hi, I live in Thailand and hold a work permit, Visa and Driver licence.
    i am about to marry my Thai other half…
    i have been asked to Translate and notarize my PASSPORT… is that new? (my GF got very upset when they told her that as it does not make any sense)

    no one wrote that in any blog or service website.
    I am going to use translation and notarize service so i do not really mind but is it require me to go to the Embassy again with i really dont want to do. (i dont live in Bangkok)

    any feedback?!

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

    • Hi Itay,

      It seems that this is becoming a requirement. There was no announcement of this new rule but increasingly it seems to be the norm. What nationality are you? It seems that it may be a rule for holders of passports from certain countries.

      Reply

      • Same thing with me – went to CW and got the stamp – documents were posted out as they have seemingly stopped the express service. At Buriram Amphur I was told that I needed my British passport translated and stamped at CW.
        Another trip to Bangkok now needed – this was last week 21/10/17

        Reply

          • Don’t know mate – probably the departure card too – the girl in the Amphur was waving it about – I’ll get it all done to save any more trips down – it won’t be until January though – I’m away offshore for a couple of months. They also have done away with that express service I think – I just got them to post my docs back up country – came within 3 days. Couldn’t wait 3 days in BKK for them !!!!!

            Chris

            Reply

  99. hello, am also getting married, but I also heard that we do need to provide prove of the money you have plus 400000 baht in your account without been touch for 3 months/ is that correct or not? can anyone have a answer .
    thank you

    Reply

  100. Hi .. i am English my wife is Ukranian . i would like to officially Marry in Thailand.. i just worry about all the problems finding a translator for thai too ukranian… It sounds like this can be very difficult. Can anyone advise me?

    Reply

  101. Hi, thanks for the information. I have a question – I am divorced but my passport is still in my married name. I will produce the divorce certificate to get the affirmation to marry, but I want my maiden name to be written in my new marriage certificate. How can this be done?

    Reply

  102. STEVE&GINASAYS
    HELLO, WE ARE PLANNING TO GET MARRIED IN THAILAND ON NOVEMBER 2017. HOW LONG WE CAN STAY IN YOUR COUNTRY UNTIL WE FINISH MARRIED? HOW LONG WE CAN GET VISA AS A TOURIST? WE ARE BOTH IN PHILIPPINES NOW. WE ARE BOTH FOREIGNERS. THANK YOU

    Oct.19,2017 at 5:35pm

    Reply

  104. I am a UK citizen marrying a Thai citizen. I arrive in Thailand on December 7th. I have an appointment with the embassy on December 8th for Affirmation. I will then get the translations completed and submitted the same day. I get married on the 16th December.
    I can then register the marriage as soon as I get the authentication back – which takes 2 or 3 working days – before or after my marriage. I fly back to UK on January 1st 2018.
    Does this sound feasible?

    Reply

  105. I have some questions, please help, you MARRIED PEOPLE 🙂

    – Do we need Thai-Eng translator in Bangrak Amphur, is it obligatory?
    – And also – how is it with witnesses – Is there anyone to hire in the office?

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi,

      1. I think you can pay at Bangrak and they will provide a translator.
      2. It’s the same deal. For a package price they can provide them.

      I know they used to provide a foreigner marriage package, but do call them and double check they still do. Also, flick through the comments section here to see other people’s experience with Bangrak.

      Reply

  107. A quick one! I have already submitted for my Affirmation to be legalised and they said i would get it back only by Tuesday October 17th. Now the problem is I have to be in Singapore on 16th and 17th. So can i go out of Thailand and come back in with a different date stamped on my passport then proceed for the marriage. Is it acceptable in the amphur office or would they want me to stay back in the same VISA i entered now (which is also translated and legalised by MFA).

    Any suggestions here would help me a lot. A very tricky situation.

    Reply

    • Do you have a visa or a tourist entry stamp? If the visa you have is multiple entry you will re-enter on the same visa, just with a new stamp. If you are on a tourist entry stamp, I can’t see that this matters because it is not a specific visa, just an entry exemption.

      Reply

    • No. The MFA will not stamp your passport. You do not need to have it translated. Take a copy of your passport and a copy of your arrival stamp in case they ask for that. Some Amphurs may want this too. Read through the comments below and you will read the recent experiences of others. This will give you the most up to the day information.

      Reply

  109. Quick question, I am brittish national, I’ve obtained a marriage affirmation in June 2017, (step 1) and it doesn’t have an expiry date, however my cert of no impediment has since expired, (issued in April) do I need another cert of no impediment for the registry office in November or December this year?

    Reply

    • I don’t have experience with the CNI. Do you need this because you are divorced and it is required to obtain the affirmation from the British embassy? If so, then as long as you have your freedom to marry affirmation then you should be fine. The Ministry of Foreign affairs only requires the affirmation.

      Reply

      • Yeah exactly, i needed it to gain the affirmation, but I have that now. Thanks for the quick reply. Aside from the affirmation do I need to take other documentation to the ministry? Or is it just a case of taking the translated documents to a registry office? Do you need to book an appointment with a registry office /is there a recommended office? Thanks again

        Reply

  110. For the legalisation process at the ministry of foreign affairs you say it now takes 3 days. Can you process it and then have them mail you the legalised documents. We live in Chiang Mai and ideally would prefer not to have to wait 3 days to collect. Or is there an office in Chiang Mai that can do the legalisation?

    Thanks James

    Reply

    • It is likely to take 2-3 days. As far as I know they do not offer a postal service on legalisation. This may have changed, and if so hopefully someone else will read this and jump in and confirm in another comment. You need to visit your embassy in BKK to get your freedom to marry document anyway, so why not take a 3-4 day break in BKK and enjoy yourselves 🙂

      Reply

  111. How does this sound ,,, I am an Aussie and will get my affirmation done at the Aussie embassy in phuket ( booked 2nd oct) I will then do the translation also in Phuket. My girlfriend has already done the paperwork in her amphur to show she is single ( nong khai) . I planned then to go to Bkk together with my girlfriend to the ministry of consular affairs to get the authentication done , once received we planned to go back to nong khai and register the marriage in her home town….does this sound fair ? Trying to limit the time spent in Bkk , I hope one day would be enough in Bkk …

    Cheers

    Reply

  113. Hello I’m Malaysian Muslim and my fiancee is Pakistani Muslim . I’m divorced. We’re planning to get married in Bangkok as we’re already here for our holiday. What I didn’t understand is affirmation letter . I’ve my divorce certificate from Islamic council Malaysia that I brought with me. My fiancee has an affidavit from his embassy that he’s unmarried and allow to marry here in Bangkok. Do we need any other documents? Where and how we’d get appointment to do our nikah? Thanks

    Reply

  114. Hey everyone just wanted to give you all an update as of September 2017. My partner and I just got it all done! We registered at Bang Rak after being turned away at two other amphurs. The first required two witnesses with Thai ID cards and one of which who could translate. We could not find anyone willing (or able) to help so we went to a different amphur about 45 minutes away. This one turned us away because my divorce paper did not have a stamp from department of consular services. I was told by them– when they translated– that this would not be necessary but different amphurs require different things and it’s best to call beforehand and fully understand everything required. I called ahead for the first amphur which was Khet Pathumwan and they told me what I needed but when I arrived a different person told me I needed more so just write down as much as possible and the names of who you spoke with! I called before Bangrak and was told I was ok without a stamp on my divorce so long as I had an affirmation from my embassy and a pregnancy test from a doctor called a medical certificate. We needed affirmation to marry, certified copies of our passports, copy of arrival stamp, medical certificate for me, two Thai witnesses, one translator (one witness can act as both). We were there from 9am-4pm but everything is fine now! We went to department of consular affairs after to get our certificate translated and legalised in our country. Cost a pretty penny to do all of this. We called our embassy’s who said we do not need to take it there to be legalised or for anything further as once it is legal in Thailand it’s legal in both the UK and the US. It was a total of $500-600 for this entire process the way we did it but hey it’s all been a success :). Hope it goes smooth for all of you and hope any of this info helped ease your marriage in Thailand via the Bangkok side.

    Reply

    • Also a timeline: 24th August my partner got his affirmation to marry +certified copy of passport. Cost about £75. 30th August I got my affirmation to marry paid $50 and we took the documents to department of consular affairs (Chang Wattana Pass- a- bort office) to be translated into Thai, cost 3000thb and they took it to the officials for us so we were able to skip that step and simply needed to come collect it once it was all done– they needed copies of passport, and copies of arrival card, along with affirmation to marry. 5th September we collected the documents and then went to the first amphur but were ultimately turned away from all three for lack of different things at different offices. 5th September went to a hospital to get pregnancy test 120thb, received lab results but was told by amphur that it was not acceptable and needed medical certificate. 5th September was told that I needed certified copy to register at Bangrak. 5th September made next available appointment with US embassy, went to a different doctor to get medical certificate showing that I am not pregnant, cost 750thb. 7th September went to my embassy at 9am paid $50 and received my verified copy of passport. 7th September arrived at Bangrak with one Thai friend and then wrangled up one more witness and a translator who helped us understand the legalities. Paid £40 and received the certificate. 7th September took certificate to Chang Wattana again to be translated and legalised. Paid I think 1800thb. 12th September collected translated docs and called our embassies to make sure everything is done. The other money we spent was on taxis to and fro and though it is much cheaper and more convenient to get public transport we always seemed to be on a time schedule and did not want to chance losing our way.

      Reply

  115. Does anyone know exactly what the U.S. embassy does for you after you’ve tidied up the marriage certificate with the Thai ministry? Is it an apostilled affidavit to the authenticity of the certificate or is it their authentication (apostilled) of the validity of the certificate.

    It seems like the U.S. embassy in Bangkok offers a service that not all U.S. embassies do in that they say they authenticate the signatures of Thai officials.

    Also would my (then) wife be able to do this without me, as I have limited time in the country.

    Asking because we’re going to use this in a third country for a spouse visa.

    Yes I will contact the embassy as well but previously they weren’t very helpful and just cut and paste stuff from their website.

    Reply

    • Please read the beginning of the post for the latest update. You should allow 4-5 days for the process. If you have the affirmation and translation then it will be 3-4 days (including registering the marriage)

      Reply

  117. Hi,

    My fiancee cannot obtain the original Tabien Baan (house log) and intends to obtain two copies direct from the Amphur Office.

    When we register the marriage, will the two copies be sufficient, or will they insist on the original book?

    Reply

  119. Hi,
    I wanted to consult on something.
    I have a couple who got married in Thailand, they have the certificate of marriage from thailand, but when back to homeland (malaysia),they were told in homeland, they were not legally married. They were told that they need to get a letter from Thailand embassy with official chop to make their marriage in Malaysia legal.. Is it true?

    Reply

    • No idea. Perhaps Malaysia has different laws. A Thai marriage certificate is recognised in most countries. It has the official stamp on the original certificate so I can’t see what else is required. Perhaps just pay the Thai embassy to write a letter certifying that it is official.

      Reply

  120. Hi ThaiLife,
    Are there any difficulties/interfaith objections or lags in processing time in obtaining a letter of affirmation from the Pakistan embassy? Ive read that processing times in non-western embassies can take some time.

    Thanks
    Jane

    Reply

  122. Hi, can all documents be obtained and translated in Chiangmai without having to visit Bangkok ( I’m British)
    My friends live Chiangmai etc but my girlfriend is Indonesian would this be possible for her to also complete the process in Chiangmai also also with different faith backgrounds is this an issue or not?

    Reply

  123. I got married in Hua Hin in January 2017 using the information in this post. A little adaptation which will be obvious makes things simple.
    My wife and I are very happy living in England as everything was so straight forward

    Reply

  124. hi i just want to discuss something regarding my situation . so i’m from india and my girl friend is from usa. we both got married from thailand and now we are try ing to get me there so till now my parents are not aware of anything about my married. so if she apply for visa to get me there what all background verification will be done. whether police will do a background check coming to my house and asking about the marriage and all all or? i hope someone will help me out… please tell it in detail…

    Reply

    • Hi! this site is really helpful for those who are planning to get married in Thailand like us. I’m from Philippines and my fiancé is a UK national. According to Phil. Embassy in Bangkok, I need to submit my marriage certificate after the marriage to register it in the Philippines,so it means our original marriage certificate should be translated into english then should be certified by the MFA, would it take another 3 to 4 working days ? Thanks!

      Reply

      • The MFA will only certify a certificate in Thai, and they only certify the affirmation of freedom to marry. Once you have your marriage certificate, go to a professional translation service and have the certificate translated to English. You can then file this with the Phil. Embassy.

        Reply

  125. Hi there,

    I wonder if you know, is it possible to do any of these steps in Chiang Mai?
    Obviously, I will have to attend the British embassy in Bangkok to sort that first document out but can any of the other work be done in Chiang Mai?
    -If not do you know the opening hours for the Department of Consular Affairs?
    I will be in Bangkok for a Friday-Monday and that is all.
    Thanks for this post it is really helpful

    Reply

    • Yes, you can get your freedom to marry document (once obtained from the British embassy) authorised in Chiang Mai. The address and number are as follows:
      Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs, Legalization Division

      Chiang Mai Provincial Hall Building
      Chotana Rd., T. Chang Puak
      A. Muang, Chiang Mai 50000
      Tel: 053-112 748, 0253-112 749, or 053-112 750

      Reply

  126. Hi Thethailandlife,

    Great information.

    Just wanted to speak on my experience this weekend.

    I am living in prachuap Kiri khan about 4 hours away from Bangkok and travelled on Friday 18th august to visit the Embassy and get my affirmation.

    All went well with the Embassy, so I went on to get the affirmation translated nearby and made my way to the ministry of foreign affairs (which is miles away!) By taking bts to mo chit and then a taxi from there which was about 200B.

    On arrival the place instantly felt like a market, very busy and stressful.

    After reluctantly finding my way to the desk to get the affirmation legalised I was met by a grumpy old man who hates his life. He asked me to fill a form which I did, he then asked for my documents and passport to see my visa.

    Only to be told that he will not legalise my affirmation translation because my visa had less than 10 days left.

    I am a on a student visa with still 6 months remaining and have a meeting at mylocal immigration to do my 75 day extension tomorrow on Monday 21 august.

    Before planning my journey I had checked several times on the gov websites and calls to my embassy to make sure that all my documents was correct and I had everything I needed, but i did not see any mention about this.

    I will now have to travel to Bangkok again next week just to get my affirmation translation stamped. It seems like such a ridiculous waste of time and money just to get the final stamp of translation approval.

    Did you know about this requirement and do you know if there is anything I can do to make this process easier?

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

    • I have never heard of this rule. It doesn’t make sense to me because those on a holiday can get married. The only rule I know of is that you have to be in Thailand for 3 days before you get married.

      Reply

  127. Hi Guys.

    Could you please help me? Is the above process the same for 2 South-African Nationals that plans to get marries (Legally) in Thailand (Phuket)?
    Please keep in mind that both parties has been divorced a couple of months ago.

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

  128. Hello i would like to say to all of you that The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry need to contain the followings:
    1. Has appropriate qualification to register marriage according with Thai law
    2. Marital status
    3. Your occupation and how much monthly income
    4. Two persons that can vouch for you with their address and telephone number
    5. Name of parents, your passport number, place of issue, date of issue and expiry date
    6. Birth date, place of permanent residence

    All of this are from Laksi District.
    I had a celibacy certificate issued by my embassy but they not even looked at it because didn’t had all the above items.

    Reply

  129. How do you download a blank affirmation form for British embassy. And do you have to put a date to marry .i’m divorced but my Thai fiancé and I have 2 children but on the form it says divorced and no dependants do just leave it like that thanks for your help

    Reply

  130. Hi sir i m in malaysia and my girlfriend from philipine she work in japan we want marrid thai land can you help us all if we reach there what we need i m in malaysia in work permit i m working here so plz email tell all cost how much need there thnx

    Reply

    • Most district offices are only marrying 8 couples a day: 4 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, so you will find you need to pre-book. You may have some luck getting in on the same day in less popular offices though. If your wife is Thai, try the office closest to her home; this is generally what you’re supposed to do.

      Reply

  134. Helo,
    Could Any Bangladeshi Get Thai Tourist Or Any Kind Of Thai Visa’s On A Blank Passport ( New Passport) ?????
    is Thai Allow This Or Had To Make At least One Country Visit Before to get thai Visa’s??
    because I didn’t want to waste money By Going Unnecessaryly To Others Country Rather Go On Thai.

    If You Know About This Please Help…

    thanks in advance

    Reply

  135. Hi, I am a Filipino and planning to get married in Thailand with my Indian boyfriend. We are done with our Affidavit of Freedom to Marry (both sides). I am aware that the next step will be translating the affidavits to Thai. However, I would like to ask about the legalization of the translated documents.

    My question: Can this be processed only in Ministry of Foreign Affairs? And how much is the price per document?

    Please let me know. Thank you.

    Reply

  137. Helo TheThailandLife,

    I yet not make my passport
    because
    all of my school certificate even my birth certificate also
    given birthday is

    01-01-1999

    if I want marry in 2018 in Thailand to my thai girlfriend
    if it possible? by thai law?

    as you says

    age is require 17

    I’m 18 almost with my current birthday

    01-01-1999

    And My Passport Is Also Will Be On Same Age.
    As Foreigner To marry I need to My passport to marry and many more documents
    so
    is it possible to marry with 01-01-1999
    age based for passport holder ?

    please give me best solution for it

    thanks for read my message/comment. 🙂

    Reply

    • Yes, you can marry if your passport says you are 17 or 18. But if you want my advice, live a little first. Don’t rush into marriage, especially marriage into a culture that you have little experience of. Date for a while, enjoy your lives as young people.

      Reply

      • wow, what a wonderful help and advice
        thanks so so much.
        helpful blog and admin
        firstable get first my ans than an advice.
        very sensitive.
        well. yeah I’m thinking on it too.
        I’ll share this blog on my Fb, insta, Twitter, every place where so many people’s are sikin for like that help 😊

        Reply

  138. Hi, I am a Filpino Woman, My Bf is a British Citizen, is it a good idea to get Married in Thailand? Please, I really need your help? Do we need to submit passport picture size, what background is it blue/ white? At the Moment I am in Kuala Lumpur ? What are the other documents for both of us so that we can get ready ? Please, advise n I appreciate your help.. Thank You..

    Reply

    • Hi Phye, please read through the comments to find the experiences of other Filipinos. There was one just a couple of days ago. The process is the same but apparently, to quote Matthew below: “You need to get your “cenomar” from the Philippines. You take that to your embassy and they write a letter that says you can marry”.

      Reply

    • Hi. You need to have your birth certificate and cenomar from NSO Philippines, have them authenticate it then pass it to the embassy. Those are the documents that the Phil embassy here in Thailand needs to give you your certificate of freedom to marry. You must also wait for the 10 day marriage ban.

      Reply

    • Hi, your fiance should follow the instructions in the post, and you should read through the comments to find experiences from other Filipinos as the requirements might be slightly different in terms of how to get your freedom to marry certificate from your embassy.

      Reply

  141. I am an Australia and like to marry my Indian GF in thailand. I heard Indian embassy in Thailand does not provide “Free to marry certificate”. Does she need to grab one from India? does any one has a format for that please?

    I read in one marriage agency website that the registrar will need to attend wedding ceremony in order to sign the marriage certificate? is that true?

    Because I don’t have any plans of performing wedding ceremony in thailand. please advice. thank you

    Reply

    • Every area has a district office, known as an Amphur. Marriages can be registered at any district office, though it is preferred that people choose the one closest to the area in which they live. In the case of foreign marriages, any district office can be used.

      Reply

  144. Hi admin .. I am from Pakistan. I want to get marriage with my Thai girlfriend.. I can go Thailand only on visit visa.. Which visit visa suitable for me and because after that I need a work permit visa to get marriage. Please advice.. Thank you

    Reply

    • You can visit Thailand and get 15 days on entry (I think it is 15 days for Pakistani nationals – you need to check on that) without a visa. If you want to come for longer you will need a tourist visa, either single or multiple entry. See this post on visas and read the section on the tourist visa: https://www.thethailandlife.com/thai-visa-requirements

      Do you need a work permit to marry? Is that the rules for Pakistani nationals?

      Reply

      • Helo, TheTailandLife
        I Need Some Help From You Guy’s,

        I have my Thai girlfriend in Bangkok,
        And I’m From Bangladesh, We Both Decided To Stay In Together In Thailand.
        My Girlfriend As Iive InBangkok, Thailand,
        And Me As Bangladeshi, What Should I Do For To Marry Her In Thai?

        Which Visa Should I Need? And How Much Will Be Cost?

        And Which Age Is Require To Marry In Thailand For Both Male & Female As Thai Marriage Law???

        And She Wants I Stay With Her In Thai. So What Step Or Necessary Thing’s need to Do For Me?

        Please Admin Notice It And Help Me As Soon As Possible.

        And If Possible Send A Reply Of It To My Email.

        Thanks You So Much For To Read My Message. 😊

        Reply

        • Hi Robin,

          1. you need to follow the steps in this post. Get a freedom to marry document from your embassy in Bangkok. Have it translated to Thai, then leagalized at the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

          2. You can marry on an entry stamp, you get 15 days right? If that isn’t long enough, get a 60-day tourist visa. Once married, you can apply for a non-o based on marriage in your home country or another country like Laos.

          3. You both need to be 17 to marry.

          4. See answer 2: After marriage, get a non immigrant O visa. Or find a job, you’ll then be required to get a B visa, and then be issued with a work permit by the company you get a job with.

          Best of luck.

          Reply

  145. I am a south Ireland man with a house in Ireland. So if my Thai marriage is registered in Thailand does that mean that my Thai wife to be , will have the rights to claim 50% of this property in Ireland in the event we ever divorce ?? tia.

    Reply

    • I don’t know the marriage laws in Southern Ireland, but marriage in Thailand is recongnised under UK law. If it is the same in Southern Ireland, then if you live with your wife there she may have some claim to the value of the property in a divorce settlement. It depends on the circumstances; usually whether or not she has been a contributor to the mortgage, the upkeep, etc., and how long you have been married. Always consider the legal position of your assets before you get married.

      Reply

      • Hi i already looked in to this. Whilst your wife is here on the spouse visa she has no entitlement to your house for the first 33 months. if you have a mortgage make sure you pay for it. after 5 years things might be different but by then you will know wether she is a keeper

        Reply

  148. Hi, I recently visited Phom Penh with my soon to be wife to obtain her freedom to marry document. They will not issue this doc in Bangkok, Cambodian Embassy. We have now got the document stamped and approved. We are now in Bangkok but finding it difficult to get this Cambodian doc translated. Can anyone PLEASE advice on a translation service that will do this document for us? It is the only thing holding us up at the moment and very, frustrating.

    Reply

    • Have you Googled thoroughly? There must be a Cambodian translator in Thailand because there are lots of workers living there who would need such a service.

      Look around the Pleon Chit area near the BTS station (by Language Express). There are lots of translation services there. Pop in to each and ask; I’m sure someone will know someone who can do it.

      Reply

    • \hi, \i am in the same position as you, did your soon to be wife have any difficulty getting the freedom to marry document in Phom Penh?, was it issued by cambodian ministry of Foreign affairs in Phom Penh ? Thanks in Advance for your response. and kindest regards

      Reply

    • Hi Julian, I am currently trying to go through the same process with my Khmer fiance’. We have our affidavit of single status from her provincial commune chief with us here in Thailand, but does it also need a stamp from the Ministry in Phnom Penh? or was the commune affidavit from Cambodia enough to get married in Thailand? Any input would be really appreciated.

      Reply

  149. Hi,

    I am Belgian citizen, I sent email to my embassy but I cannot join them to know about the status of my file.
    I wait their agreement to get “Affirmation of Freedom to Marry in Thailand”
    Marriage is planed in 2 month, do I have to stress or delay to obtain such paper is long process ?

    Kind regards

    Reply

  150. Hello Guys, I’m seeking advice here. I wish to apply Marriage Cert and i am from Singapore.

    Where can i hired translator? We live in Phuket, does we need to go Phuket Amphur or any Amphur in Bangkok will do?

    Reply

    • You need to go to Bangkok to obtain your freedom to marry document. Please follow the steps in the post. You can get the document translated for around 400 Baht in Bangkok. There are lots of places next to Pleon Chit station (BTS). You can marry in an Amphur in Phuket if you like.

      Reply

  151. Hello,

    I’m in contact a lady from Thailand and we have planned to meet in Paris and travel to Ireland. She told me that she has to renew her passport and obtain a visa for France & Ireland. She expect me to send the money to pay the cost but I found the price extremely expensive – she is asking for 8500 Bath that is about €230 – for both Ireland and France visas plus her Passport renewal cost .
    In one of the post on your website – it says 1000 Bath for a Thai passport – I found hard to believe it cost so much for a Visa for France & Ireland.

    It would great if you could advise before I send the money or not.
    Thanks
    Franky

    Reply

    • The UK visit visa is £112 alone. The French one is around £60. Plus the Thai passport £20. So she is absolutely spot on and isn’t even asking for money to do all the photocopying and the cost of taking taxis to the MFA and VFS.

      Reply

  152. Hi, I am an Australian holding a 1 year Retirement Visa and I have been married to a Thai National and we were married in Thailand and we were divorced in Thailand for which I have a Thai divorce certificate. Do I need to go to my embassy to obtain a freedom to marry certificate or will my Thai divorce certificate do

    Reply

  153. We went to register our marriag at prakhanong in Bangkok and the guy checked our documents. He then told us we need a translator with us to translate to English because even though I can speak Thai I cannot write it. He then picked up the phone and walked away without handing back our most important documents (passport, work permit, ID card etc) so I had to reach over his desk to get them. He was extremely rude. On the way out he also put his phone down and said I also needed a medical certificate and that was a complete waste of a morning. Rules are different for everyone with the look of it. I’ve been living in Thailand with my Thai fiancé for 13 years. I have a company and work permit here and this is how you are treated.

    Reply

    • That’s quite unusual for someone to be so rude, but perhaps because there is not an English translation of the documentation available and you can’t read Thai, from a legal standpoint you do not know what you are signing for. No idea why you would need a medical certificate. 1. Put in a formal complaint to his boss. 2. Go to another amphur.

      Reply

  154. Hi

    Does anyone know how long it takes to get all your documents back? As it says the express service is currently not available above,also can you call them to prior to make an appointment or do you just turn up and queue

    Reply

  156. Hey. Can anyone give me some advice…….So, we’ve put our papers into the Ministry of foreign affairs and should get them back on Monday.

    Any advice about which Amphur to use? We’re thinking Lak Si as it’s near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also, how much does the actual wedding part at the Amphur cost? We have no witnesses and someone told me today you actually need a translator with you??

    After we’re married and we take our legalised marriage papers back to the Ministry, will they translate them there or do we need to translate them then take them to be authenticated? How much does this part cost? How long does it take?

    Also, this might might sound silly, but could i just take 2 motorbike taxis to the Amphur and then get them to be our witnesses (and translator if necessary)?? Sounds stupid but if they’re gonna be there anyway…..

    Thanks a lot for all the Info in this page from the author and the comments, it’s an extremely great help!!

    Reply

    • Hi Alan, if you read back through the comments some people have left advice on what Amphurs to use. I seem to remember Laksi being one, but you have to book an appointment as they only marry 8 couples a day now, I think. This is the case with most I believe. Marriage registration is free, but some Amphurs may charge; I know that Bangrak has always charged by way of a “wedding package” for foreign nationals that includes a photo, etc. I married at Huay Kwang amphur and did not have to pay.

      In answer to your witness question: Technically you could take 2 motorbike taxi men, but finding 2 that are willing may be problematic. Some may not be keen to put their name to any legal process. They must also have a Thai ID card.

      Reply

    • Hi. Me and my partner registered our marriage at amphur Lak Si. You would be needing the translator only to fill up the papers since it is in Thai but i guess if you dont have it, the amphur will help you with it. I spoke with the head officer Khun Chunticha they could provide everything for you including the witnesses for 3k but for us, i brought one of my Thai colleague as a witness. She helped us with the translation and all and we paid 1,030 baht to be exact.

      Reply

  157. Hi I’m rfugee in uk I’m going next month in Thailand to marry my girlfriend she is from Pakistan and we bot are Muslim. Witch is they best way to get legally married in Thailand because we are Muslim….!
    Thanks

    Reply

  158. I am an American Citizen currently living with my fiance in Nakhon Si Thammarat Thailand and we want to get Married as soon as possible, have been engaged since May of 2016 and have not been able to decide if we want to marry in the U.S. or Thailand but now have decided to get married in Thailand. Do we need to go to the embassy in Bangkok or is there a closer place to get the affirmation papers done?

    Reply

  159. Myself and my now wife just went through this process successfully. I am a UK citizen living in Saudi Arabia and she is an Indonesian citizen living in Indonesia. It took 5 working days and went smoothly because we hired an agent. I strongly recommend you hire an agent. So much can go wrong if you do not.

    Reply

  160. Hi TY

    Both me & my fiance is looking for an option to get married in Thailand but not wanting to register it in Malaysia (our home country) due to family issue.

    We both are Malaysians and muslims.

    But i want to have proper & legal marriage in Thai (i’m afraid of being the scam marriage victim) 🙂

    Are the above steps applies for Muslim marriage as well and will anyone from Malaysia would be able to find out about our marriage if we follow these steps?

    Hope to hear from you soon.

    Reply

  162. Hi i am a singaporean going to marry my thai girlfriend. I alr have the documents ready to file affidavit at singapore embassy.

    However, on this post it seems there are more things to have. Singapore embassy stated that i need 4 things:

    1) employment letter
    2) letter from singapore ministry of manpower stating my thai gf has no work permit in sg before
    3) registry of marriage singapore cert search result of no recorded marriage
    4) certificate of clearenace stating that i have no criminal record in singapore

    So i have gotten all of them alr and am planning to marry my thai gf next month. So am i equipped with all documents to file my affidavit yet?

    Thank you:)

    Reply

    • As per Steve’s comment below: You may also need a translation of your passport, and this needs to be stamped by your embassy. Though I assume your documents are in English? You then have what you need to get the authentication at the MFA, but don’t forget that to marry at the Amphur you will need the things listed in the “What Marriage Documents to Take to the Registrar” section.

      Reply

  163. My girlfriend is Philippine and stay in Thailand for just over 12 months off an on but not as a resident just as tourist she lives in hong kong I’m Australian but she needs a single status certificate from Thailand so she can come to Australia so we can marry. How do we get the single status certificate and can it be done on line or through an agent.

    Reply

    • I dont think that she can get that single certificate in Thailand. She needs to get it from the Philippines. I am a filipina and all my documents i got it all back from the Philippines and just let the Philippines embassy here in Thailand authenticate it.

      Reply

  164. I completed all the steps and it seems the goal posts have changed. They are now asking for a translation of your passport and this needs to be stamped by your embassy. Guess we have to start again

    Reply

  165. Hi,
    I would like to know if it is an appointment for oath affirmation or witnessing a signature that I need to arrange at the UK embassy in Bangkok? And also do I need to book two appointments if we are both from UK?
    Due to marry the 22nd July and arriving on the 16th

    Any help would be great
    Thanks

    Reply

  166. Hi,
    Please could you tell me, it is an appointment for oath affirmations or witnessing a signature that I need to make at the British embassy in Bangkok? And will I need two appointments if we are both from UK

    Any help would be great
    Thanks

    Reply

  168. Hi I would like to marry my thai girlfriend. I am getting a divorce soon. After my divorce, how long do I have to wait until I can marry her in Thailand? Or if I marry her in my native country, is the marriage vaild in Thailand?

    Reply

      • Yes that’s right:

        Section 1453 Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand – Chapter II Conditions of Marriage.
        In case of the woman whose husband died or whose marriage has become terminated, the marriage can only take place if not less than three hundred and ten days have elapsed since the termination of her previous marriage; unless:
        – a child has been born during such period;
        – the divorced couple remarry;
        – there is a certificate issued by a qualified doctor who is a lawful physical practitioner in medicine showing that the woman is not pregnant;
        – there is an order of the Court allowing the woman to marry.

        Reply

  169. I have a question……is it possible, after i get our Certificates translated, for me to do the process of getting the marriage license at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on my own, without my partner? Because of work commitments it would be easier if she could come to meet me after this process for the marriage at the amphur.

    Thanks for all the great info!

    Reply

  171. Hi,
    with a little help from lady luck, my partner of eleven years and I will be getting married in Thailand next month. We only require one document which she has gone to get. The affirmation of freedom to marry document can be obtained from the Chief of Commune, is this correct?
    Can he sign this document to make it legal? Or can we just get the document and get it signed by the embassy where we live in Ho Chi Minh City or in Bangkok where we are getting married.

    The Cambodian embassy in Bangkok would not issue the Affirmation to Marry document so that is why she has gone to Cambodia to get it.

    What I really need to know is, can be obtained from the Chief of Commune? and
    Can the Chief of Commune sign the document to make it legal?

    I just need to know about this document.
    Can we take the blank doc, complete it and get it signed or stamped in Thailand.

    Any help would be very much appreciated.

    Reply

      • With regards to Philippines. You have to get your certiicate of no marriage from Manilla and also a marriage license from the embassy in BKK so it could be similar. I’m also in the same boat in that i’m living in HCMC with my partner. We recently visited BKK to get married but ran into these problems with the Philippines embassy so we need to go back in a couple of weeks. You also need o give 10 days notice, where they stick the future husband and wife’s pictures up in the embssy, before they’ll give the license. I think it’s to give people time to give reason why you can’t legally marry.

        Reply

      • Hi, we now have the affirmation of freedom to marry from the Cambodian embassy for my girlfriend, and I just need to get mine from the British Embassy in Bangkok. We have all other documents and passports. Is there anything else? So we now need to get everything translated. Could anyone offer a good service and cost?

        Reply

      • They don’t issue the affirmation to marry from the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok because of new Cambodian laws protecting girls against trafficking. But we did get the affirmation to marry doc from the chief of commune or the head police guy, from where my partner lived in Cambodia.
        So we have the affirmation to marry docs, passports, visas, birth certificates, house book, just need to get everything translated.

        Thanks

        Reply

  172. Hello, I have just called the Bangrak Government office and the staff mentioned I will need my (British) passport certified (get a stamp) and translated into Thai. Have you heard of this process? Or has anyone gone through this process before?

    Reply

    • I’m going to tag on to this in hopes that this may get bumped up a bit and others can read. Tried registering a marriage in Udon Thani and they had requested a translated passport as well. I am assuming the Ministry of Foriegn affairs will need to certify this as well in Changwatana?

      Is anyone aware if this a new request from all of the offices now? or has anyone recently had their marriage certified in Bangkok and had no issues?

      Cheers, Oldmanstan

      Reply

  173. Hi, this is really useful information and a great guide – thank you! Can I ask whether I need to apply for a specific visa to get married in Thailand? Or can I do this on a standard visit visa?

    Reply

  175. Good Morning, Read through this guide and thoroughly appreciate all the information provided. I tried going through most of the comments here as well.

    Question that you or perhaps a commenting member may know. When booking an appointment the UK embassy in Bangkok asks for the following is needed alongside the affirmation document: Proof of identity (which I assume passport alone is fine ), and Proof of address. I could not find anything anything in the comments or here about the proof of address, is this your address abroad or where you’re currently staying in Thailand?

    As a secondary question, have you heard anything else about the 60b post option with the MFA? I see one comment by someone a few months back suggesting as much and I am hoping this is still the case.

    thanks in advance!

    Reply

    • There are some answers to this from a year or more ago but you’ll be digging for some time! Ideally proof of address is your country of residence. If you live in the UK then use that address. If you are retired and living in Thailand, working in Thailand or a permanent resident then you could use your address in Thailand.

      I’m not sure if the postal service is still available. I would assume so, since many people come from all over Thailand to the Bangkok MFA who wouldn’t be able to return on another day to collect the documents.

      Reply

        • That’s the preference, if you have one. There have been a couple of people in the comments section previously who haven’t had a UK address because they reside in Thailand, don’t own a property in the UK, and are no listed as living at anyone else’s property.

          Reply

  179. This is more of a visa process question. Do you know if it is possible to enter on a 30 day tourist visa and then convert to non-immigrant type O visa after tying the knot with the girlfriend and registering the marriage?

    Reply

    • Hi, no. You will need to leave the country and do that outside of Thailand. You can get a non-immigrant O multiple entry from the UK, but currently in neighbouring Laos they are only issuing single entry.

      Reply

  180. Hi,
    I am planning on marrying my Cambodian girlfriend in Thailand. I am English and we have been together for eleven years now. I have all my documents apart from the “affirmation of freedom to marry document” I can get mine in Bangkok but can my partner get her document from the Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok? I mean you can get this document online so could we do that as it would be much easier.

    We both live in Vietnam at the moment. She has a full passport, house book, and her birth certificate, so I believe that this document is all we need now to complete the marriage.
    Any advice would be very much appreciated.
    Best Regards

    Reply

    • I’m nearly an identical situation, apart from my girlfriend is Filipino. She had to get her Certificate of no Marriage from Philippines, unfortunately, but it just depends on the Embassy of each country. So contacting the Cambodian embassy would be your best bet

      Reply

  181. can i ask a question ,me and my thai girlfriend will be marrying later in the year ,is it possible to marry first,the ceremony,then obtain my affirmation of marital status ,translation,legalise the affirmation of marriage ,and register marriage in 6 months time,i know the marriage is only official when registered,regards Ian

    Reply

  183. Hi, we are looking to travel to Thailand and get married was planning on going to Bangkok British embassy first, staying in Bangkok for 4days then heading to Phuket to a resort to be married a few days later is this achievable? Will the resort then just sort out someone to marry us and we just hand over paperwork? Do are 2 witnesses need to come to Bangkok or can they just meet us at resort in Phuket? Sorry I just have no idea thanks.

    Reply

    • No, you would need to book a resort where they have a wedding package. They would then give you the option within that package to pay to have the paperwork done on site or at a local district office. They would provide the witnesses within the package. If you marry in a district office in Bangkok you will need to provide your own witnesses, though some will provide them for a fee. Witnesses must be Thai nationals with ID cards.

      Reply

    • You mean you got it from your home country? The rule stipulates that it must be from the embassy in Thailand. Though for those from countries which have no embassy in Thailand this would obviously not apply.

      Reply

  186. We are going may to bk to get married. We need to go doing the Dutch and Vietnamese Ambasade or consulate. What’s the best place (area) to stay in bk near we need to go?? Any recommendations for a hotel. 1000-1500 bath a night

    Reply

  187. I received my single statement from the Netherlands with is international. So I need only a translation from English to Thai Wright??

    My gf is born and living in Vietnam she also need a single statement but I am not sure it’s in English. So they might request to translate from Vietnamese to Engels and after Thai?

    First we need to make an appointment on the Dutch and Vietnam consulate to legalize this document or after the translation?

    we need 2 withnesses, how and where can we hire them ?

    Thanks a lot!!!!

    Reply

    • You need to get your freedom to marry certificate from the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok, or at least have the one you got from Holland leagalised by the Dutch embassy in Bangkok. Your GF needs to call the Vietnamese embassy and ask about the process. I remember some people posting in this comments section before regarding requirements for Vietnamese people and I think there are some differences. Both of your freedom to marry certificates will need to be translated to Thai. Regarding the witnesses, please read back through comments from the last 3 months to see recent experiences. Some district offices will supply them for a fee. I can’t remember which, you will have to read the comments 🙂

      Reply

  189. i will be in bkk in april this year ,and hope to marry my thai girlfriend later in the year ,can i just get step one ,affirmation of freedom to marry document obtained ,and translated ,step two ,and carry out step 3 at a later date ,if i do not have time,on this visit.
    is there a time limit to use these papers.
    i will be staying laksi area which is helpful
    thanks Ian

    Reply

        • We were quoted 15k THB. This did not include UK embassy fee (4-5k ) and the final transaltion/seal of the marriage certificate which was another 1.5k THB.

          The arrangement was to meet the agent at the embassy then after that process was done they would take the Affirmation from you , translate it, check it and take it to the MFA and collect for you a few days later.
          You only meet the agent again in 4 days for the marriage. i think they take you in a car.
          These leaves you free for 4 days to do what you want but it is a lot of money.

          Reply

  191. We have all documents ready from Embassy and Thai office. Questions or advise:
    1. Agency asking 20k THB for support for translation(s) and at Registar office. Seems high to me??
    2. We have two witnesses signed on document for my Embassy. Are the witnesses required on day of marriage registration at Registar office?

    Reply

  192. Just delt with the MFA today so will share the most current info. When you go to the MFA you need the following:

    -Affirmation of marital status from your Embassy
    -Translation of affirmation into Thai
    -Copy of your Passport
    -Copy of your visa
    -Copy of Thai ID card (front and back of the card on a single paper)
    -All the copies need to be signed and dated.

    They no longer offer express so it will take 3 days for them to finish your paperwork. For 60 extra baht you can have the documents mailed to you instead of having to come back and pick them up.

    Total price I paid was 460baht.

    Reply

    • Brandon,

      if we were to drop affirmation off at MFA around 11am on a Monday is it still possible to pick up on the Wednesday morning?

      An agent we are considering is saying it is impossible and only avaiable after 1pm wednesday and so can only be married at Amphur on Thursday.

      Regards
      Rich

      Reply

      • If you do it all yourself, yes it is possible (if there’s no mistake on translation) you should get it back by 10am on Wednesday. I think the agent said 1pm because they need to pick it up from the MFA and bring it back to their office for you to collect. I dropped mine off at the MFA by 11am on Thursday and was told to come back and pick up on Monday 10am.

        Reply

        • Is is frustrating the 2 agent(s) say it not possible to collect document from MFA on Wednesday morning.

          We found out we cannot get married on the following Thursday to Monday because of Songkran holiday and it would have to be the following Tuesday where we wil have left Bangkok and be back in Pattaya.

          Reply

          • I am not sure where they coming from, I did everything myself (with wife) without agency first week of February. Dropped of Thursday morning and got it back on Monday morning (pretty sure it was 9.45am ish) unless the MFA recently changed the collection time.

            Have you considered getting married in Pattaya?

            Reply

            • Not really heard of anyone getting married in Pattaya. Everyone mentions Bangkok.

              Ive read stories of local Amphurs outside of Bangkok not wanting to marry Farang/Thai or requiring additional documents or Farang witnesses.

              Cheers
              Rich

              Reply

    • Hi Brandon, Really useful to know. I don’t suppose there would be the option to pay extra for the postage so they could airmail it to Samui? This would mean we could do it ourselves and not wait around in Bangkok. However, I need it to not take weeks to get there 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi! So you can just visit the embassy in one day and ask them to forward the completed paperwork once done? Did this work out ok? I am only visiting BKK to go to the embassy and won’t be getting married til 2 weeks later so not sure whether to forward the documents to the hotel or come back and collect them

      Reply

  193. Just to share my recent experience getting married in Thailand last month. The whole process took four working days for us, however if there’s no correction on your translation (affirmation of marital status) it could be done in three working days. Hope it helps you guys.
    First, I was booked to get affirmation from my embassy on Thursday morning. We got there about 9am and was out about 9.45am. Make sure you have a soft copy of your affirmation in your email, we were asked to correct some details so it was handy a file with you. Then we took a BTS and got off at Mo-Chit Station (best way to avoid traffic) then took a taxi to the MFA. We decided to use translation service from the one opposite to the MFA, it’s called Songthai Translation Service. Took about 20mins to translate my affirmation and we then submitted the documents to the MFA 3rd floor by 11am. We were told to come back on Monday about 10am. For your information, the MFA still provide express service for some type of documents but not for affirmation of marital status, this can only be done by normal service. There’s nothing else we could do from this point until Monday morning. We were at the MFA a bit early on Monday morning and were told there’s some corrections on the translation!! We were asked to resubmit the revised translation by 2pm so the approved translation would be ready from 3pm the same day (if there’s no further mistakes). It was so frustrating, we went to the same translation centre we used, so they corrected the translation for free. We then resubmitted the revised version to the MFA at 10.15am, however we still had to wait till 3pm to collect the document. Resubmitting document early doesn’t speed up the collection time, as long as you resubmit before 2pm everyone will get the documents back at the same time (from 3pm). Anyway they said the document would be ready at 3pm, but we actually got it at 3.40pm!! We meant to get married on Monday but had to postpone due to this. We planned ahead really well on Tuesday, we went to Lak Si district just before 8am and we were the first queue to get married. Really recommend to get married here as it’s close to the MFA so you can get your marriage certificate translated to English (if needed for future use) and stamped quickly, also staff there are quite familiar in getting married for foreigners. We finished at Lak Si district about 8.50 and my wife jumped on a motorcycle taxi (still teasing her until now that she was the shortest-ever bride running away from the groom lol) to the same translation service. She got the translation in 20mins then run to the MFA and submitted the document at 9.26am (just in time for the express service). Please note marriage certificate translation from Thai to English can be stamped with express service, submit document by 9.30am and collect at 2.30pm the same day (the fees is double of the normal service, but save you from coming back to the MFA again). We got the document back at the same day and that’s the whole process done! Feel free to ask any questions and good luck!!
    Ps. I have seen people recommended using translation service at 2nd floor of the MFA. People got an impression that it must ALWAYS be reliable as it is located inside the MFA, however I have spoken to a woman (when I was waiting to collect my document) she said she used the 2nd floor people and there’s some mistake on her translation too. I guess it’s a bit of your luck. But I wouldn’t recommend using those folks walking round and trying to approach you, SOME of them look pretty dodgy and heard they charge a fortune.

    Reply

  194. I want to marry in Thailand but I’m divorced in Canada but my fiancée Filipino is married but seParated for long time can he get affirmation to marry in the Philippine embassy’s? So that we both can marry at Bangkok Thailand?

    Reply

  195. We have been looking into doing this ourselves ( 2x UK) but our wedding planner offered to do it for us, get the documents shipped to Samui and then translated back to English afterwards. This sounded great until he told us it’s 26500 THB to do this. I think this is a lot as I know local agencies in Bangkok do it for 9000 THB and I know this is a lot compared to doing it yourself. So my question – is it worth it? The day we arrive is a Thai holiday so we already have an extra day in Bangkok and would like to leave as soon as possible so if there are recommended cheaper agencies to use plesae give us a recommendation.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Hmmmm, bear in mind that you still have to get your affirmations from the British embassy anyway, so you will have to go to Bangkok. I’d say negotiate the price. 520 quid is a lot for a process that is essentially free for them, albeit greasing a few palms along the way with 1,000 Baht notes. The fact is you want to enjoy your holiday on Samui and not have to traipse around BKK for a few days with the possibility of running into a delay. I’d negotiate it down to 15k. Say you have had other quotes and are considering using someone else. At the end of the day, it’s expensive but you get to lie on a beach while they do the leg work.

      Reply

  197. We Will go april to Thailand to get married. My Gf is Vietnamese i am from The netherlands. Can we do iT in 5 working days? And anyone experience if it’s recognized in Vietnam ?

    Do I need to make an appointment for the Dutch Ambasade?

    Tnx.

    Reply

      • Hello, I just wondered if it must be the same tourist visa that you were on when you obtained you affirmation of marital status? I will only be in Bangkok for a week and if anything goes wrong and I run out of time to get the marriage registered, could I return the following month on a new tourist visa, and use the same affirmation to register the marriage at the district office?

        Many thanks!

        Reply

    • That’s cutting it fine, but possible. Is your appointment early? Can you make it to the MFA by lunchtime? I’m pretty sure if you can apply at the MFA on Monday too then you can get the docs back by Wed and be off to Phuket by Thurs.

      Reply

  200. Hello, im wanting to get married quickly to my fiancé in april.
    Were both foreigners, uk and phillipino.
    I’ve be looking into it with a company called siam legal, and they seem to think the process will take 2.5 weeks!
    The phillipino embassy takes 10-11 days to process her papers alone.
    Is this post legit and what I’ve been getting told by this company is lies??

    Reply

    • If you search through the comments you will find some from situations similar to yours. If I remember correctly I think it does take longer for Filipino nationals. Once you have the freedom to marry certificate from your fiancé’s embassy the process can be done in approximately 3 days, judging by recent experiences posted here.

      Reply

        • I think the time they have quoted you includes waiting for the Filipino embassy. Once you get the affirmation from them you can do the process in 3 days. So they may be correct, because if the embassy takes 10-14 days, plus the 3 for processing at the MFA, it may well be 2-2.5 weeks. Getting an affirmation of freedom to marry from the British embassy only takes 1 day once you have your appointment, so that’s the big difference here. They can’t hurry the Filipino embassy up, as they have a unique process. I’d call the Filipino embassy to check on the rules.

          Reply

  203. When we got married we were given a certificate with a flowery border and another document with more details such as the witness names which my wife says is called the kor-ror-song. Is this an important document and does it need to be submitted/translated for (UK) visa applications?

    Many thanks

    Steve

    Reply

  204. Finished everything at Lak Si office this morning, it took around 90 minutes. They provided 2 witnesses (the lady officer who speaks some English and her boss, who we haven’t even seen), paid 500 THB each (seems to be quite transparent). We arranged witnesses with the guy who checked our documentation before we actually proceeded to the officer. Have your receipts (MFA and embassy). Embassy stamp on passport copies was not needed (front page, visa page, Thailand entry stamp).

    Reply

  205. Hi there, we went to Bang Rak this morning and they told us we had to have 2 witnesses that were either family or friends. They would not allow us to use another couple there as witnesses. They said they needed to be family or friends because they would ask them questions about us.

    We then headed to Lak Si right after that to try our luck there. Fortunately, they allowed us to marry at Lak Si. We had to pay 1000 baht for them to provide the 2 witnesses (500 baht each), which was much better than the alternative of being refused.

    The entire process there took maybe an hour if that. They also had a copy service right next door in the same building if you forgot to bring any copies.

    Hope this helps others. Thanks for keeping the comment section open and updated.

    Reply

  207. Hi, I’m out of luck with the amphurs, I have all the papers and have followed all the steps but they don’t seem to want to allow us to marry. We tried first at his home town amphur in Khon Kaen, they claimed we needed an additional stamp on the translated document. We went back to chaen wattana, got that extra stamp (even though they said it wasn’t needed) and then went to another amphur in Sathorn, they said my embassy also needed to put stampa on additional copies of my passport. So we went to Bang rak and they claim my paper of freedom to marry needs to have the date I last lived in sweden on it. I’m not up to starting over the whole proccess again when I already have all the papers. Can someone please recommend me an amphur that will get us married, I’m so exhausted from this and don’t wanna end up doing everything again just to see that they need even additional information again..

    Reply

  209. Hi,

    Just wanted to post a huge thanks to this website and the author of the webpage.

    Myself (British) and my British partner were married on Wednesday 18th Jan at Lak Si district office.

    We started the process on Monday 16th with an 8am appointment at the British Embassy and the process was finished by about midday on Wednesday 18th.

    We didn’t use an agent as we like to do our own thing and fancied the challenge!

    Some tips:

    You will need to get photocopies of the Thailand stamp in your passport for the process (there is a cheap photocopying service at the Department of Consular Affairs).

    Use the translation guy downstairs in the Department of Consular Affairs (if there are any problems with the translations then it is easy to chase up and quicker) we paid about 350 baht per document.

    The Department of Consular Affairs had our sworn translations back after 2 days (there are signs telling you of the time scales but I think these sometimes change).

    We used Lak Si district office as it is the closes to the Department of Consular Affairs and we had no problems, the lady there was very helpful and spoke excellent English. We did had to pay 3000 baht here (this may have been for witnesses so you may save if you bring your own).

    Taxi drivers had a tendency of wanting to drop you at the wrong end of the government complex when going to the Department of Consular Affairs so be aware!

    We used the Sky Train to get us to the nearest station (Mo Chit) and then taxis to and from the Department of Consular Affairs. This tended to work out a bit cheaper as you can avoid the tolls and traffic for most of the journey.

    If anyone has any questions I will try to help!

    Reply

  211. Hello, Im thinking to do civil marriage in Thai. My fiancee is from Slovakia and Im Indonesian. Do you think I can ask for affirmation letter in Indonesia before actually flying to Thailand?
    Do you have any recommendation for agent that can help us regarding this civil marriage.

    Reply

  212. Thanks for recommending Nida people. She is great. Very professional and she is helping me. My appointment at embassy is at 930am Monday and she will have my docs ready for Thursday. She’s already doing translation as we speak. Very fair price I think.

    Reply

  213. Hi all. I have an appointment at the British Embassy on 30th Jan atb0930 am. I’ve never been married before or have kids and my fiancée is Thai. If I get out quick and get document translated at MFA, do you think I could get that be 31st? Can I then take that document to an Amphur in Phuket (where we are flying to at 1635 on 1st Febryary). Appreciate all your help

    Reply

    • I do not think it is possible on your own and maybe not even with an agent. We used an agent. I gave her the documents from the US Embassy at 8:15 on a Monday morning. She submitted the papers and got them back Wednesday afternoon. We met her at the Amphur on Thursday. She had done all the translations prior to my visit to Thailand. We were leaving Thailand on Friday so everything had to work out perfectly and it did. Read the other posts of other people’s problems and dealing with “political” issues.

      Reply

  214. Hi everyone. I am British and planning to get married with a Thai lady in the beginning of Feb. Have a few questions here, hope you all can help.
    – To get affirmation of marital status from British Embassy, it says on the website I only need proof of identity and proof of address. But if I have 1 daughter from previous relationship (we never got married though) do I need any additional documents for this? and do I need to show my daughter’s birth certificate?
    – In the affirmation of marital status form, I need to fill in my Thai gf address, however she works and lives in UK. What address should I fill in? her registered Thai address (as in her blue book) or her current UK address?
    – Has anyone got married at Lak Si district? any tips for me?
    Appreciate your help!

    Reply

          • Saw your previous comments and you’re British, so I got a few questions here if you don’t mind. I’ve got an appointment with the British Embassy at 9am on 2nd Feb, is it possible to turn up earlier than that? hoping to get the affirmation as early as possible and went straight to MFA (will get document translated there). Also, what documents did you need at the embassy? on the website it says just proof of identity, proof of address and typed affirmation of marital status (unsigned) but I read it online somewhere and it says I need a Thai registered address book of my partner so I’m a bit confused.

            Reply

            • My appointment was at 0830 i arrived about 0805 and was seen straight away at the embassy all i needed was my passport and affirmation i had filled it out as shown on the template but the woman behind the counter added extra info and re-typed. I had it translated over the rd my wife checked it and then we went to the MFA where she filled it all in and handed it in this was a tuesday told to come back on the thursday at 11 we arrived on the thursday about 0930 and it was ready then straight to Lak si. The whole time my wife had several copies of my passport,visa page,her id card,her tabian baan also things like her birth certificate also her freedom to marry from her home district signed by local leader as well as our daughters birth certificates and all originals in her words everything just incase. Hope this helps.

              Reply

                • The info from you is really helpful! thanks a lot!! do you remember the name of translator you recently used? and how did you get MFA from the embassy? BTS then Taxi? it’s kinda rush hour and I know traffic is mental in Bangkok

                  Reply

                  • Sorry i cant remember the name of the translator iv always just arranged it with 1 of the touts across the rd then walked back to their office like i said never had a problem. Getting to the MFA i just jumped straight in a taxi and took the tollway no matter the cost its cheap compared to the uk.

                    Reply

    • WE went through the process for our daughter’s marriage – both UK citizens – and found that using an Agent was by far the most stress-free way of doing it. We used Kuhn Nida, Professional Visa Service Ltd, Mahathun Plaza, Sukhumvit. We gave her the affidavits well in advance of our visit to the British Embassy, and she had them both translated. She picked up a mistake in one of them, so we were able to correct it BEFORE we had the affidavits sworn, which saved a huge problem. We collected the documents three days later, and she had already sent scanned copies to the Amphur which saved yet more time. All we had to do was turn up on the day. Quite brilliant, and well worth the money.

      Reply

  215. Been through this process in early January… it’s hard work And a lot of running around. After obtaining my affirmation from the British embassy, had it translated and the next morning arrived at the MFA to discover the express service is no longer available even though it states it is available if you submit before 9.30AM. So I really want to make this clear as this seems to be the hold up for many people…. yes there are signs everywhere saying they do express but they do not offer this anymore. Dropped it off Wednesday 8AM and went to collect Friday 8AM, they wasn’t happy with a few words on the translation so had to go get edited at one of the translation services in building and submit again by midday and then was ready to collect the approved MFA stamped document by 3PM.

    We done a fair bit of ringing around to find an amphur as there was lots of talk on here about witnesses and copies of translated passports etc etc. I would recommend people to go Bangrak District Office. We took are own whitnesses just to be safe but people was there using other people in the que to be their whitnesses.
    No translation of passport needed just all your paperwork from the MFA, Thai house register copy and copies of passport and Thai I.D card. They only accept 8 foreign marriages per day so make sure you arrive before 7.45 as they don’t accept bookings.
    Took about 4/5 hours of sitting around but got there in the end.
    I hope this will clear a few questions up as the whole process is a complete nightmare.

    Reply

    • Hi would u be able to do the affirmation, translation and take it to mfa to be stamped and get it back in February but then amphur to register the marriage in April. This is cos I have spare few days in February but would be nice to register marriage in April when my parents are there

      Reply

    • We have been to 3 offices today and called a few. All are refusing to marry us without a certified translator present as I am not fluent in Thai. My Thai fiancee is not allowed to translate for me. They are also requiring another document for the MFA certifying that the translations they certified were, in fact, certified by them. We questioned the logic of this and were told there are a lot of counterfeit MFA certifications out there. Aperently if you use a small to so your translation and all you have a fair chance of getting a fake. So back to the MFA we go and we need to Google translator services too. More fees..yay

      Reply

      • Have you tried the Lak si office yet? We were able to get married there today, I think we were first in line around 8:30am and it took us less than an hour. Such a nice surprise after having myriad problems (incorrect translations, waiting around all day, etc) at MFA. There is an English speaker and they made the process quite friendly.

        Reply

        • Hi Will. If you don’t mind me asking, how long did it take to get you the affirmation back from the MFA? can you recommend where to get the document translated or where you don’t recommend to go? so there’s no hassle of incorrect translations. I was thinking to go to Lak Si too. Do you need an appointment for that? or just walk in?
          Thanks

          Reply

          • We put our paperwork in on Tuesday in the morning around 11am. Since it was later than the “express time” which some say is available and some say not, we had to come back 2 days later on Thursday. We came early on Thursday and one of the papers was done–for the groom–but they said our translation was incorrect. We made the rookie mistake of paying too much for the translation and doing it way too far from the Chang Wattana MFA building. So we gave it to an agent milling about who had helped me with standing in the correct line, and he got it re-translated for 300 baht. My paperwork still wasn’t done at 11am; it took until around 12:30pm to be given back, only to discover they had found even more mistakes in my document. The same agent re-translated this document for 400 baht. If the documents are re-submitted before 2pm, they can be picked up again with the stamps between 3-5pm. They said 3 but we had to wait until 5pm for one. So, in essence, we spent the entire day at the building. At least there is a good cafeteria and coffee, and watching the agents and all the couples is like a soap opera. But I could find better things to do than sit around there all day.

            I think the best thing to do is to get your document translated right at Chang Wattana. They didn’t find any mistakes in our document the 2nd time around. Also, I think the agents seem to have a good relationship with the bureaucrats. Our agent has been working there for 20 years. I don’t think he speaks English. But I think with some miming, you could get your point across ok. He works hard. We just went through the agent, but there are also translation services on the 2nd floor (right below the 3rd floor where you go to get your documents stamped).

            For Lak Si, we didn’t have an appointment. Just get there early, that seems to be the best. I think we may have paid 1000 baht for “witnesses” although that was not explained at all by the worker, who was very friendly, by the way. It was quick and unlike all our other experiences. Every other thing we have tried to accomplish quickly was just not possible. So the process ended up taking a long time. If you need the agent’s info, let me know. But you can find people to help smooth the process right on the 3rd floor; they sit in the middle of the room near the table for filling out documents. Good luck!

            Reply

  217. I went to the British consul with the affirmation hand written the lady behind the counter helpfully came out front and used one the comps and typed it for me on jan 17th. My wife daughter and i then went to translator across the rd payed 300 bht waited 20 mins then to chaeng wattana spent about 10 mins in there told to return around 11 on the 19th. Returned on 19th about 930 was in Lak Si office by 10 wife filled all paperwork when asked by man if we had wittnesses said no could u please help us he gave her 2 envelopes she asked how much shevshould put in he said 500 bht each 1000 total we were finished by 1145 . We found the whole process quite easy she is thai and who knows if the presence of our daughter helped.

    Reply

  218. My girlfriend is Vietnamese and I am American. We jumped through all of the loopholes in Vietnam to get the required local single status paperwork. Upon reaching the Vietnamese Consulate in Bangkok, they refused to grant her a single status certificate despite the fact that we already received one from her local region. We were told that Vietnam is no longer allowing Vietnamese to marry in Thailand if one of the couple does not have a status in Thailand.. i.e. work visa. They simply will not authenticate your local office single status document for the Thai officials.

    Reply

    • I married a Vietnamese woman last month but the ONLY way to accomplish it is to hire an agent. I contacted several agents until I was able to find one who was able to help. We used Nada (her contact info on the Line app is Thaivisa. She was totally professional, took care of filing all of the paperwork and everything worked out without any problems. I was worried at first before I hired her, but she reassured me saying she has a 100% success rate.

      Reply

  219. Hi,

    Thanks for thehelpfull blog, reading though comments i seem to be gettng mixed messages. could you clarify are the MFa offering express service for foreingers at all, if so is it time restricted to 8:30-9:30?

    for uk / us embessays will we be given our affirmations on the same day or is there a 24 hour wait?

    Do we also need translated passports?

    Secondly, do we need to get our certificate & translation legalised at mfa also? (im uk, she usa)

    Thanks again for all the info 🙂

    Reply

  222. I am British and my girlfriend is Thai.
    Today we completed the British Embassy bit at 0800, did the translation near Phoem Chit, decided to travel to Dept of Consular Affairs (DCA) by BTS to Mo Chit then taxi the rest of the way. My Thai GF gave the driver the address exactly, however, the taxi took us by a fast (very fast) but by no means most direct route, then as we were approaching DCA the taxi turned left taking us to the far end of the Government Complex (1-2km) dropping us off at the back entrance. Cost on the meter 145 baht, (plus road toll which we refused to pay. The taxi driver didn’t argue, he just sped off at great speed). We were told that many taxis do this to farang. We had to get a bus back to the main entrance on Chaeng Wattana. Total time from Mo Chit – 45 mins. We still managed to arrive around 11.15 despite the taxi shenanigans. After we submitted our docs, we returned to Mo Chit station using bus no 52, journey time 35 min, and the fare was a pittance. Readers can choose the best options for them.

    Transportation aside, my GF had to submit a copy of her ID card at the DCA to start the ball rolling. We were told 2 days, i.e. submitted docs on Wednesday (around 11.45), collect Friday from 10am.

    I hope this is useful.

    Reply

  223. Hello, I am in the process of legalizing my marriage with my fiance here in Bangkok. We dropped our translations and original documents off yesterday at Chang Wattana yesterday morning and we were told to come back about the same time on Thursday, around 10am. We are going to try to go a bit earlier and see if the paperwork might be done. Everything is taking longer than planned for; my fiance is Indonesian and he had to wait a whole day to get the right to marry paperwork from his embassy. Then the translation place we picked was slow, as well. I just hope they did a good job.

    I am confused about once we are finished at the Amphur. On my paperwork from my embassy (USA), they mention we must go back to Chang Wattana to authenticate the marriage license. When I asked there, at first they said that was not necessary but when I showed them my list of steps from the embassy, then they said it *was* necessary. I think that means they don’t know for sure.

    We plan to live in Korea, neither of our home countries, at least for a while. Is there a reason we would need to authenticate the license at Chang Wattana after receiving it at the Amphur? Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • As far as I know, in all cases, the freedom to marry documents are legalized (once translated) at CW, then you go to the amphur, get married, and that’s it. I’ve never heard of having to get a marriage certificate authenticated at CW. You might want to get it translated to English though if you are living in different countries.

      Reply

      • How much did you pay at the Amphur to get your marriage license? We spent 3000 baht today at the Lak Si Amphur. I am curious if it is the same for everyone, especially with all the talk of whether witnesses are required or not. (We didn’t bring any).

        Reply

    • We were married last month in Bangkok and due to time restraints and other issues used an agent. At the Amphur you will receive 2 original Certificates of Marriage and 2 original Registrations of marriage in Thai. The agent had it translated into English for us. Since we intend to do immigration proceedings in the U.S., there is a requirement for a certified copy of our marriage certificate. After discussing this with the agent, we had the agent take one of the sets of the originals back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the agent obtained 3 additional certified copies for us with the Thailand seal stamped on the documents and signature of the ministry of foreign affairs. This is a 3 business day process and the agent mailed me the second original and the certified copies by DHL courier. I am now comfortable with what I have to show immigration. The first page of the Certificate of Marriage is in English certified as a correct translation and has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seal. The back of the English page has the Ministry seal and a signed numbered document memo indicating “Seen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”. Behind that is affixed the copy of the Certificate of Marriage in Thai and the back of that has the Ministry seal, signature and states Certified True Copy. Similarly we have the Registration of Marriage certified. It may not have been necessary to go through all these steps, but when it comes to immigration, we do not want any chance that the document from the Amphur would not be accepted.

      Reply

  224. So we’re just waiting with crossed fingers that the fma accept the translation of the affirmation, dropped it off Wednesday first thing and going back friday. They said the express service isn’t available because I have a translation, seems it is available for Thai only marriages. The latest debacle is finding an ampur, we went to prakanong this morning who said we need to book a week in advance, and also have English speaking witnesses. This doesn’t really work as I have to head home before then! The mrs has called 3 other ampurs to see what the score is and been told varying degrees of nonsense including needing a translated copy of my passport which also needs verifying at the fma, needing a family member to be a witness and having to submit docs and go back a few days later to see if they’re happy.

    Can anyone advise of an amphur that will register the marriage without having to jump through 1000s of hoops??

    All in all its an utter shambles but at least consistent with the rest of the country. My advice to non thai couples looking to marry here is either register the marriage at home or go to bali instead! I’d also suggest thailand life think about revising the content of the article as its become outdated and gives a false indication of what is involved. Cheers!

    Reply

    • The article is being updated regularly. The post starts with the latest updates reflecting the latest rules.

      The problems started in the last quarter of 2016 when rules began to change regarding the express service, affirmation acceptance and booking appointments for an amphur. And the goal posts keep being moved.

      I have personally been in touch with the British Embassy (when the MFA stopped taking British affirmations because of the disclaimer issue, which is now resolved), and with senior management at Chaeng Wattana immigration regarding conflicting information. But it seems that management changes and miscommunication is preventing a consistent process between the embassies, immigration, and the district offices.

      Even Thai people are experiencing problems because they now have to book in advance at an amphur. You could try Bangrak, or, if you wade through the comments on here, there was a guy a while back who mentioned one where he had no problems at all; I think it was Sathorn but I can’t be sure.

      I feel really bad for people facing such a convoluted service but all I can do is keep the comments here open and hope people like yourself keep reporting back with up to date information to help others.

      Reply

      • Thanks for the reply. Just a suggestion, no offence intended 🙂

        The issue we’re having is the inconsistency at district offices, the majority say they want a certified translation of my passport but others don’t. Will update again shortly, I expect the problem will magicly disappear with a few baht introduced to proceedings…

        Reply

        • None taken 🙂 I feel your frustration. Hopefully you’ll find an Amphur that will do it, albeit with a bribe! By the way, did you receive a notification that told you I had replied to your comment? Some people are emailing in to say they aren’t receiving notifications so I’m trying to identify the issue. Thanks

          Reply

          • It all went remarkably smoothly in the end, arrived at mfa 9am ish and had the legalized papers within 15 minutes. Short stop downstairs to copy everything and then got a taxi to lak si district office which is less than 5 minutes away. Greeted by a very helpful chap at the desk who asked if we had an appointment which was a no. Gave us 2 forms to fill in in thai along with an envelope for the bung (1500thb for witnesses and no appointment). Waited in the registration section for an hour ish before being called to a lady called Banyong who spent another hour checking signatures and scanning papers, all very friendly. Paid another 800 for a gold folder and we were out by 12.00, happily married!

            Three other couples were also there with agents so seems like lak si is the place to go! Dont listen to what they say on the phone, just get every thing ready and go see them face to face armed with a few notes!

            Thanks to Thailand life and all the contributors for the invaluable info, off on honeymoon now, to pattaya…

            Ps no I haven’t had any notifications of your replies

            Reply

            • Great news! Wow though, it seems corruption has even made its way into the marriage process now. I’ve never heard of bungs to get an appointment before. When I got married it was just grab a ticket, take a seat and wait your turn. Cost us 20 Baht if I remember correctly.

              Thanks for reporting back, it’s really helpful for others.

              I need to fix this notification issue. Onto it this weekend.

              Reply

            • Glad it went well for you. We used an agent because of severe time restraints. I went to the US Embassy on Monday. The agent took care of submitting all of the documents and met us at the Amphur on Thursday afternoon. Everything went smoothly. Even through we paid for the services, if you have time constraints or issues which we had or are worried about the political system, we felt it was better to use an agent. We used Nada (line app Thaivisa). She was totally professional, and responsive, answering all of our many texts and calls.

              Reply

        • I can advise, when I went to my embassy to get my declaration, they also said I should get my passport done as some amphur outside of Bangkok do require it…

          However at my local amphur, they didnt need it after all.

          Better to be prepared though!

          Reply

  225. Hi, any idea what to do in case when my country doesn’t have embassy in Thailand? I am Lithuanian national living in UK. Lithuania doesn’t have embassy in Thailand and UK embassy issues gives an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry only to british citizens. I could get it in Lithuanian embassy in uk before travelling to marry in Thailand. But will an Affirmation of Freedom to Marry issued in embassy outside Thailand be valid for Thai authorities?

    Reply

  226. I have just been told by staff at Amphoe Udon Thani that I need to bring a translation of my passport. A translation of an internationally recognisable legal passport? Even immigration doesn’t require that. What needs to be translated, even the simplest staff member can see if a passport is valid or not and other documents including the Affirmation of marital status is translated into Thai with all relevant personal information. I am completely baffled by the mountains of paper and unnecessary bureaucracy here.

    Reply

  227. I thought I should add to this, I went to certify the documents this morning.

    There is no express service, they said it was cancelled, although there are signs around with express written on them.

    They said come back in 4 days to collect, or can have posted to us.

    They also required a copy of my girlfriends ID card, which we did not have prepared…

    Reply

    • The Thai MFA and sometimes the Amphur Office will hesitate to take an affidavit that is more than 30 days old.

      So for both instances – the authorization at the MFA and marrying at an amphur – I wouldn’t risk going over 30 days.

      Reply

    • I have just returned from Amphoe Udon Thani who accept an Affirmation of Marital Status as a valid document for six months from the date of issue. However, as there is no uniformity in Thailand you should ask at your local authority what their interpretation of the rules is.

      Reply

  229. Hi everyone.

    Having almost finished the process now, I will let you know how things have gone so far.

    Had my appointment with British Embassy on Monday 19th. In and out within 30 minutes, and translation near Phloenchit BTS took another 40 mins. From then I would have been ready to submit.

    We then headed to Kazakhstan Embassy (no appointment required) with the letter issued already in Kazakhstan which has 3 month validity. It took them 24 hours to provide us with the affirmation in English (usually takes 48 but we persuaded them to do it quicker), and then by midday Tuesday we asked for translation which would be ready next morning (2 pages and more complex than UK Affirmation). We gave them a copy of the UK translation so they could replicate the names / addresses.

    Wednesday morning 8.30am we collected the Kazakhstan translation and headed to the MFA. At 9am they informed us that we could not use the express service as this is only for legalisation of Thai documents. For foreign language documents with Thai translation, these still take 3 days, so they told us we could collect on Friday. We said we will be coming back January 4th instead which was no issue.

    Took a taxi 5 minutes to Laksi district office, and met the very helpful Chonticha, who guided us through the process. We gave her copies of our affirmations, translations and passport copy (and entry stamp / visa page) and she helped us complete the forms.
    We asked to book appointment when we come back to Thailand on January 4th, which was no problem even though my letter said December. I think as long as you go within a month of the document date it should be no issue. She said we now have an appointment, but no time specified and I think you can still just come without appointment as when we arrived she asked if we wanted to register straight away.

    All in all pretty painless. Looking forward to return on Jan 4th, collect documents and then head to Laksi for the registration.

    Hope this is helpful. Good luck!

    Reply

    • Thank you for the update Rowan. So it seems there is some confusion between staff over the express service. The other day someone reported that they were told the express service is available for all. Anyway, I will update my post to reflect this. All the best!

      Reply

      • No problem.

        Yes it’s strange regarding express service, guess it could still be changing every week as nothing seems to be written down.

        Can I ask, for translation of Marriage Certificate back into English, can I get a ‘Sworn Translation’ from the shops near Phloenchit?

        I read some countries require the translation to be again stamped by the MFA. Assume the UK isn’t one of them? I’ll have to check regarding Kazakhstan.

        Thanks

        Reply

  230. Well after nearly a month I finally managed to get married today. Admittedly did not have time to do this full time but a real hassle. Starting from the British Embassy and get the affirmation, then getting the translation which the DFA accepted and my local office rejected. Did it again at translator downstairs at the DFA and my fiancé collected it, and the DFA rejected it for the 2nd time. Something about the type of document I had – passport or Thai ID card, – so had to wait a few hours therefor them to do it again – then took it back to the local office on Friday, and they checked through it and said it should be ok. Went this morning after making an appointment and after an hour of checking the documents again, through and through, over and over, reprint, reprint, again, managed to get through it. Gave the lady a 200 baht tip for coffee for being helpful because it appeared to be her superior who was holding it up. Expect for it to be batted back a few times and try not to get upset. A couple of trips to your local office should try and smooth things over. I was divorced before to Thai woman and my name had to match exactly what was written on that document (even if wrong). The silent letters in your name could be sticking points and will insist for in to be spelt a certain way even if the transliteration cannot be done exactly. Even Smith can be a problem with them translating it as Smit or Smit(h) – silent h and then someone No, it has been done wrong, no silent h. Expect a big of screwing around. If you are in a rush, you need to try and get some of this sorted out before you come. Get a translator on it now to smooth things out and go over the document. Even take it to them before going to the DFA and see if they are OK with it. If that is the case it may be hassle free. First Embassy, then local office – check documents and translation, now DFA, authentication, back to local office and hopefully (fingers crossed they will do it for you) Then have a party. Hoorah.

    Reply

  231. HI TheThailandLife,

    U SAID **Post update: Dec 2016: This Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is offering the legalisation express service again, but only for those who apply between 8.30-9.30. Pick up time is 14.30-16.30, the same day.

    DOES THIS APPLY TO EXPRESS SERVICE FOR AFFIRMATION? OR WHAT?

    Reply

    • Once you get your affirmation of freedom to marry from your embassy and have it translated to Thai, it needs legalising by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They have now started the express one day service for this again, which they had previously stopped offering.

      Reply

  232. I was just at chaeng wattana today and did the legalisation step. They do have express service still but only between 8.30-9.30 (pick up 14.30-16.30 the same day) if you come later there is a 3 day wait (however we were recommended to come back in 4 days “to be sure”). For this step you also need a copy of the latest stamps in your passport. If your partner is thai they cannot use their thai passport (super weird?!) but only their thai ID card and you need to aslo provide a copy of this. The price was 400 bath for normal service.

    Reply

  233. I see a few people are having issues with poor translations and getting rejected by the MFA.

    This is strange. I have never heard of so many cases.

    Please make sure you visit a reputable and fully licensed translation company. Note that in Thailand there are standard translations issued for all names of people (common) and places. Reputable translators have access to the books that document these translations and reference them to translate documents.

    At a very minimum, if your name is not one they have come across before, they will make sure it is spelt consistently throughout the document.

    Simple names like John, Mark, Paul, Peter, etc., should never cause a problem.

    Reply

  234. I got rejected yesterday because of my name which has been translated wrong or so they think. I have another document which has been translated in Thai and they put “Mark” as “Mak” (in Thai). Some might write it as Ma(r)k – silent r, or some may say just Mak and leave out the r entirely, or some may put an modifier about the a to make it sound more like “Mark”. So it seems the biggest problem is with the name, they even got my Thai fiance’s name wrong. So going back to DFA to do it again. Translation then authentication and then back to the registry office. Nigh impossible to do this process in under a week even if you are at it full time 7 days a week. Over New year many offices closed – 1st and 2nd of Jan closed for sure plus also the 31st of December. Do not expect to get too much done then. Put your address in the UK or overseas, and then your Thai fiancé’s address here and which she needs the Tabien. A trip to the registry office in advance to get them to go through some of the paper work would help. They have to go through it and can advise you also before the translation. Might help to get through it.

    Reply

  235. John Smith translated to Thai becomes Jo(h)n Smit or if you like Jon Smich or maybe Jo(h)n Smit(h). Names is silent and if you have any document in Thai with any other name or someone else has translated it in a way that Thais think is wrong, it will be rejected. Amazing that with many sounds in English which cannot be translated directly to Thai why they bother trying to translate your name in the first place. Thai does not have a V, Z, TH, or SH. so if your name have any of those sounds you can be guaranteed for some confusion. or rejection based on someone saying it has been translated wrong and send you packing to get it done again. Sheriton Schaffer might have some problems which would be translated into S(h)eritOn S(h)AffeR. Verity will become Weritee, Shaun Zock will become Sawn Sock.  Have a nice stay. Enjoy the beach. Happiness with a smile.

    Reply

  236. The paper work is a real hassle and if not exactly perfect will reject it. The first translation was rejected with numerous errors. I can read a bit of Thai and appears to have been done in a bit of rush. Names on there were not the same as my divorce certificate, and so that was rejected. Also they screwed up my fiancé’s name – could not even get that right and translated it without looking at her ID and so that does not match exactly. If your name is John Smith for instance there is no “th” in Thai and so the exact transliteration of Smith could become an issue with some doing it one way and others doing it another way and so variations of Smith. You could also have different variation of John – such as Jo(h)n or Jon – h becomes silent. A real hassle. Welcome to Thailand. It is nigh impossible to do it in 3 days. Embassy one day. Translation one day. DFA at least 3 days depending on the day, and then collection and if no problems back to the registrar, and they may decide to marry you. Best to give your documents to them in advance for them to check which the documents are at the DFA and see if they spot any mistakes and which they will go through with a fin tooth comb to see if anything does not match which will have you running from pillar to post. The registrar office I found quite helpful but they sometimes want a translator, do not know why if you GF can speak a little bit of English, but it is the way it is done. You should bring 2 significant others family members to try and smooth things over. I am sure in the provinces it could be less hassle but just a guess.
    I used the translator at the DFA in the end and they still got it wrong also. A real pain. Give yourself a solid 2 weeks after the Embassy to be sure, and be prepared for someone to bat something back to you to say it has been done wrong which will have you starting the whole procedure all over again.

    Reply

    • Hi Klevi, if there is no Albanian embassy in Bangkok, you should contact the embassy in your home country for their advice. They will know what the procedure is for Albanian nationals getting married in Thailand.

      Reply

  239. As I didn’t get a reply I am trying again to get information…….

    Hi, My partner and I are getting married in Bangkok over Christmas and New Year. I can only take 10 days off work and arrive on 23rd Dec, go back to UK on 2nd Jan.

    I have the appointment booked with the British Embassy on 28th (Earliest opportunity it seems as its closed over the few days before Christmas and opens again a few days later). I have 3 clear days to get all this sorted. I read here that the 1 day authentication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is no longer offered. This puts me in a bit of a problem as I need to have the whole process done and dusted in 3 days (I know this does not sound very romantic but time pressures of work etc. mean I can only come over for the dates specified). I will come back for a much more extended break to be with my family after my current contract finishes but we need this marriage sorted out over the time allotted to me over Christmas this year).

    Is this a possibility? Or am I in trouble. I can possible extend my trip a day or 2 longer but I need to know ASAP so I can extend the flight and let my work know of the extra dates needed.

    Reply

    • Hi Jim,

      If you can visit the British Embassy early enough, get a translation and then get over to the MFA by lunchtime to hand in your freedom to marry document then it’s possible you could pick it up the next day. It depends how busy they are though. Someone recently noted in the comments that it took 48 hours to process.

      Now bear in mind that you need to book an appointment to get married an a district office. You used to be able to just walk in but now you need an appointment. So here’s what I would do.

      1. Call the MFA and ask what their current processing times are.
      2. Pre-book your marriage registration appointment for the third day with a district office. Make sure you organise your witnesses too. Please read through the comments below on recent experiences regarding witnesses. I think some amphurs (district offices) offer a witness service for a fee, but other require two independent Thai witnesses with Thai ID cards.

      P.S. Make sure your wife has all her relevant documents too.

      Reply

    • Try and do as much of the leg work over there. And get it translated prior to that time. Then get your wife to be to go to the Ampur District Office to see if they raise any objections with your name. They are quite helpful but I saw them even rejecting some Thais, so kind of difficult for everyone. The DFA will not take your phone call I doubt, and if they do will not offer commitment. I was at the registry office and was rejected due to my name being translated wrong (or so they think). So it means going back to the translator at the DFA and doing it again. Another week added to the process.

      Reply

  240. Hi! Firstly, another big thank you to The Thailand Life for a fantastic source of information.

    My partner and I (both non-thai) are visiting Bangkok for 3 full days on 19-21 December, and hope to get married during this time. However I have only been able to secure a British Embassy appointment on the 20th (have emailed asking if they can bring it forward to 19th) which means that given there is now no express service, it seems pretty unlikely that we can complete the Registration at the Khet/Amphur on the second day after collecting the documents from the MFA (even with the full 3 days sounds like there could be problems).

    My question is, as we live in Yangon, it is quite easy for us to pop back to Bangkok at a later date. Once we have all of the authenticated documents / translations / copies, how long do we have to take them to the Amphur/Khet to complete the marriage registration? If we come back 2 weeks / 1 month / 4 months later, will these documents still be valid, or will we have to start the process all over again?

    If we go to one of the Bangkok Khet on the 21st to submit the documents, is it possible they will let us come back at a later date to complete the registration?

    Much appreciate any advice anyone can offer. I have looked around a fair bit but hard to find an answer to this specific question.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Rowan, there isn’t an official time limit on the affidavit, but it is up to the officer at the MFA whether they accept it. The US embassy has said: “The Thai MFA and sometimes the Amphur Office will hesitate to take an affidavit that is more than 30 days old”.

      So for both instances – the authorization at the MFA and marrying at an amphur – I wouldn’t risk going over 30 days.

      Reply

      • Thanks so much for the quick reply!

        A quick follow up question. If I was to submit the forms at the MFA on December 20th, and then by end December 21st when I leave they are not ready, is it likely I would be able to collect them upon returning to Thailand on January 3rd/4th? Would they keep the forms for that long or do you have to collect them within a few days?

        And I am wondering, if I had December written on the affirmation (obtained on 20th December) but went to Lak Si on January 4th, 2 weeks later, would they have an issue with the fact that the affirmation stated December? Any idea.

        Really appreciate your advice, this would all be pure guesswork (and nigh impossible) otherwise.

        Reply

        • I think that can work. I don’t see why not. You could call them and ask. That would be your best bet. I have never heard of a restriction time on collecting documents, but I would assume they have a 30-day window.

          Reply

        • Think it is fine. I was down there the other day and you can collect when you want. Just tell them you will be away on holiday and they understand. But it is not them but the district office which has the right to reject it. Mine was approved by the MFA only to be rejected by the local Ampur office. Have to go back and do it again.

          Reply

  241. Thanks for the information. has been quite useful. I would not use the translators at the Thai Consular Affairs. For one thing it takes too long. I was there yesterday and they told me that it would take 3 days. Better get it done before, also for them to check the mistakes. I stay in Ramkamhaeng and did it down there. I have to collect authentication on Monday.

    You also have to book with the British Embassy. make sure you do that in advance – all done online – make sure you do that before you come. it took me over a month to see the British Embassy. they were quite helpful, and changed it.

    Printed it out there again on their computer inside the Embassy, for small errors. that cost 2250 Baht.

    You cannot laminate that as well. Make sure you take Thai signed copy ID of your wife to Thai Consular Affairs for Authentication. That may take up to 3 days to process. Not sure if they have the express service but they told me no, I have to collect it Monday.

    I did translation at the Best Center – Ramkamhaeng 43/1 which took a day for them to do and got it back a day later. Costs me 300 Baht for one page. Worth it I thought and quite professional. See if you have anywhere around you, and give to them in advance.

    Reply

  243. Hi, My partner and I are getting married in Bangkok over Christmas and New Year. I can only take 10 days off work and arrive on 23rd Dec, go back to UK on 2nd Jan.

    I have the appointment booked with the British Embassy on 28th (Earliest opportunity it seems as its closed over the few days before Christmas and opens again a few days later). I have 3 clear days to get all this sorted. I read here that the 1 day authentication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is no longer offered. This puts me in a bit of a problem as I need to have the whole process done and dusted in 3 days (I know this does not sound very romantic but time pressures of work etc. mean I can only come over for the dates specified). I will come back for a much more extended break to be with my family after my current contract finishes but we need this marriage sorted out over the time allotted to me over Christmas this year).

    Is this a possibility? Or am I in trouble. I can possible extend my trip a day or 2 longer but I need to know ASAP so I can extend the flight and let my work know of the extra dates needed.

    Reply

  244. First off, thanks for setting up this website, very helpful.
    I’ll just leave my experience so it might benefit others.
    I did not get married yet so I’m not aware of any of the issues such as 1 month waiting periods.

    I am from Holland and my fiancé is from Canada. On Friday, we had an appointment at the Dutch embassy at 8.30 (since last week you need an appointment and make sure to bring all the paperwork they ask for; passport, birth certificate, proof of unmarried status). Took a bit over an hour to get out. Went to the Canadian embassy, great help, in and out in about 10min. Just needed a passport. You also need an appointment here btw although no one seemed to care we had none.
    Took a taxi to the ministry of foreign affairs. Took about 30min and 300 bath. At this point its around 10.50. Got approached by one of the touts. Take my advice here and please don’t use them. Take the escalator upstairs and you’ll see a translation booth, use that. The tout first off forgot to sign the document and it was a pain to find him again cause they don’t have a fixed working place. We submitted the paperwork around noon, indeed no express service. So we got back on Tuesday, and the documents were translated incorrectly. So we had to go find this guy again. Then we had to resubmit everything but we did get same day service.
    All in all a bit stressful cause no one seems to be able to string a full English sentence together and we had a flight to catch. The people at the ministry of foreign affairs were helpful though.

    My best advice, find a good translation service. Since there is no express service, you don’t have to submit it before noon. The Canadian embassy has a few recommended on their website that are close to most embassies so it shouldn’t take much longer than getting it translated at the MFA.
    For any Dutch people reading this, please take all the required paperwork. We Dutch seem to be the world champions in bureaucracy..

    Reply

  245. Hi,
    Thanks for the great info on this page. I would first like to point out to everyone that saying bad things about Thailand because you got ripped off by an agent is poor form. You SHOULD be aware that no matter where you go in the world, there will ALWAYS be someone looking to take your money and rip you off. If you are not aware of this then get with the program. It happens in every country and you just need to know not to fall into their traps.
    I am planning to get wed in Thailand also. I am from UK and my partner of ten years from Cambodia we are both in Vietnam at the moment with our daughter. My partner and my daughter both have full passports. They also have their blue book or house book and my daughter has her birth cert. We also know that we will need a doc from our embassy saying we have not been married before. So we have all our documents needed.
    I have several friends in Bangkok as I have been there many times. So I am asking them if they can get me and my partner to and from the embassy/gov offices and get our documents translated. I am obviously avoiding agents but trying to get everything sorted out before so the whole process will run smoothly.
    My question is will my daughter need any documents for her mum and me to get married? And is there anything I am missing out here? Will my partner need a birth certificate? She does have a full passport and her house book already.

    Any feedback or advice would be much appreciated.

    Have a great day.
    Julian

    Reply

    • You don’t need any additional documents for your daughter for you to get married in Thailand. Once you have your affirmations from your respective embassies, then the translations, and the MFA legalise the documents, you are good to go. But I don’t know if this will be the case with the Cambodian embassy. To get the affirmation from the embassy, they may ask to see some other documents relating to your daughter. So check on that first. I have no idea of their requirements.

      Reply

      • Hi,
        Thanks that’s great news. Can you just tell me what the MFA stands for?
        And what do we have to get translated? Everything including copies of passports?
        So then we take everything to the MFA to legalize all the documents and that’s it? Once they are legalized we are done and married with many happy days ahead:) ?

        Reply

        • Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

          You only need the affirmations from your embassies translated to Thai. You will also need copies of your passports.

          But no, once legalized, you then need to book an appointment at a local district office (known as an amphur) to be issued with your marriage certificate.

          See the last section of the post: What Marriage Documents to Take to the Registrar

          All the best!

          Reply

  246. October 2016. If your a foreigner thinking of getting married in Thailand, do yourself a favour. DON’T.

    Get married in a country that welcomes foreigners like Bali. We saw all the tourist booklets about Thailand and thought wow… this would be an amazing place to get married. Wrong. We spent over $5,000 in this racist country and got in return a marriage process from HELL.

    Twice we had to cancel our pre-booked wedding ceremony and I had a bride in tears. The Thai bureaucrats don’t care and probably enjoyed laughing at the white foreigners. Basically the military junta staged a coup d’état against the democratically elected government and have since changed all the marriage procedure rules making it almost impossible for Westerners to get married in their country.

    Getting married in one day is impossible. There is now only one Khet in the whole of Thailand that does not make foreigners wait one month before they will marry them. It feels like they want to get rid of foreigners i.e. Westerners. I hated this poo-hole country and never felt so unwelcome in a place in my life.

    By contrast we spent our honeymoon in Cambodia and it was amazing. The people were so welcoming. The food was great. We really loved this country and its people. Thank you so much Cambodia.

    Reply

    • I will add this. This is the best advice I can give. If you for some reason cannot avoid getting married in Thailand. If during the marriage process a nightmare scenario eventuates. Go to see Conchita in the Marriage Section of Khet Lak Si. She is obviously a pro democracy supporter and a mid range departmental head official. She salvaged our wedding and you can trust the information she provides. Cheers.

      Reply

      • Hi Groom, what was the reason your ceremony had to be rescheduled? The way I understand it, its separate from going to the Amphur office. Or am I misunderstanding?
        The way our wedding organizer brought it was, the ceremony is nothing legal, its just a party. The Amphur is the legal part of the wedding.
        Thanks a lot for any advice
        Tim

        Reply

    • Sorry to hear about your bad experience. This year has unfortunately turned up a bunch of problems for foreigner trying to get married in Thailand, not least the issue regarding the legal disclaimer on the affidavit for British nationals. Then there’s the having to book appointments at local district offices to register the marriage, and the witnesses thing whereby some people are being asked to use two witnesses from their own country.

      Much of the confusion is coming from operational changes, whereby new management make rash decisions without understanding the implications. Fortunately, with hindsight, these decisions are usually rolled back fairly quickly

      It makes no sense to intentionally make getting married difficult, because foreign marriages are a solid source of income for the tourism industry.

      Reply

      • Hi, thanks for the great info and the sense of humour. Loved the detailed timing, it felt like the amazing race…. you wrote lately in the post ”issue regarding the legal disclaimer on the affidavit for British nationals”, can you please explain what this means and what are the consequences?

        Thanks

        Reply

        • Hi Tracy, this was an issue whereby the legal disclaimer on the British affirmation was causing it to be refused by the Thai MFA. The standoff lasted about 2 weeks before it was resolved. It’s all good now though.

          Reply

  247. Hi Thailand Life.
    You are ace for setting up this website. When I stumbled across it I was so excited I tried to hurdle my ironing board! This information is so helpful. I think all the users on here should buy you a beer.

    I have for the last 10 weeks been trying to phone the British Embassy in England, they either have poor staffing levels or they are sat around dunking biscuits in tea because they do not answer the phone!

    We are getting married in Phuket end of Jan 2017. We are both Bristish Nationals. We are paying a registrar to come to our wedding to marry us in Phuket. I understand that we need to go to Bangkok first and complete your Steps 1&2. What I am confused about is whether we need to take Step 3 as the registrar is coming to marry us on the beach. Just to be clear we don’t want to be married in Bangkok inadvertently by misunderstanding the process.

    Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • I cannot be held responsible for any ironing board hurdling related accidents 🙂

      So, the registrar will be from the local district office. She/he will issue the certificate there. So no need to use a district office in Bangkok. You may have to pick up your certificate from the office the next day, or they may deliver it to you. Confirm this beforehand. All the best!

      Reply

  248. Hi thanks for the article.

    I am from the UK in Bangkok and only here until the 19th. I had someone helping me with the marriage but now it is turning into a nightmare. Both myself and my partner are form the UK.

    I have the affidavits and they are at the translation shop apparently waiting to go to thai consular of affairs.

    However the agent has apparently been told by the district office that they have to wait for 1 month after receiving the application before they can marry us because they have to contact our embassy.!!!

    We only have 3 days now to do this. Both

    Reply

    • That has never been a rule, and it can’t have just suddenly changed. This would be ridiculous. Are you sure the agent isn’t trying to pull a fast one just to get more cash? I’d get the affidavits and go to the MFA yourself. You don’t need the agent.