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Getting Married in Thailand – The DIY Guide!

Please note that the process of getting married in Thailand may take considerably longer than pre-pandemic times.

The express service is not currently available at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), so the quickest you will be able to get your paperwork legalized is 48 hours.

This means that technically it is no longer possible to do this entire process in one day, because you won't be able to go to your embassy, get the translations done, and receive your documents back the same day.

Please also bear in mind that some district offices (amphur) now have a marriage limit of 8 couples per day, and may require you to make an appointment in advance. Some offices are quoting up to a month's wait.

However, for those marrying a Thai national, it is a good idea to speak with the district office in your partner's home town, as readers have reported quicker appointment booking and a smoother process outside of big cities and tourist areas.

Please also note that foreign national marriages may be subject to a paperwork check by the district office in which they want to get married. This involves sending the paperwork back to the MFA for verification. In this case, using an agent or wedding company may be a better option for a speedier process.

Foreigners marrying Thai nationals do not appear to be encountering this issue.

I strongly suggest reading through the latest comments at the end of this article where readers share their most recent experiences.

Okay, let's begin.

getting-married-thailand

Contents

  1. Hiring an Agent
  2. Getting Married in Thailand
  3. Step 1: Freedom to Marry & Passport Authentication
  4. Step 2: Official Document Translation
  5. Step 3: Consular Affairs Legalization
  6. Marriage Registrar Required Documents
  7. Where to Get Married (District Offices in Bangkok)
  8. Marriage Certificate Translation
  9. One Last Thing

Hiring an Agent

This post focusses on completing the process yourself without an agent, but I thought I'd start here to make you aware that you have this option. Moreover, given the current climate, an agent may be able to expedite the process for you.

Personally, I prefer to handle things myself, having complete control over efficiency and organization.

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 15,000-50,000 Baht for the agent's fee. Do shop around for quotes. Anything under 25,000 is okay, I guess.

A good tip is to get your Thai partner to Google for an agent in Thai, as this will likely yield cheaper quotes.

Make sure you ask if the quote includes the embassy affirmation fee and the translations.

Getting Married in Thailand

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 officially tie the knot.

  1. Obtain a freedom to marry document (affirmation), and get your passport verified, both from your home country's embassy in Thailand.
  2. Get these documents translated by an official translation company.
  3. Get the documents legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After these three steps, you can register your marriage at a district office (known locally as an amphur).

The marriage will only be recognized under the law of your home country if it is valid under Thai law. In other words, simply having a Buddhist marriage ceremony in Thailand doesn't mean you are legally married, though it is a good way to get married without actually getting married (easier to escape, haha!)

It is still very possible to complete the process of getting the correct documentation together in one day, although without the express service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you will have to wait to get your finalized documents back.

Realistically, you will need one day for your embassy appointment, translations and MFA submission.

Then you will get a slip that tells you when you can pick your documents up (from the MFA), which is usually within 2 days. You'll then need another day for the marriage registration (depending on the terms of the district office you choose).

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

Step 1: Freedom to Marry Affirmation & Passport Authentication

Affirmation of Freedom to Marry

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).

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

Passport Authentication

Due to a new requirement, 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).

This can be done at the same appointment you will attend for your freedom to marry affirmation. For British nationals, you can choose to do both at your appointment when booking using the online system.

Book an early appointment to ensure you leave yourself plenty of time. If your embassy offers a walk-in service, get there at opening time.

NOTE: Carry a photocopy of your passport with you. You will need this for Step 3. 

Step 2: Affirmation & Passport Translation

You now need the affirmation and your passport authentication translated into Thai.

This will cost between 300-600 Baht, per document, depending on where you go.

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

For the translation, you have two choices.

Because the majority of embassies are in and around Wireless Road, for most it will be easy to get a translation done in this area.

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.

* Please note that the UK embassy is now located at the AIA Sathorn Tower, Floor 12 A 11/1 S Sathorn Rd, 10120.

Don't dilly dally: choose a translation centre quickly and make it clear you are on a deadline, otherwise you won't get to the MFA before lunchtime.

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 your translations done 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.

Immigration Office Address:

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

Show him/her 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)

Note that you can also get this process done at the new office at Klong Toey MRT station. The new office is in the Metro Mall area of the station:

Klong Toey MRT Station
ถนน พระรามที่ 4 คลองเตย
Bangkok, 10110
(08:30 – 15:30 hrs)

Here's a link to a Google Map.

Step 3: Thai Consular Affairs Authentication (MFA)

If possible, I  recommend doing your embassy visit – to get your freedom to marry affirmation and your passport verified (and your translations too) – and trip to the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs in one day.

If you can get an early appointment at your embassy, you should be able to make it to the MFA before lunchtime. Remember: the express 1-day service is only available if you get your documents in before 9.30am, but isn't currently available as of this article update.

When you arrive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if you still need your documents translating, you can choose one of the services downstairs.

You will be approached as soon as you enter by touts for the translation services, so do a bit of bartering (starting at 400 Baht). Don't stress too much over 100 Baht or so, 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. The standard pick-up/delivery time is 2 days.

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. You might be able to get an appointment for the next day, depending on the location.

Marriage Documents Required by 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 rules may vary between district offices regarding who can be a witness. We used two Thai friends, but some offices may require one or two family members, and some may even offer a witness service for a fee.

Where to Get Married? District Offices in Bangkok (Amphur)

In the old days you could pretty much roll up and get married on the spot. You'd grab two members of the public as witnesses and do it Vegas style.

Nowadays, some district offices (amphur) require you to make an appointment, while others will only accept two family members as witnesses, and some even go as far as to send your documents back to the MFA for verification.

If you are marrying a Thai national, the easiest place to get married is most likely going to be the district office in your partner's home town.

This is because, chances are, someone at the local amphur knows your partner, or a member of her family, or perhaps a close friend. There is usually some connection that makes for an easier ride. Being a local means others are generally more willing to help.

However, if you're in Bangkok, then you might as well get the job done there.

The best place to check for varying experiences with at district offices is in the comments section below, but here's a few you might try:

  • Lak Si: Marries 8 couples a day. Make an appointment in advance.
  • Bangrak: Requires two family members as witnesses.
  • Huay Kwang: Accepts friends a witnesses.

*Where possible call the district office first and ask what their requirements are.

Marriage Certificate Translation

When your marriage is registered you will be given two original certificates. You should make photocopies for your records.

You should also obtain an official translation of your marriage certificate into your native language. This is useful because you may need the certificate once back in your home country to obtain other legal documents such as a child's passport or a visa for your wife.

A note for British nationals: You no longer need to file your marriage certificate back in the UK. They did away with this requirement a number of years ago.

One Last Thing!

If you're planning on getting married in Thailand, then you'll want everything to go as smoothly as possible.

That means making sure you have travel insurance with adequate coverage, just in case the something doesn't quite go to plan. Maybe you lose your case, miss your flight, break a finger, lose your wallet.

Don't chance it.

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More Tips for Married Life

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Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

  1. Asli says

    Thank you all so much for all this useful info! My fiancé (Italian) and I (American) live in the south of Thailand. We came to BK to get married and got our documents from our respective embassies. We made our online appointment with the legalization office for Friday, Sep 16. We made 2 appointments at the same time for each person btw (and they asked for the proof of the 2nd appointment).

    They took our documents and the overall process took us 30 mins. We were told to come back on Tue, Sep 20 (tomorrow). We are hoping to collect our legalized documents tomorrow at 8:30 am (unless there's a translation issue) and head directly to the marriage certificate office at Amphur in Naklua.

    Questions:
    - Do we just walk in to the Amphur or is there an additional online booking link?
    - Can we get our marriage certificate on the same day?
    - For other US citizens who went through the same process, did you need to go back to the US Consulate to register your marriage there?

    Many thanks!
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Asli,1. Most amphurs require booking these days, although some in more remote areas may not, as they aren't as busy. Call ahead, or pop in there, to ask. 2. Yes, you get the certificate on the same day. 3. I'm not from the US but I'm quite sure you don't need to go back to the consulate (their job is done). However, depending on which state you're from you may need to register the marriage with the relevant local state department back home.
      Reply

  3. Sjors, says

    Peter,

    Hello Peter,
    Het formulier vrij zijn om te trouwen kan verkregen worden bij de Nederlandse Ambassde in Bangkok?
    Wat moet ik daartoe eerst doen?
    Moet ik naar Nederland afreizen vanuit Thailand om daartoe een geboorte akte aan te vragen en tevens een bewijs van ongehuwd zijn?
    Ben ik nu voor de Nederlandse Ambassade compleet qua documenten?
    Graag uw reactie.

    Sjors
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      moet de vrijheid om te trouwen document krijgen van uw ambassade in Bangkok. U kunt contact opnemen met de ambassade om te zien welke documenten hiervoor nodig zijn. Ze zouden wat informatie op hun website moeten hebben.
      Reply

  4. Keith Rouleau says

    I went through the process this week, and there is a new glitch to the process. The Thai embassy limits the number of appointments per day to file paperwork. They do take walk-ins, but only 50 per day. They provide a website to register an appointment but beware, when I tried to book they were full for the following 10 days. Luckily, my fiance knew a government official there who go us in, but bware of this glitch. The url for the appointments is https://qlegal.consular.go.th/
    If you can anticipate your documentation translation time, I'd book two days after you submit for translation. That should be plenty of time. Also You can get the single certificate done at home in your own country. Go to the embassy there. The paperwork is good for 6 months.
    Reply

  5. Chris says

    We (UK man and Thai lady) recently completed the process in just over a week with no agent. We live in Jomtien so took the airport bus then airport link to Phaya Thai and BTS to Saint Louis for our early afternoon appointment at the British Embassy. The embassy were brilliant - I followed the process on .gov.uk and paid £75 online for the affidavit and passport copy, and made an appointment, all online and very efficient. We were in and out of the embassy with both documents in under an hour.

    We asked around for translation shops without success and eventually asked a couple of motorbike taxis to take us to one. Probably not the best move as we were then in no position to argue about the 2,600 Baht they wanted. They said they would be ready at 9am so we headed to the hotel we had booked and called it a day.

    Next morning we picked up the translations and got motorbikes to Klong Toei MRT station, found the legalization office inside and took a ticket. Got seen almost immediately and were told they now only see people by appointment. Shame they don't mention it on their website - the only way you would know that is to go there! Pleading ignorance, my girlfriend managed to persuade them to accept the documents without an appointment. We paid the 800 Baht and they told us the documents would be ready for collection a couple of days later, so we headed back to Jomtien.

    Two days later we headed back to Klong Toei, and they had found an error in one of the translations, so we had to get motorbikes to the translation shop, get it fixed, then motorbikes back to Klong Toei, where they again told us the documents would be ready in another couple of days. On our third trip to Bankok we got lucky and picked up the approved documents.

    The legalization office is a really painful process. By decoding a QR code at the Klong Toei office, I eventually found that you can make an online reservation at https://qlegal.consular.go.th - although I doubt it would have saved us the second two trips to Bankok.

    The next day we went to the Amphur in Naklua, hoping to make an appointment to get married. We thought we had everything with us but they specifically wanted the receipt from the legalization office (this is Thailand....) so we had to go back for it. On the second attempt, and to our great surprise, they said they could do the marriage on the spot, right then and there, so we went for it. It's a weird experience, nothing like a marriage in my mind. We just sat there as a lady produced a mountain of paperwork and copies as we provided signatures as instructed. As a bonus, they generated an English version of the marriage certificate, which can, if required, be legalized directly without any further translation. Thankfully we don't need that, but it can always be done later if we do ever need it.

    So ... British Embassy, brilliant and easy. Legalization office, a right pain. Amphur, brilliant and easy.

    Hope that helps!
    Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        Because the district office did not send the documents back to the MFA for authentication, which can add 4 weeks to the process. Chris is marrying a Thai national, so they don't do that check. It's strange though, because couples come here and marry on wedding packages on the beach and get the whole process done without the document check by the district office. This makes me think that if you go with an agent or have a company organizing it for you then you can avoid the long wait. You will pay a premium for it though.
        Reply

        • Sophie says

          I am a thai too and its been so difficult for me to persuade them. I am still so tempted to try the route chris did. I had just filled my fiance visa and was mesnt to change to spouse visa within 6 months and the money and time is really exhausting
          Reply

        • Leionie Power says

          Does the district office have to check if your documents have been legalised before they Marry you ? I’m confused, I’m due to attend the consulate and then the ministry of foreign affairs (thank you for all the advice listed above it’s a god send) beginning of November but I’m not sure which district office to use. Myself and my partner will be eloping so we don’t have any family members or witnesses ect
          Reply

          • Asli says

            Hi Leionie, I got married a couple of weeks ago so here's my experience: After having legalized all the documents (took 3 business days) in Chaengwatthana, an agent approached us at to help us get the marriage certificate done in the district office.
            They said we would need to wait at least a few weeks to get an appointment in any district office if we had just walked in as 2 farangs and we didn't have time for that.
            So we agreed to pay 8000 baht and at 4:00 pm jetted to the Chatuchak district office in a taxi with them. They took our docs inside, did all the talking/checking, and by 6:00 pm we were out as a married couple :) I highly recommend getting an agent do it for you hassle free if you have a budget for it. Email me if you need their number (asleone@gmail,com). A very kind and nice woman helped us.
            Reply

      • Chris says

        The marriage certificates (Thai and English) were generated by the Amphur in Naklua. It probably helped that we agreed to buy the nice certificate folder they offered, and agreed to pay for two staff to act as witnesses. We ended up paying 1,600 Baht at the Amphur, which we felt was reasonable for them going the extra mile for us.

        To clarify how long the process took, I booked the embassy appointment on the 7th of August for the 16th of August, and we were married on the 23rd of August.

        I definitely think it's worth trying the legalization office without an appointment. The translation shop told us they are getting legalization appointments for October. An agent probably can't get in without an appointment. I guess they are more sympathetic to a well dressed couple pleading ignorance.
        Reply

        • Sophie says

          I m glad to know it worked out well! I ave just went through the fiancé visa route as my main concern was moving to the UK. Just will cost me more money from changing to spouse visa. Will just get married in the UK as of now. Thank you so much! I appreciate ll the feedback and comments! Best wishes!
          Reply

  6. Keith says

    On my way to Thailand tomorrow to get this deed done. I'm bringing 5 copies of everything just to be safe; divorce documents, pre-completed single affidavit, passport. One glitch I ran into was in making my appointment at the embassy (American). Looks like they only perform these services two days a week.
    I'll let you know how it goes.
    Reply

  7. Gav says

    It would be really good to hear from anybody who has successfully used an agency and what the price was, how long it took etc . I am planning to get married in September or October to my Thai GF and this 40 days thing that I have read about on several websites is a major concern as I only have 2week vacation time from the uk this year .
    Reply

      • Gav says

        yes it was a frantic read LOL!!! I didn't take a breath!!!

        I have some more UK embassy related questions - namely around the topic of residency - e.g. if one is a Citizen of UK, but also live permanently in, and hold resident status in another country. Is there any confusion/palaver/nonsense around notarizing, or translating residency landing permits from the country of residency? What "proof of domicile" is the UK Embassy requirement? If it is a foreign address do they need driving licence, bills, etc.? I saw one person say "put your parents UK address" in one comment but if you have no collateral proof that you live there I can't see how they would execute the affirmation.
        That leads me to my next question; if the amphur might throw a proverbial stick in the spokes by requiring any translated/documented proof of residency if listed on the affirmation, but not being the country of citizenship?
        Reply

  9. Sophie says

    Hi! I am looking to get married with my fiance who is from the UK. The district office says the waiting time is 2 months. Any idea why is that so? Please suggest what to do. It is taking longer than usual to get married here.
    Reply

  10. Noor says

    Hello, I'm a Pakistani student living in Thailand. I want my fiancee to be here with me. That's why, I want to marry with him as soon as possible. I can't go to my home country to get married due to my tough routine. Please suggest me if it is possible to get married online from here. If here in Thailand, any online marriage service is available?
    Thanks in anticipation
    Reply

    • Rod Hale says

      I did this process today 20/07/2022 It started Monday 18/07/2022 visit to Australian Embassy to get CNI done took the allotted 20 mins, went to a translation service nearby they said 3 days,
      I said no and thought back on it later and maybe they meant the whole process, traveled out to Department of Consular Affairs, entered was asked if I needed the translation done said yes they said not till next month, I walked away and headed out, the guy who took me up first said he would fix it, I got it down to 2 hours, we went to lunch they called us we went back, the translations were done,
      they said at first to come back the next day early to lodge our paperwork, I wasn't happy with that it was only about 1.30 pm, they said we could try up stairs on the 3 rd floor, after getting our paperwork checked and heading down and getting a black and white copy of the front page of my passport(which I forgot I had done before coming to Bangkok) we had to wait and were called and put our paperwork in and paid the fee,
      they said to come back early Wednesday because if there were problems with the translations they would have to be fixed, got there at 7.30 am and sat and waited till 8,20 went up and put our receipt in and at 8.30 were called, we had problems with the translation,
      got on the phone with the girl and after a bit of toing and froing got the pages we needed at 11 am and got our fixed paperwork back to the counter and were told it would be tomorrow,
      wasn't happy with this and they said go to counter 9 to see if they could do it quicker( they asked why did we need it today, we said we have a cousins funeral to attend to, which is actually true) they said ok went back to the 1 to 5 counters and they said between 1 and 2 after counter 9 had said 2 to 3 and after a lunch, in the cafeteria, we went back and got our finished paperwork at 2,40 pm.
      Sorry it was so long winded but I wanted to get all the bits in
      The most important thing is dont take what is first offered or said as final we did at first pay a little more but nothing outrageous.
      So good luck with this and as we did it is doable in 3 days ours would have been 48 hors if no translation problems.
      Reply

          • Rod Hale says

            Ok further to this at my Local Amphur, we went on Friday and after waiting for 1 hour our number was called we were told that the girl who knows how to do foreigner marriages(we do live in a small town in Issan) was away that day and to come back Monday and they would look after it then. We arrived early and were seen first, we did all the necessary paperwork with the knowledgeable girl and were told to go sit down and wait for the officer to see us, unlucky for us he had a very lengthy meeting of over an hour before we got to see him, it was more an investigation and part of the system I felt, in all even though some things were a bit strange it was easy to answer( 1 question was how much did I earn a month in thai baht while I was working before I retired and another was two people I know in Australia, I didnt have to give any proof for this), we then went back to our first girl and we had all the necessary papers for he, she did ask if I spoke Thai and I just answered Nit Noi and that was it, as a special favor we received 2 marriage certificates in all this took just over 3 and a half hours the officer who had to sign off on all the paperwork was getting toey as it was lunchtime and I think he had a lunch date.
            Reply

  12. Peter says

    Hi Im british and i am looking to get married, it says i need my yellow book with me for the affirmation but i dont have one should i just put down my parents address in the UK or should i put down my thai address even without a a yellow book?
    Reply

  13. N. Alam says

    Hi dear folks,

    I'm planning to get my documents authenticated at the new office at Klong Toey MRT station, which is near the Metro Mall area of the
    Klong Toey MRT Station.

    Is it possible to get translation and authentication at this office on the same day? Any other helpful info will be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks in advance.
    Alam.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Translation isn't done by the MFA it is done by an approved translator. There might be a shop or two offering that service there, as there is at Chaeng Wattana, but I've not been there so I don't know. The authentication isn't done in one day anymore, unless they have an express service at that office. It will most likely take 48 hours to get your paperwork back.
      Reply

    • Narresh says

      Hi, I am planning to marry my girlfriend who live in Ubon Ratchathani, I am from the US and I am aware that Ratchathani is 1:15hr on a plane flight, I am planning to stay by her for 2 weeks. My question is, how can I get my document from the US embassy which is located in Bangkok. Is there a local Amphur in Ratchathani which can help me further the processing my papers?
      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        You have to go to the US embassy in Bangkok to get your freedom to marry document. You will then need this translated to Thai. You then have to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok to get your freedom to marry document legalized. Once you get this document back from the MFA, you can choose to marry at a local district office, such as the one in Ubon Ratchathani, though if your GF is with you in BKK it might make sense to marry there.
        Reply

  15. Richard says

    Slightly off topic. I’m American living in Thailand. I have a one year Visa, I own a car, have an one year rental and bank accounts in country. I have to return to the US for business and would like to take my girlfriend who is Thai. She is 35 and owns land but has never traveled to the US.
    She has a tourist visa interview for next month. I think it will be in Chiang Mai.
    Can anyone offer any pointers on how to successfully get through the interview and maximize the chances of actually getting the Visa.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Richard, I don't have any experience with the US visa process but I know it's one of the tougher places to get a visit visa to.Based on my UK experience my tips would be:1. Be prepared by knowing all the details of your partner: family name, DOB, occupation, address, etc. 2. Know exactly when you met, how you've communicated, how much time you've spent together and where. 3. Make sure you have good reason to return to Thailand after your visit: a job, a business, a mortgage, dependents, assets, etc. 4. Be honest. It sounds obvious but any little lie may trip you up further along in the application or on the next visit visa and cause an issue.
      Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Kevin, that figure hasn't been updated since I first wrote the article so it is likely to be more like 8-10k, and perhaps more given the lack of business agents have due to zero tourism for 2 years. I didn't have a specific agent in mind. If you can, get your GF to Google for an agent in Thai, as that is likely to yield cheaper results.
      Reply

  18. Ryan says

    Thank you so much for this detailed report. I am trying to book an appointment and pay for my affirmation on the gov website (UK) but it is saying I need to have the province and date of marriage registration to get it?

    So do I need to get married before I get that certificate?
    Reply

  19. Arlene says

    Thank you so much for this informative blog. We as foreigners would like to go to Thailand to get married. I have read some comments here and elsewhere that it has taken some people almost 30 days to get their marriages registered. My question would be... if just incase, I need to go back to Canada. Can my fiance stay behind to finish the process or do we both have to be there?

    Also, our status is that he is single, with no previous marriage while I am divorced from Canada. Per our respective embassies there in Thailand we are working on getting our documents apostilled by the foreign affair offices in our home country and then bringing them to our embassies in Thailand to be validated...

    It seems that ours might be a harder process than if we were both single.. do you recommend I use an agent for this? This is our last hope so I don't want to make any critical mistakes.. Thanks in advance!
    Reply

  20. Darren says

    Hi,
    Great info here….thanks very much.
    Quick question about registering in Bangkok please. My fiancée has checked the requirements with Suan Luang office and they tell her that it will take 2-3 months to get registered. This seems ridiculous to me.
    From your comments it seems that Bang Rak may be a better bet?
    I have the CNI from Aus embassy and we will do the translation and Chaengwattana stuff next week before then going to the district office.
    Thanks for your help.
    Reply

  24. Mr JM says

    Hi there, thanks for all the information and replies to the comments. We have been looking into the Affidavit requirements and found that the UK government website has a page dedicated to completing and submitting Affidavit details for Thailand marriage. There is also an online appointment schedule so you can book before you go and pre-payment. Do you know if this is a recent addition, since Covid perhaps or was this an option for you when you married? To be sure we get our embassy appointment and everything goes smoothly we are probably going to book online but I am interested to hear your views on this. The link to the govt web page is below:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-for-british-nationals-intending-to-marry-in-thailand/thailand-information-on-how-to-get-married
    Reply

  26. XiXi says

    Hi.my embassy said that they don’t do The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry for me because I hold a tourist visa.so I did the letter in my country.the letter is The Letter is translated to English and certified by Royal Thai Embassy in China (I am Chinese).so what should I do next?just choose a translation centre and let them translate it?then go to District Offices in Bangkok to be married?can you introduce me an agent. I hope that I can receive your message soon.I am so stressed and I will be in Thailand soon.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi XiXi,1. Get it translated into Thai. 2. Then go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to have the document legalised (officially recognised) 3. Once you have your documents back from the MFA you can go to a district office to get married. 4. Please pay attention to the documents your Thai partner will need for the marriage. You will also need witnesses.Best of luck!
      Reply

      • XiXi says

        Thanks.there’s a big problem is that my officer didn’t know how The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry looks like. I searched it online.but not sure if it’s right.does the district office require Specified file format ?
        Reply

          • XiXi says

            Thanks again.It’s not the person at embassy.1.I have to go to notary public office to get The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry .and the letter has to be notarized.but the notary did not know how to write the letter.She let me write it by myself.2.I have to go to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China to get the letter certificated.3.last step is that I go to the royal Thai consulate general in China to get the letter certificated too.there is no informations about people for reference purposes , my fiancé s name and other small details.but there are informations about my name,passport number,address in China and marital status.so will it be useful?can the translators help me add more informations in the translation?can they be the witness ?I wish I can contact you earlier.it’s not easy to get the letter.because I live in Shanghai,China.but I have to go to Guilin city to get the letter.then go to capital city of my province to get it certificated. I travel between 3 cities to get the letter and certificate.it took half moth to get.now I am going to Thailand in 2 weeks.
            Reply

  27. KM says

    Hi!

    I had 2 questions, if you could help:
    1. How much does the authentication of docs at the MFA cost?
    2. Do you know which amphurs in Chiang Mai are okay with non-family witnesses? My partner and I are both foreigners.

    Thanks for this guide, so helpful.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hey,1. I'm pretty sure it was free when I did it. If there is a charge it is small. 2. I'm not familiar with any amphurs in Chiang Mai, but if you contact a couple beforehand they will let you know. We used two Thai friends, not family members.
      Reply

  28. Will says

    Hi Thailand Life -

    I appreciate all your helpful advice above, and I am NOT usually a DIY'er kind of guy, particularly when I'm navigating a foreign country and language.

    Do you ever take clients like me on - to hustle us through a day or two of paperwork (for a fee, of course)? Or do you have a recommendation for a trustworthy agent?

    Thank you for your time and help, Will
    Reply

  31. Lele says

    Can anyone assist. me and my fiancee are both foreigners and are getting married in the country. We have our documents and they have been translated and certified. Can anyone point me to the right amphur office in terms of service. I am in Bangkok, Sukhumvit.
    Thank you in advance
    Reply

  32. Graham says

    I'm in Thailand now and getting married but the earliest appointment at the British Embassy for my Affirmation is 21-Sep and I leave for home on the 28th. I'll be getting married in Watthans Nakhon Ampur (Sa Kaeo province) and went there this week to see what documentation was required. We came away with no list and to be honest not that much wiser. Has anyone got married here recently and have a list of what they require please? Because of the limited time available it's possible I will have only one chance at this so I have to get it right first time. Thanks.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Graham, once you have your affirmation you need to get it translated and then go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have it legalised. You also need your passport certified, so try to get that done at the embassy on the same day, and then translated along with the affirmation. Because of your time constraint you will need to get the documents and translations done on the same day, and get down to the MFA to submit it. You will most likely have to wait 48 hours to get your legalised affirmation back, leaving you just Friday and Monday (working days) to get married. I suggest you find an amphur that will marry you in Bangkok on one of those days, as it's unlikely you will get back up to your GFs province in time to get in done. Unless you fly up Friday morning and get to the amphur before or just after lunch, or perhaps they will do it on Monday. Bear in mind you have little room for error so make sure all your/ your GF's documents are in place. One advantage you have upcountry is that you may be able to grease a couple of palms to get it done, if they say they can't do it for some reason.P.S. Keep checking back on the British embassy website, as they release appointments each week, and some may be sooner than that date. Try looking on Monday and Tuesday.
      Reply

      • Graham says

        Thanks, got an earlier appointment and got the Affirmation and Certification of Passport. I've been told the MFA are not doing walk in appointments due to Covid so left my documents with the translator to be submitted electronically. Can anyone confirm or experienced this at the MFA?
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Hi Graham, I can't confirm that because I haven't been there for a long while and so few people are getting married at the moment I haven't had the usual reader reports coming in. That does surprise me, though. Are you sure the translator wasn't hustling for an extra fee. Either way, as long as you get it done and it's return fast that's a good thing in the current climate.
          Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          You need to use the embassy of your country but in Bangkok, not at home. If your country doesn't have an embassy in Bangkok/Thailand, you should call them to find out what to do. Often you will be advised to go to the one nearest Bangkok. Please follow the steps set out in the post.
          Reply

  33. Jay says

    Can anyone advise about what to do after getting married? Already married so have the Thai marriage certificate. If I want to use this when I move back to the UK, do I need to get it translated and then certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Or only need to get it translated?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You can get it translated at any official translation shop, of which there are many in Bangkok, if that's where you are. There's a bunch based down the side of the Language Express building next to Ploen Chit station (opposite Wireless Road). Once you have the translation done you don't need it certified. You don't need to file it in the UK either. They don't require that anymore.
      Reply

  34. Crystal says

    Is it possible to send the paperwork to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or do you absolutely have to physically go there?

    The reason I ask is because my fiance and I would like to go to Phuket for 2 weeks, and get married there, and not actually go to Bangkok at all.

    I've looked and it seems like there is an embassy office there, for both of us because we are from different countries, but not an office for the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

    Is it possible to send the documents to the Ministry of Foreign affairs by fax from the embassy or by postal service? We don't really need it to be done in 2 or 3 days.
    Reply

  35. John says

    Hi Peter,
    Would it be possible for me to hand in the documents to the MFA and then fly to another province and have the authenticated documents sent to me where I'm staying there. I'm assuming that the MFA won't hold my passport while they authenticate the documents.
    Thanks
    Reply

  36. Paul says

    Your marriage advice seems very useful if an ex-pat plans to live most of his life in Thailand. I love the country but my home is in the U.S. My Thai wife owns real estate and farmland in the LoS and under Thai law (20 years ago) a husband automatically becomes part owner. She didn’t like that and I had no interest in her property. She was interested in living in America so I applied for a fiancé visa which allowed her to stay in the U.S for 45 days. She liked the U.S., my family, and friends so we got married here. But before we left Thailand, we signed a pre-nuptial agreement in both English and Thai. A month later we returned to Thailand and had a fantastic Buddhist wedding ceremony which pleased her family. We never got legally married in Thailand although she is legally married there as an American wife of an American citizen.
    Reply

      • Paul says

        Not Really, She purchased all of her parent's near-worthless property for a few Bhat to prevent them from borrowing money against it. When they couldn't pay off the loans she would have to bail them out. She just removed the middle man. In the U.S. she graduated college with High Honors and discovered she had a knack for investing. Now she and her Thailand family are by Thai standards "Wealthy".
        Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      That sucks but bear in mind that some district offices don't have English speaking staff, or only have one whose English isn't that good and maybe not confident enough to relay all the required information.
      Reply

  38. Avi says

    Hi! I got legally married here in Thailand and got my marriage certificate in Thai, translated to English and verified and stamped at MFA. I was little curious because I have to notify my marriage at my Embassy and my wife also needs to notify at her Embassy too (we both are foreign nationals) but I have made only one English translation of our marriage certificate. So, do we need two translation copies and both copied verified and stamped by MFA? Or we can use photocopies to submit to our embassies? Will the Embassy stamp in our photocopies or in original translated certificate?
    Thanks!
    Reply

    • David Turner says

      The British Embassy have been in touch with regard to the documents required, photo copies are acceptable but originals are required to brought along.
      Also I do not need a separate appointment for marriage document and passport verification, they can do both on the one appointment which is of 30 minute duration.
      Reply

      • David Turner says

        I have just completed the process and would like to share my experiences.
        First if you are British the Application pack was updated 9/2/21, there is another form to fill in and a slight change in wording.
        If you have a Yellow book make sure that you use this address on the form.
        The Application needs to filled in using WORD.
        I stayed at the Eastin Grand Hotel which is just 10 minutes from the British Embassy, a very good hotel. My Appointment at the Embassy was for 0900 I arrived early and was underway at 0850, all staff friendly, polite and professional and you dont need 2 appointments they can do passport an Affirmation in the one.
        Off to the Thai Ministry, translation took 1 hour and were 400bts each, upstairs for the lady to check you have all the right paperwork and gives the ticket, there are 87 people in front of me!! 200bts for each paper fee and 60bts for the postage. I arrived here at 1045 and left at 1515, there is small Family Mart in the building. This was on the 11th May, postman delivered 14th.
        17th went to the local Amphur and the officer asks for a copy of my birth certificate and translation.
        Went back on the 18th with all the documents and they way she was pouring over the papers it looked to me like she was looking for a way to reject the application for marriage. She showed me a French Application which she passed. To cut a long story short on the British Embassy approval, which the Thai Ministry were happy to approve, there was a small note which stated that the Affirmation was not legally binding, in the Officer's view the document was not certified.
        I rang the British Embassy and explained the position and they aske that we ask the Officer to phone them, which she refused to do.
        We had a met a chap at the Thai Ministry who did all the paperwork for others, an agent so we rang him and returned to Bangkok ( Rangsit )on the 20th and got married there, where we met a Finnish man having the same problems as us and he was Rayong.
        From my experience I would advise anyone to get married in Bangkok it seems a lot easier, local officials make up their own rules and they do the ruling, you might try the smoothing of the palms approach but no guarantee would the cost will be or if it will work. We had to pay for the agent it was 8500bts its all done now but as in Thailand nothing is ever straightforward even if you show them the first page in the passport about helping and hindering a British Passport holder.
        If anyone needs the agents name an number I am happy to provide it.
        Reply

        • Berns says

          Why did you use so much money? No agent thank you, they rip you off. Your comment rings of the rule that money gets you everywhere in Thailand but it is not true. If you follow the legal route you will get rewarded. I got married with a fraction of what you paid.
          Reply

          • David says

            If you read everything I wrote and understood it, we did do everything legally required to do but made the mistake of thinking we could get married at our local Amphur with no problems but it does seem that Amphurs outside of Bangkok cannot be relied on to follow the rules, so, again I would advise anyone to marry in Bangkok, all you will need to do and know is which Amphur in Bangkok and where they are, good luck to you on the last point it might take a bit of research.
            Reply

          • David Turner says

            Hello Dave, I have no idea how the rate compares but it was painless and he dealt with everything and we achieved what we wanted to get married.
            Sunan Markham 0972698800.
            That appears to be his line number as well but the wife knows about such things but not me, good luck to you both.
            Reply

  40. Michael says

    Another great article - I relied heavily on your article for getting a UK visit visa for my partner and that all went well, so now that it's time to get hitched I'm back here at TTL again! I'm currently sat in ASQ in Bangkok and trying to arrange everything required for the two week window I will have when I'm finally free to leave. Embassy appointment for affirmation/passport verification is all booked already (day after I leave ASQ) and translation and MFA instructions all seem clear. The only thing that's causing me concern is this business about the amphur potentially sending documents back to the MFA? Does this mean they will do this before they allow us to sign the marriage paperwork or afterwards? Ultimately, if it's afterwards then it's not an issue for me as my wife can collect everything when I'm already back in the UK. If it's before then I definitely need to find an amphur that's not going to do this as I simply don't have enough time!
    Reply

    • David Turner says

      Get it done in Bangkok - the marriage, local Amphurs are not guaranteed to make the passage a smooth one and almost certain to want help with the bills at home. If an agent can sort it out for you quickly its worth it in the long run and a lot less stressful. Amphurs in Bangkok seem more likely to accept the paperwork that was generated in Bangkok and its easier for you follow up if not if you are in Bangkok.
      Reply

  42. Alex says

    What if my country has no embassy in Thailand, am I out of options? :-(

    I heard that my country's embassy in Malaysia is 'covering Thailand', but so far they didn't reply, and even if they can assist with 'Marry Affirmation" paper, not sure if it's possible to do 'passport authentication' (since I'm in Thailand).

    Thanks and Regards,
    Alex
    Reply

          • Alex says

            Yep called them, then they replied my email... Said that I must get 'Free to Marry' document from my country municipality government (certified by High court, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and THEN send this to KL Embassy, and THEN they will issue ""Affirmation of Freedom to Marry"... I asked them if my sister can get that document in my country (because I'm in Thailand), and also asked them if I could mail them my passport (to get “Certified True Copy of Passport”), waiting for their reply (not hoping too much, tbh)... (BTW this is for Bosnia citizen staying in Thailand, communicating with Bosnia embassy in Malaysia KL)
            Reply

  43. Mariane lou says

    Hello im filipina and i have fiancee korean he live in korea but we plan our wedding in thailand is it ok???what requirements we should bring .. for civil wedding only .. thank you .. i hope your kind and consideration.
    Reply

    • JamesE says

      The best thing to do (IMO) is to get married in the Philipines or Korea and then have a celebratory ceremony in Thailand. If you get married in Thailand you will have to deal with all the Thai paperwork (and language issues) and then get your marriage recorded in both of your home countries. If you got married in the Philipines or Korea then you only have to get it recorded in one place and your paperwork will be cut (at least) by 2/3.
      Reply

    • Jane says

      Hello, I am also Filipina and planning to get married in Polish national in Thailand but I just went to Thai District in Bang Rak 2 weeks ago and they told me that since we're both foreigners we will have to wait 45-60days to get married in Thailand because they have to check and process our documents.
      Reply

        • Helen Mouncer says

          Hi, I’ve been learning a lot reading through all these posts..thanks.
          I’m British and my fiancé is Moroccan, are either of us the nationalities that get the paperwork rechecked and so taking 40 days?
          Would we have to make 2 trips to Bangkok before being able to get married?
          I’m getting a little confused sorry.

          Regards,
          Helen
          Reply

  48. Rowland says

    It is always embarrassing checking into a hotel with my Thai wife - one gets all the usual hostile looks from the hotel staff. As my wife does not qualify for a UK passport due to non-residence there, what documentation can I get to prove she is my wife without showing a marriage cert every time we check into a hotel?
    Reply

  51. Mariel says

    Hi guys super helpful info. We Have all papers and need to chose Our District office (amphur).

    We are Argentinian and Russian and would love to get this done next week.
    Where to get the addresses and phone numbers of the amphors? And any suggestions on our case? We also don’t have translators or with ness.

    Thanks
    Reply

  53. Tony says

    Hello,
    What happens after you
    Marry your Thai wife in Thailand and plan to stay in Thailand? Are there any government/marriage obligations? Do you have to continue doing the 90 day report? I’m American and met my girlfriend in Thailand while working.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Greetings Tony, to give you a definitive answer then it would be necessary to know which Visa/Extension of Stay you hold now and where you intend to live. Whatever happens you will still have to do 90 day reporting either in person, by mail or email.
      Reply

    • Dennis Perry says

      Question about the amphur. We went to the amphur in Prakhon chai yesterday and was asked for my divorce papers translated and bank statements also translated. Is this correct or should I just go to a different amphur? We live in buriram but her mother(for the witnesses) lives in prakhon chai so thats why we went there. This is more stressful than thr visa process right now since translation places want 500 baht per page for those items and its about 18 pages of stuff. Please any help would be great. Thanks much
      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        You shouldn't need your bank statements. Which statements are these, from your home country? Your divorce papers would have been shown to your embassy to prove you are free to marry. The embassy issues the freedom to marry certificate. You get that translated, and the translated version is verified by the MFA. You then go to the amphur and take the documents listed in the post above. If you are required to show your divorce papers again, they would need to be translated because they mean nothing to a Thai official if written in English. I'll wait for someone else (hopefully) who is divorced and see if they had to show theirs, but my feeling is that at this stage that shouldn't be required. It might be best to try elsewhere and don't show the divorce papers unless asked. If they ask you'll have to get them translated.
        Reply

  54. Ronald Saleem says

    Hi Guys, I don't know if you guys would have knowledge about this but can you guys please help me. my sister is living in Bangkok (She has applied Asylum through UNHCR) - She is not holding valid visa( Has valid passport) . Her Fiance' is in Canada as refugee and not holding a Passport (Has Canadian Travel Document and will have visa on arrival).

    My question, how can we have their marriage registered at Amphur? Can any local agency intervene in this and help
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi, they both have to be in Thailand to marry and have the relevant paperwork. Your sister would have to visit the embassy of her home country in Bangkok to obtain a freedom to marry affirmation. I'm assuming she can't do this if she is seeking asylum. Also, I'm not sure if your sister can marry while seeking asylum; the UNHCR would be able to tell her if this is possible.
      Reply

  55. DEMI says

    Amazingly helpful blog thank you. But I have questions too if anyone can help.
    I'm planning on marrying in Krabi April 2021. I read in the blog that the documents can be collected/delivered? Does that mean I could get them delivered to my hotel in krabi? (Obviously I would correspond that with the hotel first) to save having to stay in Bangkok for so long?
    Also reading the comments is making me feel like this is very difficult. Is there a big chance of us wasting our money and coming home unmarried and wasting our holiday?
    Reply

    • Seb says

      This is not a complicated procedure to go through. You have to do an Affirmation of Marriage and Passport authentication at your Embassy. Now if you go to MFA afterwards if the Embassy visit was in the morning, go up the stairs in front of you and there are agents there that will do the translations, present to MFA and then post to you. Not expensive by any means and saves you having to stay in Bangkok. Questions that have to be asked of you, what are your nationalities, have you been to Krabi before to check on the Amphurs down there? The answers to these questions will decide on how easy the marriage process will be. Others may know more about the Amphurs in Krabi than I do. One thing I will add that at the moment it is not looking likely for Thailand to open up for tourism in the foreseeable future and may not until late 2021. So be warned and good luck.
      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        I agree. I wouldn't make a definite plan yet until Thailand starts opening up to tourists again, which I doubt will be before January 2021 but hopefully before April. It's easy enough, as Seb noted, to get the documents processed in Bangkok. If you stayed for a few days you could collect the documents there too and then get married in Krabi. There are agencies that can take care of all this for you for a price but it's easy enough to do yourself.If you think it's too much of a hassle, why not have a ceremony in Krabi and then sign official papers back home after your holiday?
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          I agree. I wouldn't make a definite plan yet until Thailand starts opening up to tourists again, which I doubt will be before January 2021 but hopefully before April. It's easy enough, as Seb noted, to get the documents processed in Bangkok. If you stayed for a few days you could collect the documents there too and then get married in Krabi. There are agencies that can take care of all this for you for a price but it's easy enough to do yourself.If you think it's too much of a hassle, why not have a ceremony in Krabi and then sign official papers back home after your holiday?
          Reply

  56. QH says

    firstly thanks for the detailed explaination!

    however there are some contradictions with what my thai fiance found.
    She told me we will need the following documents and need them translated (1 set in English for Embassy, 1 Set in Thai for MFA)

    1. Legalization Request Form
    2. Application form for Registration of Marriage
    3. Original Passport + 1 Copy (Both of us)
    4. Original ID Card of my fiance + 1 Copy
    5. Original tabien baan + 1 copy
    6. Affirmation of Freedom to Marry (translated and certified by embassy)

    So i'm a little confused here and hope to find some enlightment here
    Reply

    • Seb says

      The question that has to be asked here is, who are these documents for? Looking at the list, this may be for an Amphur. But each Amphur has it's own requirements. The basics are the Affirmation of Marriage, copies of passports, ( both of these needing to be translated into Thai and with Embassy stamps and MFA stamps), her ID card and tabian baan. Check with the Office you are using to get married at for any other requirements.
      Reply

  57. Zdravko Cukovic says

    I leave in Khonkean province.Where I can get my passport translated in Thai for purpose of married Thai women.I have all the rest documents with me.By married my spouse of 13 years with doughter I need to change my OA visa to married O visa as I was told by Emigration officers.
    Reply

  59. Lelethu says

    Hi Thank you for a very informative article.
    Both my Fiance and i are South African. I am on a visa but my Fiance is on an Amnesty. We hope to get married in Thailand before all that expires as we have two small toddlers and dont feel him and the babies should go back home at a time like this.

    Have have absolutely no idea where to start with this process. I will try and follow your guide and see how far i can go.

    Can i please ask you if you have an agent that might be able to assist aswell.

    Regards
    Lele
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Your first step in to visit the South African Embassy in Bangkok. From elsewhere I have found this as an idea of what is expected but you will need to double check this is correct:

      "According to the SA embassy in BKK, I need

      1. letter of no impediment from the Department of Home Affairs (Pretoria) --> proving my marital status
      2. this letter needs to be certified by DIRCO
      3. afterwards the letter needs to be stamped at the Thai embassy (Pretoria)
      4. lastly, the letter needs to be presented with my passport at the SA embassy in Bangkok
      Most numbers on the DHA and DIRCO sites do not work, or they never pick up. I have emailed countless people and aside from the embassy in BKK, no one has responded."

      The Embassy is at All Seasons Place, Pathum Wan, Thailand 10330
      Phone: +66 2 659 2900

      Hope this helps and good luck.
      Reply

  60. Anthony says

    Hi there, I am Canadian and my girlfriend is half Thai half Laos. Right now she is living in Laos and I am living in Canada. I am just wondering if there is any paperwork she can get ready for us to get married before i meet her in Laos. We will travel to Thailand to get married after we meet up. I've heard that there are some kind of Engagement papers? is this true? Are there any kind of marriage papers that she can do ahead of time for us?

    Thanks for your help!
    Anthony
    Reply

  61. David M says

    I am thinking of getting married next year and currently getting things together and I have a question. When we get married my Thai lady will take my surname, is it possible for her to take my surname before we get married or do we have to wait until the ceremony? I was thinking about the paper shuffling and it might be easier to get the Thai ID and Passport changed beforehand.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      You will have to wait until you are married as the official paperwork/certificates will be needed. The Thai ID takes 5 minutes and the passport can be done anytime as long as you book any flight tickets in her maiden name. The whole process is painless and fairly quick.
      Reply

    • Baz M says

      I did the same last year. As soon as we were married we went back to her province to change her ID card to her new surname. Then back to Bangkok and the MFA again to change her passport. Both processes are easy and painless. Scroll back to June 2019 in the comments and I go a bit more in depth..
      Reply

    • Baz M says

      Express Translation services...in Phloen Chit right next to the BTS. I paid 1000 baht and it was ready the next day. I think they have 2 offices there though. The road is like a giant horseshoe shape and it has several shops there...
      Reply

  63. Mike says

    Hello
    I am a uk citizen wishing to marry a thai lady, is this possible while on the current Visa amnesty I have a flight to UK booked for 28th July and will hopefully return end of October if pandemic allows would like to to get married before I leave if possible
    Thanks
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Mike, I can't find any information that says this is restricted if your visa has expired and you are under the amnesty. You should check that the district office you plan to use is offering the marriage service at the moment.
      Reply

    • Ash says

      For the U.K. affirmation of marriage you have to specify the month you will marry and you can only request it for up to 3 months on from the date you visit the embassy. So if you say July on the affirmation it’s not valid in August. You can’t get an affirmation in June that says October.
      Reply

      • Baz M says

        I cannot remember exactly, but you are best doing this on your arrival in Thailand, try to time your Embassy visit/appointment as close to the day you land in Thailand, so it is all done quickly....
        But I could be out of date on procedures, I got married June 2019..scroll back to then and read my comments around June 24th ish 2019...
        Good luck
        Reply

  65. Mark says

    Not to complain so don’t take the wrong way but it’s a bit confusing when you write ministry of foreign affairs when actually you put the address below as Ministry of Consular affairs where you need to go.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You mean you are already legally married? If so, you can do whatever you choose to do. If your partner is Thai then she will know what the traditional steps are and which ones she wants to follow. You might choose to do a combination of western and Thai traditions. If you are both foreign nationals then you might look into contacting hotels that offer wedding packages.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      Greetings, are you referring to an extension of stay based on retirement? If so you need either 800k in the bank or 65k monthly income or a combination of both. Then you can also look at an extension of stay based on marriage which just requires 400k or 40k monthly income but no combination.
      Reply

  68. Russell Simpson says

    On the. Gov UK site, I've filled the freedom to marry forms in but it doesn't have a section about my earnings on it yet my finance has forwarded a form of what the amphur in Bangkok requires to marry and it states my earnings on her form, could you please help me on this one. I am divorced and have all the relevant documents. Many thanks.
    Reply

  69. Sai says

    I Check in Huay Kwang,
    they said they need to double check document with embassy is may take more than a month, some place in bkk ask for a coviq-19 test i lived here for like 5 years never go to europe but still ask.
    i try call Lopburi they said they not accept have to go to hometown GF or Bkk, same word from Ayutthaya. she from Petchabun they said too that we need to go there 2 times coz they need to double check document.
    many problem coz of virus now, is may become soon impossible to travel between province, idk where i can do it faster, i have mostly all document single certificate, passeport traduction and attestion from honor that i will get mary to my GF of course all are double stamped from embassy, translate and stamped by MFA. can someone can help where should be the easiest place to go please
    Reply

  71. Oluwole says

    Hi, i just want to make an enquiry about Marriage thai visa.. i’m presently studying in china , but i will finish my studies next year, so before i finish my studies i was planning on relocating to thailand to meet my thai fiancée, we are not married yet and we already have kid... so i’m planning to apply for marriage thai visa for long stay so that i can have the opportunity to look for job in thailand during my stay.... please what are your suggestions for me! and also can a “Nigerian who’s preparing to get married with thai fiancée needs a tourist visa and apply for the thai marriage certificate? I mean can i use tourist visa and apply for thai marriage certificate in thailand? looking forward for your reply, thanks.
    Reply

  72. Bruno says

    We are trying to get the registration done. We live in Bangkok. Quite frustrating as every district (amphoe) has different requirements/ procedures.

    The ones that could process it potentially more rapidly have a 1st come 1st served queue and limited to 6-8 couples per day...
    Others like Watthana and Phra Khanong either have a 2-3 month wait list or request some "undisclosed time" to study my documents to double check that embassy and Thai foreign ministry documents are "authentic". But approximately 2 months wait also said the officer...

    So we checked outside of BKK... My girlfriend's home town (Supanburi) and they said they never married a farang, so they don't want to do it.
    Chiang Mai: currently many of the heads of districts are "unavailable" for an "undisclosed" period of time, so we are getting conflicting reports that
    a) no marriage can be registered in Chiang Mai province...
    b) No marriage can be registered in Chiang Mai district and many others, but some like Han Dong, Doi Saket or San Kamphaeng do process marriage registrations...

    Krabi: Can do, but require 2 trips to the office, one to explain and meet you, check documents, then a few days later to do the registration itself. As we live in BKK and don't have so many days we can take off, this is a slight issue... (they won't do friday- monday... ).

    Another issue we came accross: various amphoe accept different time validities of your available to marry certificate: some 1 month, some up to 6 months! And also some amphoe want my passport to be translated and authenticated, some don't.
    And finally also: Some amphoe provide the witnesses, some will not; amongst the latter, some will accept quasi strangers, while others request that they be relatives of friends who truly now you.

    Words of wisdom: call ahead to find out. Way ahead.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      The general rule is that they marry 6-8 couples a day. Have you tried Laksi in Bangkok? Check the comments for recent experiences. It's always like this: like banks, some offices are more "farang-friendly" than others. Where do live in BKK? Try the office closest to where you live. When I married we lived in the Huay Kwang area and went down there to do it.
      Reply

  74. Ronald Durante says

    So because 2 amphor phra kanong and payathai had over 1 month waiting period for cue we are going to bang rak at like 4 AM monday to get in line and hopefully be 1 of the 8 they do per day. But I'm told you need 2 blood relatives and a human translator.
    2 questions if anybody can answer
    Are the requirements that I stated true at bang rak, anybody have a recent experience?
    And what about lak si, anyone know the requirements there?
    Nobody in this article or thread of comments has mentioned anything about a human translator. Yet every amphur my girlfriend calls in bangkok says you need human translator.
    Reply

    • Bruno says

      IF you do not speak Thai, you need a translator, that is the law. The problem is that each Amphur/ Amphoe has different pre-requisites. Some accept your GF as translator if she is Thai, some do not, based on potential conflict of interest.
      Reply

  75. David Wood says

    Hi, I am just starting the process and 1 thing that confuses me is on their list of someone who is divorced it states: Original decree absolute and covering letter
    Am I right to presume that the covering letting is from the Court? and is there anywhere I can look to see what format and wording this should take.

    Thanks
    Dave
    Reply

  77. Lauren says

    Hello
    We are two uk citizens and are now legally married (still enjoying our time on Thailand). We got married on the 7th feb in Koh samui, all legal stuff sorted in Bangkok and amphur came on the day signed everything and now that thai wedding certificate. Do we have to get this translated? As there are various comments online, will this cause any problems back in the uk?
    Thanks lauren
    Reply

  78. Graham says

    Hi, Quick question. I am a UK citizen and I have my appointment booked and affirmation and passport paid. We went to Ampur and was told that the affirmation must have my monthly salary on. The old affirmation has this i.e.
    "Occupation **** ******* and I have an income of £ **** per month"
    This is from one I completed in 2015,
    The new for has only "Occupation"
    Q is can add this to the new form?.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      This has been removed and has caused a few issues but the district offices should be aware of this. Did the embassy give you a slip of paper in Thai explaining the removal? Others have been given this slip, apparently. I'd try a different amphur, or phone the embassy and explain that they need to help you. Do you have a salary slip or a work permit by any chance? as that might suffice at some district offices.
      Reply

      • Graham says

        Hi Thanks for your prompt reply. I will take two copies of the affirmation any way and ask if they can approve the one with "and my monthly income is". Do you think this might be possible?.
        I am going back to the Amphur tomorrow with a years worth of salary slips along with copies of the old and new affirmation's and make them aware of the change. By the way my appointment isnt until the 6th Feb so I have a little bit of time. I will update as I go through the process as I have found your site very informative. Wish me luck.:)
        Reply

  79. Stef says

    Hi, Excellent site, Thank you-
    Quick question - UK citizen marrying a Thai-
    Any Idea about a UK citizen, and passport Holder, that is actually an expat and permanent resident in another EU country.

    It means I have a British Passport, but address and residency in other EU Country.

    I guess I still go through same process as a regular UK citizen, with affidavid from UK embassy (not the Other EU country Embassy) ??

    Thanks for any tips if you know.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Hi Mizel, if you scroll through the comments below, you will find what is required from previous answers. This question has been answered multiple times. Look at the reply to Adam for the American route. The Philippine Embassy can be contacted on +66 (0)2 2590139 to check on documents required from them. Then the process for you both is as laid out above by TheThailandLife. Good luck.
      Reply

  81. Hayley says

    Hello Seb, me and my fiance are British. We're in Bangkok / Phuket for 2.5 weeks in March 2020. We were originally going to get married in Phuket (go to Bangkok UK embassy first then take the paperwork to Phuket, though I think we're pushing it for paperwork timings. Could we get married in Bangkok? if so how long does this process take from start to finish? do we need someone to marry us? or just witnesses? we're thinking of now having a blessing in Phuket and get the official paperwork in Bangkok. Thank you
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Hayley, having done your paperwork and passports at the British Embassy, you would then need to go to the MFA for notarising. The documents would take around 2 days to be ready for collection. So you need 3 or 4 days maximum in Bangkok if you can get the early appointments at the British Embassy. Now depending on the Amphur in Phuket can dictate if they send the documents back to the MFA for verification. This could take 2 to 3 weeks!! If not then you are on a bonus and could do it within the time frame. TheThailandLife has given some good locations above that are possible in Bangkok for marriage. It seems to be luck of the draw as to how that pans out. And scroll through the comments below and you may find other ideas. It is not as easy as it used to be I'm afraid. Good luck.
      Reply

      • Bruno says

        IF you read my full comment on our current difficulties, I would strongly recommend calling all the Ampurs of Phuket and making sure of the requirements (as each district office will vary... yes...). Make sure your passport main page (with your info) is also translated and authenticated, as Phuket amphoe seems to want that. You will also need 2 witnesses in Phuket districts, the local office dos not provide them.
        But all in all you have more chance to get it done in Phuket more rapidly given the responses my GF and I have gotten in the last week...
        Reply

  82. Adam Koll says

    I am a US citizen and plan on marrying my Thai fiance at the end of April. I am wondering if certain documents, such a divorce papers, can be translated beforehand or does it need to be done in Bangkok? Do all pages of a divorce decree need to be translated? Can any other documentation, like the passport, be translated and certified beforehand? If everything is started, let's say on a Tuesday morning as soon as the US embassy opens, could it all be finished by the end of the next day, Wednesday? Thanks
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Adam, all the info you need can be found at https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/getting-married-in-thailand/
      You need to book an appointment to go to the US Embassy on +66 (0) 2 205 4000. When you have finished there' then go to MFA for translations and notarising. You will be told to come back in 2 days for the completed documents so you are looking at least for 3 days to complete. Good luck.
      Reply

    • Ron says

      Adam I started the process today, February 10th. First off leave 2-4 weeks for your appointment at USA embassy, that's how far booked ahead they were.
      They didn't even look at my divorce decree which I found odd.
      It's quick, 45 minutes max, she asked me if I wanted the visa certification too and I did it because you now need it from what I'm being told. It was $50 and $50, $100 and you can pay with card or cash, usd or baht.
      There was a tour outside for translation and since the price was going rate, 300 baht each I did it, the office was right across the street from embassy. They give you a direct line if there is a problem at the translation when you go to consular office. They offer a full range of services but I just told him its a DIY marriage and maybe we'll use you for cr1 visa help. The guy was nice and gave us his card. Unfortunately it's a thai holiday so tomorrow it's off to the consular office at mrt klong toey.
      I also will add the guy told us it's not gonna be easy to get an immediate service from amphur, its changed a lot recently. But that was when he was trying to suck me into him handling it, he said soonest appointment he could get would be early march. I think he was bullshitting. I'll comment again to let you know how it went.
      Reply

  83. ty_buchanan says

    You go to the
    Department of Consular Affairs
    123 Moo 3, Changwattana Road,
    Kwang Toong Son Hong,
    Khet Laksi, Bangkok
    Ph 02 5751061, 02 5751057
    Hours: 08:30 – 15:30

    The official MFA building is here,
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs4.1 (79)
    Government office · 443 Thanon Si Ayutthaya
    Opens at 8:30 am

    This is the wrong building and you will waste your day.
    Reply

  84. Mark says

    Hello,
    I (UK National) am meeting my girlfriend (Indian National) in Bangkok for two weeks this coming March. I understand most of what is to be done. Only thing that I am unsure of, is will I need a Certificate of No Impediment? I have contacted the British Embassy in Thailand and they were of no use. Does it differ from District Office to District Office or is there a rule that I'm missing somewhere? Thanks in advance!
    Reply

  85. Anji says

    Hi there ,we are planning to get married in Thailand ,we both are nepali citizens ,,we want to go through agents ,hoping that if we go through agent we can get our marriage certificate on time ,as we planning to stay there only a week ,,
    Can anyone suggest me the authentic agents who will be able to do our genuinely on time ,,your help is much appreciated
    Thanks
    Reply

  86. Lakhwinder says

    Lakhwinder says

    Hi, I'm from usa my partner from India whe are going to be on a tourist Visa in Bangkok. Whe are heading to Bangkok in March 2020 is one week enough getting for married there. How many days do you suggest we stay in Bangkok. How to we register marriage in Thailand and wht documents we need to bring. Do you know where can I confirm that information
    Reply

    • Seb says

      You will need to get a Marriage Affidavit from the US Embassy in Bangkok and a notarized copy of your passport. You will have to book an appointment on +66 2 205 4000. Your partner will have to do the same but at the Indian Embassy in Bangkok. I would advise them to call on +66 2 258 0300 to check on the necessary paperwork. When these have been obtained then you need to go to MFA for translating and verifying. Details are to be found in the steps above by TheThailandLife. I can assure you that more than 1 week will be necessary to do all this and find an Amphur for the ceremony. Could be done in a week if you were willing to pay an agent. Good luck.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      I would advise you to speak to your Embassy in Bangkok or New Delhi if you are still in India. They will inform you on what paperwork is required and visas. The Embassy number in Bangkok is +66 (0)22580300. You may well need to do some paperwork in India. Other than getting your Affirmation of Marriage the rest of the procedures are as laid out in the article above by TheThailandLife. Good luck.
      Reply

  88. S Diana says

    Hello all,

    First, Thailandlife, thank you so much for this article!
    I was wondering if folks had any recent experiences with amphurs that do not require witnesses? It doesn't seem like Bangrak will work for us. I'm American and my fiance is Dutch.

    Thanks!
    Reply

  89. Lakhwinder says

    Hi, I'm from usa my partner from India whe are going to be on a tourist Visa in Bangkok. Whe are heading to Bangkok in March 2020 is one week enough getting for married there. How many days do you suggest we stay in Bangkok. How to we register marriage in Thailand and wht documents we need to bring. Do you know where can I confirm that information
    Reply

  90. Ryan Anderson says

    Hi there,

    My fiancee and I are Canadian citizens. We would like to get married in Thailand, as we will not be in Canada anytime soon, looking to work in Vietnam. As our marriage/honeymoon we figured 2 birds with 1 stone sort of deal by getting married in Thailand.

    From my understanding:

    1-2 days: Affirmation and Passport Authentication + Translation + MFA Approval

    2 day wait period for Thai Consular Approval.

    After that, just get the wedding registered at a registrar office (before or after ceremony).

    If everything runs smoothly, you could theoretically start the process on a Monday...and pick up these items by Thursday.

    Alternatively, if we were to post it to where we were staying in Ko Tao/Surrounding...typically how long would that take for it to arrive?

    Thanks,

    Ryan
    Reply

    • Seb says

      When you have been to your Embassy in Bangkok for the Affirmation of Marriage and Passport, go to MFA and as I have said elsewhere, go up the stairs in front of you. The agents there will translate, present for notarizing and post back to you (EMS) at your address. I received mine back by the Friday having started on a Monday. Then allow 2 to 3 weeks for the Amphur to send the documents back to MFA for verification. Check with the Amphur to see if they do this. Good luck.
      Reply

  91. Joey says

    Well I have bad news guys, I went to 2 amphurs today and we were told due to many frauds they can not marry us! Me (dutch) and my Thai girlfriend. Ridiculus of course. We have all the paperwork. Gutted! Spend nearly 20k baht to get everthing in order Just to run in a brick wall called Thai bs law.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Which ones? Just go to another. This is Thailand. Stuff like this just randomly happens. Some amphurs have been sending paperwork back to the MFA for verification, others haven't. Clearly these two can't be bothered to do that, or marry Thai-foreign couples. Don't let it get you down. This is just the first in a long life of bureaucracy you'll endure being married to a Thai :)
      Reply

    • Baz M says

      If you get the chance go to Lak Si. Look for the lady that works at the translation desk in the far right corner of the main foyer/Entrance hall. She has glasses, maybe 50 ish. There is also a guy that works there also. Get your girlfriend to speak to her and explain your situation. We couldn't get into Lak Si but she managed to get us into Don Meung for 3500 baht. She came with us in the taxi and stayed with us until everything was done. Lovely lady, she even took our wedding pics outside Don Meung!! If your really up against it time wise then try this way.....good luck!!
      Reply

  92. Maria says

    Hi, and thank you a great post, this is very helpful!

    Thus, I am still left with a few questions that I was hoping that you would be able to answer.
    Both my boyfriend and me, are with Danish nationality, and we are traveling to Thailand January 4th to January 22nd, not in Bangkok though, and this is not an option for us. We really wish to get marriage in Thailand, and have been investigating our options to do so, but seem to hit a wall all the time. You comments and advice would be very much appreciated.

    1. Certificate of marital status. We have this document from our local district office in Denmark, and this has been signed off by the Royal Thai Embassy in Denmark and The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have sent all documents required to the Danish Embassy in Bangkok, and they have approved the documents, and are processing a document for us - not sure exactly what document though. This will be sent to our hotel in Koh Lanta. This will leave us with two original documents, with stamps and everything, and they are both in danish/thai and English. Will we need a further translation? I don't understand why?

    2. Having the "final" stamps at the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs (step 3), is that mandatory PRIOR to having the wedding ceremony in Thailand, or is this something we can have done afterwards? And would our local Thai Embassy in Denmark be able to execute the verification on this document?

    I hope you can help, I have been calling and trying to get answers from so many places. And also, trying to find an agency that handles 2 foreigners marriage is not very easy, and I haven't succeeded at all...

    Best regards,
    Maria
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi,1. I assume this is the freedom to marry document. This needs to be translated from Danish to Thai. This then needs to be verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. I don't know specific details for the Danish embassy but are they getting this document translated for you? Are they sending it to the MFA on your behalf? Is this a process you are paying for. No one can get married (officially) without being verified by the MFA first.2. You can have a ceremony in Thailand without doing the official marriage stuff. Lots of people do this. You can then do the marriage in Bangkok afterwards. Or, easier still, go to a registry office in Denmark. You won't need the Thai embassy in Denmark to do anything with the document. Once married in Thailand, you go to a translator in Thailand and have the marriage certificate translated from Thai to Danish. You then file the marriage certificate with your local office in Denmark (if that is required - in some countries like the UK you don't have to do this anymore).All the best!
      Reply

  93. Thomas says

    Is Klong Toey a branch of the MFA? Does this mean I can have the translation and stamp there, just the same as it is done at Lak Si? This will help a lot since Lak Si is quite far.

    I have been reading the comments here but didn't see much talk about the office at Klong Toey.
    Reply

  94. Dave says

    Hi, do you know if the Amphur office needs to keep the original, stamped and translated affidavits and certified passport document, or do they only require copies of these? Given the cost of these documents and translations, it would seem fairer to let the foreigner keep the originals, especially for the certified, stamped and translated passport documents which can be used for other purposes. Any experience of this? Many thanks.
    Reply

  95. Andrea Ho says

    Hi, I'm from Malaysia and my fiancée is from America. We are going to be on a tourist visa in Bangkok. We are heading to Bangkok in February 2020. Is one week long enough to get married there? How many days do you suggest we stay in Bangkok in case there’s a problem? I read your blog and you mentioned strangers as witness is fine however I read somewhere else that it has to be family members as witness, do you know where can I confirm the information?
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Wow!! You are going to have to be really lucky to do this in a week. To do so you will probably require the services of an agent. I would advise you to contact the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok to check the Declaration of Marriage. +66 (0) 2629 6800. And you will need a colour stamped photocopy of your passport. They may do it there or you will have to get it in Malaysia then translated to Thai. Your fiancée will be able to do her Affirmation and passport copy at the US Embassy in Bangkok. An appointment is required and can be contacted on ‪+66-2-205-4000‬. Next you need to go to MFA and get these documents translated and stamped. Then you can go back in a couple of days to collect. Above in the piece by TheThailandLife are locations where you may get married within Bangkok without too much hassle but you need to know if they would be sending back the documents to MFA for verifying this can take 2 to 3 weeks!! And the witness requirements.Hence you may need the services of an agent to help the process. Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear but things have changed over time. Good luck.
      Reply

  96. Matt Greenfield says

    Hi,

    I'm from the UK and currently living in Chiang Mai. I'm planning on going down to Bangkok to get the affirmation and passport authentification + translations in January 2020.

    My question is: If for example, I submit my documents on a Monday morning, would I be able to return to Chiang Mai and have the documents sent to me? Or would I be best to wait around until Wednesday/Thursday in order to pick up the documents in person?

    Thanks,

    Matt
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Matt, book an appointment at the Embassy for first thing in the morning. Then get a taxi to MFA and on entry, go up the stairs and you will see booths in front of you. They will do translation, present to MFA and post back to by EMS for around 2100 baht. (Don't quote me on that figure as this may have changed.) Also speak English as well. Good service.
      Reply

      • Marcus says

        The slight risk of opting for the postal service is if there is an error between your certified passport copy and/or the affirmation. if the translation of your documents that you have submitted to the MFA contains an error the process kind of breaks down and you may need to go back to get them anyhow.

        Once you have submitted them. If you choose to collect, them they are human enough to allow you to obtain a corrected translation downstairs , resubmit and get them back that day without having to wait another two days .

        You also need five days minimum on your visa, or your 30 days visa exemption too . If you don’t then then the office won’t accept to process this


        If that’s the case. Either go to office B within the same complex and get a seven day extension Costing 1900 thb. Or better yet, hop out of Thailand by air and reenter on a 30 day exemption before you begin everything .

        This posts guidance is the best I have found . Just did mine today .

        Thank you kindly
        Reply

        • Seb says

          If the translation is incorrect, the agent up the stairs will correct and resubmit immediately as they are there with the Officer. Then they will post back to you with no delays. Do not forget they are acting on your behalf so they will ensure translations are correct and do many of these a day.
          Reply

  97. jemima Gray says

    Hi, my partner as I are both divorcees - divorced a long time ago - we would like to get married in Thailand. To avoid any complications , isn't it just easier to say you are single, who would know you have been divorced especially as you don't register the marriage in the UK? I just wondered?
    Thanks
    Jem
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      It isn't the Thai authorities that check. You have to go to the British embassy in Bangkok to get your freedom to marry document. They probably won't check, but they could. It's pretty simple, you just bring along your decree absolute (I think that's what it is called). Getting married in the UK is much easier. You could do that and then have a ceremony in Thailand.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      As TheThailandLife states, you could be checked as they do disappear out the back for a while. Get caught out and you are in the proverbial in a big way. Just easier to get the original decree absolute for each of you. Or you can get a copy which would then have to be notarized by a solicitor in UK. Bring these with you to the Embassy. Then fill out the Affirmation of Marriage, print off but DO NOT sign and away you go. You have to do this anyway so it really is not a problem
      Reply

  99. Liz says

    Hi :) My Thai partner and I (together for almost 6 years) would like to get married soon so that I can finally get a marriage VISA and stop flitting about between countries on whatever VISA I can get my hands on. However, we don't plan on actually have a wedding for a few years until we can afford a nice one.

    Does anyone know if the VISA office will ask me for wedding photos? And, as I'm a woman, I also heard that the financial obligations of the foreigner are reduced (because, you know, we're dependent - glory to the patriarchy!) Can anyone confirm that?
    Reply

    • Seb says

      To be honest the only chance you have of doing this in 2 weeks is to spend time in Bangkok to do the documentation and get married there, then go to Krabi.
      Probably not want you want to hear but the details are above in the article from TheThailandLife. Getting married in Krabi could lead to a delay of 2 to 3 weeks if they send the documents back to MFA for verification.
      Only documents you would need are as below in an answer to Simon.
      Reply

  101. simon says

    I'm planning to travel to Thailand and getting married at the beginning of April, can I optain any certificates whilst in the UK ? would they still be recognised by the Thai Foreign office or do they insist on having an Embassy stamp?
    Reply

  103. Stephen says

    This morning we took all our documents to Bang Rak to marry . All very friendly, but cannot marry today , tomorrow and for all Nov there is a queue.
    Can we make an appointment? No, from Dec you just come everyday until you get a space ! But the people in the queue made appointments? Sorry you cannot make appointments!
    Also gave us a document that states
    Two witnesses, your family members . They will not witness for you. Helpfully we were told that if one were a family member that would accept a friend as the other.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      It might be easier to do this in your GF's hometown, if it's not too much hassle to go there. There are a number of other district offices to try. Someone recently posted a good experience at Laksi, if I remember correctly. I married at Huay Kwang.
      Reply

    • Baz M says

      We went to Lak Si as our next alternative and finally to Don Meung. As Lak si were full that day we paid a lady there (translations counter in main foyer) 3500 baht to get us married quickly. She came in the taxi with us to Don Meung and acted as our witness, I think. Read my comments around late June 19 for more info. Good luck.
      Reply

  104. Berns says

    Copy every page in your passport. You have 6 months to marry after you get the sticker from consular affairs. If you want to lose money but not time ask to marry quickly. It cost f 1200 baht just to submit plus 300 per translation page. Don't translate yourself. Don't rock up early without all the documents, no queue number. Don't miss your call on the tiny LCD screens. Don't ask questions. They cannot give unified answers. Bottom line, only do it if you have not other option.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      What do you mean ask to marry quickly? Ask who? The amphur? What costs 1,200 Baht? Do you mean that you should hire an agent if you want to get the process done quicker? You don't need to copy every page in your passport. You just need the documents outlined in the article above. You can ask questions. They are pretty helpful if you are polite. But as you suggest, they can't help you if you don't have the correct documents.
      Reply

      • Anjega says

        We are actually going through this process right now. This article was very helpful however it is a lot of hassle to do all of this. You need to make sure you translate with a good company otherwise the MFA will not put the stamp if the translation has mistakes.
        My best advice, don't do the legal part in Thailand! Processes are slow and there is a lot of bureaucracy.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          It is probably best to use the translation shops ones at the MFA, even though they are slightly more expensive, because if a mistake is made you only have to go downstairs to correct it. The process takes a minimum of 72 hours now. And another day to actually get married. For sure, doing a ceremony in Thailand and then doing the legal part back home is far less hassle.
          Reply

  105. Baz M says

    Have you read the article yet haha!! All documents you need are laid out in the article above, especially for the actual day of the wedding to take to the Amphur with you. Thats for both you and your wife to be. The Embassy part will just be your passport and your appointment booking plus your Affirmation to marry that you have typed up beforehand and printed out as per the advice on what to take to the Embassy. My best advice is grab a piece of paper, read the article and jot down everything it says you need to do in stages and tick it off as you go along. Read ALL the comments for helpful stuff especially from guys that have been through this process recenty.

    Good luck.
    Reply

    • Baz M says

      Have you read the article yet haha!! All documents you need are laid out in the article above, especially for the actual day of the wedding to take to the Amphur with you. Thats for both you and your wife to be. The Embassy part will just be your passport and your appointment booking plus your Affirmation to marry that you have typed up beforehand and printed out as per the advice on what to take to the Embassy. My best advice is grab a piece of paper, read the article and jot down everything it says you need to do in stages and tick it off as you go along. Read ALL the comments for helpful stuff especially from guys that have been through this process recenty.

      Good luck.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      If you have been married before then either a decree absolute or death certificate. Both need to be originals. That is all you will need from UK to bring with you.
      If this is a first time marriage then no other documents are required. Affirmation of Marriage can be completed and filled in but NOT signed, then printed if easier to do in UK.
      Reply

  107. Mohan says

    Hi, I’m gonna get married this month. My only question is, Typically how long (how many days) would it take to finish the entire process getting married legally with marriage certificate in my hands.
    And one more thing, what would Indian Embassy ask (which documents) to provide me Affirmation certificate.
    Reply

  110. david says

    hi guys and girls does anyone know which amphurs are sending documents back to the MFA for checking before marriage and which are not? I have attempted to speak with Bangrak but have got nowhere, it would really help to know thanks guys
    Reply

      • john says

        thank you, telephoning from England to the amphur office has been difficult, I am not sure if I am understanding correctly, they have said registering your marriage takes a month is this different from having the wedding ceremony itself which I am hoping can be done within a day or so ? do you get a marriage certificate after the ceremony? or do you have to wait a month I hope this makes sense as I am most confused and concerened as I am in Thailand for only 2 weeks
        Reply

      • john says

        I am so sorry to message again but I am at my witts end. I have tried to speak with an amphur office in Bangkok they have said it takes 4 to 6 weeks to get married now is this correct? I am only in Thailand 2 weeks. an agency in pattaya has said they can do all of the documentation and arrange wedding all in 5 days but that there is only one amphur to do it at as they have connections near don muang airport I do not know what to believe and they ask for the service 20000 baht. can someone please clarify if I can get paperwork completed still in a few days and marry at any amphur office in Bangkok quickly , please any help from those that know. thank you so much
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Getting your paperwork together will take 72 hours. The problem is that some amphurs are sending paperwork back to the MFA for verification. Not all do this, but some do. If you read through the comments (tip: use the search function to find what you are looking for) you'll see this issue discussed a number of times.
          Reply

  112. Fede says

    So i figured i gave everyone an update as i have commented before and this article was very useful.
    Once you're done with step 1 and you have your Freedom to Marry plus copy of Passport certified by your Embassy you will need translations.
    This is where i found things tricky: The lady from the MFA warned me ahead that many times the MFA officer doesnt like the "wording" or terms used by the translator. So they send the documents back to be corrected.
    Knowing this, i went to BABEL Translator and Visa cuz it happened to be in the same building as my Embassy. They said the same thing... they said "we will translate, but theres no guarantee that they will approve it the first time".
    This is NOT about money, its about getting refused, having to pick up the documents, take em to the translator AGAIN, then back to MFA... etc
    They offered to deal with all this for 1000 baht. Which to me is damn cheap compared to driving in BKK, finding parking, paying for parking, tolls, gas and my TIME.
    In the end the documents DID get refused the first time around, BABEL picked em up, corrected them, submitted again and within 4 days they had all ready and stamped and even GRABed it to my house with a messenger.
    So any of you thinking about paying for someone to deal with this... just PAY. Well worth it.
    They charged 500 a page (2 pages) for translation, 400 a page for MFA, plus their 1000 = 2800 baht
    Getting into talking about Express Service, 2 day, 3 day... its really a lottery cuz if your translation gets kicked back... then theres no guarantee you will meet those times.
    Of course my passport and Embassy is not the "typical". If you hold USA, UK, etc... most common passports most translation offices already have a "form" cuz its always the same wording. But if your Embassy/Nationality is not that common... take all this into consideration.
    Total cost was the 2800 i paid BABEL plus almost 3000 my Embassy requested (affirmation and passport cert) round it up to 6k.
    Thanks again to all who commented and the blog itself.
    Reply

  113. Anna G says

    I have booked back to back morning appointments at our embassy for 8:20. & 8:40am. We sign our freedom to marry and have our passports authorised. We then taxi to MFA, have the documents translated downstairs, and head upstairs to hand over our documents to be authorised. We wait to be told when we can come back to collect them. Is this right? Should we book MAF appt or is this a walk in service?
    Many thanks, such a useful site.
    Reply

      • Anna G says

        That's perfect thank you. We will have our documents authorised 2 weeks prior to our wedding date. Our Amphur office is in Koh Phangan, would you anticipate they would need to send the documents back to the MFA adding delay or should we be ok? Our plan is to send copies ahead and produce the original documents 4 days before.
        Reply

  114. Matt Simpson says

    Hi
    We are getting married on Tuesday 14th April in Phuket and visited in June to meet our wedding planner and to organise most things. We were quoted originally 18,000 THB for a rep from the local Amphur office to attend the wedding and ensure the legal wedding. We have just been quoted 31,250 THB in addition for the entire process beforehand at the embassy etc - this seems ridiculous - can someone give me an indication of what we should be paying??

    The costs quoted for 2 British citizens include: certified copies of British passport at embassy 2,565 / Affirmation of marital status at the embassy 5,300 / legalisation copies of passport at the ministry of foreign affairs 3,800 / legalisation affirmation of marital status at the ministry of foreign affairs 5000 / legalisation marriage certification at the ministry of foreign affairs 5000 / legalisation marriage registration certificate at the ministry of foreign affairs 6000 / Company service 2000/Courier fee BKK to Phuket 2000
    Reply

      • Matthew Simpson says

        Direct from an agent. They have reduced the fee today to just over 21K. The local Amphur officer in Phuket normally charges 8k to come to the wedding and register it but since we are getting married over Songkran he is charging 20K, provided it is in cash in an envelope on the day....
        Reply

    • Baz M says

      Matt,
      Check out my diary dated Jun 24th this yr incase I get my figures wrong....
      Roughly though, I pre paid for Passport Cetified and Affirmation to marry at the Embassy Bgk £75 (3500 baht ish), then 2000 baht, for translations of Affirmation and Passport Cert, MFA stamp and the translators fee. I then paid a local translator in the Amphur 3500 to get me in the Amphur quickly all in....So just for me 9000 baht to get it all done, add maybe 500 - 1000 for taxis, BTS etc. So for 2 of you to get it done in Bgk would have been 20,000. However your doing this all in Phuket and I've no idea how that works...so maybe 32k baht isnt as extortionate as you might think. I'm no expert though, so I'm sure somebody else who got it done in Phuket might be able to offer better advice. Good luck, time is on your side to shop around and do some more research.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      You would be better off doing this all yourself as it is an easy process as described by TheThailandLife above.
      Costs involved at The British Embassy would be 1950 x 4 = THB 7800. That would be for 2x Affirmation of Marriage and 2x Passport Legalisation. This can be done in one morning but would advise phoning them on +66 2 305 8333 just to check how many "appointments" to book. Taxi to MFA
      Then at the MFA all translations and legalisations can be done for around 2x2100 which includes getting everything done and posted back EMS to your address in Thailand. On entering the MFA go to top of stairs and agent is in front of you. Or you can do it yourself but involves 2 trips to MFA.
      So the Embassy and MFA costs come in at around THB 12000.
      Please check if that the Amphur will need to send documents back to MFA for verification which could take 2 to 3 weeks. This is where an Agent may be able to circumvent this.
      Reply

    • Edward Creighton says

      Plan to visit Bangkok Saturday 21st December and visit UK Embassy Monday 23rd. Given that is Christmas week can I get everything done by Friday 27th? Will Thai government offices take Christmas holiday?

      Or should I wait for Chinese New Year when i return to Thailand anyway. Week of January 27 to 31st?
      Reply

  115. Kamel says

    I also have a question, can Pakistani citizen legally get married in Thailand with Canadian fiancée ?? What are the requirements? I know I need “ freedom of affirmation “. Notarized stamped And translate , passport copies etcs ? Is there any other things I need? Please help me out here .
    Reply

  118. Fede says

    Hi!
    Thanks for the article

    As many people have mentioned... the whole certification of passport is confusing.
    If EMBASSY is Step 1, then that step should be getting the freedom to marry + 1 embassy certified copy of passport
    Step 2 would be translations
    Step 3 then MFA

    I followed the articles Step 1, then went for translations... only to realize later i needed to make a 2nd trip to the embassy for the passport certification.

    Any ideas or knowledge on translating your own documents?
    If there is no official place, license to translate, or endorsement from the translation place.... ive been 800-1500 for one page that has "name"..."dob".... and a few numbers... not trying to be cheap but just seems absurd.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      It does state in Step 2 that due to a new requirement, as of 2017/18, you also need your passport certified by the embassy and then translated into Thai.
      I got my documents translated at the MFA and they are top of the stairs when you enter. You will need them to do this as they translate the Affirmation of Marriage and the certified copy of your Passport. Cannot remember their charges but they are very reasonable. They will also present the documents for stamping and post back to you if required.
      Reply

  119. Mike Blockley says

    Hi,

    Thank you for the article, very helpful.
    What would be the actual date of the marriage for anniversary purposes. Is it the date of registration at an Amphur, the date of the unofficial ceremony, or can we choose?

    Many thanks,
    Mike
    Reply

  120. Aaron says

    Hi there. After calling around multiple amphur offices (Yannanwa, Ratchathewi, Phayathai, Din Daeng, Klang Toey, Bang Rak) it appears that almost all of them are sending documents back to the MFA for verification before proceeding with the registration for Thai-non-Thai marriages. They are also unable to confirm how long this process will take, which is problematic as my current visa expires on 27 September and the Letter of Affidavit and passport copies from the British Embassy are only valid within September. If anybody has recent updates on amphurs in the Bangkok Metropolitan District that are registering on the day and not sending back the documents, it would be hugely appreciated!
    Reply

  121. John says

    Hi, I was a little confused at what step I should be getting my passport certified as you included it in step 2 (getting translation).

    Would someone confirm my steps?
    1. Appointment at british embassy (print out / fill in docs before I go, not signing anything yet)

    2. I get my passport Certified at the British embassy? (If thats the case should this bit not really be in step 1?)

    3. Translation of certified passport / affirmation.
    - (Do they need to translate every page of passport including previous stamps/visa etc, or just the photo/information page?)

    4. When I get to Chaeng Wattana Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
    - Is there 2 steps here I need to take? first being getting my passport translation stamped, and then getting all my documents checked / getting a queue to submit everything? Or is the passport translation stamp given when they are reviewing your documents?

    5. wait for documents to be processed and handed back

    6. get married!

    Many thanks for all the helpful info
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      1. Yes. 2. Yes, you need the passport certified at the embassy. It was an addition. I can move it into step 1 if it's causing confusion. 3. No, they will just translate your freedom to marry document and your passport certification document. 4. All documents are handed in for legalisation. 5. Documents will be ready within 72 hours. 6. Book an appointment at a district office (amphur) to get married. You will require 2 witnesses. They may offer to provide these, for a fee, or you may have to bring friends or family members.All the best.
      Reply

    • Baz M says

      John,
      Also have a quick scan over my mini diary I wrote on June 14th on here in the comments section of my whole process I went through whilst in Thailand in June. Stick to the documents they say you need in the main article and you will be fine. Good luck with the whole process!!
      Reply

  122. Lauren says

    Hi I'm very confused o thought I understand this process but pur wedding planners are saying various things.

    We are going to Bangkok independently prior to the wedding to sort out all the paperwork as we want to get this done as quick as possible. We are then gettig married officially in koh samui. What happens after we get the the paperwork back from the MFA. Do we just take this to koh samui with us to the local district office and then we are legally married? Will they give us a wedding certificate there?

    Thanks Lauren
    Reply

  123. Loren says

    I am currently married to a Thai national. We did the wedding here in the US, and I have had the wedding certificate certified by the State, certified by the US government ( Apostle), and had it stamped and certified as legit by the Thai embassy in Los Angeles. According to them I just need to go to the department of Consular affairs, get the certificate translated and certified then I can go register my marriage at a local amphur. I tried to get as much done as possible here in the united states, but there isn't too much information on how to register your marriage in Thailand if you are already married. Also I head the Que at the Legalization office starts at 04:30 in the morning? is this true? if so I booked a hotel next door to the government office, so I can be there this early if needed. Anyone with some experience with this would be great. I have read I can get a service there in the building where they will translate and get the marriage certificate certified for me in one step for a small fee of course, and I was thinking i should do this as trying to get my marriage registered in one day.
    Reply

  124. Tika says

    Hi, thanks for the article, it's very useful. I'm Indonesian citizen and going to marry my British boyfriend in Bangkok.

    I'd like to ask:
    - Which District Office did you get married at? Was it an easy process?
    - Did the British Embassy require your spouse birth certificate that valid for 6-months? I heard some embassy requires this, but i'm not sure specifically for British Embassy.

    It's such a hassle already from my end to complete all the necessary documents, hoping I won't be required to provide the 6-months valid birth certificate as we don't have such a thing here, as it's valid for life-time. Many thanks.
    Reply

    • Baz M says

      He doesn't need a birth certificate to present at the Embassy. Just his passport, the types affirmation and the receipt of payment if he's done it online before arrival. Tell him to go onto the Gov.uk site and follow the advice on there for the 'affirmation to marry' information, it's really straight forward to follow and you can print off a guide from there...and also the advice on here in the main article is very useful. The Embassy part is the easy part....good luck
      Reply

    • Angie says

      Sorry typo error I meant to say most flustrating part is getting married and get a queue at the Ampur . I charged 3000 bath as a translation to do that for you. From queuing, checked all documents, completing all marriage applications and translation. Charges apply only if I can get ensured I got a queue for you.
      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        Hi Angie, I have not been publishing your comments because I don't allow readers to leave contact details here for their businesses. If someone is interested in your service they can email me and I will pass on your details.
        Reply

    • Jen says

      Hi, we both finally got our Affirmation and passport certified. I'm Indonesian and my fiance is British. I went to District Office in Sathorn and Bang Rak to find information, they're unsure regarding when we can get married as they need to verify all the documents to our embassy. The one in Bang Rak said that we need to wait for a month, we don't want to wait for that long. I found an agent that can do everything for 15,000 THB (because we both foreigners) within 4-5 days, they can also provide witnesses. I just wonder, do you have any information that provides better deal than that?
      Also, how much it is to get documents legalised at MOFA? Thanks very much
      Reply

      • TheThailandLife says

        15,000 Baht is madness. Try some other district offices. Try Huay Kwang. And go through the comments section as some other people had luck at other district offices. Always remember that a gesture of good will goes a long way in Thailand. Offer to grease a palm or two. It pains me to say that but it will save you time and money.
        Reply

      • Seb says

        Agree with TheThailandLife here as that is a total ripoff!! It has been mentioned before that this verification can cause a delay in all your plans. Others please take note of this!!
        All you can do is try other Amphurs to see if there is a way round this, greasing a palm as has been said.
        The costs of translating and legalizing at MFA is around 1500 baht. On entering MFA go to top of stairs and very good agents are there for that purpose.
        Reply

  126. Yong says

    Your article mentioned about the Amphur or District office which can provide 2 witnesses to register the marriage. But we called up a few District offices in Bangkok which require us to bring 2 witnesses cum 1 must be a translator. Can u please tell us which Amphur provide witnesses? We intent to register our marriage tomorrow. Thanks
    Reply

  127. Richard says

    Hi, Thank you for great info. I was wondering the steps needed to get marriage visa after we have certificate. My fiance is Thai citizen and I am English. We live in North so I was hoping this is all possible in Chiang Mai/ Mae Hong Son where we live.

    I have just finished my education visa and got a new tourist visa in Hanoi. I had forgot about the 'O' visa, would it make a difference to me in getting my marriage certificate or can I still get married with tourist visa?

    I'm a bit confused why some comments are saying 1-2 months to get documents back, but this guide is saying 2-3 days to complete. Am I missing something in such a big difference in time? I don't mind paying for an agent if that's the big time difference maker.

    Once documents are submitted, do they just post them back to you or how do they inform you when they are completed/ processed?

    After we get certificate of marriage, can I then apply for marriage visa or is there another preliminary step before that? E.g I would wait for my 60 day tourist visa to expire then head to Vientiane Thai Embassy and apply for marriage visa?

    Thanks again

    Best regards
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You can get married on a tourist visa.Your embassy will certify your passport. Once you have that certification you get it translated before going to the MFA.Once you have your freedom to marry document from your embassy you get it translated. You then go to the MFA to have it legalized. The document will be ready within 72 hours (usually). You pick it up. You then go to a district office to get married (see details in the post).The 1-2 months people are referring to is a situation whereby you go to the district office to get married but they want to send your documents back to the MFA to verify they are legitimate. This is not a rule and seems quite sporadic. If you encounter this you should just try a different district office.Once married you can apply for a Non Immigrant O visa based on marriage, either outside of the country from an embassy, or you can convert your tourist visa to a Non O, then you will be able to do an extension based on marriage (if you meet the financial requirements).All the best.
      Reply

      • Steve K says

        Hi,
        This has been very informative,thanks so much.I'm looking at marrying my Thai fiancee next February.I'm from Australia and will be in Thailand for 4 weeks.My one issue is the possibility of having to wait for our documents to be sent for verification from the Amphur,and the chance they could take a few weeks.Does anyone have any very recent experience at a Bangkok or Issan Amphur,where they don't send documents for verification,or have them for just a few days?Thanks in advance,Steve
        Reply

  128. ken says

    Dear TheThailandLife,

    good evening and good day.

    myself from Malaysia and next year 2020, i'm going to marriage my girlfriend from Chiang Mai.

    May i know, what documents needed my Thailand girlfriend who is from Chiamg Mai.

    also, what documents needed by myself and i'm from Malaysia.

    Thank you.

    Ken
    Reply

  130. Yoana says

    Hello!

    Does one need the freedom to marry certificate from the embassy in Thailand or can I use one obtained in my home country? It's the same country lol but instead of an embassy I would get it back home. I am Dutch and I want to marry my British partner. Do we have to go to BKK or can we stay in Phuket?

    Kind regards
    Reply

  131. Dan says

    Hello there. So, myself and Indonesian girlfriend will be in Thailand over the Xmas / New Year Period. Hopefully we can fit in getting married (in order to avoid the nonsense in Indonesia about having to be of the same religion).

    Anyway, a few comments/queries...

    1. It's obviously not the best time of year as offices will be shut (but as a teacher it's my only significant time off work in the next 6 months so have to give it a try). A couple of translation companies would not offer to sort out the MFA side of things due to concern over when the MFA would be closed over Xmas/New Year, but would do the translations. One also suggested it can take up to 7 working days to get the certified affirmation docs back from the MFA... very tough if the office is shut for several days too. We'll be around from Friday Dec 20 (evening) until Monday Jan 6 (lunchtime) so you would think that's long enough, but.... any comments? Not worth the hassle over the holiday period? We'd like to squeeze in a trip to Chiang Rai for 2 or 3 days in the middle when nothing can done due to offices being shut but it's unclear exactly when that is going to be. Hope to get embassy stuff done on Monday 23rd morning (earliest possible due to weekend). Then translated into Thai, then submitted at MFA before their holiday starts.

    2. Amphurs..... anyone know when they are closed over Xmas/New Year? Or how to make appointments via email/Whatsapp?

    3. MFA second time around required or best not bother? I read that you don't need to return to the MFA for a certified translation of marriage document as long as you use a certified translator (much easier if we don't have to fit around MFA opening/closing a second time around). We would then get the marriage document translated into both English and Indonesian and take it to the relevant office here in Jakarta once we are back home.

    Quite a hassle, but better than being forced to change religion.

    Any recent experiences, especially from Indonesian-British couples, greatly appreciated, as it appears rules are changing a fair bit this year and the office holiday closure dates are difficult to find too.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      1. That should be enough time to get it done. But bear in mind you'll need to find a district office to marry you and some are now sending papers back to the MFA for verification. This seems to be less common with foreign national marriages, but bear in mind you might have to try a couple. You also need to make an appointment, so as soon as you have submitted your documents at the MFA, make sure you go and do that.2. No idea. Officially it's only the 31st Dec and 1st Jan at the moment.3. You don't need to do this.Best of luck.
      Reply

  132. Chris says

    Hi Henry. I think this article needs updated. I'm pretty sure a visa on arrival is ok but I was at the Banglamung Ampur today and they said it may take 1 to 2 months to get your documents back once you have them all prepared and you submit them at the Ampur. I have been trying for several weeks to get them all organized trying to minimize fees. It seems the only way to get the process done quickly is to pay an agent.
    Reply

  133. Henry says

    Dear TLL,

    First, thanks very much for the Thai marriage advice.

    My Thai partner and almost have all required papers ready.

    One question please: can we marry when I am in Thailand on a visa on arrival? Tourist visa.

    The immigration officer at the Thai embassy in The Netherlands refused to issue an "O" visa to me for no good reason, as I had all required papers with me.

    I have been living in Vietnam for 24 years and quite familiar with Thailand.

    I hope you might know if the visa on arrival is sufficient to marry.

    Thanks again and kind regards,

    Henry and Patcharapa
    Reply

    • Chris says

      Hi Henry. I think this article needs updated. I'm pretty sure a visa on arrival is ok but I was at the Banglamung Ampur today and they said it may take 1 to 2 months to get your documents back once you have them all prepared and you submit them at the Ampur. I have been trying for several weeks to get them all organized trying to minimize fees. It seems the only way to get the process done quickly is to pay an agent.
      Reply

  135. Danny Ong says

    the 1st time i prepare the passport, Single letter and translated into Thai but rejected by the government of marriage. the reason given is i still need to prepare another letter which is (Statutory of Declaration) which is my job discription, salary and 2 witness.
    the 2nd times i go they give reason is my document might not complete.they said i can try my luck by submit all document and wait 1or 2 months for checking. if complete,will call us for register marriage. they strongly said there is no such thing (submit document today and marriage tomorrow)
    Reply

  137. Baz M says

    My Diary of my recent trip...

    Day one 7th June - Appointment booked at Embassy for 8.40am. Arrived 8.20am, everything in order so was out of there by 08.45. Very helpful, finger on signature and listened to oath to swear everything correct. Some brit in there totally unprepared. I helped him with his form.
    BTS to Mo Chit. Taxi from there to MFA 100 baht. But possible to catch Metro from Mo Chit to Lak Si and shorter taxi ride to MFA.
    At MFA, went up first escalator and used translation service literally right in front of you at a blue counter (left hand side). For some reason I was a bit wary of using one of the agents at the door. Some of them had no badges or anything so didn't trust them. But that's just me!! Paid 2000 baht total. This included Passport&Affirmation translation, MFA stamp and her service i.e 900 translations, 800 MFA stamp, 300 for her service. Peace of mind because if it was wrong she would change it then and there. My fiance liked her and exchanged line messages with her.

    Tuesday 11th June - Collected translations. Apparently she had made a mistake, but she rectified it herself. Probably a good reason to use her because of this fact.

    Wednesday 12th - Phoned Bang Rat to check about appointments, they said we could come in that afternoon as they had space, unfortunately we were half way to Chonburi.

    Friday 14th - Arrived at Bang Rat at 7.50am, told we were too late as fully booked. Apparently one couple arrived at 2am to queue up! I find this hard to believe, but it's true!!. Took motorbike taxi to Siam station then BTS to Mo Chit then taxi to Lak Si District office. Looks nicer than Bang Rat by the way. Arrived there, no room, they said we could book an appt for Monday, but then the missus went to the translation desk (Main lobby, right hand side) and lady there said that if we paid her 3500 baht she would get us done today. Desperation kind of kicked in so I agreed the fee. We went with the translator in a taxi to Don Meuang. Ironically this is where I wanted to go as the next alternative, but missus said try Lak Si first.
    Spent around an hour or so there. Maybe the fee we paid the woman was for her to get us in the queue quick and a way to bypass the fact we had no translator or witnesses. The woman who registered our marriage spoke decent enough English so translated it for us, again maybe this was what the woman we paid knew. To be honest I didn't have a clue what was going on in there, but just trusted the woman and my missus.
    Taxi back to Mo Chit, BTS to Phloen Chit and after a few stressful minutes deliberating what are next move was i.e do we need to take the translated marriage certificate back to the MFA for certification, shall we use the translator that did my Affirmation & Passport, shall we use Express Translation blah blah. Then I looked ar some of the posts on here (May 23rd 19), I read that Thailand Life says you don't need an MFA certified Marriage certificate, just translated into English by a Certified Translator. So we have just paid 1000 baht to get it translated as Express Translation, Phloen Chit, collecting tomorrow at midday.
    I am now officially Married!!
    If somebody can just confirm whether or not I need the English Marriage Certificate that i collect tomorrow certified at the MFA that would give me some peace of mind.
    I hope this helps...
    The main blog is a God send. Stick to the documents they say to bring to the Amphur and you will be fine. Thanks again Thailand Life.
    Baz & Rose.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Super. Thanks for the diary and congratulations!Your translated marriage certificate will be stamped as with the 'official translator' stamp which is the authentication. No need to go to the MFA. The British embassy/immigration will accept this official translation. Just get a couple of colour photo-copies done.
      Reply

      • Baz M says

        Thanks for the reply. Sorry quick question. We gave the Translation service our photocopied black and white copy that the Amphur gave us. We still have the originals on us. Will the Translation service change it to colour as they will have all the backgrounds etc in their computers?
        Cheers!!
        Reply

    • Paulo & Hazel says

      Hi, me and my fiancee are currently here in Bangkok and we want to get married here. We have the same situation as yours and we are in a fixed right now. We have read a lot of articles about marriages in Bangkok for foreigners and they seem to be easy but its not. Then we came to read about your post and we just also want to be married even if we pay extra, so if you are like kind enough to give us the contact info of that woman from Lak Si district office to help us too. Thanks in advance... Paulo & Hazel
      Reply

      • Baz M says

        Hey guys, Sorry for the late reply. Are you both foreigners? Is one of you Thai? The reason being she doesn't speak a word of English!!
        If you head in the main entrance at Lak Si District Office, look slightly right in the main lobby and there is a small counter in the far right corner past the main office on your right hand side. The counter had Translation service on it. There was also a guy working at the desk. Not sure how good his English as the wife did all the talking!! But you can also try the office on the right hand side, go in the door and there is a desk immediately on your right, speak to him/her also. They can potentially book you in within a few days. If that fails, then Don Meuang should be your next visit as it is close to Lak Si. Maybe 10 mins tops by taxi....
        Good luck!! Baz
        Reply

        • Paulo & Hazel says

          Hi, yes we are both foreigners and we don't know any Thai friend here who can speak English. So we don't have any witnesses also for our marriage. The person in the translation service speak English? Ok we will check both district offices. Thanks....
          Reply

    • Chrisd says

      Hey. Thanks for the article and the recent reports. I have been trying to organize the translation thing for a few days but am a farung by myself (busy partner) and all the translation services seem to be trying it on. Could you break down what papers you needed. For the embassy I needed my passport and my divorce certificate and she is a widow so needed her I'D card and his death certificate. I understood I need translated the embassy letter(no impediment to marriage) and my passport photo page for Chang Wattana. It would be great to clear this up for me and others.
      Reply

    • steve robinson says

      Hi Baz
      Congratulations
      Im Traveling over next month to Marry my Thai girlfriend
      What papers do I need or where do I find this all out ,
      What are the steps I need to take
      I am completely lost after reading all the posts
      Regards
      Steve
      Reply

      • Baz M says

        Hey Steve,
        First thing to do is get your appointment booked at the British Embassy. Try to get that done now as close to the date you arrive in Bangkok. Dont panic if it appears fully booked, keep checking it daily as appointments appear earlier until you can get a date for the beginning of your trip.
        Ideally pay for your Affirmation to Marry and Passport Certification online and print off both receipts. Should cost you £75 total for both.
        Get 5 or 6 coloured photocopies of your passport and when you arrive get the same of your visa arrival stamp, but you can do that bit later at the photocopy shop.
        Follow the Gov.uk website for Thailand and download the Affirmation to Marry template. Replace all the bold headings with your information. I did two versions, one with the text I changed still in bold and the second with the same text format as the rest of the page. Its plain, doesn't look very official, but its correct.
        After your appt at the Embassy head straight on the same day to the MFA at Chang Watthana and use the translation service at the top of the first small escalator you see in front of you.
        This should take around 2 to 3 days, but they WILL get it right and they will text your fiance when it is ready to collect.
        You will receive both your Affirmation to marry and Certified Passport translation stapled and Celotaped together. Leave it like this and then ask your fiance to find you a photocopy shop, they are like 7/11's, they are everywhere. Get 4 coloured sets of both and staple each set together.
        Refer to the main article above and read the ' What documents to take to the Marriage Registrar', I used this list and it is accurate and spot on. Have it all ready and put in a little cheap folder.
        The list of documents is correct, the first two Amphurs (District Offices) checked them and were happy, unfortunately they were fully booked so we know the list above is correct. Read my diary above about the names of the 3 main Amphurs we used.
        Use your fiance as best you can, shes Thai, she speaks the language and good luck. I hope this helps you..
        Reply

    • Ally says

      Thank you for your advises, it helped us a lot. But we were refused at Bang Rak, they said we will have to wait 2-3 month wish is not an option for us, so we went directly to Lak Si and got married there the same date))

      i advise to go to Lak Si directly to everybody, i think that's much better and faster. They are very kind and supportive there! i am sure you can negotiate for the date (same or not), we were waiting the boss all day, but still better to do it in one then to wait more and more!

      All the best wished to everybody, happy marriages

      Ally
      Reply

  138. Karen says

    I am a Filipino working here in Thailand.
    My fiancé who is from Venezuela and I are planning to get married in October.
    Is it possible to get married here even though there is no Venezuelan embassy here?please advise thank you!
    Reply

  139. Steve says

    I really need the address and prices of the language center on klong toey to do the translations. After being royally ripped off by itc near the language school last time and them not even being sure they had translated it correctly, I'd rather use one near the ministry so I can easily sort it should there be another issue, as well as being charged a fair price.
    Reply

  140. Steve says

    I have to update that I was unable to get married. Despite following everything to the letter and everything being correct there was a new law introduced in Thailand half a year back where the amphoe needs the documents for a week to check for forgery before they can be used. The problem is by that time the affirmation would be invalid as I put May 2019 so it will expire before they can complete the checks as it would have expired. No information about this extra step on the internet and was not told this by Embassy or office in klong toey or anywhere else. I have wasted over 7000 baht in costs including hotels and transport for a useless pieces of paper. Saying it can be done in a day or even three is a joke. You now need at least a week and a half (I would allow two to be safe incase they decide to introduce more new rules but not tell you) because of this new amphoe rule. I will be phoning the British Embassy to complain and see if I can get a refund for giving me a document I could not use. I am upset, angry, annoyed and frustrated.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      This has been mentioned before if you look through comments section and here is a reply I gave : Seb says
      It is now becoming clear that nearly all Amphurs are having to implement the new ruling that any documents presented for a marriage ceremony HAVE to go back to Bangkok for verification. This is unfortunately due to the number of fake documents being used for sham marriages. Only Bang Rak, 8 marriages a day, and Don Muang are using the old system. So anyone planning to marry in Thailand must now factor this into the plans. Good luck.

      Apr 10, 2019 at 9:33 am
      Reply

      • Steve says

        So where are the contact details for don muang amphoe. the Wikipedia page is linking to an old archived page in Thai only. I want to phone them to make the booking in advance. I am not taking any more risks whatsoever like last time. The second I have the new documents from the ministry I will be headed straight there to register the marriage, the unofficial ceremony of which has already taken place.
        Reply

        • Seb says

          Have had a hunt on the internet for you and I think it is 02-565-9424. This is the address 999 Soi Choet Wutthakat 9/1, Khwaeng Don Mueang, Khet Don Mueang, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10210, Thailand. Give it a try and hope it is correct for you. Good luck.
          Reply

        • Baz M says

          Steve, sorry to hear all this. I'm due to flight out to Thailand in a few days. I have nearly 4 weeks to get this sorted. I will keep you posted how I get on, and everybody else following this. Appointment is booked at Embassy, after that, its fingers crossed and hope I'm a married man to my fantastic Thai fiance' before I leave.
          Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Steve, sorry to hear what happened. A few weeks back I wrote a follow up to Seb's comment about this happening to some people. Here is the summary of the situation I wrote then:1. This is an interim rule (not yet in the rulebook) and seemingly not one all amphurs are carrying out.2. This is for mixed Thai-foreign marriages. Foreign-foreign marriages, at least from western countries are unaffected.3. Not all amphurs are doing this, so try a different one if you encounter this.4. Those marrying at their partner's local amphur (in their town of birth) are not experiencing this issue.5. A "contribution" to the local amphur seems to be one way around this, in some situations.
      Reply

      • Steve says

        We tried two amphoes in Salon Nakhon where she was born and they both thought my documents were forgeries. The whole system is a (bleep) joke. I now have to fly back, pay for all the documents again and go through that procedure and spend two weeks to get this done before flying back to get an o visa and flying back again. It's stupid and I am still really pissed off this was not made clearer.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          The whole issue is unacceptable because this is not an official rule. There has been no press release or announcement of any kind. It seems very random too. I've heard from many people who have married in recent months who haven't experienced this, so it seems quite random. It is only affecting foreigners marrying Thais, not foreigners marrying foreigners. Keep us updated.
          Reply

          • Chrisd says

            I just had the same experience at Banglamung. Mine was even more difficult in that my fiancee's last husband passed away. They said before she is married she needs to take a translated copy of his death certificate to the amphur and get a new ID card. Then we need to go to the embassy again and get a new certificate(another 3000 b) then take it all back to be translated again and then to Bangkok to be certified. Then back to the Amphur and then they will send it to Bangkok again to be certified again. Then of course she has to take it to the amphur again and get a new ID card. If I had known all of this was going to happen I would have just married in Australia.
            Reply

  141. Steve says

    This is a good guide but a few things to note. The fee at Embassy 3250 baht with the certified passport too. Also on the form if you are not using an amphur in Bangkok you have to also write province at the end on the name of the province, despite what Wikipedia tells you and I had to re-type the form on their computer just because of this and not made clear on the instructions which just used Bangkok Metropolis as an example without province written at the end. I chose a translation service near the language school called itc, which was in the middle and seemed the largest of the three I found and wanted 1000 baht to do it in two hours after originally quoting 500 baht for four days!!!, but were also unsure if the translated the 4th part of one of the translations correctly, so I may need to go back if they have screwed it up. If so it means I have to go back to the translation center and then back again to klong toey before 1pm adding to transport costs and time spent. I went to klong toey mrt which was quick service, but there is also another 800 baht fee to get this part done. They also mentioned about the 4th part of the translation not making sense and mentioned there is a translation service upstairs but I have no further details, so there may also be a translation service at or near klong toey mrt now too which might be worth using over the ones near the language school that obviously do not know what to do or how to translate correctly. If I had known I would have got translations done at klong toey instead. The klong toey office is located near the supermarket and supercash near the back of the mrt and not the big Thai passport office. As another tip and a requirement to get a marriage visa, if you need to open a Thai bank account and only have a tourist visa you can also use the certified passport at Bangkok Bank to open a new account, and seems to be the only bank that will allow you to with just a tourist visa and this document, so the certified passport has two uses.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      One thing I would personally advise anyone is to use a translation service at whichever MFA office you are using for affirmation/passport documents. Then if there is a problem it will be far easier to sort than having the extra costs of having it all done again. Or going back to the original translation company which will involve time and more expense.
      Reply

    • Baz M says

      Hey Steve!!
      Thanks for the info. Regarding the Bangkok metropilis section of the Affirmation, we are planning on using an Amphur in Bangkok, as of yet we dont know which one as we dont want to book one yet until the paperwork is done. So is Bangkok Metropolis suffice as it is if we are using one in Bangkok or do we need an area/district in Bangkok also?
      Thanks in advance
      Reply

      • Steve says

        Just the province which would be Bangkok Metropolis but I would ask at British Embassy if you are unsure. They have two computers you can use to re-type the form and email it. They also have a water cooler to drink and toilets but not much else.
        Reply

  142. Rachael Beth Moss says

    Hi,

    I am British and my partner is Cuban. I know I can get an affidavit in the British embassy in Ho Chi Minh City (where we live) or in the embassy in Bangkok. However, it's more difficult for my partner as the Cuban government never make things easy. He already has the affidavit from Cuba. Can he get that stamped in the Cuban Embassy here or must it be in the Consulate of Bangkok.

    Not sure if you know the answer to this but if you do, it would be great to know. We are going to try and contact them to see if we can get the information directly from them. Thanks for your wonderful and detailed post.
    Reply

  143. Don says

    We just got married in Thailand.

    Many thanks to the for a great post on the process. We would like to share our experience to aid in others who wish to get married in Thailand.

    We are very experienced travelers and have spent time navigating a few bureaucratic processes for visas and extended stays in conjunction with difficult boarder crossings. So please take this into account as you read our short report and calibrate your review accordingly.

    Here are few things that we encountered after many days of research prior to coming to Thailand. Plan ahead and have all things in order and remember an error in your process or paperwork can set you back days and cost you more in - Taxi fairs, Accommodation and Meals.

    1. As you read the aforementioned report you will notice their are many offices to go to and get your paperwork processed and certified. None of these locations are near to each other and will take you 25-45 min to go to depending on traffic. Plan your day early.

    2. It is vital that you know your mother countries embassy hours, when they are open, holidays observed and Thailand Holidays, many embassies will honor both.

    3. If you need an appointment for your embassy paperwork try and do it all in one appointment if possible and be sure to have more then one method of payment just incase one of the two fails you have a back up.

    4. Be sure to check any possible Thai holidays that will overlap with your desired time frame. Plan for those in your timeline.

    6. From our experience you must have a certified copies of your affidavit to marry and certified copies of your passports both must me from your mother country. Without these in had all things will come to a halt.

    7. Like any government agency, don’t not count on anyone in Thailand picking up the phone when you call the numbers listed on their website and if you are lucky enough to get someone, their language skills outside of Thai will be rudimentary and best. It was to uncommon for us to never get an answer and when we did they hung up because we didn’t speak Thai.

    8. We became actually aware of the nuanced challenges of getting married in Thailand when we found out that there is no express services for Certified and Authenticated Documents Notarized at the Klong Toey MRT Station.

    9. Some of the Amphur / District offices have a limit on the number of marriages they can do in one day.

    10. The Amphur / District offices will require a translator as no one speaks English.

    After a full day of running around and dealing with a plethora of setbacks and confusion we went back to our translation office and hired them for their Thai Marriage package. This was a cost of $400. While it was outside of our forecasted budget and seemed a kings ransom when compared to our first cost analysis we can’t say how easy it was and painless.

    We recommend you get an agent to assist you. Don’t go what we went through trying to push a string.

    Here is the service that we used. We receive no benefit by sharing this outside of hoping that your process goes smoothly.

    EXPRESS TRANSLATION SERVICE & TRAVEL CO., LTD.
    866 Phloen Chit Rd, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330
    02 255 5421

    Agent referral: Jammarie
    Reply

    • Baz M says

      Don,
      Interesting advice there. Could you break down exactly what the €400 got you. It seems to me a rather excessive amount. Is this to get your affirmation translated and them getting it certified at the MFA for you. I'm assuming the other thing after that then needs translating is the Marriage certificate and also having that certified. How is the agency justifying two translations and a trip to the MFA when the original article says you can get a translation done for around 1000 ish baht. $400 is around 12000 baht. Sorry to come across a bit brutal but this seems extortinate. Thanks for any help you can divulge.
      Reply

    • chacha says

      Hi All, I have been monitoring news from this web and found it helpful, thank you for sharing this all. I am planning to register in Bangkok as well, as we are different religions and nationalities.

      As advised by Don, an Agent will be very helpful, especially since we both are not experienced travelers.
      Anybody can recommend me an Agent which can help us? Thanks bunch!
      Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      That's correct, unless you need to prepare divorce papers or your embassy in Bangkok requires some other paperwork from your home country. Always double check of there are any specific requirements for your country.
      Reply

  146. Andrew says

    Thank you for this comprehensive writeup.

    My fiancé and I have a slightly challenging situation. She is from Ecuador and I am from the USA. Ecuador no longer has an embassy in Thailand. She is able to bring an affidavit in Spanish from her home country, but there's no way to notarize it in Thailand by an Ecuadorian embassy.

    I should note that the nearest Ecuadorian embassy is in Kuala Lumpur and I received an email from them that they are now handling Ecuadorian consular affairs in Southeast Asia. However, I am not inclined to go to KL to get a document notarized there since such a document would not have a Thai notarization and might not be any more acceptable than a similar document from Ecuador.

    Do you have any insights?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      If your home country does not have an embassy in Thailand then you go to the closest country with an embassy. The affidavit from your GFs home country won't be accepted; it will have to be the nearest embassy. As the embassy stated, they are handling all SE Asia affairs. Annoying but that's how it works. Call them first though and clarify that if you come and get the document there it will be accepted by the MFA in Thailand.
      Reply

  148. Mike says

    A few points for any Aussies ... yesterday we got our copy of the new "Certificate of no impediment to marry" which replaces the old paperwork.
    My thai GF was required to show her passport, even though it says nothing about that on the info sheet, luckily she had brought it along.
    One section of the embassy website says your partner does not need to attend, but the info sheet says she does ...that is correct.
    Because this is a new format, many amphurs offices will not be familiar with the certificate of no impediment, so the embassy will give you a letter of explanation to show the district office....a nice touch.
    Your "usual address" has to be an Australian one, even if you usually live in Thailand !
    And if you are not familiar with the embassy location, do NOT believe the directions on Google maps ....that will take you to the back wall. From Ploenchit, go down Wireless road (Thanon Wittayu) and turn left just past the Japanese embassy, or from Sathorn turn right just before the Japanese embassy/after the Bangkok 1 construction site. There is a sign pointing to the embassy at the corner.
    There is usually a condo shuttle tuktuk parked at the Wireless road corner, they are always willing to earn a small tip by taking you to the embassy !
    Reply

  149. Jackie says

    Hi, I'm from United States and my fiancé is from Philippines. She has a work visa/permit to work in Thailand. And I only have the 30 day stamp in my passport. We want to get married in Thailand. Will we both need translations of our passports and her work visa into Thai language? And will we both need
    The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry (the original & the certified translation, plus copies of both)?
    Reply

  150. Helvin says

    Hi there, may I know after receiving the affirmation letter from my embassy, can I do the translation and stamps at Chiang Mai? Because I know there is a mfa legalized section there... Thanks for the answer
    Reply

  151. carries says

    Ｈｅｌｌｏ，　Ｉ　ａｍ　ａ　Ｂｒｉｔｉｓｈ　ｎａｔｉｏｎａｌ　ｌｉｖｉｎｇ　ｉｎ　Ｃｈｉｎａ　ａｎｄ　ｗａｓ　ｗｏｎｄｅｒｉｎｇ　ｉｆ　Ｉ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｂｅ　ａｂｌｅ　ｔｏ　ｏｂｔａｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｒｅｅｄｏｍ　ｔｏ　ｍａｒｒｙ　ｄｏｃｕｍｅｎｔ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｒｉｔｉｓｈ　ｃｏｎｓｕｌａｔｅ　ｉｎ　Ｃｈｉｎａ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅｎ　ｔｒａｎｓｌａｔｅ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｎ　Ｔｈａｉｌａｎｄ．Ｔｈｉｓ　ｗｏｕｌｄ　ｓａｖｅ　ｍｅ　ａｂｉｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｉｍｅ．　
    Reply

  152. Hyang says

    I'm a US citizen & my fiancé is a Thai national. I was married & divorced previously and my divorce decree is about 35 pages long. Do I need to get this document translated to Thai as well or is the translation only required for the Affirmation and US Passport? Please advise. Thank you.
    Reply

  153. Hyang says

    I'M a citizen and my fiancé is a Thai National. I was married & divorced previously. My divorce decree is about 35 pages long, do I need to have the decree translated to Thai or just my passport and Affirmation to Marry?
    Reply

      • Mike says

        I believe it is at the Klong Toey MRT station. In fact, there are a number of other options in the provinces also now. From memory, Chiang Mai, Songkhla, and Ubon Ratchathani.
        The Australian embassy has an info sheet online with the exact contact details.
        These might be an option for people from upcountry with limited time in Bangkok.
        Reply

      • Stephen Perry says

        Yes it's with the Khlong Toey train station.. new passport office there as well ..very good.. I was in and out within 5 minutes ..fantastic 2 day service if not Express.. having done both this place is far far better cook has nice Cafe toilets all clean and air con as part of underground train station
        Reply

        • Baz M says

          Hi Steve,
          So can we use this place as an alternative for Affirmation authentication and then Marriage certificate Authentication. I'm getting married in June over there and am wanting to be in and out without the need for anything getting posted in the mail as we are on a bit of a tight schedule. Thanks in advance.
          Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          I was aware of the passport office but didn't know they did the marriage registration too. I'll add the address to the post. Did you need to pre-book online? The passport office there has an online reservation service.
          Reply

          • Stephen Perry says

            No just turn up .
            Cant stress how efficient and quick the service is at Khlon Toei. I got some photos of the place if you can give me a way of getting them to you. I dropped off docs and picked them up 2 days later ...quick and easy it was the translation shop who told me about this place .. I had no idea before must be very new I reckon
            Reply

            • TheThailandLife says

              That would be great. pls email them to info [at] thethailandlife .com . I wonder if it will stay long term. There are a number of what they call pop-up passport offices dotted around the country - to deal with the demand - and Klong Toei is one; though that has been running for a solid 5 months or more.
              Reply

            • Claire says

              Hi My Partner and I are getting married in Thailand in April next year so I’ve been keeping a close eye on the updates on here. Although we would really love to be legally married over in Thailand, I was starting to wonder whether it would be easier to do the legal part at home as we didn’t want to stay in Bangkok for as long as it seemed to be taking. The fact that there is another option for doing it over there is music to my ears. We were planning on landing in Bangkok Sunday, going to the British embassy and translation on Monday morning and then trying to get the Ministry of Foreign Affairs done on the same day. The goal is to be able to fly out on the Wednesday (late morning / lunch time at the latest). Do you think this is now possible?
              Reply

              • James E says

                The rule of thumb is that it is always easier to do anything (that involves a bureaucracy) almost anyplace other than Thailand. In your schedule you need to allow room to get the certified translations dropped, done, and collected; if even one word is wrong you have to go back and get it done over. You have to make sure your among the few couples married at the office you choose - there is no Plan B as if you don't make the cut all the other offices will be full too. Plus you'll be in a rush which will be sensed by all and sundry. Being in a rush around bureaucrats is like blood in the water to sharks. Do it at home, take your short break to Thailand as a honeymoon.
                Reply

              • Mike says

                Don't forget to allow for the public holidays in April. Chakri Day, then the country usually shuts up shop for at least 5 days for Songkran as many small businesses will take an extra day before and/or after the official holidays
                Reply

  156. Will says

    Hi, does anybody know if there is an expiry date for the affirmations? On my British affirmation i had to state the date of marriage within 3 months. My partners affirmation(argentinian) has no date. She has had it for almost 1 year. We just need to get them legalized at the MFA.
    Reply

  157. Colin Sare-Soar says

    One other question:
    You mention visas and getting them authenticated. I won't have a visa as such, just an arrival stamp valid for 1 month. My Vietnamese Fiancee doesn't need a visa either and will just have a 1 month entry stamp the same as I will.
    Is this what you mean?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You don't need to have a visa authenticated. You will enter on an exemption stamp, which gives you 30 days on arrival. Do check with the Vietnamese embassy, or search these comments for the experiences of others, as there may be specific requirements for Vietnamese nationals.
      Reply

  158. Colin Sare-Soar says

    Hi,
    I have a couple of questions:
    Your excellent article explains most things very well. I plan to marry my Vietnamese fiancee next month in Bangkok. I assume that we go to our separate embassies and each get our affidavits etc. done so that won't incur any time penalty?
    Where do we get an official translations of the marriage certificate? We will need 2 translations, 1 English and the other Vietnamese.
    Reply

  159. John says

    Excellent article, we just completed our marriage certificates and are now officially wed! The steps listed really helped to make the process as smooth as could be expected! Just a quick enquiry regarding the translation back to English (UK). The last paragraph states British nationals no longer need to file the marriage certificate back in the UK - does that mean that translating back to English is not necessary? Many thanks in advance.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Great to hear you got it all done smoothly. You should definitely get a translated marriage certificate as you may need it in the future for visa or legal formalities. However, you do not need to register your marriage in the UK, as it is automatically recognised in UK law.
      Reply

      • Baz says

        Hi,
        Can I just jump in on this and ask at what stage you are at for it to take 3.5 weeks? Are you waiting for your affirmation to get authenticated and they've sent them back to Bangkok? Or are you already officially married now and you are getting the Marriage certificates authenticated?
        Would be good to know this as that is sending alarm bells ringing in my head!! As I want to get the whole process done in no more than 2 weeks so I can get my wife to be through the door of VFS global for her settlement Visa app before I leave there. (I'm there for a month by the way) just want the marriage stuff wrapped up in a fortnight.
        Cheers
        Reply

  160. Saleem says

    I was met a Thai lady on Facebook 2 years ago, now we are love each other and thinking about marriage. She wants to come marry in Pakistan and I know all about marriage in Pakistan process . But I want know about how can I go with my wife to Thailand and live in Thailand. Any one have details please share with me please. I am confused.
    Reply

      • Aly says

        That’s a relief. We have trouble getting the affidavit to marry in Swedish embassy hence delaying the paper work. We might have less than 10 days left to do the other stuff.

        I have few clarifications:

        1. Also, does the passport translation into Thai still a requirement if both couple is foreigner?

        2. It’s not clear how one can certifies his/her passport by the embassy. Is it a piece of paper we have to attach to our passports then translated to Thai?
        Reply

  162. Lauren says

    Your article is very informative, however I am still very very confused regarding the marriage process. We have booked our wedding in Koh samui for the 7th Feb 2020, although our wedding organiser has tried to put us off obtaining a legal marriage and just doing it back here in England. We have decided to go to Bangkok ourselves to sort this out due to us not wanting to travel so far for it not to be legal. If we arrive in Bangkok on the 31st Jan (Friday - I am aware nothing will get sorted over the weekend) and get an appointment at the British embassy at 9.30-10am that day, sort out the translations and go to the MFA, will we have all our documents back by Wednesday 5th evening? Also we are aware we need to organise our ceremony with the Amphur in Koh samui, do we need to travel back to Bangkok afterwards? Will the wedding be legal after the ceremony?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      It would be much easier to do this in the UK, as it's simply a matter of going to a registry office. That's why the organiser has put you off. I can't guarantee that things will run that smoothly....but you should get everything back from the MFA within 72 hours but if you are doing the embassy and the MFA in one day I'd advise going to the MFA to get your translations done. It will cost a bit more but you can use one of the services on the ground floor.You will then need to book an appointment at an Amphur in Koh Samui to register the marriage after your ceremony. Can the wedding organiser not arrange for a representative from the Amphur to attend the ceremony and do the signing there?
      Reply

      • Seb says

        It is now becoming clear that nearly all Amphurs are having to implement the new ruling that any documents presented for a marriage ceremony HAVE to go back to Bangkok for verification. This is unfortunately due to the number of fake documents being used for sham marriages. Only Bang Rak, 8 marriages a day, and Don Muang are using the old system. So anyone planning to marry in Thailand must now factor this into the plans. Good luck.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          I have been looking into this over the last couple of days and here's the deal:1. This is an interim rule (not yet in the rulebook) and seemingly not one all amphurs are carrying out. 2. This is for mixed Thai-foreign marriages. Foreign-foreign marriages, at least from western countries are unaffected. 3. Not all amphurs are doing this, so try a different one if you encounter this. 4. Those marrying at their partner's local amphur (in their town of birth) are not experiencing this issue. 5. A "contribution" to the local amphur seems to be one way around this, in some situations.
          Reply

          • Seb says

            TheThailandLife is absolutely correct on all points. 4 is especially right as this is exactly what I did last Dec in Bang Saphan Noi. Everyone knows everyone and this makes a huge difference. Good luck to all those couples in the future looking to get married in Thailand.
            Reply

    • James E says

      Some friends of mine did this: They invited everyone up for a wedding and reception. Had a moving ceremony, a great reception, witnesses signing books, congratulatory toasts, everything except - they were already married having done so completely in secret the week before. Unless there's an absolute reason why you must do so (like one of you is Thai) I'd suggest avoiding the Thai bureaucracy if at all possible. Hire a couple of people off the street in the UK to act as witnesses, get married, fly to Thailand and then get married again.
      Reply

  163. Snow says

    Hi all,

    After getting married does anyone know the full process for getting the certificate translated and legalised at the MFA?

    This is so it can be used for proof of marriage outside of Thailand & change of name on passport etc.

    I’ve read a variety of conflicting things and thought people here would be best to ask.

    I am currently in Thailand so can do it in Bangkok.

    Thanks
    Reply

    • Bryan Digby says

      We have tried to get married in Fiji where we are now. I am from UK my fiancée is Thai.
      Impossible for UK resident to get married in Fiji. Uk government do not issue affirmations of single status for use in British Commonwealth countries. The Fiji High commision are unable and not capable of issuing affirmations.
      These alternative are the only one’s acceptable by the Fijian Ministry of Justice to enable them issue a marriage license to a UK resident. We even arranged for a Fijian law practise to draw up a declaration of single status and witnessed by a local Fijian JP. This was declined.
      We now intend getting married in Thailand.
      When I return to UK shortly I intend applying for the required affirmation to get married in Thailand. When I return to Thailand can I by pass the visit to the British Embassy and go directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
      Reply

  164. binneey says

    hello,

    my case is a little different but at the moment it is crucial. I got married in HuaHin Thailand in July 2018. I am from India and my husband is from USA. We did not register the marriage at that time and now we wish to as wee need a marriage certificate urgently for my visa process. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to get it registered now without having to travel to Thailand, while we both are in USA.
    We have a letter from the Hua Hin hotel stating we did a three days wedding ceremonies and a letter from our event planners too.

    would appreciate any help on this matter. thanks
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi, you should have been issued with a marriage certificate by a registrar. It sounds to me like you had some sort of wedding package arranged by an event planner. Usually in such cases the local registrar from the district office comes along and has you sign the documents at the end of the ceremony. You are then issued with a marriage certificate. In some cases, you are required to go to the district office the following day or the day after to get your certificate. This is something that should have been arranged by the hotel offering the wedding package and in conjunction with your event planner. If no certificate was issued, then you did not register the marriage and therefore are not legally married; you only had a wedding ceremony. If you want to get a marriage certificate in Thailand then you will have to return to Thailand and go through the proper steps as set out in the post above.
      Reply

  165. Lady Cher says

    Hi everyone, I have an important question. I am Filipino citizen and my partner is British citizen. We both presently live in Philippines and we plan to have our union registered and I thought doing it in Thailand is a great idea! He is divorced and I never been married! My question is, can we get our affirmation in his Embassy here in Philippines and bring it there, would it be accepted in Bangkok MFA? anyhow upon asking this I may have to call the embassy here myself. I just thought it would lessen the hassle. I would appreciate your view to this!!! Thanks!
    Reply

  166. Baz M says

    Hi guys,
    Really good article there.....however still a little unclear on a few things due to conflicting comments haha
    1. I'm British and my girlfriend of 2 years is Thai. I'm planning on visiting Thailand in June for 3 weeks. Is this long enough to go through all the paperwork and the ceremony whilst in Thailand?
    2. Am I right in thinking the Amphur is the equivalent of us getting married in a registration office back here in the UK?
    3. Her parents have agreed that I don't need to pay a dowry for the wedding, but I don't want to get married in an office and want it to at least be romantic with her immediate family there, at a relatively small budget. I've spent a small fortune on flights and visas for her to visit me in Europe and the UK hence why her parents have waivered the dowry. Any recent venues, locations experiences would be greatly appreciated?

    Thanks in advance
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      1. Yes. 2. Yes. It's a district office. There is one in every borough. 3. Usually a wedding takes place in the bride's hometown. Depending on where that is, venues are relatively inexpensive. Some people save on money and have a party at home or in a local school or other venue, while others prefer a hotel. It can cost anything from 50k Baht to 500k Baht+; it all depends on what you want and the number of guests.All the best.
      Reply

    • john says

      Book an appointment online at the UK embassy,
      They will send you an email confirmation of your appointment.
      They will also send an email one week before your appointment so you can pay your embassy fees online.
      I booked into the hotel nantra for five days..round the corner from the UK embassy.
      Inside they have two computers and the affirmation template are set up incase yours is incorrect. (No USB ports available)
      So off to MFA .
      Picked up after 3 days.
      (Now this is where you might have a problem)
      Some amphor in Thailand send all your documents back to Bangkok MFA for verification.
      The reason being...Indian gang's have been forging the MFA papers.
      My advice is to speak with one of the Thai people outside the embassy selling the wedding package ,you can haggle the price,they can get you married within a week.
      Reply

      • Baz says

        Thanks John,
        Really good advice there.
        Do you think it's worth getting in touch with my girlfriends local Amphor office to find out if they send them back. I'm under the impression if we get married at her local office it is far easier to get her name changed for her new ID at her local district office. I want to do the application process with her new name. However if they are going to send the documents back I'd rather do it all in Bangkok, new ID card and passport, saves unnecessary travel back and forth and wasted time.
        Reply

        • Seb says

          In a word, yes. I did the same at my local amphur and my wife then changed her ID card at the same time as she has taken my surname.
          We never had to jump through this new hoop as we got married in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province where my wife and her family are well known.
          Might make a difference if going to your girlfriend's Office where they should know her family.
          Reply

  167. Dave says

    Hi, I am American and my girlfriend is Japanese. We met here and want to marry here then return to Japan when her contract ends. Does anyone have the experience of marrying a non Thai here as well as a citizen not from your country? I am guessing after we get the documents to have a wedding from our perspective consulates and have the wedding we would need to make it an official document then deal with making it legal in the eyes of our own countries when we arrive there...... Any advice or similar experience would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Exactly as you presumed. Depending on state law in your hometown the marriage certificate might need to be filed there. The embassy states:Most states recognize the validity of legal marriages registered in Thailand. If you would like to register your marriage in the United States, you must contact the Attorney General in your state of residence to inquire about their specific documentary requirements.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      TheThailandLife is not sure of this requirement and I never had any problems in Dec. Mind you I did use my local Amphur in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. I would advise people to check what their Amphur of choice is requiring before booking a marriage ceremony. Have a look around as this may only be pertinent to some offices for some reason, especially in Bangkok.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      Backing up the comments from TheThailandLife but it is a more complicated process. It is easier to get an extension based on retirement especially if you can easily meet the financial requirements. The best is to keep THB 800k in your account as you know.
      The extension of stay based on marriage does have a lower financial requirement but involves 2 visits to Immigration as there is a month of consideration. Many photos of you and your wife inside different rooms in the house and outside. First time of applying will probably need a witness to confirm all your details, mother-in-law, as well as marriage certificates, Kor 2 and Kor 3. And everything has to be duplicated again. Many hoops to jump through.
      Most Immigration Officers would prefer the retirement route as it is easier for them and personally, if you can afford it, stay with it. I am.
      Reply

  170. Leonard Levine says

    Bad news. Last year, when you both bring the required douments and witnesses to the Banglamung 'Amphur, your can get your marriage certified the same day. This year, beginning in January, the game has changed. We came to the Amphur on February 18th, all documents were correct and sufficient, but they were then sent to Bangkok. We were advised they could return in a week, a few weeks, a mnth - who knows? So we are waiting and this is affecting my GF's visa to the u.s., since we cannot apply for a CR-1(married ) visa until we show we're married. Another layer of bureaucracy - just what we needed. If anyone has a way to shorten this wait, please let me know. We don't even know which department,office,ministry our documents went to....
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Leonard, to clarify: why did you go there last year and not get married? Or are you saying you tried to use the same documents you obtained last year and they have sent them away to be verified. This is certainly not standard practice so I'm wondering if there is something you've done differently here. I haven't received any other comments or messages regarding this. Have you tried a different district office?
      Reply

      • john says

        Just been told by Amphur in Trad.
        I have all the documents from Bangkok ....but can not make an appointment to marry...because they have to sent them all to Bangkok to verify..same here...not know days, weeks or months for paper work to come back. Please could someone check and update the process above .
        Reply

          • Nate says

            There is a new layer of bureaucracy. After documents are certified by the MFA, the Amphur will then send those same documents back to the place they were certified to verify them. This takes anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months.
            Reply

                • TheThailandLife says

                  It seems this may be some sort of new requirement for foreign nationals marrying Thai nationals, though I have not seen a press release or statement on this and only two confirmed reports thus far. For now I'd try a different district office. Please report back and let me know what you encounter.
                  Reply

              • Dean says

                I have just booked my appointment at UK embassy today to get letter of affirmation...there is/was only one slot/date available for at least 6 months on the gov.uk website - very strange. Anyway, I'm (hoping to be) marrying my Thai fiance, was wondering if we get our marriage certified in Bangkok after we get the doc's back, do you think we can circumvent the above mentioned new layer of bureaucracy???
                Reply

                • TheThailandLife says

                  Slots are released weekly (usually Monday/Tuesday) and once gone the site will show that no appointments are available for a long time; everyone is always alarmed by this. I'm still waiting for official confirmed reports on whether this is a new requirement for foreigners marrying Thai nationals or if it's region/district office-specifc
                  Reply

                  • Dean says

                    I have found another forum that advised of the appointment times only becoming available for two weeks in advance, however, I managed to book a slot on May 10th (nearly two months away) so I suggest people keep logging on daily to see what pops up if they are in a hurry...luckily I'm not...hopefully this 'new requirement' is just a one (two) off as it just seems absurd and I'd rather get my doc's sent to Chiang Mai to get our marriage certified there, rather than stay in BKK for a few days to get it done there.
                    PS. Thanks for the reply - good info on this page!
                    Reply

                    • Colin Sare-Soar says

                      Here's an update on the appointment situation:
                      I looked on Sunday (14th April) as I wanted to book an appointment for early May. The site showed no appointments available until the 16th and only on that day. The next appointment was in June!
                      Due to the holidays, I had to wait until today to be able to ring the embassy to check.
                      A very helpful lady told me the process and said the earliest appointment was the 7th May which is perfect for me.
                      One thing to be aware of is that the appointment is for 1 document only. Therefore, if you need 2 documents, i.e. the affirmation and passport copy, you need to make 2 appointments.
                      I was fortunate in that I got appointments that follow on.
                      There are plenty of dates available but ONLY on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
                      I hope this helps.

  171. Reena says

    HI Good morning and Good Day.

    I'm a Hindu and my girlfriend is a Indian muslim. we are both Malaysian and im working in phuket now, we would like to get married in Thailand and settle down in Thailand. How do we legalize our marriage in Thailand without convert?
    can we get an agent to guide and help on this process?

    kindly I need a info/advice regarding this marriage process ASAP.


    Thank You.
    Reply

  172. Sarah says

    My partner and I have got all our documents ourselves, but are finding it difficult to find a district office which deals with foreigners. We're Australian/British living in Wattana. I've heard Bang Rak is a bit of a scam and pain to use now.
    Anyone had recent luck elsewhere? Does anywhere still provide witnesses or a translator?
    Reply

  173. Majo says

    Hi Guys! Im a Filipino citizen legally divorce in UK from my ex husband in the Philippines. Im not sure if i can get Affirmation of Freedom to get married in Thailand from our Embassy there as by law divorce is illegal in the Phils. Im planning to have a civil wedding there with my British Fiancé. Is it possible? Thanks!
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Just been having a look on the Internet to see what can be done to help your situation and found this: Where a marriage between a Filipino citizen and a foreigner is validly celebrated and a divorce is thereafter validly obtained abroad by the alien spouse capacitating him or her to remarry, the Filipino spouse shall have capacity to remarry under Philippine law.
      Based on this the Filipino Citizen may now apply to have the foreign divorce validated by the courts of the Philippines and may marry again. To do this, the petitioner must show that the divorce was obtained in conformity of the foreign laws of the country of the foreign citizen.

      So it does look like you would be able to do this to get the necessary paperwork completed but it would, by looks of it, need you to go to the Philippines to do it. Or maybe a visit to your Embassy in Bangkok will help by seeing what they say.
      Reply

  175. EDWARD D CREIGHTON says

    I will next be in Chiang Mai Thursday March 28 and leave Sunday April 7.
    My girlfriend will visit the Chinese Consulate on Friday March 29 to apply for a tourist visa to visit me in Shanghai. She can collect the visa on Monday April 1 after 3 pm.

    Do I have enough time to go through the procedures in Bangkok between Tuesday April 2 and Friday April 5?

    So Tuesday April 2 I can do Step 1. I also need to get a certificate from the UK Embassy which will allow me to open a Thai Bank Account.

    Wednesday April 3 Step 2? Is there enough time to begin Step 3 and have the documents guaranteed to be given back on the Friday?

    Or should I wait until the end of July? I can spend Monday July 29 – Friday August 2 in Bangkok.

    Many thanks.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      If you got an appointment on Tuesday morning at the UK embassy and then got your translations immediately afterwards you could go to the MFA on the same day and collect the documents on Thursday or Friday. I'm not sure you'll have time to do the marriage though, unless the docs come back Thursday and you get an appointment at a district office on the Friday. Or you get the documents back Friday morning and get an appointment for the afternoon.
      Reply

  176. Walter says

    We had all documents ready
    Approved but when we when to marry the cue was full
    They had told my Thai girlfriend they don’t make appointment
    Which offices marry foreigner
    I’m from USA she is Thai
    And can you provide an agent that can help us
    Thank you
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      If you do a search through the comments using the comment search function – using keywords like 'amphur' district office' office' etc., – this should bring up the experiences of other readers and the district offices they have used.The majority of district offices now only marry a certain number of couples per day, generally four in the morning four the afternoon. However, it may be different outside of the big cities because they generally won't be as busy.If you are using a district office that doesn't require you to have an appointment, I suggest you get there very early in the morning.Are you in Bangkok? If so, you might choose to try Huay Kwang district office. I registered my marriage here a long time ago without an appointment and with very little hassle. We used two Thai witnesses, friends of my wife. However, we were residing in this area at the time, which may be a requirement for some of the smaller, not so well known district offices. Have you tried calling Bangrak? This was once a popular place for foreign nationals to tie the knot.
      Reply

  178. Matt says

    Hi

    We are getting married next year (both British). We are getting married in Phuket on a Tuesday and plan on being in Phuket for about 5-7 days before the marriage to see friends and family. Are we able to sort out these legalities over 5-7 days in advance so we can relax in phuket for 5-7 days before our wedding ceremony. We plan on getting the registra to our actual wedding day. Ideally we would go to Bangkok the previous Monday, get the legal docs by the Wednesday and then head to Phuket ready for the wedding the following Tuesday.

    Many thanks
    Matt
    Reply

  181. Graham Dietrich says

    Very interesting, a good report and very helpful. Thank you for doing this. What papers does a Thai lady need to marry an English guy? She has been married before to a Thai man and has her divorce papers.Graham
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Yes. Go in the main doors, top of the stairs and right in front of you is a translation and, if you want, an agent service. Best to do everything there in case anything is incorrect, then no problems getting them to rectify. Very good and as I also let them do all the work and posted back to my home address, well worth the money.
      Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      For documents you mean? A number of people have. Search in the comments using the search function and you'll find some comments about this. It's a bit more expensive that outside of the MFA but it's convenient. I haven't personally used a service there.
      Reply

      • Walter says

        I arrive back to Bkk until March
        Is there an expiration on any of the documents we have
        On the stamp
        Do I have to go back to the embassy get a new documents approved from the embassy
        Translate again and present again to get approved
        Or can we use what we have now
        It will be more than a month
        And I’m wondering with the visa since it will be a new one
        Thanks
        Reply

  183. Gfarang says

    All seems like a bit of a pain doing it yourself. Im not short of money and you only get married once (well i certainly will be thats for sure lol) so i wouldnt mind having an agent do all this mumbo jumbo for me while i chill in bangkok. Anyone got any good recommendations?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      An agent can help to a degree, but you'll still need to go to your embassy, the MFA, and the district office to get married. I don't have a recommendation but if you use the comments search function you might find someone who has left one.
      Reply

      • Seb says

        I agree with TheThailandLife that really it is not hard to do yourself. As long as you have access to the Internet then it is easy to find the Affirmation of Marriage. Follow the instructions from the Gov.UK website to complete. Whilst doing this make an appointment for the Embassy, online, as well. From then on it is very easy. Takes 1 day for the Embassy, with an early appointment and MFA. Then return when told by them a couple of days later to collect the documents. Meanwhile you can be looking for a venue for the wedding. Advice for that is on this page.
        Reply

      • Somchit Srimoon says

        Sorry, Thailandlife if they use an agent they do not need to go to the Thai MFA.

        That may not be much to expats and people who live in Bangkok, but if you live in Phuket or Koh Samui. It will reduce hotel costs and wasted time in Thai government offices. It means half a morning at their embassy for most nationalities, then off to the beach or upcountry for many couples and destination wedding couples.
        Reply

        • David says

          Didn't go to the MFA either. Affirmation of marriage at Canadian Embassy in BKK. Exited back of building, and moto taxi to a translation service, gave them Power of Attorney and some Thai baht and they were able to get the required MFA stamp. Documents were mailed to our village outside Udon Thani. Eventually registered our marriage at a local Amphur.
          Reply

  185. Martin says

    Hello. I spent 2 months in Thailand and fell in love with a Thai girl. We would like to be together and married in Thailand. I understood you also need to show 400,000 bht in your bank account to be able to be married and stay in Thailand, is this correct? If correct then do you need it only initially or every time you renew your stay? If you could help I would so appreciate it. Thank you!!
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      If you get married you can get a Non-Immigrant O visa based on marriage. This will allow you to do an extension of stay. This extension will enable you to stay for a year, with 90-day reporting required (every 90 days). The financial requirement of 400k in a Thai bank for 60 days prior to applying for the extension is required for subsequent extensions.You can also go down the income route of proving an income of 40k baht per month.
      Reply

  187. Aaron says

    If anyone has successfully done this in 2019 it would be great to hear your experience. If u was to stay in Thailand for around 5 days would that be long enough to get the process finished? Im british and my fiance Indonesian.
    Thanks
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      It's possible if you have your appointments at your respective embassies on the same day, and get your translations done on the same day. Go to the MFA on day 2. Pick up your documents on day 4 and marry at a district office that afternoon or the following day (day 5). It would be advisable to book in to stay the weekend too. You should book an appointment at a district office in advance as most now only marry a certain number of couples per day.
      Reply

  188. john says

    Hello.
    Do we have to make TWO appointments at the UK embassy.

    1. Certified copy of passport.

    2. Affirmation to marry.

    I've booked for affirmation to marry,can they certify passport at the same time.
    I ask because on the gov website it's asking to make an appointment for certified copies.
    If that the case ...these appointments could be days apart.
    Reply

  190. Snow says

    Hi all,
    Does anyone know the process / best place to get the marriage certificate officially translated from Thai to English. We’re British and need it for showing proof of marriage for a variety of things outside of Thailand. I’m currently living in Bangkok so can do cheaper / longer option in if needed.
    Thanks
    Reply

    • Chris Verhoeven says

      I got married with my Thai wife back in 2013. I'm from the Netherlands by the way, and we got our papers translated right at the ministry of Foreign Affairs.

      There below were a lot of translators who can do it for you on the spot. You can also go eat there. My wife and I were having lunch while those people translated everything for us and if I'm not mistaken, it costs us only 200 baht a page.

      When we finished our lunch, our documents were ready and we could go upstairs and wait to file in our documents for the official stamps.

      The official stamps costs I believe 2 days before you can go and pick them back up.

      I hope this helps.

      Chris
      Reply

  191. Kendra says

    Does anyone have any information about registering a marriage in Thailand as an Iranian national? I'm American, my fiance is Iranian. We live in Malaysia, but would be forced to have only a religious marriage in Malaysia. We would like a civil document.... hence Thailand. We are looking for anyone with firsthand experience dealing with the Iranian embassy in Bangkok for this matter. Thanks.
    Reply

    • Seb says

      I am going to say yes, the British Embassy will make checks. Does not take 2 minutes as they have your name and passport along with your Affirmation of Marriage. And you have to "swear" that all the details are correct so not worth get caught out.
      MFA rely on the documents you present from the Embassy.
      Reply

  194. Smarsh says

    Hello,

    Myself and partner will be getting married in Thailand this year. We are waiting for an appointments to come avaiae to book at the British embassy for the first step. Few questions:

    Can we make an appointment at the Thai Ministory of Foreign Affairs? Or will we be seen quite easily? I.e. they don’t have a cap on how many couples they will see per day?

    Can we get our affirmation of marriage and passports translated into Thai before we have had the english version authorises by the British Embassy? (This might speed up the process)

    We have 4 full working days to get this all done will this be enough time?

    Thank you for all you help.
    S
    Reply

    • Seb says

      Firstly, you do not need/ cannot book an appointment at the MFA.

      Secondly you must go to the British Embassy with an appointment before you do translating. This will ensure the documents are filled in correctly.

      I would advise you to go to the MFA after a morning appointment at the Embassy and do the translating there. (Any problems can be easily sorted.) 2nd floor, top of stairs and some good agents are there in front of you.

      You will not get the documents back from MFA normally for 2 days. That means 2 trips there I am afraid.

      Details above from The ThailandLife.
      Reply

    • Harry says

      Hi gang, my wife and I tried in Bangkok last week. It was hell to find an office with people available to sign off the marriage. Bangrak was a sham. See my notes below. We went to almost every amphur in Bangkok, some would marry is but they had no chief available to sign off.

      Note for UK....the affirmation if you are divorced has to include the salary you have each month and the amount you pay for child support. Witness ID passport for a Farango and ID card for Thai lady friend.

      The MFA at C W... we used the second floor, top of escalator translation office, express. They translated and presented to MFA, collected and called me to collect three days later. Saving time and effort but an extra cost of 700.

      We returned to Samui unmarried. Not happy. Monday we went to Samui Nathon office, walked in nd was married in less than 30mins. No interpreter, just witnesses and a cost of 240 baht. Bargain.
      Reply

  196. Leonard Levine says

    I cannot find my post or a reply to my earlier post about the ID requirements for witnesses. I know the Thai witness must have an ID and his/her house number. Since the second witness is an expat, he has a Thai driver's license and the ownership papers for a condo he purchased in Thailand. Are those sufficient?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Leonard, comments have to be approved first before going public so there is a time delay, that's why you didn't see your comment show up immediately.I would assume that to be sufficient, but do check with the Amphur (district office) on their requirements, because as you'll see from recent comments requirements can vary depending on the office. Thai nationals certainly do need an ID card to be a witness.1. Some offices will supply witnesses for a fee, or an extra one if you need one for a token palm grease. (this seems to still be the case upcountry but not so much in Bangkok) 2. Some offices may only accept Thai nationals as witnesses (seems to generally be the case if you are marrying a Thai national) 3. Some offices may only accept family members as witnesses (seems a tad over the top)
      Reply

  197. Jaap says

    Great post! I am wandering; how many days should we calculate to finish the whole process? A week or so? It looks like booking the Amphur is the hardest part. Is this something you can arrange in advance or an agent can do for you? Do you know a reliable agent?

    Cheers,

    Jaap
    Reply

    • Bruce Boivin says

      My wife and I ( now finally married ) just walked in and it was done - took a couple of hours but that was because we were waiting for the Chief to drop by and sign the marriage certificate. We did the process in Bueng Khla District office - slow and small office. We were also not charged a dime.
      Reply

  198. Joe says

    I reached the amphur part of the process. Bangrak is booked through the new year. They do 3 scheduled, 5 walk-in per day. We arrived around 7:30am, multiple couples had been there since 11pm the night before! We were couple 15 or so, so expect to spend the night if you want Bang rak. So tried Phaya Thai and ratchathewi, both require interpreter and 2 witnesses. Anyone fair better elsewhere?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Oh my, the amount of people getting married in this city is insane. You could try Huay Kwang. We registered there (many years ago) and managed to do it within an hour of walking in, if I remember correctly. We used two of my wife's friends as witnesses.
      Reply

    • Harry says

      Hi. Agreed, Bang Rak is not that helpful or useful anymore.

      We did all this week, entered at 8-15 and faced the same. We also learnt that a Thai couple provide someone to que and she inteeprets, all for 4500 baht.

      Approached ten others, all had no mayor available to sign off, due to restructuring.

      Also....Bangrak need more info on your affirmation than the UK embassy state in their template. Lots and all show stoppers.

      Its a sham. Some want one thing, others different things.

      I live in Samui, it was an expensive non marry process. Luckily, i have been livingbwith my wife on samui many years, we have a business etc. We can go there Monday with no problems. At this stage anyhiw all looks sweet.

      It needs to be widely told Bang Rak is no longer in favour of farangs. They had their day.

      Fobbed off with a very unhelpful smirk.

      All.incl MFA in this guide works. After that????????
      Reply

      • Joe says

        We shopped around yesterday to close to twenty agencies for an amphur interpreter (quotes from 4-12 thousand baht). It's clear that they pre-book and essentially scalp amphur appointments. The only honest agency that quoted 2000 spent two hours calling on our behalf until they gave up in frustration. Some amphurs are booked through February. We settled on an agency for 4000 (interpreter and 2 witnesses) with an appointment confirmed within 2 minutes for Monday.
        Reply

          • Joe says

            Well, the 4000 baht an agency wanted turned out to not be a large enough scam. They wanted another 3000 in an envelope (amount made up on the spot) for the amphur. You would think that would be part of their fee. We turned them down. So still not married. I can't understand Thai style haggling yet. It doesn't seem to exist. I keep receiving ridiculous quotes without any attempt at bartering. Now the honest agency which doesn't have magical money greasing hands is Siam Translation. The appointment can't be last minute though.
            Reply

            • Joe says

              I managed to get married by staying up all night at Bangrak. They ended up allowing the translator to be a witness, and another man getting married volunteered to be the other. There were a few odd demands: for example we had to show our receipts from the embassy! Luckily we had them, but don't throw out anything! Going through this as a foreigner/foreigner couple I would recommend not marrying in Thailand right now unless you have some extended time you want to spend painfully. Total 9 days for us, mostly because of amphur availability issues.
              Reply

              • Seb says

                Glad to see you eventually got married. Congratulations. I think the problem is the number of people who wish to get married and the majority will be in Bangkok. Get into the countryside and it is a different matter. I got married in my local amphur on Dec 4th with none of these problems. The man doing our "marriage" was one of our witnesses along with the bride's mother. We had checked beforehand on exactly which documents he would want as it does change from amphur to amphur. 60 baht for the certificates was my costs. So my advice is to look around well before choosing where to get married and look for an amphur out of town when on a holiday, go and see them then make arrangements around that. Good luck.
                Reply

  199. Gary says

    A summary of our recent experience:

    My Australian Embassy Statutory Declaration and certified passport copy needed an online appointment a week or so prior. Paid upon completion, just over $140 AUD. Never mind, it's a once off cost.

    Translation was carried out by small business called Express Translation Service and Travel (when looking directly at Language Express school at Ploenchit BTS, it is a few shops down along the right hand soi. They are friendly, facilitative and thorough, passing the two translations on to other staff members to check (and also giving me blanks with their letterhead upon so that we could do translation corrections if needed online, but their translation was good). Cost 500b each translation, in a two hour, late in the day time-frame. I was grateful for their service and would recommend.

    You can do the whole process yourself. Go to Thai Consular early in the day to submit (as per Peter's instructions above) 2 x originals and 2 x translations = 4 pages at 200b each. Total 800b. As mentioned same day service only for Thai citizens at present, so you need to come back in 4 days to collect. Which you might do with a smile and kop khun kap to respectfully show your thanks, as they are dealing with us difficult foreigners all day.

    An Amphur Office in Issan Province, saw us spend 2 hours and a final signature from an official man who came from upstairs at the last moment to sign. Yes, you'll be asked for a 'donation'. Perhaps 800b and 200b for an extra witness we needed would have been appropriate, but we ended up paying 500b ($20 AUD) more than we should have, which we thought upon reflection was a bit too much as it all disappeared quickly into a drawer. But look, it's quite a small amount in the greater scheme of things and we walked away with two lovely certificates after 2 hours and 3 people's help with a lot of paperwork they had to action for us.

    That's about all, easy to do, I needed 7-10 days in Bangkok as it was over a weekend with a public holiday thrown in. Good luck with it all
    Reply

      • Gary says

        All thanks goes to you Peter for the forum. but thank you. Yes we had Mum and needed one more witness who was in and out in about 7 seconds. So I think 800 + 200 for the translation would have been appropriate. Anyway no worries. Amphur Office was in Khon Kaen. They are thorough and you'll be questioned but the few hours spent was completing the Thai government process, which if followed correctly, isn't difficult.

        Interesting she did mention what another recent writer here mentioned that my Australian Embassy docs would have to be sent back and checked. Sigh. This is after Thai Foreign Affairs signature verification of both Australian documents. The elaborate Thai Foreign Affairs seals would be almost impossible to fake, and so on that basis alone I think, they could see legitimacy.

        But is is in congruence with someone else here who recently talked about counterfeiting problems. Insert another sigh here.

        Importantly, what we should all note, is that Thai Foreign Affairs legalization is actually the Thai government's recognition of your Embassy's signatories. Anyway I know little except it's always good to have a forum like this that helps you track legal requisites and complete the process with a smile, flowers and a good coffee. Best wishes
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          The reason I asked is because you used to be able to pay for a witness or two at most district offices, or even get a member of the public to step in. But generally they don't allow this in Bangkok anymore (for Thais marrying foreign nationals). It's good to hear you can still do that up-country.All the best!
          Reply

  200. khalid says

    hello,
    thanks for such a nice information,please tell me one thing ,i am from pakistan and my fiance is from mexico we are getting married soon in thailand as the process you told ,
    i want to know that is this marriage will be recognized or acceptable in mexico ?
    and after complete the marriage process can i apply visa of mexico to go with my wife ,and which kind of visa i have to apply.
    thanks
    Reply

  201. Robert says

    Important update for Pattaya and surrounding area, don't know about Bkk.

    Apparently there has been cases of document fraud, so they now want to sent the documents fourth and back to the embassy for confirmation, giving a waiting time of 2-4 weeks!
    My gf and I had been told that it was no necessary to make appointments, so we went today, Dec 12 (our anniversary too), and just learned this. Clearly disappointing of course. We called a few other amphurs which told the same. We ended up in Siracha where we convinced them to do it tomorrow, Dec 13, instead. Apparently the mayor can decide whether documents need further checking or not... Makes very little sense and is greatly frustrating when having done all the preparations.
    So wherever you're going, call and make an appointment and check the procedures and document requirements well in advance. It's Thailand and may greatly differ from place to place.

    Regarding legalization, I had no problem doing express service on Dec. 6. I recommend the new office at Khlong Toei MRT.
    Only thing to note: they require you to have 10 days left on your visa! This was not stated anywhere and took me by surprise at the Chaeng Wattana office the day before, when I also went to extend my visa - with 9 days left... ^^
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      So it seems the express service is still running for foreign nationals at Khlong Toei, but they are using the 10-day's left on your visa rule. Interesting. I think that 10-day rule is probably only applied to foreigners marrying Thai nationals, not foreigners marrying foreigners, as it only ever seems to come up in with the former. Thanks for the heads up!
      Reply

    • Mark says

      Hi Robert

      I am going to the Brittish embassy tomorrow for the affirmation stamp.. About the new office at MRT Klong toei. Did you see any translation services about?..and can you confirm you can do the whole legalization process there so you don't have to visit Chang Wattana...

      Cheers Mark
      Reply

          • Seb says

            I agree with TheThailandLife on this one. There have been no reports anywhere of being able to complete affirmations there. I am fairly sure it is just a passport office for Thai people. So to play safe, go out to Chaeng Wattana. And would advise Mark to do the translations there because if anything is wrong then you will need to rectify and pay even more. Go to 2nd floor and the girls there will do everything for you, even posting back to you if need be. Saves having to hang around there and all for a cost of 2100 baht. (2 translations = 900 + MFA stamp = 800 + postage =100 + agent fees = 300.)
            Reply

            • Joe says

              I did the first few steps here today. Canadian embassy with Canadian fiancee. Very painless, friendly staff. Bring a Second piece of identification to leave at the security/baggage check. Cost 1400 baht each person for marriage affadivit and passport notarized. Taxi to MFA was 225baht+60toll. Went to the wrong building (B) which is 2 kilometers inside the government complex. Motorbike taxis were 30baht each to the correct building by the main chaeng wattana road. Translation cost 700 per person (400affadivit,300passport). Had to make 2 sets of photocopies of visa entrance stamp page of passport (to prove 10+ days on visa) and another copy of passport picture page (4 baht a page 3rd floor). It took 3 hours in total (1.5 translation, 1.5 waiting). Did this Monday, they said come back Wednesday at 1 pm. Oh, there are signs inside Chaeng Wattana advertising the new legislation services at the kleong toi mrt. So it does exist but I don't know anything else about it.
              Reply

  202. John says

    The Price for an agent has jumped dramatically. Sent the Mrs to get a translation woman quoted 8,000 baht to do the translation and wait in the line at foreign Affairs. The other question is do i need to be at the foreign affairs location or can the Mrs do that for me. I am guessing that she can do all that as it seems logical if a agent can do that for me. But had to ask
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi John, sorry I missed this comment previously. Translations are generally between 500-700 Baht on the high street, and 600-900 at the MFA. If you are translating a document with multiple pages then a deal can be negotiated for additional pages. 8,000 Baht is extortionate.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      That is totally wrong!! The cost should be 900 baht for 2 translations + 800 baht for MFA stamp + 300 for agent + if required postage back to you. (This is for marriage ceremony legalisation.) This comes to 2100 baht which is a bit different to your quote. They do everything for you and are on the 2nd floor in front of the stairs.
      Reply

      • Gary says

        Sigh. Yes, what you advise is correct Seb, even if you DIY as I did, based upon this kind forum (with 300 roughly equating to taxis fees). Anyway, unfortunately there are some unscrupulous agents charging thousands more than what a fair price ought to look like I had a 12,000 and 15,000 thb quote for full service by the translators. No point when you can DIY for under 3000. Regards
        Reply

  203. Snow says

    Just an update for anyone looking to do it in 1 - 2 days express - it cannot be done with any documents that have been translated into Thai, thus only Thai’s can get the express.
    Recommend to anyone getting translations to do it at the Consular as if there’s any mistakes you can get them changed then and there and not have to go back to where you got it translated in a Bangkok. In the consular, on the second floor they charge 500baht per affirmation & 400baht per passport.
    Whilst waiting for your translations, go to the far right and get TWO copies of the page with your visa stamp in it & 2 copies of your passport. Once translations are done - take everything to 3rd floor and hand in to desk. If you don’t have everything done before they’ll send you off to do it without telling you you need 2 copies of the stamp and you’ll be running back & forth. We’ve been told to return in 2 working days.
    They’re pretty unhelpful in there - good luck!
    Reply

    • Gary says

      It's the public holiday on Monday 10th December 2018 as I write this, I'm sitting on my hands in the capital waiting. I submitted Friday morning - was in line and at 0815 when the first lady checked my papers she told me twice that there was no same day service. When I was called to get my receipt, the girl confirmed a 3rd time - no same day service. My receipt informs to return on Wednesday 12th. (I had Au embassy affirmation and Au passport certification)
      Hope this helps, regards
      Reply

    • Harry says

      Hi, great article. I went to British Embassy on the 14th.

      The affirmation template, you complete before you go and MUST have a copy on your email in case they want to change something. I did that, BUT they have only two pc available at consular, you may have to Q. Also, and very important, if you have two factor authentication on your mobile, DISABLE it before you go so you can access your email in the consular section. Your not allowed to carry your mobile.

      Also, and very important, you need a certified copy of your passport picture page as shown above. Total cost, affirmation and passport, 3300baht.

      At MFA you advertised, I used the left hand translation service, for 900baht they will do the translations. You then can have them present to MFA for the stamp, an extra 700baht. I chose this, after all you have to pay 400baht at MFA. There was NO EXPRESS AVAILABE. I was told to come back in two working days, to the translation girl. It makes sense really, I don’t have to Q at MFA and they can fix translations in your absence if they get it wrong. They did ask for a translation of my name, I had that on my work permit. Total cost 1700baht.

      Total for a Brit is 5000 baht using this service above. I heard a few horror stories outside the embassy, some people using agents at great expense and some going it solo but having huge translation costs and taxi fares running in thousands too. I played it safe, if the girl at the translation can fix it, let her fix it. They know the personalities.

      Next step the registration next week sometime in Bangkok. At my leisure.

      Great guide.
      Reply

  205. Gary says

    Many thanks for the useful guide TTL. I thought I might leave my experience for others to benefit from. As at today's date - Friday December 7, 2018 - wherein I've just submitted my translated documents at the Chaeng Wattana Rd Consulate Services building, I was assured twice (at 0815 in line with the first lady who checks, and then upon receiving my receipt of 800thb for 4 pages) - that same day service for Marriage Legalisation documentation was not available. No worries, will come back in the requisite 4 days. Thank you and regards
    Reply

  206. Martin says

    Great article .I will arrive in Thailand tomorrow and hope to marry my Thai girlfriend next week .I'm confused about the arrival card.I have read on many websites you need a Thai arrival card .But the problem is when you go through Thai immigration they keep the arrival card .But we just keep the departure card section.So how can we produce the Thai arrival card when Thai migration keep that part ??
    regards Martin
    Reply

  207. B Cole says

    Isn't there a new rule about having to have your finger prints taken at a police station to be included with the other documents. I was on a marriage visa previously and did not have to do it. However was sure I read somewhere last year that it was a new requirement
    Reply

  208. Joaozinho Martins says

    Greetings from Goa, India 🇮🇳!
    I am from India and plan to get married to a Filipina in Thailand in the first week of January 2019.

    From your above post, I've come to know as to what documents we need to marry in Thailand. Thanks for it.

    I just want to know if you can arrange an Agent to help me in the entire Marriage Registration Process and his fees for the same.

    I also would like to know if you can recommend inexpensive hotels in Bangkok where I can stay.

    Hoping to hear from you and thanking you,
    Sincerely,
    Joaozinho Martins
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Joaozinho, I don't have a recommendation for an agent. You may find a recommendation from someone else if you use the term "agent" to search through the comments section. For cheap hotels in Bangkok, what sort of price range and area? Check out Agoda.
      Reply

  209. Claire says

    Hi - Firstly, thank you for the information on this page - it has made what felt like an extremely daunting task seem much more doable!
    My Partner and I are planning on getting married in Thailand in March 2020. We were planning on flying into Bangkok and doing all of the steps in the dance that your article covers - giving ourselves three days and then moving onto Phuket to meet with family and friends and have a ceremony, etc.
    I've done all of my research and am pretty much ready to book the Ceremony and Reception but need agree on a date with the hotel. I was going to base this on landing in Bangkok on possibly a Monday then flying to Phuket on a Wednesday evening / Thursday morning. I thought it best to see how easy it is to get an appointment with the British Embassy first - to see if they only allow appointments on certain days, etc and work the dates out from there however when you try to book an appointment online - there are only two dates available next week (Monday and Friday) and other than that every day is showing as unavailable up to April 2020! Is it normal that it is so difficult to get an appointment? Without knowing what dates we would be able to have all of this sorted in Bangkok it makes it seem impossible to book a date for the wedding and internal flights, etc?
    Reply

    • Seb says

      TheThailandlife may cover this better than me but here goes. Firstly appointments at the British Embassy are not released months in advance. You have to keep checking as they are quite often made available at the beginning of a week for the next few weeks. Secondly you will need 2 days for the quickest procedure. Once you have booked the Embassy that will be the first day and maybe get your translations done nearby. The second day to get the Express Service will need you to have the requisite papers in by 09.30 this includes translations to get them back the same day. Then you will have completed the dance.
      The slower route would mean an early appointment at the Embassy then straight to the MFA. Get the translations done and then present it all as stated in the article from thethailandlife. Then this can be collected on the day they specify.
      Looking at your schedule, it would be arrive Monday, the Embassy Tuesday and the MFA Express Service on Wednesday then fly to Phuket that evening or Thursday.
      Reply

      • Claire says

        Hi,
        Thanks for your response. Sorry, my mistake - we would actually be landing Sunday evening so we would be able to start the process on Monday morning, which would then give us time.
        My main concern is that we book the flights only to find that there aren’t any appointments available at the embassy on the Monday.
        I guess it’s a risk that we will have to take and keep our fingers crossed that if we check the website for the weeks or two leading up to our departure from England that we will be able to get an appointment on the Monday morning.
        Thanks again
        Claire
        Reply

        • Seb says

          As a guide I booked online on 15th Oct 2018 for an appointment on 27th Nov 2018. Just keep checking and reading your article again and seeing the date of March 2020 as your planned date of marriage, you have loads of time. Start looking from Jan 2020 onwards.
          Reply

  212. BILAL KHALID says

    HI,
    my name is BILAL i am pakistani national and my fiancee belongs from mexico, next month we both have to go thailand for marriage ,is this is the same process we should have to follow ,and same all these documents,or some other kind of documents we have to need ,please guide us
    thanks
    Reply

    • Seb says

      As far as I can see doing some research, the process is basically the same.

      You will need to go to the Pakistan Embassy at 31 Soi Sukhumvit 3, Khwaeng Khlong Toei Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10110, Thailand.

      For your fiancee, she will need to go to the Mexican Embassy at 21/60-62 S Sathorn Rd, Khwaeng Thung Maha Mek, Khet Sathon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10120, Thailand.

      The following applies, "Foreigners who are wishing to marry shall appear in person with their respective passports and arrival card at their Embassy in Thailand to complete declarations attesting that he/ she is single and free to marry in accordance with Thai Law and the registration shall be effected by a Thai Diplomatic or Consular Officer". This is the Affirmation of Marriage that will be required by the MFA.
      Reply

    • Seb says

      If you needed to go to the MFA after translation then personally I would advise you to have it done there. Reason being that if there is a problem you can get it sorted immediately with whoever did it. I would recommend the company at the top of the stairs on Floor 2.
      Otherwise there are a number of companies very close to the BTS at Phloen Chit.
      Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Supposedly the MFA. Only a few people have reported this. Someone should correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this "rule" is only raised for foreign nationals marrying Thai nationals. Most foreign nationals marrying in Thailand are on holiday for a couple of weeks, so this rule would really affect the wedding economy, because many wouldn't have 10 days left on their exception entry (30 days). I've only heard a couple of cases of this earlier in the year, so it maybe one of those silly rules that started to be implemented but then they realised what a mess it would cause and retracted it.Anyone have an update on this?
      Reply

  215. Rayne says