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

Update as of Sept 10th 2018: When I initially wrote this post it was possible to do everything in one day. But because some district offices (amphur) now have a marriage limit of 8 couples per day, and may require you to make an appointment, you may need 2 days to complete the process.

The express service is currently available at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). If you get your documents in before 12pm, you can collect them between 14.30 and 16.30 the same day.

Additionally: Some people have reported being told that to get married you must have at least 10 days left on your 30-day entry stamp, or tourist visa. If you don't have 10 days remaining, then you need to go to immigration and get a visa extension before you can start the marriage process. Not everyone has encountered this issue.

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

Okay, let's begin.

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

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

getting married in thailand

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

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

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

Should I Hire an Agent?

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

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

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

Step 1: Going to the Embassy for Affirmation

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

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

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

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

Yes, it's an expensive stamp.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Affirmation & Passport Translation: English to Thai

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

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

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

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

For the translation, you have two choices.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Address:

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

Show him the address in Thai: สำนักงานหนังสือเดินทาง ถนนแจ้งวัฒนะ เขตหลักสี่

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

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

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

Step 3: Thai Consular Affairs Authentication

If 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. If you get seen before 12pm, you can use the express service and get your documents back the same day.

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 300 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 within 72 hours. Unless you have opted for the express service, in which case you will get the documents back the same day.

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.

What Marriage Documents to Take to the Registrar

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

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

One Last Thing !

You may also wish to obtain a sworn translation of your marriage certificate into your native language so that it can be used as a legal document back home.

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

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

Last Updated on

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    • It doesn’t cost anything to get married in Thailand; well, it cost me 40 Baht (less than a pound) 6 or so years ago. You will need to marry first and then start your settlement visa process. This must be done in Thailand, not in the UK.

      Reply

    • Witnesses used to do it for free; well mine did – they were friends. I’m not sure how much a district office would charge if they supply the witnesses. I guess if someone has to take unpaid time off work then pay them for the time. Most people don’t earn more than 500-1k per day, so it should be pretty inexpensive.

      Reply

  3. Thanks for this blog. With the possible no express service available now, any ideas if everything can be done in 4 days? Two Canadians here. Booked tickets to Thailand for the week of Oct 8th, but the Canadian embassy appears to be on holiday on the Monday so I booked the first two times 9,9:20 am on Tuesday. Can I book an Amphur for the Friday afternoon while the MFA sits on my docs for 72 hours (if that’s the case)? (or do I have to wait to book until I get the docs back?)

    Reply

    • Hi Alex,

      I am Canadian as well. Brought my birth certificate with me (born in the UK originally). Never asked to show this at the Can. embassy in BKK, or at anytime during the process. My passport seemed to be sufficient. Probably wise to bring it however, just in case.

      Reply

  6. So my fiance and I wanna go to the dirstrict office on tuesday next week and we are not sure about the witnesses. Any experiences? we were told different things by different authorities but at the end most people said that he needs to bring two people and one should be a family member.
    I can read a lot of posts about taking other couples as witnesses or donating some money to office workers to do that…

    Anyone has some up to date experiences about it and can tell me which district office he went to?

    Reply

  10. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) NO LONGER offers express service as of Sept 4, 2018. The only available service takes 2-3 days. We dropped off our documents on Friday and went back early Tuesday morning to pick them up.

    We actually arrived at 6:30 AM on Friday to check to see if the express service was still available but we were told it was no longer an option.

    Reply

      • So I should go to the closest country with an embassy which in my case is China and get Affirmation of freedom to marry. Come to Thailand and get it and my passport translated to Thai. Go to foreign ministry to get it stamped and then i can get married? Is it possible to get affirmation to get married from let’s say Poland which is far from Thailand my but a neigbor to my home country and the country of my residence where I will be travelling from to Thailand. Is it possible?

        Reply

        • The best thing to do is call your embassy. Every embassy is able to provide assistance to it’s citizens regarding such matters. If you are in Asia go to the closest country with an embassy. If you are in your home country you may be able to get your affirmation there before you travel to Thailand.

          Reply

      • So if I travel from Latvia to Poland for example and get the affirmation of freedom to marry from Latvian embassy in Poland and then travel to bangkok to get the documents translated and stamped from Minstry of foreign affairs. Instead of going to China in the first place. Will this work?

        Reply

    • Appointment for where? Your embassy? You need to check their website for instructions. The MFA you just turn up on the day. The district office, for the actual marriage, you’ll need to book (probably, depending on the office you choose).

      Reply

    • Robert, Is this is for the British Embassy? I had the same issue for next week! I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it….I emailed the embassy and they told me to keep checking everyday. Whenever I had a spare second I was on the British Embassy website instead on Instagram lol and finally they opened slots for the WHOLE week. So weird, but at least I got one! Good luck!

      Reply

  14. Spot on. I got an agent to start with, but he couldn’t even get the appointment with the British Embassy right (still took my money though) In the end I did it all myself. Not too difficult, and a sense of acheivement

    Reply

    • Hi Harleyboy,
      Not sure if you went through the process recently or a while ago, but did you have any difficulty getting an appointment at the British Embassy? How long before did you book your appointment there?
      Cheers!

      Reply

      • The agent I hired said he booked the appointment, but the Embassy had no record of it. That was in June 2018. So I got on the website to book my own, and the month of July was just blacked out, luckily I was still in Thailand during August, so I booked the nearest one & every thing went smoothly

        Reply

  15. Hi. My partner and I (both non-Thai) are going to get married in Bangkok in November. Your blog has been really helpful to us planning everything, though I have few questions about your post. In Step 3, you wrote “if you want your documents back the same day, you need to submit them before 9.30am” but then you wrote “They no longer offer the one-day express service, so expect the pick-up/delivery date to be within 72 hours.” So does this mean, it is not possible to get the authenticated documents the same day even if we go there before 9:30am? Does this also mean that “Afterwards you can go to your appointment at the district office of your choice to get married.” even if we go before 9:30am is not possible anymore, just to be clear, we can only go to Ampur if we already have all the authenticated documents, right? Thanks!

    Reply

  16. I just went to book an appointment at British Embassy Bangkok and there are no appointments at all in September! So plan B is get what the MFA need from Brit embassy in another country; Malaysia. Then get it certified and translated in Thailand. Turns out in Malaysia they only issue a ‘certificate of no impediment’.
    Will the Thai MFA accept this? Would be interested to hear from anyone who’s experienced first hand.

    Reply

    • No, they won’t accept it. It must be from the British Embassy in Bangkok. Check back on the appointments next week. They release appointments in batches. I experienced the same problem, and so have other people if you look through the older comments: the system says there’s no appointments for the whole month, and then you check back following week and you’ll see some. Try on Monday or Tuesday morning.

      Reply

      • Thanks! so useful to know, I mustn’t have scrolled down far enough. You’d think the embassy website is would give more info about appointments. My partner checked on the USA system and they’ve got 30+ available. I really appreciate this blog!

        Reply

  18. Unfortunately as of 1st June 2018 death certificates etc have to be now “legalised” in the UK. That means if you live here in Thailand you have to send a copy of the document to the FCO in Milton Keynes, then have it couriered to the Royal Thai Embassy in London then have it couriered (DHL or whichever) back to Thailand before you can start. I believe all documents have to be “legalised” in the country of origin.

    Reply

  19. Hi! Thanks for the info! Do you know about Cambodians marrying in Thailand? We have all the legal documentation and are ready to go but people have said that Cambodians are only allowed to marry in Cambodia. Help much much needed!

    Reply

    • What you need is the Affirmation of Freedom to Marry document, which your partner can get at the local government office in the town he was born, or in Phnom Penh. The Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok will not issue this, apparently. Once you have that document, you can go to Bangkok and get it translated into Thai.

      Reply

    • Read Step 2 of the post. There is information on where to go to get the translation done. The best place is Pleon Chit BTS station. walk round to the side road by the language express building. There are about five companies there will do it for you. Alternatively, there are companies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the ground floor.

      Reply

  22. I am a Indian National and i have a thai girlfriend.We have decided to get married in the coming months.I would like to know if i need to do any documentation in India before travelling to Thailand.Sir, Please kindly advise

    Reply

    • Have found the following for you….The Indian embassy in Bangkok is now issuing affidavits for Indian nationals to marry in Thailand. It requires a Thai work permits Or education visas for the Thai MFA to certify the documents.

      Also…..The Indian embassy requirements are as follows

      DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:

      – Applicant has to submit on his/her own behalf a Bachelorhood Affidavit from Competent Courts in India in original with photocopy. The affidavit should (must) be attested from Consular Section, (CPV Division), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India (Address: Ground Floor, Patiala House, Tilak Marg, New Delhi).
      – Original passport with the photocopy of all pages of personal particulars and current visa page.

      Reply

  23. Finally we were able to register our marriage in Ban Phue district office. The very same document was rejected in Udon Thani in May, supposedly due to a translation mistake in one letter of my passport number; however, both the original translation office and the MFA said everything was fine, so it appears the individual in Udon made the error in judgement.

    No visa, since Canadians allowed to enter Thailand for 30 days without one. Had about ten days left on the six-month expiry of my marriage affidavit from the Canadian embassy as well. Neither were issues when getting our marriage certificate accepted.

    Reply

  24. Hi my name is Dean…I just read your comment about needing to have 10 days left on your visa to complete marriage…I will only have 5 days left..so I got my girlfriend to call the man she has been speaking to that works in the district office in Bangkok and he assures us that we are still fine to get married as we sent him photos of all our papers and he said that because he has checked our paperwork and that everything is fine that we don’t need to have 10 days left on my visa…so I am just wondering how sure you are of this new rule? Thanx

    Reply

    • Rules like this seem to come and go, and seem to be implemented by some officials and not others — such is the nature of the system. A few people who have commented have encountered this rule in the last few months, but it may be that they are enforcing it on some nationalities and not others, and in some districts and not others. it may be that they tried to roll the rule out but ended up causing too much hassle and dropped it. If the official your GF spoke to said you are good to go then great.

      It would be great if you could report back and let us know how it goes, so that I can update the post to reflect the current situation.

      All the best.

      Reply

  25. I am an Australian ,living in Australia born in here and both my parents are English (both are deceased) ,i have met a Thai lady and been talking with her all this year.She is coming over here in December this year ,in which i am paying for her airfair and accommodation while she is here for 3months visa ,.My problem at the moment is she wants to stay with me and get married ,i have no problem with that I am 64 and she is 60 yrs old ,but problem is i have not got $7,000.00 dollars for marriage certificate money to pay Australian Govt if you have any suggestions ( by the iam on Dis Pens my age pension does not come till 2020dec

    Reply

    • I’m not familiar with the marriage rules in Australia, but I did a quick Google and I can’t see where you are getting that $7,000 figure from? I am quite sure she would not be allowed to simply stay with you and get married if she is visiting you on a visit visa. The best route for you would probably be to get married in Thailand, and then apply for a settlement visa (that’s what we call it in the UK) if you want her to move to Australia. But as I say, I am not up on Australian immigration rules, so I don’t know how the Visa options work. Perhaps someone else who has experience of this can jump in and give some advice.

      Reply

  26. Is there a time limit on using the documents from the British Embassy and the MFA, we had everything planned to get married in July but then some cock ups meant we couldn’t. I will go back in October now to marry but do I need to do the British embassy and MFA parts again or are those documents still valid?

    Reply

    • This is the million-dollar question, and one I have heard different answers to over the years: 3 months, 6 months, etc. The embassies will tell you there isn’t a time limit on the affidavit, but it is at the discretion of the MFA. My gut feeling is that it is over three months it could be a problem. Even 30 days might trigger them to be funny about it. I would just go and get another one, unless you have time to test the one you have and, if not, go an get another after.

      Reply

  27. Does the process vary for a US Citizen and an Indian Citizen who choose to marry in Thailand? It’s a special place for us and where we fell in love. If we spend 3-5 days in Bangkok preparing and obtaining all required documents and filing the registration then are we free to marry anywhere on the Island (Koh Samui)? We then return to home country to register marriage and we can then file for related spousal visa? Thanks for all the great info.

    Reply

    • The processes is straightforward for a US citizen and pretty much how I have outlined in the post. However, there may be additional requirements for Indian citizens. So you should check with the Indian embassy. I received a comment today from an Indian citizen who said that immigration are not recognising her and her husband’s marriage certificate, even though their visa was issued on the basis of marriage by the Thai embassy in India. Unfortunately, some citizens from certain countries can run into these issues. This is slightly different because it is for the purpose of extending stay, but this highlights the importance of speaking with the Indian embassy first before you start your marriage process, just so that you are aware of any specific requirements for Indian nationals marrying in Thailand, and indeed any problems that you might run into.

      Reply

  28. To all British Citizens.

    As it has stated that you now need to have at least 10 days on your tourist visa. All amphurs will state this as me and my now wife registered this just literally on time and at the time we did not know of this so please be aware.

    But in General. Following this guide was extremely helpful and followed every aspect of what to to.

    Go on the gov.uk and look affirmation to confirm your status that your free to marry and you have templates to copy word for word filling your details in the gaps. They have forms for people who have divorced or widowed.

    Use microsoft word and type out the template you have word for word and ensure every word is correct filling all your details and also your partner detaisl of who your going to marry. Also where you want to marry. You can replace Bangkok with the province you want to get married at. Yes i did put Bangkok but actually registered in Renu Nakhon in Nakhon Phanom.

    Leave a bit of space at the bottom so that the British Embassy official can put the official seal on that document when they have looked at the document.

    Book the appointment online but remember if your booking for an appointment 2 months away. They embassy will release booking slots every week normally 4 weeks of the day you want to book an appointment. Set a reminder and keep looking at the booking dates page and the day you wish to select will eventually come and then you can book your date and time for your appointment.

    Also now you have to have your passport certified as well. The embassy can also do this along with getting the affirmation certified. The cost is about 3400 baht at the time i did this.

    When appointment day has arrived. Get there before your appointment time as you will have to go through security first and drop off your phone etc.

    I got to my appointment very early and due to a no show. I managed to get seen early.

    Paid for the affirmation confirmation and also a passport colour copy certified and within a few minutes the affirmation and the passport copy are stamped and certified officially.

    When you leave the embassy. You will find some people outside the embassy who do the translations of your affirmation and passport copy. The one i had. Their office was not far from the embassy and he did the translations in 30 minutes and was cheap. He did offer to do all the leg work for 3000 baht but decided to follow this guide to the word. But they will put their stamp on the back of your translated thai documents to certify the translation was correct. Always advisable to take your Thai partner to check out spellings as well.

    Once translations done. Go to the MFA as per instruction above and they will do all the checks and you and then you sit and wait for your name and or number to be called out. You pay a fee and you can collect your documents in a few days of get them posted off. I opted to get them posted to my wifes home address as was gojng to Pattaya for a week and then Nakhon Phanom and the documents were at her home. General tip. I took my wife to the embassy and the MFA as always good to have someone who can translate in Thai and also read Thai.

    All in all due to good luck as someone did not turn up for their 8.40am appointment my 9am appointment became that 8.40 appointment. So in reality excluding the express service, doing all this apart from getting married was done in half a day.

    As an average price for everything was give or take is around 8000 baht which we used BTS and Taxi to get to venues. We were based in Sukhumvit soi 11 so was not too far from the british embassy. Also please note. In 2019 the embassy will move to a new venue.

    Once the marriage has been registered and you get your certificates. Get them translated and i used the same place i got the other documents and you will have an official translation and again with their stamp to certify translation.

    Thank you to this website for all their help.

    Reply

    • Thanks for reporting back Len. 8,000 seems expensive. How much were the translations. I advise ignoring the touts and going over the BTS bridge to the other side, where Language Express is based. There’s a side street there with about 5 translation companies. Usually you can get it done for 500-600 Baht per page. You made really good time on this, which just goes to show how much more efficient the process is if you get up early!

      Reply

      • Hi There

        I did go to a shop which is on a side street where on the day we got our marriage certificates translated there was a street market. This belonged to the guy who was waiting outside the Embassy and he charged 500 Baht for the translation of the certificates.

        I know I said it was about 8000 Baht but maybe was a bit too generous in total, but looking at it in a bit more detail, around 6500 Baht in total including Taxis and BTS.

        But as this was the first and only time me and my wife did this, we did quite well considering rush hour in Bangkok. Plus side the hotel I usually stay at is on Sukhumvit soi 11 so not a long trip on the BTS from Nana. Also it was great that even though we got to the embassy for the 9am appointment being seen at 8.40am was a bonus.

        But as I state now the Embassy need to do a certification of your passport on top of your Affirmation. But all in all was pretty seamless and getting virtually everything done in half a day while in rush hour and unpredictable weather as well.

        Reply

  29. Hello, thank you so much for this post. I will be going to Thailand this September 2018 to be married to a Thai national. I fist need to get a Visa, so my question is: can I marry on a tourist visa?
    There is a Thai consulat about 2HRS from where I live that does Tourist visa’s only. To get another visa I need to travel about 12 HRS. Also I read that to get a Thai marriage visa you need 400,000 baht in your bank and a steady income of 40,000. To stay in Thailand will I need that?
    Thank you so much for your help, I’ve done a lot of searching to find information about this.

    Reply

    • Yes you can, you will need at least 10 days left on your exemption stamp (you’ll get 30 days when you enter) or on your tourist visa.

      Usually you can apply to the consulate by post, unless you want to go down there.

      Once married, you can get a Non-Immigrant O visa based on marriage. The duration of this visa lasts for one year, and during that period you have to leave the country every 90 days. However you can extend one of these stays by 60 days at an immigration office for 1,900 Baht (giving you 5 months of stay in one go – without having to leave).

      You can apply in your home country (you’ll be able to get a multiple entry visa from there – lasting one year and you have to leave every 90 days), or if you are in Thailand you can go to a neighbouring country such as Laos and apply for a visa there, but they will only issue you a single entry Non Immigrant O visa – lasting 90 days.

      With either version, multiple entry or single entry, you will be able to do the extension of stay for one year at immigration. The extension of stay is what allows you to stay for a whole year continuously without having to leave the country.

      To get this extension of stay, when it is a man marrying a Thai woman, he must be able to verify one of the following:

      – A Thai bank account holding of at least 400,000 THB (for 60 days prior to extending the visa) or
      – An ongoing source of income of at least 40,000 THB per month

      Luckily for you, in the case of a foreign woman who marries a Thai, the financial criteria are not applied. The Thai husband must, however, produce proof of payment of personal income tax to get the extension for his wife.

      Reply

    • Usually you will find touts outside the embassy. One that we had did the full translation of the affirmation and passport which was accepted by the MFA and also used the same place to translate the marriage certificates.

      Also you do not need to go back to the embasssy to inform them as your marriage certificate will be legal in the uk if the marriage is legal in Thailand.

      Reply

  31. Id like to hear about people returning to the US and trying to make the legal Thai marriage recognized here. What is the correct process? I contacted my states Attorney General office as recommended by the Embassy and was told that information was wrong and that they cant help. I contacted a judge in the county in which I live and was told he can only marry us again . Does the US really recognize legal Thai marriages or am I misunderstanding the word recognize in this situation? Anybody have any ideas?

    Reply

  32. I’m a US citizen, my fiance is a Philippines citizen who’s been working as a school teacher in Thailand the last few years. Getting the time off from our jobs to go back and forth to the Philippines to do everything that would be needed there is impossible. Could you possibly tell me what is needed for us to get married in Thailand.

    Reply

    • If I remember correctly there are some specific rules for Filipinos. If you read through the comments on this post you will come across them. If you don’t have time to flick through the comments I suggest calling the Philippines embassy in Bangkok and getting some advice from them. For US citizens, everything you need to do can be done at the US embassy in Bangkok, as per the steps in the post.

      Reply

  34. Can you please help with your knowledge on this one:
    He is Burma Refugee who lived in Refugee Camp near Mae Hong Son, resettled Australia. From Burma he has no records. From Thai he has only the UNHCR household Registration. From Australia he has the original resettlement visa as permanent resident and Titre De Voyage, Travel Document. He cannot travel to Burma under the rules of his Australian visa.
    She has Burma passport and Thai Visa to be in Thailand.
    Can they get legally married in Thailand?

    Reply

    • Yes, if he has an Australian passport; because then he could go to the Australian embassy and acquire a freedom to marry document. If he does not have an Australian passport, then he would be considered Burmese, and he would need to go to the Burmese embassy in Bangkok to obtain the document. Even if the Australian embassy in Bangkok are willing to issue him the document on the basis of his permanent residence, I think you will find that he would have a problem once he got to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Without an Australian passport they would consider him Burmese, and as such expect to see a Burmese passport.

      I am not saying this is not possible, but I think it may not be possible if they were to try and do it on their own. I think they may need to enlist the help of a lawyer in Thailand to give them further advice and help them navigate the process.

      Reply

    • I am not 100% sure which is easier to register at, but I do know that Bang Rak has been a popular place for foreigners to register for many years. You need to book in advance, as is the case with most district offices these days. Most offices marry between 4-8 couples per day.

      Reply

      • Hi there, This might be a silly question, but how do you book an appointment? Is there a number we can call or do we have to go in person?

        We already have our freedom to marry documents and certified passport. They are being translated at the moment.

        Any updates on the witness situation? Can we turn up at Bangrak and find witnesses there?

        Thank you for your help!

        Reply

        • You don’t have to book at the MFA. Just get there as early as possible, before the mid-morning rush. Not sure on Bangrak and witnesses. They use to provide witnesses. Some amphurs now require a family member (Thai citizen) to be a witness (not if it’s a foreign couple). Have a read through the comments here for the experiences of others.

          Reply

  37. Hi! We want to get married in Bangkok in July. I’m from Luxembourg and for me getting the paper of marriage clearance from the Luxembourg embassy should be straightforward. Can i also get this affirmation paper at a luxembourg embassy outside Thailand, or does it have to be from the embassy in thailand specifically?
    However my US fiance was married before. His original divorce paper is with his ex wife, so he only has a normal photocopy. Would he be able to use this at the US embassy and legalise it or do we have to fly to Indonesia to request a new certificate?
    Also does it need certifying at the US embassy in Indonesia where he was married or do we certify it at the US embassy in Bangkok where we will be getting married?

    Reply

    • Hi Bianca,

      1. No. You need to get this from the Luxembourg embassy in Thailand.
      2. He will need to call the US embassy and find out about this. I do not know if they will accept a copy.
      3. When you marry in Thailand you need to get the freedom to marry document from your respective embassy in Thailand.

      Reply

    • They won’t know, necessarily. But if you lie then you are in breach of the law and could find yourself in a lot of trouble for deceiving your home country and Thailand. You will only be digging a deeper hole for yourself. For example, let’s say you lie you get married, and then you want to visit your husband’s home country. Your lie will then extend to the application form of your Visa, and if you get caught lying on the application form you will never get another visa again. When the Thai authorities find out, you may be prosecuted. It just is not worth the hassle. Perhaps you and your partner can live together until he is able to finalise a divorce. And if he is unable to do so, maybe you can settle in a country where it is easy for you both to live.

      Reply

  40. Hi ,
    I’ve read the comments but I want to make sure that the process won’t take more than 10 days. We are planning to get married in Bkk in July.
    To make it more clear for me, we will need both to visit the embassies of our countries in bkk and get the affirmation then go to MFA to legalize it along with passports and only after that to go to ampur for registration of marriage? But without knowing thai language will it be possible to do everything on our own? I know thai people do not speak English that much

    Reply

    • Yes, that’s plenty of time.
      Yes, you both have to go to your embassies to get your freedom to marry documents.
      You then need to have these documents translated by a certified translation company.
      You then need to go to the MFA to have your documents approved and finalised
      You can then get married district office.

      It is possible to do this process without speaking Thai. however, you should consider that you will need two witnesses to get married. These two witnesses must be Thai nationals, with Thai ID cards. some district offices like Bang Rak provide witnesses for you as part of a marriage package. So you may want to contact them in advance and book an appointment. Please read the other details in the post, and read through the comments section for more advice from recent commenters who have married in Bangkok.

      Reply

  41. Hi There,
    We are getting married in Thailand on this mouth, I am Canadian but my bride she is Cambodian and I have known that Cambodian Embassy in Bangkok of Thailand will not issue the affirmation letter, so I really need help, please someone cans help me to get done all those process and legally, successfully to finish my wedding ceremony I will pay for the service, if any agents deal with this issue please contact me via Email: [contact details removed as per website privacy terms] I am speaking English and a little Thai. Thanks

    Reply

  42. I have completed all form filling etc. thanks to this article which, as it stands 08/06/2018, is absolutely correct.
    However, just be aware that if you lodge the paperwork at any Thai district office there is a wait of between 1-3 months before the marriage request is cleared.
    I have been in touch with 3 offices and have the same story from each.
    I believe that by using an agent early on in the process this time frame can be reduced by a considerable amount!
    Thanks again for great advice received.
    Stuart F.

    Reply

  43. Does my wife need to go back to her hometown Amphur in Phuket to get certify her single?

    We are planning to go Embassy of Singapore in Bangkok in 1 days time. However, there are no requirements from my embassy. I am not sure if Chang Wattana or Amphur in Bangkok require this certify of the single for my wife.

    Reply

    • Only if it is required by your embassy. If you read below there was a comment left by a guy who went to the Polish embassy, and they did require that his girlfriend had evidence of being free to marry. This is not a requirement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok or any Amphur, as far as I know – unless of course she has been married before, in which case she will need to show her divorce papers.

      Reply

  44. hello sir,
    i am from india 27 age and my girlfriend 27age. she is from thailand
    we decide to marry legally in her country named thailand..so what are the correct procedures to follow and get married in thailand ?
    what india documents has to be submitted and what thai documents submited to whom and where ?
    how much time we need to do all procedure and get married in thailand
    if i have to contact agent whom should i prefer …please update me sir…

    Reply

  45. Hello,

    I am trying to do as much paperwork before travelling to Thailand as possible. Also, I am doing things one step at a time, “to get my ducks in a row.”
    I am getting married at the end of July 2018. I am a United States Citizen. I contacted the U. S. Embassy at an e-mail from their website, support@ustraveldocs.com. So far, they are only concerned with immigration visas to the United States. Okay. I asked them to refer me to the proper department for the “Affirmation of Freedom to Marry in Thailand” form. So far, they have persisted in ignoring my direct question. Do you know what department I need to contact? Do you have an e-mail address for this department?

    Your help is appreciated,

    UPDATE: Hello,

    I found my answer. It is on the United States Embassy Website, https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/getting-married-in-thailand/. It is a pdf. Now, am I able to have it notarized in the United States by a local notary, or a U. S. Government Office before I travel.

    Reply

    • I am American also, here is my recent experience…

      My experience getting my documentation done on Friday May 04, 2018

      New requirement folks. You need at least 10 days on your 30 day tourist VISA or the MFA will not accept. On my arrival to present my documentation, I found out and had to go down to the immigration office to extend my VISA. But I was still able to get all of my documentation completed in one day.

      My experience started when my Thai wife contacted a translation service in Bangkok by phone to ask about the requirements and documentation they were aware of that required translation. We were offered the ability to have them prepare all of the documentation for us and physically present to the MFA for us. This was a 9000 baht charge. But is well worth it. See info:

      Express Translation Service & Travel Co., Ltd.
      (near Ploenchit BTS)
      Mahatun Plaza, 888 Ploenchit Rd, Ground Floor
      Tel: 02-254-7169; Fax: 02-650-8653

      All I needed was my passport and Embassy certified Marriage/Divorce Affidavit in hand. This saved me $50.00 for not needing a certified copy of my passport. And saved me a trip to the MFA. My wife presented her Thai I.D. and her Tabien Baan (Thai House Book).

      The service took the documents to the MFA for “legalization” and is sending us our completed documents in the mail. As has already been discussed it takes 3-5 days for processing at the MFA. And for us the additional mailing time.

      I had to travel out of Thailand for 2 months for work, but upon my return in July, we will go down to one of the Ampurs closest to U.S. Embassy Bangkok in Pathumwan and Bang Rak. There we will need to:

      Present our legalized MFA stamped Marriage/Divorce Affidavit, My passport, her Thai I.D. and two witnesses.

      Reply

      • Update on the final step we completed in July. The service (mentioned above) met us at Phayathai (Bangkok) government district office to finalize our marriage and receive our marriage certificate. We did not need to bring our own witnesses as mentioned above, as witnesses were provided. We had about a 1.5 hour wait time and our assistant from our service, who clearly had been there many time, was well versed in the presentation of our paperwork. We had an interview with a uniformed woman who asked my wife some questions in Thai and verified my work status and that was it.

        Reply

  46. We are both Filipino National.We want to celebrate our wedding in Bangkok.What are the requirements?Can you please help us to pursue our intension to marry? How much do we have to pay?I wish in minimal amount only.

    Reply

    • 1.You need to get red ribbon document in the phillipines

      2. walk in and submit to your embassy in bangkok. You have to.wait 10 days for the affadavit and collect.

      3. take to amphur laksi the place you can marry close to the consular .give them power of attorney to do the translation of docs to thai and legalisation at the consular its easier than take direct to.the consular

      4. Collect in 2 to.3 days and marry at laksi amphur. They can.provide witness and translator.

      5. Give power of attorney to laksi amphur to translate docs to english and legalise. Wait 2 to 3 days to collect

      6. Take documents to your embassy to register

      7. Collect in phillipines a month later

      Reply

  47. Hi I have a friend Malaysian Indian and the boyfriend is bangladeshi muslim would like to married at Thailand, But this girls already married no kids and leaving separately for so long . The husband dont take care of her abt 5 years already. Legally they never take any divorce but leaving separately. So now she already found her love and would like to settle in life.
    Is it possible they can register and married in Thailand since the husband dont even bother about her.

    Reply

  48. Hi, I’m a Polish national, we went to Polish embassy in Bangkok to obtain my affirmation of freedom to marriage document. I phoned them before just in case regarding what documents I need to bring with me, they said passport and birth certificate is all I need. Booked an appointment, turned up and the lady refused to process my application because my fiancee haven’t got a document from amphur proving that she is single? Is it required? Everywhere I searched no one ever mentions that your partner needs to bring that document as well. Super pissed off as I’m only in Thailand for 2 weeks hoping to get everything sorted….

    Reply

    • Hi Filip, that is a strange requirement, since your GF should only need to prove this to the Thai authorities and not the Polish embassy. I have never heard of this so it must be a requirement set by the Polish embassy. I am assuming she would need to get this document from the amphur of the town in which she is registered to live.

      Reply

      • Yes it really took us by surprise and messed up our holiday plans. What’s worse they also want her document translated to English and authenticated in thai MFA. We’re on our way to Udon Thani now, after that 2 hour bus drive to her home province and we should hopefully get the document tomorrow. I think Swiss and Dutch embassy have similar requirement from what I’ve heard so I would advise people to double check with their embassy to avoid any complications.

        Reply

          • I believe it applies to any nationality.

            I managed to get all the paperwork, went to Thai MFA with my affirmation to marry and certified copy of my passport and they refused to accept it because the Polish Consul signature in their opinion doesn’t match the one they have in their records… I’m lost for words and lost all hope to ever get our marriage sorted…

            Reply

            • That’s terrible. Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble. Surely it is up to them to verify it; I mean what do they think you did, fake it? I would go back to the Polish embassy and get them to call the MFA.

              Reply

  49. We married at Bangrak district office on May 9th. We tried on May 7th but they only do 4 a day, so we made an appointment. A lot more forms needed to be filled out and extra copies were needed of everything. A shop a few doors down does copies. Also the two witnesses were my wifes parents, and we were lucky because we were told 1 witness has to be on the tabien baan. Also because my wifes parents cannot speak English well, i had to pay for a translator, who also is a lawyer and made sure everything was correct. She also is situated along the same road as the district office, and cost 4500 bht.
    So to give you an idea, i arrived with copies of affirmation and passport, my wife had her ID card and tabien baan . Also when you arrive at airport keep the arrival card, the lawyer said that was vital. She stapled it into my passport. I was very shocked to hear 1 witness has to be on the tabien baan. A lot i read before actually getting married was not correct. Things change.
    Also my affirmation at the UK embassy had a small error, which luckily they let me use their PC in the embassy to correct. And to finish, we had an appointment on the day , but other couples had been there from 3am to make sure they could marry that day

    Reply

      • Yeah… interested to see if this is true, as I will be finalizing my marriage in the second week of July. I too was just going to bring my wife’s sister and husband as witness’ and they are not listed on the Tabien.

        One other note: I had to present my airport in country VISA Stamp paper (actual name escapes me at the moment) and when I presented it, I was told it had to have at least 10 days on the stamp remaining… I had eight. So I had to go down to the immigration office and wait 3 hours in the queue and pay for a VISA extention that I did not need, but apparently is now a new requirement at the MFA.

        Reply

        • I am going to add the 10-day rule to my post information. This rule about one of the witnesses having to be on the house document is not something I can find any other information on. It’s always been the case that the witnesses need to be Thai nationals with ID cards. I cannot imagine that they would refuse your wife’s sister and her husband as your witnesses, seeing as they are close family members. Please do let me know how you get on.

          Reply

          • Update on my marriage certification process:

            We used the service:

            Express Translation Service & Travel Co., Ltd.
            (near Ploenchit BTS)
            Mahatun Plaza, 888 Ploenchit Rd, Ground Floor
            Tel: 02-254-7169; Fax: 02-650-8653

            This service did everything for us including providing witness’. So it is correct to say that the witness’ do not need to be listed on the Tabien Baan. Our experience at the Phayathai district government office (Bangkok) was smooth as this office seems to host many of the foreigner marriages.

            Reply

    • I used Siam legal, situated on Sukhumvit Rd. I only paid for my affirmation and passports to be translated and certified. It cost 5000bht. But they offer the full package for 20000bht. I only got them to do it because i never wanted to wait around Bangkok for long. I collected them from their office after doing some travelling. But they will post them to you anywhere you want.

      Reply

    • I used:

      Express Translation Service & Travel Co., Ltd.
      (near Ploenchit BTS)
      Mahatun Plaza, 888 Ploenchit Rd, Ground Floor
      Tel: 02-254-7169; Fax: 02-650-8653

      They charged us 9000 baht which included all paperwork and personal presentation to the MFA for stamping/legalization. This service gave us everything we needed to then go down to the Ampur (government district office) to finalize our marriage.

      Reply

    • I did affirmation myself at British Embassy, cost £50.
      Verification of Passport cost £50.
      Followed Peters instructions went to translation company by Asoke BTS?
      Cost 1000BHT to translate both documents.
      Taxi to MAA including tollway 200Bht in MFA 30 Mins.
      Documentation returned to home address signed within 5 days.
      Having read peoples problems with Bangkok District Office regards marrying, suggest go to your Thai Fiancees home District Office. No problems.
      Mine even though I paid, did not require a translation of my passport.
      Original copy only!
      I was allowed to photo copy, the Thai legislation page regarding marriage.
      No where,once translated, does it stipulate, translated copy of passport required.
      Ok, I maybe a unique case however! Why so many problems in Bangkok or Metropolis with numerous Falanges. Question to ask is it not.

      Reply

  51. Hi thr

    Im a Pakistani national and want to get mattied to my British national fiance. We were trying to complete tge documentation since Decemeber and when finally today we are done with everything. The agent lady said that Thailand stopped registration of Pakistani nationals. This is so upsetting and heart breaking.
    Can somebody confirm please.

    Reply

    • Sorry to hear your sad news. I have no idea about this policy. I recommend you contact the Pakistani embassy and ask them about it, as they would have the details. They may even have a notice about this on their website (for the embassy in Thailand).

      Reply

  53. Witnesses:
    Do you have to supply your own witnesses on the day, or are there people at the registrars office willing for a fee? I will be getting married without family and friends there. I know two couples who married in HK and they just had some randoms do it.

    And thanks for all the recent info from newly weds 🙂

    Reply

    • You can do that, if you can find people there at the district office willing to be witnesses. I’m sure if you offer a couple of hundred baht you will get some people on board. some district offices such as bang rack, I believe, will provide witnesses as part of a package – though I’m not sure they still do this, so do check first. If possible, it is best to arrange your witnesses before the big day, so that you don’t run into any problems that prevent you from getting married.

      Reply

  54. Hi,

    We are planning to get married in thailand by next month. However, my fiancee has been married to a us citizen before but they have been divorced for 13 years but since divorced is not recognize in Philippines we can’t get married to our homeland. Does my fiancee need to file for recognition of divorced before we can married in thailand or he can use his divorced paper in thailand?

    Reply

  55. My experience getting my documentation done on Friday May 04, 2018

    New requirement folks. You need at least 10 days on your 30 day tourist VISA or the MFA will not accept. On my arrival to present my documentation, I found out and had to go down to the immigration office to extend my VISA. But I was still able to get all of my documentation completed in one day.

    My experience started when my Thai wife contacted a translation service in Bangkok by phone to ask about the requirements and documentation they were aware of that required translation. We were offered the ability to have them prepare all of the documentation for us and physically present to the MFA for us. This was a 9000 baht charge. But is well worth it. See info:

    Express Translation Service & Travel Co., Ltd.
    (near Ploenchit BTS)
    Mahatun Plaza, 888 Ploenchit Rd, Ground Floor
    Tel: 02-254-7169; Fax: 02-650-8653

    All I needed was my passport and Embassy certified Marriage/Divorce Affidavit in hand. This saved me $50.00 for not needing a certified copy of my passport. And saved me a trip to the MFA. My wife presented her Thai I.D. and her Tabien Baan (Thai House Book).

    The service took the documents to the MFA for “legalization” and is sending us our completed documents in the mail. As has already been discussed it takes 3-5 days for processing at the MFA. And for us the additional mailing time.

    I had to travel out of Thailand for 2 months for work, but upon my return in July, we will go down to one of the Ampurs closest to U.S. Embassy Bangkok in Pathumwan and Bang Rak. There we will need to:

    Present our legalized MFA stamped Marriage/Divorce Affidavit, My passport, her Thai I.D. and two witnesses.

    Reply

  56. Just finished the process. Few notes that might help others:

    *Express service at the MFA is still available, If you submit your docs before 9:30am. The cost is 800 baht per doc. pick up around 3pm.( try to be there before 8am)
    *If you can, translate your docs at the MFA translation office. If there is a translation error they will fix it themselves and you wont have to run back to your translator.

    *We got married at the Bangrak amphur office. they have 8 couples limit per day so be there early. we got there at 8:40 and we were no 5 in the queue…..
    *At this amphur (and maybe other places) they require translator if one of you dont speak Thai. we used the translator of the couple ahead of us. 2000 baht.
    *They require that one of the witnesses will be a family member of the thai person (if relevant).

    Hope it will help.

    Reply

  57. I’m a US citizen married yesterday to a Thai citizen. That part is legal and complete. Our question involves making sure it is legal in the US. I’m reading that all is good from the UK but not finding an answer for a US citizen. I did read that the US embassy does not register a Thai marriage certificate on their website. It appears this may be a state specific thing in the US. Specifically I am from North Carolina and Oklahoma, I can use either as a home state. Do you have any information if this needs certified or is it legal with a translation back in the states? All information will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

    Reply

    • Hi Mac, here is the information I found on this:

      REGISTERING YOUR MARRIAGE IN THE USA: You cannot register your marriage through an embassy or consulate as marriage is a state-specific responsibility. 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. Some states may require your Thai marriage certificate to be “certified.” To certify a Thai marriage certificate, please have it translated into English and take both documents to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Legalization Division. Then make an appointment and bring the MFA-certified documents to our office; we will authenticate the signature of the MFA officer by appointment for the appropriate fee.

      Reply

      • Thank you for the info, this matches what we have been able to find online. I cannot find your location or contact number. Can you email that info please? I have questions regarding authenticating the MFA certified documents. Thank you very much.

        Reply

        • Hi Mac, I am the Webmaster of this website, so I do not have location or a contact number. The information that I provided previously was found on an American embassy website. As the info recommends, you must contact the Attorney General in your state of residence to inquire about their specific requirements. I would imagine it is a pretty straightforward process to register your marriage in your home state once you have completed in Thailand.

          Reply

  58. Hi There,
    I am sorry to tell all of you that getting married in a day does not work anymore. I liked your advice and it is correct till you get to the department of forign affairs. Now, you have to wait 3 days till you get your paperwork back. We went through a broker who translated and went to the DoFA, cost more but less headache. After we got our papers back we went to the Ampor office in Pattaya, Banglamung. We where told that the papers have to send back the DoFA for checking with the embassies which take a month or longer.
    How frustrating. So all you people who thought about a wedding on the beach, romantic and all the BS, forget it. The Thai government does not support wedding tourism.

    Reply

    • Hi Gunter,

      That’s why right at the beginning of the post it says:

      They now require 3 days to process your documents.

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

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

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

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

      Reply

  59. Hi Rob. I am vietnames woman and my partner is british citizen and we don’t live or working in Thailand. May we can get marry in Thai Land or not. Because i hear that the ThaiLand Government just support for foreigners who live or working in ThaiLand can get marry in ThaiLand. Is it right? This August we will get marry and we hope we can get marry in ThaiLand.
    Thanks

    Reply

  60. Hello,

    I am now confused as the other websites have advised that the affidavit and the passport translations need to be certified by the embassy before being submitted at the MFA but this website is suggesting that the MFA will certify them directly. Do i need to take the translated documents back to the embassy to be certified or do we just go straight to MFA once all the documents have been translated?

    Also, does anyone know how our marriage certificate will be issued if we have a registrar from the local amphur coming to the resort instead of us going to the amphur? Do our documents need to be submitted to them ahead of time so that they can prepare a marriage certificate or is it like a blank document that they fill in with our names and details on the day?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply

    • You get your affidavit, which is your freedom to marry document, from your embassy. You then have this translated into Thai. The MFA then certify that document. You get a copy of your passport certified by your embassy, and then translated into Thai, and then present this to the MFA along with your freedom to marry document.

      On the issue of the marriage certificate if the registrar comes to your resort, there are a couple of ways that this can be done. Often people hire an agency to organise everything, and the agency will communicate with the registrar and most likely given your documents beforehand so that they can arrange for the certificate to be prepared for the big day. So you will do an official signing there and then at your wedding. Or it could be that the registrar comes to the wedding to marry you but then the official document is then issued a couple of days later by you going along to the local district office and finalising things.

      Reply

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

    Great post, really helped me out. Cheers.

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

    • Hi!. I am vietnames woman and my partner is british citizen and we don’t live or working in Thailand. May we can get marry in Thai Land or not. Because i hear that the ThaiLand Government just support for foreigners who live or working in ThaiLand can get marry in ThaiLand. Is it right? This August we will get marry and we hope we can get marry in ThaiLand.
      Thanks

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

          Reply

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Thx

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    thx

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Thanks

    Thx

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Quick question.

    Under the heading. .

    ‘What Marriage Documents to Take to the Registrar’

    2. Your Visa.

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

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

          Reply

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

            Reply

            • Hi Will,
              When you look on line yes it might come up no appointments.
              Close it and keep opening, appointments will appear.
              Had same problem initially, however booked an appointment easily using the method above.
              Maybe a program safety feature to stop, randomly booked appointments. You know what people are like these days?

              Reply

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

            Reply

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

              Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

          Reply

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

      Reply

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

    and if they have MFA?

    thank you very much

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

  92. Hi

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

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

  95. Hi

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

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

    Latest thread is super helpful – getting married in May!

    Hopefully hear back 🙂

    Reply

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

    Reply

    • Hi Eddie,

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

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

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

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

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

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

      Regards

      Robert

      Reply

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

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

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

      Reply

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

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

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

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

    Regards,

    Ken Cheong

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

      • Hi. Thank you for your feedback.

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

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

        Thank you.

        Reply

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

    Dean

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

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

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

        Yours

        Rob

        Reply

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

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

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

    Many thanks

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

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

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

    Thanks for any help.

    Reply

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

    Chris

    Reply

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

          Reply

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

              Reply

              • We plan to do our

                affirmation on 15 Mar

                translations and process at MFA on 18 Apr

                marriage at Amphur 27 Apr

                Thank you

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

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

                Thank you for your help

                Reply

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

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

                  All the best!

                  Reply

  106. TheThailandLife.

    Need help please!

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

    Have read intently your observations regarding types of VISAS.

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

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

    With Kindest Regards

    Robert

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

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

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

        Ask you never Know!

        Kindest For all your help

        Robert

        Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

  111. I have question regarding of this

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

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

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

    Thank you very much

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Help!

    Thank you!

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

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

    Many Thanks

    Reply

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

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

          Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

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

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

    Thank you in advance!

    Reply

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

    Many Thanks

    Reply

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

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

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

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

    Vicious cycle. We’ll find out.

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

    • Thanks for this informative information.

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

            Reply

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

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

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

            Good luck to all 🙂

            Reply

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

                Reply

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

                  Reply

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

                    Reply

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

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

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

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

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

    Good luck to all.

    Reply

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

      Reply

  133. Hi everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

    Reply

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

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

      Also this was all in Chiang Mai.

      Reply

    • Hi Adam

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

    • Hi Michael,

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

  148. Hi All the way from South Africa.

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

    Do you have any contacts ?

    Regards

    Chrissi

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

    ขอบคุณครับ
    Federico

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

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

    any feedback?!

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

    • Hi Itay,

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

            Chris

            Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Oct.19,2017 at 5:35pm

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi,

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

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

      Reply

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

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

    Thanks James

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Cheers

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

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

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

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

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

  178. Hi,

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

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Thanks
    Jane

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

  186. Hi there,

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

  187. Hi Thethailandlife,

    Great information.

    Just wanted to speak on my experience this weekend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

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

      Reply

  188. Hi Guys.

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

    Thanks in advance

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    If You Know About This Please Help…

    thanks in advance

    Reply

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

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

    Please let me know. Thank you.

    Reply

  198. Helo TheThailandLife,

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

    01-01-1999

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

    as you says

    age is require 17

    I’m 18 almost with my current birthday

    01-01-1999

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

    please give me best solution for it

    thanks for read my message/comment. 🙂

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

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

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

        Thanks You So Much For To Read My Message. 😊

        Reply

        • Hi Robin,

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

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

          3. You both need to be 17 to marry.

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

          Best of luck.

          Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

  210. Hi,

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

    Kind regards

    Reply

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

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

  212. Hello,

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

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

  215. Hi

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

    Reply

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

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

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

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

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

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

  221. Hi TY

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

    We both are Malaysians and muslims.

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

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

    Hope to hear from you soon.

    Reply

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

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

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

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

    Thank you:)

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Any help would be great
    Thanks

    Reply

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

    Any help would be great
    Thanks

    Reply

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

    Reply

      • Yes that’s right:

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

        Reply

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

    Thanks for all the great info!

    Reply

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

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

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

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

    Any help would be very much appreciated.

    Reply

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

        Reply

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

        Reply

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

        Thanks

        Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

      Cheers, Oldmanstan

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

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

    thanks in advance!

    Reply

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

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

      Reply

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

          Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

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

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

    Thanks a lot!!!!

    Reply

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

      Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

          Reply

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

    Reply

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

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

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

    Total price I paid was 460baht.

    Reply

    • Brandon,

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

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

      Regards
      Rich

      Reply

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

        Reply

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

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

          Reply

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

            Have you considered getting married in Pattaya?