If you are planning to get married in Thailand you need to be aware of the registration process. It is a step by step process which starts at your respective embassies in Bangkok. For most embassies or consulates here in Thailand, releasing of documents will only take a day to release, but, for some, it may take more than a day. So, it is recommended to contact the embassies prior to visiting them to start the marriage registration in Thailand. Speak to a lawyer in Thailand for assistance.
Thai Marriage Registration
An Affirmation of Freedom to Marry, or sometimes known as Affidavit or Statutory Declaration where you have to complete a form and make a formal request which states that you are allowed to get married. It basically states you being Single or if you are divorced or your wife had died then you need to provide the Embassy with copies of your divorce decree or copy of the death certificate for them to issue you the document for you to get married in Thailand. It also goes together with your passport certification.
Once these are being issued, documents then should be translated and certified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The legalization process normally takes another 2-3 days to complete. The department is a long way from Bangkok city center which is in a district called Laksi. Here they stamp the documents as having been verified and checked as a genuine one. Once authenticated you can now proceed with the legal marriage registration which you have to take the documents to the local District Office in Thailand. Also take advice from a law firm in Thailand.
The Amphur, as commonly known by many, shall issue you with a Thai marriage certificate. You will be issued 2 marriage documents, which is the marriage certificate and the marriage addendum. Both certificates should go together as these will be your legal marriage documents. Certificates will be issued in Thai language and if using it abroad, translation to English and legalization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a must. For some countries, the embassies will also require that these will be authenticated.
Documents Needed
The documents you will need for the Thai marriage registration process are the following:
-
- – Your passport
-
- – Your Affirmation of Freedom to Marry/ Affidavit or Statutory Declaration
-
- – Also your passport certification from Embassy
-
- – Your Thai fiancée’s ID card
-
- – Your Thai fiancée’s Tabian Baan (House Registration certificate)
-
- – English translated documents
- – Certified or legalized documents from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs
It is strongly advise one must check for the latest changes on rules in Thailand to avoid delays and issues that may arise prior marriage.
