You are here: Home / Visa Stuff / Getting Married in Thailand – The DIY Guide!

Getting Married in Thailand – The DIY Guide!

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

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

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

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

Please also note that foreign national marriages may be subject to a paperwork check by the district office in which they want to get married. This involves sending the paperwork back to the MFA for verification. This can take up to 40 days!

In this case, using an agent or wedding company is the best option for an expedited process. Or, if your Thai partner has a contact at her/his hometown district office, they may be able to avoid the MFA verification, if you catch my drift.

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

Okay, let's begin.

getting-married-thailand

Contents

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

Hiring an Agent

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting Married in Thailand

Whether you're a foreign national marrying a Thai national, or a foreign couple coming to Thailand to get married, you'll need to jump through three hoops before you can officially tie the knot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Step 1: Freedom to Marry Affirmation & Passport Authentication

Affirmation of Freedom to Marry

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

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

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

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

Yes, it's an expensive stamp.

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

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

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

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

Passport Authentication

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

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

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

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

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

Step 2: Affirmation & Passport Translation

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

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

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

For the translation, you have two choices.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This might be preferable because the traffic will be dying down just after rush hour. This journey will cost around 150 Baht.

Do take the tollway (60 Baht) if the driver suggests it. This route is much quicker.

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

Immigration Office Address:

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

Show him/her the address in Thai: สำนักงานหนังสือเดินทาง ถนนแจ้งวัฒนะ เขตหลักสี่

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a link to a Google Map.

Step 3: Thai Consular Affairs Authentication (MFA)

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

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

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

You will be approached as soon as you enter by touts for the translation services, so do a bit of bartering (starting at 400 Baht). Don't stress too much over 100 Baht or so, just get it done with the company offering the fastest service and move on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Once called, you will be given a day to collect your authenticated documents and the option to have them posted to you. The standard pick-up/delivery time is 2 days.

When you get your documents back, you have completed the process.

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

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

If you've finished early, you could go to a local district office and book an appointment to get married. You might be able to get an appointment for the next day, depending on the location.

Marriage Documents Required by the Registrar

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

  1. Your passport – 2 copies
  2. Your visa – copy this too
  3. Your fiancee's ID card (for Thai nationals only) – 2 copies
  4. The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry (the original & the certified translation, plus copies of both)
  5. The MFA stamped translation of your passport
  6. Your fiancee's Tabien Baan (house log) (Thai nationals only) – 2  copies
  7. You will also need two witnesses. The rules may vary between district offices regarding who can be a witness. We used two Thai friends, but some offices may require one or two family members, and some may even offer a witness service for a fee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marriage Certificate Translation

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

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

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

One Last Thing!

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

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

Don't chance it.

Check out Safetywing for solid insurance that covers a broad range of eventualities.

And if you want the best prices on hotels in Bangkok, Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and more, check out this page. 

More Tips for Married Life

Improve Your Thai Skills:

Learning Thai makes life here easier and more fun. I use Thaipod101. It is free to get started & easy to use.

Send Money to Thailand:

Use Wise. It is fast, cheap, and gives you the market exchange rate. Me and the majority of my readers are using it.

Get Help with Pension or Investment Planning

Connect with my trusted, personal Independent Financial Advisor using this form



Last Updated on

Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

  2. Baz M says

    My Diary of my recent trip...

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

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

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

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

    • TheThailandLife says

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

      • Baz M says

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

    • Paulo & Hazel says

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

      • Baz M says

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

        • Paulo & Hazel says

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

    • Chrisd says

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

    • steve robinson says

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

      • Baz M says

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

    • Ally says

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

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

      All the best wished to everybody, happy marriages

      Ally
      Reply

  3. Karen says

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

  4. Steve says

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

  5. Steve says

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

    • Seb says

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

      Apr 10, 2019 at 9:33 am
      Reply

      • Steve says

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

        • Seb says

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

        • Baz M says

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

    • TheThailandLife says

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

      • Steve says

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

        • TheThailandLife says

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

          • Chrisd says

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

  6. Steve says

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

    • Seb says

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

    • Baz M says

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

      • Steve says

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

  7. Rachael Beth Moss says

    Hi,

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

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

  8. Don says

    We just got married in Thailand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Agent referral: Jammarie
    Reply

    • Baz M says

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

    • chacha says

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

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

    • TheThailandLife says

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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 

FOLLOW ME

Search TTL

Copyright © TheThailandLife.com 2024
No content on this site may be copied without written consent.

Send this to a friend