If you are marrying a Thai, or another foreigner in Thailand the marriage will only be recognised in your home country of residency if the marriage is recognised under Thai law.
The first thing to do, is to go to your embassy in Bangkok to obtain an Affirmation of your marital status. Normally your embassy will require you to make an appointment and they will likely charge you a fee for this service.
The next requirement is to get a copy of your passport translated into Thai, only the first page with your photo and personal details and also the Affirmation of freedom to marry translated into Thai.
These 2 documents then need to be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. This legalisation takes at least 24 hours.
If one of the couple are Thai, they would need to provide 2 copies of their ID card & house registration book.
Finally, you would need 2 people to witnesses the marriage at the recognised government office of your choice.
As a foreigner on the day of the marriage, you will receive the marriage registration certificate written in the Thai language. This you should get translated and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Next you should report the marriage to your embassy or consulate in Bangkok
Check list of requirements for both parties to marry;
- 2 copies of your passport (First page only) The first page of your passport needs to be translated to Thai & certified by MFA in Bangkok.
- Thai nationals need 2 copies of their ID card & house book.
- The Affirmation of freedom to marry, translated and certified by the MFA in Bangkok.
- 2 witnesses with ID cards or passports
You should allow at least 4 to 5 days to complete the check list. The last step to getting married in Thailand is to make an appointment at the local government office of your choice.
If you wish to do something different like get married on the beach, you will need to coordinate the arrangement with the local government office to ensure the marriage is legally recognised.
Simply having a traditional Thai wedding ceromancy, won’t legally be recognised as a marriage.
The rules & regulations governing how a couple can get married in Thailand, may vary slightly by location. It is therefore advisable to contact your local Thai consulate & government office where you wish to register the marriage, before making an application.
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