Marriage in Thailand

Registration of Foreigners Marriage in Thailand

Marriage for foreigners in Thailand should be performed according to Thai Law. Procedure and requirements are as follows:

1. Appear in person with your passports at your Embassy in Thailand to complete declarations attesting that you are single and free to marry in accordance with Thai Law (blank forms are available at the Embassy).

• A. Take the completed declaration to a reputable translation office to have the contents of the declaration translated into Thai.
• B. The documents together with translation and copies of passports have to be taken to the Legalization Division of Consular Affairs Department (address: 123 Chaengwattana Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210 Tel: (66-2) 575-1056-60 Fax: 575-1054 E-mail: consular04@mfa.go.th) where the Consular Official’s signature will be authenticated. This normally takes 2 days. The documents and translation are then ready for submission to the District Registrar who will register the marriage and issue the marriage certificate in Thai.

2. In case of the woman is a widow or a divorcee, the dissolution of the former marriage must have taken place at least 310 days before the next marriage

Doctor’s pregnancy test is accepted if the time between the former marriage and the next marriage is less than 310 days; but this rule shall not apply if;

• A. a child has been born during such period, or
• B. the divorced couple remarry, or
• C. there is an order of the Court allowing the woman to marry.

• All documents must be translated into Thai before submission to the District Registrar.
• The documents together with translation must be submitted to the District registrar at least one day prior to the marriage registration day.

For more information Provincial Administration Department

The Effects of Marriage Registration in Thailand

Registering one’s marriage in Thailand makes the marriage subject to Thai laws. From the moment of the marriage’s registration, the Thai Civil and Commercial Code provisions on Family Law can be deemed as governing the marriage.

Thai laws on marital obligations, property sharing and administration, and even child custody applies to the parties whose marriage is registered in Thailand.

As the Thailand marriage registration is covered by Thai law, its dissolution can likewise be covered by Thai laws. One important consequence of having registered your marriage in Thailand is that you may avail of uncontested divorce in case the marriage goes wary. Uncontested or Administrative divorce is what may be the equivalent of Mutual Consent Divorce in other states. This form of divorce is available only to couples who registered their marriage in Thailand. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Uncontested divorce is the preferred form of divorce in Thailand because it is very straightforward and cost-efficient. No ground for divorce needs to be proved by the parties. All that is needed is the parties’ mutual decision to end their marital union.

-Thailand News (TN)