Marriage Paper

[Freddy]

Some advice please guys.
Myself and my better half want to formally register our Marriage.

Visited Amphur today and advised I need a paper from the Embassy in Bangkok. I believe it is the paper declaring I am free to marry which I then have to have translated to Thai.

Q1. Other than my yellow Housebook, passport and Thai ID is this all I need to register marriage.

Q2. Do I have to show any evidence of free to marry or is this just a sworn declaration.

Q3. Is it the actual British Embassy I go to or is it the Trendy Building VFS services.

Quite urgent this one. I have a UK Will that I need to sign but for my partner to recieve my UK pension we need to be married so I can't sign will until this has been done.

Thanks in advance for assistance.

[iammike]

Freddy,

No idea were to go as I am not from the UK, but when we wanted to get married we did the following

1- Went to my Embassy in BANGKOK, there I (after departing with a substantial amount of Cash ) got a Piece of Paper that I was free to marry
2- With that piece of paper we went to a Translator to get it Translated into Thai
3- With the Original and the Translation we went to Min. of Foreign Affairs (MFA) (near Chaengwattana in BKK) and we got the papers legalized.

This whole process took us 2 days, if you are unlucky 3.

Please note: That the MFA only accepts a small (I believe 50) people for Express Service. Express Service means get it back the same day if not express the following working day. And get there EARLY (we arrived at 7:30am) and we were done at around 2:30pm)

Also maybe the Translator (step 2) can arrange for the Legalization at the MFA (for a fee of course), but we did it ourselves.

With both pieces of paper you go to any Amphur and get Married !!

Disclaimer: What we have done could have changed quite a bit as we got married almost 7 years ago, so maybe someone with more recent experience can comment (PrakonChai Nick ?) !

[jmcet]

got married in Lam Plai Mat 43 years ago. Just went to the Ampur and got married without any of the above....times have changed...555

[iammike]

@Freddy

Found this, maybe it helps

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-for-british-nationals-intending-to-marry-in-thailand

and this

https://www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad/y/thailand/opposite_sex

[Starman]

Follow the second link that iammike posted. Can't go wrong. There are translation services all around the MFA. That is likely the most convenient way of doing it. For an extra tip the translation service maybe able to jump the queue at the MFA for you.

[Freddy]

Gents, thanks for all the advice. Have checked out the UK embassy site and the next available appointment to get the affirmation done is 29th March at 0840.
That unfortunately is a Thursday but should give me time to get the translations done the same day. I think the MFA will send me the certified papers if they can't be done on the Thursday or Friday. Can anyone confirm that they can be left at MFA for certification and then sent to me??
Otherwise I'm potentially stuck in Bangcok till Monday if all not finished in 2 days.

[iammike]

@Freddy

As I already said in post #2 and Starman added. Go and find a translator while in BKK and they will do the legwork at MFA  for you, so you go back home (after doing your thing at the Embassy) and they will send it to you. Problem solved

[Freddy]

Indeed you did. Apologies. Seems like the best way to go. What I was trying to establish is if I get the translation done and then drop the documents off at the MFA, will they send them to me once certified.

[iammike]

@Freddy.

Sorry, but No idea if they will, maybe someone else can comment on this.

[Freddy]

No worries. I'll call them tomorrow and ask.

[Starman]

I would very much doubt it. Many of the translation companies there also act as agents. They will be your best bet.

[iammike]

Found this

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/16265-Naturalization-Legalization.html

Maybe have the future misses ?Freddy? call and ask them

[Freddy]

Thanks again guys. I'll get on it tomorrow. I've got 5 weeks. I was surprised how long I've got to wait for the Embassy appointment.

[pagan1]

I can confirm that the MFA will send legalised documents to your home address by EMS. Last month we used the translation service at MFA to get a UK marriage certificate Legalised in Thai. The translation took a couple of hours (because he had not done a Scottish certificate before). I had hoped that I could use the Express service and pick up the legalised document in the afternoon but was told that all legalised documents take 2 days to be reviewed and stamped. Not wanting to hang around in Bangkok and with some trepidation of allowing the original documents to be sent in the post I took the EMS option offered by MFA. No problems and a few days later documents delivered fully stamped and legalised.
Hope this information helps

[blackcow]

You will also need a copy of your Passport front page, photo and information along with the page showing entry stamp and visa extension. A signed copy of the ladies ID front and back may be asked when you submit your paperwork on the second floor of the MFA.
One word of warning, if your translated docs are not 100% you will need to have the translation rectified so remember who you dealt with. This happened to me last November and it was a pain. One number was missing from my home postcode, ended up having to wait around for whole day
The touts at the front door in the MFA are fairly easy to deal with, just exchange phone numbers. Took about two hours for the translation and 1200 baht.
Good luck.