Marriage in Thailand: what you need to know

All the useful information on the formalities to follow before a wedding in Thailand.

If you've met your soulmate in Thailand and you're sure about it (see before : Documentary: My Nightmare, I Married a Thai Woman 😉 ) then here are the main steps you will go through.

Marriage in Thailand for Belgians
Marriage in Thailand for French people

Marriage in Thailand for Belgians

A) Before marriage in Thailand

If you wish to getting married in Thailand with a Thai national, please first contact the civil registry authorities in the Thai municipality ("Amphur") where the marriage will be celebrated in order to verify the documents, legalizations and Thai language translations required by the Thai registrar.

The civil registration authorities in Thailand normally require foreigners who wish to register as marry a "certificate of non-impediment to marriage and a "certificate of honour". (affidavit) concerning the address, income of the future spouse as well as the names of two persons of the same reference and nationality who know him personally and are aware of the marriage project.

Both documents can be issued by the Embassy.

To obtain this certificate of non-impediment to marriage and thecertificate of honour (affidavit) the following documents must be submitted to the Belgian Embassy in Bangkok:

1. On behalf of the future Belgian spouse(s)

1.1 Resident in Belgium or outside Thailand :

Copy of the identification page of your valid international Belgian passport + copy of all Thai entry and exit stamps.
Copy of the Belgian identity card.
Literal copy of the birth certificate (issued by the Belgian commune), not older than 6 months. The literal copy must be an original document (no faxes or downloaded copies), duly dated and signed by the official authorised to issue this document.
A certificate of nationality, residence and civil status issued by the Belgian commune, not older than 6 months. This document must be an original (not a fax or downloaded copy), duly dated and signed by the competent official.

At the request of the Thai authorities, you must also provide the surname, first names, date of birth and addresses of two Belgian citizens who are aware of the marriage projected in Thailand.

These documents do not need to be legalised.

1.2 If you are registered at the Belgian Embassy in Bangkok

Copy of the identification page of your valid international Belgian passport + copy of all Thai entry and exit stamps.
Literal copy of the birth certificate (issued by the Belgian commune), not older than 6 months. The literal copy must be an original document (not a fax or downloaded copy), duly dated and legalised by the competent official.

At the request of the Thai authorities, you must also provide the surname, first names, date of birth and addresses of two Belgian citizens who are aware of the planned wedding in Thailand.

These documents do not need to be legalised.

2. By the Thai spouse-to-be

Copy of the identification page of a valid international Thai passport (if available).
Copy of Thai identity card.

Cost of documents

The issuance of a "certificate of non-impediment to marriage is subject to a consular fee of 80 euro (i.e. 20 € for the issuance of the certificate and 60 € for the certified translation into Thai, to be paid in cash in Thai Baht).

A consular fee of €20 is also payable for the legalisation of your signature on the affidavit which you must present to the Thai authorities on request.

Procedure for marriage in Thailand

Warning: the certificate of non-impediment to marriage can not be issued ex officio and may be subject to authorisation by Belgian Foreign Affairs. In this case, several weeks must be allowed for its issuance.

If the application is complete and the legal requirements are met, the Embassy will issue two certificates: a certificate of non-impediment to marriage and a form "Affidavit of marriage which you must complete, date and sign.

The Embassy will legalise your signature on the affidavit. Consular fees are payable in Thai bath, and are €20 (€10 per document) at current exchange rates.

Translation and legalization: the "certificate of non-impediment to marriage and your declaration on honour ("Affidavit of marriage) must still be translated by you into Thai by a translator approved by the Embassy (a list of translators is available at the Embassy counter).

You must then have these two documents and the translations legalized with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

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)

Once these documents have been translated and legalised, you can get married at a registry office of your choice in Thailand.

B) Marriage in Thailand

The marriage is contracted with the civil status authorities of each Thai commune, known as "AMPHUR".

When the marriage has been celebrated, the couple is given two documents in Thai:

A Marriage Certificate.
A certified copy of the registration of themarriage certificate (Copy of Marriage Registration Book).

C) After marriage in Thailand

You must have these two documents legalized (marriage certificate and copy of the marriage registration by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (see address above).

Then these two documents must be translated into the official language of your municipality by one of the translation offices approved by the Embassy (a list is available at the Embassy counter).

Be careful, check for errors on these documents and their translations! Errors in the names or previous civil status of the spouses are common.

Finally, you must have the marriage certificate and the copy of theregistration of the marriage certificate.

If you are resident in Belgium, once you return to Belgium, present this marriage certificate and theThai marriage registrationThe documents must be duly legalised and accompanied by a translation into the language of your municipality, at the civil registry office of your Belgian municipality.

Ask for a transcription to be made in the civil status registers of this commune. This will enable you to obtain copies or extracts of this document directly from your Belgian commune in the future. marriage certificate.

Marriage in Thailand for French people

The marriages between French and foreign nationals are celebrated by the Thai authorities upon presentation by the French national of a certificate of capacity to marry (CCAM), to obtain this document you will need to make an appointment with the French Embassy in Bangkok (only by internet here) who will call you for an audition normally at this address:

Consular Chancellery
35, Soi 36 Rue de Brest
Charoenkrung Road, Bangrak
Bangkok 10500
Switchboard +66 (0) 2657 51 00
Fax +66(0) 2657 51 55
http://www.ambafrance-th.org

Document to be provided to obtain the certificate of capacity to marry :

Please note: the Consulate does not make photocopies and any incomplete file will be refused!

Future spouse of French nationality

- full copy of birth certificate issued within the last 3 months (please present the original).

- document proving French nationality (to be provided if you were not born in France to at least one parent who was born in France):

valid French national identity card (secure model),
or certificate of French nationality,
or a registered copy of a declaration of French nationality,
or ampliation of the decree of naturalisation or reinstatement in French nationality,
or biometric passport.

- presentation of the passport

- Identity card, if you have it

- if widowed, a full copy of the death certificate of the previous spouse

- proof of address (e.g. invoices, tax notices, certificate from the host with a copy of his/her identity card, etc.).

Please note that anyone with an address abroad must also present their consular card

Future spouse of foreign nationality

- birth certificate *

- if applicable, documents proving the change(s) of first name and/or surname during life*.

- in case of divorce, a copy of the divorce decree*.

- in the event of widowhood, a copy of the death certificate of the previous spouse, as well as the marriage certificate

- Proof of residence (blue booklet issued by the Thai authorities)

- presentation of the identity card

- presentation of the passport, even if it has expired, or a copy (unless the person concerned has never had a passport)

* original Thai document + photocopy of the Thai document + original translation by a certified translator

Common documents

- if applicable, full copies of the French birth certificates of the couple's children

- where appropriate, certificate of marriage contract notarised

Download the file for the ACPC application:
Marriage-in-Thailand-certificate-of-capacity-to-marry.pdf

Maintenance and filing of the file

Once the appointment has been made, the documents have been collected and the file completed, you can submit your file for interview.

During this interview the couple will be asked to fill in a separate questionnaire and they will be asked about their relationship to ensure that it is not a marriage of convenience or a scam.

If you met your girlfriend in a nightclub and have known her for a short time, they may not give you the CCAM!

Withdrawal of the certificate of capacity to marry

After a minimum of 8 weeks you can collect your CCAM without an appointment during the public opening hours of 8.30 a.m. to 12 noon, they specify that it is the French national who must collect the document.

Translation and double legalisation of the certificate of capacity to marry

Once you have the ACPC you will need to have it translated by a translator approved by
the embassy.

There is a certified translator next door: The Corner 31, rue de Brest.

Then you must have the translation legalised at the French embassy, without an appointment from 8.30am to 12pm.

Last step, legalization by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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)

You have to go to the 2nd floor and fill in the document "Application for legalization" and then take a number in the counters on the right. You must have a photocopy of your passport.

Then you can either wait a long time or have the file sent to you by post (8 days delay), which will cost you 600 bath if you take the file directly or 1200 bath if you choose to receive it by post.

The Wedding

That's it, once all these steps have been taken you can get married in the Thai registry office of your choice.

Congratulations, I wish you all the best!

After the wedding

Once the marriage you will need to return to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a copy of theThai marriage certificate Kho.Ro. 2, which will cost you 600 baht.

Then return to the French embassy which will need to transcribe theThai marriage certificate on the French civil status registers, the following documents:

- Copy theThai marriage certificate (Kho.Ro. 2 or คร.2 ), legalized by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

- the translation of this document by a translator approved by the Embassy.Thai marriage certificate is the double-sided document on which the spouses, the witnesses and the local registrar sign; not the marriage certificate(which is in the form of a diploma), costing 2000 baht.

- If the French national is not present for the application for transcription, he/she should complete the application for transcription on the last page and sign it. (Original not a scan or other copy)

Family record book and marriage certificate

Within an indicative period of about two weeks, the civil status department will issue the spouses with a French family record book and full copies of the marriage certificate.

Hearing

You can be summoned to the civil status department of the embassy/consulate or to the town hall of your residence in France for a hearing with or without your spouse.

The purpose of this hearing is to check that the marriage complies with French law. It can be carried out, depending on the case, before the publication of the banns or during the examination of the request for transcription of the marriage certificate.

At the end of this hearing, if the embassy/consulate has doubts about the validity of the planned or celebrated marriage, he/she may decide to submit the case to the public prosecutor at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Nantes for assessment.

Bringing your spouse to France

Once married, you can bring your spouse to France for a short stay with a short stay visa, which is rather easy to obtain (less than 3 months, no tests), or a long stay visa, which will allow him/her to stay indefinitely.

The first long-stay visa takes a long time to obtain because your wife/husband will have to pass a test on the values of the French Republic and a French test.

If he/she fails the French test, he/she will have to attend classes at the Alliance Française in Bangkok, retake the French test and this time even if he/she fails, he/she will get his/her visa

Her/his visa will be valid for 1 year and renewable, so she/he can stay as many years as you wish.