Planning to Get Married in Thailand

Are you planning to get married in Thailand? Australian couples need to know:

Ohh, stunning Thailand!

Khao Lak, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Lamai Beach, KohSamui…

There are lots of awesome wedding places.

So romantic and so simple… But hold on!

When you are planning a wedding in beautiful Thailand, it is crucial to understand will happen if you do get married in Thailand.

So many legal procedures to manage!

If you really want a marriage which is properly recognized in Australia, then you have to realize that you'll spend four to five individual days in Bangkok, going to the embassy and submitting some legal forms.

The thing that couples are actually doing on the other hand, very sensibly, is getting “officially married” in Australia before their holiday in Thailand. Such newlyweds then have an unofficial (but gorgeous!) marriage ceremony in Thailand.

 

Have a look at some of the important procedures you must undertake, simply so you can “legally register” your marriage in Thailand and you will have clear understanding what we actually mean:

1. Go to the Australian Embassy in Thailand (located in Bangkok), make sure your travel document and passport is up-to-date and registered for a minimum 6 months. But first check out the public holidays of Thailand because The Australian Embassy… in fact all other Embassies in Thailand will undoubtedly be closed on those public holidays.

2. Ask for an “Affirmation of freedom to Marry” directly from the Australian embassy. This is the legal form which makes it obvious that you're lawfully able to get married. Mostly you’ll have to come back on the very next official day to collect this form. You will have to give your passport and evidence of cancellation of any former wedding, for example death certificate or divorce). Please note,photocopied papers will not be approved. So ensure you provide the original documents.

3. When you've got this “Affirmation of freedom to marry” form, you have to have a Thai translator. There are no embassies which provide you this support. The next thing you will need, is to manage, search and consult with a local translation firm who will charge you about $40 AUD to convert it into Thai.

4. The following step is to bring the "affirmation to marry" and its’ translated edition, to the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, close to the local airport in Bangkok (Available 8.30am to 2.30pm Monday-Friday). The MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) office will verify the credibility of these forms and give them back to you the very next day. You may post the forms alternately to Ministry office but…

5. When your papers are authenticated then you have to bring those documents to the “Amphur Office” (district Registrar) In Bangkok, this is also referred to as “Khet”. Considering the Thailand’s laws, your marriage only be lawfully valid once it has authorized at the Amphur Office. A religious wedding or civilized wedding ceremony isn't distinguished by the Thailand authorities. You'll only be lawfully wedded when you register in Amphur Office. It's strongly suggested that you take someone who's able to speak Thai. In fact, the wedding registration might be submitted at any Amphur or Minor District Office in Thailand, it does not need to be an Amphur in Bangkok. 

The foreign citizens who are getting married in Thailand need to deliver a photocopy of their passport and travel document with a verified affirmation (with qualified translation in Thai). If your spouse is a Thai citizen then they will need to provide their ID card and Household Certificates. 

When your wedding registration is finally finished, both you and your partner will get a copy of the Marriage Registration Certificate as confirmation.

6. Your Thai wedding certificate will definitely be in Thai, not in English. It's suggested that you receive a certified translation of your wedding certificate from a translation company so that it will be accepted lawfully in Australia in future.

Gosh!

To sum up, there is a lot involved to register your marriage in Thailand.

The exact same situations are often found in other beautiful and travel friendly countries too. So why bother with all this hassle? Alternatively, enjoy a Simple Wedding. 

Simple Weddings arrange easy, short, legal marriage ceremonies. It costs a lot less than even the cost of a Registry Office wedding. At just $199 AUD, it is the most cost effective option in Australia and basically you can get married within just four to five weeks of scheduling.

Reserve your Simple Wedding today, on 1300 668 459 or at www.simpleweddings.com.au