Marriage in Thailand
GUIDANCE FOR BRITISH NATIONALS WISHING TO MARRY IN THAILAND
This information is provided for general guidance only and has no legal authority.
1. Make an affirmation of freedom to marry in person at the British Embassy in Bangkok
- Please retype the affirmation including your details on one page in the same format as the attached sample and bring it to the Embassy to sign before a British Consular official.
- We accept affirmations at any time during our Consular opening hours. The completed affirmation will then be ready for collection from the Embassy from 09.00 hrs on the following working day.
-We charge Baht 2,250 per affirmation and we can provide this service to British nationals only.
- Please bring with you to the Embassy your passport, as proof of identity, and evidence that any previous marriages have been terminated (death certificate or divorce certificate(s) as appropriate). ORIGINALS ARE REQUIRED; copies will not be accepted under any circumstances.
2. Have the affirmation translated into Thai
- Once the affirmation has been signed, you will need to have it translated into Thai. Please note that Consular Section does not undertake the preparation or translation of documents.
3. Have the affirmation authenticated and translation certified
- All Thai Registrars will require authentication of the British Consular Official’s signature and certification of the Thai translation. This must be obtained from:
The Legalisation and Naturalisation Division, Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
123
Chaeng Wattana Road, Laksi District,
Bangkok 11120
Tel. 575 1056 – 59, 981 7171
(08.30 – 11.30 and 13.00 – 15.30)
The fee is Baht 400 per document, and it takes up to two full days for the Ministry to process applications
4. Submit the document to the Registrar
- The affirmation and translation are then ready for submission to the registrar, who, if satisfied, will register the marriage and issue a Thai marriage certificate.
- The British Embassy in Bangkok is not authorised to perform marriages.
- Marriage in Thailand should be performed according to Thai law and any detailed questions on the procedure should be addressed to the appropriate Thai authorities.
- A religious ceremony on its own is not sufficient.
- The documentation to be produced is at the discretion of each individual Registrar. Most Registrars will be satisfied with an affirmation of freedom to marry.
- The marriage will only be recognised under UK law if it is valid under Thai law. For it to be valid in Thai law, the marriage must be registered with the Registrar at an Amphur Office (District Office). A list of some Amphur offices in Bangkok and upcountry.
- The Thai marriage will be in Thai only. You may wish to commission a “sworn translation” of the marriage certificate from a translation bureau, so that you may use the document for legal purposes in the U.K.
- Consular Section can arrange for your marriage to be recorded in the U.K.; please ask us for further details if you wish us to do so. This is not a legal obligation.
- Please note that a foreign national does not automatically acquire British nationality through marriage to a British national.
- If you are marrying a Thai national, he or she will require a visa to visit or settle in the UK.
Applications for a visa to settle in the United Kingdom should be submitted at least three months in advance of the proposed date of travel. Please ask the Visa Section for further information.
NB: THE FEES MAY ALTER WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE