How to get married in Thailand as a foreigner
August 25, 2023 - Reading time: 12 minutes
The process of getting married in Thailand as a foreigner is relatively straightforward, provided you have conducted some research in order to understand the necessary steps. While some may choose to hire an agency to help with the process of running around and collecting the necessary documents, getting married in Thailand can be done yourself, 'DIY' style and without the need for paid help.
So, how is it possible to get married in Thailand as a foreigner? We will explore the necessary steps in this article.
1. Obtain an 'Affirmation of Freedom to Marry' document
In order to get married in Thailand, foreigners require an 'Affirmation of Freedom to Marry' document also known as 'an affirmation of martial status'; which is a document stating that you are currently unmarried in your home country, and are therefore free to get married in Thailand. This document can usually be obtained from a local registry office in your home country, or through your country's embassy in Thailand.
The process of obtaining a 'Affirmation of Freedom to Marry' document will vary depending on which country you come from, and the requirements of your embassy (if you intend to obtain the certificate locally in Thailand). Check your embassy's website for information on their requirements and the process.
The 'Affirmation of Freedom to Marry' is not usually free, with most embassies charging around 3,500 THB for the service. The British embassy, for example, currently charges 2,860 THB.
Note: You will also require a certified copy of your passport from your embassy, which will also need to be translated into Thai.
2. Have your documents translated
Once a 'Affirmation of Freedom to Marry' document has been obtained from your embassy, it will need to be translated into Thai by a reputable translation company, along with the certified copy of your passport.
If you obtained your freedom to marry certificate in Bangkok, then most embassies tend to be in the Wireless Road area; and you can find translation shops within walking distance. There are translation shops inside Mahatun Plaza which is near by, for example.
OR you could choose to have your documents translated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead, however this option might be more costly.
3. Authenticate your translations
Once your freedom to marry document and your certified passport copy have been translated, they will then need to be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Department of Consular Affairs
The Legalisation Division
123 Chaeng Wattana Road, Laksi District, Bangkok 10210
Phone: 02 575 1056 59, 02 981 7171
Once you're at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, take the escalator up to the third floor, turn right and walk up the stairs. Then go to the desk straight in-front of you and hand in your affirmation to marry document, its translation, along with your passport copy and passport translation.
Be aware that the staff take a lunch break at 12PM and return at 13:00. You will need to collect a ticket with a queue number and wait for your number to be called. If you arrive shortly before lunch then you might need to return after lunch at 13:00.
4. Register your marriage
Once you have your authenticated 'affirmation of freedom to marry' document along with a translated copy of your passport, you will then be ready to collect the other necessary documents and register your marriage at a district office.
In order to register a marriage, the following documents will typically be required:
- Your passport/visa with two copies of each
- Your fiancee's ID card (for Thai citizens) with two copies
- The Letter of Affirmation of Freedom to Marry (the original plus the translation with copies of both)
- The translation of your passport stamped by the MFA
- Your fiancee's Tabien Baan (house book) (for Thai citizens) along with two copies
- Two witnesses will be required. Rules can vary depending on which district office you use - so call your local district office and ask about their requirements. It could be helpful to bring a couple of Thai friends with you, or family members in some cases. If you decided to hire an agent then your agent might act as your witness instead.
5. Translating a copy of your marriage certificate
Once your marriage is complete, you will typically be issued with two marriage certificates. The certificates themselves are written in Thai script and feature a border of roses.
If you are a foreigner, then you might find it useful to obtain a certified translation of your marriage certificate in your country's native language. The translated certificate might come in handy should your partner decide to apply for a Western visa in the future, or, if you have a child with your partner then a translated marriage certificate may help in order to apply for your child's first passport.
Of course, if you just intend to use the marriage certificate for official purposes within Thailand (such as applying for a Thai marriage visa), then just the Thai language certificate itself should suffice.
Where can I get married in Thailand?
You will need to register your marriage at the nearest available district office. In Bangkok, you can choose between the district offices in Lak Si, Bangrak or Huay Kwang. These offices may require appointments to be made in advance, it is therefore advisable to call them beforehand in order to check this and their requirements/waiting times. Different district offices may also have different requirements regarding witnesses; getting in touch with your office of choice directly is your best bet when it comes to finding the most up-to-date info.
List of district offices in Bangkok
Lak Si District Office
999 Chang Watthana 10 Alley, Thung Song Hong, Lak Si, Bangkok 10210
Phone: 02 982 2081
Bang Rak District Office
5 Naret Rd, Si Phraya, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
Phone: 02 236 1395
Huai Khwang District Office
2 Pracha Uthit Rd, Huai Khwang, Bangkok 10310
Phone: 02 277 9100
If your partner is from a rural area or a small town, then you might find there to be shorter waiting times at the district office in their hometown, rather than in a city such as Bangkok... It would be a good idea to call your local district office and check with them regarding the waiting times and their requirements before deciding how to proceed.
Is it possible to get married in Thailand in one day?
Yes, it certainly could be possible to complete this process and get married in one day; however, whether or not this will be possible will depend on how busy the relevant offices are and how soon they are able to process you.
Are background checks necessary before getting married in Thailand?
A news article published in 2018 (source) claims that foreigners seeking to marry Thais may now be subject to criminal background screening. However, whether or not you will be subject to a background check may vary depending on your local district office - we suggest contacting your local district office for up to date information on their requirements.
While it is not compulsory, private investigators in Thailand can help to perform a premarital background check on your partner. We can check a number of different factors relating to your partner, which can help allow you to make an informed decision before taking the step of getting married. Premarital background checks have the potential to help mitigate the risk of financial loss through romance scams; they can also allow you to fully understand your partner's history and life before taking the step of getting married to them.
If you are interested in running a premarital background check on your partner, then free to get in touch with us for a free quote.
What is a Thai village wedding?
A 'Thai village wedding' is a traditional Thai wedding ceremony which takes place in towns or villages of Thailand. The event is taken seriously and usually attended by friends, family, along with local monks and village elders. The bride and groom dress in traditional Thai attire, with the ceremony lasting all day and usually including a large feast for all attendees.
While some people in Thailand may choose to mark their relationship with a village wedding, the wedding ceremony itself does not create a legally binding marriage unless it is followed up with a visit to the local district office in order to register the marriage.
If you are intending for your partner to obtain a Western visa in future, then you may need to register your marriage in a district office rather than purely holding a 'village wedding' ceremony.
Are pre-matrimonial background checks common in Thailand?
As a leading detective agency based in Thailand, we find that more and more of our clients are choosing to perform premarital background checks on their partners before taking the step of getting married. Clients that have previously fallen victim to infidelity or romance scams tend to be especially diligent in future relationships; with many seeking peace of mind that everything is fully above board and that their partner is truly being honest with them about their circumstances.
With money and finances an increasing part of most marriages, performing checks on your partner can also help to safeguard any future investments that you might make during your relationship.
We are able to check a number of different factors relating to your partner in order to check their history. Romantic background checks can be used whether or not you are currently considering marriage.
Are prenuptial agreements necessary in Thailand?
Prenuptial agreements are not required, however they may be considered in order to safeguard assets during a potential breakdown of the marriage in future. Depending on your country of origin, it could be necessary to have two prenups in place for both your home country and Thailand. Prenups are not a 'be all and end all' solution to all cases, and it is important to understand their potential limitations if you decide to go down the path of asking your partner to sign one prior to marriage.
In Thailand, the default rule is that your partner could be entitled to 50% of anything which you acquired after getting married - assets which you already had prior to getting married are usually exempt.
If you need information on prenuptial agreements, or on any other matter, then it would be highly advisable to consult with a lawyer that specialises in the relevant field of law. The information provided on this website serves as a rough guide for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
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5 reasons why I divorced my Thai wife
July 27, 2023 - Reading time: 10 minutes
Thanks for letting me send in my Thai wife story for your blog. I met my Thai wife during a trip to Thailand and we had been in a relationship for a total of seven years. I am going to write about some of the pitfalls of dating a Thai lady in my experience and the reasons that our relationship ultimately ended in a divorce. The following points would be things for me to consider before entering a serious relationship with another Thai lady.
1. English speaking ability
I think it's important to be able to communicate with your wife. Of course, many Thai ladies are very good at speaking English - unfortunately my wife was not one of them. She mostly spoke in broken English and was very reluctant to learn. I tried to help her learn better English, however anytime that I corrected her she would become annoyed by that. I think this was in part due to the Thai concept of 'saving face', she felt extremely embarrassed at the idea of anyone over hearing me correct her broken English in public, which meant that I could not teach her.
She attended some English classes but I felt that she never really applied herself or tried to learn. Broken English can sometimes be adequate, but sometimes it is not. This was an issue that we struggled with.
2. She always needed help with money
My wife was from a rural farming community in north east Thailand. She graduated high school but did not have a university degree or any qualifications. After graduating high school she worked in various menial jobs before ending up in Pattaya where I met her. She was working in Pattaya in order to earn enough money to support her family.
At first I didn't have a problem giving her money, I even paid her an allowance for supporting her family and general spending money. Over the years though I realised that she would never be capable of supporting herself. There were always unexpected bills from her family, whether their roof was damaged during a storm or a health scare, or a vehicle breaking down, planting rice fields, or fertiliser or pesticides for her rice fields, health/life insurance policies, there was always something that needed to be paid for.
I bought her a couple of different businesses but felt that she never truly applied herself; the businesses ultimately failed and I wound up losing even more money on them as a result. I tried to help my wife save money but there was always some unexpected expense and whatever savings she had would be used up. She always needed more.
If I was to remarry, I think that I would try to look for a lady with a stable career and a decent income.
3. She cheated on me
Infidelity was a recurring theme within our relationship. Shortly after we got married I discovered that she had been texting one of her exes on Facebook. She never allowed me to view her phone screen and thinking back, she was probably texting many other farang men. There is no other valid reason for someone to be protective over their phone and always hide their phone's screen from their partner while texting.
I never felt that she was truly satisfied with the money that I was giving her, and if she was seeing other men then she would have done this with the intention of earning money - or that is my (arguably deluded) view of the situation. I can't speak about all females, but in my case the relationship with my wife always involved me giving her money on a regular basis, and presumably she would be seeking a similar arrangement with other men.
Although deep down I did have a lingering feeling that she could be cheating on me (the warning signals were there), I never truly believed that she could cheat on me until I decided to check her and find out for sure. If you are also having doubts about your relationship then I would recommend checking and finding out for sure. I dread to think about the amount of guys that will never find out that they are being cheated on by their girlfriends or wives.
4. Trouble with visas
This point will largely depend on your circumstances and which country you come from. In my case, I am from the United States and was earning a six figure salary at my job which I couldn't justify walking away from. I had spent prolonged vacations living in Thailand however the long term solution in our relationship was for my wife to get a visa and move over to the states.
We seemed to tick every box that we could find, I had a stable job for starters, we were in a long term relationship which was well documented by photos, money transfers, and flight receipts, she had ties to Thailand like owning land and family commitments.
We tried and tried to get her a visa and were knocked back each time. It took so much time and money to make applications which were refused. I have spoken to many other Americans who also found it virtually impossible to secure a long term visa for their Thai partners. Sure, for some people the process is relatively easy but it can be a real mine field. The process takes a long time and I ended up seeking professional advice which was not cheap either.
In the end we could not get her a visa and I travelled back and forth to Thailand, which was not an ideal situation.
5. Cultural differences
If you are dating a Thai lady (or any person from an Asian country), and you come from a Western country yourself, then you might find some cultural differences between yourself and your partner during your relationship.
Most guys will never consider this, but certain things between east and west don't always match, and it can take some time before those differences start to show. Of course, all people are different and I can only speak to my own personal experiences.
For example, Thai people tend to regard the feet as the dirtiest part of the body. Anytime I would turn off a freestanding fan, I would press the button with my toe instead of bending down to turn it off by pressing the button with my finger. It's easier than bending down and I suffer from backache. This habit REALLY irritated my wife, as did any time that I used my feet for something instead of my hands. I tried to remember to use my hands but would often forget and annoy her or her relatives.
Another difference was my wife's strong commitments to her family. For example, I was renting a small house while staying in Thailand and my wife would often invite her extended family members over. They would often turn up to sleep over at my house for the night... I'm talking a dozen or more people sleeping in a two bedroom house. They would lay out blankets on the floor of the living room and bed down for the night.
I was not fond of my in-laws showing up and staying over at random intervals, and my wife saw no problem with it. Similarly, my wife would very often invite her family along to our trips around Thailand. It was like I had married my wife's family as well as her, they were always around. This was a source of major arguments between us.
My wife was very close with her family and would frequently call her mother or father for several hours a day. They were always talking over audio or video calls and I would usually need to wait for her to finish her call before being able to discuss something with her.
Of course, your experiences may vary regarding cultural differences and this one example is merely the 'tip of an iceberg'.
Check your Thai girlfriend
We recommend performing a premarital background check before getting married or entering into a serious relationship with a Thai girlfriend. Background check investigations of this nature can help to check and verify facts surrounding your partner. If you suspect that your partner could be actively cheating on you, then we could also check their activities/movements by placing them under surveillance. Our fees for surveillance depend on the location of the case.
We offer free, no pressure quotes for all work. Please feel free to get in touch with one of our experienced team members for more information. If you would like a quote for our surveillance service then we will need to know the exact locations of the case in order to confirm a quote, so please include as much information as possible with your inquiry.
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Is it legal to hire a private investigator in Thailand?
July 23, 2023 - Reading time: 8 minutes
As leading private detectives based in Thailand, we are frequently instructed by clients that have never previously hired a private detective before; and as such, we are frequently asked questions such as whether or not investigative services are in fact legal.
Yes, it is legal to hire a private investigator in Thailand. However, it is always advisable to use a well established and reputable firm in order to ensure high quality results. The detective agency should be a registered Thai company, with all fees paid into accounts held by that company. Accreditations and past experience should also be considered when choosing a detective agency.
Of course, it is possible to hire a private investigator in another country to carry out investigations within Thailand; in this situation the case will typically be outsourced to a local firm based in Thailand, with middle man fees added by the agency which manages the case.
We frequently provide updates to our clients during investigations in real time, and although we also work alongside other detective agencies around the world; we find it easier to communicate directly with our clients, rather than communicating through an intermediary based in the client's home country.
We offer free quotes for all work; if you require the services of a private detective based in Thailand then feel free to get in touch with one of our experienced team members for help and advice.
What can private investigators in Thailand do?
Private investigators typically offer a number of different services for either private or corporate clients; our agency provides services to both sectors.
Personal surveillance service
Personal surveillance can be used in a number of different cases to check the lifestyle/activities of a subject. Surveillance is often used during infidelity investigations, for example, and is the most common method which can be used to catch acts of infidelity on camera.
Surveillance is often deployed in areas of Thailand such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai; however we can also deploy surveillance teams in all areas of Thailand, subject to reimbursement for travel time and costs.
If you are interested in our surveillance service and would like a free quote, then please feel free to get in touch with us - we will need to know the locations of the case and any relevant details in order to understand your needs and requirements, please include this information when getting in touch with us.
Background check services
Due to the growing problem of romance scams, premarital background checks are an increasingly common method to check and verify facts relating to a Thai girlfriend or boyfriend before taking the step to get married or further progress a romance.
Background checks can also be used by employers to check candidates as part of preemployment background screening.
Checks can be used to verify any number of different factors relating to an individual; from basic information such as their date of birth or gender, to other checks such as employment history, marriage/divorce history, criminal record checks, family checks, and more.
We offer standard background check packages and can also offer customised packages depending on the needs and requirements of our client. Please feel free to contact us and tell us about your case to learn more about our background check service. We offer free, no pressure quotes for all work.
Missing people investigations
Searching for missing people can prove to be some of the most challenging and most rewarding cases that are handled by us.
In cases such as these, everything will depend on the information that our client is able to provide us with... Are there any locations which could be visited in order to conduct interviews with a view to locating the subject? Is any information available on the subject's current or past locations? What is the subject's nationality? Why specifically are you trying to get hold of them? For missing people investigations we will need as much background information as possible in order to assess the situation and provide a quote.
Corporate investigations
We have years of experience in performing corporate investigations and due diligence within Thailand. Investigations on behalf of corporate clients often involve the acquisition and dissection of data which can be used to help them to make informed decisions, which will in turn allow them to save both time and money.
Shrewd businessperson understand that conducting due diligence in the form of relevant checks can help to mitigate their risk of financial loss... Investigations of this nature can take many different paths, depending on the circumstances and the needs/requirements of our client.
What can't private investigators do?
Phone hacking
"Can you hack into a phone? Can you hack into a social media account?" - Answer: No; absolutely not. We do not offer any form of hacking services as this would be against the law.
In some cases we are able to utilise publicly available data in order to collect information on any certain individual... For example, in some cases we can use facial recognition checks to discover instances of a subject's face on the internet - we have previously found adult videos featuring subjects, as well as dating profiles and similar material. As these checks involve the acquisition of data which is already available in the public domain, it is effectively considered 'fair game' for a private investigator. 'Hacking' into private data on the other hand is not allowed under any circumstances.
Unethical surveillance practices
"Can you break into a hotel room and install a hidden camera so that you can record my partner cheating?" - Answer: No; absolutely not. Unauthorised surveillance of this nature is not allowed.
Requests for intrusive surveillance of this nature are all too common... Surveillance services which take place outside of a Hollywood movie set is always confined by rules, as well as numerous subjective elements which are often outside the control of surveillance agents. While it may be possible to gather evidence that your partner is cheating on you, the use of hidden cameras in this way is simply unacceptable.
Learn more about us
Please visit the Bangkok Investigators homepage for more information about us and the services that we offer.
Scammed by my Thai girlfriend (shocking HORROR story)
February 22, 2023 - Reading time: 11 minutes
Ian, please post this story in your blog. I want other people to read about what happened so that they can learn from it and maybe it won't happen to them.
For the purpose of this story I will refer to the lady as 'Pim', but this is not her real name.
I originally found Pim on a dating site. I found her to be very attractive and we started talking. She told me that she was living on her parent's farm in a small town in Roi Et. She sent me lots of photos of her farm, her animals and the basic living conditions there.
We started talking regularly through WhatsApp, we were talking all day every day for months. After 8 months of speaking to Pim I flew out to meet with her for the first time. We arranged to meet in Phuket where I had booked a resort near the beach in Patong.
I had an amazing time with Pim in Thailand, we visited the temple, we went on boat trips, ate at nice restaurants, everything was great and I became even more in love with her at this point. After 2 weeks it was my time to return home but I could not stop thinking about Pim and within a week I had paid for a second flight to Thailand, I was going to return after 6 months but stay in Thailand for 4 weeks this time.
During my second visit I wanted to visit Pim's farm in the countryside but she told me that I wouldn't like it up there and that we should stay in Phuket. Pim told me that she had never visited Phuket before going there to meet me during my first trip.
6 months quickly passed and I was back again in Thailand with Pim. This time I did not want to leave her and was making plans for a long term future with her. I had some money available from an inheritance and I figured out that if I sold all my assets back home in the States that I would be able to buy a business in Thailand and make a life out there.
During my second visit I took Pim to our favourite restaurant and proposed to her, which she accepted. Now things were really getting serious.
Knowing my plans, Pim told me that she had found a really good deal on a house for sale. The house itself was a bit of a wreck and needed some investment. The pool was leaking water, it needed various repairs and a coat of paint. The house was being advertised for 3.8 million baht, but Pim was able to negotiate it down to 3.5 million. I thought it was a good deal, especially compared to house prices in the states.
At the time of writing this article 3.5 million baht is approximately 100,000 US dollars. It is not a massive amount of money, but it is still a lot by most peoples’ standards. I wanted to view more properties but Pim persuaded me into this specific one, using many different reasoned arguments.
So I bought the house, and setup a Thai company which would be used to own it. Although I felt like I could trust Pim, I did not want to put the house in her name, and after reading horror stories online we setup a company of which I was able to own 49%.
After the vacation I went back home to liquidate my assets and Pim was tasked with making sure the house was renovated to a high standard. I sent her money on a regular basis, I sent her 14,000 dollars to fix the roof and repair the pool. I sent 6,000 more to repair the fence and driveway gate. There were many expenses involved with repairing the property.
Things came to a head when Pim gave me a rough list of expenses and told me that she needed around 16,000 dollars to finish the house. This would include painting the walls and buying basic furniture and appliances.
I sent over the money and then things went silent. I got no response from her on WhatsApp or Facebook, I called her and the calls would not connect. I became very worried that something might have happened to her, I thought maybe she was involved in an accident. I sent a friend over to the house to speak to her but when he arrived the house was empty.
I could not think straight and was constantly worried about the situation. I ended up taking time off work to fly back and find out what was happening. I got back to my house to find it was not as completed as I thought it was. Work has been done on the house but it was still a building site and nowhere near finished. There was no sign of Pim anywhere.
I started asking around. I visited the bars that I always drank at with Pim. I got speaking to the manager of a bar in Patong where we always would drink. The manager told me that Pim used to work at another bar on the strip, apparently Pim had been working in the bar for at least 2-3 years - this was all new to me. I thought that Pim had worked at a clothing store before meeting me, she never mentioned bar work.
Although the manager gave me some information on her past, no-one I spoke to knew where Pim was. It was like she had just vanished.
I spent more time in Patong alone and depressed, I started drinking heavily. I looked through the paperwork that I had brought relating to the purchase of my house. A business card fell out for the real estate agent that sold the house. On a whim I visited their office to see if they could help me find Pim.
Although the realtor only spoke with Pim while I was buying the house, she remembered it and described it as 'the blue corner house for 1.6 million'. I showed her photos of the house on my phone and she repeated, 'yes, I remember. That blue corner house we sold for 1.6 million'.
You will probably read this story and think that it is ridiculous and that it could never happen to you. I wouldn't class myself as an idiot either, but it quickly transpired that Pim had sold me a house which cost 1.6 million for 3.5 million and simply put the difference in her own pocket.
The process of buying a house involved what seemed like thousands of pieces of paper, and Pim had dealt with most of it. She had somehow inflated the price that I paid. She then took even more funds which were supposed to be used to renovate the house. I was expecting the house to be almost finished, but when I arrived it was still in a total state of disrepair. Plus, Pim owned a large percentage of the holding company which owned the house.
The truth was starting to dawn on me and I broke down in the real estate office. While going through my paperwork with them, they pointed out that I had a copy of Pim's ID card, which featured an address for a small town in Roi Et.
I needed answers at this point and took a flight from Phuket to Bangkok. In Bangkok I rented a car and drove myself to her village. The drive took me 7 hours. She was living in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by rice fields. Finding her village was very difficult and it took hours to locate her.
I showed local people in the village photos of Pim on my phone and they told me with broken English that Pim lives in 'that house' with a farang.They pointed to a very large 4-5 bedroom house that was painted white. I should point out that ''farang'' means a foreign man, usually a white guy. They were reluctant to give me any information and I could tell that they were gossiping amongst themselves as the 'translator' tried to communicate in broken English.
The house that she supposedly lived at was protected by a gate/fence all around it. I could see most of the driveway from the roadside as the house sat on top of a hill. I decided to just see what was happening and sat outside the house in my rented car.
After 40 minutes of sitting outside this house in the middle of nowhere, my heart sank as I saw Pim walking outside the house and onto the driveway. It was definitely her, I recognized her hair, clothes, everything. Shortly after she left I saw a white man follow her out of the door and two young children. They walked around the garden together watering plants.
At this moment the gravity of the situation hit me like a brick in the face. I just couldn’t believe that I had been conned in this way. All along she had been living with a different man and raising his kids.
This is probably very anticlimactic, but I decided not to confront them and just drove away. I am not a confrontational guy and did not want to create a big situation in front of her kids. I don't know whether the other guy knew that I had been conned but by this stage I didn't care either. Maybe I am not the only boyfriend, maybe her husband just sits back while Pim earns money by conning guys out of cash. I don't know and will probably never know the truth.
After this I sought legal advice and the long and short of it is that it's going to be a very long road to try to recover my money and get out of the situation that I'm in. My lawyer said that it will take years and might not go anywhere, of course I will still need to pay the legal bills whatever happens with my case.
I will admit that I was a fool, and while all Thai women are not bad I will certainly be more cautious in the future. When my relationship becomes more serious I will definitely have you run a background check on my girlfriend before money enters the equation.
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