FAQ about marriage and divorce in Thailand

Q : Can a foreigner get married in Thailand?
A : Yes. Even two foreigners from different countries can get married together in Thailand.

Q : Is a Buddha marriage a legal marriage in Thailand?
A : No. A legal Thai marriage must be done according to the Law and must be registered at the Amphur (local registration office) or Khet (same, in the Bangkok area). A Buddha marriage shouldn't have any legal implications in Thailand.

Q : Is my Thai marriage, done in Thailand, valid in my own country?
A : Laws of every country are different. You should contact your embassy to verify if a Thai marriage is valid in your own country. Some countries will require to register your marriage, some will countries will automatically recognize your marriage but you might need some translation and legalizations in order to perform some legal acts, and for others, it won't be recognized.

Q : Is it difficult to get married in Thailand?
A : No, it's normally very easy. First, you must go to your embassy and get an affirmation of freedom to get married. Then, you must translate this document in Thai. After, you must legalized it at the ministry of foreign affairs of Thailand in Bangkok. After, you can get married in any amphur or khet in Thailand.

Q : Can I make a prenuptial agreement in Thailand?
A : Yes, but you prenuptial agreement must be registered WHEN you get married in Thailand. If not, it's void under Thai laws. Some amphur are not familiar with prenuptial agreements and it might be difficult for you to register a prenuptial without help.

Q : Can I get a visa or an extension based on marriage after being married?
A : Yes. You have to be married to a Thai national, and you must meet the monthly income requirement of at least THB 40,000 or put 400,000 baht at the bank 2 months before you apply for your extension. These are the new rules since November 2008. If you got your extension based on marriage before that, you might be grandfathered under some old rules.

Q : If I marry a Thai lady who has a child, and I am not the parent of this child, am I responsible for this child?
A : No. You won't have any parental powers over this child unless you apply for adoption, there is a Court decision or the local registration office registers some documents about that. However, by being married, you have an obligation toward

Q : Is my foreign marriage valid in Thailand?
A : If you did not registered your foreign marriage in Thailand or didn't marry in Thailand, you are considered NOT MARRIED under Thai laws. Thailand doesn't recognized foreign marriages and you must register you marriage accordng to Thai law should you wish to be considered married here. (See clause 1459 of the Thai Civil Code, book V).

Q : I get married in Thailand, can I divorce in Thailand?
A : Yes. There are 2 ways to divorce: making an agreement or by going to the Court. If your spouse doesn't wish to divorce, and she refuse to make an agreement, your only option is going to Court under Thai law. But for that, you must have a ground to divorce under Thai law. See clause 1516 of the Thai Civil Code for grounds to divorce.

Q : At what age can you marry in Thailand?
A : At 17 years of age, but the Court may, for appropriate reasons, allow the marriage before attaining such age.

Q : Can adopters marry adopted?
A : No.

Q : How long does it take to divorce in Thailand?
A : It can be very easy to divorce if you can reach an agreement with your spouse. You can make it in one day. However, if you have to go to Court, it can take from few months (6 months to 1 year normally to get a judgment) to many years (in case of appeals or if you have to execute the judgment, example, to sell a property in order to get your part of the marital asset).

Q : How much does it cost to divorce in Thailand?
A : If you make an agreement and register it at the amphur, it's very cheap. If you go to Court and claim some parts of the marital property, you must give 2% deposit to the Court for the amount that you claim. Example, you bought a property of 2 million baht while being married...and you claim half of it, 50%, so 1,000,000 baht. The Court will ask you 20,000 baht as Court deposit. If you win your case, the Court might ask the other party to reimburse you these fees. If you settle down with the other party before a final judgment, you can ask back some part of this amount by requesting the Court to do so.

Frequently asked questions about legal marriage in Thailand

Q : Are all civil wedding in Thailand will be recognized in my Country?
A : Yes.

Q : How to proceed if I am divorced?
A : You will need to bring your original divorce certificate (Decree of Absolute Divorce) with a photocopy. Please note: only originals will be accepted. you must also have been divorced for a minimum of 310 days with the exception of the following:
- You are remarrying the same partner.
- Approval from the court in your homeland to remarry.
- You or your fiancé are expecting a child with doctor certification.
- Your fiancé or you have already given birth to a child.

Q : What if I am a widow or widower?
A : You will need to bring the original Death Certificate of the spouse.

Q : What is the minimum age one to get married in Thailand?
A : 20 years of age or 18 and 19 years of age with parents' consent. If 17 years of age permission must be granted by a court.

Q : What if I've been adopted?
A : You will need to bring your adoption certificate. Please note: only originals will be accepted.

Q : How much will the service cost?
A : The price of our full legal marriage service cost around 25,000 to 30,000 baht and takes from one to two days, depending on your nationality and embassy. (Please keep in mind this does not include embassy fees)

Q : What does the service include?
A : Our services includes the following:

Arranging the paperwork and legal documentation at the your Embassy, as well as Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok before we can issue a legal wedding certificate, this documentation will be recognize in your country. Please see the process, step by step below.

Day.1 Legal part and paper work with your Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.

At 08.30 AM. Our legal representative will meet you at hotel in Bangkok take you to your embassy to verify and endorse your marital status (this will take approx 30 - 45 minutes) to process your documents

Bride & Groom have to prepare the following documentation:

- Passport copies.
- Divorce document if married before or death certificate if your spouse has already been deceased.
- Embassy fee of 690 up to 2500 Thai baht per person is depending on the Embassies pay directly to your Embassy. (This will not be included in the package)

After this step you can come back to hotel and continue your holiday and the rest is up to us but you must first sign a power of attorney allowing our staff to arrange the other steps at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs office, translations etc.

The completed documents will be sent by one day express mail to the local district office where you will go for marry to be checked by an official at that office for accuracy.

Registration will be arranged on the day of the wedding and the legal wedding certificate will be translated from Thai to English, you will get a copy the following day.

Things the Bride & Groom need to Prepare for registration
1. Passports
2. Certifying letter or document from your embassy indicating you wish to get married in Thailand with personal details such your name and address, nationality, parents' names and nationality.
3. Divorce document if married before or death certificates if need be.
4. All documents need to be translated to the Thai language
5. All documents need to be endorsed by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok
Please note: Our service includes wedding and in all parts of Thailand and is not limited to any specific location in Thailand.