Marriage registration in Thailand & the Thai Marriage Visa

1. Regulations for marriage under Thai law

If both parties qualify under the regulations below, a foreign national may legally register a marriage in Thailand:

1. A couple must be of legal age (17 years) upon filing for marriage registration, otherwise permission must be granted by a court.
2. Permission from the parents is required for parties under legal age.
3. Both parties must not be registered as married to anyone else (multiple marriage registration is prohibited).
4. The parties must not be direct blood relatives, nor be sister or brother through either parent.
5. Adopting parents shall not be permitted to marry their own adopted child.
6. A widow or divorcee will be permitted to remarry not less than 310 days after the previous marriage has expired, unless:
   • Has given birth to a child.
   • Remarrying the same person.
   • Not pregnant, as certified by a doctor (in case of early remarriage).
   • Approval to remarry from a court is obtained.

3. Registering at a Thai District Office

The procedures with the local Thai District Office are as follows:

• Marriage registration can be filed at any District Office or Minor District Office nationwide, regardless of the birthplace of the couple.
• Once the marriage registration is completed, each party will be given a copy of the Marriage Registration Certificate (Kor Ror) as evidence.
• If both parties are unable to file for marriage at any District Office or Minor District Office, the couple can submit a request to the Registrar to register their marriage at any location under the supervision of that District Office. The parties filing for marriage are required to provide transportation for the Registrar. A service fee of 200 baht is required.

Documents required by the local District Office

• Identification Cards of both parties.
• The House Registration Certificates of both parties.
• If an alien is registering to be married to a Thai citizen or another alien, he or she is required to submit:
  • A copy of their passport.
  • The authenticated affirmation and the certified translation.

Situation (1) — Registered the marriage to a Thai wife

If you got married to your Thai wife and want to apply for a Thailand Marriage Visa, you should start with a Non-Immigrant O Visa before extending to the Marriage Visa inside Thailand.

If you are living in your home country, you can apply for the Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai embassy/consulate. They usually require proof of your relationship such as Thai marriage registered documents, Thai passport, Thai identification card, Thai house register or Thai birth certificate, etc.

If you are staying in Thailand on a visa exemption / visa on arrival / 60-day tourist visa, it is still possible to change to the Non-Immigrant Visa inside Thailand. Although you must show a lot of paperwork for the conversion, it may be more convenient to leave Thailand in order to get the Non-Immigrant O Visa. You just have to assure that you are also able to show appropriate financial evidence at the time of changing the visa.

The next step: once you have obtained the Non-Immigrant O Visa issued by the Thai Embassy or Thai Immigration, you can start to extend it to the Marriage Visa for Thailand.

Basic required documents (marriage with a Thai wife)

• 1.1 Evidence proving relationship, such as:
  • Copies of Marriage Certificates (Kor Ror 2 and 3), in the case of marriage in Thailand.
  • Copies of Marriage Certificates and Family Register Document (Kor Ror 22), in the case of marriage outside Thailand.
• 1.2 Copies of the translated Affirmation of Freedom to Marry, certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• 1.3 Financial evidence:
  • Option A — Working in Thailand: show an employment letter confirming your monthly income not less than 40,000 THB per month. Also present a copy of your work permit, personal income tax, along with a company affidavit and lists of shareholders.
  • Option B — Saving funds in Thailand: show an account deposit certificate confirming your money not less than 400,000 THB, continually deposited for at least 3 months (for the first time of application) and 2 months (for the next time of application). Show the certificate together with a Thai passbook.
  • Option C — Pension / monthly income outside Thailand: make sure your pension/income reaches at least or equivalent to 40,000 THB per month. Bring the involved income documents to notarize at your embassy in Thailand; they will certify/issue a pension/income certificate which you can then use for the application.
• 1.4 Copies of your Thai wife's personal documents (ID Card, Driver's License, House Registration).
• 1.5 Pictures of house and family.
• 1.6 House's map.
• 1.7 Change of name certificate and child's birth certificate (if any).