Marriage Registration Thailand

Marriage Registration Thailand is a legal process that involves registering the union with the Thai government. The process is not overly complex, but if you are a foreigner getting married in Thailand, there are some special considerations and extra steps you must take.

This page is an overview of the Thailand marriage registration process. It will cover:

• Who is eligible to get married in Thailand

• What criteria you must meet to get legally married

• Which documents you must provide

• The process of registering your marriage with the Thai government

• What you can do after your marriage is legally registered

Who is eligible to get married in Thailand?

Couples in Thailand, whether two Thai citizens, a Thai and a foreign citizen, or two foreign citizens, are eligible to register their marriage and have it legally recognized by the Thai government. Following the recent endorsement of the Marriage Equality Bill by His Majesty the King, Thailand has become the third country in Asia and the first in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriage. The new law, published in the Royal Gazette on September 24, 2024, will take effect on January 22, 2025, allowing same-sex couples to legally register their marriages with the same rights and privileges as other married couples.

This means that two foreigners, including same-sex couples, can marry in Thailand and have their marriage recognized, even if their home country does not permit such unions. Although same-sex couples may not be granted marital rights in their own countries, Thailand will honor their union and allow them to apply for spousal rights domestically.

Marriage Registration Thailand Requirements

In order to qualify for Marriage Registration Thailand, you must meet basic criteria regardless of your nationality.

• Both you and your partner must be at least 17 years old, though if you are underage a court may provide permission in certain circumstances. Furthermore, if you are a foreign citizen and your home country imposes a higher minimum age for marriage, that law will be honored unless you can get a Thai court’s approval.

• Neither of you must be judged mentally unfit or incompetent by a relevant authority.

• You cannot be directly related by blood to your partner.

• In the case of adoption, you are ineligible if you and your partner share the same adoptive parents.

• Neither of you can be currently married in any country

• Any female partner who has recently been divorced or widowed is not eligible to wed until 310 days from the date of the previous spouse’s death or the termination of the previous marriage. This requirement can be waived if:

  • A child has been born during this period

  • The divorced couple remarry

  • There is a certificate showing that the woman is not pregnant

  • There is an order of the court allowing the woman to marry

A How-To Guide on Marriage Registration Thailand

The process of Marriage Registration Thailand is relatively short and straightforward but requires significant preparation, which if done incorrectly can cause serious delays. You’ll need to acquire and prepare key documentation and bring it as well as some other required items when you do the Thailand marriage registration. Otherwise, you may be denied at the registration office and have to start the process all over again.

You’ll also need to pay some minor fees throughout this process, but unfortunately these fees differ from embassy to embassy and district office to district office, and can fluctuate based on exchange rates and government policy changes. In general, though, these fees are minor and should not act as an impediment to your Thailand marriage.

The documents needed to register marriage in Thailand

Which documents you will need to submit to the Thai government will depend on your and your partner’s nationality. For example, as a foreigner, you will need to provide a letter from your home country’s embassy that states you are of legal age and are currently unmarried. Thai nationals will have to provide documents unique to Thai citizens.

Thailand marriage requirements for foreigners:

• Copies of your passport’s biodata page, Thai visa, and arrival card (if you have one)

• Affidavit from your home country’s embassy or consulate confirming your current unmarried status and freedom to marry

• A certified Thai translation of said affidavit affirming freedom to marry

• Original and notarized Thai translation of a death certificate (if a widow/widower)

• Original and notarized Thai translation of a divorce certificate (if divorced)

• Proof of payment of the required fees for translating and legalizing each necessary document

Thailand marriage requirements for Thai citizens:

• A Thai national identification card

• A house registration document (AKA, Blue Book, or Tabian Baan)

• Proof of name change document (if their name or surname was changed)

Note that any documents not in the Thai language must be formally translated by a government-approved translator and certified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Fortunately, approved translators can acquire certification from the MFA for you during the translation process. See our page on translation services in Thailand for more information.

Prenuptial Agreement Thailand

It’s always a good idea to draft and sign a prenuptial agreement when getting married in Thailand, or indeed anywhere in the world. Thailand has detailed laws on the division of property in the event of a separation and will step in if no agreement exists. So, a prenup will give you the opportunity to control the property division process and help you better plan your financial future with your partner.

You will need to seek the assistance of a Thailand family lawyer to help you write up the prenuptial agreement, then take it with you and present it to the officer when you register your marriage. If one of the signatories cannot read Thai, the agreement will need to be translated so that all parties understand the document.

Marriage Registration Procedures in Thailand

Once you have all the documents ready, you can begin the Thailand marriage registration process:

• Bring 2 witnesses, 1 from each party, to the nearest local district office. In Thailand, these offices are known as "Amphurs."

• You will meet with a government officer who will receive your documents, review them, and complete the Thailand marriage registration process.

• Be sure to mention if you have a prenuptial agreement. It will need to be signed in the presence of the officer after their review to be considered valid.

• If everything is in order and your application is approved, you will receive your marriage certificate on that day.

• The certificate will be in Thai, so if you need to file it with your home country’s embassy, it will need to be translated.

• Take the translated documents to your home country’s embassy and report your marriage to have it registered in their legal system.

You’re now married in Thailand, what next?

Now that you have a legally recognized marriage in Thailand, you have access to spousal rights and benefits. If your partner is a Thai citizen you can apply for a Marriage Visa Thailand, which will enable you to stay and work in Thailand legally for a year. It provides far more rights and privileges than a standard Thai tourist visa.

As long as your marriage continues, this marriage visa can be renewed, but in the event of a divorce, you will need a new visa immediately. Alternatively, if you are a couple of foreign citizens, one of you can apply for a dependent visa if the other partner has a valid visa acquired by other means.

If you are married to a Thai national, you also have the right to purchase land jointly with your Thai spouse and enjoy ownership rights. However, in the event of a separation, your Thai spouse will retain control of this land, unless you have a lease agreement with each other. See our page on Marital Property in Thailand to learn more.

Professional Consulting Services for Thailand Marriage

If you want to make sure your Thailand marriage goes off without a hitch, contact the Thai visa and family law experts at Siam Legal. We’re a full-service law firm and visa consultancy that provides all the services you need to register your Thailand marriage, get the right visas for your needs, and secure your legal status in Thailand swiftly and successfully.

Our attorneys can assist you with:

• Collecting and preparing documents

• Drafting a binding prenuptial agreement

• Obtaining certified translations

• Spouse visa applications

• Joint property purchases

• Child adoption and legitimation

Contact Siam Legal today and leave the red tape to us so you can put your energy toward planning your future.