Steps for registering a marriage in Thailand

Under Thai law, for a marriage to be legally recognised the parties must be registered at what is called the Amphur (registrar's office or district office). Each district in Thailand has its own Amphur.

If either party is a foreigner, the Amphur requires authenticated copies of a passport, a completed statutory declaration translated into Thai and the documents mentioned in paragraph 2 below, if appropriate. Statutory declaration forms are available at the Consular Section of the Australian Embassy. The following steps should be taken to register a marriage:

1. Complete the statutory declaration and have your signature witnessed by the Consul or the Vice Consul. You must present your Australian passport as proof of identity. The fee is approximately $10.

2. Have the statutory declaration translated into Thai at a translation agency. If one of the parties, or both, have been married before, you must have your original divorce certificate or the original death certificate of your spouse translated into Thai. The Australian Embassy does not provide a translation service.

3. The Australian Embassy only accepts Thai Baht as payment for services.

4. After the documents have been translated they must be authenticated by:

The Legalisation Division requires copies of the statutory declaration and the translation, as well as a copy of your passport details. There is an application fee and it takes two days to complete. You should go to an Amphur Office to register the marriage, bringing the above documents with your passport and an interpreter to facilitate communication with the Amphur officials (this is generally required if neither party can speak Thai). It is important that you make an appointment before proceeding to the Amphur.