Thread: Problems with Extension based on Marriage

An old friend who has lived in Issan for many years has a problem. In his words...

"I had a phone call from the Immigration office yesterday to inform me that the
Thai translation of my Marriage Certificate that I had done at their request a couple of years ago is no longer good enough. They say dodgy translations being provided is the reason.

It appears this year an Embassy stamp is now required on the relevant Marriage Certificate papers - these then need to go to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs where they are checked and stamped and then taken to the Thai Immigration Office,

There was a suggestion that the local government office may be able to provide some sort of stamp to verify the documents, but my wife has visited them and the answer is NO."


As my friend is old and frail, a trip to Bangkok would be inconvenient to say the least.

Can anybody shed some light on this please?

Thanks very much.

He doesn't have to make the trip, only the papers do.
I just did mine, and yes, that was what was required.
My docs certified at the embassy, the translations certified by the ministry.

I got ours (a British marriage) stamped at the consulate in Chiang Mai four years ago but it's never gone to the MFA. I last renewed my visa a few weeks ago - other than suffering absurd queues, it all went through fine.

Originally Posted by GuttaPercha

An old friend who has lived in Issan for many years has a problem. In his words...

"I had a phone call from the Immigration office yesterday to inform me that the
Thai translation of my Marriage Certificate that I had done at their request a couple of years ago is no longer good enough. They say dodgy translations being provided is the reason.

It appears this year an Embassy stamp is now required on the relevant Marriage Certificate papers - these then need to go to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs where they are checked and stamped and then taken to the Thai Immigration Office,

There was a suggestion that the local government office may be able to provide some sort of stamp to verify the documents, but my wife has visited them and the answer is NO."


As my friend is old and frail, a trip to Bangkok would be inconvenient to say the least.

Can anybody shed some light on this please?

Thanks very much.

Yet another reason not to marry a Thai

Is there a single reason to marry?

Children ?

Thanks for your replies folks... Here is the latest from my friend.... "My wife spoke to a lady at the local Government office today and that lady said the translation of the Marriage Cert had to be stamped at BOTH the Aus Embassy and the Thai Foreign Affairs office - and then taken to the local Amphur office and she would fill out and provide a form to take/send to the Immigration office. This she said would allow us to get another form from her next year without the trip to Bangkok She was insistent that if the 2 stamps were not on the translation document she would not provide her letter to go to Immigration and we would have to repeat the Bangkok trip again next year. When my wife checked with the Immigration Guy we dealt with, he (only today) confirmed that a letter/form from ANY Amphur office in Thailand would do and any office would provide it if the translation was stamped by the Foreign Affairs Office - he said a stamp from the Embassy Was Not required, When I called the Aussie Embassy about all this the girl there was unaware of this new translation requirement, all she was aware of was the pension / bank details conformation the Embassy normally provides. " So it certainly is confusing. I can see why my friend is worried. Helpful comments please anybody?

Different Immigration offices have different rules.

The longer I stay married the more trouble I have with frequent "extensions". I have to travel for those but not as Bangkok.

Originally Posted by GuttaPercha

Thanks for your replies folks... Here is the latest from my friend.... "My wife spoke to a lady at the local Government office today and that lady said the translation of the Marriage Cert had to be stamped at BOTH the Aus Embassy and the Thai Foreign Affairs office - and then taken to the local Amphur office and she would fill out and provide a form to take/send to the Immigration office. This she said would allow us to get another form from her next year without the trip to Bangkok She was insistent that if the 2 stamps were not on the translation document she would not provide her letter to go to Immigration and we would have to repeat the Bangkok trip again next year. When my wife checked with the Immigration Guy we dealt with, he (only today) confirmed that a letter/form from ANY Amphur office in Thailand would do and any office would provide it if the translation was stamped by the Foreign Affairs Office - he said a stamp from the Embassy Was Not required, When I called the Aussie Embassy about all this the girl there was unaware of this new translation requirement, all she was aware of was the pension / bank details conformation the Embassy normally provides. " So it certainly is confusing. I can see why my friend is worried. Helpful comments please anybody?

Your Embassy does not certify translations to Thai.
They will only certify (Oz?) documents as original.
Translations can be done anywhere, including the Ministry, and then have to be approved and stamped as correct translations by the Ministry (big red stamp).
If the Marriage cert is from Oz then yes, the Embassy will stamp it as certified genuine, then you need a translation and that translation approved at the Ministry. One time only as far as I know.

I did my ID documents and affirmation for a thai marriage a few weeks ago and did not have to go to the ministry myself. I sent a worker.

Seems to be about the same amount of paperwork hassle as getting married in Thailand.
Maybe another option for you there and a Thai marriage certificate will be valid every year.

My mate passes on the following: "Sunday night went to Bangkok Got to Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 4.30am - not open until 8.30 Did translation and went up stairs - Queue to get stamp. They did not like my existing Embassy "Certified Copy" of marriage Cert. Taxi to Embassy - they very good - 10 mins new Cert Copy. Back to Ministry - new translation required - then up stairs - Queue Again - pay 4 times normal rate to get stamp before 4 pm. Aphur office in Bangkok, arrive 3 pm - wait until 4 pm when office close - Nobody saw us - we left. Bus station - 6 pm head back to Issan. Tuesday and Wife went to do the required Amphur stuff at local office - Guess What ????????:? Lady in Amphur office pointed out that the translation we got and had approved at the Ministry, had our marriage date as 2555 and not 2535 (1992) as it should have said !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and therefore she could not so her thing as was required by the Immigration Guy. This fact was missed by about 8 Thai people at the Ministry in Bangkok and means Another trip back to Bangkok tonight to do it all again, including Embassy visit as my New certified copy may now have an incorrect Ministry date stamp on it, that could screw us up with Immigration if it was allowed to go through as is. Cost of 1st trip = 5,000 baht and the second trip will cost at least the same all because of a 5 instead of a 3. Is not Thailand a wonderful place !!!!!!!!! "