Thread: How long does it take to get married in Thailand?

Strange question, I know. However, I have a colleague the left five weeks ago to get married to his Thai girlfriend. He was supposed to come back to work as soon as possible but hasn't arrived. Are there Covid 19 delays? Does it take that long to get married in Thailand these days?

Getting marred is not a problem. Finding a place that will marry a farang mug is.

Better use an agent.

But, yes I know my answer should be completely different having read the OP again....

He came to Thailand to get married or was already here? Probably quarantine issues if the former.

If not then maybe it was just one hell of a wedding party.

Does going back to work involve getting a flight by any chance?

Yes, we are in Uzbekistan.

Originally Posted by Bowzer

Yes, we are in Uzbekistan.

Hmm. Uzbekistan or Thailand with the fiancee. Tough choice.

On a serious note, has he been in contact or totally vanished?

How did he even get into the country five weeks ago?

Originally Posted by Chico

How did he even get into the country five weeks ago?

Well we know it wasn't by having a marriage visa

Good question though.

Originally Posted by YourDaddy

I know my answer should be completely different having read the OP again....

There's a vague suggestion there that you almost put your brain in gear this time, though.

Small steps and all that.

Originally Posted by Bowzer

How long does it take to get married in Thailand?

25 years ago - my actual marriage took about three hours - that is three hours to register the marriage in Bangkok.

Prior to the registration you have a paperwork drill. Marriage in Thailand 25 years ago so I'm certain things have changed.

1) Need a legally able to marry affidavit from your Embassy. This affidavit must be translated into Thai by an approved translation service/business.
2) The affidavit and its translation must be certified/stamped/approved by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3) Then, at Bangkok Municipal, they told me I needed an approved marriage broker. I asked why and they said because Thai is not my primary language. I replied in Thai saying but I can speak Thai - their response was but you need to complete the registration paperwork - anyway THB 200 solved the problem. Now, the THB 200 was earned as the bureaucrat who demanded the marriage broker did complete the marriage registration paperwork (that took about a full hour). Then we went in to see the big boss who signed registration. Then another hour for the certificates to be printed up.
4) In addition to the marriage broker you need a member of her family and another person to act as witnesses.

Anyway, actually getting the marriage registered takes a half day.

He should only need a few days to complete the preliminary paperwork. However, any glitch will cause delays, and perhaps, significant delays.

dont know, the mail order company took care of it all

Originally Posted by happynz

At the amphur office in the Deep South it took about 2 or 3 minutes to print and sign our names in an enormous book. A few more minutes to pay a hundred baht at another desk. I don't recall if we got the marriage paper that day or picked it up later.

Of course, there were a few days getting stuff like notarised documents and stuff, but the actual registration was a toddle.

This was 1996, so I reckon things have changed.

Nothing changed as of 12 years ago, no appointment, pop in with the papers, wait a bit, could be the cooling off period, sign here here here and here, don't know how much or if we got the certificate same day, done.

Why don't you email your friend and ask him Smeg ?

This thread certainly does raise more questions than it asks.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

This thread certainly does raise more questions than it asks.

Indeed it does and in the absence of any update from the OP I suggest we speculate wildly and create a fanciful narrative which, with the passage of time, could become the definitive story.
Based upon recent history, I nominate Armstrong to devise a story line.

There once was a very young man,
Flew to Thailand from Uzbekistan,
No borders were open,
No visas were given,
So maybe it's all one long yarn.

he's trapped in the transit lounge in Japan.

Thanks all for your responses - just wondered as it took me two days back in 2012. My suspicion was he was having an extended holiday, as its now 6 weeks (including quarantine)...