Is a Farang / Thai ( female) marriage automatically recognised in the UK ?

[Nirish guy]

Is a Farang / Thai ( female) marriage held in Thailand automatically recognised in the UK ?

So, firstly let's get it out of the way that NO, this isn't about me and at the risk of sounding like someone sitting in a STI clinic "I'm honestly just asking for a friend"

So, a mate of mine here just went and got married to a lovely looking Thai girl, fairly quickly after meeting her and quit out of the blue - some background - she lives here in the Uk ( visa status unknown but perhaps she may even be a full UK citizen for all I know). Anyway, so my mate got engaged to his beauty back in October / November time and they popped off to Thailand for Christmas there for a holiday and low and behold he's just announced on facebook to all his friends and family back home that he'd actually gone ahead and got married to his finance on the 1st of Jan ! ( The guy doesn't hang around it seems - ha and comments about Hmmm "OH, YEAH, so I wonder why so fast etc" I'll leave up to other (even) more cynical friends than me :-).

So, my question is ( as I was asked and couldn't answer) - so is the ceremony that he's just posted lots of from, of him all dressed up in some fancy Thai style clothes and his bride in her lovely dress etc, all complete with flowers and Monks in attendance, along with a complete wedding "backdrop" being built for pics and lots of her family i attendance etc "IT" - i.e IS that him actually fully, legally married now ?

Or I wondered was it more like the usual gay weddings that aren't fully recognised and so is maybe more like a Thai Monks blessing type service and they'll now need to go on and register / perform a civil ceremony too there ( and / or here in the UK) as well ?

And likewise if that IS it, is that Thai ceremony now fully recognised here in the UK as "IT" also and if so is that him / them now 100% fully and legally married here too, with all the legal benefits that that gives for her ( and possible future ramifications for him - do prenups work in Thailand I wonder ?! ).

Again, I'm purposefully trying not to sound either cynical or distrusting as he's a nice guy and I'm sure the girl he's picked is absolutely lovely too ( I haven't met her ) but of course being a realist and as we've all heard 100 stories of doom and gloom in later years and as my mates asked is that "wedding" not more for show and if it comes down to it (legally) is it all not fairly worthless anyway here in the UK - my thoughts on that was "no, I don't think so and assuming they register the marriage on their return to the UK then that's him all hitched up and done - although hopefully not literally mind !"

So, does anyone know the ACTUAL factual answer to that point perhaps ??

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[frequent]

Again, I'm purposefully trying not to sound either cynical or distrusting as he's a nice guy and I'm sure the girl he's picked is absolutely lovely too ( I haven't met her ) but of course being a realist and as we've all heard 100 stories of doom and gloom in later years and as my mates asked is that "wedding" not more for show and if it comes down to it (legally) is it all not fairly worthless anyway here in the UK - my thoughts on that was "no, I don't think so and assuming they register the marriage on their return to the UK then that's him all hitched up and done - although hopefully not literally mind !"

So, does anyone know the ACTUAL factual answer to that point perhaps ??

The first point is that for him to get married legally in Thailand he would need a certificate from the British Embassy (via the Consulate) that he is "free to marry" (Thailand legal requirement). As you don't mention that (and possibly don't know whether he has) that's a showstopper. There are other requirements including having any and all documents officially translated by the Thai Department of Consular Affairs. I suggest you review the information that is available at the British Embassy/Consulate site. Apart from that, your guess is as good as mine - it may simply be a blessing ceremony that formalises the relationship in the eyes of her family, as you suspect. I believe that if they are legally married in Thailand then they are legally married everywhere, but again the British Embassy/Consulate site should make that clear (although it's an inference rather than a statement on the relevant page) https://www.british-consulate.org/ma...firmation.html

[Nirish guy]

T...... he would need a certificate .... that he is "free to marry" .... As you don't mention that etc....

You're quite correct I'm not aware as to whether he obtained such a certificate in advance or not - but taking it as read that one is needed as you say that then would imply SOME form of forethought went into the event I guess and it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing then at least. I know he hasn't been married before so I can only assume that getting ( or bringing) that form then wouldn't have been too much of a problem for him.

As to whether it's a blessing or not just I know that he's certainly billed it as a full wedding both to his own friends and family and his bride and her family and certainly isn't trying to lessen that fact or water his intent down in any way to us or them and he certainly intends that everyone considers then "married" now. I also tend to agree with you that they ARE now married "in full" and I, guessing that all he has to do now is register their marriage with the UK authorities on his arrival back home and that's that - hmmm - I'm just hoping that he's not doing the incorrect assumption that it will secure his new bride an instant VISA for the UK IS she needs one perhaps - but I'm sure he's already read well into that as he's not THAT daft - not that I'm suggesting that marrying a beautiful Thai girl from the sticks is daft in anyway in your mid 30's while you're running several successful businesses here in the UK :-).

I guess also from reading the link you kindly supplied above this " A religious ceremony on its own is not sufficient." fairly much answers the question - i.e if it WAS just a blessing it IS only that unless he did complete the not inconsiderable amount of paperwork involved in advance. I see it also answers my question as to if an actual Marriage certificate is issued in Thailand or not ( again only if the paperwork is carried out and not if it's just a blessing I see.

Anyway and either way I wish them both all the best no matter WHAT their final legal status.

[frequent]

Note the link in my previous post is not an Embassy/Consulate link although it includes all the relevant information. Siam Legal has a fuller explanation https://www.siam-legal.com/Thailand_...arriage-uk.php

[frequent]

The Thai verification is I believe the more onerous requirement which takes, I believe, a minimum of two days .?. And at this time of year ...

[Nirish guy]

And at this time of year ...

?? I'm not being funny but surely "christmas" makes no particular difference to the Thai civil service etc ? I mean surely it's not like they as a Buddhist Country get off as a national days leave to celebrate it - or DO they ? Surely not ?? I always just assumed that most any Christmas festivities were purely to help shops extract money from tourists and the Thai's who wanted to bother ( or were Christian) - hence why you can sometimes go into a bar in July and still hear them playing bloody Jingles bells, complete with a Christmas tree on full display. Actually when I last witnessed that I joking asked WTF and that the answer I got was something along the lines of "well, we know some farang like Christmas and it makes them happy and smile and because they're happy they spend money so we play it" - in JULY !

[frequent]

?? I'm not being funny but surely "christmas" makes no particular difference to the Thai civil service etc ? I mean surely it's not like they as a Buddhist Country get off as a national days leave to celebrate it - or DO they ? Surely not ?? I always just assumed that most any Christmas festivities were purely to help shops extract money from tourists and the Thai's who wanted to bother ( or were Christian) - hence why you can sometimes go into a bar in July and still hear them playing bloody Jingles bells, complete with a Christmas tree on full display. Actually when I last witnessed that I joking asked WTF and that the answer I got was something along the lines of "well, we know some farang like Christmas and it makes them happy and smile and because they're happy they spend money so we play it" - in JULY !

Have you not considered the New Year shutdown? Some people do start the break before NYE

[Nirish guy]

Have you not considered the New Year shutdown? Some people do start the break before NYE

I assume a "one dayer" holiday just the same as here no ? But I guess people may well stretch that out a bit, although you are talking about the western new year date and not the Thai new year there so.......hmmm ? But ok, lets go with that. He was married on the 1st of Jan so SOME poor bugger monk or otherwise had to work to fulfil his requirements. Hmmm another good point - why do Monks not get a day off on religious holidays !? They should see their union about that !

[frequent]

I assume a "one dayer" holiday just the same as here no ? But I guess people may well stretch that out a bit, although you are talking about the western new year date and not the Thai new year there so.......hmmm ? But ok, lets go with that. He was married on the 1st of Jan so SOME poor bugger monk or otherwise had to work to fulfil his requirements. Hmmm another good point - why do Monks not get a day off on religious holidays !? They should see their union about that !

New Year is a religious holiday in Thailand? When did that happen? You've never been in Bangkok during the last and first weeks of the year? You've never seen the newspaper and news pictures of the hundreds of thousands of people leaving Bangkok? I'd imagine there's a rush in some government offices trying to get matters tied up before the New Year break. (Needless to say I have flunkeys to do that sort of thing for me so I have no direct experience)

[Moses]

I assume a "one dayer" holiday just the same as here no ? But I guess people may well stretch that out a bit, although you are talking about the western new year date and not the Thai new year there so.......hmmm ? But ok, lets go with that. He was married on the 1st of Jan so SOME poor bugger monk or otherwise had to work to fulfil his requirements. Hmmm another good point - why do Monks not get a day off on religious holidays !? They should see their union about that !

Christmas is official state holidays in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Satun provinces only, New Year holidays Dec 31 - Jan 2 are official Thailand state holidays