Thai Culture

nomad97 said:
Similar experience to Yorky. Definitely no sinsod or village wedding although we did have a blessing with a pigs head. Traveled to Bangkok to pick up my letter from the British Embassy (Freedom to Marry) and the following day went along to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sort out all the other paperwork required to do the deed. We had planned to marry later at the Amphur. While looking through the various form I was approached by a young lady broker who asked if we wanted to get married that day. My fiance was with me, I popped the question (again) and the rest is history. All done and dusted by 16.00 that afternoon and with all the properly endorsed paperwork with translations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A One Stop Shop! Beats the hell out of getting married in the Amphur (or village wedding) with trips to Bangkok before and after to sort out all the paperwork.
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Fork Bangkok. Did ours in CNX. US Consult and next door a visa service that took care of the MFA bit, total cost for the consult and visa service about 4500 baht.. About a week later went to CNX amphora and signed names cost if I remember was 100 baht and the tuk tuk ride was free (friends gift) . Returned to our business about noon and rung the bell , about 20 friends on hand. BTW 12 years as of yesterday.:D
 
gotlost said:
Fork Bangkok. Did ours in CNX. US Consult and next door a visa service that took care of the MFA bit, total cost for the consult and visa service about 4500 baht.. About a week later went to CNX amphora and signed names cost if I remember was 100 baht and the tuk tuk ride was free (friends gift) . Returned to our business about noon and rung the bell , about 20 friends on hand. BTW 12 years as of yesterday.:D
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Congratulations GL. You have a good one!
 
Yorky said:
I didn't need a trip to Bangkok "after". What's that all about?
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From what I remember from 14 years ago you should translate your marriage certificate and marriage registration into English. Then the English and Thai documents are returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Chang Wattana, to be officially attested/endorsed/recognised and have an appropriate ministry seal on the documents. I have sent copies of the English certified copies to my pension providers in the UK to ensure that my Thai wife is eligible for and should receive, after my death, a widow's pension.

See article below, in particular steps 6, 7 & 8 :

https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Married-in-Thailand-(as-a-Foreigner)
 
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nomad97 said:
From what I remember from 14 years ago you should translate your marriage certificate and marriage registration into English. Then the English and Thai documents are returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Chang Wattana, to be officially attested/endorsed/recognised and have an appropriate ministry seal on the documents. I have sent copies of the English certified copies to my pension providers in the UK to ensure that my Thai wife is eligible for and should receive, after my death, a widow's pension.

See article below:
https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Married-in-Thailand-(as-a-Foreigner)
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I didn't do that. My company pension provider only requires an "expression of wish" declaration which can apply to a partner, married or not. The DWP (or whatever they're called this week) couldn't give a shit as they will not be providing my wife with a pension after I'm dead.

[The wikihow article does not give a reason why the marriage certificate has to be translated into English and certified]
 
nomad97 said:
From what I remember from 14 years ago you should translate your marriage certificate and marriage registration into English. Then the English and Thai documents are returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Chang Wattana, to be officially attested/endorsed/recognised and have an appropriate ministry seal on the documents. I have sent copies of the English certified copies to my pension providers in the UK to ensure that my Thai wife is eligible for and should receive, after my death, a widow's pension.

See article below, in particular steps 6, 7 & 8 :

https://www.wikihow.com/Get-Married-in-Thailand-(as-a-Foreigner)
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Don't you need now to have resided in the UK for a period for your wife to get a pension?
Hopefully I have not read posts about that issue, correctly.
 
Good question, Surin.
I believe I've read that as well for widows of Americans upon obtaining the required "age of retirement" in order to receive spousal benefits from social security.

(Possibly the wife has to reside there for a period of time as well.)
 
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Surin said:
Don't you need now to have resided in the UK for a period for your wife to get a pension?
Hopefully I have not read posts about that issue, correctly.
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I think that is possibly true for the UK State pension as nowadays she would require her own National Insurance number. UK State pensions are now paid to individual men and woman and not to married couples. That said, there are some older people still in receipt of the married persons pension although I think even this is being phased out before 2020. However, I have two private pension providers whom I sent my marriage documents to and received confirmation of receipt. There were no caveats from either that she needed to reside in the UK to receive a pension. I also completed an 'Expression of Wish' for one of the two providers.
 
Yorky said:
I didn't do that. My company pension provider only requires an "expression of wish" declaration which can apply to a partner, married or not. The DWP (or whatever they're called this week) couldn't give a shit as they will not be providing my wife with a pension after I'm dead.

[The wikihow article does not give a reason why the marriage certificate has to be translated into English and certified]
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Mines the same. Just have to decide on my ‘wish’
Back on topic, I feel in the poor villages there are more lazy guys around (say under 25’ish) than when I arrived 12 years ago. Rice Whiskey seems still to be taken in abundance BUT generally many (village/city) folk seem also to be far more interested in exercise/keeping fit. Every park within Sisaket city (for example) is full of people daily (including myself).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Yorky said:
I didn't do that. My company pension provider only requires an "expression of wish" declaration which can apply to a partner, married or not. The DWP (or whatever they're called this week) couldn't give a shit as they will not be providing my wife with a pension after I'm dead.

[The wikihow article does not give a reason why the marriage certificate has to be translated into English and certified]
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+1
 
Surin said:
Don't you need now to have resided in the UK for a period for your wife to get a pension?
Hopefully I have not read posts about that issue, correctly.
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There is no such requirement for private/occupational pensions.

There IS such a requirement for government Bereavement Payments.
 
Yorky said:
Which are now a figment of the imagination (at least they are for me).
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Not if Mrs Yorky were to domicile herself in the UK.


You are entitled to a Bereavement Support Payment if:

  • your spouse or civil partner dies on or after 6 April 2017
  • you are under pension age when your spouse or civil partner dies
  • you meet the residence rules
  • you meet the contribution condition

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Bereavement_Support_Payment
 
CO-CO said:
You are entitled to a Bereavement Support Payment if:
  • your spouse or civil partner dies on or after 6 April 2017
  • you are under pension age when your spouse or civil partner dies
  • you meet the residence rules
  • you meet the contribution condition
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Would each item on that list be preceded by "and" or "or".

Don't tell me, I know.
 
nomad97 said:
Similar experience to Yorky. Definitely no sinsod or village wedding although we did have a blessing with a pigs head. Traveled to Bangkok to pick up my letter from the British Embassy (Freedom to Marry) and the following day went along to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sort out all the other paperwork required to do the deed. We had planned to marry later at the Amphur. While looking through the various form I was approached by a young lady broker who asked if we wanted to get married that day. My fiance was with me, I popped the question (again) and the rest is history. All done and dusted by 16.00 that afternoon and with all the properly endorsed paperwork with translations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A One Stop Shop! Beats the hell out of getting married in the Amphur (or village wedding) with trips to Bangkok before and after to sort out all the paperwork.
Click to expand...

The amphur wedding is painless. All done through a glass keyhole to the office inside. 20 minutes max, No village wedding, counting the non existent dowry, feeding all the waifs, strays and hangers on, strings tied around everything etc etc.
 
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