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Why does my wife need to get our marriage certificate stamped for immigration in Thailand after 14 extensions?

Visa Extensions Retirement Visa Marriage Certificate Requirements Thai Immigration Consular Affairs Dependent Visa Issues

Feb 9, 2021

5 years ago

Ken *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

My wife and I both British just went to Jomtien Immigration to renew our extension of stay based on retirement. This was our 14th consecutive extension with my wife piggy backed on to my visa and never had a problem.

Today they said they would renew mine but my wife had to travel to Bangkok to get our marriage cert stamped at the Department of Consular Affairs. First we ever heard of this in all the years of living here. Has anyone else had similar ?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A British expat couple seeking to renew their retirement visa extensions faced an unexpected requirement where the wife needed to have their marriage certificate stamped at the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok, despite having successfully renewed their visas for 14 consecutive years without any issues. Other expats shared similar experiences requiring additional certification of foreign marriage documents, highlighting changing requirements at Thai immigration.

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Sylvia ********

My neighbours went back in October 2019, been here 12 years and were told the same had to be done for next time. As it happens they never got round to next time as the wife is still stuck in Russia!

5 years ago

Steve *********

My wife and I both from the U.K. had similar problems back in 2015.

We were married in Australia.

I was on an O-A Retirement and

My wife was on an O as my Dependant.

At our first annual extension Immigration would not accept our marriage certificate even though it was the original and embossed.

Written in English.

Had to go to Bangkok and get it certified as a true copy at the Australian Embassy translated in to Thai and then certified by Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It meant an overnight stay in Bangkok.

We have to show these original documents every year when we do our annual extensions.

5 years ago

Tod *********

And what is the dept of consular affairs? Is it a thai gov't thing OR a brit consulate thing?

AFAIK (although this is for foreigners married to thaiz in the UK using the marriage certificate here it has to be sent back to Milton Keynes, then someone has to take it to the thai Consulate and THEN it has to be sent back here.

Again that might be a different situation (but I think any marriage cert from the UK is the same).

I took a pic of this at a copy/translation shop that caters to foreigner/thai marriages here

5 years ago

Chris ********

@Tod ********

The Dept of Consular affairs is the same organization as the one mentioned in step 3. On Chaengwattana Rd, next to the government complex. Where all offical translations go to get a final stamp from the government (as well as a bunch of other things).

5 years ago

Tod *********

@Chris *******

That's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office

and the stamps they USED to put on stuff like that was this

BUT

when they changed how brit marriage certificates were "certified" they stopped doing it

OR

At least I think they stopped doing it :/

5 years ago

William ******************

@Tod ********

yes they stopped doing them in the british embassy i sent mine back to the uk for certification

5 years ago

Reply to

William ******************

Tod *********

And you've gotten 14 years worth of previous extensions from Jomtien without any issue using a brit marriage certificate?

5 years ago

Ken *********

ORIGINAL POSTER