MFA requires that the documents be translated to Thai before they are certified.

It is also important to note, that foreign documents generally need to be certified by the Thai Embassy in the issuing country. The requirements will vary by country, but typically you will need a certified copy of the document (certified at the national level) from the issuing country. Once you have the Thai Embassy Certification, you can then have the document translated and certified by the MFA. In this use case, it may not require the home country certification, but you would have to make that inquiry with the MFA or an agency.

Thanya Park has an office with same day expedited service, or you can wait a few days and they will mail the passport to you. My wife had hers done there two weeks ago.

35,100.53,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x311d604a275:0x1b62cd5bc96ce7e2!8m2!3d13.35!4d100.53!16s%2Fg%2F11c5s4pb_k?entry=ttu

The Thai FDA and Customs sites are a bit challenging to navigate, but generally speaking, sealed and made for retail sales packaged foods are fine to import if the total value of all goods you are bringing in to Thailand is less than 20,000 baht and not intended for resale. I literally bring a full suitcase full of food and snacks from the states every trip I make... You run in to issues with raw meat, plants, fruits, vegetables, and live animals that are not declared or without the proper import licensing and paper work... So... You know... as long as it is not homemade bathtub cheese in a baggie, you should be ok... Also, you can get cheddar here.

This is the breakdown I had in my notes... There were additional costs, such as having to go to the Embassy in Chiang Mai because the Bangkok Embassy had a two month waitlist at that time, and the Amphur boss was doing a holiday fund raiser, but those expenses are not part of the normal process for most people... probably...

With an agent in the US

Texas Secretary of State: 1-2 business days, $90

US Department of State: Approximately 8 weeks, $145 (including agency fees, USDoS fees, and FedEx of documents to and from)

Embassy Legalization: Approximately 2 weeks, $175 (including agency fees, Thai Embassy fees, and FedEx of documents to and from)

International Priority shipment to Thailand of documents via DHL: 5 business days, $95

No agent

US Embassy passport certified copy (by appointment at the embassy, $50)

With an agent in Bangkok

Translation and MFA Certification of marriage certificate and copy of certified passport (1-4 weeks after appointment is set dependent on agency or in person processing, ฿6500 baht)

No agent

Amphur registration (by appointment in my area (about 1 week, ฿300 baht)

And expensive, too... :)

The process to register a foreign marriage in Thailand took around 6 months for us... We got married in the US, and started the process immediately with an agent to cover all of the work in the US. Getting the documents authenticated by the local county registrar where we were married, and then the State, and then the State Department, and then the Thai Embassy was about 4 months... Then once we had the documents sent to Thailand, I had to get a certified copy of my passport picture page at the US Embassy, then the wedding certificate and passport had to be translated and authenticated at the MFA before the local amphur would register the marriage and provide my wife with the change of status and name change. That was around 2 months. Anyways, it may take longer than a tourist visa allows if you try to do it all from Thailand, especially if you didn't already get the Thai Embassy that covers wherever you married to authenticate your marriage certificate yet...

@Bagsida ********

If you can't donate, advocate... Even commenting on a post (like you have done here) will extend it's reach. If you share the post to your expat friends and communities, that will also do a lot. If you can contribute to the education of others about the challenges our community faces regarding rare blood types in this region, and can help to convert even one person in to a regular donor, you are saving lives.

Not always... In my wife's first interview, they started talking to her in English and she just responded in English not knowing that Thai was an option. It resulted in her answering a question incorrectly because she didn't understand the subtlety of a question about the differences between "partner" "wife" and "defacto" and which one she qualified as... Her second interview started in Thai and the IO wanted to switch to English because he felt she should know enough to have a basic conversation.