This is the Australian Letter of Affirmation. The Australian Embassy in Bangkok can assist you with your marriage registration by ensuring that you have a ‘Letter of Affirmation” or “Freedom to Marry” for the Thai government. You will need to complete a pro-forma Statutory Declaration at the Embassy and you will need to bring the correct documents with you. Note they always want to originals.
Australian Letter of Affirmation
The fee is about $20 and you can pay this in Thai Baht. The service is same day much like the Canadian Embassy so if you go early there is much time to be saved. You need to bring with you:
- 1. Your passport;
- 2. Your divorce decree (if applicable);
- 3. Your wife/husband death certificated if widowed;
These need to be originals as they will not accept any copies. They will issue you with your “Freedom to Marry” letter which you will then take and have translated into Thai. This translated version and the original from the Embassy needs to be taken to the Thai Foreign Affairs Department in Bangkok where it will be verified as being authentic and from the Embassy. They will also ensure that the translations are correct and stamp all your documents for you. This takes a good few hours and at times a full day can be spent there.
Documents Needed
Likewise once the documents have been verified you need to take all these documents to the local District Office in Thailand or Amphur where they will issue you your Thai marriage certificate. The following documents are needed for the marriage registration:
- 1. Your passport;
- 2. Your divorce decree (if applicable);
- 3. Your wife/husband death certificated if widowed;
- 4. Your Thai fiancée’s Tabian Baan;
- 5. Your Thai fiancée’s Thai Id card;
- 6. Any children(s) birth certificates;
- 7. Prenuptial agreement.
- 8. Certified and Verified ‘Freedom to Marry’ Affidavit
The process takes about an hour to complete and they will then issue you with a marriage certificate. There are two certificates in Thailand. The first looks like a diploma and the second is a multi-page document. These you can now use to apply for a visa change in Thailand and change your current visa to a 12 month marriage visa. You can also use the marriage certificate to apply for an Australian partner visa for your Thai wife while in Thailand. See also the US Letter of Affirmation as well as the Jordan Letter of Affirmation and British Letter of Affirmation on here.
Likewise if you need more assistance then speak to the Australian Embassy or contact an attorney in Thailand for assistance and more guidance in this matter.
