An Australian couple may choose Thailand as the best location for one of the most important events in their lives, their wedding. They can have it at one of the most respected hotel brands or they can have it at a beach in Phuket instead. Wherever such marriage will take place, in order to be admissible in their home country, they have to have it fully registered in Thailand.

Of course, eligibility requirements are in place for them to comply:

• The marriage must not be under incestuous circumstances.
• Both parties must be at the legal marital age.
• Both parties must have the capacity to understand the whole marriage process.
• Both of them must have fit mental capacities.
• Both parties must not be married to someone else.

Nonetheless, they also need to know the general description of marriage registration in the Kingdom.

And because they are foreigners or at least a party is a foreigner, such party or parties need to possess and present the following:

• Copies of their passports along with the arrival card.
• Affidavit of freedom to marry issued by the Australian embassy (the actual term used may be different).
• Translated copies of these affidavits from English to Thai. Such copies should be approved by the Foreign Ministry translator in order to be admissible.

Important points in registering the marriage

• At the presence of the registrar, both parties must openly declare their intention to marry one another.
• After the ceremony, they can choose which Amphur to lodge their application for marriage registration.
• Even if the ceremony has been solemnly done with the presence of a registrar, the application process can only be assumed complete and the marriage to be fully registered in Thailand if and when a marriage certificate has been issued to the couple.