In the Kingdom of Thailand, a religious and spiritual ceremony alone does not stand for a legal marriage. On the other hand, a marriage in Thailand should be performed as per the laws of the country. Additionally, the legal formalities and paperwork should be completed so that the marriage is accepted in the Kingdom. Although, it may appear to be unromantic, you are considered legally married only when it is registered.

Regulations for Marrying

When an alien decides to get married in Thailand, he/she has to follow the laws. It starts with the Thailand marriage registration which has to take place at the Embassy. Thai marriage formalities are quite complex; it is necessary to translate most of the documents into Thai. Firstly, your citizenship and your single status have to be confirmed from your home country's Embassy in the Kingdom and the document attested. If you are divorced or your spouse had expired it is mandatory to produce the original divorce document and a death certificate in case of the death of your spouse. After translating them into Thai, the documents have to be produced at the €Department of Foreign Affairs.' Once the verification is complete, the papers have to be submitted at the €Khet' or €Amphur', which is the local area office for registration. All the documentation will cost you about $30 or more.

Getting Divorced

There are some restrictions and laws that govern divorce in Thailand. If a foreigner's marriage was registered in the country, they can file only an uncontested separation or marriage annulment. With their passports and marriage certificate, the couple has to appear at the Amphur office. They should also produce a handwritten divorce agreement which bears the couple's signatures along with those of two witnesses. If it is a contested divorce, court petition has to be submitted. If she/he lives abroad, a €power of attorney' is mandatory. A contested separation or divorce takes a longer time and a lot of expenses. It also entails several court appearances as well as representation by a local lawyer. On the whole, the whole process is not only time-consuming but stressful too with its financial and emotional issues.

Grounds for Marriage Annulment

Separation and marriage annulments have increased significantly all over the world. A Thailand divorce is not easy; it is quite difficult to go through the process. Most of them occur between an alien male and a Thai female. Moreover, it can be cumbersome to manage the disputes regarding division of assets, liabilities and debts. Thai law entails several conditions for an annulment. A few of them are stated here; firstly, there should be a three-year separation between the husband and wife. If your partner has left you for more than a year or lives in adultery, it is a valid ground for termination of marriage. Other grounds include misconduct, physical or mental torture, lack of financial support, insanity for 3 years or more, incurable, dangerous and communicable disease in one of the partners and physical disadvantage of living as man and wife. Finally, even breaking the bonds of marriage is a valid ground for termination of marriage. Contested marriage dissolution is given by a court judgment; hence, it is necessary to have a competent lawyer fight your case.