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JayC9
Well-known member
....I got married
More a marriage of convenience than anything else, it was a complete spur of the moment thing, had a load of problems to do with visas, work permits, owning land/property/business issues etc that could all be solved or rectified a lot quicker if I was married to a local so that's what I did.
After visiting the embassy the previous day to get the documentation prepared and translated my girlfriend and I took the trip down to the 'amphur' which in some ways is similar to a registry office.
So we sit down first to ensure all the paperwork is in order which is where they inform me that I need a third party to be present as a witness. I slip a 1000 baht ($25) note in my passport and slide it across the table and the problem of the third party witness mysteriously disappears.
We then get taken to a room where we go through an interview together. The officer first asks me if my wife to be is pregnant? No, I tell him but seemingly not satifisfied with my answer he turns to my wife and asks her the same question? Happy that neither of us is pregnant he next informs me that not only is he the guy that is going to process my marriage papers but that he is also my designated marriage guidance counselor and hands me a leaflet on 'how to be a good husband'? The leaflet is written in Thai (which I can't read) but has some pictures which I look at and smile back in an appreciative way. After he's completed his list of pointless questions he nods at the biggest book I’ve ever seen in my life and tells me to take it up some stairs where we will sign our names.
I lug this book up the stairs into a very plush office where I meet a fat laughing man. I swear this guy does nothing but sit there smiling with his fat stubby gold covered fingers and giggle like an idiot. We sign the book and he announces that we’re now man and wife…and continues chuckling away?
Back downstairs my newly acquainted marriage guidance counselor is issuing our marriage certificates. He sits me down, offers his congratulations and quickly goes through the process should I ever want to divorce my newly wed wife!!! Apparently all I have to do if I want a divorce is to take my marriage certificate to the office, sign the back and pay $13 and that’s it…done, divorced, legally separated! I don’t even need her to be present?
I must say that the whole ‘being married’ thing is an anti-climax. Things are no different between us now that we have a piece of paper saying it’s official.
More a marriage of convenience than anything else, it was a complete spur of the moment thing, had a load of problems to do with visas, work permits, owning land/property/business issues etc that could all be solved or rectified a lot quicker if I was married to a local so that's what I did.
After visiting the embassy the previous day to get the documentation prepared and translated my girlfriend and I took the trip down to the 'amphur' which in some ways is similar to a registry office.
So we sit down first to ensure all the paperwork is in order which is where they inform me that I need a third party to be present as a witness. I slip a 1000 baht ($25) note in my passport and slide it across the table and the problem of the third party witness mysteriously disappears.
We then get taken to a room where we go through an interview together. The officer first asks me if my wife to be is pregnant? No, I tell him but seemingly not satifisfied with my answer he turns to my wife and asks her the same question? Happy that neither of us is pregnant he next informs me that not only is he the guy that is going to process my marriage papers but that he is also my designated marriage guidance counselor and hands me a leaflet on 'how to be a good husband'? The leaflet is written in Thai (which I can't read) but has some pictures which I look at and smile back in an appreciative way. After he's completed his list of pointless questions he nods at the biggest book I’ve ever seen in my life and tells me to take it up some stairs where we will sign our names.
I lug this book up the stairs into a very plush office where I meet a fat laughing man. I swear this guy does nothing but sit there smiling with his fat stubby gold covered fingers and giggle like an idiot. We sign the book and he announces that we’re now man and wife…and continues chuckling away?
Back downstairs my newly acquainted marriage guidance counselor is issuing our marriage certificates. He sits me down, offers his congratulations and quickly goes through the process should I ever want to divorce my newly wed wife!!! Apparently all I have to do if I want a divorce is to take my marriage certificate to the office, sign the back and pay $13 and that’s it…done, divorced, legally separated! I don’t even need her to be present?
I must say that the whole ‘being married’ thing is an anti-climax. Things are no different between us now that we have a piece of paper saying it’s official.
