Many foreigners are married to Thais; some couples register their marriages, others choose not to. To legally formalize a marriage in Thailand, simply go to the local district (Ampur) office and register the marriage for a small fee. The office may require a letter from your embassy stating that you are not currently married abroad. You can have a church or temple wedding either before or after the legal event at the district office.
Traditional Thai custom expects the family of the groom (or the groom himself) to provide the parents of the bride a dowry. This is the reverse of European and Indian customs where the bride’s family was or is expected to pay a dowry. A typical dowry in Thailand would be between 20,000-1000,000 Baht for a village girl with a grade school education; and up to 2 million Baht for an upper middle-class or upper class girl, particularly if she is university-educated abroad. It is very rare, however, that the average foreigner will marry into the upper strata of Thai society.
Some, or even all, of the dowry money may be returned to the newly married couple in the form of a house, car, furnishings, or even further educational expenses. The dowry served traditionally as assurance that the marriage had been seriously planned, and thus would have a better chance to last.
Any trans-national marriage should also be registered at your embassy or consulate, if for no other reason than to protect any children or legal heirs.
A Thai woman (but not a Thai man) who marries a foreigner loses her right to own land in Thailand. This archaic law is now felt to be unconstitutional by many Thais and foreigners, and is under continual challenge. There is hope that it may be repealed soon.
If you are married to, or plan to marry a Thai from upcountry, and if you know that your spouse is from a relatively poor village, you may want to consider living some distance (at least 100 kilometers) from you local in-laws, if you have such. This is close enough for visits, but not on a daily basis. Thai extended families are generally very large, with assorted cousins and so on, all with various financial needs. No matter how much or, more importantly, how little money you have, they will always think you have a lot more, and that it’s available for “loans.” You should not mind lending money on occasion, but the initial loan must be paid back on schedule, otherwise you should carefully reconsider any subsequent requests.
Consensual divorce in Thailand requires only a joint visit to the district office where you got married. If, however, there is disagreement and attorneys are involved, it can be as ugly and expensive a scenario as anywhere in the world.
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