legal marriage

[bailey2009]

Hi everyone, my partner married a thai national in 2002, he says it was all registered at the relevant uk embassy etc to be recognised in the uk, they both came back to the uk to settle but seperated after two years. fast forward five years and he met me and is now desperate to marry me, he has contacted the GRO, thai embassy, and everyone else he can think of but they all come back saying there is no trace of the marriage, hes ex wont give up any certificates so he can get divorced here in the uk, his only option is to return to Thailand and try and find the registry office that he was married in but he cannot remember where it is. What im asking really is, if there is no UK government agency that can find a record of this marriage, is it legal in th uk

[farang_jai]

If he was legally married in Thailand, then it is recognized that he is legally married in the UK regardless of there being a record of it. For example, when a Thai national applies for a fiancée visa to the UK or USA it is done so on the basis that there is no present marriage in Thailand. The Western nation would not have a record of the Thai marriage, but still recognizes it and would deny the fiancée visa if it were discovered.

In order to avoid future conflicts, your partner should take the appropriate action in Thailand. My wife tells me that it is not necessary for him to return to the place of marriage registration. Rather he needs to go to either an Amphur or District (ked) office in Bangkok with his wife to finalize the divorce. The office need not be where the wife or he has or does reside nor where the marriage was registered. He will need her consent and participation, otherwise divorce is not possible.