Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing K-1 Fiancé Visas. We are also discussing Marriage Registration in Thailand as opposed to a Wedding Ceremony. So, a couple of things to keep in mind here. Marriage changes whether or not you can apply for a K-1 Fiancé Visa so if you get married you are no longer eligible to apply for a Fiancé Visa; it negates that eligibility. So it is probably a good idea for those who are looking at all of their Immigration options with respect to a foreign fiancée, in this case in Thailand, to go ahead and ascertain whether or not they really want to register that marriage. That is the first major question to ask. 

Now another thing to bear in mind, we are dealing with this in the fourth quarter of 2021, we are seeing a lot of delays; we are seeing a lot of consternation and problems associated with getting a marriage registered because different offices are taking different positions with respect to public health and safety protocols and in certain circumstances we are finding it very difficult to even get a marriage registered between a foreign national and a Thai national. Now this may abate. As time moves on and things reopen, this may not be a problem in the reasonably foreseeable future but for now we have seen some issues associated with it which kind of begs the question as to whether or not you actually want to legally register a marriage as it may be beneficial and it may be faster in certain circumstances to use a K-1 Visa to get that foreign fiancé in to the United States which brings us to the final point of this video which is with respect to wedding ceremonies. Often times folks ask, "Well if we have a ceremony, aren't we married?" Well no perhaps not, not legally in Thailand. As discussed in other videos, Thailand has a Civil Registration system for marriage so those who are in Thailand and get married have to register at a Civil Registrar. The ceremony is largely legally irrelevant. 

Now before everybody just goes out and makes any moves, it might not be a bad idea to contact a legal professional on that because there are different circumstances associated with marriage in Thailand. On top of that I have seen in the past, folks inadvertently get married, especially foreign nationals they will be at a Government Office and they will go ahead and sign something and they end up married. Now it has been a while since I have seen that happen but long story short be careful because if you are not wanting to be legally married for purposes of getting a K-1 Visa, you need to be circumspect in how you proceed. That stated, it is possible to have ceremonies that for example we would call a wedding ceremony in the US but that is not legally binding under the laws of the Kingdom of Thailand.