The answer is YES under certain circumstances.

Chinese nationals including those from Hong Kong and Macau need to be resident expats in Thailand before the Chinese embassy issues the Affirmation of Freedom to marry which is essential in registering a Thai marriage. This means that the Chinese has to be holding any of the long term Thai visas such as business visa, education visa and other non-immigrant visas.

If the above requirement is satisfied, a visit to the Chinese embassy is the next step to procure the unmarried statement. However, it is advised that you call the Chinese embassy in advance to ask them the complete list of the required documents that you have to bring. You may also access their website for the list of the required documents and for their contact information.

You would have to bring the unmarried statement from the Chinese embassy to a translator so that it will be translated into Thai before you can bring it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for legalization. This procedure usually takes 3 days so you have some sort of waiting period. Once your papers have been legalized, you can then proceed to the district office to register your marriage. The registration process is simple and can be accomplished in an hour. A marriage certificate in Thai will be issued by the registrar once the registration is finished. You can have this translated into English and legalized at MFA so that you can use it outside of Thailand.

Chinese on tourist visas who would like to get married in Thailand should obtain an unmarried statement from their local district in China, Hong Kong or Macau. The statement shall be brought to a Thai embassy/consulate for notarization/legalization and this can be used in Thailand for marriage registration. However, this type of marriage papers are not accepted in Bangkok district offices so the couple has to register their marriage in selected areas outside of Bangkok.

G.A.M. Legal Alliance has been assisting Chinese nationals including couples from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan with their legal marriages in Thailand. We provide a comprehensive package that ensures the hassle free and successful registration of your marriage under Thai laws.