On Friday, the 22nd of May 2026, we had the absolute pleasure of watching our dear clients marry in Bangkok, Thailand. This was a same-sex union between a Lithuanian national and a national from a country that does not yet recognize same-sex marriage. While this story does indeed end with hugs and smiles, our dear clients’ trip to Thailand did not begin stress-free.

Same-sex marriage at the district office in Bangkok

The Problem

The couple traveled to Thailand to register their marriage under Thailand’s Marriage Equality Act, but when they arrived in Bangkok they realized that their documents were not complete. Unfortunately they did not receive the correct information before departing their country of residence. Once they arrived in Thailand and discovered the omission, they were told they would not be able to marry during their trip.

The Omission

It is very common for couples to arrive in Thailand with the required documents for marriage, but not with the required stamps. Normally, each foreign national wishing to marry in Thailand must contact their embassy in Thailand to obtain the Affirmation of Freedom to Marry. However, some people prefer to get this before they arrive in Thailand in order to save time. Others do not have an embassy in Thailand, and thus must obtain the documents before arriving in Thailand. In this case, Lithuania does not have an embassy in Thailand. While our client arrived with the Affirmation of Freedom to Marry from a Lithuanian Embassy, it was not stamped by the local Thai Embassy/Consular Office.

The Solution

Determined to be married during this trip to Thailand, the couple contacted us at VisaThai and our team jumped into action. We explained the hurdles, the possible solutions and the tentative timeline if all went to plan.

  1. The Lithuanian Affirmation of Freedom to Marry was sent back to the country where it was issued and taken by a third-party to be stamped at the Thai Embassy/Consulate
  2. The document was sent back to Thailand by next day air with DHL arriving late on a Friday
  3. We met the couple at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to legalize each of their documents the following Monday morning
  4.  By Thursday, the documents were stamped by the MFA and ready to use at the district office (Amphur)
  5. On Friday, we provided the witness and interpreter for the beautiful moment of legalizing their union

Why We Love Our Job

“Dear Eddie,

I am writing to express our gratitude you and your team, Alice, Sally, Nida, and Miss Kwang for your support throughout this rollercoaster! We feel very lucky to have had you in our corner, and many thanks for the roses, they were very beautiful.”

Nothing makes this job more worthwhile than happy moments like this.