Getting married in Isaan has been described before. One thing you might consider is healthcare and how you are planning on covering your healthcare in Thailand. There are a number of good hospitals in Isaan but they are few and far between. As an expat using the public hospitals are a big no-no and you would have to consider where the nearest private hospital is from where you are located.  Take care when taking the path to live in Isaan.

There are options with regards to property in Thailand. Most expats in Isaan tend to rent property and only a few buy property as a long-term investment. Those who do buy, first rent the property before they buy to ensure that they like the area and that it suits their needs. Property and marriage in Isaan can be a problem. The Thai forums are all full of expats having problems with the wife and then being told to leave the property. Ensure that you have a usufruct or a prenuptial agreement as justice in Isaan moves very slow. Speak to a lawyer before you venture up this path as getting divorced in isaan can present another bigger problem.

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Getting Divorced in Isaan

Divorce happens to the best of us. The only difference is how we manage the process of getting divorced in Thailand especially in an area such as Isaan where English is limited. This is normally where you hire a lawyer in Isaan.

Getting divorced in Ubon might not be what you would have expected however this does happen. The failure rate of mix marriages in Issaan is very high and above the Thai standard divorce rates. Currently as of 2009 Thailand has seen a surge in divorce rates and in family violence. Now considering the divorce rate in Thailand then picture the divorce rate amongst mix marriages.This is from the Thai daily newspaper:

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Mr. Paiboon Wattanasiritham (ไพบูลย์ วัฒนศิริธรรม), revealed that latest information from the Department of Provincial Administration, Ministry of Interior, indicates that in the last 10 years, Thailand’s divorce rate has increased from 10 percent in 1994 to 26 percent in 2006. 89,153 married couples filed for divorce last year.

The Deputy Prime Minister reports that domestic violence is also increasing, with 14,000 women and children having been physically abused. Close relatives or family members are responsible for up to 40 percent of physical violence. Mr. Paiboon encouraged family members to engage in group activities in order to peacefully resolve disputes and strengthen family relations.

Most divorces in Thailand tends to be an administrative divorce. In other words you and your wife have agreed in writing as to who gets what. This is rather simple. You go down to the district office and you file for a divorce and had in your written agreement. Less than an hour later you are divorced. The problem comes in where one party does not agree. This is when it has to go to court. The wheels of justice in Thailand turns slow and it can be costly.

If you are looking at getting a divorce in Thailand then speak to one of our lawyers in Thailand about the divorce procedures in Thailand and what the costs would be in this regards. There is of course no point in spending 100,000 Baht in legal fees when you are fighting over a 20,000 Baht item. Weight up what you can afford to write off in the interest of costs.

See our main website for more details or speak to us online via our live help chat system. You can also call our toll-free US and UK telephone number for assistance 24 hours of the day. Talk to us today or walk into any of our offices in Thailand. Do it now!

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Cost of Living in Thailand

If you are wondering what the cost of living is in Thailand then this should make for an interesting read. The cost of living in Issaan is even lower than in Bangkok or Pattaya. Here are the basics of living in Thailand.

Many times foreigners wish to know what the cost of living is in Thailand and this is very difficult to give one single answer. What one should look at is what amount of money are you able to spend each month. If you have an income of USD 1,000 per month then that is what Thailand would cost you each month. Apartments or Condo’s range in prices from the high-end 50,000 Baht a month to the lower 2,000  Baht per month units. What you can afford from your income will determine where it is that you live. Food in Thailand is very cheap. A plate of food at night will on average set you back 30 Baht which is about USD 1 for food. The only foods that are over the average would be dairy products such as cheese as the Thai’s do not eat much dairy products so the market is very small. Ham is also a bit more pricey but again most Thai’s don’t have a Western diet so Ham and Cheese on bread is not going to be a very common occurence.

Hospital fees are not bad and the cost of going to the dentist is very low. You can have root canal for about 3,000 Baht which is about USD100. This is very low considering what you would have to pay for that at home. Overnight stays in hospitals at a private hospital is also not bad and on the very low-end. A good example of high-end surgery is a heart bypass which would set you back about USD 30,000.

Transportation is cheap in Thailand. There are many options but most expats use the meter taxis. There are however also river boats, very good public busses and a skytrain and underground railway system which is being expanded to cover the entire Bangkok.

Living in Isaan is even cheaper. As one expat said he saves alot of money living in Issaan as there is nothing to spend your money on. I think he sums it up well. The cost of living is low and getting around is cheap. What more do you need?

You could live very well in Issaan on USD 1,000 per month as many others are doing it at around those prices. Why can’t you?

Want to retire in isaan, then speak to a lawyer in Ubon or simple visit our main website and speak to a lawyer or legal consultant online now. You can also call our toll-free US or UK telephone numbers for more information. Retire in Thailand – you will not regret it!

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Issaan Property Options

If you are getting married in Issaan and are looking at living in Ubon or Issan you need to understand your property options in Thailand. Speak to a lawyer first before signing any property agreements.

If you have ever been to Issaan or Ubon you will know that there are no highrise apartments like you would have in Bangkok. The options that are available to you become very limited. These are the options available to you if you decide to live in Ubon.

When many expats get married they tend to buy a ‘house in the village’ and this is usually in Issaan. Ubon is a large town compared to many however as stated the options are few. Buying a house in the village does have its risks. Firstly you are not allowed to own land in Thailand as a foreigner unless you have invest a few million Baht with the government and have permission from the Minister of the Interior. Most do not go through all that trouble and simply place the house or villa in the name of their new wife. When the house is registered you would have to go with your wife to the Land Department and sign a document stating that you have no financial interest in the property. If you get divorced this creates a problem. What occurs most times is that the entire in-law family moves in and conflicts occur. Since you don’t own the house you are going to have very little say in how things get done. Yes, I know — your wife is different. If I got a dollar for each time I heard that I would be a very wealthy man. If you do go this route ensure that you get a lawyer to register a usufruct over the property as this in the event of a divorce will give you leverage. The usufruct you would be able to use as leverage if things go South.

There are not many condo units in Issaan and many that are there are mainly for Thai’s. They tend to be very small and basic and most expats do not live in them and prefer a house. The other option you have with regards to property is to either lease a property long term or take an option of a usufruct. Long term lease agreements being those longer than 3 years has to be registered with the Land Department as it goes against the title of the property. This is the best option in the view of the writer.

Before you decide what to do ensure that you have spoken to a property lawyer in Ubon or better yet speak to any of our lawyers in any of our offices in Thailand. With offices in Bangkok, Phuket, Hua Hin, Samui, Chiang Mai and Pattaya we are best able to serve your needs. See our main website for more details and speak to us online or via our toll-free US or UK telephone numbers.

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Getting Married in Thailand

If you are considering getting married in Thailand then more likely than not you will be getting married to someone who lives or who has parents in the South Eastern region of Thailand. Ubon is one of these large towns.

Most people do not live in Ubon however they do get married there. Safe to say that it is estimated that most marriages in the village takes place in the rural areas of Thailand. Many expats who have married one would guess that at least 90% of them have married in Issaan or Ubon in Thailand. As Ubon has no UK or US embassy the marriage registration for a foreigner in Ubon starts in Bangkok. Pattaya has a US Embassy office however that is the only country which has a branch office for consular services in Thailand.

Once you have married and held your wedding in Ubon or Issaan you would have to come to Bangkok to complete the process. Your virst visit to Bangkok would be a visit to your embassy. In order to register your marriage in Thailand you need to be able to show that you are able to marry. This means you have to be single. At the embassy they will require a divorce certificate from you if you are divorced or a death certificate of your wife if you wife had passed away. Once you have these you need to complete a form and return to the embassy the next day. They will now give you a letter stating that you are allowed to get married. This letter is called a letter of affirmation.

Once you have this letter it needs to be certified by the Thai government in order to prevent fraud. This has to be done at the Thai Department of Foreign Affairs in Laksi. This usually takes a few hours to complete as they need to view your letter from the embassy and check if it is authentic. If it is they will place a small stamp on the back of the letter to show that it has been verified.

Now that you have all the paperwork you need to go to a District Office and this is where you hand them all your documents and they will issue you with a marriage certificate. The Thai marriage registration process is time-consuming and will take at least 3 days in Bangkok to complete if you are living outside of Bangkok. Most people hand the documents to a lawyer in Ubon or Issan to complete it for them. The other option is to drop off all your documents at any of our offices in Thailand and allow our attorneys and legal staff to do all the red tape for you while you enjoy your honeymoon. What could be better?

Speak to us today online on our main website, call out toll-free US and UK telephone numbers or simply walk into any of our offices in Thailand. With offices in all the major cities of Thailand we are best able to serve your needs.

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