Getting Married in Thailand

Posted with permission from involved parties, names and small details changed to protect privacy.

A Farang in Isan: Andrew’s New Life in Thailand

Andrew (pseudonym) never imagined that his life would take him to a quiet village in Isan, Thailand. He had spent most of his years in London, working a stressful corporate job, living in a cramped flat, and enduring the daily struggle of city life.

During the COVID-19 lockdown period, Andrew decided to take a career sabbatical to travel Thailand.

During his trip through Isan, he met Noi (pseudonym) on a popular dating application.

Noi was from a small village in the Isan province, a place where life moved slowly, where the air smelled fresh, and where neighbours still greeted each other with warm smiles. Andrew was drawn to her kindness, her laughter, and the slower pace of life.

Anxious about returning to his old life, Andrew found himself extending his stay. Spending more time with Noi and more time in Isan.

After the second extension of his trip, Andrew contacted Siam Visa Agency to discuss options to extend his stay. Andrew and Noi did not get married right away. Instead we found an interim solution that fit with their goals.

A year went by and Andrew was still in Thailand, in his mind Thailand was home already.

Andrew proposed to Noi, after a full year in Thailand; Andrew could not imagine returning to his old life and leaving Noi. Once more, Andrew contacted Siam Visa Agency. We organised a small ceremony, including a video back-link for his family in the UK, and Andrew has changed his cubicle for a peaceful, countryside life.

The Rhythm of Rural Thailand

Life in Isan followed the rhythm of nature. Some mornings, Andrew helped Noi’s family tend to their small farm. He had never worked the land before, but he enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that came with planting rice and harvesting vegetables. Other mornings, Andrew would work in the business he shared with Noi. He enjoyed the independence, working in a business when and how he wanted. In the afternoons, he often rode his motorbike into town, waving at friendly locals along the way.

Some evenings were spent at the village temple, where Noi and her family made merit, lighting incense and offering food to the monks. Other nights, he would sit outside his home with a cold bottle of Leo beer, watching a football match from back home with his expat friends.

A New Sense of Home

Over time, Andrew realized that home wasn’t about where you were born, but where you felt happiest. He had traded his London office for a wooden house in Isan, his morning coffee for a cup of sweet Thai tea, and his old life for a new adventure filled with love, community, and a deeper appreciation for life’s simple joys.