About Marrying a Khmer Woman

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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by Username Taken »

I've noticed with many aspiring expats over the years, when they arrive, they either hate it or love it. Doesn't take too long.
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by taabarang »

"I've noticed with many aspiring expats over the years, when they arrive, they either hate it or love it. Doesn't take too long."

In my case it took a long time, not to hate it which I don't, but to lose all optimism for a bright future. I'm an old man who doesn't care where he dies, but my kids deserve better as do the majority of rural dwellers.
As my old Cajun bait seller used to say, "I opes you luck.
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Sidewalker
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by Sidewalker »

A man doesn’t know what happiness is until he’s married. By then it’s too late.’ Frank Skinner :mrgreen:
There are people who cannot imagine that there are other ways of life than their own life. :facepalm:
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by LaudJohn »

If you want to eventually be unhappy, get married.

Marriage benefits the woman, not the man.

Eventually, happily married men are told they are so.
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mauser765
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by mauser765 »

The problem is that marriage was not designed for happiness. It was designed to give legal claim to the joint estate.

If you reduce a relationship to something based on money, don't be surprised when it hits the fan.

Would you marry your bank manager? Accountant? Sado-masochistic much?

Add to that most males' predilection for valuing partners base don their physical attraction, and you wonder why it's a disaster?
Money is human happiness in the abstract; he, then, who is no longer capable of enjoying human happiness in the concrete devotes himself utterly to money.
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siliconlife
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by siliconlife »

I got my wife a tourist visa to Australia and married her there. All up, legal stuff included, the wedding cost less than $1000 (we did it at home).
In Cambodia, if you know people, there are many who can find ways around these laws for you, of course. I once had a lawyer offer me a way out, but it was unclear to me how much his fees were going to be. The cops in the village offered to do it for $1000 - they were trying to scam me, marriage wouldn't have been recognised. And I had a mate who just launched his savings at a woman's family and they fixed it all up for 16k. That's about all the info I can think of for now that I've experienced first-hand.

Basic Khmer? Like market basic or conversation basic? Basic basics can be learned in 6 months if you work. I'd say around 2-3 years for good conversations, at a moderate-high study load, if you have a decent proclivity for languages.
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dan.prior
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by dan.prior »

Hi there. An excellent post. Is the contact number for Mr Ung Vantha still current? liveleak][/liveleak]
PSD-Kiwi wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:29 am
PSD-Kiwi wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 11:28 pm First of all, you will need to go to the MoFAIC in Phnom Penh and meet and speak to Mr Ung Vantha in the Legal & Consular Department, this man will give you the application forms and lists of required documents, he will not accept any money. Do not deal with anyone else, as they will all ask for ridiculous sums of money. Mr. Ung Vantha's (MoFA) phone number, 016608586.

You will need to present the following to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

1. "Application for foreigner to marry Khmer citizen" (provided by MoFAIC)
2. Certificate of non-impediment/single status/divorce certificate (if applicable)/ex-spouses death certificate (if applicable)
3. Criminal record check from your country of citizenship
4. Passport with valid E type (Ordinary MEEV) visa, minimum 6 months validity
5. Letter of employment/proof of salary minimum $2500USD p/m (Male only). Work permit/work book/business license if employed in Cambodia.
6. Letter from your Embassy - permission/consent to marry
7. Pre-nuptial Medical certificate from Calmette Hospital (no older than 3 months)
8. 2x passport photos

NOTE: Foreign males must be under 50 years old to legally marry a Cambodian citizen in Cambodia.

All above documents must be notarised/certified from your nearest Embassy except 1,6 and 7.

Khmer partner will need to present;

1. "Certificate of celibacy, widowhood, divorce" (single status) from Sangkat
2. National ID card
3. Birth Certificate
4. Family Book and/or Carnet de Residence
5. Pre-nuptial Medical certificate from Calmette Hospital (no older than 3 months)
6. 2x passport photos

Note: The blood tests are for HIV, Hepatitis, and a few other diseases, chest x-ray is for TB. Cost from Calmette for the blood tests, x-ray and medical certificate is $120 per couple ($60 each). You will need to take your passport/national ID card, as well as 1x passport photo per person.

Once the MoFA processes the documents which takes about 1-2 weeks, you will be issued a letter which you must submit with all of your documents to the Ministry of Interior. You will both be interviewed by someone in the MoI, and if they are satisfied it will take approximately another 2+ months for them to issue an authorisation to marry letter, which you will then need to submit to your partners Sangkat, who will then issue you with your marriage certificate.

MoFAIC:

I'm not great at explaining directions, but I hope this helps...
When you go to the MoFA, enter the compound via the side entrance, do not go to the large main entrance on the riverside. There is a guard hut where you and your partner will have to show ID, and they will give you a visitors pass. Walk straight ahead to the large building straight ahead and to the right, and enter via the first side entrance.

As you enter, immediately on your left you should see a sign for e-visa on your right hand side, continue walking straight down the corridor. The 3rd or 4th door on the right hand side is Vanthas office. As you look at his office door, there should be a small alcove with a Buddhist statue to the left of his door, this is how you will know which office is his. Remember that this is a Cambodian Ministry, and they keep strange working hours...I think they take lunch from about 1100 - 1400.

MOI:

Do not go to the Main MoI compound. You need to go to an office called “National Committee to Lead the Suppression of Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labour Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation in Woman and Children” (S.T.S.L.S), which is at the General dept of Identification building at this location…

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Gen ... ation+(GDI )/@11.5344525,104.9511904,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x4d2d71f75dee8eb6!8m2!3d11.5343962!4d104.9550942

Take all of your completed documentation and letter from the MoFAIC with you and try to arrive early (by 0900hrs at the latest). There all of your documentation will be checked, and if anything is not in order they will inform you of what you need to fix.

Once everything is in order, you will pay the official $200 fee, which you will receive a receipt for, and then be interviewed by several people, mostly regarding things like how you met your partner, how long you’ve been together, have you travelled together on holiday, how long have you lived/been travelling to Cambodia, what is your job, family members names and contact details, what are your plans, do you plan to take her overseas and exploit her, etc…Its not as daunting as you may think. Your partner will be near you the entire time, so if there any language barriers, ask her to translate for you.

Once everything is in order, it can take anywhere up to 4 months before you receive the letter of permission to marry from the MoI, which you then take to your partner's Sangkat in order to be issued your official marriage certificate. There is no requirement for a wedding ceremony in order to be issued a marriage certificate.

For foreigners marrying a Cambodian citizen, the only official fees payable are;

- $200 fee paid to the 'National Committe to Lead the Suppression of Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labour Exploitation and Sexual Exploitation in Woman and Children (S.T.S.L.S)' , which is a department of the MoI. The fee covers admin, interviews and background check costs. An official receipt is issued.
- 20,000 Riel fee paid to the Sangkat which issues the official Marriage Certificate. An official receipt is issued.

(Note: The interviewers at the MoI expect a small "donation" each, about $5 each covers it...probably a good idea to just pay this to ensure your application is approved)

Many people no doubt end up dealing with the wrong people and/or fixers and end up getting fleeced purely because the information on the whole process is not readily available and can be confusing.
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Heng Heng Heng
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by Heng Heng Heng »

phuketrichard wrote: Sun Jun 04, 2017 4:02 pm it never addressed the issue of an over 50 Khmer lady wishing to marry an over 50 Barang>>>
True. but so it was such a hypothetical concept that any man would want to marry a woman over 50 that it was never factored in.
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Re: About Marrying a Khmer Woman

Post by Jeffy »

You need to prepare 1600Usd for cambodia MFA-IC and ministry of interior. If you need settle in around 1month, otherwise normal process will take few months,your documents validity will be expired and you will need go back to your country reguest single status certificate again...
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