FAQ Nikah in Thailand with ARAYA

The ceremony itself takes about 30 minutes, but set aside a full day for the surrounding process. Documents generally need about 1 month of preparation before you travel, and translations take around 3 days once the ceremony is done. Based on that, we recommend planning to stay in Thailand for about one week (or 14 days or more if you’re adding civil registration).

Nikah Service is one service, offered at two scales: most couples take the full-scale option, with our team alongside you from planning through the ceremony day. The simple (Express) scale suits couples on a tight timeline — it covers the same properly documented ceremony, focused on the nikah itself rather than a large gathering. See package details →

ARAYA handles the Nikah process in Thailand as one systematic team, from your first questions to the ceremony day — documents, interpretation, coordination, and add-on services. The first step is to message us on WhatsApp so we can advise on the package and documents that fit your situation. Read the full article →

Araya Nikah Planner and Consult Co., Ltd. is a VAT-registered company with the Thai government — you can verify us through our VAT number, our reviews, and our current office address on Google Maps. We work with state-recognized religious institutions in Thailand and have operated publicly since 2008, with a strict no-secret-nikah policy. Read the full article →

We’re a consulting company and share as much as we can to help you plan successfully. However, until you’re a confirmed client, we can’t share the fine detail of document verification, contact numbers or venue transportation, or a full walkthrough with our specific recommendations. This isn’t restrictive — it’s so the detailed guidance we give is tailored to your confirmed booking.

Nikah Service is a private ceremony for up to 4 guests, taking about 30 minutes within a single day. You choose whether to receive the Thai legal-route certificate or the religious-only certificate. Read the full article →

It suits couples who want a concise, private ceremony without a large reception, while keeping the full religious steps and the same documentation as the full package. See starting prices on the packages page →

Nikah Event is a ceremony with a full reception, from 30 up to 1,600 guests, held at 4–5 star halal venues or mosques across Thailand, with certified halal catering, décor, an MC, and a full photography team. Read the full article →

Yes — the registration steps (documents, certificates, wali) are identical. The difference is that Nikah Event adds the reception for your guests on top of the same ceremony. See our Document Checklist to plan ahead.

Our add-ons include a photography and video team, a cinematic wedding film, makeup and hijab styling from a stylist who understands Muslim wedding customs, décor and a nikah backdrop, and on-the-day coordination. Each can stand alone or combine into a full-day package. See starting prices on the packages page →

Yes. ARAYA offers a training course for people preparing to convert, sometimes referred to as “Pirate Wisdom,” covering the fundamentals of Islam, daily practice, and what you’ll need for Muslim life going forward. The course runs three days and can be scheduled around you, and you’ll receive certification and a recording of the conversion (shahada). If you’re ready sooner, conversion is also available free of charge at mosques throughout Thailand.

Yes. Many of the couples we support come from two different faiths, and we welcome that. A non-Muslim partner is guided through learning about Islam and the related documentation at their own pace, with patience and respect for their background — there’s no pressure and no fixed script.

You are warmly welcome — we have cared for many couples from all schools of thought. ARAYA is a Sunni organization (Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah), and all of our services are provided under Sunni principles and within Thailand’s legal framework.

The exact list depends on which certificate route you choose and your personal situation — for example, whether either of you has been divorced or widowed, or is a new Muslim. See our complete, up-to-date Document Checklist, which lays out every document for both routes side by side.

You’ll generally need two copies of both passports, ten 1.5-inch photos, a certificate of single or divorced status from the embassy or a government agency of your country, and a certificate of religious conversion if either of you is a new Muslim. The full list, including the Thai side’s documents, is on our Document Checklist.

Yes — this route needs less preparation time, generally just copies of both passports, and the wali’s documents can be submitted online. See the side-by-side comparison on our Document Checklist.

The wali is the bride’s guardian, with the right to give consent for her and protect her throughout the ceremony, following a fixed order of precedence (father, then grandfather, then brothers). If no one in that order is available, ARAYA has two arrangements: if two of the bride’s female relatives can confirm, we can appoint a wali (hakim) privately; if there are no relatives at all, we can still arrange a wali hakim, but the nikah must be disclosed on our public channels instead. Read the full article →

Yes — if two of the bride’s female relatives attend and confirm, ARAYA can appoint a wali hakim privately, with no public disclosure required. If no relatives attend at all, public disclosure serves as the independent check instead, as set out in our Privacy Policy.

For the religious-only (non-legal) route, the wali does not need to travel — we can hold an online meeting to appoint a marriage representative (wakil), and the wali’s documents (a copy of their ID card or passport) can be submitted online too. Note that the wali supports the process but does not replace the bride’s own consent.

A nikah record isn’t one person’s private secret — it belongs to the couple, the wali, the witnesses, the family, and the community together. We don’t disclose your participation without your consent, and we don’t sell your information. Read the full article →

The legal-route certificate is a nikah certificate issued by a state-recognized Islamic authority, within Thailand’s legal framework, and can be legalized at the Department of Consular Affairs. The religious-only certificate is issued by ARAYA’s own Sharia panel, confirms your marriage under Islamic principles, but has no legal effect and cannot be legalized at a consulate.

A nikah is a religious marriage, while a civil marriage-registration certificate (ทะเบียนสมรส) from a Thai district office is a separate legal process. ARAYA advises on the nikah certificate only — if you also want civil registration, allow separate time to arrange it.

The legal-route certificate can be legalized at the Thai Department of Consular Affairs, but acceptance abroad is always at the discretion of the destination country — ARAYA has no authority over legal recognition in any other country, and you must verify the requirements yourself with the relevant authority where you intend to use the document.

Some countries — for example Bahrain, the UAE, the Maldives, Libya, and Kuwait — require an embassy permission letter before the ceremony. Recognition abroad is always at the discretion of the destination country, and ARAYA has no authority over it — please verify the requirements yourself and tell us your nationality so we can advise on the right route.

Many couples live international lives and prioritize their Islamic marital status, especially when their destination country has no Sharia framework for a foreign nikah certificate to plug into anyway (for example Thailand, Japan). It carries no legal weight, but we conduct it fully according to Sharia principles, safeguarding the bride’s rights.

Services begin once the company has received payment in full; we recommend paying at least one month before your planned date. You can pay by cash at our office, bank transfer, or credit card via Facebook Metapay (a 3% service charge applies). A refund policy applies once your package is confirmed — if we’re ready to deliver at the agreed time but the booking can’t proceed for reasons on the client’s side, no refund is issued. Read the full Payment Policy and Cancellation, Postponement & Refund Policy.

Pricing depends on the package, guest count, and add-ons you choose. See starting prices on the packages page →

Ghusur is a special social program, not one of our regular commercial services — it runs in announced rounds (990 THB/person when a round opens, limited seats, Bangkok). Its certificate is a training-only certificate — not a nikah document and unrelated to the nikah certificate. Read the full article →