How Many "official" Wives Allowed In Thailand

[Prakanong]

Reading a story in The Straits Times today in relation to a guy jailed in Singapore regarding 3 of his 10 wives are about to be sntenced for aiding and abetting.

Not wishing to bring up the matter of the crime as its not in connection with how many wives but the story does say the marriages were "Registered" in Thailand but are not recognised in Singapore.

By registered I am taking to mean officially ie Amphur - is this possible in Thailand?

Is is possible but for only certain religions?

[jumnien]

I was under the impression that men and women can have only one registered marriage in Thailand. All sami nois and mia nois must have just the "buddhist" or "muslim" ceremony if any at all.

[phazey]

From my past experiance, one is more than enough.

[sbk]

My understanding is that Muslims in Thailand are legally allowed 4 wives. However, in the Muslim village I live in, I know of no one who has more than one.

[Prakanong]

I was under the impression that men and women can have only one registered marriage in Thailand. All sami nois and mia nois must have just the "buddhist" or "muslim" ceremony if any at all.

I was of exactly the same opinion as you but have just checked the paper and they say "Registered" in 88/89 (he married 10 between 17 and 20 in 2 years).

I reckon the Straits Times must have it wrong which would not be the first ;-)

[Prakanong]

My understanding is that Muslims in Thailand are legally allowed 4 wives. However, in the Muslim village I live in, I know of no one who has more than one.

Now you say 4 something is coming back to me.

This guy had 10 though and with 64 kids there are 74 of them living in 3 HDB flats with him in jail!!!

[ajarnmark]

I was under the impression that men and women can have only one registered marriage in Thailand. All sami nois and mia nois must have just the "buddhist" or "muslim" ceremony if any at all.

I believe that there is some ignorance on your part. Buddhism does not allow adultery and second marriage.

Similarly, in Islam, a woman is not allowed to have multiple husbands, however, a man can have multiple wives. Adultery is also not allowed in Islam.

The concept of Sami Noi and Mia Noi is not in terms of marriage but in terms of sexual relationship without any legal bindings.

As far as Muslims are concerned, they can have multiple wives anywhere in the world. Any law restricting the multiple marriages can be void on the basis of religious freedom, which many countries have to follow based on their constitutions.

[Prakanong]

From my past experiance, one is more than enough.

Hmmm I tend to agree

Although my Thai colleague (female) says I should get a mia noi even though there is no more mia luang???????

[jumnien]

I was under the impression that men and women can have only one registered marriage in Thailand. All sami nois and mia nois must have just the "buddhist" or "muslim" ceremony if any at all.

I believe that there is some ignorance on your part. Buddhism does not allow adultery and second marriage.

Similarly, in Islam, a woman is not allowed to have multiple husbands, however, a man can have multiple wives. Adultery is also not allowed in Islam.

The concept of Sami Noi and Mia Noi is not in terms of marriage but in terms of sexual relationship without any legal bindings.

As far as Muslims are concerned, they can have multiple wives anywhere in the world. Any law restricting the multiple marriages can be void on the basis of religious freedom, which many countries have to follow based on their constitutions.

Yes, ignorance is definitely part of my consciousness. My last names not even Gotama. Now that we've cleared that up are you 100% positively sure that Muslims can have as many wives as they want in the US? Possibly in Utah, but not California.

I've been to several Buddhist weddings where the groom was living with his mia luang and everyone knew it including the monks. The buddhist "marriage" was due to pregnancy of mia noi. Many BG's get multiple buddhist "weddings" to gullible farangs. This has been going on for ages.

[highchol]

I was under the impression that men and women can have only one registered marriage in Thailand. All sami nois and mia nois must have just the "buddhist" or "muslim" ceremony if any at all.

I believe that there is some ignorance on your part. Buddhism does not allow adultery and second marriage.

Similarly, in Islam, a woman is not allowed to have multiple husbands, however, a man can have multiple wives. Adultery is also not allowed in Islam.

The concept of Sami Noi and Mia Noi is not in terms of marriage but in terms of sexual relationship without any legal bindings.

As far as Muslims are concerned, they can have multiple wives anywhere in the world. Any law restricting the multiple marriages can be void on the basis of religious freedom, which many countries have to follow based on their constitutions.

My understand of the multiple wives concept for muslim men was to enable widows who's husband had been killed / died to find another man to take care of her. ( quite charitable no? ) As adulerty as mentioned is a no no so a legal marriage was allowed under these conditions.

But as you can imagine many of these multiple wives nowadays I would bet are just " newer models " rather than poor and destitute former widows.

[sbk]

My understanding is that Muslims in Thailand are legally allowed 4 wives. However, in the Muslim village I live in, I know of no one who has more than one.

Now you say 4 something is coming back to me.

This guy had 10 though and with 64 kids there are 74 of them living in 3 HDB flats with him in jail!!!

I think it is not that difficult to register multiple marriages in various amphurs (ie one here, one in the next province over etc etc) as I don't believe the system is computerised enough to catch a bigamist. Which is what this guy was trying to get away with, and obviously, failed

however, I believe the Koran pretty clearly does not sanction as many wives as you like but rather rather 4. but most Islamic countries turn a blind eye to this particular passage:

"Marry such women as seem good to you, two, or three, or four," says the Koran (4:3). "But if you fear that you will not do justice, then marry only one."

[Prakanong]

My understanding is that Muslims in Thailand are legally allowed 4 wives. However, in the Muslim village I live in, I know of no one who has more than one.

Now you say 4 something is coming back to me.

This guy had 10 though and with 64 kids there are 74 of them living in 3 HDB flats with him in jail!!!

I think it is not that difficult to register multiple marriages in various amphurs (ie one here, one in the next province over etc etc) as I don't believe the system is computerised enough to catch a bigamist. Which is what this guy was trying to get away with, and obviously, failed

however, I believe the Koran pretty clearly does not sanction as many wives as you like but rather rather 4. but most Islamic countries turn a blind eye to this particular passage:

"Marry such women as seem good to you, two, or three, or four," says the Koran (4:3). "But if you fear that you will not do justice, then marry only one."

Actually there is no mention of bigamy - the Singaporeans seem to accept the marriages were registered in Thailand but are not recognised here.

I was not going to say it but he has actually been sentenced to 32 years plus many canings for incest and rape of 3 of his daughters between 12 and 15 I think they were. Three of the wives are due to be sentenced for aiding and abetting him in this.

[sbk]

it is bigamy if he is only allowed 4 wives in Thailand

[zaza]

Why do assume that man is a Muslim?

[sbk]

I am not, I was answering a response that assumed all Thais were limited to one wife. Thai muslims are legally allowed 4 wives.

[Prakanong]

Why do assume that man is a Muslim?

The man I speak of in the OP is a muslim.

[ajarnmark]

My understanding is that Muslims in Thailand are legally allowed 4 wives. However, in the Muslim village I live in, I know of no one who has more than one.

I think one is more than enough

Now you say 4 something is coming back to me.

This guy had 10 though and with 64 kids there are 74 of them living in 3 HDB flats with him in jail!!!

however, I believe the Koran pretty clearly does not sanction as many wives as you like but rather rather 4. but most Islamic countries turn a blind eye to this particular passage:

"Marry such women as seem good to you, two, or three, or four," says the Koran (4:3). "But if you fear that you will not do justice, then marry only one."

A nice quotation from Quran but incomplete. This should be read like this:

4:3 If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.

and for justice Quran says:

4:129 Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women, even if it is your ardent desire: But turn not away (from a woman) altogether, so as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air). If ye come to a friendly understanding, and practice self- restraint, God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

Another thing is that when Quran says 2 or 3 or 4, that does not mean that it is the limitation, in fact it is an example, as to how many wives one can have.

As another poster said, why do we think that the guy in question is in fact Muslims.

He must be put in jail if in fact he committed the incest with his daughters.

[sbk]

Why do assume that man is a Muslim?

The man I speak of in the OP is a muslim.

I have to admit, the subtitle "for Muslim" in the thread title did kind of make me assume the guy was a Muslim But, I was still just refuting the idea that all Thais were legally only allowed one wife.

As for the guy in the OP, well he broke more Koran rules than just having too many wives:

[4:23]Prohibited for you (in marriage) are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, the sisters of your fathers, the sisters of your mothers, the daughters of your brother, the daughters of your sister, your nursing mothers, the girls who nursed from the same woman as you, the mothers of your wives, the daughters of your wives with whom you have consummated the marriage - if the marriage has not been consummated, you may marry the daughter. Also prohibited for you are the women who were married to your genetic sons. Also, you shall not be married to two sisters at the same time - but do not break up existing marriages. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

[seagull]

Why do assume that man is a Muslim?

I think that the OP is referring to this case in Singapore.http://www.todayonline.com/articles/181571.asp

Though article is not from the Straits Times, it is from the Today newspaper in Singapore.

[Shrubbery]

I understand that if a muslim wants a second wife he must seek permission from the first wife.

I'd be quite interested in the reasons for wanting more than 1 wife. And what purpose does it serve except to have more kids.

[Prakanong]

Why do assume that man is a Muslim?

I think that the OP is referring to this case in Singapore.http://www.todayonline.com/articles/181571.asp

Though article is not from the Straits Times, it is from the Today newspaper in Singapore.

Yes that is the case - its just in todays Straits Times it talks about the 10 marriages being registered in Thailand

Reading about the case in recent weeks I had no idea of any connection with Thailand till this report today.

[chanchao]

> I'd be quite interested in the reasons for wanting more than 1 wife. And what purpose

> does it serve except to have more kids.

Bigger gene pool. The more children you have with different women, the more diverse your own offspring. It's really quite obvious why men are wired that way. (And women too by the way, though women have a second consideration namely to keep a man around at least for the duration of raising kids. But then after that women are mostly rapidly on the way to being biologically not able to have kids anymore so that's like a big "The End" sign that God's waving in their faces. Men though face no such divine intervention and can happily continue to spread their genes, move to Pattaya and buy big motorcycles.

Edited April 8, 2007 by chanchao

[jbsears]

I am not, I was answering a response that assumed all Thais were limited to one wife. Thai muslims are legally allowed 4 wives.

Thais are only allowed 1 legal wife. This includes Muslims too. This was what was brought up with Gen. Sonthi. He has two wives and registered both, but the law only allows the registration of one.

[jumnien]

I am not, I was answering a response that assumed all Thais were limited to one wife. Thai muslims are legally allowed 4 wives.

Thais are only allowed 1 legal wife. This includes Muslims too. This was what was brought up with Gen. Sonthi. He has two wives and registered both, but the law only allows the registration of one.

Sonthi is above the law and has granted himself immunity from prosecution.

[ajarnmark]

I understand that if a muslim wants a second wife he must seek permission from the first wife.

I'd be quite interested in the reasons for wanting more than 1 wife. And what purpose does it serve except to have more kids.

You understand wrong. No permission is required for other marriage(s). Permission is more of the legal issue and has nothing to do with religion.

Well, I am not sure if you marry a girl just to have kids. If this is the case, I would seriously doubt the mental health of the person who looks marriage as a breeding agreement.

[Travel2003]

And we all know the punishment for bigami..............................................more then one mother in law.

Sorry, I couldnt resist it.

Sailor

[Rinrada]

All democratic countries which are free from religous zealot control only recognise 1 ..uno wife..whether your are a seventh day avenger,latter day heaven or even a ordained "navel gazer"....

Saying that I used to work with an English guy ( in Iraq of all places ...nice at that time )who had 3 wives ...one lived in Australia ,the second in South Africa and the 3rd had a fish and chip shop in Chelmsford,England.

I used to ask the obvious question but he didnt seem too bothered.

The way he behaved towards the Thai dancing girls who did the caberat in the local "Lay La Lay La" club in sunny Basra he was well on his way to No.4............wonder wot ever happened to him???

[jetjock]

Men though face no such divine intervention and can happily continue to spread their genes, move to Pattaya and buy big motorcycles.

And we all know the punishment for bigami..............................................more then one mother in law.

Thanks for the good laugh guys. It is a great way to get my day started.

[IvanLaw]

From my past experiance, one is more than enough.

I always said that if I had more than one wife (At once) they would have to be sisters.

Imagine multiple mothers in law

Regards

[adjan jb]

Imagine multiple mothers in law

Scary.

I don't even want to think about it.