A lady friend of mine has a Thai husband who went to work in Singapore two years ago and she hasn’t heard from him in almost a year. So she now wants to start divorce proceedings.

During the time that husband has been away, the lady has worked hard supporting two young children and has built up a successful retail business and I am considering helping to finance the purchase of the shop she is currently trading from.

My big concern is that the husband will find out she owns property and return home for the divorce and then claim 50% of the property in the settlement of assets.

Can anyone advise what she can do to prevent the husband from having any claim on the property.

Also does anyone know a decent family Lawyer in Udon Thani that can advise on the divorce.

Thanks for any advice

If you go to

http://www.udonmap.com

and do a search for 'lawyer' you will find 3-4 firms mentioned in a few threads (4-7?). I have tried the firm that is located on the Nong Khai road where you turn left to Tesco Lotus (20 meters from the main road). I do not know the quality of the service - I have have never tested it in a court.

Your friend will have to do the work herself. If she wants specific information, please have her PM me.

Good luck.

In the usual case of a guy providing the finance for a girl then it seems pretty clear that anything purchased during the marriage is 50% communal property each. Whilst girls, particularly bar girls, can never prove they financed this in any way shape or form, it seems that the guys usually get screwed over.

Why cannot she just divorce him first ? Desertion would seem to be reasonable grounds.

I would not finance anything until she is single again and then, if she is Thai, be prepared for you to be screwed over later on.