Implications when marrying a Thai girl

[hocuspocus]

Assuming my girlfriend and I get married, what are the financial implications when we get married. I guess if it is just a village wedding there would be no financial commitment if we broke up but if it was an official Amphur wedding (preferred) what would the financial implications be if we broke up. I would make a will and leave everything in Thailand to my girlfriend but would she have any claim on my assets in the event of a split.

[Sena Dave]

Pre-nuptial agreement is the answer

Edited October 3, 2014 by Sena Dave

[MrJohnson]

Talk to a lawyer.

[trainman34014]

In a nutshell...everything you owned together since marriage would be split 50/50. If you have kids everything changes and i'm sure there are a myriad of ways the water can be muddied in other circumstances.

At the end of the day if you want to marry properly at the Amphur then you have to accept everything that goes with it for better or worse.

[David48]

hocuspocus ... welcome to the Forum.

Welcome to Thai Visa ...

It's great that, for a newbie you have concepts of Village Wedding and an Amphur wedding.

You have much more understanding of this things then I did when I first joined.

How long have you lived in Thailand?

Good Luck with it all.

.

[hocuspocus]

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In a nutshell...everything you owned together since marriage would be split 50/50. If you have kids everything changes and i'm sure there are a myriad of ways the water can be muddied in other circumstances.

At the end of the day if you want to marry properly at the Amphur then you have to accept everything that goes with it for better or worse.

One of my main reasons for an official Amphur wedding is for the financial benefit of my girlfriend as I believe if we get married she will get part of my company pension when I die, yes it will be reduced but by Thai standards it would give her an income for life.But what I do not want is her getting a share of what I have already got if we were to split, so I guess the pre-nuptial would be the way to go.

[arthurwait]

Research balcony jumping in Thailand first.

[DerekMarshall]

First understand Som sot is not obliged, not even Thai culture! It was brought into Thailand from China. You as a non Thai have no "katanyu" towards her parents nor any "Bun Khun" if you are to pay sin sot, insist that it is payed back, either directly or via land.

If you want to protect your assets, have them in a Limited company name, sole propietorship. - You dont own the assets, your business does and she has no claim.

If you want to leave everything to her, fine, I am sure she will happily advise on how to best do that.

[billd766]

What would your position be if you decided to marry a western girlfriend?

If you did would you expect no financial commitment? If you did you may well be disappointed so why would you expect something different from a Thai girlfriend?

[claffey]

If your already thinking about the divorce why get married in the first place!!!

[umbanda]

I may be wrong, but I had an info about marriage with a Thai and spouse rights after divorcing a foreigner. All depends of the foreigner citizenship. In some countries, if not any previous agreement, the spouse may have rights over the others assest before marriage. Australia?

Edited October 3, 2014 by umbanda

[keithkarmann]

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If your already thinking about the divorce why get married in the first place!!!

I have never been in a position with money when I married previously so I had nothing to lose by getting married so what you are saying do not worry about loosing half your money and assets if you marry and find things do not work out. I have worked very hard for what I have got (nobody gave me anything) and I have no problems sharing my money with my future wife but as we know there are a lot of devious Thai ladies out there. Hopefully my wife will not be one of them but if you are not carefull you could end up with nothing.

[keithkarmann]

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Research balcony jumping in Thailand first.

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Is that for after the wedding when she clears me out.

[jacky54]

Good luck marrying a Thai, I think you may be needing it, especially if you are concerned about money.

[Cypress Hill]

OK, let's see

OP's about to get married to a Thai so he comes to an anonymous internet forum looking for advice instead of asking or, better still, going to see a lawyer.

He'll fit in perfectly around here

[wilcopops]

What are the implications of calling her a "girl" rather than a "woman"?

[Thai at Heart]

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If your already thinking about the divorce why get married in the first place!!!

I have never been in a position with money when I married previously so I had nothing to lose by getting married so what you are saying do not worry about loosing half your money and assets if you marry and find things do not work out. I have worked very hard for what I have got (nobody gave me anything) and I have no problems sharing my money with my future wife but as we know there are a lot of devious Thai ladies out there. Hopefully my wife will not be one of them but if you are not carefull you could end up with nothing.

Keith, if this really is your point of view, then don't marry.

You need to assume that unless u are willing to fight,she will get more than 50% of everything after marriage in Thailand. Everything outside, unless you take her to your home country will be largely beyond her reach.

But trying to embark on this in Thailand with that hope of a prenup is only going to bring massive pressure on u from her family.

Don't do it. Walk away and enjoy yourself is a much better idea, I have seen too many friends cleaned out.

[wwest5829]

If your already thinking about the divorce why get married in the first place!!!

Too harsh. Some of us have previous experience where have hoped for the best but found that after time, divorce was the preferred alternative. We also are the wiser for the experience and do not wish to repeat financial costs that might very well threaten a peaceful retirement.

[wwest5829]

What are the implications of calling her a "girl" rather than a "woman"?

Ha! Ah, yes, the polically correct...in a different culture. My experience has been the Thai females refer to themselves as girls. When I am allowed out by myself, my wife reminds me to " be a good boy". At my age? Accept that cultures vary and that there is not a "one size fits all" with such insignificant use of the common references.

[wileycoyote]

Interesting post.

[georgemandm]

Hi do it like I have just the village way and if it dose not work out walk away like thai man do .

I have to much back home in Australia so I do not what to lose it to a thai I will lever it to my kids .

Thai woman are the best at the waiting games that is way they like man very old I am old but not like some of the man here who give it all to a thai woman , why would you , ok if you have no one to give it to . I have seen here in a village near me a western man dies thai woman gets it all and go's to his home country get it all there comes back to thailand and fines a new western and start all over again so just get married in the village why do western here what to get married to woman with the paper work not understand not sure but I can bet most man here have been married before like me and do not lean from it I think the man here think if married to a thai lady will keep her from levering them .

[tomyumchai]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Research balcony jumping in Thailand first.

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Is that for after the wedding when she clears me out.

that will be for when her 'brother' decides enough is enough and wants 'his' wife back.....plus your assets....

[nickcar]

Possessions prior to marriage registration are not considered part of the marital property. Therefore they are protected with out a prenuptial. Check with a lawyer.

[perconrad]

If married at the Amphur and divorsed you wil keep what you had before the wedding, what you get during the marriage will be split 50/50.

But you could ask in the lawyer forum.

After living together with my then girlfriend for some time we got married, both at the Amphur and the village ceremony, partly because my wife will get my company pension if she lives longer than I.

Many here have a happy marriage with a good wife, but apparently many more have had the opposite experience.

Not all thai women are trying to cheat you, choose carefully.

[RottingCorpse]

Don't worry about the negative nellies on here. If you love her (and if she loves you) then go for it but be prepared to shell out....

[smotherb]

First understand Som sot is not obliged, not even Thai culture! It was brought into Thailand from China. You as a non Thai have no "katanyu" towards her parents nor any "Bun Khun" if you are to pay sin sot, insist that it is payed back, either directly or via land.

If you want to protect your assets, have them in a Limited company name, sole propietorship. - You dont own the assets, your business does and she has no claim.

If you want to leave everything to her, fine, I am sure she will happily advise on how to best do that.

Assure the wife's family that you will give them exactly as much money as they give your family. If your prospective bride agrees, she may be a keeper; if her family also agrees, she is a keeper.

[bananafish]

If your already thinking about the divorce why get married in the first place!!!

Because he wants to be smart instead of stupid.

[stgrhe]

According to Thai law, anything you own prior to the marrige (legal one) will remain private property while anythin you acquire while married will be common property. Hence, should a divorce take place you will each own 50% of the common property and this also includes value of land purchased whilst married.

A pre-nuptial agreement must, again according to Thai law, be registered at the same time as the marrige registration; else it will not be legal.

[captspectre]

Pre-nuptial agreement is the answer

you are not even married yet but you are talking about expenses and seperation/divorce! do yourself a favor, run the hookers, pay your money and leave! a smart Thai female would eat you alive once she is married to you and you would probably not have enough money left for a plane ticket!

[Oziex1]

My philosophy is if it comes to it is that my investments with my Thai lady can be written off, my investments in Australia are more valuable. I don't believe for a minute it will come to this, but it can happen.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Oziex1