Filed Marriage vs common law - legal differences?

[BaronTT]

Since a large number of marriages (perhaps the majority) in Thailand are not filed, I would think that there are not many legal differences between those filed and common law marriages.

 

What are those legal differences, or what is a good source that precisely lists them?

[Nervous God]

Good question. I do know that some other countries will they your marriage different if it's not filed.

[Vintage_Kwai]

You may want to read up on the Thailand Civil and Commercial Codes. Marriage is in Book V. Here is an on-line excerpt (my hard-copy is out of date..)

http://www.thailandlawonline.com/marriage_law.html

 

Unless you're registered, you're not legally married. Common-law marriage is not recognised by Thai law.

http://www.thailandchat.org/inside/de-facto-or-common-law-marriages-in-thailand/

 

There are some conditions regarding purchase of property.

[sanddawg1]

Common-law marriage is not recognised by Thai law.

 

Another good reason to live in LOS! I have seen guys in the US lose half of everything for living with a woman too long then having a bad breakup.

 

S1

[Vintage_Kwai]

S1

Just remember that if you do build her a house and have a herd of buffalo out in Nakorn Nowhere, be prepared to write it off completely.

 

[Perv]

Common-law marriage is not recognised by Thai law.

 

I didn't read the links provided. I just want to a little bit.

 

I remembered this article from a week or so ago from the Bangkok Post that had this line in it....

 

"The boy was accompanied by his mother, Laddawal Ponrit, a former reporter, who said she was a common law wife of Maj-Gen Khattiya."

 

Link

 

Now I know it means nothing really but just found the wording curious.

 

[Vintage_Kwai]

who said she was a common law wife of Maj-Gen Khattiya."

= 'Mia Noy'

[ThaiHome]

I believe Seh Deang first wife died, so the current wife is not a mia noi.

TH

 

[Vintage_Kwai]

Ah. Had no idea.

 

However, making a statement like that still does not make it legal as the article goes on to state the son was born 'out of wedlock'.

It is quite common to call a 'kept woman' a 'mia noy', not common-law wife.

[ThaiHome]

Only if there is a first wife. Otherwise even the "kept" woman is the mia-luang.

TH