Prenuptial Agreement in Thailand (Thai–English)

Under Thai marriage and family law, personal property everything owned (and owed) before the marriage remains each spouse’s personal property during marriage (see Section 1471 of the Civil and Commercial Code; สินส่วนตัว vs. สินสมรส). A prenuptial agreement (สัญญาก่อนสมรส) commonly lists each party’s personal assets and may grant sole management over specified marital assets to one spouse during the marriage, helping reduce disputes and protect pre-marital wealth.

Contracts Between Husband and Wife in Thailand

A prenuptial agreement in Thailand is legally recognized under the Civil and Commercial Code, Section 1465. It allows future spouses to set clear rules regarding personal property and marital property, which would otherwise be governed by statutory Thai family law. To be valid, a prenuptial must be:

• Made in writing
• Signed by both parties in front of two witnesses
• Registered at the district office (amphur) together with the marriage

If a prenuptial is not registered at the time of marriage, it is void. After marriage, the agreement cannot be added or amended, except with court approval.

Why Consider a Prenuptial Agreement?

If you own a business, property, or other assets, a Thai prenuptial agreement helps protect your interests in case of divorce. It can prevent disputes over asset ownership and serves as written evidence of what you brought into the marriage.

Under Thai law, property is divided into two categories:

• Sin Suan Tua (personal property), assets owned before marriage or acquired by inheritance/gift
• Sin Somros (marital property), assets acquired during the marriage

Without clear records, assets acquired during the marriage (such as a car or real estate) may be presumed marital property and divided equally upon divorce (Section 1474 CCC). A properly drafted prenup helps avoid these uncertainties.

สรุปเกี่ยวกับสัญญาก่อนสมรสในประเทศไทย

สัญญาก่อนสมรส (Prenuptial Agreement) ตามกฎหมายแพ่งและพาณิชย์ มาตรา 1465 เป็นเอกสารทางกฎหมายที่คู่สมรสสามารถกำหนดวิธีการจัดการทรัพย์สิน และป้องกันข้อพิพาทในอนาคตได้ หากต้องการทำให้สัญญาก่อนสมรสมีผลบังคับใช้ ต้องทำเป็นหนังสือ มีพยานเซ็นชื่ออย่างน้อย 2 คน และจดทะเบียนพร้อมกับการสมรส หากไม่ได้จดทะเบียนพร้อมสมรส สัญญาจะเป็นโมฆะ

สัญญาก่อนสมรสมีประโยชน์อย่างยิ่งสำหรับคู่สมรสที่มีธุรกิจหรือทรัพย์สินส่วนตัว เนื่องจากช่วยคุ้มครองทรัพย์สินในกรณีหย่าร้าง และใช้เป็นหลักฐานแสดงความเป็นเจ้าของทรัพย์สินที่นำเข้ามาในชีวิตสมรส นอกจากนี้ยังช่วยแยกความแตกต่างระหว่าง ทรัพย์สินส่วนตัว (สินส่วนตัว / Sin Suan Tua) กับ ทรัพย์สินสมรส (สินสมรส / Sin Somros) ซึ่งหากไม่มีหลักฐานเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษร ทรัพย์สินที่ได้มาระหว่างสมรสมักจะถูกสันนิษฐานว่าเป็นสินสมรส และต้องถูกแบ่งตามกฎหมายในกรณีหย่าร้าง

Who Manages Property of Husband and Wife in Thailand?

Under Thai family law, personal property (สินส่วนตัว) remains under the control of each spouse. Marital property (สินสมรส), however, is jointly managed and certain acts such as selling, mortgaging, or registering rights over land or houses require the joint consent of both spouses (Section 1476) unless otherwise specified in a valid prenuptial agreement.

A prenuptial may assign management rights of certain marital assets to one spouse, but this does not apply to land in Thailand. Any land acquired during the marriage is usually registered as the personal property of the Thai spouse, even if mentioned in the prenup, because foreigners cannot own land in Thailand. Thus, a foreign spouse cannot legally control land held in the Thai partner’s name.

Prenuptial Agreements and Divorce in Thailand

In case of a divorce, the weight of a prenuptial agreement depends on its compliance with Thai law. Family courts will enforce only provisions that are not against law or good morals. Since Thailand follows a civil law system, the primary source of law is the Civil and Commercial Code (Book V: Marriage Laws).

By law (Section 1533), marital property must be divided equally upon divorce. Any clause in a prenuptial agreement contradicting this principle may be declared void.Without clear accounting of marital and personal assets, valuation becomes complex, and the court has broad discretion to decide based on evidence and circumstances (who gets what in a Thai divorce).

Marriage with International Elements

In marriages with an international dimension, a prenuptial agreement may include a choice-of-law clause to designate which country’s law governs the couple’s matrimonial property. This becomes especially important when the spouses hold different nationalities, own assets abroad, or plan to reside outside Thailand after marriage.

A Thai prenuptial agreement must follow Thai family laws and procedures. It cannot exclude the statutory concept of sin somros (marital property), but it can clarify the classification of assets and management rights. In contrast, a foreign prenuptial agreement drafted under another jurisdiction may allow broader flexibility, such as adopting a full separation-of-property regime with no marital property at all. This difference is often the very reason couples choose to prepare dual prenups, one for Thailand and another for the foreign jurisdiction.

These agreements do not need to be identical. Instead, they should be compatible, avoiding direct contradictions that could undermine enforceability. For example, the Thai prenup can address assets and property management rules in Thailand, while the foreign prenup can apply to assets abroad under that country’s legal system.

Recommendation: Couples with cross-border marriages should seek legal advice both in Thailand and in the foreign jurisdiction where they hold assets or may reside. A well-drafted prenuptial (or set of prenups) with a clear choice of law can help prevent uncertainty, disputes, and unintended division of property in the event of divorce or inheritance.

How to Make a Prenuptial Agreement in Thailand

To be valid under Thai law, a prenuptial agreement in Thailand must be prepared before marriage registration and registered together with the marriage at the District Office (Amphur). The process combines embassy paperwork, translations, and proper execution of the prenup contract.

Step 1 – Before the Marriage

• Contact your embassy in Thailand to obtain the required official documents for marriage (including the Affirmation of Marital Status).
• Arrange for certified Thai translations of these documents. Your embassy or consulate can provide details of approved translators and procedures.

Note: If your Thai fiancée’s previous marriage ended within the last 310 days, a doctor’s certificate confirming she is not pregnant is required (Section 1453 Civil and Commercial Code).

Step 2 – At the Same Time

• Prepare the bilingual (Thai–English) prenuptial agreement and exhibits (use the downloadable contract template).
• Print three full sets of the documents for submission at the marriage registration.
• Bring two witnesses to attend the marriage at the District Office, witness the ceremony, and sign the prenuptial contract.

Important Legal Requirement

The prenuptial agreement must be submitted to the registrar at the time of marriage registration. Under Thai law, any prenup not registered in the Marriage Register together with the marriage is void.