Thread: Pro's and Con's of registering marriage

The rule of law in Thailand means nothing.

Why would it be any different regarding civil law?

Who really cares what the law says as long as you can bend a judge's ear and slide a few baht. The law is what the highest bidder wants it to be. In that sense, I agree that registering the marriage means nothing.

Try dealing with your home country using this logic. Where laws actually mean something. They don't play those games.

The problem I will have if I want to register in back in the U.K is that you must both stay in the country for 30 days. So I'm told.

I wouldn't be able to take 30 consecutive days off work and I'd have to kill someone after 30 days there.

Doesn't the UK recognize legal marriage between one of its citizens and a foreign national -- one that's legally registered in the foreign country? Why would you have to involve the UK government?

Originally Posted by Texpat

The rule of law in Thailand means nothing.

Why would it be any different regarding civil law?

Who really cares what the law says as long as you can bend a judge's ear and slide a few baht. The law is what the highest bidder wants it to be. In that sense, I agree that registering the marriage means nothing.

Try dealing with your home country using this logic. Where laws actually mean something. They don't play those games.

A bit over the top there. LOL So registering a marriage brings no tax benefits? LOL Are Thailand's prisons full of people who could not afford to bribe the judge? LOL

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

The problem I will have if I want to register in back in the U.K is that you must both stay in the country for 30 days. So I'm told. I wouldn't be able to take 30 consecutive days off work and I'd have to kill someone after 30 days there.

not my understanding Fresh
i think we registered at the embassy and it goes on the roles at home, dosent give spouse any legal standing in terms of residency etc. but for other intents and purposes its written down somewhere

bell the embassy

Thailand's prisons full of people ...

If police here enforced the laws they could erect a fence around the borders. Make the whole place a prison. For every person I see being punished for breaking a law, there are thousands that go unpunished. In fact most don't even realize they're doing anything wrong. When Thailand can work that ratio down to -- say 100:1 or maybe 50:1 they can start talking about democracy and fair elections and equality and respect.

Until then, they're just Thailand. Where rules and laws mean next to nothing.

Registering your marriage has an anvantage when you want to get her a visa to visit another country. I work in Dubai, when my lady comes to visit, she is classed as a tourist maximum stay one month. thats because I have not registered the marriage. Once registered I can bring her here as my wife. Maximum stay one year.

One more point, when I paid for our land in Thailand. The deal was done at district in full view of every official possible. But the land wavier was produced for the falang to sign. Registered marriage or not the waiver needed to be signed.

Originally Posted by reinvented

not my understanding Fresh i think we registered at the embassy and it goes on the roles at home, dosent give spouse any legal standing in terms of residency etc. but for other intents and purposes its written down somewhere bell the embassy

Cheers I will. I asuming that this method doesn't give you tax benifits here but does sort out the the legal side with kids?

youll still need to register the kids with the embassy, to get nationality obviously
i honestly dont know about UK tax
but if yer working here your HR people should change your status

Originally Posted by Texpat

Try dealing with your home country using this logic. Where laws actually mean something. They don't play those games.

Perhaps not as openly no, but you're being a bit naive if you think that 'justice' doesn't have its price irrespective of the country we're talking about.

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

love the way Ant lists cars before kids.

It was a Freudian typo-slip. I love me kids!*
























*But no way are the little feckers ever going to be driving my cars!

I thought under Thai law the father had the right over the children.
It just has to have his name on the birth certificate!

Originally Posted by good2bhappy

I thought under Thai law the father had the right over the children.
It just has to have his name on the birth certificate!

No, married couples have equal rights over the kids, if it's an unmarried couple then the mother has the parental power. Both of these states can be changed by a court order, the status of an illegitimate child can be changed by the father registering as the child's parent but this requires the mother's consent. I've just been reading the relevant chapters in the Thai Civil Code of Laws. There seems to be a general assumption all the way through that you're married, there's only a couple of sections mentioning unmarried parents and a can't find anything covering child custody and parental rights outside the sections dealing with marriage law. I'd be happy to post all the relevant sections here but be warned they're long and, to me anyway, confusing .

Law is always bloody confusing!

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

Law is always bloody confusing!

Tell me about it!

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

It was a Freudian typo-slip. I love me cids!* *But no way are the little feckers ever going to be driving my kars!

understood.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Tell me about it!

Nah I'll get confused.

Db -- as an aside -- do mia noi's get mentioned or provided any legal status?

^ I wouldn't have thought so but this is Thailand.

Protection from the mia leuang!

Originally Posted by pai nai ma

Db -- as an aside -- do mia noi's get mentioned or provided any legal status?

Not that I've seen. There is a clause stating that if a man treats another woman as his wife that that provides grounds for divorce.

1516. Grounds of action for divorce are as follows:
(1)the husband has given maintenance to or honored such other woman as his wife, or the wife has committed adultery, the other spouse may enter a claim for divorce;....

interesting. the woman can be divorced for a single instance of adultery while the man must "give maintainance or honor (the other woman) as his wife".

Bet there is some great case law regarding the words honor and maintainance.

would like to look at this more. link please. thanks.

The other grounds for divorce:

(2) one spouse is guilty of misconduct, notwithstanding whether such misconduct is a criminal offence or not, if it causes the other:

(a) to be seriously ashamed;

(b) to be insulted of hated or account of continuance of being husband or wife of the spouse having committed the misconduct; or

(c)to sustain excessive injury or trouble where the condition, position and cohabitation as husband and wife are taken into consideration;
the latter may enter a claim for divorce;

(3) one spouse has caused serious harm or torture to the body or mind of the other, or has seriously insulted the other or his or her ascendants, the latter may enter a claim for divorce;

(4)one spouse has deserted the other for more than one year, the latter may enter a claim for divorce;

(4/1)one spouse had been sentenced by a final judgment of the Court and has been imprisoned for more than one year in the offence committed without any participation, consent or in the knowledge of the other, and the cohabitation as husband and wife will cause the other party sustain excessive injury or trouble, the latter may enter a claim for divorce;

(4/2)The husband and wife voluntarily live separately because of being unable to cohabit peacefully for more than three years, or live separately for more than three years by the order of the Court, either spouse may enter a claim for divorce;

(5) one spouse has been adjudged to have disappeared, or as left his or her domicile or residence for more than three years and being uncertain whether he or she is living or dead;

(6) one spouse has failed to give proper maintenance and support to the other, or committed acts seriously adverse to the relationship of husband and wife to such an extent that the other has been in excessive trouble where the condition, position and cohabitation as husband and wife are taking into consideration, the latter may enter a claim for divorce;
(7)one spouse has been an insane person for more than three years continuously and such insanity is hardly curable so that the continuance of marriage cannot be expected, the other may enter a claim for divorce;

(8)one spouse has broken a bond of good behavior executed by him or her, the other spouse may enter a claim for divorce;

(9) one spouse is suffering from a communicable and dangerous disease which is incurable and may cause injury to the other, the latter may file a claim for divorce;

(10)one spouse has a physical disadvantage so as to be permanently unable to cohabit as husband and wife, the other may enter a claim for divorce.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

spouse has been an insane person for more than three years continuously

oh oh.

There's some great TIT stuff in there. Shaming your spouse or insulting his family are grounds for divorce

(a) to be seriously ashamed;

Oh nooo! She's ashamed of me everytime she gets the call from the pub to come and get me.