Marry in Thailand Divorce in UK

[toryboy1979]

I am a UK citizen and married a Thai lady. I do not want to live in Thailand permanently and my wife does not want to live in the UK. even if she could. this situation has prevailed for a couple of years and we have both decided that we should end the marriage. Simple you say go to the Amphur and get a divorce. That is not an option according to my wife because she would lose face as she is well known by many people in the Amphur and the same applies to going through the Thai court system. So we have looked at the UK and as I am considered to have domicile in England and also am 'habitually resident' there we can proceed in the UK on 2 years separation. However before going down that road, my wife has asked me if the UK courts will report the divorce to the Thai Authorities and if so she will not proceed. If all else fails we will just remain married but living in different countries.

Anyone with info on this matter?

[iancnx]

Divorce at the Amphur does not loose face. It is standard practice. The courts would never get involved unless there was disagreement and/or children custody issues to be considered.

She will loose face if she is not seen to capitalise on your assets. Something not quite right here. Can you be more specific about her objections? Are you legally married? Have you seen the marriage certificate?

[iainiain101]

In which country did you get married? Did you register the marriage in the UK and Thailand?

[onthedarkside]

In which country did you get married? Did you register the marriage in the UK and Thailand?

Exactly - If you married in Thailand then you divorce in Thailand at the Amphur office you married. If you married in the UK then you get divorced in the Uk.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Divorce in UK, will net her a load more money.

Don't do it.

Being married to a foreigner does her much more harm than you.

Just leave it until she beg for a divorce in Thailand.

While married to you,

She can't buy land, (land office requires your signature)

Can't sleep with another man, (if she does you can sue him for substantial damages)

Can't have a baby (if she does you own it as much as her)

Can't get a loan or credit from a bank (they often want the husband's signature)

No rush.

Wait her out.

Edited September 21, 2014 by AnotherOneAmerican

[transam]

Go to the Amphur with the Mrs. Don't tell anyone, will be over in ten minutes.

Just my guess, her chums might have talked your UK cash handout if done in the UK. I have heard it all mate.

Nobody loses face getting a divorce here, a Thai hobby...

If she won't play ball she will have to wait a while to get a court divorce.

[MAZ3]

Amphurs the best and by far the cheapest, I got married in Bangkok but divorced in the UK,they do NOT advise the Thai's,as I found out at the Amphur I was married at. I'm still listed as Married in Thailand

[toryboy1979]

Amphurs the best and by far the cheapest, I got married in Bangkok but divorced in the UK,they do NOT advise the Thai's,as I found out at the Amphur I was married at. I'm still listed as Married in Thailand

Thanks for your input, you were helpful. I have had three different quotes from lawyers in UK with the maximum cost including the 410 pounds for the court at between 600 and 1000 pounds.

As for what she might get it is already a done deal and she has signed a financial deal, so there will NOT be any unexpected demands. A friend who was in the position of having married in the UK found out that as his wife had not informed her Amphur that she had married in the UK, hey had her listed as a single lady. So I guess it works both ways.

[Trujillo]

Why are you getting quotes from the UK? Didn't you get married here? If you got married here, as earlier posted, you need to dissolve the union here. IF you did get hitched in the UK, you will need to unhitch there.

Where did you get married?

(I also find the "lose face" angle very suspicious.)

[MAZ3]

I had a prenup and it saved my bacon, house,pension etcetera etcetera etcetera. My divorce cost a about £400,but that was without any court appearances and she was on legal aid. Still wish we could have divorced at the Amphur,but very unlikely now. Good luck, sounds like you've got the financial side sorted. Good luck

[cardinalblue]

Divorce is divorce so does it really matter where? The concern about image is like a disability...

I hope she doesn't have a loose face as the poster stated....

CB

[iainiain101]

Amphur divorce here loses on face. one aunt is on her 12th marriage. They collect husbands like scouts collect badges. Though she has sworn to me that she has never had sex out of wed lock!

[Beetlejuice]

To the OP, tread with extreme caution here and I cannot emphasise this enough.

If you divorce your wife in the UK than your Thai wife will have all the rights to make claims on you as any other UK wife.

Even if you believe your wife is naive and does not know the UK divorce system, there will be others there that will assist and educate her with the facts, plus she maybe able to claim legal aid and have a lawyer assist her in taking you to the cleaners. Perhaps your wife is already in knowledge of these facts and the losing face excuse is just a ploy in order that she will have more rights and claims over you in the UK than in Thailand, where she will probably be perceived as a naive lady from a third world country taken advantage of by the big bad wolf farang. Of course this could be just a case that your wife is still in love with you and is trying to throw in complications in order to avoid a divorce, but nevertheless play this with extreme caution anyway.

Here are some facts regarding the divorce rights of women in most western countries:

She has the option to divorce her husband at any point during the marriage just on the grounds that she no longer wishes to remain with her partner (mental cruelty is usually the favourite) and if there are children involved, in 99.99% of cases, she gets the family home and the kids, even if there is a new partner on the scene, plus child support and alimony. The woman gets paid even if she is the partner that dissolved the marriage and still gets paid even if the male partner and her don't legally marry.

I know of some men that had been completely destroyed by these Draconian Laws where their spouses have litually picked their bones clean Once you take your Thai wife to the UK and she gains a foothold there, all that I have mentioned above will become available to her, plus she will gain a permanent resident visa to live and work in the UK, and maybe given some form of local authority housing and all that goes with it or even a share or all of any property you already own in the UK. In other words your wife has everything to gain and you have everything to lose.

I am not sure that if a UK citizen marries a Thai in the UK, whether or not they are eligible to obtain a divorce in Thailand and somehow I doubt that if the divorce takes place in the UK that the British registry office would inform the Thai amphur office, very unlikely I would say.

What I have mentioned above is not because I hold grudges against wives but rather that these are the hard core facts of the situation.

My advice is this: seek the advice of a reputable lawyer, both in Thailand and the UK and do not progress any further with your planned divorce until you have obtained some legal advice and instruction, otherwise whatever you decide is at your own risk and discretion.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Beetlejuice

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Amphurs the best and by far the cheapest, I got married in Bangkok but divorced in the UK,they do NOT advise the Thai's,as I found out at the Amphur I was married at. I'm still listed as Married in Thailand

Thanks for your input, you were helpful. I have had three different quotes from lawyers in UK with the maximum cost including the 410 pounds for the court at between 600 and 1000 pounds.

As for what she might get it is already a done deal and she has signed a financial deal, so there will NOT be any unexpected demands. A friend who was in the position of having married in the UK found out that as his wife had not informed her Amphur that she had married in the UK, hey had her listed as a single lady. So I guess it works both ways.

Divorce at Amphur 30 bht.

Why pay anything else at all!

Financial deal done, not until it's in the Amphur papers, pay nothing, agree to nothing.

[cardinalblue]

To the OP, tread with extreme caution here and I cannot emphasise this enough.

If you divorce your wife in the UK than your Thai wife will have all the rights to make claims on you as any other UK wife.

Even if you believe your wife is naive and does not know the UK divorce system, there will be others there that will assist and educate her with the facts, plus she maybe able to claim legal aid and have a lawyer assist her in taking you to the cleaners. Perhaps your wife is already in knowledge of these facts and the losing face excuse is just a ploy in order that she will have more rights and claims over you in the UK than in Thailand, where she will probably be perceived as a naive lady from a third world country taken advantage of by the big bad wolf farang. Of course this could be just a case that your wife is still in love with you and is trying to throw in complications in order to avoid a divorce, but nevertheless play this with extreme caution anyway.

Here are some facts regarding the divorce rights of women in most western countries:

She has the option to divorce her husband at any point during the marriage just on the grounds that she no longer wishes to remain with her partner (mental cruelty is usually the favourite) and if there are children involved, in 99.99% of cases, she gets the family home and the kids, even if there is a new partner on the scene, plus child support and alimony. The woman gets paid even if she is the partner that dissolved the marriage and still gets paid even if the male partner and her don't legally marry.

I know of some men that had been completely destroyed by these Draconian Laws where their spouses have litually picked their bones clean Once you take your Thai wife to the UK and she gains a foothold there, all that I have mentioned above will become available to her, plus she will gain a permanent resident visa to live and work in the UK, and maybe given some form of local authority housing and all that goes with it or even a share or all of any property you already own in the UK. In other words your wife has everything to gain and you have everything to lose.

I am not sure that if a UK citizen marries a Thai in the UK, whether or not they are eligible to obtain a divorce in Thailand and somehow I doubt that if the divorce takes place in the UK that the British registry office would inform the Thai amphur office, very unlikely I would say.

What I have mentioned above is not because I hold grudges against wives but rather that these are the hard core facts of the situation.

My advice is this: seek the advice of a reputable lawyer, both in Thailand and the UK and do not progress any further with your planned divorce until you have obtained some legal advice and instruction, otherwise whatever you decide is at your own risk and discretion.

What does matter is if she is well-versed in how to work the divorce system in UK and has the financial resources to pay for a good lawyer and other costs necessary to take the guy to the cleaners....

Some are but most thai females are not...It will get down to how well she has become westernized either from living there or hearing stories/how to do it from her friends,,,

[Andyfarquar]

Why are you getting quotes from the UK? Didn't you get married here? If you got married here, as earlier posted, you need to dissolve the union here. IF you did get hitched in the UK, you will need to unhitch there.

Where did you get married?

(I also find the "lose face" angle very suspicious.)

Marriage, if legal in the country it was performed is recognised as such in the UK. A British Citizen has the right to a divorce in the UK regardless of the spouse & their nationality. No country informs details of a marriage or divorce to the other country, it is the responsibility of the parties to declare the details of the marriage if and when necessary. I was married in Jamaica and divorced in UK, later married in Philippines and divorced in UK (not looking to set any records though).