Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.
Last updated on September 5, 2026
A divorce agreement (บันทึกข้อตกลงการหย่า, banthuek kho toklong kan ya, also called a divorce settlement agreement or separation agreement) is the written contract in which spouses set the terms of their divorce: division of property, custody, visitation, child support and spousal maintenance. Under Section 1514 of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code a divorce by consent must be in writing and certified by two witnesses, and the agreement is the document that satisfies that rule. Registered with the divorce at the amphur, it becomes the record everyone relies on.
Table of Contents
What the Code lets the spouses decide
Property comes first. The spouses can divide their sin somros however they like; the equal split in Section 1533 is the default the court applies, not a limit on what consenting adults may agree. Section 1532 fixes the property pool at the date of registration. The agreement should list each asset, who keeps it, and who bears which debt, and it should deal with assets abroad even if a Thai registrar cannot transfer them.
Children are dealt with under Section 1520, which allows the spouses to agree which of them exercises parental power, and Section 1522, which lets them agree who pays child maintenance and how much. Visitation is written in as a schedule. Spousal maintenance may be agreed as a lump sum or periodic payments. What the spouses cannot do is bargain away the child’s right to be maintained, and either parent can later ask the Juvenile and Family Court to vary child support if circumstances change.
Drafting and registering it as a foreigner
The agreement is signed by both spouses and two witnesses before or at the amphur, and the registrar records its terms in the divorce register (Kor Ror 6) when the uncontested divorce is registered. Foreign couples usually sign a bilingual Thai and English text; the Thai version is what the registrar reads and a Thai court enforces. Preparing a proper agreement takes a few days, and registration is completed in one visit. Where the marriage was registered abroad, the same agreement is instead submitted to the Family Court, which approves it and grants the divorce by judgment.
The common mistakes are vague wording (“the house goes to the wife” without a title deed number), forgetting the mortgage, promising land to a foreign spouse who cannot own it under the Land Code, and leaving child support to “what is reasonable”. Another is signing at the amphur under pressure on the day; the registrar does not check fairness.
Enforcement and how it differs from a prenuptial
A registered divorce agreement is a contract. If a spouse does not pay or does not transfer an asset, the other sues on the agreement in the Juvenile and Family Court and enforces the judgment against the defaulter’s property. It is not a court order in itself, which is one reason some spouses prefer the court route, where the terms are embodied in a compromise judgment. Recognition abroad follows the same pattern: an amphur agreement travels less well than a judgment, and it needs a certified translation and legalisation either way.
A prenuptial agreement is the other contract people confuse with it. The prenuptial is signed before the marriage, registered with it, and governs property during the marriage. The divorce agreement is signed at the end and governs the separation. A valid prenuptial shapes what the divorce agreement has to divide; neither replaces the other.
Frequently asked questions
Does a divorce agreement need to be registered in Thailand?
Yes, to have effect as a divorce. Section 1514 requires the consent to be in writing with two witnesses, and Section 1515 makes the divorce valid only on registration at the district office. An agreement signed but never registered is at best a contract between the spouses; it does not end the marriage.
Can a divorce agreement in Thailand waive child support?
No. The parents can agree who pays and how much under Section 1522, but the child’s right to maintenance cannot be given up, and the Juvenile and Family Court can vary the amount later if circumstances change. Spousal maintenance, by contrast, can be waived by the spouse entitled to it.
What happens if my ex-spouse does not follow the divorce agreement?
The agreement is enforced as a contract. The spouse who is owed money or an asset files a claim in the Juvenile and Family Court on the registered agreement, obtains a judgment, and enforces it through the legal execution department against the defaulter’s property or income.
See also: uncontested divorce, sin somros, child custody, child support, and the guides to divorce in Thailand and property division in a Thai divorce.
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