Reviewed by Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556, for ThaiLawOnline, a Thai law firm acting for foreigners since 2006.
Update log
- 4 November 2026: Added the statute box with Thai, English and French text and checked the page against the official text
The commonest defect I see in a prenuptial agreement is one drafted abroad that says foreign law governs the property. It may be well written. It still asks Thai law to do something it will not do. This page is the list of clauses that fail in Thailand, why they fail, and what a Thai court will actually enforce instead. Our full guide: prenuptial agreement in Thailand.
The short version: under the Thai Civil and Commercial Code, a prenuptial agreement deals with property, and only property. A clause that goes against Thai law, public order or good morals cannot be enforced, and neither can a clause that applies foreign law to the property (the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover). For the basics, start with our page on the prenuptial agreement under Thai law. Our fee for a prenuptial agreement is 8,900 baht.
For the wider context on marital property and what the courts will enforce, see our guide to Thai family law.
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026. The Civil and Commercial Code rules on marriage (the rules that a marriage exists only once registered and needs both partners’ consent), the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only), and the rule that a prenuptial agreement must be registered with the marriage were read against the Thai text in our own annotated Code, paragraph by paragraph. Supreme Court Decision 2553/2526 was read in full in Thai, to its final order, including the reduction of the agreed penalty. The correction made at this review is stated plainly because the page previously said the opposite: a clause keeping the spouses’ property separate is valid under the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only), not void. What that rule voids is a clause contrary to public order or good morals, or one applying the law of another country to the property. Reread on 5 October 2026: the rule that a prenuptial agreement can only be changed after the wedding with court permission, the rule that a change to the couple’s property arrangements cannot be used against an outsider who dealt with them in good faith, the rule that a spouse can cancel a contract made between spouses during the marriage, the court’s power to fix maintenance between family members, the rule that the right to maintenance cannot be waived, and Decision 6711/2537 were read in Thai. The page had said postmarital agreements are not recognised; under the rule that a spouse can cancel a contract made between spouses during the marriage, they are valid but either spouse may avoid them during the marriage or within a year after. A Supreme Court statement about pressure and time to consider, for which we found no decision, was removed, and the unconscionability section now says that Thai law tests these agreements by the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only) and the rules on defective consent.
Table of Contents
The rules that govern a Thai prenuptial agreement
Thailand is a civil law country, and prenuptial agreements in Thailand are governed by a short group of rules in the Civil and Commercial Code, starting with the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only). Those rules set both what you may agree and where the limits are. The rules are stricter than in common law countries, and they exist to protect public policy, moral standards and the rights of other people.
The Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only) voids two kinds of clause from the start: anything contrary to public order or good morals, and anything saying the spouses’ property will be governed by foreign law.
The rule that a prenuptial agreement must be registered with the marriage adds the form. At the time the marriage is registered, the agreement must either be entered in the marriage register, or be made in writing, signed by both spouses and at least two witnesses, annexed to the register and noted in it. Miss this and the whole agreement is void, whatever it says.
The law behind this page
English
Section 1465Amended on 23 January 2025
Where the spouses made no special agreement about property before the marriage, this Chapter governs the property relations between them. Separately, a clause in a prenuptial agreement is void if it is contrary to public order or to the good morals of the people, or if it provides that the property relations between the spouses are to be governed by the law of another country.
Full text
If the spouses have not made a special agreement concerning property before marriage, the property relations between the spouses shall be governed by the provisions of this Chapter. Any clause in a prenuptial agreement that is contrary to public order or the good morals of the people, or that provides for the law of another country to govern that property, is void.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1466
Full text
A prenuptial agreement is void unless either: (a) the terms agreed as the prenuptial agreement are entered in the marriage register at the time the marriage is registered; or (b) it is made in writing, signed by the spouses and by at least two witnesses, and annexed to the marriage register, and an entry stating that the agreement is annexed is made in the marriage register at the time the marriage is registered.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1467
Once the marriage has taken place, the parties cannot alter or cancel their ante-nuptial agreement between themselves. Only the court can authorise a change. Where the court makes a final order altering or cancelling the agreement, it notifies the Marriage Registrar so that the change is entered in the Marriage Register.
Full text
After the marriage, the prenuptial agreement may not be altered or revoked, except with the permission of the court. When a final order of the court altering or revoking the prenuptial agreement has been made, the court shall notify the marriage registrar so that it is entered in the marriage register.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1468
The clauses of an ante-nuptial agreement have no effect on the rights of third persons who act in good faith. That holds whether or not the agreement has been altered or cancelled by court order. The provision protects people who deal with a spouse without notice of what the agreement says, so the agreement governs the couple as between themselves but cannot be used against an innocent outsider.
Full text
The terms of a prenuptial agreement do not affect the rights of a third person acting in good faith, whether or not the agreement has been altered or revoked by order of the Court.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1469Amended on 23 January 2025
Full text
Any agreement concerning property which the spouses have made with each other during the time they are spouses may be avoided by either of them at any time while they are spouses, or within one year from the day on which they ceased to be spouses; but this does not affect the rights of third persons who have acted in good faith.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 25 Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481
Full text
If the parties to a prenuptial agreement have the same nationality, its substance and effects are governed by their common national law. If they do not have the same nationality, its substance and effects are governed by the law to which the parties intended, or may be presumed to have intended, to submit. If there is no such intention, they are governed by the law of the country where the spouses first established their domicile after the marriage. However, as regards immovable property, the law of the place where the property is situated applies.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1598/41
Full text
The right to maintenance cannot be renounced or transferred and is not subject to execution.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1564
Parents must maintain and educate their minor children. After the child reaches majority, the duty continues only if the child is disabled and unable to support themselves.
Full text
The father and mother are bound to maintain and give appropriate education to a child during the child's minority. The father and mother are bound to maintain a child who has attained majority only where that child is disabled and unable to earn a living.
ThaiLawOnline translation
ไทย
มาตรา 1465แก้ไขเมื่อ 23 มกราคม 2568
ข้อความเต็ม
ถ้าคู่สมรสมิได้ทำสัญญากันไว้ในเรื่องทรัพย์สินเป็นพิเศษก่อนสมรส ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างคู่สมรสในเรื่องทรัพย์สินนั้น ให้บังคับตามบทบัญญัติในหมวดนี้ ถ้าข้อความใดในสัญญาก่อนสมรสขัดต่อความสงบเรียบร้อยหรือศีลธรรมอันดีของประชาชน หรือระบุให้ใช้กฎหมายประเทศอื่นบังคับเรื่องทรัพย์สินนั้น ข้อความนั้น ๆ เป็นโมฆะ
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1466
ข้อความเต็ม
สัญญาก่อนสมรสเป็นโมฆะ ถ้ามิได้จดแจ้งข้อตกลงกันเป็นสัญญาก่อนสมรสนั้นไว้ในทะเบียนสมรสพร้อมกับการจดทะเบียนสมรส หรือมิได้ทำเป็นหนังสือลงลายมือชื่อคู่สมรสและพยานอย่างน้อยสองคนแนบไว้ท้ายทะเบียนสมรส และได้จดไว้ในทะเบียนสมรสพร้อมกับการจดทะเบียนสมรสว่าได้มีสัญญานั้นแนบไว้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1467
ข้อความเต็ม
เมื่อสมรสแล้วจะเปลี่ยนแปลงเพิกถอนสัญญาก่อนสมรสนั้นไม่ได้ นอกจากจะได้รับอนุญาตจากศาล เมื่อได้มีคำสั่งของศาลถึงที่สุดให้เปลี่ยนแปลงเพิกถอนสัญญาก่อนสมรสแล้ว ให้ศาลแจ้งไปยังนายทะเบียนสมรสเพื่อจดแจ้งไว้ในทะเบียนสมรส
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1468
ข้อความเต็ม
ข้อความในสัญญาก่อนสมรสไม่มีผลกระทบกระเทือนถึงสิทธิของบุคคลภายนอกผู้ทำการโดยสุจริตไม่ว่าจะได้เปลี่ยนแปลงเพิกถอนโดยคำสั่งของศาลหรือไม่ก็ตาม
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1469แก้ไขเมื่อ 23 มกราคม 2568
ข้อความเต็ม
สัญญาที่เกี่ยวกับทรัพย์สินใดที่คู่สมรสได้ทำไว้ต่อกันในระหว่างเป็นคู่สมรสกันนั้น ฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งจะบอกล้างเสียในเวลาใดที่เป็นคู่สมรสกันอยู่หรือภายในกำหนดหนึ่งปีนับแต่วันที่ขาดจากการเป็นคู่สมรสกันก็ได้ แต่ไม่กระทบกระเทือนถึงสิทธิของบุคคลภายนอกผู้ทำการโดยสุจริต
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 25 พระราชบัญญัติว่าด้วยการขัดกันแห่งกฎหมาย พุทธศักราช 2481
ข้อความเต็ม
ถ้าคู่สัญญามีสัญชาติอันเดียวกัน สิ่งซึ่งเป็นสาระสำคัญและผลแห่งสัญญาก่อนสมรส ให้เป็นไปตามกฎหมายสัญชาติอันร่วมกันแห่งคู่สัญญา ถ้าคู่สัญญาไม่มีสัญชาติอันเดียวกัน สิ่งซึ่งเป็นสาระสำคัญและผลแห่งสัญญาก่อนสมรสเช่นว่านั้น ให้เป็นไปตามกฎหมายซึ่งคู่สัญญาเจตนา หรือพึงสันนิษฐานได้ว่าได้มีเจตนาที่จะยอมอยู่ใต้บังคับแห่งกฎหมายนั้น ถ้าไม่มีเจตนาเช่นว่านี้ ให้เป็นไปตามกฎหมายแห่งประเทศที่คู่สมรสตั้งภูมิลำเนาครั้งแรกหลังจากการสมรส อย่างไรก็ดี ในส่วนที่เกี่ยวกับอสังหาริมทรัพย์ ให้เป็นไปตามกฎหมายแห่งถิ่นที่ทรัพย์สินนั้นตั้งอยู่
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1598/41
ข้อความเต็ม
สิทธิที่จะได้ค่าอุปการะเลี้ยงดูนั้น จะสละหรือโอนมิได้และไม่อยู่ในข่ายแห่งการบังคับคดี
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1564
ข้อความเต็ม
บิดามารดาจำต้องอุปการะเลี้ยงดูและให้การศึกษาตามสมควรแก่บุตรในระหว่างที่เป็นผู้เยาว์ บิดามารดาจำต้องอุปการะเลี้ยงดูบุตรซึ่งบรรลุนิติภาวะแล้วแต่เฉพาะผู้ทุพพลภาพและหาเลี้ยงตนเองมิได้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
Français
Article 1465Modifié le 23 janvier 2025
Si les époux n'ont pas conclu, avant le mariage, de convention particulière relative à leurs biens, les rapports patrimoniaux entre époux sont régis par les dispositions du présent chapitre. Toute clause d'un contrat de mariage contraire à l'ordre public ou aux bonnes moeurs, ou prévoyant que la loi d'un autre pays régira ces biens, est nulle.
résumé non officiel
Article 1466
Le contrat de mariage est nul, à moins que les stipulations convenues à titre de contrat de mariage n'aient été inscrites au registre des mariages lors de l'enregistrement du mariage, ou qu'il n'ait été établi par écrit, signé par les époux et par au moins deux témoins, annexé au registre des mariages, et que mention de cette annexe n'ait été portée au registre des mariages lors de l'enregistrement du mariage.
résumé non officiel
Article 1467
Après la célébration du mariage, le contrat de mariage ne peut être modifié ni révoqué, sauf autorisation du tribunal. Lorsqu'une décision définitive du tribunal modifiant ou révoquant le contrat de mariage a été rendue, le tribunal en avise l'officier de l'état civil chargé des mariages afin qu'elle soit mentionnée au registre des mariages.
résumé non officiel
Article 1468
Les clauses du contrat de mariage n'affectent pas les droits des tiers de bonne foi, qu'elles aient été ou non modifiées ou révoquées par ordonnance du tribunal.
résumé non officiel
Article 1469Modifié le 23 janvier 2025
Tout contrat portant sur des biens que les époux ont conclu entre eux pendant le mariage peut être annulé par l'un ou l'autre d'entre eux à tout moment tant qu'ils demeurent époux, ou dans le délai d'un an à compter du jour où ils ont cessé d'être époux ; toutefois, cette annulation ne porte pas atteinte aux droits des tiers qui ont agi de bonne foi.
résumé non officiel
Article 25 Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481
Le fond et les effets du contrat de mariage suivent la loi nationale commune; à défaut, la loi choisie, expressément ou présumée; à défaut, la loi du premier domicile conjugal. Pour les immeubles, s'applique la loi du lieu de leur situation.
résumé non officiel
Article 1598/41
Le droit à une pension alimentaire ne peut être ni abandonné ni cédé. Ce droit n'est pas non plus soumis à l'exécution forcée, de sorte que les créanciers ne peuvent pas le saisir.
résumé non officiel
Article 1564
Les père et mère sont tenus d'entretenir leur enfant et de lui donner une éducation convenable pendant sa minorité. Les père et mère ne sont tenus d'entretenir l'enfant devenu majeur que si celui-ci est invalide et incapable de subvenir à ses propres besoins.
résumé non officiel
Supreme Court decisions
- 6711/2537 (1994): Prenuptial Agreement and Immovable Property
Sources
- Civil and Commercial Code, Office of the Council of State, retrieved 31 October 2026
- Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481, retrieved 31 October 2026
- deka.supremecourt.or.th, Supreme Court of Thailand decisions database (copy held in our library), retrieved 19 February 2026
Separate property is allowed
The first paragraph of the property only rule says the opposite of what is often published. The Code’s property regime applies only where the spouses have not made a special agreement about property before the marriage. Agreeing a different regime is the very thing a prenuptial agreement is for. A clause keeping each spouse’s earnings and assets separate is valid.
What the second paragraph voids is narrower: a clause contrary to public order or good morals, and a clause providing that the law of another country governs the property. A clause stripping one spouse of everything can fail the first test on its own facts. That is a question of degree, not a rule that separation of property is forbidden.
Two clauses side by side make the point. “The property relations between the spouses shall be governed by the law of England and Wales.” The second paragraph of the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only) voids that clause in terms, and it is the single commonest defect we see in an agreement drafted abroad and brought to Thailand. “The spouses agree that there shall be no marital property between them and that each shall keep what they earn” is a normal, valid Thai prenuptial clause.
What a prenuptial agreement cannot reach at all
Here the limit is subject matter, not degree. The agreement governs property. It cannot settle matters the Code puts elsewhere, and Thai courts will not enforce a private agreement that tries. The grounds for divorce, the court’s power to decide parental power and the maintenance of a child are set by law, whatever the agreement says about who owns what.
Public order in Thai law covers the basic principles that keep society stable. In a prenuptial agreement, that rules out:
- giving up the right to go to court over a property dispute;
- excluding the court’s control over matters of the marriage.
Both undermine the court’s role in protecting each spouse’s rights.
Good morals is a deliberately broad standard, and courts apply it as social norms change. Two kinds of clause run into it:
- grossly unfair money arrangements. Thai law lets couples change how they manage their property, but an agreement that leaves one spouse with no financial protection at all may be held immoral;
- clauses that restrict personal liberty too far. The Supreme Court has not drawn this line in one place, as the next decision shows.
Behaviour clauses: Supreme Court Decision 2553/2526
This is the case people cite when they ask whether a fidelity clause can work. A couple made a written agreement before the wedding: “the wife shall not act against tradition and customs. She shall live with the husband as a wife and care for him. She shall not commit adultery against the husband.” Either party who broke these conditions agreed to pay a fine of 50,000 baht.
The trial court held it void as an unregistered prenuptial agreement. The Supreme Court upheld it instead, as a written undertaking as to the wife’s conduct of the kind the grounds for divorce in the Civil and Commercial Code recognise, breach of which gives the other spouse a ground for divorce. It was binding because the spouses accepted it after registering the marriage. On the Court’s reasoning, such an agreement is valid when it is in writing, concerns conduct that would be a ground for divorce, does not offend good morals or restrict personal liberty excessively, is not expressly prohibited by law, and does not obstruct public order.
So a behaviour clause is not automatically void. But the conduct it can cover is limited to things that could lead to divorce under Thai law.
The part most summaries leave out is the money. The Court held the agreement valid and enforceable, then held the agreed penalty of 50,000 baht excessive and cut it in half, ordering 25,000 baht. A penalty in a written conduct undertaking between spouses is not void for being a penalty. The figure is not the last word either, because a court may reduce a penalty it considers disproportionate. Write the number expecting it to be looked at.
What that leaves room for: clauses on fidelity and adultery, on traditional marital conduct, and penalties for behaviour that is a ground for divorce. What it does not: excessive restrictions on personal freedom, clauses that violate human dignity, and restrictions on personal choices that have nothing to do with marital conduct.
Foreign law clauses
The Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only) expressly bars a prenuptial agreement from saying that the spouses’ property relations are governed by foreign law. A choice of law clause looks sensible to anyone used to commercial contracts. In a Thai prenuptial agreement it fails. Clauses like these do not belong in it (and could also be void in other countries):
- “This agreement shall be governed by the laws of [foreign country]”
- “Property disputes shall be resolved according to [foreign] law”
- “The validity of this agreement shall be determined under [foreign] legal principles”
The bar applies to property relations between the spouses, not to other contract terms an international agreement may contain. Any property term still has to comply with Thai law.
Which law governs the agreement in the first place is a separate question, decided by the Thai rule that decides which country’s law governs a couple’s property agreement (the spouses’ shared national law; where their nationalities differ, the law they meant to apply; and if that is unclear, the law of the country where they first set up home after the marriage). Thai land always follows Thai law. So there is a difference between a couple choosing foreign law in the contract, which is barred, and a judge applying foreign law under conflict rules, which can happen. Couples in cross border marriages often sign a separate agreement for each country. A Thai prenuptial agreement will not override foreign legal rules in a contested divorce abroad.
Children: custody and support stay with the court
A prenuptial agreement cannot decide custody. Children’s interests cannot be fixed by parents before the children are born, and the court decides child custody on the child’s best interests at the time of the divorce. That rules out clauses that set custody in advance, name which parent gets custody, limit a parent’s access to future children, or restrict parental rights or duties.
Child support cannot be waived or fixed in advance either. Both parents must support their children while they are minors (normally until 20), and beyond that for an adult child who is disabled and cannot earn a living (parents’ duty to support their children). A clause waiving support, fixing an amount, limiting how long it lasts or shifting it to someone else will not hold. The court sets support on the children’s needs and the parents’ means when the question arises.
Spousal maintenance
The court’s power to fix maintenance between family members lets a husband or wife, or a parent and child, claim maintenance where the person who needs support has not received it, or has received too little. Thai law does not require spousal support in every case. But you cannot give up the right in a prenuptial agreement: under the rule that the right to maintenance cannot be waived, it cannot be waived or transferred. The court decides whether to award it and how much, considering the payer’s means, the recipient’s position and the circumstances (the court’s power to fix maintenance between family members).
So a clause that waives maintenance completely, stops the court from ordering it, or would leave a spouse dependent on public assistance will fail. The right to maintenance cannot be given up in advance, and the court can review and change any amount when circumstances change.
People outside the marriage
A court-approved change to the agreement cannot be used against an outsider who dealt with the couple in good faith: if the agreement is changed or ended by court order, people who acted in good faith keep the rights they already had. An agreement cannot defeat creditors who dealt with the spouses in good faith, stop people relying on who appears to own property, or hide restrictions that would mislead a buyer or defraud a creditor.
In practice: the agreement says a condo belongs to one spouse, and that spouse mortgages it for a loan. The lender acting in good faith keeps its rights.
Unfair agreements
Thai law has no doctrine of unconscionability for prenuptial agreements. The tests are the Civil and Commercial Code rule on what a prenuptial agreement may cover (property only) (public order and good morals) and the general rules on defective consent. Too little time to read, missing financial disclosure, pressure, or no chance to get independent advice are what common law courts weigh. In Thailand they matter only as evidence of duress, fraud or mistake, or of a term contrary to good morals.
Under the general rules, consent obtained by duress or fraud makes an agreement voidable, not void (the rules on fraud or duress that let a party cancel an agreement). We know of no Supreme Court decision setting aside a prenuptial agreement because a spouse had too little time to consider it. On the terms themselves, Thai law allows a lot of freedom, but an agreement that creates extreme inequality or leaves one spouse unprotected may be held unfair.
Inheritance
A prenuptial agreement cannot work as a will or estate planning document. It cannot assign inheritance rights, say how an estate is distributed, or override the statutory inheritance rights the Code sets. Those questions are governed by different rules.
Mistakes in form that void the whole agreement
Under the rule that a prenuptial agreement must be registered with the marriage, an agreement that is not properly made at registration is void, however good its content. The common failures:
- not registering it when the marriage is registered, or trying to register it afterwards;
- not noting it in the marriage register, or following the wrong procedure;
- a separate document signed by only one spouse, or by a representative instead of the spouses;
- fewer than two witnesses, or witnesses who do not meet the legal requirements;
- an oral understanding. Every prenuptial agreement must be entered in the register or made in writing and annexed to it.
What the courts have upheld
In Supreme Court Decision 6711/2537 the spouses noted in the marriage register, when they registered the marriage, that the husband’s house and land, his personal property, would become marital property. The Court upheld the agreement and ordered the wife’s name added to the title as joint owner. It did not go against public order or good morals.
Enforcement is harder in cross border marriages, with agreements drafted under foreign principles, where the spouses’ later conduct contradicts the agreement, and where the parties disagree on what public order and good morals mean. The law also keeps moving: same sex marriage was recognised in 2025, and that alone raises new questions about how these rules apply.
How we draft to avoid all of this
We register it correctly, at the moment the marriage is registered, with the right witnesses. We take out anything the law voids. We keep it to property. We write property rights in plain, precise terms. We check that both of you disclosed your assets and had time and independent advice, and we keep a record that every formality was met. For international couples, we look at how Thai law and your home law interact and work with foreign counsel when needed. Compared with common law countries, Thailand gives less contractual freedom here; across the region the emphasis is on family structure, court oversight of family matters, public order and protecting the weaker spouse.
Frequently asked questions
What Should Not Be Included in a Prenuptial Agreement in Thailand?
Anything illegal, and anything against good morals or public policy. For example, a clause that waives spousal support or decides how children will be raised will not be enforced. A clause like that usually fails on its own, but it can put the rest of the agreement in question, so leave it out.
Can a Prenuptial Agreement Protect Personal Assets in Thailand?
Yes. A prenuptial agreement sets out how property and personal assets are owned and divided, which gives both of you legal certainty if you divorce. For a foreigner marrying in Thailand it is the clearest way to record who owns what.
How Can Foreigners Create a Valid Prenuptial Agreement in Thailand?
By following Thai law. You sign the agreement before the marriage, and it is registered at the district office with the marriage, in the form the Civil and Commercial Code requires. A lawyer who knows these rules can make sure nothing in it is void.
What Are the Legal Requirements for a Prenuptial Agreement in Thailand?
It must be made when the marriage is registered: either entered in the marriage register, or made in writing, signed by both parties and at least two witnesses, and annexed to the register (the rule that a prenuptial agreement must be registered with the marriage). Its content must also comply with the Civil and Commercial Code, or it will not be binding in Thailand.
What Happens if a Prenuptial Agreement is Not Registered?
It is not valid under Thai law. To be enforceable it must be made and registered with the marriage, so that both of you can rely on it in a dispute or divorce.
Can a Prenuptial Agreement Include Child Custody Provisions?
No, a prenuptial agreement cannot include child custody provisions. Custody and support are decided separately, by the court, on the best interests of the child at the time of the divorce.
What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid When Signing a Prenuptial Agreement?
Signing without legal advice, not disclosing all your assets, and including terms the law voids. Make sure you both understand every term of the prenuptial agreement before you sign, because misunderstandings become disputes later.
Formalities decide whether it survives
A well written agreement is still void if the form is wrong. Under the rule that a prenuptial agreement must be registered with the marriage, it must be entered in the marriage register, or be in writing, signed by both parties and two witnesses, and annexed to it, when the marriage is registered. An agreement that is not in the Marriage Register is invalid. Once you are married, the agreement can be changed or revoked only with the court’s permission (the rule on changing a prenuptial agreement after the wedding). A property agreement made between spouses during the marriage is not void, but it is not secure: either spouse may avoid it at any time during the marriage or within one year after it ends (the rule that a spouse can cancel a contract made between spouses during the marriage).
A Thai prenuptial agreement is a tool for financial clarity. It is not meant to control behaviour or get around Thai family law. If a clause is challenged, the court may strike it, and sometimes question the whole agreement.
Please do not use a template. You do not know who wrote it, whether a Thai registered lawyer drafted it, or whether it is up to date, and the cost of getting it wrong falls on you years later. We prepare prenuptial agreements for 8,900 baht, which is less than most international firms charge, and we work on them as a team.
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