{"id":1804,"date":"2026-04-18T17:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/glossary\/ground\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:33:52","slug":"ground","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/ground\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e15\u0e38\u0e1f\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e15\u0e32\u0e21\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22\u0e44\u0e17\u0e22 (\u0e21\u0e32\u0e15\u0e23\u0e32 1516)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>\u0e40\u0e2d <strong>\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e15\u0e38\u0e1f\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32<\/strong> (\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e15\u0e38\u0e1f\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32, <em>het fong ya<\/em>, also called <em>grounds for divorce<\/em> \u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d <em>causes of divorce<\/em>) is a fact that Section 1516 of the Thai <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/thai-civil-and-commercial-code\/\">\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e21\u0e27\u0e25\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22\u0e41\u0e1e\u0e48\u0e07\u0e41\u0e25\u0e30\u0e1e\u0e32\u0e13\u0e34\u0e0a\u0e22\u0e4c<\/a> recognises as entitling one spouse to a divorce by court judgment. Thailand has no court divorce on demand: if the other spouse will not sign at the amphur, the petitioner must plead and prove one of the twelve statutory grounds before the Juvenile and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/family-court\/\">\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25\u0e40\u0e22\u0e32\u0e27\u0e0a\u0e19\u0e41\u0e25\u0e30\u0e04\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e23\u0e31\u0e27<\/a>. The list is closed, and the choice of ground shapes the case.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23\u0e1a\u0e31\u0e0d<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#the-twelve-grounds-listed-in-section-1516\">The twelve grounds listed in Section 1516<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#pleading-a-ground-as-a-foreigner\">Pleading a ground as a foreigner<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#bars-forgiveness-and-what-the-ground-decides\">Bars, forgiveness and what the ground decides<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">\u0e04\u0e33\u0e16\u0e32\u0e21\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e1e\u0e1a\u0e1a\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e22<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-twelve-grounds-listed-in-section-1516\">The twelve grounds listed in Section 1516<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Sub-section<\/th><th>\u0e1e\u0e37\u0e49\u0e19<\/th><th>Threshold<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1516(1)<\/td><td>Adultery, or maintaining another as a spouse<\/td><td>One proven act<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(2)<\/td><td>Misconduct causing serious shame, hatred or injury<\/td><td>Criminal or not<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(3)<\/td><td>Serious harm or torture, or grave insult<\/td><td>Physical or mental<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(4)<\/td><td>Desertion without reasonable cause<\/td><td>Over 1 year<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(4\/1)<\/td><td>Imprisonment for an offence the other took no part in<\/td><td>Over 1 year<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(4\/2)<\/td><td>Living apart voluntarily, or by court order<\/td><td>Over 3 years<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(5)<\/td><td>Disappearance, or absence with no news<\/td><td>Over 3 years<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(6)<\/td><td>Failure to support, or conduct making cohabitation impossible<\/td><td>Serious<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(7)<\/td><td>Incurable insanity<\/td><td>Over 3 years<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(8)<\/td><td>Breach of a bond of good behaviour<\/td><td>Bond signed earlier<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(9)<\/td><td>Incurable, dangerous communicable disease<\/td><td>Medical evidence<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1516(10)<\/td><td>Permanent physical inability to cohabit<\/td><td>Medical evidence<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The grounds fall into two families. Fault grounds, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/adultery\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e43\u0e08<\/a>, cruelty and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/desertion\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e25\u0e30\u0e17\u0e34\u0e49\u0e07<\/a>, require proof of the other spouse&#8217;s conduct. Status grounds, such as three years of separation, imprisonment, disappearance or incurable illness, need only proof of the situation. Since 23 January 2025 the section is worded for spouses of any gender.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"pleading-a-ground-as-a-foreigner\">Pleading a ground as a foreigner<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The petition is filed at the Juvenile and Family Court in Thai, with certified translations of foreign evidence. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/court-fees\/\">court fee<\/a> for a divorce claim without property is 200 baht; a property claim adds 2% of the amount claimed, capped at 200,000 baht. Mediation is offered before trial, and most first-instance cases are decided within six to twelve months. A marriage registered abroad is proved with a translated and legalised certificate.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The common mistake is pleading the ground that sounds strongest rather than the one that can be proved. Three years of living apart under Section 1516(4\/2) is often easier to establish than adultery, and carries no fault finding. Another is waiting: under Section 1529 a claim based on grounds (1), (2), (3) or (6) is extinguished one year after the petitioner learned of the facts, although continuing conduct restarts the period. Grounds based on a state of affairs, such as separation, are not subject to that limit while the state continues.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bars-forgiveness-and-what-the-ground-decides\">Bars, forgiveness and what the ground decides<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>A ground can be lost. Section 1517 bars a divorce for adultery or misconduct that the petitioner consented to or connived at, and Section 1518 provides that forgiveness extinguishes the right to rely on the conduct. A spouse who resumes cohabitation after discovering an affair will struggle to plead it.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The ground proved affects the consequences. A fault finding supports compensation under Section 1523 and a living allowance under Section 1526, whereas a status ground carries neither. Property division under Section 1533 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/child-custody\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e14\u0e39\u0e41\u0e25<\/a> are decided on their own rules whichever ground succeeds. Where the couple can reach terms, grounds become irrelevant: a divorce by mutual consent at the amphur under Section 1514 needs none, as explained in the guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/divorce-in-thailand\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e23\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e43\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e40\u0e17\u0e28\u0e44\u0e17\u0e22<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">\u0e04\u0e33\u0e16\u0e32\u0e21\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e1e\u0e1a\u0e1a\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e22<\/h2>\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Can I get a no-fault divorce in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Only by consent. If both spouses agree, they register the divorce at the amphur under Section 1514 without any ground. If one spouse refuses, the other must prove a ground in court, although three years of voluntary separation under Section 1516(4\/2) works as a no-fault ground because it requires no misconduct.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How long do I have to file for divorce after discovering adultery in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>One year. Section 1529 extinguishes a claim based on adultery, serious misconduct, serious harm or failure to support one year after the petitioner learned of the facts. Continuing conduct restarts the period, and grounds such as desertion or separation are not subject to the limit while they continue.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What is the most common ground for divorce in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>In practice, adultery under Section 1516(1) and desertion under Section 1516(4) are pleaded most often, followed by three years of separation under Section 1516(4\/2). Separation is frequently the easiest to prove because it needs no evidence of fault, only proof that the spouses have lived apart.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>\u0e14\u0e39\u0e40\u0e1e\u0e34\u0e48\u0e21\u0e40\u0e15\u0e34\u0e21: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/contested-divorce\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e23\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e21\u0e35\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e42\u0e15\u0e49\u0e41\u0e22\u0e49\u0e07<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/uncontested-divorce\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e23\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e42\u0e14\u0e22\u0e44\u0e21\u0e48\u0e21\u0e35\u0e02\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e42\u0e15\u0e49\u0e41\u0e22\u0e49\u0e07<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/adultery\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e43\u0e08<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/desertion\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e25\u0e30\u0e17\u0e34\u0e49\u0e07<\/a>, and the guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/contested-divorce-in-thailand\/\">contested divorce in Thailand<\/a> \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/divorce-in-thailand\/\">\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32\u0e23\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e43\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e40\u0e17\u0e28\u0e44\u0e17\u0e22<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A ground for divorce (\u0e40\u0e2b\u0e15\u0e38\u0e1f\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e2b\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32, het fong ya, also called grounds for divorce or causes of divorce) is a fact [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":214,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"grounds for divorce thailand","rank_math_title":"Grounds for Divorce Thailand: Section 1516 | ThaiLawOnline","rank_math_description":"Grounds for divorce in Thailand are the twelve reasons in Section 1516 of the Civil and Commercial Code that let a spouse divorce in court without consent.","rank_math_breadcrumb_title":""},"class_list":["post-1804","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1804"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1804\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6861,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1804\/revisions\/6861"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1804"}],"curies":[{"name":"\u0e14\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e40\u0e1a\u0e34\u0e25\u0e22\u0e39\u0e1e\u0e35","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}