Section 1471 — Sin Suan Tua — separate property
Statutory text (Thai original)
สินส่วนตัวได้แก่ทรัพย์สิน(๑) ที่ฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งมีอยู่ก่อนสมรส(๒) ที่เป็นเครื่องใช้สอยส่วนตัว เครื่องแต่งกาย หรือเครื่องประดับกายตามควรแก่ฐานะ หรือเครื่องมือเครื่องใช้ที่จำเป็นในการประกอบอาชีพหรือวิชาชีพของคู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่ง(๓) ที่ฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งได้มาระหว่างสมรสโดยการรับมรดกหรือโดยการให้โดยเสน่หา(๔) ที่เป็นของหมั้น
Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State
English translation
Sin Suan Tua consists of: (1) property belonging to either spouse before marriage (2) property for personal use, dress or ornament suitable for station in life, or tools necessary for carrying on the profession of either spouse (3) property acquired by either spouse during marriage through a will or gift (4) Khongman.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 1471 defines what each spouse keeps individually. Four categories: (1) pre-marriage property; (2) inheritances received during marriage (default unless will says "to both"); (3) gifts during marriage where the giver specifically said "for X only"; (4) personal-use items (clothes, professional tools). A foreigner who marries with substantial pre-marriage wealth should keep records (bank statements, property deeds, valuation certificates from before the wedding date) — without proof, the §1474 presumption that contested assets are Sin Somros applies.
Why this matters in practice
For lawyers: document pre-marital asset ownership carefully (bank statements, title deeds dated before marriage) to distinguish Sin Suan Tua from Sin Somros in divorce proceedings. For clients: keep records of inheritances and gifts received during marriage; without documentation, a court will presume marital property under §1474.
Legislative history
Sin Suan Tua was introduced when Book 5 was revised in B.E. 2519, replacing the earlier concept of 'sin doem' (original property). The Marriage Equality Act (No. 24, B.E. 2567), in force 22 Jan 2025, made no substantive change to §1471 but the regime now applies equally to all spouses.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 13964/2558 (2015)
Pre-marital land is separate property, but structures built on it during marriage with marital funds are marital property if the landowner consented.
Land held by one spouse before marriage was Sin Suan Tua under §§1471(1) and 1472; structures built on that land during marriage using marital funds were, however, marital property — where the landowner had consented to the construction, the other spouse acquired a share in those improvements.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4982/2541 (1998)
A gift received during marriage without a written designation as marital property is automatically separate property under §1471(3).
Land received as a gift during marriage, without any written declaration that it was to be marital property, is classified as Sin Suan Tua (separate property) under §1471(3); the donee spouse's creditors cannot levy on it as marital property.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.