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
Short answer: Thailand offers two completely different divorces, and only one of them travels well. A court divorce is a judgment, and other countries generally recognise judgments. An amphur divorce, registered by mutual consent at a district office, involves no judge, no hearing and no proceedings at all, and that is precisely what creates the problem abroad. Several countries apply a much stricter recognition test to a divorce obtained otherwise than by proceedings.
LAWYER-DRAFTED TEMPLATE · ฿990
Divorce Settlement Agreement (Bilingual English & Thai): Same-Day Amphur Divorce, Made Safe
Property division with transfer deadlines, custody, child support, debts and the full-and-final clause, prepared before you reach the registrar’s counter. Includes the land rule for foreign spouses, three ready-to-fill schedules and recognition-abroad guidance. Word + PDF, updated August 2026. บันทึกข้อตกลงท้ายทะเบียนการหย่า ฉบับสองภาษา
Why this matters more than it sounds. If your Thai divorce is not recognised where you are from, you are still married there. Remarry, and the second marriage may be void. Die, and your estate may pass to a spouse you divorced years ago. Start with the distinction.
If you are still deciding how to divorce, read this before you choose. See divorce in Thailand and divorce with a foreign marriage certificate.
Table of Contents
Thailand’s Two Divorces Are Not Interchangeable
Section 1514 of the Civil and Commercial Code allows divorce in only two ways: by mutual consent of both parties, or by judgment of the court. A consent divorce must be in writing and certified by the signatures of at least two witnesses.
Section 1515 then adds the step everyone remembers: where the marriage was registered under the Code, a consent divorce is valid only once the spouses have registered the divorce. And section 1531 fixes when each takes effect: a consent divorce from the moment of registration, a court divorce from the moment the judgment becomes final.
| Amphur divorce (by consent) | Court divorce (by judgment) | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | Both parties attend the district office, sign, and it is registered | A petition, a hearing, and a judgment |
| Time | Usually one visit | Months |
| Cost | Minimal | Substantially more |
| Requires both to agree | Yes, always | No |
| Produces a judgment | No | Yes |
| Involves “proceedings” | This is the whole question | Plainly yes |
| Travels abroad | Sometimes, and on stricter conditions | Generally, on the ordinary tests |
The amphur route is faster, cheaper and easier, which is exactly why almost every foreign couple uses it. Nobody mentions the trade-off at the counter, because the counter is not thinking about English, Australian or French law. This page is about that trade-off.
The law behind this page
English
Section 1514
Divorce is possible only by mutual consent or by court judgment. A divorce by mutual consent must be in writing and signed by at least two witnesses; where the marriage was registered, it takes effect only once the divorce is registered (Section 1515).
Full text
A divorce may be effected only by the consent of both parties or by a judgment of the court. A divorce by consent must be made in writing and signed by at least two witnesses.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1515Amended on 23 January 2025
Full text
Where a marriage has been registered under this Code, a divorce by mutual consent is complete only when the spouses have registered the divorce.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1531
For a marriage registered under the law, a divorce by mutual consent takes effect from the time the divorce is registered, not from the date the parties signed their agreement. A divorce by judgment takes effect when the judgment becomes final. But a judgment of divorce cannot be set up against third persons who acted in good faith unless the divorce has been registered, so registration remains important even after a court decision.
Full text
In the case of a marriage registered according to law, a divorce by mutual consent of both spouses takes effect from the time the divorce is registered. A divorce by judgment takes effect from the time the judgment becomes final, but it may not be relied on to impair the rights of a third person acting in good faith unless the divorce has been registered.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 27 Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481
Full text
A Thai court shall not grant a divorce unless the law of the nationality of both husband and wife permits divorce. The grounds for divorce are governed by the law of the place where the divorce action is filed.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 26 Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481
Full text
A divorce by consent is valid if the law of the nationality of both husband and wife permits it.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1516Amended on 23 January 2025
Section 1516 sets out twelve grounds for a divorce action; most turn on the other spouse's conduct, but some, such as separation, disappearance, unsoundness of mind, disease and physical incapacity, do not: (1) keeping or honouring another person as a spouse, adultery, or habitual sexual acts with another; (2) misconduct, whether or not a criminal offence, that causes the other spouse serious shame, contempt or hatred, or excessive injury or trouble; (3) serious physical or mental harm, torture, or grave insult to the spouse or the spouse's ascendants; (4) wilful desertion for more than one year; (4/1) final imprisonment served for more than one year for an offence in which the other spouse had no part, where continuing the marriage would cause the other spouse excessive injury or trouble; (4/2) voluntary separation for more than three years, or separation by court order for more than three years; (5) being declared a missing person, or absence for more than three years with no news; (6) failure to give proper support and maintenance, or acting seriously adversely to the marriage, to the point that the other spouse suffers excessive trouble; (7) insanity continuing more than three years and unlikely to be cured; (8) breach of a written bond as to conduct; (9) a serious, chronic and incurable communicable disease dangerous to the other spouse; (10) a physical condition making sexual intercourse permanently impossible. Spouses of any gender rely on the same grounds under the Marriage Equality Act B.E. 2567.
Full text
The grounds for a divorce action are as follows: (1) one spouse has maintained or honoured another person as a spouse, has committed adultery or has a lover, has habitually had sexual intercourse with another person, or has habitually done an act with another person, or accepted an act of another person, to gratify the sexual desire of that spouse or of another person; the other spouse may bring a divorce action; (2) one spouse is guilty of misconduct, whether or not that misconduct is a criminal offence, if it causes the other spouse: (a) to suffer serious shame and humiliation; (b) to be held in contempt and hatred on account of remaining the spouse of the spouse guilty of the misconduct; or (c) to suffer excessive injury or trouble, regard being had to their condition, status and life together as spouses; that other spouse may bring a divorce action; (3) one spouse has physically or mentally harmed or tortured, or has defamed or insulted, the other spouse or an ascendant of the other spouse; provided that it is serious, that other spouse may bring a divorce action; (4) one spouse has wilfully deserted the other spouse for more than one year; that other spouse may bring a divorce action; (4/1) one spouse has been sentenced by a final judgment to imprisonment and has been imprisoned for more than one year for an offence which the other spouse did not contribute to causing, did not consent to and was not privy to, and continuing to be spouses would cause that other spouse excessive injury or trouble; that other spouse may bring a divorce action; (4/2) the spouses have voluntarily lived apart, because they could not live together as spouses in normal happiness, continuously for more than three years, or have lived apart by order of the court for more than three years; either spouse may bring a divorce action; (5) one spouse has been declared by the court to be a disappeared person, or has left that spouse's domicile or residence for more than three years with no one knowing for certain whether that spouse is alive or dead; the other spouse may bring a divorce action; (6) one spouse has failed to give the other proper assistance and maintenance, or has acted in serious hostility to the state of being spouses, to such an extent that the other spouse suffers excessive trouble, regard being had to their condition, status and life together as spouses; that other spouse may bring a divorce action; (7) one spouse has been of unsound mind continuously for more than three years, the unsoundness of mind being unlikely to be cured and so severe that living together as spouses can no longer be endured; the other spouse may bring a divorce action; (8) one spouse has broken a bond of good behaviour given in writing; the other spouse may bring a divorce action; (9) one spouse is suffering from a serious communicable disease which may be dangerous to the other spouse and which is chronic and incurable; that other spouse may bring a divorce action; (10) one spouse has a physical condition making that spouse permanently unable to have sexual intercourse, or permanently unable to do or to accept an act to gratify the sexual desire of the other spouse; the other spouse may bring a divorce action.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1459
Full text
A marriage abroad between Thai nationals, or where either party is a Thai national, may be made in the form prescribed by Thai law or by the law of that country. Where the spouses wish to register the marriage under Thai law, a Thai diplomatic or consular official shall register it.
ThaiLawOnline translation
ไทย
มาตรา 1514
ข้อความเต็ม
การหย่านั้นจะทำได้แต่โดยความยินยอมของทั้งสองฝ่ายหรือโดยคำพิพากษาของศาล การหย่าโดยความยินยอมต้องทำเป็นหนังสือและมีพยานลงลายมือชื่ออย่างน้อยสองคน
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1515แก้ไขเมื่อ 23 มกราคม 2568
ข้อความเต็ม
เมื่อได้จดทะเบียนสมรสตามประมวลกฎหมายนี้ การหย่าโดยความยินยอมจะสมบูรณ์ต่อเมื่อคู่สมรสได้จดทะเบียนการหย่านั้นแล้ว
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1531
ข้อความเต็ม
การสมรสที่จดทะเบียนตามกฎหมายนั้น การหย่าโดยความยินยอมของคู่สมรสทั้งสองฝ่ายมีผลนับแต่เวลาจดทะเบียนการหย่าเป็นต้นไป การหย่าโดยคำพิพากษามีผลแต่เวลาที่คำพิพากษาถึงที่สุด แต่จะอ้างเป็นเหตุเสื่อมสิทธิของบุคคลภายนอกผู้ทำการโดยสุจริตไม่ได้ เว้นแต่จะได้จดทะเบียนการหย่านั้นแล้ว
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 27 พระราชบัญญัติว่าด้วยการขัดกันแห่งกฎหมาย พุทธศักราช 2481
ข้อความเต็ม
ศาลไทยจะไม่พิพากษาให้หย่ากัน เว้นแต่กฎหมายสัญชาติแห่งสามีและภริยาทั้งสองฝ่ายยอมให้หย่าได้ เหตุหย่า ให้เป็นไปตามกฎหมายแห่งถิ่นที่ยื่นฟ้องหย่า
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 26 พระราชบัญญัติว่าด้วยการขัดกันแห่งกฎหมาย พุทธศักราช 2481
ข้อความเต็ม
การหย่าโดยความยินยอมย่อมสมบูรณ์ ถ้ากฎหมายสัญชาติแห่งสามีและภริยาทั้งสองฝ่ายยอมให้กระทำได้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1516แก้ไขเมื่อ 23 มกราคม 2568
ข้อความเต็ม
เหตุฟ้องหย่ามีดังต่อไปนี้ (๑) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งอุปการะเลี้ยงดูหรือยกย่องผู้อื่นฉันคู่สมรส เป็นชู้หรือมีชู้ ร่วมประเวณีกับผู้อื่นเป็นอาจิณ หรือกระทำกับผู้อื่นหรือยอมรับการกระทำของผู้อื่นเพื่อสนองความใคร่ของตนหรือผู้อื่นเป็นอาจิณ อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งฟ้องหย่าได้ (๒) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งประพฤติชั่ว ไม่ว่าความประพฤติชั่วนั้นจะเป็นความผิดอาญาหรือไม่ ถ้าเป็นเหตุให้อีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง (ก) ได้รับความอับอายขายหน้าอย่างร้ายแรง (ข) ได้รับความดูถูกเกลียดชังเพราะเหตุที่คงเป็นคู่สมรสของฝ่ายที่ประพฤติชั่วอยู่ต่อไป หรือ (ค) ได้รับความเสียหายหรือเดือดร้อนเกินควร ในเมื่อเอาสภาพ ฐานะ และความเป็นอยู่ร่วมกันฉันคู่สมรสมาคำนึงประกอบ อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งนั้นฟ้องหย่าได้ (๓) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งทำร้าย หรือทรมานร่างกายหรือจิตใจ หรือหมิ่นประมาทหรือเหยียดหยามอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งหรือบุพการีของอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง ทั้งนี้ ถ้าเป็นการร้ายแรง อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งนั้นฟ้องหย่าได้ (๔) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งจงใจละทิ้งร้างอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งไปเกินหนึ่งปี อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งนั้นฟ้องหย่าได้ (๔/๑) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งต้องคำพิพากษาถึงที่สุดให้จำคุก และได้ถูกจำคุกเกินหนึ่งปีในความผิดที่อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งมิได้มีส่วนก่อให้เกิดการกระทำความผิดหรือยินยอมหรือรู้เห็นเป็นใจในการกระทำความผิดนั้นด้วย และการเป็นคู่สมรสกันต่อไปจะเป็นเหตุให้อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งได้รับความเสียหายหรือเดือดร้อนเกินควร อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งนั้นฟ้องหย่าได้ (๔/๒) คู่สมรสสมัครใจแยกกันอยู่เพราะเหตุที่ไม่อาจอยู่ร่วมกันฉันคู่สมรสได้โดยปกติสุขตลอดมาเกินสามปีหรือแยกกันอยู่ตามคำสั่งของศาลเป็นเวลาเกินสามปี ฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งฟ้องหย่าได้ (๕) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งถูกศาลสั่งให้เป็นคนสาบสูญ หรือไปจากภูมิลำเนาหรือถิ่นที่อยู่เป็นเวลาเกินสามปีโดยไม่มีใครทราบแน่ว่าเป็นตายร้ายดีอย่างไร อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งฟ้องหย่าได้ (๖) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งไม่ให้ความช่วยเหลืออุปการะเลี้ยงดูอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งตามสมควร หรือทำการเป็นปฏิปักษ์ต่อการที่เป็นคู่สมรสอย่างร้ายแรง ทั้งนี้ ถ้าการกระทำนั้นถึงขนาดที่อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งเดือดร้อนเกินควรในเมื่อเอาสภาพ ฐานะ และความเป็นอยู่ร่วมกันฉันคู่สมรสมาคำนึงประกอบ อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งนั้นฟ้องหย่าได้ (๗) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งวิกลจริตตลอดมาเกินสามปี และความวิกลจริตนั้นมีลักษณะยากจะหายได้ กับทั้งความวิกลจริตถึงขนาดที่จะทนอยู่ร่วมกันฉันคู่สมรสต่อไปไม่ได้ อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งฟ้องหย่าได้ (๘) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งผิดทัณฑ์บนที่ทำให้ไว้เป็นหนังสือในเรื่องความประพฤติ อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งฟ้องหย่าได้ (๙) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งเป็นโรคติดต่ออย่างร้ายแรงอันอาจเป็นภัยแก่อีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง และโรคมีลักษณะเรื้อรังไม่มีทางที่จะหายได้ อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งนั้นฟ้องหย่าได้ (๑๐) คู่สมรสฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งมีสภาพแห่งกายทำให้ไม่อาจร่วมประเวณีหรือไม่อาจกระทำการหรือยอมรับการกระทำเพื่อสนองความใคร่ของอีกฝ่ายได้ตลอดกาล อีกฝ่ายหนึ่งฟ้องหย่าได้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1459
ข้อความเต็ม
การสมรสในต่างประเทศระหว่างคนที่มีสัญชาติไทยด้วยกัน หรือฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งมีสัญชาติไทย จะทำตามแบบที่กำหนดไว้ตามกฎหมายไทยหรือกฎหมายแห่งประเทศนั้นก็ได้ในกรณีที่คู่สมรสประสงค์จะจดทะเบียนตามกฎหมายไทย ให้พนักงานทูตหรือกงสุลไทยเป็นผู้รับจดทะเบียน
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
Français
Article 1514
Le divorce ne peut avoir lieu que par le consentement des deux parties ou par un jugement du tribunal. Le divorce par consentement doit être fait par écrit et signé par au moins deux témoins.
résumé non officiel
Article 1515Modifié le 23 janvier 2025
Lorsque le mariage a été enregistré conformément au présent Code, le divorce par consentement mutuel n'est parfait qu'une fois que les époux ont fait enregistrer ce divorce.
résumé non officiel
Article 1531
Pour un mariage enregistré, le divorce par consentement mutuel prend effet dès son enregistrement. Le divorce judiciaire prend effet dès que le jugement est définitif, mais n'est opposable aux tiers de bonne foi qu'une fois enregistré.
résumé non officiel
Article 27 Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481
Le tribunal thaïlandais ne prononce le divorce que si la loi nationale des deux époux l'admet. Les causes de divorce relèvent de la loi du lieu où l'action est introduite.
résumé non officiel
Article 26 Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481
Le divorce par consentement est valable si la loi nationale des deux époux le permet.
résumé non officiel
Article 1516Modifié le 23 janvier 2025
Les causes de l'action en divorce sont les suivantes : (1) l'un des époux a entretenu ou honoré une autre personne comme son conjoint, a commis l'adultère ou a un amant, a eu habituellement des relations sexuelles avec une autre personne, ou a habituellement accompli avec une autre personne, ou accepté d'une autre personne, un acte destiné à satisfaire son désir sexuel ou celui d'autrui ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (2) l'un des époux s'est mal conduit, que cette inconduite constitue ou non une infraction pénale, si elle a pour effet que l'autre époux : (a) subit une honte et une humiliation graves ; (b) est l'objet de mépris et de haine du fait qu'il demeure le conjoint de l'époux fautif ; ou (c) subit un préjudice ou des difficultés excessifs, compte tenu de la condition, de la situation et de la vie commune des époux ; cet autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (3) l'un des époux a porté atteinte au corps ou à l'esprit de l'autre époux ou d'un ascendant de celui ci, l'a torturé, diffamé ou injurié ; si ces faits sont graves, l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (4) l'un des époux a volontairement abandonné l'autre pendant plus d'un an ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (4/1) l'un des époux a été condamné par un jugement définitif à une peine d'emprisonnement et a été emprisonné pendant plus d'un an pour une infraction à la commission de laquelle l'autre époux n'a pas contribué, à laquelle il n'a pas consenti et dont il n'a pas été complice par connivence, et le maintien du mariage causerait à l'autre époux un préjudice ou des difficultés excessifs ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (4/2) les époux ont volontairement vécu séparés, faute de pouvoir vivre ensemble normalement et heureusement comme époux, de manière continue pendant plus de trois ans, ou ont vécu séparés en vertu d'une décision de justice pendant plus de trois ans ; chacun des époux peut demander le divorce ; (5) l'un des époux a été déclaré absent par le tribunal, ou a quitté son domicile ou sa résidence depuis plus de trois ans sans que personne ne sache avec certitude s'il est vivant ou mort ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (6) l'un des époux n'a pas fourni à l'autre l'assistance et l'entretien convenables, ou a agi de manière gravement hostile à l'état d'époux, au point que l'autre époux en subit des difficultés excessives, compte tenu de la condition, de la situation et de la vie commune des époux ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (7) l'un des époux est atteint d'aliénation mentale de manière continue depuis plus de trois ans, cette aliénation étant difficilement curable et d'une gravité telle que la vie commune ne peut plus être supportée ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (8) l'un des époux a manqué à un engagement de bonne conduite souscrit par écrit ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (9) l'un des époux est atteint d'une maladie contagieuse grave pouvant mettre l'autre époux en danger, cette maladie étant chronique et incurable ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce ; (10) l'un des époux présente un état physique le rendant définitivement incapable d'avoir des relations sexuelles, ou d'accomplir ou d'accepter un acte destiné à satisfaire le désir sexuel de l'autre ; l'autre époux peut demander le divorce.
résumé non officiel
Article 1459
Le mariage célébré à l'étranger entre ressortissants thaïlandais, ou lorsque l'un des époux est de nationalité thaïlandaise, peut suivre la forme prévue par la loi thaïlandaise ou par la loi du pays concerné. Si les époux souhaitent l'enregistrer selon la loi thaïlandaise, l'enregistrement est effectué par l'agent diplomatique ou consulaire thaïlandais.
résumé non officiel
Supreme Court decisions
- 1869/2566 (2023): No Thai Divorce From a Foreign Spouse Unless Their National Law Is Proved to Allow Divorce
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
Why “Proceedings” Is the Word That Decides It
Take England and Wales as the worked example, because its statute states the test in black and white and the gap between the two limbs is startling.
Under section 46 of the Family Law Act 1986, an overseas divorce obtained by means of proceedings is recognised if it is effective under the law of the country where it was obtained and, at the relevant date, either party was habitually resident there, or domiciled there, or a national of that country.
That is a generous test. A British husband divorcing a Thai wife in Thailand satisfies it easily, because she is a Thai national and only one party needs to qualify.
Now the other limb. A divorce obtained otherwise than by means of proceedings is recognised only if it is effective where obtained and:
- at the relevant date each party was domiciled in that country, or one was domiciled there and the other domiciled in a country whose law recognises the divorce; and
- neither party was habitually resident in the United Kingdom throughout the year immediately before that date.
Compare the two. Under the first limb, the Thai spouse’s nationality alone carries it. Under the second, you need domicile, which is a far harder thing for a British expat to establish than residence, and you need it for both parties, and you additionally need neither party to have been habitually resident in the UK for the preceding year.
So the entire outcome turns on which limb an amphur divorce falls into. We are not going to tell you that question is settled, because it is not. An amphur registration involves a registrar rather than a judge, and no hearing, which is what invites the argument that it was obtained otherwise than by proceedings. Whether that argument succeeds is fact-sensitive and is the sort of point on which advice, not a web page, is required. What we can tell you plainly is that a court divorce does not raise the question at all.
Other countries frame it differently, but the same structural issue recurs: an administrative act performed by a registrar is treated with more suspicion than a judgment of a court.
Before Any of This: Can a Thai Court Grant Your Divorce at All?
Everything above asks whether a Thai divorce travels. There is a prior question, it is decided first, and it defeats real cases: whether a Thai court may grant the divorce in the first place. It is governed by a different statute from the Civil and Commercial Code, and almost nobody writing in English on Thai divorce mentions it.
Section 27 of the Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481 (1938) has two paragraphs and they do different jobs:
- Paragraph one is a threshold. A Thai court shall not grant a divorce unless the national law of each spouse permits divorce. Both, not either.
- Paragraph two is a choice of law. The grounds for divorce follow the law of the place where the action is filed. So once the threshold is passed, a Thai court applies Thai grounds, section 1516 of the Civil and Commercial Code, whatever the foreign spouse’s own law would have required.
Section 26 does the same job for the consent route: a divorce by mutual consent is valid if the national laws of both spouses permit divorce. That matters on this page in particular, because the amphur divorce is the consent route.
What “permits divorce” actually means
The threshold is lower than it sounds. In Supreme Court Decision 6625/2549 the Court held that it is enough that the law of each spouse’s nationality contains provisions laying down conditions or grounds for divorce, and expressly rejected the idea that the foreign law must allow divorce by mutual consent. The plaintiff was American, the law of the State of Georgia set out conditions for divorce, Thai law sets out grounds, so the threshold was met and the Thai court had power to hear the case. It then applied Thai grounds under paragraph two and dismissed the claim on the merits, because the conduct proved did not meet section 1516(6).
The trap: foreign law is a fact, and somebody has to prove it
This is the part that costs clients cases, and it is recent. In Supreme Court Decision 1869/2566 a Thai wife sued her English husband for divorce in Thailand. The trial court granted the divorce. It was reversed, and the Supreme Court affirmed the reversal.
The Court’s reasoning is worth stating in full because every step of it is portable:
- Whether English law permits divorce is an essential question the court must decide first.
- Foreign law is a question of fact, and a Thai court does not know it of its own motion.
- Therefore the plaintiff carries the burden of proving it.
- She led no evidence that English law permits divorce, so the Thai court could not grant the divorce.
- The point goes to public order, so the appellate court was entitled to take it of its own motion, even though neither party had pleaded or argued it.
Read that last point twice. The defendant never raised it. The court raised it against the plaintiff itself, and the divorce failed.
England plainly permits divorce. The case was not lost on the substance of English law; it was lost because nobody put English law into evidence. A foreign spouse’s national law is not something a Thai judge is allowed to assume, however obvious it looks.
What this means in practice
- If either spouse is not Thai, put the foreign law in the file: the relevant provision, a certified translation, and where appropriate an expert or an embassy certification. Do it as part of the case, not as a reply to an objection, because there may be no objection and the point can still be taken.
- Expect to prove the existence of divorce in that law, not that your particular facts would satisfy it. Under paragraph two the grounds are Thai.
- The genuinely open case is a spouse whose national law provides no civil divorce at all. On the face of section 27 that would leave a Thai court unable to grant a divorce, however strong the Thai grounds. We have not found a Supreme Court decision deciding that situation, and we will not tell you the outcome we expect as though a court had settled it. Whether any particular country’s law qualifies is itself a question of fact to be proved, on the authority above. If this is your position, it needs advice before a petition is filed, not after.
By Country, in Outline
Detailed pages for each of these follow. What matters at this level is the shape of the risk, not the detail.
| Where you are from | The shape of the question |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Family Law Act 1986 s.46, set out above. Court divorce is straightforward. Amphur divorce turns on the proceedings question and on domicile. |
| United States | No federal rule. Recognition is a matter of state law and comity, so the answer depends on the state, and states differ on administrative divorces. |
| Australia | Recognition provisions in the Family Law Act, again distinguishing the basis on which the divorce was obtained. |
| Canada and Quebec | Federal recognition rules plus Quebec’s own civil law rules on foreign decisions. Sebastien writes this one himself. |
| France | Recognition and transcription onto the French civil status registers, which is a separate step from recognition itself and is where French nationals most often get stuck. |
The country pages carry the detail. Every foreign-law statement in this series is reviewed personally by Sébastien Brousseau before publication.
What Goes Wrong When a Divorce Is Not Recognised
The failure is rarely discovered at the time. It surfaces years later, at the worst moment, and usually through one of these four doors.
| Trigger | What goes wrong |
|---|---|
| You remarry | If the first marriage still subsists where you are from, the second marriage may be void there, with consequences for property, immigration and legitimacy of children. |
| You die | Your estate is administered on the footing that you are still married. A spouse you divorced years ago may inherit ahead of the person you actually live with. |
| A pension or a benefit | Providers ask for marital status and check it. A mismatch between what you declared and what the register says is a problem in itself. |
| An immigration application | Sponsoring a new spouse requires proof the previous marriage ended in a way the home country accepts. |
Notice that three of the four are things you will not be present for, or not thinking about, when they happen. That is the argument for spending a little more at the outset.
What to Do, Depending on Where You Are
| Your position | The move |
|---|---|
| Deciding how to divorce, both parties agree | Ask what recognition looks like in your country before choosing the amphur route. Where it is doubtful, the court route buys certainty, and that is usually worth the difference. |
| Already divorced at the amphur, nothing has gone wrong yet | Find out now whether it is recognised at home, while both parties are alive, contactable and cooperative. This is enormously easier now than later. |
| Amphur divorce, and you want to remarry | Resolve recognition before the second marriage, not after. Repairing a void marriage is much harder than confirming a divorce. |
| Amphur divorce and the other party is uncooperative or unreachable | Take advice quickly. Some routes to confirming or supplementing the divorce need the other party, and those close over time. |
| You have a foreign divorce and want it recognised in Thailand | The mirror-image question, and it has its own answer. See divorce with a foreign marriage certificate. |
Prenuptial Agreements Have the Same Problem, Only Worse
A Thai prenuptial agreement must be made before the marriage is registered and recorded in, or attached to, the marriage register. Get that wrong and it is void in Thailand, full stop.
But even a perfectly valid Thai prenup faces a second question abroad, and it is a harder one than divorce recognition. Many jurisdictions treat marital agreements as persuasive rather than binding, and will look at whether both parties had independent advice, whether there was full financial disclosure, and whether the outcome is fair at the time of enforcement rather than at signature. A Thai prenup drafted only for Thai purposes frequently fails those tests, not because it is Thai, but because it was never built to meet them.
If significant assets sit outside Thailand, the agreement needs to be designed for both systems from the start. See prenuptial agreements in Thailand.
Enforcing a Thai divorce abroad
It’s also vital to remember prenuptial agreements. While helpful, a prenup signed abroad needs careful review to see if it holds water under Thai law. To be enforceable in Thailand, especially for property division, it must meet Thai legal rules. This usually means it should be made before marriage and registered with the marriage registration in Thailand.
Remember that getting a Thai divorce judgment recognized or enforced in your home country can require different legal steps. Get advice on this before the Thai judgment is issued, not after, because what your home country needs can affect how the Thai papers should be prepared.
How to Enforce a Thai Divorce Decree Abroad
Consult with a local lawyer where you need to enforce your decision. In short, each country has its own rules. You may need local legal advice to ensure your Thai divorce is fully enforceable abroad.
Normally, you will need to translate and legalize your original divorce from Thailand. It must also be legalized (authenticated) by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We explain the legalization process here. Again, some countries might not recognize a divorce by mutual agreement and you need to verify with foreign attorneys.
Common Questions
Is a Thai divorce valid in my country?
It depends on which Thai divorce you obtained and on your country’s recognition rules. A Thai court divorce is a judgment and is generally recognised on the ordinary tests. An amphur divorce registered by mutual consent involves no judge and no hearing, and several countries apply a stricter test to divorces obtained otherwise than by proceedings. The country pages in this series take each jurisdiction in turn.
What is the difference between an amphur divorce and a court divorce in Thailand?
Section 1514 of the Civil and Commercial Code allows divorce only by mutual consent or by court judgment. A consent divorce is signed, witnessed by at least two people and registered at the district office, and under section 1515 it is valid only once registered. A court divorce is a judgment, effective when it becomes final. The consent route is faster and cheaper; the court route produces a judgment, which is what other legal systems are used to recognising.
Will the UK recognise my Thai divorce?
Under section 46 of the Family Law Act 1986, a divorce obtained by means of proceedings is recognised if it is effective in Thailand and either party was habitually resident, domiciled, or a national of Thailand at the relevant date, which a Thai spouse’s nationality satisfies. A divorce obtained otherwise than by proceedings requires each party to have been domiciled in Thailand, or one domiciled there and the other in a country recognising it, and neither party habitually resident in the UK throughout the preceding year. Which limb an amphur divorce falls into is not a settled question, and it is the point on which advice is needed.
Can I remarry if my Thai divorce might not be recognised?
Not safely. If the first marriage still subsists in your home country, a second marriage there may be void, which can affect property, inheritance, immigration status and the position of children. Resolve recognition before the second marriage rather than after.
Can I fix an amphur divorce that is not recognised?
Often, and it is very much easier while both parties are alive, contactable and willing. The available routes depend on your home jurisdiction and on whether the other party will cooperate, which is why delay is the real enemy here.
Does it matter if we married abroad rather than in Thailand?
Yes, it adds a layer. Where the marriage was celebrated abroad, whether Thailand treats it as a valid marriage in the first place is a prior question, and section 1459 allows a marriage abroad involving a Thai national to be in Thai form or in that country’s form. Getting the marriage question right is a precondition to getting the divorce question right.
Is my Thai prenuptial agreement enforceable abroad?
Not automatically, and often it is treated as persuasive rather than binding. Foreign courts commonly look for independent legal advice on both sides, full financial disclosure, and fairness at the time of enforcement. A Thai prenup drafted only for Thai purposes frequently fails those tests. Where significant assets sit outside Thailand, it should be designed for both systems from the outset.
When does a Thai divorce actually take effect?
Under section 1531, a divorce by mutual consent takes effect from the time it is registered, and a divorce by court judgment from the time the judgment becomes final. The same section adds a sting that catches people who stop at the judgment: a court divorce cannot be set up against third persons acting in good faith unless the divorce has also been registered. So a final judgment ends the marriage between the two of you, but until it is registered a bank, a Land Office or a later spouse dealing in good faith is entitled to treat you as still married. If you are going to remarry, or deal with property, register it.
How We Help
Two situations, and they are very different jobs. Before a divorce, the useful work is choosing the route that will actually be recognised where you need it, which is usually a short conversation that saves years of trouble. After an amphur divorce, it is establishing whether recognition is a problem and, where it is, what can still be done about it.
The firm is led by Sébastien Brousseau, LL.B., B.Sc., working in Thailand since 2006, working alongside Khun Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556. Cross-border divorce recognition is one of the few areas where knowing both the common-law and the civil-law systems genuinely changes the answer.
A consultation is 2,000 THB per hour. An uncontested divorce package is 9,900 THB. See also what a divorce costs in Thailand and our family law hub.
Contact us in English, French or Thai.
Email: info@thailawonline.com | Phone: +66 87 225 1340 (English and French), +66 87 414 9288 (Thai and English).
This page states the position as at August 2026 and is general information, not advice on your situation. Thai statutory references are to the Civil and Commercial Code, quoted from the Thai originals. Section 46 of the Family Law Act 1986 is quoted from legislation.gov.uk. Foreign law is summarised for orientation only and is not advice on the law of any other country.
Last reviewed: 28 September 2026. Read in Thai: Civil and Commercial Code sections 1459, 1514, 1515 and 1531; Act on Conflict of Laws B.E. 2481 sections 26 and 27; Supreme Court Decisions 6625/2549 and 1869/2566 to their dispositions. The English, US, Australian, Canadian and French recognition rules are summaries of foreign law and were not re-verified in this review.
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