How much does your Thai wife get when you die? The answer may surprise you. Thailand’s inheritance laws can be challenging, especially when it involves understanding the rights of a surviving spouse under Thai law. There is good news however – the Thai Civil and Commercial Code provides clear guidelines on how a deceased person’s estate is distributed among heirs, with specific provisions for surviving spouses.

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Classes of Statutory Heirs

Under Section 1629 of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code, statutory heirs are categorized into six classes, prioritized as follows:

1. Descendants
2. Parents
3. Full-blood siblings
4. Half-blood siblings
5. Grandparents
6. Uncles and aunts

The presence of heirs in a higher class excludes those in lower classes from inheritance. For instance, if the deceased has surviving children, the parents or siblings do not inherit.

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