The Difference between Uncontested and Contested Divorce in Thailand

In Thailand, there are two (2) main types of divorce. The first type is an uncontested divorce. The second type of divorce in Thailand is a contested divorce. This Thailand Family Law Partners (TFL) article will review both types of divorce in Thailand and advise on which type of divorce might make the most sense for your specific situation. If you have any specific questions about divorce in Thailand, please contact Thailand Family Law Partners (TFL) by email at info@thailandfamilylaw.com or phone at +66 855 393 675. You can also use our contact page on

this website, which you can find here: www.thailandfamilylaw.com/contact

Uncontested Divorce in Thailand

The first type of divorce in Thailand is the uncontested divorce. What is an uncontested divorce in Thailand? It is a legal way to get divorced whereby both sides agree to the terms of the divorce, and there are no disagreements. What might a husband and wife disagree about? Many things, including how to divide the property (land, house, condo, car, shares in a company, etc…) as well as who has the right to the children from the relationship. In some cases, both sides can agree on how to separate the property and agree on the rights of each parent in relation to the children. Even if both sides can agree, there are several documents that need to be prepared before the divorce can be registered. Please contact Thailand Family Law Partners (TFL) for a full list of documents that you will need to present in order to get an uncontested divorce.

Contested Divorce in Thailand

The second main type of divorce in Thailand is the contested divorce. If you have ever heard someone say that he will “sue for divorce,” then this is what he was talking about. There are several reasons provided by the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand on how you can sue for divorce. These include as follows:

  1. If the husband in the marriage is taking care of another woman in the same manner as he would his own wife, then the wife can sue for divorce.
  2. If the woman in the marriage is having an affair, the husband can sue for divorce.
  3. If either the husband or the wife commits some offense that causes the other person serious loss of face or shame, then the other spouse can sue for divorce.
  4. If either the husband or the wife attacks the other spouse or causes serious mental attacks on the other spouse, then the other spouse can sue for divorce.
  5. If the husband or the wife has left the other spouse for at least 1 year, then the other spouse can sue for divorce.
  6. If the husband or the wife committed a crime that the court gave a sentence for over 1 year, and this causes stress on the marriage, the other spouse can sue for divorce.
  7. Many other reasons… for a full list of the reasons for a contested divorce in Thailand, please contact Thailand Family Law Partners (TFL) to review all potential reasons for suing for divorce in Thailand and which reason is the best for you to use.

As you can see, even a “simple” divorce in Thailand is not so simple. Regardless of going for an uncontested divorce or contested divorce in Thailand, you will need the support of our lawyers and solicitors.