Who owns what in a marriage in Thailand?

Property acquired during the marriage is joint by default

Thailand separates each spouse's personal property from the marital property, which is shared, and the spouses can sign a prenuptial agreement when they register the marriage.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

What applies by default

Property from before the marriage and personal items are personal. Property acquired during the marriage, and income from it, is generally marital property shared by both.

When the marriage ends in divorce

The marital property is divided equally between the spouses, and each keeps their personal property.

A marriage contract

A prenuptial agreement must be registered at the time the marriage is registered, and it cannot generally be changed afterwards.

What stays your own, and gifts

Personal property from before the marriage, and gifts and inheritances for one spouse, stay personal.

If one spouse is a foreigner

A foreigner's ability to own land in Thailand is restricted, so the marital property rules may not give a foreign spouse rights over land.

Understand the legal system first

Thailand belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Thailand legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Can a foreigner buy property in Thailand? →

Official sources

Office of the Attorney General of Thailand

TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.