These are the divorce rates in Thailand. The Department of Mental Health in Thailand has noted in 2017 that divorce rates in Thailand has been on the increase. In the space of 10 years the divorce rate in Thailand has gone from 27% of marriages failing in 2006 to 39% in 2016. In 2016 307,746 couples registered a marriage in Thailand. During the same time 118,539 couple got divorced.
Divorce Rates in Thailand
Families are also becoming smaller as extended families are also getting smaller. Most Thai people tend to live alone or only with their spouse with their children. Some has stated that without the extended family living together there is now nobody in the middle to keep the peace when arguments do occur. This is only speculation. Work related stress as well as financial and social issues add to the list.
Mixed Marriages
The issues of divorce rates in Thailand between foreigners and Thai nationals made the headlines in 2007 when The Nations newspaper stated that during that year 2007 in the Khon Kaen Civil Court saw 142 divorces cases filed by Thai women married to foreigners during a 3 month period. They listed that their marriages had not worked as they had become “disillusioned”.
Dr. Kittiwan Thiamkaew, a psychiatrist at Suan Prung hospital has looked at the issues between Thai and foreign marriages and she noted that they would wait until the last minute to seek help. She noted that many times there are mental issues on both sides of the divide. Note was the age difference. Many young women who had been met in a bar come from poor backgrounds and had difficult childhoods. This comes to the front during a marriage when they are still young and want to go to nightclubs where the husband does not. Even when they have a good monthly stipend from their husbands they are not content with their life as being a housewife to them is very restrictive.
The problems start there as the foreigner is a matter of income as well as support. This tends to be foremost in the minds of these types of women and there is always the issues of them not getting enough money. The lack of education is another problem with these marriages. Western educational standards compared to rural Thai education just cannot be compared. Many rural Thai women do not understand psychology and simply repress what they feel. This is of benefit as they tolerate more from their husbands which looks like traditional but reality its suppression of their own feelings to mistakes the husband makes.
The trust issues occur when the men feel that the woman wants to steal his money and even though it does occur, most times it’s these irrational thoughts which break down the trust in the marriage. Noted was that even though there are educated women in Thailand who wish to marry a foreign husband this is not normally where Thai and foreign men meet. In-laws are a problem as well. Many times the mother-in-law wants money and places pressure on her daughter to get money which can be unreasonable at times adding to the distrust.
Many men who arrive in Thailand also have mental issues and for many it’s the reason why they come to Thailand to start new. Noting the issues was also Dr. Suttipan Takkapaijit, Chiang Mai Ram who noted that
“Many retirees here are alcoholics; some are depressed, aggressive or bi-polar. Living here their pension goes a long way and with cheap alcohol abundant some men develop – or experience a resurgence of – psychological problems. This weighs heavily on the Thai partners”