From: cs106406@umbc8.umbc.edu (cs106406)
Subject: Re: Law
Keywords: properties' law
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County Campus
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:23:51 GMT

In article <1992Nov10.011137.6406@cs.uow.edu.au> pat@cs.uow.edu.au (Pattarasinee Bhattarakosol) writes:
>Dear netters
>
>I had read some article about "own the properties" after getting marry of one
>guy.  It is quite long time ago that a guy on a net ask about "what will 
>happen to him if he marry to a foreigner? " , and the answer that post to him
>is that he still can own all of his properties, but for thai women, they cannot
>hold any properties after marry to foreigner.
>
>I am very curious for this low, and feel it is very bias for thai women.
>I got friends and my own lecturer in US who got marry to non-thai
>guys and they don't want to go home.  One reason that they said is that 
>"because they cannot occupy their own land or even buy a house for their kids".  
>Their husbands cannot apply to be Thai citizen, even they want to, 
>such a pitty. 

>1. Is it true that after woman get marry to non-thai citizen, she cannot own 
>any properties, even she wants to pay the money for them? 

>pat@cs.uow.edu.au

Apparently the answer is yes, and for a Thai woman who lives with an 
American man the problems can be even more complicated because of 
American visa rules.

My best friends father (an American) retired to Chiang Mai.  He has
a Thai "wife" whom he supports, and he also supports her teenage 
daughter.  (Forgive me for referring to this woman as "she/her" in this 
post, since I do not know how to write her name in English letters.)
Since an American cannot legally own property in Thailand,
the house (and I think also the pickup truck and motorbike and other 
possessions) are all (at least) 51% owned by her.  But they cannot
get married, because if they did, she forfeits her property rights
and he has none.  Who would own the house? 

They wanted to travel to the United States.  The American Consul
reviewing her visa application denied her; since she is uneducated,
(and does not have a job)
they assume she will try to stay in the US to have a better life.
He went to vouch for her, and they wanted to know why, if he was
supporting her, they weren't married.  Eventually (you have to 
wait 6 months after being turned down) she applied again.  I was
there too, with my friend.  Since the US wants to see that a 
Thai has a certain (large) amount of money in the bank in addition
to property and and a job, we had deposited all the money I brought
over for my trip into her bank account.  We went to the consulate
with the deed to the house, the truck registration, her daughter's
private school enrollment documents and a huge pile of other 
supporting materials.  They still didn't believe her or Bob until
finally Bob pulled out practically a whole suitcase of photographs
of her family to prove how deep her ties to Thailand were.  I
couldn't believe all this was happening, since if they'd been
able to marry, she'd have been automatically entitled to a visa
(even to citizenship!)

I don't know what the moral of this story is, but the whole thing
seemed awfully wrong and sad to me.

Comments?

Regards,
Miriam