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Column[Global Series: Marriage and Assets] Thailand: Preparing for Marriage
- Release date: Aug 26, 2022
- Update date: Oct 15, 2025
- 7520 Views
I've often had the opportunity to attend weddings of Thai relatives and acquaintances. Weddings held lavishly at luxury hotels invite hundreds of guests and are enveloped in a glamorous atmosphere. Thais tend to prefer flashy, gorgeous weddings. I'll introduce Thai marriage customs and the necessary preparations for marriage, incorporating insights from Ms. Tharn (39, female, mother of two), who runs an online shop in Bangkok.
Marriage and Housing
When asked, “What assets should you have for the life event of marriage?” the first thing mentioned was “a place to live.” How to prepare for this varies greatly depending on the family and the person. In Turn's case, her husband had a home inherited from his parents, and they started their new life together in that house after marriage. In well-off Thai families, it's common to pass on assets like land or houses to each child individually, though of course not everyone owns a home. Turn's younger brother (35), who lives in Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand, mentioned that when he got married, he took out a mortgage himself to buy a detached house.
Q7 For each of the following life stages, please select what you would like to have. (1) When you graduate from school and start working (2) When you get married (3) When you welcome your first child (4) When you retire
Source: Intage Independent Survey (Survey on Life Events and Assets in 9 Countries)
URL: https://www.global-market-surfer.com/report/detail/152/
The betrothal money sent by the groom amounts to several million baht.
The betrothal money given by the groom's family to the bride's family. I once told a Thai acquaintance that in recent Japan, betrothal money is no longer given, and they were very surprised. Betrothal money is considered to represent the bride's value, and not giving it to the bride's family could be seen as implying the bride has no value. Mr. Tharn also says betrothal money is still essential today. “The amount varies by family, but it's usually between one million and several million baht (about 3.7 to 11 million yen). Before the wedding, there's an engagement ceremony where both sets of relatives are invited. The groom's side brings cash, gold bars, gold jewelry, and large photos of the new home or apartment.” It's customary to arrange the cash, gold bars, and other items in front of the bride, groom, and their families for a commemorative group photo. For the bride's family, this signifies that their daughter is marrying a financially capable man. The dowry amount given to the bride's family is substantial, making the groom's side's asset preparation quite challenging.
However, depending on the bride's family, the betrothal money received from the groom's side may be given to the bride and groom, returned in full to the groom, or sometimes treated as a mere formality. Mr. Turn's brother also prepared 1 million baht (about 3.7 million yen) for the engagement ceremony, but later had the money returned. There are even rental services for cash or gold bars for engagement ceremonies, aimed at families unable to prepare the betrothal money. “Yes, it's for the bride and groom's families to save face. It's to show they have money. But no parent wants to marry their precious daughter off to a man without money. You need money to be happy.” It seems to be an expression of the family's wish for the bride and groom to be happy. At engagement ceremonies, gold bars are prepared alongside cash. Gold accessories like necklaces and bracelets are also often gifted by relatives for occasions like weddings or the birth of a child.
Gold bars, gold necklaces, and gold bracelets are often given as gifts for many occasions, including weddings and the birth of a child.
Q7 For each of the following life stages, please select the items you would like to have. (1) When you graduate from school and start working (2) When you get married (3) When you welcome your first child (4) When you retire
Source: Intage Independent Survey Survey on Life Events and Assets in 9 Countries) URL: (https://www.global-market-surfer.com/report/detail/152/
Marriage = a relationship built on trust, right? Thai Couples' Realities
I've heard that many couples in Thailand don't register their marriage, but when I asked Mr. Turn, he said they filed the paperwork at the local office when their second child was born, and that the timing of the marriage registration wasn't the same as when they got married. “I want to get married... but I'm not sure if I can truly trust him. If it comes to divorce, you might not only lose assets but also be saddled with debts incurred by your partner after marriage, so you have to be careful. There's always the possibility someone else is involved. But when we had a child, I thought, ‘Maybe we should register our marriage after all,’ so we did.” Marriage doesn't necessarily mean a trusting relationship is established. If the other party's family is wealthy, they might be reluctant to register the marriage.
Thailand's declining birth rate
Thailand's level of interest in having children is as low as Japan's.
(Question) Q5 Please select all life events that interest you. (1) Marriage (2) Having children (3) Retirement (4) None of the above
Source: Intage Independent Survey Survey on Life Events and Assets in 9 Countries) URL: (https://www.global-market-surfer.com/report/detail/152/
Mr. Turn says that generally speaking, raising children while managing daily life is quite challenging. “My friends who are both salaried employees say they're so busy paying off mortgages and car loans, covering their children's medical insurance, and funding school fees that they can't even think about saving. Prices are high these days too. If you aim high for your child's education, there's no end to it. Especially in Bangkok, investing time and money in your children requires a significant commitment.” Given that, it's understandable why some couples choose not to have children, preferring instead to work together and build a life with both financial and mental breathing room. While life plans vary, for Thais, marriage seems to be the most joyous stage in life. The assets purchased around the time of marriage, like a home or gold, felt like tangible expressions of their hopes for future happiness.
What is Consumer Life Panorama?
This is a website-type database that has accumulated visual data on more than 1,000 sei-katsu-sha from 18 countries around the world. The database includes many 3D models of living environments and 2D data of items owned by each sei-katsu-sha, and is useful for understanding overseas sei-katsu-sha, which is difficult to grasp using only letters and numbers.
Using visual data such as those cited in this column,
Compare the differences in the attributes of overseas consumers
To get a realistic understanding of the actual usage of each category
To understand the overall lifestyle of target consumers
etc., can be utilized as a “no-go” home visit survey.
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Author profile
TNC Lifestyle Researcher
Lifestyle Researchers, a network of 600 Japanese women living across 100 regions in 70 countries worldwide, operated by TNC Co., Ltd., uncovers trends invisible in statistics and captures authentic voices of consumers. Based on this raw information, we provide proposals for solving corporate challenges and develop product concepts. https://www.tenace.co.jp/
Profile: Based in Bangkok, Thailand for 16 years. As a TNC Lifestyle Researcher, I research consumer trends and lifestyle changes in Thailand. While Thailand's marriage customs and engagement ceremonies can be surprising, I found that the wish for the couple's happiness is the same here as anywhere. -
Editor profile
Chew Fong-Tat
I am a Malaysian researcher. I came to Japan 15 years ago and am still based in Tokyo, sharing insights about Southeast Asia and other overseas markets.
