Remarriage in Thailand: A Study of Emerging Trends, Correlates, and Implications for Women's Well-Being

Thailand’s marriage system has been undergoing a significant transformation. Past research has often focused on the declining marriage rates, delays in marital timing, and the rise in marital dissolution. Much less attention is paid to remarriage trends and consequences. Addressing this pertinent gap, we analyze multiple nationally representative surveys to examine recent trends, correlates, and potential implications of remarriage among Thai reproductive-age women. Our results indicate that remarriage is commonplace in Thailand, and that birth cohort, educational attainment, residence location, age at first marriage, and children from a previous marriage are significantly associated with the likelihood to remarry. We find that Thai women tend to have additional children after remarriage. While research elsewhere suggests the positive effect of remarriage on health and life satisfaction, this is not evident in Thailand. Women whose remarriage has ended reported significantly lower life satisfaction than those who did not remarry.