A 34-year-old police captain in Chai Nat province may face disciplinary action, and even 30 days in jail, after news of his marriage to his mistress went viral on Thursday.
Polygamy is a crime under Thai law, and Pol Captain Saranyoo Nookaew faces serious action if found guilty.
On Thursday, Niphawan, 33, showed up at her husband’s wedding with their marriage certificate and her mother-in-law in tow. Saranyoo and his girlfriend’s family tried to drive them away but were stopped when the mother took matters in her own hands and slapped her son. A clip of the slap with monks chanting in the background has become a meme on social media.
Niphawan said that when she realised her husband was playing away from home, she tried to get the other woman to end the affair but to no avail. She later learned her hubby was getting married to this woman, whose name has not been released.
She said she became suspicious when her husband suddenly decided on Wednesday night to “go to work”.
Niphwan and her mother-in-law have filed a case at the Central Juvenile and Family Court against the woman but have decided to spare the man. Niphawan said he still has his children to look after.
The wife and her two children, 15 and five, have moved to the in-law’s house.
Meanwhile, the man and his mistress have been forced to close down their social-media accounts permanently after news of their marriage resulted in an onslaught of angry comments
NAtion
Polygamy
Polygamy is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, it is called polyandry. A marriage including multiple husbands and wives is a group marriage
Legality of polygamy
The legal status of polygamy varies widely around the world. Polygyny is legal in 58 out of nearly 200 sovereign states, the vast majority of them being Muslim-majority countries in Africa and Asia. Polyandry is illegal in virtually every country.[citation needed] Several countries permit polygyny among Muslims in their communities. Some countries that permit polygamy have restrictions, such as requiring the first wife to give her consent.
In countries that ban polygamy, the offence is commonly called bigamy, though the penalty varies between jurisdictions. In some countries where polygamy is illegal, the prohibition is not enforced.
