From the Nana-Way Case to Real-Life Doubts: After Marriage or Divorce, Are Debts and Fraud Shared Responsibilities?

It became headline news when the police arrested Nana-Raibina Inthachai. She was charged with property fraud and a loan decree involving public fraud. Nana denied all allegations, while her husband, Way Titanium, also known as Prinya Inthachai, is scheduled for police questioning next week. (There have been rumors of divorce, but other sources confirm they are still married.)

This news raises questions for many: if a spouse incurs debt or becomes a suspect in a fraud case, whether still married or divorced later, must the other spouse bear those burdens too?

What shared responsibilities exist during and after marriage?

People generally think that once legally married, assets (marital property) must be split equally, but it’s not just that. If there are "debts," those may also require joint responsibility. For example,

• debts from general expenses such as food or family medical bills,
• debts related to marital property, like loans taken to renovate a house,
• debts from joint business ventures, such as running a restaurant together,
• or debts guaranteed by one spouse—if one spouse guarantees a loan (for instance, signing consent or acknowledging the debt) for the other, it counts as shared debt.

Debts the spouse is not responsible for include debts before marriage, gambling debts, and credit card debts.

Regarding "divorce," when spouses legally separate, the law requires marital property to be divided equally. Joint debts usually are also split and jointly borne.

Therefore, if one spouse creates debt related to joint business, the other still shares responsibility even after divorce. However, in some cases, if one admits the debt was solely their business, they might bear it alone.

Must spouses share responsibility in "fraud" cases?

Many wonder if borrowing money and not repaying constitutes fraud. Simply put, "borrowing" implies intent to repay, with or without interest, while "fraud" means deceiving someone to obtain property without intent to repay. These cases might be settled privately.

But "public fraud," as many lawyers note, is a criminal offense that cannot be settled privately because it affects multiple victims.

Back to our question: if a spouse is accused of fraud, must the other spouse share responsibility? And does this change if divorced?

This depends on whether the other spouse "participated" or was complicit. An investigation is needed, as fraud is an individual crime. Legally, an uninvolved spouse is not liable criminally.

Whether husband, wife, or family member, what determines involvement is not relationship but the "financial trail." This is what police will examine next.

Sources:Office of Justice Affairs, National Credit Bureau Company Limited, Arbitration Institute,

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