Reviewed by Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556, for ThaiLawOnline, a Thai law firm acting for foreigners since 2006.
Last updated on
Chiang Mai in one paragraph: Chiang Mai’s foreign population is older, more settled and more likely to be married to a Thai national than Pattaya’s or Phuket’s, and its legal demand follows: residence certificates, retirement extensions, wills, and family matters that have been running for years before anyone calls a lawyer.
How we work. Bilingual legal services across Thailand since 2006. Most matters are handled online, without you travelling. Where a document must be signed locally, you sign it by appointment at your own district office or Land Office, or we act under a power of attorney you sign where you are. Jump to fees.
Contents
What Chiang Mai Actually Asks For
Residence certificates dominate the search demand here, which is unsurprising in a city where so many residents drive and own property.
| Matter | What it involves in Chiang Mai | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Residence certificates | The most-requested document in Chiang Mai by a wide margin. Needed for driving licences, vehicles and Land Office transactions. | Certificate of residence |
| Retirement extensions | Filed at Chiang Mai immigration, with the financial evidence prepared properly rather than assembled at the counter. | Retirement extensions |
| Thai wills and estate planning | A settled population with Thai spouses, Thai property and children from more than one relationship. This is where a Thai will earns its fee. | Making a Thai will |
| Divorce and family matters | Handled through the district office where both parties agree, and the family court where they do not. | Divorce lawyer in Chiang Mai |
| Property and land | Land in Chiang Mai province, usufructs for foreign spouses, and lease registration. | Usufruct agreements |
| Employment and wage questions | Both from employers of foreign staff and from foreign employees, including minimum wage and termination. | Minimum wage in Thailand |
Where Things Get Filed in Chiang Mai
Knowing which counter a matter belongs at is half of getting it done without a wasted trip.
| Office | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Immigration | Chiang Mai Immigration for extensions of stay, residence certificates and TM.30 matters. |
| Land Office | Chiang Mai provincial and branch land offices for transfers, usufructs, leases and mortgages. |
| District office (amphur) | Mueang Chiang Mai and the surrounding district offices for marriage, divorce registration and legitimation. |
| Court | Chiang Mai Provincial Court and the juvenile and family court. |
How Working With Us Actually Works
We are going to be straightforward about the model, because it explains both the fees and the limits.
- There is no Chiang Mai office. The firm is registered in Bangkok and works by appointment. Anyone claiming a branch on every beach is describing a shopfront, not a legal team.
- Most work does not need you in a room. Documents are drafted, reviewed and signed remotely, and we have been doing it that way since long before it was fashionable.
- Where a filing needs your signature, you give it locally. We prepare the file and the appointment, and you sign at your district office or Land Office; otherwise we act under a power of attorney you sign where you are. Court work is quoted separately.
- Fees are published and flat wherever the work allows it, so you know the number before you commit rather than after.
- Three working languages: English, Thai and French.
Our services for Chiang Mai residents
Every service is delivered online by the Bangkok team, with documents signed at your local office in Chiang Mai. These are the pages people in Chiang Mai use most:
- Prenuptial agreement
- Thai will
- Divorce
- Usufruct
- Condominium due diligence
- Title deed check (4,900 THB)
- Child custody
- Permanent residence
- DTV visa
- 90-day report
- Notary services
- Power of attorney
- Condo lawyer Chiang Mai: checks before you pay
All fixed fees are on the pricing page. To start, book a consultation. Contracts you can prepare yourself are in our template library.
Fees
These are firm-wide published fees and they do not change by city. Government fees, taxes and translation costs are separate and charged at cost.
| Service | Fixed fee | What is included | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | 2,000 THB per hour | One hour with a bilingual Thai-licensed attorney, your legal options, a realistic outlook and a written fee estimate before any work begins. | Booked within 1 to 2 business days |
| Last Will and Testament | 3,900 THB 5,000 THB Last Will + Living Will together | Bilingual Thai and English will, drafted by a lawyer to comply with Thai inheritance law. 5,000 THB if taken together with a Living Will. | 3 to 5 business days |
| International Estate Will (assets in more than one country) | 15,000 THB | ||
| Will safekeeping at our office | 1,000 THB | Your signed original held at the firm, retrievable by your administrator. | Immediate |
| Living Will (advance medical directive) |
590 THB
|
590 if you build it yourself online and download it instantly. 1,900 if we draft the bilingual directive for you under s.12 National Health Act B.E. 2550. | Instant download, or 3 to 5 business days if we draft it |
| Prenuptial agreement | 8,900 THB | Bilingual agreement, lawyer-prepared, witnessed and registered at the Amphur. | 5 working days |
| Divorce by mutual consent | 9,900 THB | Bilingual divorce agreement covering assets, debts, custody and support, plus registration at the district office. | Agreement in 3 to 5 days, registered in one visit |
| Child custody and parental rights | Quoted after consultation | Consultation first at 2,000 per hour. A fixed fee for the court or district-office work is quoted after that. | Depends on route: district office or Juvenile and Family Court |
| Marriage registration | Quoted after consultation | Fast track and full packages including translation, MFA legalization and amphur coordination. | Fast track about 10 to 12 days, standard Bangkok appointment about 2 months |
| Usufruct agreement | 3,900 THB | Bilingual usufruct agreement plus Land Office registration guidance. | 5 to 7 business days |
| Property lease agreement | 4,900 THB | Bilingual lease specific to your property, advice on lease vs usufruct vs superficies, Dika 4655/2566 compliance, Land Office registration guidance. | 3 to 5 business days |
| Title Deed Check, certified Land Office copy, translation and lawyer's report | 4,900 THB | Certified copy of the title deed from the Land Office, both sides, with the official stamp and date. English translation of the front and of the registration index. Two-page report by our Thai lawyer with a verdict and the next step. Credited against the Condominium Package if ordered within 30 days. | 3 business days |
| Condominium purchase, full legal package |
19,900 THB
|
Title and foreign-quota check, due diligence, sale and purchase contract review, FET guidance. 34,900 if we attend the Land Office transfer with you and translate. | 7 to 14 business days, transfer typically 1 day |
| Mortgage agreement | 9,900 THB | Property mortgage contract including registration. | 7 to 10 business days |
| Property due diligence (land or house) | from 19,900 THB | Title history, encumbrances, access, zoning and building-permit checks for a single Chanote plot with a simple contract. Several parcels, a Nor Sor 3 or a company seller are quoted before we start. | Quoted before we start, report in 7 to 14 business days |
| Loan agreement | 4,900 THB | Bilingual loan agreement covering amount, interest, repayment, collateral, default remedies and dispute resolution. | 2 to 4 business days |
| Power of Attorney | 3,900 THB | Bilingual authorization document for the specific acts you name. | 1 to 2 business days |
| Notarial services | 950 THB per document | Notarization by a licensed Notarial Services Attorney. Remote by video conference, originals returned by courier or EMS. | 3 to 5 business days |
| Contract drafting (custom) | 20,000 THB | A contract written for your specific business or personal situation, not a template. | 5 to 10 business days |
| Contract review | 9,000 THB | Review of an existing contract with written advice on the risks. | 3 to 5 business days |
| Thai company registration | 45,000 THB | Complete formation service, all inclusive: the government DBD registration fees are covered by the 45,000 THB fee. | 14 to 21 business days |
| Work permit | 15,000 THB | Document preparation, DOE filing, guidance on the Non-B visa required beforehand. Also cancellation and employer transfers. Government fee 3,000 (1 yr) or 6,000 (2 yrs) at cost. | 10 to 15 business days new, 5 to 7 renewal |
| Visa application and extension assistance | 14,900 THB | Extensions, conversions and new applications. | 7 to 14 business days |
| Permanent Residency application | 75,000 THB | Eligibility assessment, document preparation, filing, interview coaching, Thai language test preparation and Blue Book registration. Applications open once a year, typically October to December. | 12 to 18 months |
| Police Clearance Certificate |
4,400 THB
|
Full application handled with the Royal Thai Police under power of attorney, all forms, government fee, follow-up, scan of the certificate by email and delivery of the original within Thailand. Per person, government fee included. Not included: international courier (usually around 2,000 THB at cost, exact amount confirmed before dispatch), Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalization (2,500 THB for about 30 days or 3,500 THB for about two weeks), embassy legalization and translation (price can vary and must be verified each time). Bank transfer only. | Normal: about 25 to 30 days after we confirm your complete original documents. Fast track: we confirm the expected issue date before you pay. No guaranteed delivery within seven days. |
| Civil litigation | from 70,000 THB | Full representation in Thai courts. Court filing fees are government disbursements charged at cost. | Varies by case |
| Criminal defence | Quoted after consultation | Defence of charges, criminal complaints, bail and related proceedings. Each matter is fact-specific and quoted after an initial consultation. | Varies by case and court schedule |
Government disbursements are charged at cost unless the service says they are included.
Book a consultation Answer within 24 to 48 hours EN · FR · TH
Anything not on that list, including litigation and contested family matters, is quoted individually after a consultation, and the quote comes in writing before work starts.
Questions people in Chiang Mai ask
How do I get a residence certificate in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai Immigration issues them, and some embassies issue their own version. Which one you need depends on what you are using it for, because the Land Office, the Department of Land Transport and banks do not all accept the same document. Getting that wrong costs a second trip.
I am married to a Thai national and we own land. Am I protected?
Not by the marriage. Land bought during the marriage is normally registered in the Thai spouse’s name, and the Land Office usually requires a declaration that the funds were her personal property. A registered usufruct or superficies in your own name is what gives you a right that binds any future owner, and it should be registered on the same visit.
How much does a lawyer in Chiang Mai cost?
Published flat fees where the work allows: a Thai will 3,900 THB, a usufruct 3,900 THB, a prenuptial agreement 8,900 THB, an uncontested divorce package 9,900 THB, and a consultation 2,000 THB per hour.
Do you have an office in Chiang Mai?
No. We work by appointment and handle most matters online, arranging local signing at Chiang Mai offices, or acting under a power of attorney, where the matter requires it.
Where do I sign documents if I live in Chiang Mai?
At your district office and the Chiang Mai Land Office branch that holds your title, by appointment. We prepare the documents and the checklist beforehand, so the visit is a signature rather than a negotiation. For a document signed abroad, you sign before a Thai embassy or consulate, or a notary public whose signature is then legalised.
Speak to a Lawyer
A consultation is 2,000 THB per hour, normally within one to two business days, and you leave it with a written fee estimate rather than an open meter.
Contact us or start your case.
Email: info@thailawonline.com | Phone: +66 87 225 1340 (English and French), +66 87 414 9288 (Thai and English).
This page is general information, not advice on your matter, and states the position as at November 2026. ThaiLawOnline Co., Ltd. is registered in Bangkok and works throughout Thailand by appointment; we do not maintain a branch office in Chiang Mai.
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