{"id":109,"date":"2025-09-28T07:26:31","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T00:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/probate-in-thailand-estate-administration\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T13:32:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T06:32:25","slug":"probate-in-thailand-estate-administration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/probate-in-thailand-estate-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"Succession en Tha\u00eflande : Administration de la succession, lois sur l'h\u00e9ritage et processus \u00e9tape par \u00e9tape"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>R\u00e9vis\u00e9 par ThaiLawOnline, un cabinet d'avocats tha\u00eflandais agr\u00e9\u00e9 exer\u00e7ant en Tha\u00eflande depuis 2006. Avocate tha\u00eflandaise en charge du dossier : Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., licence du barreau tha\u00eflandais 3149\/2556.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>R\u00e9ponse courte :<\/strong> La Tha\u00eflande n'a pas de tribunal des successions distinct ni d'ex\u00e9cuteur testamentaire agissant de sa propre initiative. Un tribunal provincial ordinaire nomme un <strong>administrateur de succession<\/strong> (administrateur de la succession), et tant qu'une telle ordonnance n'existe pas, personne ne peut toucher \u00e0 un compte bancaire tha\u00eflandais, transf\u00e9rer un condominium ou r\u00e9immatriculer une voiture, m\u00eame s'il y a un testament nommant un ex\u00e9cuteur testamentaire. Une nomination simple et non contest\u00e9e prend g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement <strong>trois \u00e0 six mois<\/strong> du d\u00e9p\u00f4t jusqu'\u00e0 une d\u00e9cision de justice ex\u00e9cutoire. Les successions contest\u00e9es, les h\u00e9ritiers introuvables ou les documents qui doivent \u00eatre l\u00e9galis\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger prennent consid\u00e9rablement plus de temps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Les \u00e9ch\u00e9ances dont personne ne parle :<\/strong> l'administrateur doit commencer l'inventaire de la succession dans <strong>15 jours<\/strong>, terminez l'administration et la comptabilit\u00e9 dans les <strong>un an<\/strong>, et la cr\u00e9ance d'un h\u00e9ritier sur la succession est prescrite <strong>un an<\/strong> apr\u00e8s qu'ils ont su la mort. <a href=\"#deadlines\">Aller au tableau des \u00e9ch\u00e9ances<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Si le d\u00e9c\u00e8s vient de se produire, commencez par <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/death-of-a-foreigner-in-thailand\/\">Que faire lorsqu'un \u00e9tranger d\u00e9c\u00e8de en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>. Si le testament a \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9tabli \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger, voir <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/probate-foreign-will-thailand\/\">l'homologation d'un testament \u00e9tranger en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>. Cette page est la proc\u00e9dure judiciaire tha\u00eflandaise elle-m\u00eame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-it-is\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">La proc\u00e9dure successorale en Tha\u00eflande n'est pas celle que vous connaissez<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Le terme \u201c probate \u201d suscite des attentes que le droit tha\u00eflandais ne comble pas, et la majeure partie de la frustration ressentie par les familles provient de ce d\u00e9calage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Il n'y a pas de greffe des successions ni de tribunal des successions. Les questions successorales sont soumises \u00e0 la cour provinciale ordinaire comp\u00e9tente, et ce que fait le tribunal ne consiste pas \u00e0 \u201c homologuer le testament \u201d au sens anglais du terme. Il nomme une personne : l'administrateur de la succession. Cette nomination est ce que chaque banque, bureau de la publicit\u00e9 fonci\u00e8re et bureau des transports attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crucialment, <strong>le tribunal doit nommer un administrateur m\u00eame lorsqu'il existe un testament valide d\u00e9signant un ex\u00e9cuteur testamentaire.<\/strong> L'article 1712 de la <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thai-civil-code\/\">Code civil et commercial<\/a> permet \u00e0 un testament de d\u00e9signer un administrateur, par le testateur ou par une personne nomm\u00e9e par le testament pour faire ce choix, mais la d\u00e9signation ne vaut pas nomination. La personne nomm\u00e9e doit tout de m\u00eame faire une requ\u00eate, et le tribunal doit tout de m\u00eame rendre une ordonnance. Ce que le testament vous garantit, c'est une audience br\u00e8ve et non contest\u00e9e au lieu d'un long d\u00e9bat sur la personne qui devrait exercer ces fonctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"which-court\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quel tribunal, exactement ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Presque toutes les pages en anglais sur les successions en Tha\u00eflande, y compris une version ant\u00e9rieure de celle-ci, vous disent de d\u00e9poser la demande \u201c l\u00e0 o\u00f9 le d\u00e9funt avait son domicile, ou l\u00e0 o\u00f9 se trouvent les actifs \u201d. Ce \u201c ou \u201d n'est pas la loi, et il envoie les familles devant le mauvais tribunal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 4 <em>quater<\/em> de <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thai-civil-procedure-code\/\">Code de proc\u00e9dure civile<\/a> \u00e9tablit une hi\u00e9rarchie en deux \u00e9tapes :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>La juridiction du lieu o\u00f9 le d\u00e9funt avait son domicile au moment du d\u00e9c\u00e8s.<\/strong> C'est la r\u00e8gle. Elle s'applique m\u00eame lorsque chaque actif de la succession se trouve dans une province diff\u00e9rente.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Le tribunal du lieu o\u00f9 se trouvent les biens de la succession<\/strong>, mais uniquement lorsque le d\u00e9funt avait <em>Non<\/em> domicile dans le Royaume.<\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/probate-in-thailand-estate-administration-diagram.png\" alt=\"How long does probate take in Thailand, decision chart showing which provincial court hears the estate administrator petition under Civil Procedure Code section 4 quater\" width=\"1600\" height=\"933\" \/>\n<figcaption>article 4 du Code de proc\u00e9dure civile <em>quater<\/em> \u00e9tablit une hi\u00e9rarchie : le domicile en premier, le tribunal du lieu de situation des biens uniquement s'il n'y avait pas de domicile tha\u00eflandais.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prenez le cas qui se pr\u00e9sente le plus souvent dans notre pratique. Un \u00e9tranger retrait\u00e9 a v\u00e9cu pendant quinze ans \u00e0 Udon Thani et poss\u00e9dait un seul appartement en copropri\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 Bangkok. La famille suppose Bangkok, parce que c'est l\u00e0 que se trouve l'actif. Section 4 <em>quater<\/em> dit Udon Thani, car c'est l\u00e0 qu'il \u00e9tait domicili\u00e9. D\u00e9poser \u00e0 Bangkok ne d\u00e9truit g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement pas l'affaire, mais le tribunal peut la rejeter, et la famille perd les semaines n\u00e9cessaires pour se d\u00e9sister et red\u00e9poser dans la bonne province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La seconde branche saisit la situation inverse : un \u00e9tranger qui poss\u00e9dait un condominium tha\u00eflandais mais vivait r\u00e9ellement \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger et n'avait aucun domicile en Tha\u00eflande. L\u00e0, le tribunal des avoirs a raison, et il a raison <em>parce que<\/em> il n'y a pas de domicile \u00e0 d\u00e9signer, non pas que la famille l'ait pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One practical warning. Domicile is a question of fact, and Thai courts look at where the person actually lived, not at what a visa or a lease says. Where a foreigner split the year between two provinces, or between Thailand and a home country, expect the court to want evidence: the house registration book, immigration records, utility accounts, and the address the person used with banks and hospitals. Assemble that before filing rather than after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"when-required\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quand avez-vous r\u00e9ellement besoin d'une ordonnance du tribunal ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chaque fois qu'un actif se trouve dans un registre contr\u00f4l\u00e9 par une personne officielle. En pratique, cela signifie presque tout ce qui vaut la peine d'\u00eatre poss\u00e9d\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Actif<\/th>\n<th>Une d\u00e9cision de justice est-elle n\u00e9cessaire ?<\/th>\n<th>Pourquoi<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Terrain, maison, copropri\u00e9t\u00e9<\/td>\n<td><strong>Oui<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Le bureau de la conservation fonci\u00e8re n'enregistrera pas de transmission sans celui-ci<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>comptes bancaires tha\u00eflandais<\/td>\n<td><strong>Oui<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Gel\u00e9 sur avis de d\u00e9c\u00e8s ; d\u00e9livr\u00e9 uniquement \u00e0 l'administrateur d\u00e9sign\u00e9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>V\u00e9hicules immatricul\u00e9s<\/td>\n<td><strong>Oui<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Le D\u00e9partement des transports terrestres exige la commande<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Parts sociales<\/td>\n<td><strong>Oui<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>N\u00e9cessaire avant que le registre des actions et les d\u00e9p\u00f4ts aupr\u00e8s du DBD ne puissent \u00eatre corrig\u00e9s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Obligations et titres d'\u00c9tat<\/td>\n<td><strong>Oui<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Le bureau d'enregistrement exige la commande<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Effets personnels, argent liquide, effets personnels<\/td>\n<td>G\u00e9n\u00e9ralement non<\/td>\n<td>Pas de registre, les h\u00e9ritiers les g\u00e8rent donc entre eux<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Assurance-vie avec b\u00e9n\u00e9ficiaire d\u00e9sign\u00e9<\/td>\n<td><strong>Non<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Vers\u00e9 au b\u00e9n\u00e9ficiaire d\u00e9sign\u00e9 et exclu de la succession. Lorsque la police ne d\u00e9signe personne et est payable simplement \u00e0 \u201c mes h\u00e9ritiers \u201d, l'article 897 int\u00e8gre la somme dans la succession, ce qui signifie \u00e9galement que les cr\u00e9anciers du d\u00e9funt peuvent y avoir acc\u00e8s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"who-can-serve\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Qui peut \u00eatre administrateur de succession ?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L'article 1713 indique qui peut faire une requ\u00eate : un h\u00e9ritier, toute personne int\u00e9ress\u00e9e ou le minist\u00e8re public, dans les cas qu'il \u00e9num\u00e8re, lesquels comprennent l'absence des h\u00e9ritiers, leur pr\u00e9sence \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger ou leur minorit\u00e9, l'incapacit\u00e9 ou le refus d'agir d'un administrateur ou d'un h\u00e9ritier, ou la d\u00e9faillance de la d\u00e9signation d'un testament pour une raison quelconque.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L'article 1718 pr\u00e9cise ensuite qui <strong>ne peut pas<\/strong> \u00eatre nomm\u00e9, et la formulation est plus restrictive que ne le sugg\u00e8rent les r\u00e9sum\u00e9s habituels :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li>une personne qui n'a pas atteint la majorit\u00e9 l\u00e9gale (notant qu'il s'agit de la majorit\u00e9, et non simplement de l'\u00e2ge de 20 ans, la majorit\u00e9 pouvant \u00e9galement \u00eatre atteinte par le mariage);<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>une personne ali\u00e9n\u00e9e, ou une personne que le tribunal a d\u00e9clar\u00e9e telle <em>quasi<\/em>- incomp\u00e9tent ;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>une personne d\u00e9clar\u00e9e en faillite par un tribunal.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rien n'y exclut un \u00e9tranger.<\/strong> Un conjoint \u00e9tranger, un enfant adulte ou un fr\u00e8re ou une s\u0153ur peut \u00eatre nomm\u00e9 et l'est r\u00e9guli\u00e8rement. Vous lirez sur plusieurs sites concurrents que le requ\u00e9rant \u201c doit \u00eatre \u00e2g\u00e9 d'au moins vingt ans \u201d. Il s'agit d'une paraphrase, et non de l'article, qui omet enti\u00e8rement le volet de la quasi-incomp\u00e9tence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L'administrateur n'est pas non plus oblig\u00e9 d'\u00eatre un h\u00e9ritier, et le cumul de ces deux r\u00f4les est tout \u00e0 fait normal en Tha\u00eflande : le conjoint survivant est tr\u00e8s souvent l'un et l'autre. La Cour supr\u00eame s'est pench\u00e9e \u00e0 plusieurs reprises sur ce que permet ce double r\u00f4le. Dans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/44-2568-administrator-transfer-to-self-as-heir-not-void\/\">Dika 44\/2568<\/a> la cour a jug\u00e9 qu'un administrateur transf\u00e9rant des biens de la succession \u00e0 lui-m\u00eame en sa qualit\u00e9 d'h\u00e9ritier n'est pas nul pour cette seule raison, et ce dans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/4746-2568-administrator-acquires-estate-by-tacit-heir-consent\/\">Dika 4746\/2568<\/a> Il est admis que le consentement tacite des h\u00e9ritiers peut valider l'acquisition de l'administrateur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Une fois nomm\u00e9, l'article 1719 conf\u00e8re \u00e0 l'administrateur le droit et le devoir de faire le n\u00e9cessaire pour donner effet aux instructions expresses ou implicites du testament, d'administrer la succession en g\u00e9n\u00e9ral et de la distribuer. Il s'agit d'une v\u00e9ritable fonction fiduciaire, et non d'une formalit\u00e9, c'est pourquoi les d\u00e9lais ci-dessous ont de l'importance. Cette fonction conf\u00e8re \u00e9galement un pouvoir r\u00e9el sur les actifs : dans <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/5902-2567-administrator-mortgage-estate-property\/\">Dika 5902\/2567<\/a> le tribunal s'est prononc\u00e9 sur un administrateur hypoth\u00e9quant des biens de la succession, ce qui rappelle que les h\u00e9ritiers qui ignorent un administrateur pendant un an pourraient constater que la succession a chang\u00e9 d'aspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"choosing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choisir un administrateur, et non pas simplement s'en qualifier<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">L'\u00e9ligibilit\u00e9 est la moiti\u00e9 la plus facile. Les familles nous posent une question plus difficile : lequel d'entre nous devrait r\u00e9ellement faire cela ? Quatre r\u00e8gles d\u00e9cident de la plupart de ces choix, et aucune d'elles n'appara\u00eet sur les pages concurrentes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Vous pouvez \u00eatre deux ou plus \u00e0 si\u00e9ger ensemble, et une majorit\u00e9 d\u00e9cide alors.<\/strong> Les tribunaux tha\u00eflandais nomment souvent des co-administrateurs, en particulier dans les familles recompos\u00e9es o\u00f9 un conjoint tha\u00eflandais et les enfants adultes d'un mariage pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent souhaitent tous deux participer \u00e0 la gestion de la succession. L'article 1726 r\u00e9git la suite des \u00e9v\u00e9nements : lorsqu'il y a plusieurs administrateurs, leurs fonctions sont exerc\u00e9es par <strong>vote majoritaire<\/strong>, \u00e0 moins que le testament n'en dispose autrement. En cas d'\u00e9galit\u00e9, toute personne int\u00e9ress\u00e9e peut s'adresser au tribunal, et c'est ce dernier qui tranche. Deux coadministrateurs qui se brouillent cr\u00e9ent donc une situation de blocage par conception, et chaque d\u00e9cision contest\u00e9e donne lieu \u00e0 une saisine du tribunal. Si vous pr\u00e9voyez des tensions, nommez-en trois, ou nommez-en un seul et donnez aux autres un droit \u00e0 l'information \u00e0 la place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>L'administrateur n'est pas pay\u00e9.<\/strong> L'article 1721 est direct : un administrateur est <em>pas<\/em> ayant droit \u00e0 une r\u00e9mun\u00e9ration sur la succession, \u00e0 moins que le testament ne le permette, ou qu'une majorit\u00e9 des h\u00e9ritiers ne le permette. Les familles supposent g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement que le fr\u00e8re ou la s\u0153ur qui fait le travail y a droit \u00e0 quelque chose. Ce n'est pas le cas, \u00e0 moins que quelqu'un ne l'autorise, et l'endroit le plus propre pour le dire est le testament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Un inventaire d\u00e9fectueux peut co\u00fbter son poste \u00e0 l'administrateur.<\/strong> L'article 1731 permet au tribunal de d\u00e9charger un administrateur lorsqu'aucun inventaire n'est dress\u00e9 dans les d\u00e9lais et formes prescrits, ou lorsque le tribunal juge l'inventaire insuffisant pour cause de n\u00e9gligence grave, de malhonn\u00eatet\u00e9 ou d'incapacit\u00e9 manifeste. C'est ce qui donne toute leur mordante aux d\u00e9lais de 15 jours et d'un mois indiqu\u00e9s ci-dessous. Nommer un parent qui n'est pas dou\u00e9 pour les formalit\u00e9s administratives repr\u00e9sente un risque bien r\u00e9el, et non de convenance sociale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u00catre en Tha\u00eflande importe plus que la nationalit\u00e9.<\/strong> Rien dans le Code n'exige la r\u00e9sidence, mais l'administrateur est la personne qui se pr\u00e9sente devant le fond\u00e9 de pouvoir de la banque, le bureau foncier et le bureau des transports, souvent \u00e0 plusieurs reprises. Un administrateur r\u00e9sidant \u00e0 l'\u00e9tranger fonctionne, et nous en g\u00e9rons beaucoup, mais pr\u00e9voyez un budget pour les procurations, les frais de coursier et au moins un voyage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"deadlines\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Les d\u00e9lais l\u00e9gaux<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">C'est la partie qui n'est presque jamais \u00e9crite en anglais, et celle qui pose le plus souvent probl\u00e8me des ann\u00e9es plus tard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Date limite<\/th>\n<th>Ce que cela demande<\/th>\n<th>Section<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>15 jours<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>L'administrateur doit <em>commencer<\/em> l'inventaire de la succession. Le d\u00e9lai court \u00e0 compter du d\u00e9c\u00e8s s'il connaissait d\u00e9j\u00e0 sa d\u00e9signation en vertu du testament, \u00e0 compter du jour o\u00f9 il entre en fonction lorsque le tribunal l'a d\u00e9sign\u00e9, et autrement \u00e0 compter du jour o\u00f9 il accepte la fonction.<\/td>\n<td>1728<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Un mois<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>L'inventaire doit \u00eatre <em>Termin\u00e9<\/em>. Il doit \u00eatre fait en pr\u00e9sence de <strong>au moins deux t\u00e9moins qui ont eux-m\u00eames un int\u00e9r\u00eat dans la succession<\/strong>, et toute personne incapable d'\u00eatre t\u00e9moin d'un testament en vertu de l'article 1670 ne peut y assister. Le tribunal peut prolonger ce d\u00e9lai d'un mois, mais uniquement sur demande pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e avant l'expiration du mois.<\/td>\n<td>1729<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>D\u00e9charge<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>If no inventory is made in due time and form, or the court finds it unsatisfactory on grounds of gross negligence, dishonesty or obvious incapability, the court may discharge the administrator.<\/td>\n<td>1731<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>One year<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>The administrator must complete the administration and the account of administration and distribution, running from the dates in section 1728, unless the testator, a majority of the heirs or the court fixes a different period.<\/td>\n<td>1732<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>10 days<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Approval of the accounts, or any release from liability, is only valid if the accounts were delivered to the heirs, with the supporting documents, at least ten days in advance.<\/td>\n<td>1733<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>One year<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>An heir&#8217;s claim to the estate is barred one year after the heir knew, or ought to have known, of the death. A legatee&#8217;s claim under a will runs one year from learning of the right.<\/td>\n<td>1754<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>One year<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A creditor of the deceased must sue the estate within one year of knowing, or of when the creditor ought to have known, of the death, even where the underlying debt had longer to run. Subject to section 193\/27, the ordinary prescription of the debt is cut down to that year.<\/td>\n<td>1754 para 3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Before distribution completes<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>An interested person can apply to <strong>remove<\/strong> an administrator for neglect of duty or other proper cause, but only before the distribution is finished. An administrator may also resign, with the court&#8217;s permission and for proper cause.<\/td>\n<td>1727<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Five years<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Longstop: heirs cannot bring proceedings about the administration more than five years after the administration ends.<\/td>\n<td>1733<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Ten years<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Absolute longstop on succession actions: in no case may a claim be brought more than ten years after the death.<\/td>\n<td>1754 para 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two practical consequences. First, the 15-day inventory is routinely missed, because families are still arranging a funeral and the appointment has not even been made. The realistic reading is that the clock runs from when the administrator takes office, which is why the appointment date matters. Second, the one-year bar in section 1754 is the one that actually destroys claims: a family abroad assumes there is no hurry, and there is. We have written up a recent decision on exactly that in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thai-inheritance-claims-after-one-year-dika-284-2569\/\">R\u00e9clamations successions en Tha\u00eflande apr\u00e8s un an, Dika 284\/2569<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"year-passed\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if the year has already passed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most pages state the one-year bar and stop there, which is the harshest possible half of the rule and sends families away who still have a claim. Three provisions qualify it, and you should check all three before accepting that a claim is dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Section 1755: not everybody can raise the bar.<\/strong> The one-year prescription may be set up only by an heir, by a person entitled to exercise an heir&#8217;s rights, or by an administrator of the estate. A stranger sitting on estate property cannot hide behind it. If the person you are arguing with is a neighbour, a tenant, a business partner or anyone else outside that list, the year is not their defence to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Section 1748: possession changes the answer.<\/strong> An heir who is in possession of undivided estate property may demand its partition <em>even after<\/em> the section 1754 period has expired. The same section adds that the right to demand partition cannot be excluded by juristic act for more than ten years at a time. This matters most for the family living in the house: occupation of the property is not a reason the claim lapsed, it is a reason the claim survives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Section 1754 paragraph 4: ten years is the real outer wall.<\/strong> No succession action may be brought more than ten years after the death, whatever the heir knew and when. So the honest position is a two-tier one. Inside one year of knowledge, you are safe. Between one and ten years, you need section 1755 or section 1748 or an argument about when you knew. After ten years, the door is shut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The knowledge point deserves its own line, because it wins cases. The year runs from when the heir knew, or ought to have known, of the death, not from the death. A child who learned of a parent&#8217;s death two years later starts the clock on the day of learning, provided nothing put them on notice earlier. Get the evidence of that date into writing early, because it will be attacked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A second clock runs against the administrator, and it is five years.<\/strong> Section 1733 paragraph 2 stops an heir suing about the <em>administration<\/em> more than five years after the administration ends. Three points decide how that bar actually works, and the Supreme Court has settled all three. In Dika 2715\/2562 the court held that only heirs and the administrator can raise this five-year bar; a third party, such as someone who bought estate property from the administrator, cannot. In Dika 2160\/2562 it fixed the starting point: the administration ends when the last estate asset is disposed of or registered, so the five years runs from that day and not from the day the heir discovered the problem. And in Dika 2239\/2559 it held that the five year bar is written for an administration carried out normally, and does not apply at all where the administrator administered the estate unlawfully or improperly, or embezzled, misappropriated or concealed it without the heirs knowing. Put together: an heir who was kept in the dark is usually in a better position under section 1733 than the calendar suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two related traps. A guardian cannot renounce an inheritance on a minor heir&#8217;s behalf without the court, which the Supreme Court confirmed in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/1649-2567-guardian-cannot-renounce-inheritance-without-court\/\">Dika 1649\/2567<\/a>, so a renunciation made informally years ago may not have worked at all. And half-siblings are statutory heirs in their own class, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/2742-2545-half-siblings-heirs\/\">Dika 2742\/2545<\/a> confirms, so an heir list drawn up from one household&#8217;s memory is often short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"process\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Process, Step by Step<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\u00c9tape<\/th>\n<th>Ce qui se produit<\/th>\n<th>Temps typique<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>1. Jurisdiction<\/td>\n<td>Identify the correct provincial court under Civil Procedure Code section 4 <em>quater<\/em>: the court for the deceased&#8217;s domicile at death, and only where there was no Thai domicile, the court where the estate property sits.<\/td>\n<td>Imm\u00e9diat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2. Documents<\/td>\n<td>Death certificate, the will if any, proof of the relationship of each heir, house registration and ID or passports, the asset list with supporting title documents. Foreign documents need certified translation and legalisation.<\/td>\n<td><strong>The long pole.<\/strong> 2 to 12 weeks, at the top of that range when documents come from abroad<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>3. Petition<\/td>\n<td>Petition drafted, heirs&#8217; consents obtained where possible. Consents from all heirs are what keep a hearing short.<\/td>\n<td>1 to 2 weeks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4. Filing and scheduling<\/td>\n<td>Filed with the court, which sets a hearing date.<\/td>\n<td>4 to 8 weeks to the hearing date, by province<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>5. Public notice<\/td>\n<td>The court requires notice so that anyone with a competing claim can appear.<\/td>\n<td>Runs inside the period at stage 4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>6. Hearing<\/td>\n<td>Usually short and uncontested where there is a will and the heirs agree. The petitioner normally attends.<\/td>\n<td>One appearance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>7. Order<\/td>\n<td>The court appoints the administrator.<\/td>\n<td>Same day to a few weeks for the written order<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8. Appeal window and certificate<\/td>\n<td>An appeal period runs; afterwards the court issues a certificate that no appeal was filed. <strong>Banks and the Land Office generally want this certificate, not just the order.<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>About 30 days plus issuing time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>9. Inventory and administration<\/td>\n<td>Inventory within 15 days of taking office, then collecting assets, paying debts, dealing with the banks and registries.<\/td>\n<td>Weeks to months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>10. Distribution and discharge<\/td>\n<td>Distribution under section 1750, then accounts to the heirs and discharge.<\/td>\n<td>Within the one-year limit in section 1732, accounts under section 1733<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Step 8 is the one that surprises people. Getting the order is not the end: most institutions want the certificate of no appeal before they will act, so budget another month after the hearing before the bank actually pays out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On distribution, section 1750 is worth knowing. Distribution can be made by the heirs each taking possession of their portions, or by selling the estate and dividing the proceeds. If instead the heirs distribute by agreement, <strong>that agreement cannot be enforced unless there is written evidence signed by the party to be held liable<\/strong>, or their agent. The Supreme Court worked through the deed-or-occupation distinction in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/4273-2568-estate-distribution-by-deed-or-occupation\/\">Dika 4273\/2568<\/a>. Family agreements about who gets what should be written and signed, not settled over a meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"timeline\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Long Does Probate Take in Thailand?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Three to six months from filing to a usable court order<\/strong> where there is a Thai will, the heirs agree, and the documents are already in hand. Four to eight months without a will. Add one to three months on the front if foreign documents must be translated and legalised before you can file, and a year or more if anyone contests the appointment. Then add roughly one month after the hearing for the certificate of no appeal, which most banks want before releasing funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>These are the firm&#8217;s own figures, corrected on 7 August 2026.<\/strong> They replace an earlier estimate on this page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Caract\u00e9ristique<\/th>\n<th>Straightforward case<\/th>\n<th>Complex case<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Total estimated timeline<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>3 \u00e0 6 mois<\/td>\n<td>8 to 24 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Court processing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>2 to 4 months<\/td>\n<td>6 to 18 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Asset transfers<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>1 to 2 months<\/td>\n<td>2 to 6 months<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Estimated legal fees<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>50,000 to 150,000 THB<\/td>\n<td>200,000 THB and up<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Key characteristics<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>No disputes between heirs, a clear will if any, and all documents readily available.<\/td>\n<td>Disputed will, missing heirs, creditor claims, or assets in multiple jurisdictions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Frais de justice<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A small flat court fee (200 THB for the petition, plus minor delivery and announcement costs), which we pay on your behalf as part of our service<\/td>\n<td>If the estate is disputed and monetary claims are litigated, ad valorem court fees apply to the contested amount (2%, capped by statute); the appointment petition itself remains a small flat fee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two levers move that number, and neither of them is the court. The first is whether the documents proving who the heirs are exist, in the right form, translated and legalised. That is where the months go, and it is entirely front-loadable while the family is still arranging the funeral. The second is the court&#8217;s own calendar, which varies by province: a Bangkok list and an upcountry list do not run at the same speed, and nobody can shorten either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"documents\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Documents, Legalisation and the 2027 Apostille Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Foreign documents are the long pole in every probate timetable on this page, so a change to how they are certified is a change to your timetable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Thailand is joining the Apostille Convention, and the date is 28 February 2027.<\/strong> Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027. You will still find competing pages stating flatly that Thailand is not a party and that full legalisation is therefore essential. That was true when they wrote it and it stops being true on that date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ce que cela signifie en pratique\u00a0:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>Filing before 28 February 2027:<\/strong> nothing changes. Foreign death, birth and marriage certificates still go through the issuing country&#8217;s authentication chain and then Thai embassy or consular legalisation, and the Thai translation still goes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/legalization-of-documents-in-thailand\/\">guide pour la l\u00e9galisation des documents<\/a> sets out the route and the current waiting times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filing after that date:<\/strong> a single apostille from the issuing country&#8217;s competent authority should replace the consular leg for documents from the other contracting states. That removes weeks from stage 2 of the table above.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If the death is recent and the estate is not urgent<\/strong>, this is worth a conversation rather than an assumption. Waiting is rarely the right answer, because the section 1754 year is running, but a family already twelve months into gathering paperwork from three countries may reasonably time the final push around the change.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thai-side documents are unaffected. So is the requirement for certified Thai translation, which the apostille does not remove. If you need documents notarised inside Thailand, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/notary-services-thailand\/\">services notariaux en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"cost\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does It Cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three separate things, and they are usually quoted as one, which is why estimates online vary so wildly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Composant<\/th>\n<th>Typical range<\/th>\n<th>Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Court fees and disbursements<\/td>\n<td>200 THB petition fee, plus publication, service and delivery costs<\/td>\n<td>The appointment petition is a small flat fee. Ad valorem fees (2%, capped by statute) apply only if monetary claims are litigated.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Translation and legalisation<\/td>\n<td>Per document, and the largest surprise line for a cross-border family<\/td>\n<td>Driven by how many foreign documents you need and from how many countries. Expected to fall for apostille-country documents after 28 February 2027.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Legal fees, uncontested<\/td>\n<td>50,000 to 150,000 THB<\/td>\n<td>Clear heirs, documents available, no dispute.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Legal fees, contested or complex<\/td>\n<td>200,000 THB and up<\/td>\n<td>Disputed will, missing heirs, creditor claims, or assets across jurisdictions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We quote probate individually rather than as a flat fee, because an uncontested single-account estate and a contested estate with land in three provinces are not the same job. What we can commit to is the sequence: a first consultation at <strong>2 000 THB par heure<\/strong>, and after it a written quote for the whole matter before any work starts. Our published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/legal-fees\/\">frais juridiques<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/pricing\/\">Tarification<\/a> ils sont en ligne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For comparison, a Thai will costs <strong>3\u00a0900 THB<\/strong>. It does not avoid the court, but it converts a contested factual enquiry into a short administrative hearing, and it is the cheapest thing in this entire process by two orders of magnitude. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/will-cost-thailand\/\">ce que co\u00fbte un testament en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"foreign\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Points That Only Affect Foreign Families<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><strong>A foreign will does not skip the Thai court.<\/strong> It can be recognised, but the executor it names has no power over Thai assets until a Thai court appoints them. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/probate-foreign-will-thailand\/\">v\u00e9rification d'un testament \u00e9tranger<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thai-will-and-foreign-will\/\">comment un testament tha\u00eflandais et un testament \u00e9tranger peuvent fonctionner ensemble<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Proving heirship across borders is evidence, not law.<\/strong> Foreign marriage and birth certificates work, provided the issuing authority certifies them and a translator translates them. Get them early; legalisation takes weeks, at least until February 2027.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A foreign heir cannot keep land.<\/strong> Land must be disposed of within the period the authorities allow, though a foreigner is not prohibited from owning the building. A condominium can be kept if the building&#8217;s 49% foreign quota allows it. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/can-a-foreigner-inherit-land-in-thailand\/\">Un \u00e9tranger peut-il h\u00e9riter de terres en Tha\u00eflande ?<\/a> ET <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/inheriting-property-in-thailand-foreign-heirs\/\">H\u00e9ritage d&#039;un bien en tant qu&#039;h\u00e9ritier \u00e9tranger<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The bank is a separate negotiation.<\/strong> An administrator with the order and the certificate still has to satisfy the branch. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/opening-a-bank-account-in-thailand\/\">comptes bancaires tha\u00eflandais<\/a> for how the banks handle identity and authority.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You do not necessarily have to be here.<\/strong> Much of the preparation runs under a power of attorney, though the petitioner normally attends the hearing. If you have never been in a Thai courtroom, read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/what-to-know-before-you-go-to-court-in-thailand\/\">Ce qu&#039;il faut savoir avant de se pr\u00e9senter devant un tribunal en Tha\u00eflande<\/a> d&#039;abord.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inheritance tax is a separate question from probate.<\/strong> It applies above a threshold and to specified asset classes. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/inheritance-tax-in-thailand\/\">imp\u00f4t sur les successions en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"no-will\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What If There Is No Will?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The estate still devolves on the heirs at the moment of death under section 1599, but who those heirs are is now the court&#8217;s problem rather than the testator&#8217;s decision. Section 1629 sets six classes of statutory heirs in order, and section 1635 gives the surviving spouse a share alongside them that varies with which class exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is where intestate estates lose their months: the court has to be satisfied about family composition, and in a blended or cross-border family that can mean tracking down children from an earlier marriage in another country. What happens in detail is set out in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/if-you-die-without-a-will-in-thailand\/\">Mourir sans testament en Tha\u00eflande<\/a> and in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thailand-inheritance-guide-for-foreigners\/\">inheritance law guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comparison is stark enough to be worth stating plainly: a Thai will does not avoid the court, but it converts a contested factual enquiry into a short administrative hearing. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/last-will-in-thailand\/\">r\u00e9diger un testament tha\u00eflandais<\/a>, or start from our free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thai-will-template\/\">Mod\u00e8le de testament tha\u00eflandais<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"faq\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Questions fr\u00e9quentes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Combien de temps dure une proc\u00e9dure de succession en Tha\u00eflande\u00a0?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three to six months to a usable court order where there is a Thai will, the heirs agree and the documents are to hand. Four to eight months without a will. Add one to three months if documents must be translated and legalised abroad before filing, and a year or more if the appointment is contested. Budget roughly another month after the hearing for the certificate of no appeal, which most banks want before releasing funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which court do I file in for an estate administrator in Thailand?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The provincial court for the place where the deceased was domiciled at the time of death. Civil Procedure Code section 4 <em>quater<\/em> makes this a hierarchy, not a choice: only where the deceased had no domicile in the Kingdom do you file where the estate property is situated. A man who lived in Udon Thani and owned a Bangkok condominium is an Udon Thani filing, not a Bangkok one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can two people be estate administrators at the same time?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, and Thai courts appoint co-administrators regularly, particularly in blended families. Section 1726 then decides how they act: by majority vote, unless the will provides otherwise. On a tie, any interested person may apply to the court and the court decides. Two co-administrators who disagree therefore deadlock, so consider appointing three, or one with information rights for the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does the estate administrator get paid?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not by default. Section 1721 says an administrator is not entitled to remuneration out of the estate unless the will permits it or a majority of the heirs permit it. If you want the family member who does the work to be paid, say so in the will, or obtain the heirs&#8217; agreement in writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The one year has passed. Is my inheritance claim dead?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not necessarily. Three provisions qualify the section 1754 bar. Section 1755 means only an heir, a person entitled to exercise an heir&#8217;s rights, or an estate administrator can raise the one-year prescription at all. Section 1748 lets an heir who is in possession of undivided estate property demand partition even after the year has run. And the year runs from when you knew or ought to have known of the death, not from the death itself. The absolute outer limit is ten years from the death under section 1754 paragraph 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long do I have to sue the estate administrator?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five years from the end of the administration, under section 1733 paragraph 2, which is a separate clock from the one-year bar in section 1754. The Supreme Court has held that the administration ends when the last estate asset is disposed of or registered (Dika 2160\/2562), that only heirs and the administrator can raise this bar and not a third party who bought estate property (Dika 2715\/2562), and that the five year bar does not apply at all where the administrator administered the estate unlawfully, or embezzled, misappropriated or concealed it without the heirs knowing (Dika 2239\/2559).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will the apostille change anything for my probate case?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, from 28 February 2027. Thailand deposited its accession to the 1961 Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026 and the Convention enters into force for Thailand eight months later, on 28 February 2027. Until then, foreign documents still need the full legalisation chain. After it, a single apostille from the issuing country should replace the consular leg, which removes weeks from the document stage. Certified Thai translation is still required either way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a probate court in Thailand?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. There is no separate probate court and no probate registry. The ordinary provincial court with jurisdiction under Civil Procedure Code section 4 <em>quater<\/em> hears the petition and appoints an estate administrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I need a court order if there is a will?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. A will may designate an administrator under section 1712, but designation is not appointment. The named person must still petition and the court must still order. What the will does is make the hearing short and uncontested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Un \u00e9tranger peut-il \u00eatre administrateur de succession en Tha\u00eflande ?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Section 1718 excludes only a person who has not attained legal majority, a person of unsound mind or declared quasi-incompetent, and a person adjudged bankrupt. Nationality is not a disqualification, and foreign spouses and children are appointed routinely. The administrator does not have to be an heir, and may equally be one: in Thailand the surviving spouse is commonly both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the estate administrator&#8217;s deadlines?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The inventory must be started within 15 days (section 1728), counted from taking office for a court-appointed administrator, or from the death for one who already knew of an appointment under the will, and finished within one month, before at least two witnesses who are themselves interested in the estate, with any extension applied for before that month expires (section 1729). The administration and accounts must be completed within one year (section 1732), and accounts must reach the heirs with supporting documents at least ten days before they are approved (section 1733). Section 1731 lets the court discharge an administrator who fails on the inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can an estate administrator be removed?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, by two routes. Under section 1727 any interested person may apply to the court to remove an administrator for neglect of duty or other proper cause, but the application must be made before the distribution of the estate is complete. Separately, section 1731 allows the court to discharge an administrator where the inventory is not made in due time and form, or is unsatisfactory through gross negligence, dishonesty or obvious incapability. An administrator may also resign for proper cause with the court&#8217;s permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What assets can be transferred without a court order?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only assets that sit in no official register: household goods, personal effects and cash in hand. Land, condominiums, bank accounts, registered vehicles, company shares and government securities all require the order. Life insurance paid to a named beneficiary is outside the estate and needs no order; a policy payable simply to &#8220;my heirs&#8221; falls into the estate under section 897.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can heirs just agree who gets what?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can distribute by each taking possession of their portions, or by selling and dividing the proceeds, under section 1750. But if they distribute by agreement instead, that agreement is unenforceable unless there is written evidence signed by the party to be held liable or their agent. Put family agreements in writing and sign them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does probate cost in Thailand?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Court fees are small: 200 THB for the appointment petition plus publication and service costs. Translation and legalisation is charged per document and is often the largest surprise for a cross-border family. Legal fees run 50,000 to 150,000 THB for an uncontested estate and 200,000 THB and up where the will is disputed, heirs are missing, or assets sit in several jurisdictions. A first consultation is 2,000 THB per hour and produces a written quote for the whole matter before any work begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"free-tools\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Try It Yourself First, Free<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vous n'avez rien \u00e0 r\u00e9server pour commencer. Ceux-ci s'ex\u00e9cutent dans votre navigateur, et vous ne nous payez que si vous d\u00e9cidez de faire appel \u00e0 un avocat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/legal-health-check-for-expats\/\">Legal health check for expats<\/a>, which flags the documents a family in Thailand is usually missing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thai-will-template\/\">Free Thai will template<\/a>, if the person who has died was not the only one in the family without a will.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/supreme-court-decisions\/\">Our Supreme Court decision library<\/a>, checked against more than 77,000 decisions.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"help\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comment nous aidons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We handle Thai probate for families who are frequently not in Thailand: identifying the right court under section 4 <em>quater<\/em>, assembling and legalising the documents, drafting the petition and heirs&#8217; consents, appearing at the hearing, obtaining the certificate of no appeal, and then the part that actually matters to the family, dealing with the banks, the Land Office, the Department of Land Transport and any company shares. Where property has to move afterwards, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/transferring-property-in-thailand\/\">transfert de propri\u00e9t\u00e9 en Tha\u00eflande<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the death is recent, the useful first step is a consultation at <strong>2 000 THB par heure<\/strong> so that someone tells you which documents to start collecting now, because that is what sets the timetable. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/contact-us\/\">Contactez-nous<\/a> in English, French or Thai, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/book-consultation\/\">r\u00e9server une consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>E-mail :<\/strong> info@thailawonline.com | <strong>T\u00e9l\u00e9phone:<\/strong> +66 87 225 1340 (anglais et fran\u00e7ais), +66 87 414 9288 (tha\u00ef et anglais).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This page states the position as at September 2026 and is general information, not advice on your estate. Statutory references are to the Thai Civil and Commercial Code unless the text says Civil Procedure Code. Timescales are our practical experience, not guarantees; court schedules vary by province.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"related-guides\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guides associ\u00e9s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/death-of-a-foreigner-in-thailand\/\">What to do when a foreigner dies in Thailand<\/a>, the first-week checklist<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/thailand-inheritance-guide-for-foreigners\/\">Inheritance law in Thailand, the full guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/if-you-die-without-a-will-in-thailand\/\">Dying without a will in Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/last-will-maker\/\">Our will drafting service<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/what-to-know-before-you-go-to-court-in-thailand\/\">What to know before going to court in Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/opening-a-bank-account-in-thailand\/\">comptes bancaires tha\u00eflandais<\/a>, which an administrator must deal with before any balance is released<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/legalization-of-documents-in-thailand\/\">Legalisation of documents in Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/fr\/inheritance-tax-in-thailand\/\">Imp\u00f4t sur les successions en Tha\u00eflande<\/a><\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>La derni\u00e8re r\u00e9vision : 27 septembre 2026.<\/strong> Civil and Commercial Code sections 897, 1599, 1629, 1635, 1670, 1712, 1713, 1718, 1719, 1721, 1726 to 1729, 1731 to 1733, 1748, 1750, 1754 and 1755 and Supreme Court decisions 2742\/2545, 2239\/2559, 2160\/2562, 2715\/2562, 1649\/2567, 5902\/2567, 44\/2568, 4273\/2568, 4746\/2568 and 284\/2569 were read in Thai. Re-checked on 5 October 2026: sections 1728 and 1729 re-read in Thai against the deadline table, which is correct; no change made.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Probate in Thailand: Estate Administration, Inheritance Laws and Process Step-by-Step Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149\/2556. Short answer: Thailand has no separate probate<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":497,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Probate in Thailand","rank_math_title":"Probate in Thailand: Court, Deadlines and Cost (2026)","rank_math_description":"Thailand has no probate court. 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