Reviewed by Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556, for ThaiLawOnline, a Thai law firm acting for foreigners since 2006.
Update log
- 4 November 2026: Added the statute box with Thai, English and French text and checked the page against the official text
Quick answer. Yes, you can hire a Thai lawyer from abroad and finish most matters without flying to Thailand. Wills, living wills, powers of attorney, usufruct and lease agreements, condominium due diligence, notarisation, police clearance certificates and legal research can all be handled by email, video call, LINE and WhatsApp.
What still needs an original document or your presence is short and predictable: a Land Office registration (unless you sign a Tor Dor 21 or Or Chor 21 power of attorney), marriage and prenuptial registration at the district office, and some court steps. ThaiLawOnline has worked this way since 2006 and has handled more than 5,300 client matters, almost all of them by email, telephone, video call, LINE and WhatsApp. This page explains how it works, what it costs, and how to sign Thai documents in your own country.
Table of Contents
| At a glance | ThaiLawOnline |
|---|---|
| Firm | ThaiLaw Online Co., Ltd., company registration no. 0305557004821, head office in Bangkok (meetings by appointment only). About the firm |
| Lawyer of record | Khun Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence No. 3149/2556, Notarial Services Attorney registration 576/2566 |
| Languages | English, Thai and French |
| First reply | Within 24 to 48 hours |
| Consultation | 2,000 THB per hour by video or phone, paid in advance. Book a consultation |
| Fees | Fixed and published before you call. See all fees |
| Payment from abroad | PayPal, SWIFT transfer to Kasikorn Bank, or Wise |
| Apostille | Accepted in Thailand from 28 February 2027; until then, Thai embassy legalisation |
Can you trust a Thai lawyer you have never met?
Trust comes from facts you can check before you send money, not from a handshake. Before you instruct any Thai firm, remote or not, check four things:
- A licensed Thai lawyer. Under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 only Thai nationals can be licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand. Ask for the name and licence number of the licensed Thai lawyer who will handle your matter. A foreigner may manage a firm and explain the law, but cannot appear in a Thai court or sign a Thai legal opinion.
- A registered company. A real firm has a company registration number with the Department of Business Development that it can give you in writing.
- Published fees. If a firm will not state its fee before a call, you have no benchmark for what follows.
- A written engagement. The scope and the fee should be agreed in writing before any work starts.
ThaiLawOnline meets all four. Our lawyer of record is Khun Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence No. 3149/2556 and Notarial Services Attorney (registration 576/2566). The firm is ThaiLaw Online Co., Ltd., company registration number 0305557004821. Our fixed fees are on the pricing page, and an engagement letter is signed before work begins.
The law behind this page
English
Section 33 Lawyers Act B.E. 2528
Full text
A person who is not registered and licensed, or who has ceased to be a lawyer or is prohibited from practising as a lawyer, shall not plead a case in court, or draft a plaint, answer, appeal, reply to an appeal, appeal to the Supreme Court, reply to an appeal to the Supreme Court, motion or statement relating to the trial of a case in court for another person, except where this is done in the capacity of a government official performing official duties, or of an officer of a state agency, state organisation or state enterprise who is performing duties or has the power and duty to do so under the law on procedure or another law.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 35 Lawyers Act B.E. 2528
Full text
An applicant for registration and a licence must have the following qualifications: (1) being of Thai nationality; (2) being not less than 20 full years of age on the date of filing the application for registration and a licence; (3) having graduated with a bachelor's degree or associate degree in law, or holding a certificate in law comparable to not less than a bachelor's degree or associate degree, from an educational institution which the Lawyers Council considers to have an educational standard such that a holder of the bachelor's degree, associate degree or certificate is fit to be a lawyer, and being a member of the Thai Bar; (4) not being a person whose conduct is disreputable or deficient in good morals, and not having done any act showing that the person cannot be trusted in honesty and integrity; (5) not currently serving a term of imprisonment under a final judgment of imprisonment; (6) never having been sentenced to imprisonment by a final judgment in a case which the Committee considers would bring disgrace to the honour of the profession; (7) not being a person adjudged bankrupt by a final judgment; (8) not suffering from a communicable disease repugnant to society; (9) not having a physical disability or mental deficiency that renders the person deficient in capacity to practise the profession of a lawyer; (10) not being a government official or local government employee with a salary and a permanent position, except a political official; (11) not being a person prohibited from filing an application for registration and a licence under section 71.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 798
Power of attorney, form.
Full text
Where the law requires an act to be made in writing, the appointment of an agent for that act must also be made in writing. Where the law requires an act to be evidenced in writing, the appointment of an agent for that act must also be evidenced in writing.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 801
Full text
If an agent has been given general authority, the agent may do any act of management on behalf of the principal. But the agent may not do the following acts: (1) sell or mortgage immovable property; (2) let immovable property for more than three years; (3) make a gift; (4) make a compromise; (5) bring an action in court; (6) submit a dispute to arbitration.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 797
Agency is a contract by which one person (the agent) has authority to act on behalf of another (the principal) and agrees to do so. Agency may be express or implied.
Full text
Agency is a contract whereby one person, called the agent, has authority to act on behalf of another person, called the principal, and agrees so to act. Agency may be created by express or implied appointment.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1656
An ordinary written will must be made in writing, dated at the time it is made, and signed by the testator before at least two witnesses present at the same time, who must then and there sign to certify the testator's signature. An erasure, addition or other alteration is valid only if made in the same form.
Full text
A will may be made in the following form, namely: it must be made in writing and dated at the time of its making, and the testator must sign it before at least two witnesses present at the same time, who must then and there sign their names certifying the signature of the testator. No erasure, omission, addition or other alteration to such a will is valid unless it is made in the same form as is required by this section for the making of the will.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1653
A person who writes a will, or who witnesses it, cannot take a benefit under that will, and the same bar applies to that person's spouse. Where a will is made orally under Section 1663, the competent official who records what the witnesses declare counts as the writer for this purpose. This is the rule most often overlooked when a family member writes out or witnesses a will: doing so defeats the gift intended for them or for their spouse.
Full text
The writer of a will, or a witness to it, cannot be a beneficiary under that will. The preceding paragraph applies equally to the spouse of the writer of, or a witness to, the will. The competent official who records the terms of a will notified to him by witnesses under Section 1663 is deemed to be the writer of the will for the purposes of this Section.
ThaiLawOnline translation
Section 1466
Full text
A prenuptial agreement is void unless either: (a) the terms agreed as the prenuptial agreement are entered in the marriage register at the time the marriage is registered; or (b) it is made in writing, signed by the spouses and by at least two witnesses, and annexed to the marriage register, and an entry stating that the agreement is annexed is made in the marriage register at the time the marriage is registered.
ThaiLawOnline translation
ไทย
มาตรา 33 พระราชบัญญัติทนายความ พ.ศ. 2528
ข้อความเต็ม
ห้ามมิให้ผู้ซึ่งไม่ได้จดทะเบียนและรับใบอนุญาต หรือผู้ซึ่งขาดจากการเป็นทนายความหรือต้องห้ามทำการเป็นทนายความว่าความในศาล หรือแต่งฟ้อง คำให้การ ฟ้องอุทธรณ์ แก้อุทธรณ์ ฟ้องฎีกา แก้ฎีกา คำร้อง หรือคำแถลงอันเกี่ยวแก่การพิจารณาคดีในศาลให้แก่บุคคลอื่น ทั้งนี้ เว้นแต่จะได้กระทำในฐานะเป็นข้าราชการผู้ปฏิบัติการตามหน้าที่หรือเป็นเจ้าหน้าที่ของหน่วยงานของรัฐ องค์การของรัฐ หรือรัฐวิสาหกิจ ผู้ปฏิบัติการตามหน้าที่หรือมีอำนาจหน้าที่กระทำได้โดยบทบัญญัติแห่งกฎหมายว่าด้วยวิธีพิจารณาความหรือกฎหมายอื่น
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 35 พระราชบัญญัติทนายความ พ.ศ. 2528
ข้อความเต็ม
ผู้ขอจดทะเบียนและรับใบอนุญาตต้องมีคุณสมบัติดังต่อไปนี้ (๑) มีสัญชาติไทย (๒) อายุไม่ต่ำกว่ายี่สิบปีบริบูรณ์ในวันยื่นคำขอจดทะเบียนและรับใบอนุญาต (๓) สำเร็จการศึกษาระดับปริญญาตรีหรืออนุปริญญาทางนิติศาสตร์ หรือประกาศนียบัตรในวิชานิติศาสตร์ ซึ่งเทียบได้ไม่ต่ำกว่าปริญญาตรีหรืออนุปริญญาจากสถาบันการศึกษาซึ่งสภาทนายความเห็นว่าสถาบันการศึกษานั้นมีมาตรฐานการศึกษาที่ผู้ได้รับปริญญาตรีหรืออนุปริญญาหรือประกาศนียบัตรควรเป็นทนายความได้ และเป็นสมาชิกแห่งเนติบัณฑิตยสภา (๔) ไม่เป็นผู้มีความประพฤติเสื่อมเสียหรือบกพร่อง ในศีลธรรมอันดีและไม่เป็นผู้ได้กระทำการใดซึ่งแสดงให้เห็นว่าไม่น่าไว้วางใจในความซื่อสัตย์สุจริต (๕) ไม่อยู่ในระหว่างต้องโทษจำคุกโดยคำพิพากษาถึงที่สุดให้จำคุก (๖) ไม่เคยต้องโทษจำคุกโดยคำพิพากษาถึงที่สุดให้จำคุกในคดีที่คณะกรรมการเห็นว่าจะนำมาซึ่งความเสื่อมเสียเกียรติศักดิ์แห่งวิชาชีพ (๗) ไม่เป็นบุคคลผู้ต้องคำพิพากษาถึงที่สุดให้ล้มละลาย (๘) ไม่เป็นโรคติดต่อซึ่งเป็นที่รังเกียจแก่สังคม (๙) ไม่เป็นผู้มีกายพิการหรือจิตบกพร่องอันเป็นเหตุให้เป็นผู้หย่อนสมรรถภาพในการประกอบอาชีพทนายความ (๑๐) ไม่เป็นข้าราชการหรือพนักงานส่วนท้องถิ่นซึ่งมีเงินเดือนและตำแหน่งประจำเว้นแต่ข้าราชการการเมือง (๑๑) ไม่เป็นผู้ต้องห้ามมิให้ยื่นคำขอจดทะเบียนและรับใบอนุญาตตามมาตรา ๗๑
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 798
ข้อความเต็ม
กิจการอันใดท่านบังคับไว้โดยกฎหมายว่าต้องทำเป็นหนังสือ การตั้งตัวแทนเพื่อกิจการอันนั้นก็ต้องทำเป็นหนังสือด้วย กิจการอันใดท่านบังคับไว้ว่าต้องมีหลักฐานเป็นหนังสือ การตั้งตัวแทนเพื่อกิจการอันนั้นก็ต้องมีหลักฐานเป็นหนังสือด้วย
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 801
ข้อความเต็ม
ถ้าตัวแทนได้รับมอบอำนาจทั่วไป ท่านว่าจะทำกิจใด ๆ ในทางจัดการแทนตัวการก็ย่อมทำได้ทุกอย่าง แต่การเช่นอย่างจะกล่าวต่อไปนี้ ท่านว่าหาอาจจะทำได้ไม่ คือ (๑) ขายหรือจำนองอสังหาริมทรัพย์ (๒) ให้เช่าอสังหาริมทรัพย์กว่าสามปีขึ้นไป (๓) ให้ (๔) ประนีประนอมยอมความ (๕) ยื่นฟ้องต่อศาล (๖) มอบข้อพิพาทให้อนุญาโตตุลาการพิจารณา
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 797
ข้อความเต็ม
อันว่าสัญญาตัวแทนนั้น คือสัญญาซึ่งให้บุคคลคนหนึ่ง เรียกว่าตัวแทน มีอำนาจทำการแทนบุคคลอีกคนหนึ่ง เรียกว่าตัวการ และตกลงจะทำการดังนั้น อันความเป็นตัวแทนนั้นจะเป็นโดยตั้งแต่งแสดงออกชัดหรือโดยปริยายก็ย่อมได้
ข้อความจากฐานข้อมูลประมวลกฎหมายของเรา โปรดตรวจสอบกับข้อความทางการ (Thai text from our annotated code. Check it against the official text.)
มาตรา 1656
ข้อความเต็ม
พินัยกรรมนั้น จะทำตามแบบดังนี้ก็ได้ กล่าวคือต้องทำเป็นหนังสือลงวัน เดือน ปี ในขณะที่ทำขึ้น และผู้ทำพินัยกรรมต้องลงลายมือชื่อไว้ต่อหน้าพยานอย่างน้อยสองคนพร้อมกัน ซึ่งพยานสองคนนั้นต้องลงลายมือชื่อรับรองลายมือชื่อของผู้ทำพินัยกรรมไว้ในขณะนั้น การขูดลบ ตก เติม หรือการแก้ไขเปลี่ยนแปลงอย่างอื่นซึ่งพินัยกรรมนั้นย่อมไม่สมบูรณ์ เว้นแต่จะได้ปฏิบัติตามแบบอย่างเดียวกับการทำพินัยกรรมตามมาตรานี้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1653
ข้อความเต็ม
ผู้เขียน หรือพยานในพินัยกรรมจะเป็นผู้รับทรัพย์ตามพินัยกรรมนั้นไม่ได้ ให้ใช้บทบัญญัติในวรรคก่อนบังคับแก่คู่สมรสของผู้เขียนหรือพยานในพินัยกรรมด้วย พนักงานเจ้าหน้าที่ซึ่งได้จดข้อความแห่งพินัยกรรมที่พยานนำมาแจ้งตามมาตรา ๑๖๖๓ ให้ถือว่าเป็นผู้เขียนพินัยกรรมตามความหมายแห่งมาตรานี้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
มาตรา 1466
ข้อความเต็ม
สัญญาก่อนสมรสเป็นโมฆะ ถ้ามิได้จดแจ้งข้อตกลงกันเป็นสัญญาก่อนสมรสนั้นไว้ในทะเบียนสมรสพร้อมกับการจดทะเบียนสมรส หรือมิได้ทำเป็นหนังสือลงลายมือชื่อคู่สมรสและพยานอย่างน้อยสองคนแนบไว้ท้ายทะเบียนสมรส และได้จดไว้ในทะเบียนสมรสพร้อมกับการจดทะเบียนสมรสว่าได้มีสัญญานั้นแนบไว้
ตรงตามข้อความในราชกิจจานุเบกษา / สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา (Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State)
Français
Article 33 Lawyers Act B.E. 2528
Sans inscription ni licence, ou après cessation ou interdiction d'exercice, nul ne peut plaider ni rédiger pour autrui des actes de procédure, sauf fonctionnaire ou agent d'un organisme ou d'une entreprise d'État agissant dans ses fonctions ou habilité par la loi.
résumé non officiel
Article 35 Lawyers Act B.E. 2528
Onze conditions : nationalité thaïe, 20 ans révolus, diplôme de droit reconnu et qualité de membre du Thai Bar, moralité et honnêteté, absence de peine d'emprisonnement disqualifiante, de faillite, de maladie contagieuse réprouvée, d'incapacité professionnelle, de fonction publique salariée (sauf politique) et d'interdiction selon l'article 71.
résumé non officiel
Article 798
Si la loi exige un écrit pour un acte, le mandat pour cet acte doit être écrit; si elle exige une preuve écrite, le mandat doit aussi être prouvé par écrit.
résumé non officiel
Article 801
Le mandataire investi d'un pouvoir général peut accomplir tout acte de gestion pour le compte du mandant. Toutefois, il ne peut accomplir les actes suivants : (1) vendre ou hypothéquer un immeuble ; (2) donner un immeuble à bail pour plus de trois ans ; (3) faire une donation ; (4) transiger ; (5) intenter une action en justice ; (6) soumettre un litige à l'arbitrage.
résumé non officiel
Article 797
Le mandat est le contrat donnant à une personne, le mandataire, le pouvoir d'agir pour une autre, le mandant, et par lequel elle accepte d'agir ainsi. Il peut être exprès ou tacite.
résumé non officiel
Article 1656
Le testament peut être fait dans la forme suivante, à savoir : il doit être fait par écrit et daté du jour, du mois et de l'année au moment de sa confection, et le testateur doit le signer devant au moins deux témoins présents simultanément, lesquels doivent alors, au même moment, apposer leur signature pour attester la signature du testateur. Tout grattage, omission, ajout ou autre modification apporté à ce testament est sans effet, à moins d'avoir été fait dans la même forme que celle prescrite par le présent article pour la confection du testament.
résumé non officiel
Article 1653
Le rédacteur ou un témoin du testament, ainsi que leur conjoint, ne peuvent en être bénéficiaires. L'agent qui a consigné les dispositions rapportées par les témoins selon l'article 1663 est réputé rédacteur.
résumé non officiel
Article 1466
Le contrat de mariage est nul, à moins que les stipulations convenues à titre de contrat de mariage n'aient été inscrites au registre des mariages lors de l'enregistrement du mariage, ou qu'il n'ait été établi par écrit, signé par les époux et par au moins deux témoins, annexé au registre des mariages, et que mention de cette annexe n'ait été portée au registre des mariages lors de l'enregistrement du mariage.
résumé non officiel
Supreme Court decisions
Sources
- Lawyers Act B.E. 2528, retrieved 2 November 2026
- Civil and Commercial Code, Office of the Council of State, retrieved 31 October 2026
- deka.supremecourt.or.th, Supreme Court of Thailand decisions database (copy held in our library), retrieved 19 February 2026
Hire a Thai lawyer from abroad: what can be done remotely
The table below shows, for our most requested services, what can be done from your home country and what needs an original document or a visit. Fees are the fixed firm fees published on our pricing page on 28 September 2026. Government fees (Land Office, embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalisation, certified translation) are charged at cost, with the official receipt.
| Service | Firm fee | From abroad? | What needs an original or a visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Will (bilingual Thai and English) | 3,900 THB; 5,000 THB with a Living Will | Yes | You sign where you live, in front of two witnesses present at the same time (Civil and Commercial Code, s.1656). A witness cannot be a beneficiary (s.1653). |
| Living Will | 1,900 THB drafted; 590 THB if you build it online | Yes | Nothing in Thailand. You sign at home following our bilingual signing guide. |
| Power of attorney | 3,900 THB | Yes | Signed at a Thai embassy or consulate, or before a notary and then legalised by the Thai embassy. The original is posted to Thailand. |
| Notarisation | 950 THB per document | Yes, by video conference | Your signed originals by post; returned by courier or EMS. |
| Usufruct agreement | 3,900 THB | Drafting, yes | Registration at the Land Office: you attend, or your representative attends with a Tor Dor 21 signed by you. |
| Condominium purchase package | 19,900 THB; 34,900 THB if we attend the transfer | Due diligence and contract review, yes | Transfer at the Land Office: you attend, or you grant an Or Chor 21 power of attorney. |
| Prenuptial agreement | 8,900 THB | Drafting, yes | Signed and registered with the marriage at the district office on the same day (s.1466). Both of you attend. |
| Divorce by mutual consent | 9,900 THB | Agreement, yes | Each spouse signs in person at a district office. A spouse abroad can sign at a Thai registry abroad, but it is slow; a court divorce by consent under a power of attorney is often the better route. |
| Police Clearance Certificate | 4,400 THB for applicants outside Thailand | Yes | Your originals sent to us; we apply for you under a power of attorney and email you the scan. |
| Legal research report | 4,900 THB | Yes | Nothing. |
| Consultation | 2,000 THB per hour | Yes, by video or phone | Nothing. |
| Contested divorce, litigation, probate | Quoted after consultation | Largely | The court decides when a party or a witness must attend. We tell you at the start which steps need you. |
Your first week as a remote client
- Email us at info@thailawonline.com with a short description of the matter, your country and time zone, and your preferred language (English, Thai or French). WhatsApp on +66 87 225 1340 works too.
- We reply within 24 to 48 hours with the next step: the fixed fee if your matter is a fixed-fee service, or a consultation if it is not.
- For a fixed-fee service, you can order online and follow the matter in your client portal: upload documents against a checklist, read the draft, approve it and sign.
- For anything else, we hold a one-hour video consultation (2,000 THB, paid in advance) on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or LINE. A written, itemised quote follows within 48 hours, and the consultation fee is credited against the fee if you go ahead.
- An engagement letter is signed before any work begins. No work starts on a verbal estimate.
First drafts are usually ready three to five business days after payment and complete information for a will, about five working days for a prenuptial agreement, and five to seven for a usufruct agreement. Review, revision and signing follow on your schedule, not ours.
Signing Thai documents outside Thailand
This is where remote clients lose the most time. The rule is simple: the office that receives the document decides what it accepts, and a Thai office wants to be able to verify who signed.
Power of attorney: which form, and how to sign it
A power of attorney lets a representative act for you in Thailand (Civil and Commercial Code, sections 797 onwards). If the act itself must be in writing, the appointment must be in writing too (section 798). A general power does not cover the sale or mortgage of land or other immovable property, a lease of immovable property for more than three years, a gift, a compromise, filing a lawsuit or referring a dispute to arbitration: those need express authority (section 801).
Each office also has its own form: the Tor Dor 21 for land and houses, the Or Chor 21 for condominium units, the court’s own appointment form for litigation, and in-house forms at banks and immigration. A generic power of attorney drafted in your home country is usually refused by a Land Office.
If you sign outside Thailand, there are two accepted routes:
- Sign at a Thai embassy or consulate, which certifies your signature.
- Sign before a notary public in your country, complete any foreign-ministry or apostille step your country uses, then have the document legalised by the Thai embassy or consulate.
If you live in the United States, the steps take place at a local notary public and at the Thai embassy or consulate-general that covers your state. We draft the document, explain it line by line on a video call, and send you written signing instructions for your country before you book the appointment.
Legalisation now, apostille from 28 February 2027
Thailand deposited its accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026. The Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, and then only with member states that did not object by 30 December 2026. Until that date an apostille on its own is not accepted in Thailand. A foreign document still needs legalisation by the Thai embassy or consulate, a certified Thai translation, and legalisation at the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok (200 THB per stamp, or 400 THB for same-day service). Allow about a month for the full chain. From 28 February 2027, a document apostilled in a member state that did not object will need only the apostille and a Thai translation.
Originals, scans and couriers
A scan is enough for us to review, draft and advise. It is not enough where the law or the office requires an original: a Land Office power of attorney, a signed will, a notarised document or a court filing. For those, email us a scan first, wait for our confirmation, then send the original by an international courier such as DHL or FedEx and keep the tracking number. Checking the scan first prevents the most common delay: an original that arrives in Bangkok with a blank line or a correction, which a Land Office will refuse. If you prefer, bring the originals on your next trip; we hold the file ready so the remaining step takes one visit.
Paying a Thai law firm from overseas
Fees are in Thai baht. From abroad you can pay through PayPal, by international SWIFT transfer to our Kasikorn Bank account (account name ThaiLaw Online Co., Ltd., SWIFT code KASITHBK), or by Wise, which usually costs less than a bank wire. Fixed-fee services and consultations are paid in advance. Larger matters are invoiced in stages tied to deliverables, with a receipt for every payment. Government fees are passed through at cost, with the official receipt.
Being abroad does not change the fee. Remote work costs us nothing extra, so it costs you nothing extra.
When you do need to be in Thailand
A few steps require you in person, or a representative holding the right power of attorney:
- Marriage registration, and the prenuptial agreement registered with it (section 1466).
- A divorce by mutual consent at the district office, unless you sign at a Thai registry abroad or choose a court divorce with a power of attorney.
- A Land Office transfer or registration, unless you sign a Tor Dor 21 or Or Chor 21.
- A court hearing where the judge requires you personally, for example to testify. Your Thai lawyer attends everything else.
- Some immigration and banking steps, such as a permanent residence interview or opening a Thai bank account.
Everything before and after those steps can be done from home.
Five mistakes foreign clients make
- Sending a home-country power of attorney to a Land Office. Even apostilled, it is usually refused. Use the Tor Dor 21 or Or Chor 21, and until 28 February 2027 add Thai embassy legalisation.
- Signing a blank Tor Dor 21 for a broker, developer or partner to complete later. It hands over real control of the property.
- Asking a beneficiary to witness your will. The gift to that witness, or to the witness’s spouse, is void (section 1653).
- Paying someone who cannot give you a Thai licence number. Consultants and agents cannot represent you in a Thai court.
- Posting originals before anyone has checked a scan. One correction on a form costs a second courier and weeks.
Who will handle your file
Your matter is handled by our Thai lawyers under the supervision of Khun Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., licensed Thai lawyer and Notarial Services Attorney, with the firm since 2013. Documents for Thai courts and government offices are prepared in Thai; you receive bilingual versions where the service includes them.
Sébastien Brousseau, LL.B., the Managing Director, was trained in both civil law and common law at the Université de Montréal and has lived in Thailand since 2004. As a foreign national he does not practise Thai law: he manages the firm and explains Thai outcomes, in English or French, to clients who grew up with common law assumptions. That translation between legal cultures is often what a foreign client needs most. Thailand is a civil law country: a contract is read against the Civil and Commercial Code rather than a body of precedent, and many things settled by a lawyer’s letter at home are settled here by a registration at a government office. Meet the team.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire a Thai lawyer without travelling to Thailand?
Yes. Most legal work for foreigners in Thailand (wills, powers of attorney, usufruct and lease agreements, condominium due diligence, notarisation, police clearance certificates and legal research) can be handled by email and video call. You travel only for steps that require personal attendance, such as marriage registration, or a Land Office transfer when you do not grant a power of attorney.
How do I check that a Thai lawyer is licensed?
Ask for the lawyer’s full name and Thai Bar licence number. Only Thai nationals can be licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528, and notarial acts must be performed by a lawyer registered as a Notarial Services Attorney. A foreign consultant can manage a firm and explain the law but cannot represent you in a Thai court.
Can I sign a power of attorney for Thailand in my home country?
Yes. Sign before a notary public and have the signature legalised by the Thai embassy or consulate, or sign directly at the Thai embassy or consulate. For the Land Office, use the prescribed Tor Dor 21 form for land and houses or the Or Chor 21 form for condominium units rather than a generic power of attorney.
Does Thailand accept apostilles?
Not yet on their own. Thailand deposited its accession to the Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026 and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, only with member states that did not object. Until then, a foreign document needs Thai embassy legalisation, a certified Thai translation and legalisation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.
Is a scanned signature enough for a Thai law firm?
For review, drafting and correspondence, yes. For a Land Office power of attorney, a signed will, a notarised document or a court filing, the original is required and must reach Thailand. Email a scan first so it can be checked before you post the original.
How do I pay a Thai law firm from overseas?
ThaiLawOnline accepts PayPal, international SWIFT transfers to Kasikorn Bank, and Wise. Fees are in Thai baht, fixed-fee services and consultations are paid in advance, and government fees are charged at cost with the official receipt.
Does using a Thai lawyer remotely cost more?
No. ThaiLawOnline’s published fixed fees are the same for clients in Thailand and abroad. The only extra costs are ones you would pay anyway: courier charges, embassy fees and certified translations.
Can I make a Thai will while living abroad?
Yes. A Thai will is valid if it is in writing, dated, and signed by you in front of two witnesses who are present at the same time and sign it then and there (Civil and Commercial Code, section 1656). It can be signed in your home country. A witness, or a witness’s spouse, cannot benefit under the will (section 1653). A bilingual Last Will from ThaiLawOnline is 3,900 THB.
Can I get divorced in Thailand without travelling?
Often, yes. In a divorce by mutual consent at the district office each spouse signs in person, although a spouse abroad can sign at a Thai registry abroad. When that is impractical, a court divorce by consent can be filed by a Thai lawyer acting under a notarised and legalised power of attorney.
How quickly will a Thai law firm answer me?
ThaiLawOnline replies to new enquiries within 24 to 48 hours, and a written quote for matters that are not fixed-fee follows within 48 hours of the consultation. Consultations are held by video on Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or LINE.
Start your matter from home
Email info@thailawonline.com, or call or WhatsApp +66 87 225 1340 (English and French) or +66 87 414 9288 (Thai and English). LINE: @852pntmy. Tell us your situation, your country and time zone, and your preferred language. If you already know what you need, order a fixed-fee service online; if not, book a consultation.
Last reviewed: 28 September 2026. Fees checked against the firm’s fee source on that date. Civil and Commercial Code sections 797, 798, 801, 1466, 1653 and 1656; apostille dates checked against the Hague Conference announcement of Thailand’s accession. Land Office, district office and embassy practice varies by office and country and is confirmed for each matter.
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