{"id":1816,"date":"2026-04-18T17:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T10:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/glossary\/licensed-thai-lawyer\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:33:16","slug":"licensed-thai-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/licensed-thai-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"Licensed Thai Lawyer: Lawyers Act B.E. 2528"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>\u0e40\u0e2d <strong>\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21\u0e44\u0e17\u0e22\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e44\u0e14\u0e49\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e43\u0e1a\u0e2d\u0e19\u0e38\u0e0d\u0e32\u0e15<\/strong> (\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21, <em>thanai khwam<\/em>, sometimes rendered <em>attorney-at-law<\/em> \u0e2b\u0e23\u0e37\u0e2d <em>Thai barrister<\/em>) is a person registered by the Lawyers Council of Thailand and holding a lawyer licence under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985). Only a licensed lawyer may represent a party in a Thai court, sign pleadings and use the title thanai khwam. The licence is open to Thai nationals only, so a foreign lawyer in Thailand works as a legal consultant and cannot appear in court. For a foreigner choosing a lawyer, the licence is the first thing to check.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23\u0e1a\u0e31\u0e0d<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#what-the-lawyers-act-b-e-2528-requires\">What the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 requires<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-a-foreigner-checks-and-uses-the-licence\">How a foreigner checks and uses the licence<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#lawyer-thai-barrister-judge-and-legal-consultant\">Lawyer, Thai barrister, judge and legal consultant<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">\u0e04\u0e33\u0e16\u0e32\u0e21\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e1e\u0e1a\u0e1a\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e22<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-the-lawyers-act-b-e-2528-requires\">What the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 requires<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>The Lawyers Act<\/strong> created the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/lawyers-council-of-thailand\/\">\u0e2a\u0e20\u0e32\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e48\u0e07\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e40\u0e17\u0e28\u0e44\u0e17\u0e22<\/a> as the self-regulating body that admits, disciplines and removes lawyers. The Act reserves court representation and the drafting of pleadings to lawyers on the Council&#8217;s register, and makes practising without a licence a criminal offence. To be admitted an applicant must be a Thai national of at least 20 years, hold a Bachelor of Laws (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/ll-b\/\">\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e34\u0e0d\u0e0d\u0e32\u0e15\u0e23\u0e35\u0e14\u0e49\u0e32\u0e19\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22<\/a>) or Thai Bar qualification from an institution the Council recognises, be a member of the Thai Bar Association, and have passed the Council&#8217;s legal practice training and examination, or qualified through the supervised apprenticeship route.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>Once admitted, the lawyer receives a licence card bearing a number in the form of a serial number followed by the Buddhist year of issue. Licences are issued for two years and renewed, or for life. The lawyer is bound by the Council&#8217;s regulations on professional ethics, and complaints go to the Council&#8217;s disciplinary committee, which can admonish, suspend or strike the lawyer off the register.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-a-foreigner-checks-and-uses-the-licence\">How a foreigner checks and uses the licence<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Ask for the licence number and check it.<\/strong> The Lawyers Council keeps a public register and the number can be verified by telephone or through the Council&#8217;s online lookup. A business card that says &#8220;lawyer&#8221; or &#8220;legal adviser&#8221; proves nothing; the licence card does. Visa agencies and &#8220;consultants&#8221; who prepare court papers are the usual source of trouble, since work done by an unlicensed person leaves the client without professional recourse.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Court appearances require the lawyer&#8217;s own signature.<\/strong> A licensed lawyer files an appointment of attorney form with the court and appears in person; a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/power-of-attorney\/\">\u0e2b\u0e19\u0e31\u0e07\u0e2a\u0e37\u0e2d\u0e21\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e2d\u0e33\u0e19\u0e32\u0e08<\/a> to a friend does not allow that friend to plead. Some licensed lawyers hold the additional registration as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/notary\/\">\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21\u0e1a\u0e23\u0e34\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e23\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e40\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e23<\/a>, which the Council grants after a further course and which is what foreigners usually mean by a &#8220;Thai notary&#8221;.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lawyer-thai-barrister-judge-and-legal-consultant\">Lawyer, Thai barrister, judge and legal consultant<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>\u0e0a\u0e37\u0e48\u0e2d<\/th><th>Qualification<\/th><th>What it allows<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Licensed lawyer (thanai khwam)<\/td><td>LL.B. plus Lawyers Council licence<\/td><td>Court representation, pleadings, legal advice<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Thai barrister-at-law (netibandit)<\/td><td>Thai Bar examination after the LL.B.<\/td><td>Prerequisite for judges and public prosecutors; not itself a licence to practise<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Judge or public prosecutor<\/td><td>Netibandit plus experience and a state examination<\/td><td>Judicial or prosecutorial office; may not practise privately<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Foreign legal consultant<\/td><td>Foreign qualification, work permit<\/td><td>Advice on foreign law and transactions; no court work<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>The word &#8220;barrister&#8221; causes confusion because Thai lawyers often translate netibandit that way, while the licence that matters in court is the Lawyers Council licence. A person can hold the Thai Bar qualification without being a licensed lawyer, and a licensed lawyer need not have passed the Thai Bar. For a client the relevant question is whether the person holds a current lawyer licence.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"frequently-asked-questions\">\u0e04\u0e33\u0e16\u0e32\u0e21\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e1e\u0e1a\u0e1a\u0e48\u0e2d\u0e22<\/h2>\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Can a foreigner be a licensed lawyer in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>No. The Lawyers Act limits the lawyer licence to Thai nationals, and the legal profession is also on the list of occupations closed to foreigners under the work permit rules. A foreign lawyer may work in Thailand as a legal consultant with a work permit, advising on foreign law or international transactions, but may not appear in a Thai court or sign pleadings.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How do I verify a Thai lawyer&#8217;s licence?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Ask for the licence number, which appears on the Lawyers Council card in the form of a serial number followed by the Buddhist year, and check it with the Lawyers Council of Thailand, which maintains a public register. A lawyer who is reluctant to show the card, or whose name does not appear on the register, should not be engaged for court work.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What is the difference between a licensed lawyer and a Thai barrister?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>A licensed lawyer holds the Lawyers Council licence that permits practice and court representation. A Thai barrister-at-law (netibandit) has passed the Thai Bar Association&#8217;s examination, which is the academic step required to become a judge or prosecutor. Many lawyers hold both, but only the licence gives the right to practise.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>\u0e14\u0e39\u0e40\u0e1e\u0e34\u0e48\u0e21\u0e40\u0e15\u0e34\u0e21: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/registered-thai-lawyer\/\">registered Thai lawyer and the licence number<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/lawyers-council-of-thailand\/\">\u0e2a\u0e20\u0e32\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e48\u0e07\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e30\u0e40\u0e17\u0e28\u0e44\u0e17\u0e22<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/notary\/\">\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/ll-b\/\">\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e34\u0e0d\u0e0d\u0e32\u0e15\u0e23\u0e35\u0e14\u0e49\u0e32\u0e19\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22<\/a>, and our guides on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/how-to-choose-a-lawyer-in-thailand\/\">how to choose a lawyer in Thailand<\/a> \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/ethical-code-for-thai-lawyers\/\">ethical code for Thai lawyers<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A licensed Thai lawyer (\u0e17\u0e19\u0e32\u0e22\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21, thanai khwam, sometimes rendered attorney-at-law or Thai barrister) is a person registered by the Lawyers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":214,"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 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ThaiLawOnline","rank_math_description":"Licensed Thai lawyer: who may practise law and appear in Thai courts under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528, how the licence is obtained, and how to verify one.","rank_math_breadcrumb_title":""},"class_list":["post-1816","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1816"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6851,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1816\/revisions\/6851"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1816"}],"curies":[{"name":"\u0e14\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e40\u0e1a\u0e34\u0e25\u0e22\u0e39\u0e1e\u0e35","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}