{"id":6591,"date":"2026-09-05T19:09:39","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/glossary\/court-fees\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T19:23:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T12:23:27","slug":"court-fees","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/court-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"Court Fees in Thai Civil Cases (2% Rule and Caps)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>\u0e04\u0e48\u0e32\u0e18\u0e23\u0e23\u0e21\u0e40\u0e19\u0e35\u0e22\u0e21\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25<\/strong> (\u0e04\u0e48\u0e32\u0e18\u0e23\u0e23\u0e21\u0e40\u0e19\u0e35\u0e22\u0e21\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25, <em>kha thammaniam san<\/em>, sometimes <em>kha thamniam sarn<\/em>) are the sums a party pays the court to file and pursue a civil case in Thailand, fixed by the fee table annexed to the Civil Procedure Code. For a money claim the fee is 2% of the amount claimed, capped at 200,000 baht, with 0.1% on any part of the claim above 50 million baht. The fee is paid when the claim is filed, so it is the first cost a foreigner meets in litigation and the one that decides whether a small claim is worth bringing.<\/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-fee-table-says\">What the fee table says<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#practical-points-for-a-foreigner-funding-a-case\">Practical points for a foreigner funding a case<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#court-fees-compared-across-the-courts\">Court fees compared across the courts<\/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-fee-table-says\">What the fee table says<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Monetary claims.<\/strong> The plaintiff pays 2% of the amount in dispute, up to 200,000 baht; above 50 million baht the excess attracts 0.1%. A 1 million baht debt therefore costs 20,000 baht to file, and a 20 million baht claim costs 200,000 baht. A claim that cannot be valued in money, such as an order to vacate land or to register a right, carries a flat fee of 200 baht. Small claims filed under the summary procedure for amounts up to 300,000 baht pay 2% capped at 1,000 baht.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Appeals and enforcement.<\/strong> The same 2% applies again to the amount contested on appeal to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/court-of-appeal\/\">\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25\u0e2d\u0e38\u0e17\u0e18\u0e23\u0e13\u0e4c<\/a> and once more on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/supreme-court-dika\/\">dika<\/a> appeal. Enforcing the judgment through the Legal Execution Department costs a further percentage of what is actually recovered. Some courts charge nothing: the Labour Court is free to employees, and a consumer suing a business under the consumer case procedure is exempt.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"practical-points-for-a-foreigner-funding-a-case\">Practical points for a foreigner funding a case<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Who pays in the end.<\/strong> The court has discretion to order the losing party to reimburse the winner&#8217;s court fees, and usually does, together with a contribution to lawyer&#8217;s fees under a tariff that caps the award at a small percentage of the claim, far below what a lawyer actually charged. A party who cannot afford the fee may apply to the court to be excused from it, with evidence of means.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p><strong>Other costs<\/strong> are separate: the lawyer&#8217;s fee, translation of every foreign language exhibit into Thai, a court interpreter for a foreign witness, and service by publication if the defendant cannot be found. The common mistake is to inflate the claim. Adding speculative damages to a solid debt raises the fee, and the inflated part is rarely awarded and rarely reimbursed. Claim what can be proved, and add interest, which since 2021 runs at 5% per year from default. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/legal-fees\/\">\u0e04\u0e48\u0e32\u0e18\u0e23\u0e23\u0e21\u0e40\u0e19\u0e35\u0e22\u0e21\u0e17\u0e32\u0e07\u0e01\u0e0e\u0e2b\u0e21\u0e32\u0e22<\/a> page explains that government fees are passed on at cost.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"court-fees-compared-across-the-courts\">Court fees compared across the courts<\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>\u0e01\u0e23\u0e13\u0e35<\/th><th>Court fee<\/th><th>\u0e1a\u0e31\u0e19\u0e17\u0e36\u0e01<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Debt or damages up to 300,000 baht (small claims)<\/td><td>2%, maximum 1,000 baht<\/td><td>Summary procedure<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Money claim, ordinary civil case<\/td><td>2%, maximum 200,000 baht<\/td><td>0.1% on the part above 50 million baht<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Claim not valued in money<\/td><td>200 baht<\/td><td>Eviction, registration, declaration<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Divorce, custody, probate<\/td><td>200 baht unless property is claimed<\/td><td>\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25\u0e40\u0e22\u0e32\u0e27\u0e0a\u0e19\u0e41\u0e25\u0e30\u0e04\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e23\u0e31\u0e27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Unpaid wages or severance<\/td><td>\u0e44\u0e21\u0e48\u0e21\u0e35<\/td><td>Labour Court<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Criminal complaint by a victim<\/td><td>\u0e44\u0e21\u0e48\u0e21\u0e35<\/td><td>Civil claim attached to prosecution also free<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><p>A civil claim joined to a criminal prosecution is fee free, which is why a defrauded foreigner often files a criminal complaint before, or instead of, a civil action. The trade off is that the criminal court awards only the loss it can readily quantify.<\/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\">How much does it cost to file a civil case in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>The court fee is 2% of the amount claimed, capped at 200,000 baht, with 0.1% on any part of the claim above 50 million baht. Claims that cannot be valued in money cost 200 baht. The fee is paid on filing and is separate from lawyer&#8217;s fees, translation and interpreter costs.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Does the loser pay the court fees in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Usually. The court has discretion to order the losing party to reimburse the winner&#8217;s court fees and a modest contribution to lawyer&#8217;s fees under a statutory tariff. The contribution is far below actual legal costs, so a winning party still bears most of its own lawyer&#8217;s bill.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Are there court fees for a labour case or a divorce in Thailand?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>The Labour Court charges no fee to an employee claiming wages or severance. A divorce, custody or probate petition in the Juvenile and Family Court carries the flat 200 baht fee for a non-monetary claim, but if a spouse also claims a share of property or maintenance, the 2% fee applies to that amount.<\/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\/court-of-first-instance\/\">Courts of first instance<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/court-of-appeal\/\">\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25\u0e2d\u0e38\u0e17\u0e18\u0e23\u0e13\u0e4c<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/damages\/\">\u0e04\u0e48\u0e32\u0e40\u0e2a\u0e35\u0e22\u0e2b\u0e32\u0e22<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/glossary\/labour-court\/\">Labour Court<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/legal-fees\/\">Legal fees in Thailand<\/a> \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/thai-legal-system-explained\/\">Thai legal system explained<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Court fees (\u0e04\u0e48\u0e32\u0e18\u0e23\u0e23\u0e21\u0e40\u0e19\u0e35\u0e22\u0e21\u0e28\u0e32\u0e25, kha thammaniam san, sometimes kha thamniam sarn) are the sums a party pays the court to file [&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 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":"court fees thailand","rank_math_title":"Court Fees in Thailand: 2% Rule and the Caps | ThaiLawOnline","rank_math_description":"Court fees in Thailand for civil cases: 2% of the amount claimed capped at 200,000 baht, 0.1% above 50 million, who pays in the end and which courts are free.","rank_math_breadcrumb_title":""},"class_list":["post-6591","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6591","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=6591"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6717,"href":"https:\/\/www.thailawonline.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6591\/revisions\/6717"}],"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=6591"}],"curies":[{"name":"\u0e14\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e40\u0e1a\u0e34\u0e25\u0e22\u0e39\u0e1e\u0e35","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}