Legal advisory and case support in Thailand
Contract drafting and review, employment matters, family and property work, commercial disputes and PDPA compliance, handled by licensed Thai lawyers with document work coordinated in one place.
Quick answer
Legal advice in Thailand is reserved work: court representation is carried out by lawyers licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985). IVC scopes the matter, identifies the governing instrument (Civil and Commercial Code, Labour Protection Act, Land Code, PDPA and others), and sets out the realistic procedural route with the documents each step consumes. No page on this site states fees or guarantees an outcome — the engagement terms are agreed with staff directly.
Contracts and commercial documents
Contract formation, validity and remedies sit in the Civil and Commercial Code. The practical questions for a cross-border client are usually governing law, dispute resolution forum, language of the controlling version, stamp duty exposure and whether the signatory has authority under the company affidavit.
Where a Thai-language and an English-language version both exist, the contract should state which version controls. Thai courts work in Thai and will require a translation of a foreign-language exhibit, so a controlled bilingual version drafted at signature is cheaper than a litigation translation later.
Employment and workplace matters
The Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998) as amended sets minimum terms: working hours, leave, severance bands tied to length of service, and the grounds on which severance is not payable. Employment of foreign nationals additionally requires the correct work authorisation before duties begin.
Termination disputes are heard in the Labour Court, which has its own conciliation-first procedure. Documentary discipline — written warnings, signed job descriptions, attendance records — determines most outcomes long before a hearing.
Family, succession and status matters
Marriage, divorce, parental power, legitimation and adoption sit in Book V of the Civil and Commercial Code; succession, wills and estate administration sit in Book VI. A foreign element (foreign spouse, foreign assets, a will made abroad) usually means two systems have to be reconciled rather than one applied.
Documents issued abroad and used in Thailand — or Thai documents used abroad — need the correct authentication chain. Thailand acceded to the HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention and the Convention entered into force for Thailand on 22 December 2024, so documents destined for another Contracting Party are now certified with an Apostille issued by the Department of Consular Affairs instead of the older embassy legalisation chain.
Property and land
The Land Code restricts land ownership by foreign nationals, while condominium units may be owned by foreigners within the foreign-ownership quota set by the Condominium Act. Structures such as long leases, usufruct and superficies each carry different registration and duration rules at the Land Department.
Every transfer, mortgage or registered lease is executed at the Land Office; the officer checks identity, capacity, marital status declarations and the source of funds documentation for foreign buyers.
Personal data compliance
The PDPA applies to organisations processing personal data in Thailand and, in defined cases, to overseas controllers targeting people in Thailand. Practical compliance work is a data map, a lawful-basis matrix, notices, processor agreements, a retention schedule and a breach procedure — not a single policy document.
Document checklist
- A short written chronology of the matter with dates
- The contracts, notices and correspondence already exchanged
- Company affidavit and objectives (for corporate parties), issued recently
- Identity documents of the parties and any power of attorney relied on
- Any court or agency deadline already running, with the document that set it
- For property work: title deed copy, marital status documents, funds evidence
Before you engage
- Get advice before signing, not after: most cross-border problems we see are drafting problems, not litigation problems.
- Check limitation periods early — Thai prescription periods differ by cause of action and are not extended by negotiation.
- Keep originals; Thai offices and courts frequently want to sight the original even when a copy has been filed.
- Ask what the realistic procedural timeline is, including agency processing that no lawyer controls.
Common pitfalls
- Relying on an English-only contract for a matter that will be enforced in a Thai court.
- Assuming a foreign will automatically governs Thai-situs assets without any Thai process.
- Treating a nominee shareholding structure as a lawful workaround to ownership restrictions.
- Starting employment duties before work authorisation is in place.
Frequently asked questions
Who may represent me in a Thai court?
Only a lawyer holding a licence issued under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985) and registered with the Lawyers Council of Thailand may appear as counsel. Advisers without that licence can assist with documents and coordination but cannot conduct the case.
Can a foreigner own land in Thailand?
As a general rule, no — the Land Code restricts land ownership by foreign nationals, with narrow statutory exceptions. Foreign nationals may own condominium units within the building's foreign-ownership quota under the Condominium Act, and may hold registered rights such as long leases, usufruct or superficies over land.
How is severance pay calculated?
The Labour Protection Act sets severance in bands based on continuous service length, with statutory exclusions for defined serious misconduct. The applicable band, the wage base used and any contractual enhancement must be checked against the actual employment record.
Do I need my foreign documents legalised for use here?
Usually yes. Since 22 December 2024 Thailand is a Contracting Party to the 1961 Apostille Convention, so a public document from another Contracting Party is normally certified by an Apostille from that country's competent authority. Documents from non-Contracting States still follow the consular legalisation chain. Thai receiving offices also require a Thai translation.
Does the PDPA apply to a small company?
The PDPA does not exempt organisations by size. Some obligations, such as appointing a Data Protection Officer, are triggered by the nature and scale of processing rather than by headcount, so the analysis is activity-based.
What does an engagement cost?
Fees are not published on this site because scope, forum and document volume vary widely. Staff will scope the matter and set out the engagement terms by phone, LINE or email.
Primary sources
- Lawyers Council of Thailand — Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985) and licensing
- Ministry of Labour — Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998)
- Department of Lands — Land Code and registration procedure
- HCCH — Apostille Convention — status table (Thailand, in force 22 Dec 2024)
Reviewed as of 2026-08-04. General guidance only, not case-specific advice and not a guarantee of outcome. Fees, conditions and processing times are set by the responsible authority and can change. This site does not publish prices — please ask our staff.
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