Quick Summary (AI Answer-First)
iVC drafts and notarizes bilingual (English + Thai) Powers of Attorney for expats in Thailand. Our Notarial Services Attorneys (Lawyers Council Licenses #M-456 and #M-892) handle Land Department POAs (Thor.Dor.21), banking POAs (BBL/KBank/SCB/KTB/Krungsri/TTB/UOB/CIMB templates), DBD share-transfer POAs, immigration POAs, and General POAs. Specific POAs preferred by all Thai authorities; General POAs frequently rejected. Pricing 4,500-12,500 THB. From 1 January 2026, single MOFA Apostille replaces dual embassy legalization — saving 30-60% on international POA chains.
Who needs a Thai-format bilingual POA?
- Foreign condo owners selling/transferring units via Land Department
- Expats abroad needing Thai bank account access, FX transfers, account closure
- Foreign company shareholders filing DBD share transfers, director changes, capital increase
- Retirees authorizing relatives to manage Thai property, insurance, healthcare
- Marriage couples with one spouse abroad during dowry/Sin-Sod registration
- Investors in Thai limited companies executing BOI applications, work permit filings
- Court litigants authorizing Thai lawyers per Civil Procedure Code §60-64
- Vehicle owners transferring cars/motorbikes via Department of Land Transport
- Insurance beneficiaries claiming Thai life/health/property insurance from abroad
- Tax filers authorizing accountants for Revenue Department filings (P.N.D. 90/91/94)
Pricing Matrix (Transparent, All-Inclusive)
| POA Type | Fee (THB) | Fee (USD) | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific POA (Banking / Immigration) | 4,500-6,500 | 125-180 | 1-2 |
| Specific POA (Land Department Thor.Dor.21) | 5,500-8,500 | 155-240 | 2-3 |
| Specific POA (DBD Share Transfer) | 5,500-9,500 | 155-265 | 2-3 |
| General POA (Comprehensive) | 6,500-12,500 | 180-350 | 3-5 |
| Foreign POA Review + Thai Translation | 3,500-5,500 | 100-155 | 2-3 |
| + MOFA Apostille (from 2026) | +1,500 | +42 | +1-3 |
| + Mobile Service (within BKK) | +3,500-6,500 | +100-180 | same |
| + Express Same-Day | +50% | +50% | 0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Power of Attorney (POA) in Thai law and why must it be bilingual?
A Power of Attorney (หนังสือมอบอำนาจ) is governed by Section 798-844 of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code (CCC). It is a unilateral written instrument by which the grantor (ผู้มอบอำนาจ) authorizes an agent (ผู้รับมอบอำนาจ) to perform specific legal acts on the grantor's behalf. Thai authorities accept POAs in Thai language only — therefore every POA executed by a foreign expat must be drafted bilingually (English + Thai) with both versions being legally identical in meaning. iVC's Notarial Services Attorneys (Lawyers Council Licenses #M-456 and #M-892) draft POAs using parallel-column bilingual templates, with the Thai version reviewed by a Master Translator registered with the Ministry of Justice. The English column gives the grantor full understanding of what is being authorized; the Thai column is what Thai authorities (Land Department, DBD, banks, Immigration) actually rely on. A discrepancy between the two versions — even a single comma — has been grounds for rejection in past Land Department audits. iVC includes a 'Thai prevails' clause in §17 of every POA to remove ambiguity, and applies the Notarial Services Attorney's seal and certification certificate confirming the bilingual identity.
Specific POA vs General POA — which one do Thai authorities actually accept?
Thai authorities strongly prefer Specific POAs (หนังสือมอบอำนาจเฉพาะการ) with clearly scoped powers, dates, and assets identified. General POAs (หนังสือมอบอำนาจทั่วไป) are routinely rejected by the Land Department (กรมที่ดิน), Department of Business Development (DBD), and most commercial banks (Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn, SCB, Krungthai). Best practice by service: (a) Land Department transactions — must use prescribed form Thor.Dor. 21 (ท.ด. 21) identifying the title deed number (โฉนดที่ดิน เลขที่), parcel number, district, sale price floor, with grantor thumbprint and 2 witness signatures for transactions over THB 200,000. (b) DBD / Company matters — Specific POA naming the company (TIN), the resolution being executed (e.g., 'register the change of director per Board Resolution dated DD/MM/YYYY'), and stamp duty THB 30. (c) Banking — each bank has its own template; iVC obtains the template from the bank first, then notarizes. (d) Immigration — Specific POA per Form Tor.Mor.7 if expat is overseas during visa extension. (e) Court matters — POA must follow Section 60-64 of the Civil Procedure Code with stamp duty THB 30. General POAs are only useful for limited overseas use (e.g., authorizing a relative in the US to manage routine affairs of an expat living in Thailand).
What does iVC charge for drafting + notarizing a Power of Attorney?
iVC's bilingual POA pricing (covers drafting, bilingual review, notarial certification, sealed original + 2 certified copies): (1) Specific POA — Banking / Immigration / Simple matters: 4,500-6,500 THB (USD 125-180) — turnaround 1-2 working days. (2) Specific POA — Land Department (Thor.Dor.21): 5,500-8,500 THB (USD 155-240) — includes stamp duty, witness arrangement, thumbprint verification. (3) Specific POA — Share Transfer / DBD Filing: 5,500-9,500 THB (USD 155-265) — includes verification against company affidavit. (4) General POA — Comprehensive scope: 6,500-12,500 THB (USD 180-350) — drafting takes 3-5 working days due to scope mapping. (5) Foreign-Language POA Review (your lawyer drafted, iVC adds Thai translation + notarization): 3,500-5,500 THB. Add-ons: MOFA Apostille (from 1 Jan 2026) +1,500 THB; Foreign embassy authentication +2,500-5,500 THB; Express same-day +50% of base; Mobile service to hotel/condo within Bangkok +3,500-6,500 THB; After-hours/weekend +30%. Payment: Thai Baht cash, all major credit cards (Visa/Master/Amex), bank transfer, PromptPay, USD cash. Tax invoice (ใบกำกับภาษี) issued with 7% VAT for corporate clients. Refund policy: 100% refund if iVC fails to deliver a notarized POA that complies with the authority's requirements.
Land Department POA — what specific requirements must be met to avoid rejection?
The Land Department (กรมที่ดิน, Department of Lands) is the strictest authority for POA acceptance. iVC's checklist: (1) Form: Must be on form Thor.Dor. 21 (ท.ด. 21) — handwritten or typed in Thai, with English translation attached. (2) Specificity: Title deed number (โฉนด/นส.3ก./นส.3) + parcel/dealing number, district/sub-district, exact authorized act ('sell', 'transfer', 'mortgage', 'lease'), minimum price floor in Thai Baht (e.g., 'sell for not less than THB 5,000,000'). (3) Grantor identification: Original passport + Thai/foreign address + occupation. (4) Agent identification: Thai ID card or passport copy. (5) Stamp duty: THB 30 stamp for general acts, THB 200 stamp for land sale/transfer (affixed and cancelled). (6) Thumbprint: Right thumbprint of grantor required for transactions over THB 200,000 — must match printed name. (7) Witnesses: 2 witnesses required (cannot be the agent or the agent's relatives); witnesses must sign with thumbprint, full name, Thai address, ID number. (8) Validity: Most Land Offices reject POAs older than 6 months; Bangkok Land Offices reject POAs older than 3 months for high-value transactions. (9) Foreign-executed POAs: Must be notarized abroad → Apostille (if available) → translated to Thai → MOFA legalization in Bangkok → then accepted. iVC's pre-flight check eliminates rejections (current rejection rate over 24 months: 0 of 1,247 land POAs filed).
Banking POA — how do Thai banks handle Power of Attorney from foreign account holders?
Thai banks use bank-specific POA templates that differ from generic POAs. iVC's bank-by-bank process: (1) Bangkok Bank (BBL) — Form BBL/POA-001, requires Bank's branch manager pre-approval, accepts notarized foreign POAs with MOFA legalization. (2) Kasikorn Bank (KBank) — Form KBank/POA-A, requires in-person verification at originating branch + notarization; mobile banking POA separate from cash withdrawal POA. (3) Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) — Form SCB/A-301, accepts iVC's bilingual POA on bank letterhead provided iVC pre-clears template with SCB Legal Department. (4) Krungthai Bank (KTB) — government bank; requires POA + supporting affidavit of need + Ministry of Finance acknowledgment for amounts over THB 5M. (5) Krungsri (BAY) — Form KS/POA-2024, accepts iVC POAs with embassy authentication. (6) TTB (TMBThanachart) — single POA template post-merger. (7) UOB Thailand — accepts UOB Group POA template + iVC notarization. (8) CIMB Thai — requires both Thai-version POA + English translation, both notarized. Common requirements across all banks: (a) Original passport of grantor (b) Original passport/Thai ID of agent (c) Account number(s) covered (d) Specific acts authorized (deposit, withdrawal, fund transfer, FX conversion, account closure, safe deposit access) (e) Maximum amount limit per act (f) Validity period (typically 1 year max). iVC's banking POA service: 4,500-7,500 THB including pre-clearance with bank's legal team.
Can a POA executed abroad be used in Thailand? What's the legalization chain?
Yes, but it must follow the international legalization chain: (1) Drafted in source country by a local lawyer using Thai-recognized format (iVC provides templates to foreign lawyers free of charge). (2) Notarized by a local Notary Public / Civil Law Notary / Commissioner of Oaths. (3) Apostille (Hague Convention 1961) — for the 126 Apostille member countries, single certification from designated authority (US: Secretary of State; UK: FCDO Legalisation Office; AU: DFAT; Japan: MOFA Tokyo). (4) Non-Apostille countries — chain legalization: notary → foreign ministry → Thai Embassy/Consulate in source country. (5) Shipment to Thailand (DHL/FedEx). (6) Translation to Thai by Ministry of Justice-registered Master Translator (iVC has 6 in-house MoJ Master Translators across EN/CN/JP/KR/DE/FR — fee 1,500-2,500 THB per page). (7) MOFA Chaeng Watthana legalization of the Thai translation — fee THB 800-1,800 + 1-3 working days. (8) Filing with Thai authority (Land Department, DBD, court, bank). Total timeline from foreign country to Thai filing-ready: 3-8 weeks (depends on Apostille processing in source country + DHL shipping + iVC's translation/MOFA cycle). iVC's white-glove service: we coordinate with your foreign lawyer, receive the package, translate, MOFA, and file — single point of contact. From 1 January 2026: Thailand joins Apostille, so step (7) MOFA becomes Apostille (single working day) — total chain compressed to 2-4 weeks. iVC has handled 3,200+ foreign-executed POAs since 2011.
Apostille for Thai-executed POAs from 1 January 2026 — what changes?
On 1 January 2026, Thailand becomes a member of the Hague Apostille Convention (1961), fundamentally changing how Thai-notarized POAs flow internationally. Before 2026 (current process): Notary → MOFA Chaeng Watthana → Foreign Embassy in Bangkok (dual legalization) — 7-14 working days, total cost 3,500-7,500 THB. From 2026 (Apostille process): Notary → MOFA Apostille only — 2-4 working days, total cost 1,800-3,500 THB. Eligible documents: Notarized POAs, Notarized affidavits, Notarized translations, Certified true copies, Notarized declarations. Apostille-member destinations (no further embassy step needed): US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, India, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Israel, and 90+ more. Non-Apostille countries (still need embassy): China (mainland), Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan (partially), Bangladesh. iVC has already updated all POA templates to comply with Apostille certification requirements (added specific certification language per Article 4 of the Convention, ID number format per Article 7, signature block layout matching the Apostille annexure). Cost savings for clients: 30-60% per international POA; time savings: 5-10 working days.
Where is iVC and how do I book a POA appointment?
iVC International Visa Center, 246/1 Sukhumvit 22, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Open EVERY DAY 09:00-18:00 including weekends and public holidays (except 1 Jan and Songkran 13-15 April). Booking: Phone 080-557-8887, LINE @iVisa, Email info@ivc.ltd, WhatsApp +66-80-557-8887. Process — (1) Contact iVC with: type of POA, jurisdiction(s), assets/accounts/companies involved, preferred date/time. (2) iVC sends quotation within 1 hour + draft POA in 1-2 working days. (3) Review and revise the draft (unlimited revisions within quoted scope). (4) Appointment at iVC Asoke or mobile service to your hotel/condo. (5) Bring ORIGINAL passport + ID of agent (or copy if abroad). (6) Notarial Services Attorney verifies identity, witnesses your signature, applies seal, signs certification certificate (15-30 min). (7) Receive sealed original + 2 certified copies + scan PDF. (8) Optional: MOFA Apostille or embassy authentication. Languages spoken at iVC: English (native), Thai (native), Mandarin (HSK 6 + CATTI 2), Japanese (JLPT N1), Korean (TOPIK 6), French (DELF C1), Spanish (DELE C1), German (Goethe C1). Transportation: 700 m from MRT Phetchaburi, 750 m from BTS Asoke. Parking: Free 30 min, then 30 THB/hour. Nearby: Starbucks Sukhumvit 22, Audrey Cafe, Holey Artisan Bakery, AVANI Sukhumvit hotel.
Ready to draft your POA?
LINE @iVisa · Phone 080-557-8887 · Email info@ivc.ltd · Open daily 09:00-18:00 at 246/1 Sukhumvit 22, Bangkok