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Contents
- In short
- Who can practise law in Thailand
- Lawyer, notary, consultant or agent: who's who
- How to check a Thai lawyer's licence
- What to ask at the first meeting
- Coming from the UK, the US or Australia: documents and the legalisation chain
- Fees and a written engagement letter
- Which language controls your documents
- Red flags
- If something goes wrong with your lawyer
- What's next
If a matter you sign in Thailand could ever reach a Thai court, ask the Lawyers Council to confirm that your chosen lawyer holds a current licence and is authorised to handle your case. If your adviser is a foreign lawyer, ask who will act as your Thai lawyer and have the Council confirm that person's licence and eligibility to handle your case; for court representation specifically, ask the Council to confirm who is authorised to appear on your behalf. Once the licence question is settled, check three more things before you commit: a written scope and price, the language your documents will be in, and whether the lawyer also works for the seller or the developer on your deal.
In short
- A Thai law licence comes only from the Lawyers Council of Thailand (สภาทนายความ), set up under the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985). Its free advice hotline is 1167.
- Ask to see the licence, on paper or in the Council's app. If you are unsure, the Council checks a lawyer's record on request.
- For court representation, ask the Council to confirm your lawyer's licence. Some advisers do not hold a Lawyers Council licence — ask who will handle your matter and check their qualifications with the Council.
- There is no official fee scale for advisory and transactional work, so get the scope and the price in writing before anything starts.
- Walk away from a lawyer who will not show a licence, promises an outcome, suggests a nominee company, or was put forward by the other side of your deal.
Who can practise law in Thailand
The Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985) set up the Lawyers Council of Thailand, which registers lawyers, issues licences and hears complaints about professional conduct. Its free advice hotline, 1167, is open to anyone with a quick question.
For anything that could end up in court, ask the Council to confirm that the lawyer holds a current licence before you hand the matter over. Advisory work is different: some advisers do not hold a Lawyers Council licence, so if yours is one of them, ask which body can consider a complaint about their work. Ask who personally does the work and whether that person is licensed.
If your adviser is a foreign lawyer, ask who will act as your Thai lawyer and have the Lawyers Council confirm that person's licence and eligibility to handle your case. Legal services also sit on a list of 27 occupations closed to foreign workers, which the Ministry of Labour set under the Foreign Workers Management Emergency Decree B.E. 2560 (2017) and published in the Royal Gazette on 21 April 2020. A foreign lawyer at a Thai firm can advise on their home country's law and on international law; for court representation, ask the Lawyers Council to confirm who is authorised to handle your case.
Lawyer, notary, consultant or agent: who's who
The word "lawyer" covers several different roles on the ground in Phuket. The table below is a quick guide to who can do what, and what to check for each.
| Role | What they can do | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed lawyer (ทนายความ) | Represent you in court, advise, draft contracts and documents | Current licence and authorisation to handle your case; if unsure, ask the Council to confirm |
| Notarial Services Attorney | Certify signatures and documents. Thailand has no notary law, so this is a separate register of lawyers kept by the Council | Their entry on the register, renewed every three years; whether your home country accepts this certification |
| Law or consulting firm | Advises and drafts documents | Ask which person will advise you and which person or firm will be responsible under the engagement letter |
| Foreign lawyer at a Thai firm | Advise on their home country's law and on international law | Which Thai-licensed lawyer signs documents and handles the matter |
| Real estate or visa agent | Helps find a property or assemble paperwork | Who they represent, their qualifications, and who is responsible for the legal checks |
We cover certification and powers of attorney in detail on our page about notary services in Phuket.
How to check a Thai lawyer's licence
A licence is checked two ways: by looking at the document itself, and by asking the Council directly.
- Ask to see the licence. The Council issues it on paper and digitally; a lawyer can show the digital version in the Council's app, "สภาทนายความ On Mobile".
- Check how long it is valid for. Licences run for two years or for life; a lifetime licence holder still has to renew the physical card every six years, though the licence itself does not lapse.
- If you still have doubts, ask the lawyer to get a ท.6 certificate from the Council confirming they are a registered lawyer.
- You can also contact the Council yourself. Its registration department takes a ท.8 request to check a lawyer's record, and a separate form checks whether a law office is registered. Forms are on the registration department's page. Ask the department directly about the cost and turnaround for a check.
- For a general question about the process, call the Council's hotline, 1167.
We think asking about a licence at the first meeting is a fair question, and a lawyer who holds one will not take offence at showing it. Our own team is licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand, and you are welcome to ask us the same question.
What to ask at the first meeting
A first meeting should tell you who is handling your matter and on what terms, so you can compare more than one lawyer on the same basis.
- Who personally handles the matter, and does that person hold a Lawyers Council licence?
- What is included in the fee, and what is not — does it cover checking a land title, for instance, or only drafting the contract?
- What is the likely cost, and what could change it?
- What language will the documents be in, and who translates the Thai text?
- Does the lawyer or firm also act for the other side of the deal — the seller, the developer, the agent?
- How will you be updated on progress, and who is your point of contact?
- Who personally attends the Land Office or the immigration office on Phuket on your behalf?
If you are buying a condo or a villa, add questions about the foreign quota, the land title and the registration step. We go through how we handle those on our Phuket property lawyer page.
Coming from the UK, the US or Australia: documents and the legalisation chain
A document issued at home — a power of attorney, a marriage certificate, a probate order — still needs legalisation for use in Thailand, not an apostille. Thailand has joined the Hague Apostille Convention, but it only takes effect for Thailand on 28 February 2027, and will apply between Thailand and Convention states that have not objected to its accession — check the HCCH status table for the current list. Until that date, a document from the UK, the US, Australia or elsewhere goes through the existing certification chain and the Thai embassy's step, with a Thai translation and certification where the receiving authority requires it. We set out the full chain in apostille and legalisation for Thailand: what changes in 2027.
Ask your lawyer early which documents need this chain and which can simply wait for the apostille, so a filing deadline does not catch you out.
Fees and a written engagement letter
There is no official fee scale for advisory and transactional work in Thailand. What you pay depends on scope: documents to check, parties involved, travel and translation. Comparing lawyers on an "average price" tells you little; comparing what each one includes tells you more.
Before work starts, ask for a written engagement letter, or at least an email, naming the scope, the fee, how payment is staged, and what is excluded. That turns "how much does a lawyer in Phuket cost" into a quote for your specific matter. We agree the cost upfront and do not add hidden charges later.
Which language controls your documents
Before filing documents in court, ask your lawyer which Thai translations and certifications the court requires. A bilingual private contract should say which language version governs — read that clause before you sign, because it decides which text wins in a dispute. For the Land Office or another Thai authority, confirm with your lawyer which parts need a certified Thai translation.
What matters is not only whether your lawyer speaks your language, but whether they walk you through the Thai text clause by clause and give you a translation to keep. Our lawyers prepare documents in two languages: Thai and either English or Russian.
Red flags
None of these proves a lawyer is dishonest, but each one is a reason to stop and ask a question.
- They will not show a licence, or dodge the question of who personally handles your matter.
- They promise an outcome: "the visa will be approved", "we will win the case", "registration will go through with no issues".
- They suggest putting land in the name of a Thai company where the Thai shareholders only exist on paper.
- They ask for full payment upfront, with no engagement letter or scope.
- The seller or developer suggested the lawyer, and that same lawyer is handling your side of the deal.
- Documents come in Thai only, with no translation or explanation.
A word on nominee structures: the Foreign Business Act bars Thai shareholders who exist on paper but do not actually control the company, as a way around the rules for foreigners. In 2026 Thailand's Department of Business Development issued several orders tightening checks on exactly this kind of company, and Phuket is one of the provinces the Land Office is watching most closely for proof of where purchase money came from. If anyone proposes such a structure to you, send it to us before you sign — we will explain the lawful routes open to you, whether that is a condo within the foreign quota or a villa bought on a leasehold.
If something goes wrong with your lawyer
A licensed lawyer has to follow the Lawyers Council's Professional Conduct Regulation B.E. 2529 (1986), covering duties to the court, to clients, to colleagues, and their fees and conduct generally. A complaint goes to the Council's professional conduct department; forms are on its page.
Do not sit on a complaint. Ask the department directly, for your situation, what the filing deadline is and how it is counted. If the person you dealt with was not licensed at all, ask the Council where to direct your complaint — one more reason to confirm a licence before the engagement begins, not after something goes wrong.
What's next
If you already have a purchase or reservation contract for property, send it to us. The review is free and takes up to 48 hours: we flag anything that could turn into a risk and explain what to ask the developer. You can check our own lawyers' licences the same way described above.
For anything else — a visa, a company, a will — tell us in Telegram, WhatsApp or through the form on this site. We reply within 24 hours with what needs to happen, how long it takes and what it costs. Our full range of work is on the English-speaking lawyer in Phuket page.
