Background

Thailand Inheritance Law

When a person dies in Thailand, the family members or other heirs will normally need a court order from a Thai court to recover real estate assets or bank account funds.

Thailand law allows for inheritance pursuant to valid wills as well as statutory intestate inheritance without a will.    

Foreign Wills and Foreign Court Judgments

Foreign court judgments are not directly enforceable in Thai courts. A foreign judgment may be introduced as evidence in Thailand probate proceedings. Foreign last wills and testaments may or may not be enforceable, based on whether or not they comply with Thai law.

If a Relative Dies in Thailand – Probate Court Proceedings

If a foreigner dies in Thailand, the Thai authorities will usually contact the relevant embassy in Thailand. The embassy will typically have preliminary documents such as the death certificate and will notify relatives. At this stage, family members will normally need to retain the services of a Thai attorney to begin probate proceeding and recover estate assets.

Our Experience:

Chaninat and Leeds' attorneys have assisted Thai and non-Thai family members in recovering estate assets in cases involving bank accounts, land, buildings, bank accounts, company shareholdings, insurance proceeds, mutual funds, jewelry, and other assets. We have decades of experience in international and Thailand based probate litigation. We have assisted heirs located in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Israel and other nations.

We have worked cooperatively with foreign law firms in cases involving multijurisdictional estates. Due to our diverse experience in different areas of Thai law, as well as our international law experience and resources, we have succeeded in recovering assets held by nominees and limited companies. We have been able to locate and recover assets that were unknown to heirs, due to inadequate descriptions, or being hidden or held by nominees.

Resources:

• U.S citizens can also refer to the U.S Embassy Page on Death of a U.S. Citizen in Thailand
• U.K citizens can refer to U.K Embassy Page on Registering Death of a U.K citizen in Thailand
• For more information please visit Thailand Probate Lawyer