Understand Thai law before you need a lawyer for it

Moving to Thailand, buying property, marrying, starting a business or simply signing a lease all eventually touch Thai law — and most of it is written and practised in Thai. TPN Law publishes plain-English guides to how the system actually works, so you can understand what is happening before you spend money on professional advice.

We are a legal-information and referral resource, not a law firm. We do not represent clients, draft documents for you, or appear in court. When a situation needs an actual lawyer — and most real situations eventually do — we point you to Anglo Siam Legal, our recommended partner for Thai legal representation.

The guides below are organised the way legal problems actually show up in real life: the big picture first, then the situations that bring most foreigners into contact with Thai law — property, family, business, visas, money, and the everyday friction of renting, working, driving or simply being online in a country whose legal system runs in a different language from the one most readers grew up with. Each guide is written to be read in five or ten minutes, in plain English, and to leave you with the right questions for a first consultation — not a false sense that reading a web page qualifies you to handle a contested legal matter alone.

Nothing here should be read as tailored advice. Thai statutes, regulations and court practice are revised on an ongoing basis, and the outcome of any real dispute depends on facts, evidence and timing that a website cannot know. Where a guide would normally need to quote a fee, a deadline in days, or a section number to be complete, we describe the shape of the rule instead and point you to a licensed lawyer or the relevant government office to confirm the current, exact position.

Start with the big picture

• How the Thai legal system works

  Civil law, the courts, and how a case actually moves.

• Hiring a lawyer & legal fees

  How fees are typically structured and what to ask first.

• Contracts & disputes

  What makes an agreement enforceable, and what happens when one breaks down.

Guides by topic

• Property & land basics

  What foreigners can and cannot own, and how due diligence works.

• Family law

  Marriage, prenups, divorce and custody.

• Wills & inheritance

  Who inherits without a will, and how to make one that holds up.

• Business setup & foreign ownership

  Company structures and what the Foreign Business Act restricts.

• Visas & immigration basics

  Where immigration status meets Thai law.

• Criminal matters overview

  Arrest to appeal, and the laws that surprise foreigners.

• Debt & civil claims

  Lending, borrowing, and what a lawsuit over money looks like.

• Notarisation & documents

  Getting documents recognised across borders.

Practical guides for everyday situations

• Employment & labour law

  Contracts, termination, severance and workplace rights.

• Work permits

  How a work permit and a visa fit together, and who needs one.

• Tenancy & rental disputes

  Deposits, break clauses and what happens when a lease goes wrong.

• Consumer protection

  Your rights as a buyer of goods, services and holiday packages.

• Traffic accidents & personal injury

  Insurance, fault, and the civil claims process after a crash.

• Intellectual property basics

  Trademarks, copyright and patents for a small business.

• Tax basics for individuals & business

  Residency, personal income tax and corporate tax, in outline.

• Defamation & the Computer Crime Act

  Why an online post or review can become a criminal matter.

• Child custody & legitimation

  Parental rights, legitimation, and enforcing support.

Not sure where to start?

Every guide links sideways to the two or three others people in a similar situation usually need next. If your matter is urgent, contested, or involves real money, treat these guides as background reading for your first conversation with a lawyer — not a substitute for it. If you cannot find your exact situation described here, that is normal: these pages cover general patterns, and a licensed lawyer is the right place to test how your specific facts fit them.