Finding a Lawyer and Getting Legal Help in Phuket

When you need a lawyer

• Buying property, signing a long lease or company paperwork.
• Visa and work permit problems.
• Contract and employment disputes.
• Divorce, child custody, wills and inheritance, and see the wills guide.
• Being questioned or charged by the police.

For small neighbour or landlord disputes, guides suggest trying to negotiate first, because legal costs often exceed the amount at stake.

Choosing a lawyer

• Ask for a licensed lawyer, and check the licence rather than relying on a registration agent or visa agency.
• Ask what the scope is, what is excluded, and who will actually do the work.
• Get the fee, any deposit and the payment schedule in writing, in English.
• Be wary of anyone who guarantees an outcome, pressures you to sign quickly or asks you to move money to a personal account.
• Get a second opinion on large matters, and ask for a copy of everything filed.

Recommendations from other residents and your embassy's list of local lawyers are the usual starting points.

What it costs

Legal fees in Thailand are unregulated and negotiable. One legal guide quotes hourly rates of roughly 3,000 to 15,000 baht depending on the firm and seniority, and fixed fees are common for set tasks such as a contract review or a company registration. Court filing fees depend on the amount claimed, and the loser does not automatically pay all of the winner's costs. Appeals add cost and time.

Ask for a quote before you start and keep receipts.

Free advice and police stations

Local news has reported volunteer lawyers from the Lawyers Council of Thailand giving free legal advice, with English-speaking volunteers, at Phuket City and Patong police stations. Those schemes have varied over the years, with limited hours and sometimes one lawyer on duty, so call ahead and bring a translator if you can.

The Tourist Police can be reached on 1155 and can help with English-speaking support for reports and mediation, and the emergencies guide lists the other numbers to save.

Reporting a problem and getting paperwork

• A police report is the formal record of your complaint, and it may be needed for insurance, visas and embassy help. The official written report is in Thai.
• Take your passport, any evidence, receipts and photos, and the names of witnesses.
• Ask for the case number and a copy, and keep the station's phone number.
• Your embassy cannot act as your lawyer or pay your bills, but it can give you a list of lawyers and help with passports and contacting family.

For fraud and online scams, see the scams guide, and for a stolen passport or other emergency, see the emergencies guide. If a document must be used abroad, see the documents guide for translation and legalisation.