Legal work in Pattaya differs from most Thai cities. It is a resort town, a home for many foreign residents and a base for a large number of shops, bars and hotels, so matters often touch several areas of law at once: a divorce where a condominium unit and company shares are marital property, or the estate of a foreigner whose assets are in Thailand while the heirs live abroad.
The firm is based in Bangkok. Its lawyers travel to the court and local offices in Pattaya as each matter requires, while consultations, documents and progress reports are handled by telephone, email and video call. Clients in Pattaya therefore do not need to travel to Bangkok, except where the law requires them to appear in person.
Matters Pattaya clients most often bring
- Condominiums and land: title and encumbrance checks before purchase, review of the sale agreement and registration of the transfer at the land office.
- Long leases and other land rights for buyers who cannot hold freehold land.
- Visas and work permits, including retirement visas, visas for spouses of Thai nationals and employment visas.
- Family matters: marriage to a Thai national, divorce, division of marital property and parental power over children.
- Wills and estate administration where assets are in Thailand and heirs are overseas.
- Business: company registration, commercial leases for shops, employment contracts and disputes between partners.
- Litigation: civil, criminal and consumer cases and the enforcement of judgments at the Pattaya Provincial Court.
Local offices the lawyers attend on the client's behalf
- Pattaya Provincial Court
- Thap Phraya Road, Bang Lamung. Hearings, filings and follow-up of the court calendar. The court has an electronic courtroom, so some hearings may be held by video link where the court allows it.
- Chonburi Provincial Land Office, Bang Lamung Branch
- Nong Prue. Land register searches, registration of transfers and registration of leases.
- Chonburi Immigration Office
- Preparing documents and attending with the client to apply for extensions of stay for Pattaya residents.
Before buying a condominium or leasing land in Pattaya
- Foreigners may own condominium units, but foreign ownership in a building may not exceed 49 percent of the total unit area. Check the ratio with the juristic person of the building before paying a deposit.
- Funds a foreigner uses to buy a unit must be brought into Thailand in foreign currency, and the bank's certificate must be shown at the land office on the day of transfer.
- Foreigners generally cannot own land. The lawful route is a long lease of up to thirty years at a time, which must be registered to be enforceable beyond three years.
- Using Thai nominees, or a company with Thai nominee shareholders, to acquire land evades the law and risks both criminal penalties and an order to dispose of the land.
- In an off-plan purchase agreement, read the transfer date, the penalty for late completion and the refund terms if the transfer cannot proceed before signing.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to travel to Bangkok?
- No. Consultations and documents can be handled online. Where something must be done in person, such as signing before an official, the lawyer meets the client at the relevant office in Pattaya.
- Do the lawyers appear at the Pattaya Provincial Court?
- Yes. The firm's lawyers appear in courts throughout Thailand, including the Pattaya Provincial Court.
- Can the work be done in English?
- Yes. The team works in English and arranges translation of documents that must be filed with a court or government office.
- How are fees set?
- Fees depend on the nature of the work and the number of trips required. The lawyer confirms the scope and fee in writing after an initial consultation, before any work begins.
Related services
- Foreign Ownership
- Property Due Diligence
- Leases & Land Rights
- Visa
- Thai-Foreign Families
- Divorce & Marital Property
- Wills & Estate Administration
- Company Registration
- Civil Cases
- Criminal Cases
- Bangkok Lawyer
This page is general information. The facts of each matter may lead to a different legal result.
References
- Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), section 19 (foreigners who may own condominium units, including bringing in foreign currency) and section 19 ter (the 49 percent limit on foreign-owned unit area).
- Civil and Commercial Code, section 538 (leases of immovable property over three years must be registered) and section 540 (a lease may not exceed thirty years).
- Land Code, section 86 (acquisition of land by foreigners).
- Pattaya Provincial Court