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Legal Articles

Understanding the Thai legal system, whether your an individual looking for a visa or a business looking to do business in Thailand, will help you navigate confusing Thai laws. This category includes guides on visas, social security, taxes, lawyers, and more.

Articles

  • how to write and file your last will and testament in thailand featured How to Write and File Your Last Will and Testament in Thailand - When I was younger, I thought I was invincible. I didn’t need to worry about all those things like Wills or Living Wills. I had plenty of time. But, after a while, seeing family and friends pass away and leave difficulties behind for their loved ones, and as I grew a little bit older and […]
  • how to file taxes in thailand for american expats How to File Taxes in Thailand as an American Expat - It begins with the feeling of freedom. Freedom from the constraints of the West. The long winters. The corporate drudgery. But as the months pass and each year arcs back toward April, the feeling of freedom turns into the grim reminder that no matter how far we fling ourselves from America, we are prisoners of […]
  • ama pongkarn khunpasee AMA With Pongkarn Khunpasee: Visas, Work Permits, and More! - If you missed our Thailand Starter Kit Facebook Community group’s inaugural 2018 AMA—or Ask Me Anything—no worries. We have you covered. After each of our AMAs, we’re going to recap the questions and answers and post them on ​the Question and Answer section of ​Thailand Starter Kit.If you’d like to join the next AMA, there […]
  • thai marriage visas Thai Marriage Visas: Apply for and Renew Your One-Year Visa - I stepped out onto the slushy streets of New York City. The wind ripped through my bones. Warm air billowed from my mouth like the steam twisting and rolling out of the metal stacks on East 52nd Street. Behind me, the Thai Consulate building. In front of me, a world of wonder. As far as […]
  • U.S. Social Security_2 U.S. Social Security: A Guide for U.S. Citizens in Thailand - Thailand attracts expats from all over the world. But if you’re American, you must consider a few things before relocating here. The US government taxes you on income no matter where you live. So I’d like to tell you what happens with your Social Security Tax when you move to Thailand. Social Security Explanation So, […]
  • An In-Depth Guide to Thailand Visas: Applications, Requirements, and Extensions - Foreigners visit Thailand for different reasons. Certain visits require a Thai Visa, while some don’t. If you intend to stay long-term, this in-depth guide contains a comprehensive guideline, a list of useful resources, and up-to-date procedures for Thai Visa application services. You can visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand website for general visa information.
  • The Thai Legal System: A Primer for Expats and Tourists - Many visitors and long-time residents of Thailand don’t always terribly accurate picture of the legal system. Most of it is probably shaped by what tends to get reported in the media – which tends to either highlight when the legal system fails or when it’s a particular prominent outlier that gets caught in it. In reality, […]
  • a list of recommended law firms in phuket Lawyers in Phuket: A List of Recommended Law Firms - There’s no shortage of legal firms in Bangkok, but finding the right firm can be more of a challenge outside of the capital. The only city where I received significant intel during my work and research on lawyers in Thailand (aside from Bangkok of course) was Phuket – thus this article. If you happen to have […]
  • A list of recommended law firms in Bangkok Lawyers in Bangkok: A List of Recommended Law Firms - To me, finding a great law firm in Bangkok has always felt a bit like trying to find a straw needle in a haystack: it’s not only that I might have no idea what exactly I should be looking for, but I might not even realize when I’ve found one. There are some very general resources: embassies […]
  • layviking in lawyer outfit An In-Depth Guide to Hiring a Lawyer in Thailand - Finding and dealing with a lawyer can be a real headache in Thailand. I have been though that before when I moved to Thailand, especially during my few first years. The problem not only comes from the language barrier, but often from a very different understanding of what their role entails. Unlike other ‘expat issues’, […]

Service Providers

  • Lawyer
    An independent lawyer with reasonable fees for general legal matters including real estate disputes, legal contracts, family law, and incorporation issues.
  • Frank Legal & Tax
    A boutique international law firm specialized in corporate, commercial, and real estate law.

Questions?

If you have any specific legal questions, ask here and someone from our team will usually reply within a couple days.

How to Write and File Your Last Will and Testament in Thailand

March 20, 2018 by Heather Scott

How to Write and File Your Last Will and Testament in Thailand

When I was younger, I thought I was invincible. I didn’t need to worry about all those things like Wills or Living Wills. I had plenty of time. But, after a while, seeing family and friends pass away and leave difficulties behind for their loved ones, and as I grew a little bit older and […]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With: entrepreneur, expat, family, investor, last will and testament, last will thailand, living will thailand, retiree, thailand wills

How to File Taxes in Thailand as an American Expat

March 13, 2018 by John Joseph

How to File Taxes in Thailand as an American Expat

It begins with the feeling of freedom. Freedom from the constraints of the West. The long winters. The corporate drudgery. But as the months pass and each year arcs back toward April, the feeling of freedom turns into the grim reminder that no matter how far we fling ourselves from America, we are prisoners of […]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With: american taxes, Digital Nomad, entrepreneur, expat, family, investor, retiree, tax penalties, tax season, thai tax for foreigners, thailand tax

AMA With Pongkarn Khunpasee: Visas, Work Permits, and More!

January 29, 2018 by Staff Writer

AMA With Pongkarn Khunpasee: Visas, Work Permits, and More!

If you missed our Thailand Starter Kit Facebook Community group’s inaugural 2018 AMA—or Ask Me Anything—no worries. We have you covered. After each of our AMAs, we’re going to recap the questions and answers and post them on ​the Question and Answer section of ​Thailand Starter Kit.If you’d like to join the next AMA, there […]

Filed Under: Legal, Visas Tagged With: AMA, ask me anything, Digital Nomad, education visa, entrepreneur, investor, retirement visa, Thai Visa, work permits

Thai Marriage Visas: Apply for and Renew Your One-Year Visa

October 3, 2017 by John Joseph

Thai Marriage Visas: Apply for and Renew Your One-Year Visa

I stepped out onto the slushy streets of New York City. The wind ripped through my bones. Warm air billowed from my mouth like the steam twisting and rolling out of the metal stacks on East 52nd Street. Behind me, the Thai Consulate building. In front of me, a world of wonder. As far as […]

Filed Under: Legal, Visas Tagged With: expat, family, retiree, Thai marriage visa, Thai Visa Application, thai visa requirements, thailand long term visa

U.S. Social Security: A Guide for U.S. Citizens in Thailand

August 8, 2017 by Olivier Wagner

U.S. Social Security: A Guide for U.S. Citizens in Thailand

Thailand attracts expats from all over the world. But if you’re American, you must consider a few things before relocating here. The US government taxes you on income no matter where you live. So I’d like to tell you what happens with your Social Security Tax when you move to Thailand. Social Security Explanation So, […]

Filed Under: Legal Tagged With: digital nomads, entrepreneur, expat, family, feie, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, investor, retiree, Totalization Agreements

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What Karsten Uses…

I receive a lot of e-mails asking me to provide helpful recommendations for products, services and companies. I can't answer all of them individually, so I've put together a list of the most important ones below.

Everything You Need to Know: It's really easy to overpay, miss out, and make other mistakes when moving to Thailand. To help you avoid that, I put everything I wish I knew when I first moved here in the Thailand Starter Kit. Unlike the 'public' articles on the site, it's not just facts and how-tos, but also cool hacks that give you an advantage over others trying to do the same thing.

Quotes: In case you're just looking to get a quote for moving your belongings, you can use this form.

Agent: Need someone to help you find a place? I've met a ton of real estate agents in Bangkok over the years, and most haven't really lived up to my expectations. In case you want to avoid that trial-and-error experience yourself, you can use this form to let me help you get in touch with an agent who receives consistently great feedback.

I use the French insurance company ACS. They pay with no deductible for all in-patient and out-patient treatments I receive. With a cover limit of $500,000 USD their 'Silver Plan' is one of the few Asia plans with sufficient coverage in in my opinion. Read about the claims I filed with them in my health insurance article.

Sending Money
I regularly send to Thailand through Xendpay. The fees are among the lowest, saving me about THB 1,500 on a THB 30,000 transfer. My team did a detailed review of their service.

Credit Cards
For local payments I use a Citibank Royal Orchid Plus Credit Card. This Thai credit card makes life a lot easier, saves a lot of fees and earns me 1 mile with Thai Airways for every THB 20 I spend (plus twice a year free lounge access).

Flights
While I use Google Flights for initial research, I usually end up booking flight tickets through Expedia. This ist mostly due to them having lots of special promotions in the Thai market: My last round-trip to Germany was only USD 480 (incl. fees).

Hotels
Obviously I don't need a hotel in Bangkok, but when family or friends are staying in town temporarily, I usually recommend Airbnb.

Accounting: My accountant used to work for the revenue department. She handles all accounting, tax, payroll and social security issues for my companies. You can contact her here.

Legal: Finding an ethical, professional and affordable lawyer is super hard. Here's one I found that meets all three criteria.

A lot of factors helped my companies succeed in Thailand. The two factors I get asked about most often are:

Investment Promotions: I received board of investment (BOI) promotions for a software and an e-commerce company. I didn't find any service providers to handle that, so I just did it myself. Feel free to get in touch with questions.

Digital & Content Marketing: My current and prior companies did exceptionally well thanks to an excellent digital marketing team that I had build up. My former marketing manager now went ahead and started an agency to provide that service to other companies. You can get in touch with her here.

Need help with something else for your business? Feel free to get in touch.

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Disclaimer

This is a for-profit website that includes links to partner companies. I receive a financial compensation from people clicking on them. This happens at no cost to you and helps me cover some of the expenses of running this website.

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