Family & Succession

Probate & Estate Administration

Court appointment of an estate administrator, and the collection, settlement and distribution that follow — the step families discover is unavoidable when a bank or the Land Office says no.

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Families whose relative has died leaving assets in Thailand
Heirs told by a bank or the Land Office that a court order is needed
Executors named in a will who must be formally appointed
Heirs abroad who cannot attend the Thai proceedings in person

Petitioning the court to appoint an estate administrator

Establishing the heirs and gathering the family documents that prove them

Identifying and collecting the estate — accounts, property, vehicles, shares

Settling the deceased’s debts and taxes before distribution

Transferring land, condominium units, vehicles and shares to the heirs

Representing heirs who remain abroad throughout

Establish the heirs and the extent of the estate
Gather the family and asset documents, translating where foreign
File the petition to appoint an administrator
Attend the hearing and obtain the court order
Collect the assets and settle debts and taxes
Transfer the assets to the heirs and close the estate

Documents to prepare

The death certificate
The will, if there is one
House registration and ID or passports of the deceased and the heirs
Documents proving the relationship — birth and marriage certificates
Title deeds, bank books and company documents of the estate assets

In practice, usually yes. Banks, the Land Office and company registrars will not transfer assets to someone whose authority rests on a document they cannot verify — they want a court order appointing an administrator. A will makes the petition faster and less contentious; it rarely removes it.

An uncontested petition follows a fairly predictable court timetable; a contested one, or one where the heirs cannot be documented, takes considerably longer. The pacing item is almost always the family documents — birth, marriage and death records, sometimes from another country. Indicative timing: PROBATE_TIMEFRAME

They can agree, and agreement is worth a great deal — but agreement does not move a title deed or open a bank account. Anything requiring a registry entry needs the appointed administrator. Where the heirs agree, the process is administrative rather than adversarial, and much cheaper for it.

Liability is limited to the value of what they inherit — heirs do not become personally liable beyond the estate. But debts and taxes are settled before distribution, so what is actually received is the balance, and distributing first and discovering creditors afterwards creates problems for the administrator personally.

Yes, and it is shorter than most families expect — inheritance claims carry a limitation period running from the death or from when the heir knew of it, with a longer outside limit. Estates left untouched for years become far harder to administer, and some claims are lost outright. If a relative has died, the clock is already running.

Lawyers for this matter

Generation 1