THE FIRM
A practice built around careful, written-led estate work
Ayutthaya Counsel was established to serve families and executors who need reliable legal guidance through Thailand's probate process — at a pace they can follow.
Return to homeOUR STORY
How Ayutthaya Counsel came to be
Ayutthaya Counsel opened its doors in Bangkok's Bang Rak district after its founding solicitor spent several years observing how Thai probate proceedings left many families uncertain about what was happening with their loved one's estate. Court timelines, registry requirements, and formal legal language can combine to make a straightforward process feel opaque. The practice was formed to change that experience.
The firm concentrates entirely on inheritance and estate matters. This narrow focus allows the team to maintain a thorough understanding of how the Thai Civil and Commercial Code applies to inheritance, how Bangkok's civil courts handle probate applications, and how asset-holding institutions — banks, land offices, and brokerages — respond to requests from estate administrators. No general practice breadth; just depth in the area families need most.
From the first enquiry, all work is conducted in writing. Progress is reported at each meaningful stage, and every significant decision is referred to the executor or family before it is taken. The aim is that the household can follow the administration calmly from home, without needing to attend every meeting or understand every procedural step themselves.
Ayutthaya Counsel serves clients throughout Thailand, with particular experience of estates involving Bangkok-based assets, provincial land holdings, and the particular considerations that arise where foreign nationals are involved — either as beneficiaries or as executors appointed under a will.
PRACTICE AREA
Inheritance and estate law — exclusively. Probate applications, executor support, full estate administration.
JURISDICTION
Thai Civil and Commercial Code, Book VI (Succession). Bangkok Civil Court and provincial courts as applicable.
LANGUAGE OF WORK
All written reports and correspondence are prepared in English. Court submissions are prepared in Thai, with English summaries provided to the executor.
OFFICE
89 Soi Sathorn 12
Si Lom, Bang Rak
Bangkok 10500
THE TEAM
The people behind the work
Somkiat Kulwattana
Principal Solicitor
Qualified in Thai law with a focus on succession and estate matters. Has accompanied executors through probate proceedings across Bangkok's civil courts for over a decade.
Nantawan Phumisak
Estate Administrator
Handles document compilation, asset-holder correspondence, and written progress reporting for executors. Coordinates with banks, land offices, and provincial registries.
James Rutherford
Client Liaison (International)
Assists international clients and foreign-national executors in understanding the Thai probate process, and prepares the English-language summaries that accompany all court-stage reports.
HOW WE WORK
Professional standards across every matter
Thai Lawyers Council registration
The firm's solicitors hold current registration with the Lawyers Council of Thailand. All legal work is conducted by qualified professionals with standing in the Thai courts.
Written records at every step
All instructions, decisions, and progress reports are maintained in writing. The executor receives a written record that can be retained after the administration is closed.
Client confidentiality
Family and estate information is shared with third parties only where required to progress the administration. All client data is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Document review before lodging
Every probate application is reviewed for completeness before it is submitted to the court, to reduce the likelihood of registry queries that would delay the process.
Executor-referred decisions
No substantive decision about the estate is taken without the executor's prior knowledge. The firm's role is to advise and draft — not to decide on the family's behalf.
Fee transparency
Service fees are stated before any instruction is accepted. Anticipated disbursements — court fees, registry charges — are estimated in writing at the outset of each matter.
APPROACH AND VALUES
Inheritance law in Thailand — a considered practice
Probate and estate administration in Thailand is governed by the Civil and Commercial Code, which sets out the rights of heirs, the duties of executors, and the procedure through which courts formally authorise the distribution of a deceased person's assets. The work, while procedurally structured, touches on some of the most personal decisions a family makes. Ayutthaya Counsel treats this combination with care.
The firm's approach is unhurried and transparent. Families are not pressed toward decisions. Where the law permits patience — where a court hearing can be prepared more carefully, where correspondence can be reviewed before it is sent — patience is taken. Where the process has hard deadlines, those are explained in plain terms well in advance, so the family can prepare.
Ayutthaya Counsel maintains particular knowledge of estate matters that involve both Thai and foreign elements: wills drafted overseas, assets held in multiple jurisdictions, and executors resident outside Thailand. The firm does not offer legal advice on foreign law, but coordinates effectively with foreign counsel where the matter requires it, keeping the Thai administration on track while cross-border matters are addressed separately.
The firm's narrow focus on inheritance and probate means that the depth of knowledge available to each client is not diluted by work in other practice areas. The team follows changes in Thai succession law and court practice closely, and applies that knowledge practically — in the documents, the applications, and the written briefings that keep the executor informed throughout.
GET IN TOUCH
Ready to discuss your family's situation?
We are available to explain how the process works and what service might suit your circumstances. There is no obligation to proceed.
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