My (Thai) wife and I made wills over 25 years ago in the UK for less than a hundred quid I seem to recall. I don't know if these are legal here so I sent off an enquiry to a law firm here in Chiang Mai to get them made legal here and was told it would cost 40,000 baht! This must be a joke. What have other people paid for this? 

Make sure you pay enough to cover the possibility of someone paying more to have the will challenged and annulled...this is Thailand...baht may be used to trumps law...in some cases...????

Did my and wife's will in Thai and English,about 3 years ago cost about 3500 baht.all done via internet.google Essan lawyers.very happy with service,

Lefty

Just in the process of sorting one out .....been advised best to have two drawn up. One for your non-Thai assets and one for Thai based assets. 5000 baht each. 

Tried to google Essan lawyers, but no success.

I presume you mean > http://www.isaanlawyers.com/

Anyway, thanks for the info!

Make sure you're worth more alive than dead.  40K is a rip off btw.

I did my own Thai Will here using a Thai/English template that I have and gave it to a local lawyer to manage on my demise. She will then claim costs/expenses from my funds for executing my wishes.

 

That takes care of anything here and I have a separate Will for my NZ assets.

 

So no charge as yet in Thailand.

If you've still got assets in the UK you should make two wills, one for the UK and one for Thailand. You just need to acknowledge the existence of the other will and state that the will in question only covers your Thai or UK assets. 

 

The UK one you can do yourself, if it helps buy a will kit from WH Smiths, otherwise just copy the format of the old one, so long as its properly witnessed it is valid.

 

The Thai requirements are a pain in the butt as you need to detail each bank account and asset, I paid a local lawyer in Hat Yai Bht 8,000 for my will, the wife's cost about the same. 

20bht at the Amphur office, ask them for the form, fill it out, get them to stamp and keep it.

"I leave everything to my wife because I love her" , and name her in the space for executor, that's about all you need to write, and she can do the same for her husband.

Edited September 14, 20196 yr by BritManToo

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

"I leave everything to my wife because I love her"

Interesting, no need to detail your bank accounts and assets?

I remember reading a few years ago that you could do at your Amour for 900 Bt. (500 of that was for it to be translated into English).

17 hours ago, Stocky said:

Interesting, no need to detail your bank accounts and assets?

No, but it's a good idea to give your executor as many details as possible about what assets you have otherwise he might fail to find all of your accounts after you die.

My original Thai will cost 7500, and an amendment last month 5000. In process of updating my UK will £250.

21 hours ago, Stocky said:

he UK you should make two wills, one for the UK and one for Thailand. You just need to acknowledge the existence of the other will and state that the will in question only covers your Thai or UK assets. 

Agree. You should do a will here to cover your possessions in Thailand. Pretty sure courts will only accept a will originally written in Thai. The lawyer will provide you with an English translation for your information , but it's only the Thai version that will be binding.

 

I can't remember how much I paid some years ago, but it was somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000. Doing it yourself might be OK, but you could easily create an expensive mess for your heirs to deal with.

Around 7000 baht and that should include the Thai and English versions.

Of course you can make a Holographic Will which doesn't require witnesses but must be written in the testator's own hand.  Also it doesn't need to be translated.

Definitely need a will for each place you have assets. My U.K. will is currently being drafted using an on line company. Total cost was less than £100.

Thai wills I’d be careful of going cheap. If you have an “in law” component to your life you need to make sure your assets go to where they are intended to go. Remember you won’t be here to clarify what you intended.....

We have Thai wills that cover us here also.

2 hours ago, suzannegoh said:

No, but it's a good idea to give your executor as many details as possible about what assets you have otherwise he might fail to find all of your accounts after you die.

Two different things. Yes keep a inventory of assets and accounts with contact details for your executors. But the lawyer here said it was a requirement in Thailand to clearly detail all your assets, with account numbers, within the will. BritManToo's experience would suggest it's not a legal requirement, rather my lawyer insisted on it because it avoids any ambiguity.

8 years ago UK will cost me around £150. 18 months ago will covering Thai assets cost me 5000 Baht from a law firm in Pattaya. Includes English and Thai.

 

Not wanting to go off topic but does anyone know if Thai wifes quaify for (UK) widows pensions (private not state) ?

 

 

Edited September 15, 20196 yr by Saltire

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

20bht at the Amphur office, ask them for the form, fill it out, get them to stamp and keep it.

"I leave everything to my wife because I love her" , and name her in the space for executor, that's about all you need to write, and she can do the same for her husband.

That will be the least valid will ever made in Thailand then, because in a will benefitor and executor can never be the same

A friend just had his Thai will done and lodged with a lawyer in Patong for 10k...

4 minutes ago, ThePioneer said:

That will be the least valid will ever made in Thailand then, because in a will benefitor and executor can never be the same

Yes they can, they can't be a witness to the will, but they can be an executor.

4 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Yes they can, they can't be a witness to the will, but they can be an executor.

I stand corrected

No idea about Thai cost, but I priced a will in the USA a couple of years ago and it was USD1,200 to 1,300. So I'd say he is charging an international rate. Your cost in the UK? That was cheap.

2 minutes ago, ThePioneer said:

7 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Yes they can, they can't be a witness to the will, but they can be an executor.

I stand corrected

But still the will be not be valid as I doubt Britmantoo has these requirements

 

 

A last will in Thailand can also be made as a public document at the local amphur (or in Bangkok these local public offices are called Khet), by a declaration to the relevant public officer. The testators must declare his wishes (in Thai) to public officer who in his turn must write down the testators declaration in the will in Thai (section 1658 of the Civil and Commercial Code). The official must again read it to the testator and witnesses who following must sign the last will drawn up by the public officer. One requirement for such a will is that you must be able to read and write Thai.

 

https://www.samuiforsale.com/family-law/forms-of-wills-under-thai-law.html

20 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

A friend just had his Thai will done and lodged with a lawyer in Patong for 10k...

Thai wills are required to be registered and stamped at the local Amphur office.

Edited September 15, 20196 yr by BritManToo

42 minutes ago, Jaxxper said:

My U.K. will is currently being drafted using an on line company. Total cost was less than £100.

Any chance you could post their website url? Thanks.

I've just been quoted B30k by the Bangkok lawyers ive been using for business for the past 15 years. I politely told them thanks but out of my price range.

Please find attached  a Thai will and an English version, i filled it in got it witnessed by the Village Chief and it's all done .

13_Last_Will_and_Testament.pdf T13_Last_Will_and_Agreement.pdf

18 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Thai wills are required to be registered and stamped at the local Amphur office.

No they are not

 

The most common last will and testament in Thailand is a last will in writing, dated at the time of making and signed by the testator in the presence of at least 2 witnesses who sign their names to certify the signature of the testator (section 1656 of the Civil and Commercial Code). It is not required that such a will is notarized or registered for it to be a valid legal will.

 

 

https://www.samuiforsale.com/family-law/forms-of-wills-under-thai-law.html