Amphur Will

[giddyup]

Why go to all the trouble and expense. Just leave her your Debit card and pass word, with instructions on how to draw the cash.

Because it may well be illegal to do so unless her name is on the account, ie joint account.

[loong]

I posted detailed instruction on how to obtain and register a will with you local amphur but left the thread when all the lawyers or people with vested interests got into the mix.

Most Thais will not trust a lawyer period. Most lawyers want you to make out a will that they verify and keep in their offices until such time as you die and then they present it to the amphur for processing. The operative word here is they, since I am not going to be around to insure that they do not make any changes. I recommended, and more importantly use the amphur method, since the will is witnessed by the amphur clerks, and is then sealed, given a reference number and placed in their storage facility for retrieval upon my death

This method is not suitable if you have a complicated will (ie. multiple beneficiaries) or if you feel that there may be someone who will contest the will and cause your designated heirs problems. But for the vast majority of us expats an amphur will is more than sufficient to insure that your wishes are carried out

see the thread here:

http://www.thaivisa....36-will-advice/

I have heard a few horror stories from farangs that have trusted lawyers for various things and it has not gone well. Including one smug person that bought land and house because the lawyer offered a way to circumvent the law. He did not listen to me when I told him that he was not able to own land in Thailand. He went for a holiday in the UK and came back to find somebody else living in his house. The farang had not bought the house, the lawyer had, using the farang's money and the lawyer had sold it.

What could he do about it? Go and see another lawyer. He tried a few but was informed that as he had attempted to buy land using a Thai nominee, he would likely be prosecuted if he tried to take the original lawyer to court.

I can understand why so many do not trust lawyers!

Why go to all the trouble and expense. Just leave her your Debit card and pass word, with instructions on how to draw the cash.

1. It is illegal

2. Most people keep their debit card in their wallet. What happens if you have an accident and your wallet mysteriously disappears?

I had told my missus to draw the money from my account as quickly as possible should I die. Realised that there could be problems and that is why I decided to do the Amphur will. Is it really such a bother when it only takes an hour or so and costs 150 Baht?

[sotsira]

I had told my missus to draw the money from my account as quickly as possible should I die. Realised that there could be problems and that is why I decided to do the Amphur will. Is it really such a bother when it only takes an hour or so and costs 150 Baht?

It's a matter of making a will in the correct manner so that it can be executed in the way it is written and that the beneficiaries

receive what the will intended.

Irrelevant of it costing 150bt or 15000bt when it comes to such an important document, the key is to do it right so you don't leave

your loved ones at the hands of any vultures.

[JimGant]

Most lawyers want you to make out a will that they verify and keep in their offices until such time as you die and then they present it to the amphur for processing.

LMan, what processing by the amphur are you suggesting? Is this just putting their official seal of approval on the Will, akin to registering/validating the Will (we're not talking probate, right)? Sounds like this could be open to all kinds of lawyer shenanigans (read: fraud), compared to the testator completing his will at the Amphur, having it witnessed there, and then having it stored there.

Out of curiosity, when you (the testator) dies, does your executor have to retrieve the original Will from the Amphur? If so, any further processing of it?

Interesting this quote (from a non-lawyer site):

Under Thai Law, applying for a grant of probate is not necessary unless the owner of an asset to be transferred requires it or there is a dispute regarding the will or the gifts it contains

This sounds about right, since we've seen on this thread, and others, that bank managers are perfectly happy to just have a copy of your Will (preferably one with an Amphur chop on it), delivered when you're alive (what better verification), and acted upon with a death certificate. Certainly no probate required -- just the Thai equivalent of establishing a pay-on-death beneficiary.

Now this quote from a lawyer site:

As a practical matter, the distribution of a deceased person’s estate assets that are held by a third party will require a court order to enforce under Thailand probate law. In this situation, bank accounts and land title deeds will require filing in a Thailand court by an experienced probate attorney so that heirs may receive the assets, land and bank account funds of a descendant’s estate.

Obviously, more money for the lawyers if your Will is probated -- but as said, it is not required by law. Yes, if creditors and/or disinherited heirs are involved, the 2-3 month probation process probably is required. Otherwise, waiting 3 months to free up your bank account is nuts. And we've seen that many bank managers agree -- accepting non-probated Wills (although probably insisting on ones with nice, official Amphur stamps on them).

So, as LMan indicates, Amphurs can get involved after the death of the testator, putting their official seal on the Will. (And, presumably, no lawyers required.) Quicker than probate -- which doesn't sound too necessary for most of us.

[JimGant]

Ok, but where in the regulation 1658 (mentioned above) does it actally state in writing that the will made at the Amphur office is 'self probated'? Or is this an assumption?

Bad phrase. Made official is probably a better descriptor.

It's hard to really get a description of the Thai probate process (do they advertise the death in local publications, for example -- dunno). But it would seem probate is not really a requirement for most of us (and, per above, is not required by Thai law). However, having the Will made official somehow -- Amphur stamps seem nice -- would seemingly be a requirement by most people, if for no other reason than to feel they're not getting snookered. Kinda like notarization of Wills in the US.

[Langsuan Man]

LMan, what processing by the amphur are you suggesting? Is this just putting their official seal of approval on the Will, akin to registering/validating the Will (we're not talking probate, right)? Sounds like this could be open to all kinds of lawyer shenanigans (read: fraud), compared to the testator completing his will at the Amphur, having it witnessed there, and then having it stored there.

Out of curiosity, when you (the testator) dies, does your executor have to retrieve the original Will from the Amphur? If so, any further processing of it?

Interesting this quote (from a non-lawyer site):

The "executor" only has to provide their Thai issued ID card in order to obtain the original from the amphur and the receipt (file #) should be kept with the copy you keep at home. If you name a non Thai as executor, then their passport would be the identification to retrieve the original. The process is designed to prevent fraud, since no one but the amphur can access the original will and since they have nothing to gain by altering it, it is as safe as anything can be in Thailand

The will is written both in Thai and English (or your mother tongue) but it does not have to be an official translation like Immigration requires for certain documents, just a licensed translator, and in case of a dispute the Thai version will take precedence. But make it a simple will and there should be no problems with the Thai translation

The whole process is much Kinda like notarization of Wills in the US. with the additional protection of storing the will for you, which a notary would not do. The process is designed for Thais to prevent fraud and the way the amphur seals the envelope containing the will with many stamps and signatures insures that no one accesses it after submission

[chiang mai]

Interesting that my Thai Will, written by a Thai law firm, states: "I appoint my partner xxx Thai ID number yyyy to be the executor of all my assets in Thailand. As my executor she will apply to the court to be appointed as the administrator of my assets and to distribute my assets according to my Will under Thai law" (partially paraphrased in the interests of brevity). The Will seems to dictate or at least describe the path the executor will take and no mention is made of possibly using the Amphur as an option to short circuit things.

The above seems to negate completely the idea that lawyers sit on a Will until the owner dies and then send the Will to the Amphur for processing/stamps etc, thus bypassing the courts entirely.

And BTW I have no vested interest or axe to grind in any of this, I just want to understand the end to end process of all the options. From where I sit presently I think the Amphur option now looks like a sensible way forward for simple wills. But at the same time, a simple will prepared by a Thai lawyer at a sensible price seems like an equally viable option, if it provides piece of mind - my jury is still out regarding the latter option since I have yet to fully understand the process of execution involving the courts, what I do now know is that the latter option does not involve the Amphur (per opening para).

[JimGant]

Interesting that my Thai Will, written by a Thai law firm, states: "I appoint my partner xxx Thai ID number yyyy to be the executor of all my assets in Thailand. As my executor she will apply to the court to be appointed as the administrator of my assets and to distribute my assets according to my Will under Thai law" (partially paraphrased in the interests of brevity). The Will seems to dictate or at least describe the path the executor will take and no mention is made of possibly using the Amphur as an option to short circuit things.

Yeah, CM, this thread is raising more questions than it is answering. (And maybe someone with executor experience will jump-in -- most of us here have still-living testators.)

Your lawyer seems to subscribe to what all the law sites proclaim, namely, the courts need to get involved. This is a typical example:

Also the distribution of an estate on death following a Thai last will made by a foreigner inside Thailand or under Thai inheritance law is subject to a legal (probate) procedure and appointment of an administrator for the winding up of the estate. You cannot turn up at a bank, Land Office or any other institution with a Last Will (Thai or foreign) and request transfer and registration of the assets.

But this quote (previously submitted) says not:

Under Thai Law, applying for a grant of probate is not necessary unless the owner of an asset to be transferred requires it or there is a dispute regarding the will or the gifts it contains

That is from the following (bonafides unknown):

http://bangkok.anglo...pensions-wills/

That your lawyer says your executor needs to apply to the court to be appointed administrator doesn't square with the Thai Civil and Commercial Code:

Section 1711. The administrators of an estate shall include the persons appointed by will or by order of the Court.

So, if the Will appoints an administrator (aka executor, personal representative), no need for a court appointment -- or for the court to bless the testator's choice of executor. Thus, barring concerns raised by heirs, creditors, or third parties to asset movement (e.g., land office) -- no need for a formal court probate process. But, it sounds like many lawyers petition the court for a grant of probate anyway -- just for the money?-- or do some third parties (again, the land office comes into mind) insist on a court overview of the process?

Probate in the US used to be a grueling, expensive, slow process. But with the Universal Probate Code, many states now have "informal probate," whereby the courts aren't even directly involved -- and matters are streamlined. Even Wills that have been notarized are "self-authenticating."

So you wonder if the Amphur's involvement with Wills is akin to an "informal probate." Sure sounds like it -- and makes sense too. The testator has dictated his Will to officials (or delivered a "secret," already prepared Will to be recognized as received from the testator -- sealed and stored). In this last scenario, for those of us storing our Wills at home, it might be prudent to go this route with the Amphur. After all, when the testator dies, having the Amphur know for sure that the Will in their safe was, indeed, that of the testator -- should be worth a lot. Self-authenticating, indeed.

I have a feeling Amphurs, observing lawyers waltz in with never before seen Wills, might be a little reluctant to "authenticate" such Wills. Maybe that's where that video tape of the signing and witnessing process comes in...... And maybe, after being thrown out of so many Amphurs, law firms would rather petition the probate court.

CM, why not ask your lawyer if probate can be avoided via the Amphur? The answer would be very interesting.

[chiang mai]

I will ask, I'm due to see her next week so stay tuned. A couple of other points:

My understanding is that an Executor and an Administrator are two separate roles, The Executor executes the Will process whereas an Administrator administers the assets distribution process.

Also, it strikes me that there is a transitionary process in place from the long standing Amphur process which does not require probate, over to a more modern process that involves lawyers, courts and the probate court, perhaps the two systems, and there quite clearly are two at present, are intended to run side by side for the time being,

Finally for Brits: in researching this subject I came across the fact that the UK porbate court wants to see the original Thai (or overseas) Will, where one exists, presumably this is for IHT purposes, dunno. So, for those of us who have one will for Thailand and a second for the UK, both must be worded to allow the existence of the other, in doing so we alert the UK authorites to the existence of the Thai Will and it comes as no surprise that they want to see it at death. I mention this for the benefit of those who have it in mind to do some under the radr distribution of their assets upon death.

[MrRealDeal]

I think some of the disputes or differences of opinion come from different situations ....... If no one cares to contest things you have one thing , once anyone contests the situation you end up in probate , contrairy to popular belief even trusts and other forms of estate planning not intended to go to probate can find themselves there, the only difference is that in those situations the plantifs must pay their own lawyers and in the case of a simple contested will the estate pays the legal fees.

As far as what you are discussing here it could work out just fine , however if someone contested it it would go to probate court ..... it can ALWAYS end up in court

An admisistrator and an executor are normally the same person, but on occation the Executor may just oversee the admin. who may be more experienced at dealing with insurance companys , stock accounts ect. Sometimes the Executor will appoint an administrator to do those kinds of things. The Court or the Executor gives an administrator power of attny to conduct bisness on behalf of the estate at the direction of the Executor , the Exec works for the estate and the admin for the exec.

Probate "can" be avoided but that assumes no one contested it ...... so it can be but it's not some guarentee or some way to make it impossible for someone to force it into probate , I think thats one part of the confusion , yes it may help in avoiding probate but their is never a situation that someone can't force a hearing in probate court by contesting the distributions of an estate. A court can't decide if the person is a complete nut job or just plain wrong untl they hear the case so it's just a matter of complaining to the court and they are forced to hear the case.

Sometimes the assets may have already been distributed , in this case a scenario could develop where the amphur and the bank released the funds and then someone contested it and forced it to probate , often times thats exactly how it happens , 2 parties want mom's diamond ring and since they can't settle it someone files a suit , oftentimes because one party has already taken the ring and the other party is pissed about it. Even when the Executor has controll over the distribution of the assets and contesting it is a waste of time people still try.

My point is the answer to most all of these questions is ...... it just depends on if whatever you have done is contested or not.

[JimGant]

My understanding is that an Executor and an Administrator are two separate roles, The Executor executes the Will process whereas an Administrator administers the assets distribution process.

I think in this situation -- particularly where languages are being translated -- that translated Thai Civil Commercial Code wording equates 'executor' to 'administrator.'

But, what I'd really like to get out of this discussion is: Who do I have validate and officially stamp my wife's Will upon her passing -- in order to have the chanotes and cars pass on to their intended in the Will?

I really don't want to have to go through formal probation -- particularly as I don't want the several months gap in having the bank accounts turned over to me.

[JimGant]

CM, why not ask your lawyer if probate can be avoided via the Amphur? The answer would be very interesting.

I will ask, I'm due to see her next week so stay tuned.

Chiangmai, what was her answer?

[BEVUP]

I'm sure that's probably possible but where the Will is registered doesn't have a bearing on its execution, regardless of whether it's with a lawyer, at the Amphur or at an embassy, the process is always going to be the same. The Will needs an Executor and it needs approval to enter administration (aka approval to be executed), that approval is only likely to be given where there is a valid death certificate in evidence and a recognised Will AND an Executor, frankly the only authority that can sanction that is a court and quite rightly too. Now, that's the process as explained to me by lawyers in Chiang Mai, let's see if anyone else with first hand knowledge of Will execution can add to this.

Exactly right - not hard to figure

& your personal assets goeos straight to your wife ( if married ) since she is next in line followed by immediate children

Just like most countries it would have to go to court with your wife as executor (who will also hold copy of Will ) along with death Cert

Reason as mentioned prior is as to acknowledge the executor & actual death& also there would be a Stand off period as to aknowledge if there were any out lying debts ect ect that would have to be paid to other parties

EG: lets say if wife had hocked the house for inlaws & something drastically happened to her

Scenario : So now we know we can hold a property for 1 yr but would rather just transfer into childs name straight away

But now not that simple since mortgage over hanging on it so this is where the courts come in before the said property can be dealt with

So effectively inherited a morgage setlement before it can be transfered

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Seems there never was an answer posted here from Chiang Mai on his intended consultation with his Thai wills lawyer about the Amphur approach???

BTW, Jim or LSM or anyone else here who knows...

As far as the amphur will process is concerned, do they have a specific form that you have to use, in Thai and/or in English?

Or, can the will-maker provide their own document (either separate Thai and English versions or combined Thai-English version, and simply have the Amphur folks stamp, seal and keep it?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just a bit of an update on this from the BKK end of things...

Today, the wife and I went to the Klong Toei District Office to see about filing an amphur will. Fortunately, as we discovered, they have a designated staff member there for that purpose and he was fine with a farang filing a will there, and seemed to have past experience with farangs as "customers" -- although the staff member we encountered didn't seem to speak much or any English.

First, as to the basics, the KT District Office is located at the end of the extension Sukhumvit Soi 42, perhaps a kilometer or so south of Rama 4 Road, just beyond the Chalerm Maha Nakhon Expressway. The office is open Mon to Fri 8 am to 4 pm, and the staff member there suggested we call ahead to make an appointment when we were ready to submit our documents. Phone is 02-249-9705, x5008. The wills guy is located at a single desk up on the second floor of the building -- no ticket or queue number required.

As for some of the issues raised above:

--You don't have to file the will in the area where you live, although that obviously is likely more convenient. But for people living in BKK, for example, you could go theoretically to any of the nearby district offices. So if you have some difficulty at one, you certainly are free to try another one instead.

--Asked about will forms, and the guy didn't have any ready to hand out. But when pressed, he managed to go and make a rough photocopy of a one-page will fill-in form written entirely in Thai. In discussion, he said we could use that form and have a translation done into English for it, or we could bring our own self-generated form.

--The price he quoted for filing the will form was 50 baht.

--Re the two witnesses required, he said yes we could have some of the nearby office staff serve for that purpose, if we didn't bring along our own separate witnesses.

--Regarding the doctor's medical certificate, he said I wouldn't need one since I wasn't age 60 or older -- though presumably I would have needed one if I had reached that age.

--As far as my paperwork, he said I'd need to bring:

1. My passport

2. Document/copy showing my permission to stay in Thailand (which would come out of my passport)

3. Copies or originals of any of the bank books or similar assets to be referenced in the will.

And he suggested having two copies of the will document to bring -- one to file with their office and the other to take home, presumably for one's executor.

Lastly, though this came via translation from my wife, he seemed to be talking about two different kinds of wills that a person could file:

1. a regular will where the witnesses see and read the will document itself, and sign that document.

2. a "secret" will where the witnesses don't read the will itself, but apparently sign on the outside of the sealed will envelope.

According to my wife, the wills guy at KT said the "secret" will method is the one typically used by farangs.

We'll probably plan on going back and doing the deal once we get our materials together, and I decide on the proper form to use for the will itself -- since the one he provided was pretty simplistic and would require me to obtain an English translation anyway.

BTW, we asked the guy about whether his office had any recommended or required translation offices that they wanted us to use for the will, and he seemed to say no. He didn't have any place to recommend to us, and seemed to generally suggest going to someplace near the U.S. Consulate for that purpose.

[JimGant]

Lastly, though this came via translation from my wife, he seemed to be talking about two different kinds of wills that a person could file:

1. a regular will where the witnesses see and read the will document itself, and sign that document.

2. a "secret" will where the witnesses don't read the will itself, but apparently sign on the outside of the sealed will envelope.

According to my wife, the wills guy at KT said the "secret" will method is the one typically used by farangs.

John, the 'secret' will is apparently from this section of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code:

Section 1660. A will may be made by a secret document, that is to say:

(1) the testator must sign his name on the document;

(2) he must close up the documents and sign his name on the document;

(3) he must produce the closed document before the Kromakarn Amphoe and at least two other persons as witnesses and declare to all of them that it contains his testamentary dispositions; and if the testator has not written with his own hand the whole text of the document he must state the name and domicile of the writer;

(4) after the Kromakarn Amphoe has noted down upon the cover of the document the declaration of the testator and the date of the production and has affixed his seal thereupon, the Kromakarn Amphoe, the testator and the witness must sign their names thereon.

No erasure, addition or other alternation in such will is valid unless signed by the testator.

Sounds like the way to go, as having the Amphur officials participate in processing the details of your Will in their office seems rather ludicrous (heard some Amphurs have fill-in-the-blank template Will forms). Plus, for those wanting lawyers involved in writing their Wills -- and wanting Amphur involvement -- the 'secret' method makes sense.

Still nothing definitive, at least that I've read, about the interface (if any) between Amphurs and probate court. I guess we just don't have any forum participants that have had to execute a Will.......

So, to me, two questions remain:

1. With the 'secret' method, what exactly happens when the executor shows up at the Amphur -- death certificate and receipt for the Will in hand? Is the envelope with the Will unsealed in the Amphur, and then official chops put on the Will? If this is not the case, there seems to be no reason to have had the Will stored at the Amphur.....(well, maybe if assured authentication at probate court eases matters -- see last paragraph).

2. With Amphur chops on the Will -- and the Will denoting that I get her car, bank account, etc -- can I take title without going through probate (i.e., will the official Amphur seals/chops be enough for the bank manager, etc)?

Probably a big 'maybe' on that question.

But it doesn't seem too big a deal to file your 'secret' Will with the Amphur -- if you don't mind getting a medical certificate saying you're not nuts.

But, have the name of a good lawyer ready, should you be met with the need for probate court chops, should the Amphur chops not suffice.

And, even if it doesn't get officialized when retrieved from the Amphur, but, instead, remains sealed in its envelope -- such an Amphur sealed document should be all the authentication needed by the probate court. Whether such solid assurances would be needed, dunno.... but I guess if someone contested the Will's authenticity, then, yes.

[WitawatWatawit]

Interesting debate. Can I just take you back a little to earlier in the piece in which joint bank accounts were referred to? As my house is already in my (adult) daughter's name, the only things that I need to worry about when I kark it are vehicles and bank deposits. The vehicles are an easy solution. But the accounts ... I'm thinking of opening joint accts with my daughter (who's Thai and my only heir) and transferring all my money into them. I don't think anyone adequately answered the question of whether the surviving acct holder can continue to withdraw money out. I'm pretty sure they can, though.

The other point is that if I lose my work permit and am forced to go onto a retirement visa, does the 800k baht I need for that have to be in a single-name (mine) acct?

Hope you don't mind me diverting this thread a little - I'm sure anything to do with wills and inheritance is of interest. I'm just trying to find a simple way around the complications.

Cheers,

Wit

[JimGant]

I don't think anyone adequately answered the question of whether the surviving acct holder can continue to withdraw money out. I'm pretty sure they can, though.

Yeah, certainly not as straightforward here about joint accounts as in the States, where they're labelled "joint tenancy with right of survivorship." And, what that means is self-evident.

From post 31:

- Joint accounts set up so that withdrawal only needs one signature is very different and talk to 5 Bank managers / 5 HO senior staff and you will get 20 different answers:

- Some will say it's illegal for the other party to touch the account after the other party has died.

- Other bank managers will tell you that it's the serious legal responsbility of the survivor to immediately tell the bank manager that the other party has died.

- Other banks will tell you the opposite - withdrawal needs one signature only (where it's set up like that) and that's it. Nothing else matte

Anyway, practically speaking, you should be able to access funds in a joint account after one of the joint holders dies. The legality of doing that, however, isn't quite clear. So, I'd remove most of the money *before* presenting the Will to the bank manager, if, indeed, I ever decided to do that for some reason.....

The other point is that if I lose my work permit and am forced to go onto a retirement visa, does the 800k baht I need for that have to be in a single-name (mine) acct?

Yes, from all the reports I've read on this forum.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2. With Amphur chops on the Will -- and the Will denoting that I get her car, bank account, etc -- can I take title without going through probate (i.e., will the official Amphur seals/chops be enough for the bank manager, etc)?

Jim, I've read here on TV a variety of responses that members have reported from their dealings with Thai bank officials on this topic.

After we finished at the Amphur, a few days later, we stopped by the Siam Paragon BKK Bank branch and asked to speak with the manager there, and posed the question you raise above.

The manager's response was: If I had died, what my wife would need to do is show up with the locally issued certificate of my death and the amphur-endorsed will naming her has my executor/beneficiary specifically for their account, and they would give her assess to my account.

Now...that's what the manager said on that day... But 10, 20, 30 years from now... on any given day, who knows???

I think, all you can do is try to cover all the bases that you possibly can... and then perhaps also try to keep your substantial assets in a place where you know/hope the banking authorities will follow the correct procedures, whether that be Thailand or elsewhere.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The other point is that if I lose my work permit and am forced to go onto a retirement visa, does the 800k baht I need for that have to be in a single-name (mine) acct?

Yes, from all the reports I've read on this forum.

Yes also.. There have been multiple reports from members here who were in that situation, and who reported back saying that Thai Immigration would then only give each named accountholder credit for half of the total deposit... e.g. husband and wife account holders, 400,000 allocated to each, for retirement extension purposes.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The other point is that if I lose my work permit and am forced to go onto a retirement visa, does the 800k baht I need for that have to be in a single-name (mine) acct?

Yes, from all the reports I've read on this forum.

Yes also.. There have been multiple reports from members here who were in that situation, and who reported back saying that Thai Immigration would then only give each named accountholder credit for half of the total deposit... e.g. husband and wife account holders, 400,000 allocated to each, for retirement extension purposes.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Re the forms used at Amphur Offices for wills, here are the three pages that the Klong Toei wills guy gave my wife and I... He didn't have any copies on hand to hand out, and I gather went into a back office and photocopied them out of some book to give to us after I had asked.

I'm not recommending to use these. And I don't read Thai, so I couldn't tell you what they say. Also, from everything I've read, it seems that the best way for a farang here to prepare a will is to have a bilingual English and Thai language document, which these pages obviously are not. Lastly, AFAIK, you don't have to use whatever forms the Amphur might have. People are free to bring and use their own documents.

With that said, I'll just post the pages here for information purposes.

[cardholder]

There is no need for a lawyer if will is registered with amphur. I have checked this out ,with my bank and boss at amphur.

So you think that a beneficiary can walk into a bank waving just the deceased's bank book and a copy of the Amphur Will and say, it's mine, give me the money? Good luck with that, I'm pretty certain you will need a court order before the bank can change the name on that account and give you access.

No. Add the death certificate to the above and... bingo.

You certainly do not need a court order for a simple situation as described.