Related: Retiring in Thailand · Buying property guide · Ask a question
What changed on 24 March 2026
Thailand's Department of Provincial Administration regulation and forms replaced the district-office regulations that had been in force since 1960. The regulation was published on 27 January 2026 and says it takes effect 60 days after Royal Gazette publication; the Government Public Relations Department's 18 March notice gives the operational date as 24 March 2026.
The regulation covers a will made as a public document, a secret will deposited through the district office and the district-office record for an oral will made under the Civil and Commercial Code. It also governs custody, certified copies and specified declarations about inheritance. It does not replace the separate legal requirements for a private will, probate, tax or cross-border assets.
Where a foreigner can use the official procedure
The 2026 regulation says a request for a public-document will, secret will or covered declaration can be made at any district office; its definition includes the relevant Bangkok district office. A public-document will may also be requested at another place within the district official's territorial responsibility. The receiving office decides whether the documents and circumstances meet the operative rule.
When a foreign testator cannot show the Thai identity documents named in the regulation, the district official checks other evidence capable of establishing identity. The regulation also requires an interpreter when the testator or a witness cannot communicate in Thai. The receiving office must confirm the live evidence, language and recording requirements.
Witnesses and the signing record
For the district-office public and secret routes, the regulation requires at least two adult witnesses. It excludes specified persons who cannot act as witnesses and says the district office may assist when the applicant cannot bring enough qualifying witnesses. Ask the office to confirm how those rules apply to the people attending.
The regulation describes sealing and custody for a secret will, and office retention, certified copies and a recorded return process for a public-document will. The district office controls the current form, signature and custody steps.
Official district-office fees
Clause 19 of the 2026 DOPA regulation sets these administrative figures. They are not private lawyer, translation or tax-review fees. Confirm the current fee and service scope with the receiving district office before filing:
| Official service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Public-document will at a district office | THB 250 |
| Public-document will outside the district office | THB 500 |
| Secret will | THB 250 |
| Declaration excluding or reinstating a statutory heir, or renouncing an inheritance | THB 100 |
| Duplicate counterpart of an in-office or outside-office public-document will | THB 50 per copy |
The regulation does not set a standard private-lawyer price. We found no official nationwide tariff for drafting, translation, tax review or cross-border coordination, so this page does not publish an “average” commercial price.
Assets, probate and land records are separate questions
A will records testamentary wishes; it does not by itself transfer every registered asset. The Office of the Attorney General's guidance for a foreign estate explains when an application for a court-appointed estate administrator may be needed for registered assets. The Department of Lands explains separately that recording an estate administrator on a land title establishes authority to administer the estate; it does not make that administrator the owner.
The correct treatment of a condominium, lease, company shares, a Thai bank account, foreign assets or land inherited by a non-Thai person depends on the asset and the heir. The Department of Lands publishes a separate process for foreign statutory heirs under Land Code section 93. Where an official source does not resolve a particular ownership structure, the court, land office, bank or other registry makes the operational decision.
What to confirm before relying on a document
- Which form of will was used and whether its execution requirements were met.
- Whether the named assets and ownership details are current.
- Whether foreign documents need Thai translation, certification or legalisation.
- Whether a court appointment or registry process will still be required after death.
- Whether a home-country will conflicts with or revokes the Thai document.
Those are document-specific legal questions. A district office can explain its public or secret will procedure; an independent Thai lawyer can review drafting and cross-border interaction; the relevant land office, bank or registry decides its transfer requirements.
Official sources checked
- Department of Provincial Administration: 2026 regulation and official forms
- Government PRD announcement, 18 March 2026
- Office of the Attorney General: estate administrator information for a foreign estate
- Department of Lands: effect of registering an estate administrator on a land title
- Department of Lands: foreign statutory-heir process under Land Code section 93
FAQ
Can a foreigner make a will at a Thai district office?
The 2026 DOPA regulation provides an identity-check route when a foreign applicant cannot show the Thai identity documents named in the rule, and it permits a request at any district office. The receiving office decides whether the identity evidence, witnesses, interpreter and requested procedure satisfy the regulation.
How many witnesses are needed for the district-office procedure?
The public-document and secret-will procedures require at least two adult witnesses who satisfy the regulation's exclusions. The regulation says the district office may help find qualifying witnesses if the applicant cannot bring enough.
How much does the official district-office will procedure cost?
Clause 19 publishes THB 250 for a public-document will at the district office, THB 500 outside the office, THB 250 for a secret will, THB 100 for the listed inheritance declarations and THB 50 for each duplicate counterpart of a public-document will. Confirm the current charge and service scope with the receiving office.
Does a Thai will automatically transfer land, a condominium or a bank account?
No. The will is evidence of testamentary wishes; court administration and the land office, bank or other registry can require separate authority and transfer documents. The asset type, ownership record, heir and any foreign-document or foreign-ownership issue determine the next process.