Service guide
Recovering money owed in Thailand: demand letters, court claims, and the ten year window to enforce a judgment through seizure and attachment.
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Most debt recovery in Thailand is decided long before a courtroom is involved. A clear contract, an invoice trail, and a properly drafted demand resolve a large share of disputes, because the debtor's calculation changes once the claim looks organised and the consequences look real.
The part worth understanding early is the second half. Winning a judgment and collecting on it are different exercises: a judgment is an entitlement, and enforcement is the machinery that turns it into money. A debtor with no traceable assets produces the same outcome whether you win quickly or slowly.
So the first question a lawyer asks is usually not whether the debt is owed, but what the debtor actually has and where. That answer shapes whether a claim is worth filing at all.
Assemble the paper trail
The contract or purchase orders, invoices, delivery or performance records, and any acknowledgement of the debt. Written acknowledgements are particularly useful, because they narrow what the debtor can later dispute.
Send a formal demand
A demand from a law firm setting out the amount, the basis, and the deadline. This resolves many matters on its own and, where it does not, it establishes the position before proceedings.
Assess the debtor before filing
Whether the debtor is a company or an individual, whether it is still trading, and what assets could realistically be reached. Filing against an empty shell converts a bad debt into a bad debt plus legal costs.
File the claim
Court fees are calculated on the value of the claim, so a firm confirms the figure for a specific amount before filing. Claims are also subject to time limits that vary by the type of claim, which is why the deadline is checked at the outset.
Enforce the judgment
If the debtor still does not pay, the court issues a writ of execution appointing an executing officer, who can seize property, attach claims owed to the debtor, or use other measures the Civil Procedure Code allows.
Note: A judgment is enforceable for ten years
The Civil Procedure Code gives a judgment creditor a ten year period to enforce. Where the judgment requires payment in instalments or performance in the future, that ten year period runs from the date performance becomes enforceable rather than from the judgment itself. Ten years is generous, but it is not indefinite, and a debtor's assets can move within it.
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Bangkok-based law firm delivering strategic, business-focused legal advice with deep local expertise and a practical, solutions-oriented approach.
฿3,500–15,000 / hour
International Legal and Cross-Border Business Advisory in Thailand and Asia
Experts assisting clients in conducting their businesses and protecting their rights and investments in Thailand across a wide range of legal matters.
The engagement usually starts with an assessment of recoverability, then the demand, then proceedings if the demand fails. Enforcement is handled after judgment through the executing officer, with the Legal Execution Department carrying out seizure and attachment measures.
Two commercial points come up constantly. The first is that partial recovery quickly beats full recovery slowly, so settlement at the demand stage often produces a better net result than a judgment two steps later. The second is that costs are rarely fully recovered from the debtor, which means the size of the debt has to justify the process before it starts.
Where the debt arises from a disputed agreement rather than plain non-payment, the matter is really a contract dispute and runs on that footing instead. Firms handling recovery work sit under litigation and dispute resolution.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Time limits apply and vary by claim type; for a specific debt, speak with a qualified professional.
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Bangkok-based law firm delivering strategic, business-focused legal advice with deep local expertise and a practical, solutions-oriented approach.
฿3,500–15,000 / hour
International Legal and Cross-Border Business Advisory in Thailand and Asia
Experts assisting clients in conducting their businesses and protecting their rights and investments in Thailand across a wide range of legal matters.
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Bangkok-based law firm delivering strategic, business-focused legal advice with deep local expertise and a practical, solutions-oriented approach.
฿3,500–15,000 / hour
International Legal and Cross-Border Business Advisory in Thailand and Asia
Experts assisting clients in conducting their businesses and protecting their rights and investments in Thailand across a wide range of legal matters.
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