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Cross-Border Debt Collection & Arbitral Award Enforcement
Recover debts from Thai debtors on behalf of foreign creditors — including direct enforcement of New York Convention arbitral awards.
Quick Answer
Foreign court judgments require re-litigation in Thai court (12–18 months). Foreign arbitral awards are directly enforceable under the New York Convention in the Central IP&IT Court within 3–6 months. We handle both routes plus asset tracing, freezing orders, and post-judgment execution. Contingency 25–40%.
FAQ
- Which countries can you recover debts from?
- We handle inbound cross-border collection (Thai debtor, foreign creditor) from 40+ jurisdictions including US, UK, EU, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, and India. For outbound (Thai creditor, foreign debtor) we coordinate with partner firms in the debtor's country.
- Can foreign judgments be enforced in Thailand?
- Thai courts do NOT automatically recognize foreign court judgments. The claim must be re-litigated in Thai court, using the foreign judgment as strong evidence. However, foreign arbitral awards ARE directly enforceable under the 1958 New York Convention (Thailand ratified 1959).
- What about the New York Convention?
- Foreign arbitral awards from any of the 172 Convention states are directly enforceable in Thai Central IP&IT Court within 3–6 months, subject only to narrow public-policy grounds. This is the FASTEST cross-border enforcement route in Thailand.
- Fees for cross-border cases?
- Contingency 25–40% for commercial debts USD 50,000+, or hybrid retainer + success fee. Court filing 2% of claim (capped THB 200k). Enforcement fees 2–3.5% of recovered amount. Currency conversion at BOT rate on judgment date.
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Official sources
The information on this page follows the official sources below. Always check the latest version before you file.
- กรมการกงสุล — บริการรับรองเอกสาร (นิติกรณ์)— กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ
- สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง — วีซ่า รายงานตัว 90 วัน TM.30— Immigration Bureau
- กรมการปกครอง — ทะเบียนราษฎร ทะเบียนครอบครัว— Department of Provincial Administration
- สภาทนายความในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ — ทนายความผู้ทำคำรับรองลายมือชื่อและเอกสาร— Lawyers Council of Thailand
- สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา — ฐานข้อมูลกฎหมายไทย— Office of the Council of State
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Frequently asked questions
- Can a foreigner own 100% of a Thai company?
- Generally no for activities listed in the Foreign Business Act, where majority foreign ownership requires a Foreign Business Licence, a BOI promotion, or treaty rights such as the US–Thailand Treaty of Amity. Manufacturing and certain export activities are largely open, and BOI-promoted activities can permit full foreign ownership together with land-holding and visa privileges, so the right structure depends on the specific activity.
- What is the minimum registered capital for a Thai company?
- There is no general statutory minimum for a Thai-majority company, but practical thresholds apply: THB 2 million of paid-up registered capital per foreign work permit, or THB 1 million if the foreigner is married to a Thai national, and THB 3 million per foreign shareholder for a Foreign Business Licence. Capital should therefore be planned around the visa and work-permit outcome you need, not the incorporation minimum.
- How long does company registration take?
- Registration at the Department of Business Development can be completed within one to three working days once the name reservation, shareholder documents and company objectives are ready, and the VAT registration and social security registration follow afterwards. The realistic end-to-end timeline including bank account opening is two to six weeks, with the bank account usually being the slowest step for foreign directors.
- What ongoing accounting obligations does a Thai company have?
- Every Thai company must keep statutory accounts, file monthly withholding tax (PND 1, 3, 53) and VAT (PP 30) returns by the middle of the following month, file the half-year corporate income tax return (PND 51) and the annual return (PND 50), and have its financial statements audited by a Thai CPA and filed with the DBD each year. Dormant companies are not exempt — nil returns and an audited statement are still required.