Our Company
A practice built on careful reading and plain writing.
Ayutthaya Counsel was founded on the belief that estate planning, handled well, is a quiet act of consideration for the people you care about most.
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From Ayutthaya, for families across Thailand.
Ayutthaya Counsel was established by practitioners who had seen, repeatedly, what happens when a family's assets and intentions are left undocumented. Properties held in ambiguous arrangements, powers of attorney that were never prepared, and family members left without the clarity they needed to act — these are avoidable difficulties, and addressing them is the work we chose to do.
Our office in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya serves clients across the central plains of Thailand — professionals, retirees, business owners, and families who hold assets in more than one country. We work in English, which allows us to serve the international community that has made this region its home, while remaining grounded in the Thai legal framework that governs property, succession, and family arrangements here.
We do not seek to be the largest practice in the region. We seek to be the most careful. Each engagement receives the full attention of a senior practitioner, and we do not move to the drafting stage until we have asked enough questions to understand the full picture.
The city of Ayutthaya, once the capital of the Kingdom of Siam and a place of extraordinary accumulated wealth, has a particular relationship with the idea of legacy. What is preserved, and how, is not merely a legal question — it is a human one. We carry that sensibility into every piece of work we undertake.
Our approach is advisory rather than prescriptive. We present options, explain consequences, and allow clients to reach their own conclusions. The documents we prepare are the result of that process — not templates filled in quickly, but considered records of considered decisions.
Our Mission
To make estate planning accessible, comprehensible, and genuinely useful — so that families in Thailand can face the future with a clear record of what has been arranged and why.
The Team
The people who prepare your documents.
Jonathan Pratheep
Senior Counsel
Practising Thai and international succession law for over fifteen years, with particular experience in cross-border estate structures involving UK and Australian beneficiaries.
Nattaporn Wattana
Document Specialist
Responsible for the preparation and quality review of all client documents. Nattaporn coordinates witnessed signings and manages liaison with the Land Office and relevant authorities.
Siriwan Khunpan
Client Relations
Siriwan is the first point of contact for new enquiries and coordinates scheduling for all consultations. She ensures that every client receives a prompt, clear response to their initial questions.
Professional Standards
How we maintain the quality of our work.
Thai Bar Membership
All senior practitioners at Ayutthaya Counsel hold active membership of the Lawyers Council of Thailand and maintain continuing professional development requirements annually.
Two-Stage Document Review
Every document prepared for a client is reviewed by a second practitioner before it is presented. We do not circulate drafts that have not been checked independently.
Data Protection
We comply with Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in the storage and handling of all client information. Client files are held securely and access is restricted to those directly involved in the engagement.
Confidentiality Commitment
All information shared during consultations and engagements is held in strict confidence. We do not discuss client matters with third parties without explicit written consent.
Current Law Monitoring
Thai succession and property law evolves. Our team monitors legislative developments and Land Department guidance to ensure that documents we prepare reflect the current legal position.
Clear Communication
We write to clients in plain English. Where a legal term cannot be avoided, we explain it. We do not allow technical language to become a barrier between a client and their own estate plan.
Estate planning in Thailand: what a practitioner actually does.
Thai inheritance law is set out primarily in Book VI of the Civil and Commercial Code, which divides heirs into six statutory classes and establishes an order of priority among them. A will allows a person to alter the default distribution — directing specific assets to specific people — within the limits the Code permits. Without a will, the Code applies in full, regardless of what the deceased may have wished.
For foreign nationals resident in Thailand, the position is more complex. The ability to hold freehold land is restricted, but condominium units, long-term lease rights registered with the Land Department, and shares in Thai companies are all forms of property interest that can be held and transferred. A carefully drafted Thai will, coordinated with any overseas will the client may have, ensures that these interests pass in accordance with the client's actual intentions.
A power of attorney is a separate document that operates during a person's lifetime. It does not form part of the estate on death, but it can be essential before that point — if a person falls ill, leaves the country for an extended period, or needs a trusted representative to manage a property transaction. We prepare powers of attorney as part of the Mid-Sized and Multi-Jurisdiction engagements because, in our experience, the need for one tends to arise before it is anticipated.
The letter of wishes — the third element of the Mid-Sized package — is not legally binding, but it performs an important function. It gives the executor named in the will some context: why certain choices were made, how certain assets should be treated, and what the person's intentions were in relation to family members not named as principal beneficiaries. Families who receive a letter of wishes alongside a will tend to experience less uncertainty and, often, less conflict.
Ayutthaya Counsel operates from offices on Si Sanphet Road, within walking distance of the historic city centre. We serve clients in Ayutthaya, Bangkok, and across central Thailand, and we work with international families whose estate matters involve more than one country.
Speak with our team
A short conversation costs nothing.
If you are considering whether estate planning is something you should attend to, the most useful first step is a brief conversation. We can tell you what is relevant to your situation and what it would involve.
Arrange a Meeting