Deals · disputes and debts
Debt recovery in Thailand — from demand letter to enforcement
We check documents and limitation periods, negotiate in Thai and, if needed, take it to mediation, court and enforcement.
- Demand letter in Thai and English, negotiations with the debtor
- Limitation period and the debtor's assets checked before you sue
- Litigation, asset attachment and enforcement of the judgment
- A report in English or Russian after every stage
20+ years in ThailandEnglish · Русский · ไทย
A Sabai Legal lawyer will reply — in English, Russian or Thai
Why a debt can't wait
- 01
The limitation period is shorter than you think.
A supplier's claim for goods delivered or work done is time-barred after 2 years, or 5 years if they were for the debtor's own business. You cannot extend the period by contract.
Source: Civil and Commercial Code, ss. 193/11, 193/33, 193/34 (ThaiLawOnline)
- 02
"We'll pay next week."
The emails drag on for months while the clock keeps running. A written acknowledgment of the debt or a part payment interrupts prescription, so it needs to be secured in time.
Source: Civil and Commercial Code, s. 193/14 (ThaiLawOnline)
- 03
A judgment from your home court won't be enforced here.
Thailand has no statute or treaty on recognising foreign court judgments. You need a new lawsuit, and the foreign judgment is only evidence. Foreign arbitral awards are enforced under the New York Convention.
- 04
The court works in Thai.
The claim and the case file are in Thai. The court may order a certified translation of any document in a foreign language.
What Thai law says
Rules of the Civil and Commercial Code and the Civil Procedure Code. Checked on 17 October 2026.
Requirements change. We check them against official sources before every application.
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Limitation period: 2, 5 or 10 years
The general period is 10 years. A supplier's claim for goods delivered or work done is 2 years, or 5 years if they were for the debtor's own business. A number of other claims, such as for services, carriage or hire of goods, are also 2 years. Interest arrears and rent for real estate are 5 years.
Source: Civil and Commercial Code, ss. 193/30, 193/33, 193/34 (ThaiLawOnline)
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You can interrupt the period, not extend it by contract
Prescription is interrupted when the debtor acknowledges the debt (in writing, by part payment, by paying interest or by giving security), or when you sue, file a claim in bankruptcy or start arbitration. A new period then starts. The parties cannot agree on a longer period.
Source: Civil and Commercial Code, ss. 193/11, 193/14, 193/15 (ThaiLawOnline)
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When the debtor is in default
If the contract fixes a calendar payment date, default is automatic. If not, it starts after the creditor's demand, which is why the demand letter matters. From default, interest runs at 5% a year unless there is a legal ground to claim more.
Source: Civil and Commercial Code, ss. 7, 204, 224 (ThaiLawOnline)
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Notify the guarantor within 60 days
If the debt is guaranteed, the creditor must notify the guarantor in writing within 60 days of default. Otherwise the guarantor is not liable for interest, damages and charges that arise after that period.
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Pre-filing mediation with no court fee
Before you sue, you can ask the court to appoint a mediator. There is no fee, and the other side joins voluntarily. If mediation fails and the period expired after you applied or expires within 60 days of the end of mediation, it is extended by 60 days.
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Asset attachment before judgment
In cases other than petty claims (มโนสาเร่), with the claim or at any time before judgment, you can ask the court to attach the defendant's assets, including money owed to them by others, or to stop them selling their property.
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A plaintiff with no office or assets in Thailand
If the plaintiff has no domicile, place of business or assets in Thailand, the defendant may ask the court to order security for costs. If it is not paid on time, the case is struck out.
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10 years to enforce
If the debtor does not comply with the judgment, the creditor applies for enforcement within 10 years of the judgment date. Seizure, attachment and auctions are carried out by the Legal Execution Department (LED).
What fits your case
- 01
Demand letter and negotiation
The debt isn't disputed, but they don't pay. Demand letter in Thai, acknowledgment of debt, repayment schedule.
Choose - 02
Mediation and litigation
The debtor won't pay or disputes the claim. Court mediation, lawsuit, asset attachment before judgment.
Choose - 03
Enforcement
You already have a Thai judgment or an arbitral award. Enforcement through the LED, claims in the debtor's bankruptcy.
Choose - 04
Check the debtor first?
Company, directors, bankruptcy and assets — before you sue.
Learn more
Documents for debt recovery
Proof of the debt
- Contract, amendments and specifications
- Invoices, tax invoices, delivery notes, acceptance certificates
- Bank confirmations of payments — yours and any part payments by the debtor
- Messages where the debtor admits the debt or promises to pay: email, LINE, WhatsApp
- Signed acknowledgment of debt or repayment schedule, if any
- Guarantee, pledge or mortgage agreement, or bank guarantee, if any
Demand and negotiations
- The demand letter and proof it was sent and delivered
- The debtor's replies and meeting notes
- Notice to the guarantor, if the debt is guaranteed
- A court judgment or arbitral award, if you already have one
The parties and authority
- Company affidavit (หนังสือรับรอง) from the DBD — yours and the debtor's
- Passport of the director who signs the power of attorney
- Power of attorney for the lawyer
- For a foreign company: registration documents and a resolution to file the claim
- Thai translations — we prepare them
The court works in Thai and may order a certified translation of foreign-language documents (CPC, s. 46). If the court doubts a power of attorney signed abroad, it may require it to be witnessed by a Thai consul or, where there is none, a notary public (CPC, s. 47). Send what you have — we will tell you what is missing and how much time is left before the claim is time-barred.
Send documents for a check
Debt recovery prices
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Assessment and demand letter
- Our fee
- 20,000 THB
- Review of the contract, invoices and correspondence
- Limitation period and interest calculation
- Debtor check in DBD and LED records
- Demand letter in Thai and English, sent with proof of delivery
- Negotiations, draft acknowledgment of debt or repayment schedule
Timeline: 2–6 weeks
Choose this package - Most popular
Mediation and litigation
- Our fee
- from 80,000 THBexact price after we review the documents
- Government fee (paid separately)
- Court fee based on the claim amount: 2% of the claim up to THB 50 million, capped at THB 200,000, plus 0.1% on the excess; claims up to THB 300,000 in a Kwaeng (magistrates') court — no more than THB 1,000
- Everything in Assessment and demand letter
- Mediation before filing or in court
- Statement of claim and evidence in Thai
- Application for asset attachment before judgment, if there is a risk
- Attendance at hearings
- A report after every hearing
Timeline: 3–18 months
Choose this package -
Enforcement
- Our fee
- from 40,000 THB
- Government fee (paid separately)
- Enforcement costs at CPC rates: 2% of auction or sale proceeds and 1% of seized money paid to the creditor; notices and expenses extra
- Search for the debtor's assets
- Application for enforcement
- Support with seizure and auctions at the LED
- Claim in the debtor's bankruptcy
- Petition to a Thai court to enforce an arbitral award
Timeline: 6–12 months
Choose this package
Included in every plan
- Reports in English or Russian
- Fees and costs listed separately, as receipted
- NDA on request
The court fee is calculated on the claim amount under the schedule to the Civil Procedure Code (s. 150); we confirm the exact amount after the assessment. Travel to a court in another province is by arrangement. We do not promise a court outcome: we are responsible for the quality and timing of our work.
Pay in stages
30% at the start, 70% after the result. Longer projects are paid by contract stages.
Guarantee
If an application is refused because of our mistake, we refund our fee in full. We guarantee the process, not the authority's decision.
Trust you can verify
- 20+ years in Thailand
- 2–5 years limitation for goods and work claims
- 10 years to enforce a court judgment
We work with
- Immigration Bureau
- Department of Business Development (DBD)
- Revenue Department
- Ministry of Labour
- Banks
How we work
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Step 1
Request
The debtor, the amount and a few words about the dispute. We reply within 15 minutes.
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Step 2
Case assessment
We check the documents, the limitation period and the debtor in DBD and LED records, and tell you honestly about your chances and the price.
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Step 3
Demand letter and negotiation
A demand in Thai and English, a meeting with the debtor, an acknowledgment of debt or a repayment schedule.
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Step 4
Mediation or court
If they don't pay: mediation and a lawsuit. If assets may disappear, we ask the court to attach them before judgment.
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Step 5
Enforcement
Application to the LED, seizure of assets and auction. A report after every step.
How we differ from a typical agent
| Criterion | Sabai Legal | Typical agent |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Fixed, published on the site | "Message us and we'll quote" |
| Government fees | Shown as a separate line | Hidden in the total |
| Payment | In stages | 100% upfront |
| Company structure | Legal, no nominees | Nominee shareholders |
| Response | 15 minutes, 7 days a week | "On business days" |
| Case status | In a Telegram bot | Only by phone |
| Language with authorities | Thai, in person | Through an interpreter |
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to recover a debt?
It depends on the debt. A supplier's claim for goods delivered or work done is 2 years, or 5 years if they were for the debtor's own business. A number of claims for services are also 2 years. Interest arrears and rent for real estate are 5 years. The general period is 10 years. Send us the contract and invoices and we will work out your exact deadline.
The debtor admitted the debt in a message. Does that help?
It can. An acknowledgment of the debt — in writing, by part payment, by paying interest or by giving security — interrupts prescription, and a new period starts (CCC, ss. 193/14, 193/15). We will review the messages: who wrote them and what exactly they admit matters. Keep the messages and bank confirmations.
The limitation period has expired. Is it hopeless?
Not always. The court will not dismiss a claim on prescription on its own — only if the debtor raises it (CCC, s. 193/29). But you cannot count on the debtor staying silent. First we check whether the period was interrupted by an acknowledgment or a payment.
What interest can I claim?
Contractual interest, if the rate is lawful. If there is no agreed rate, 5% a year from default: the s. 7 CCC rate (3%) plus 2% (s. 224). If the contract fixes a payment date, default is automatic; if not, it starts after your demand (s. 204).
Can we settle without going to court?
Yes, and that is where we start: demand letter, negotiation, repayment schedule. Before filing, you can ask the court to appoint a mediator, with no court fee (CPC, s. 20 ter). If the parties settle, the court can give judgment on the compromise. Mediation is also available at the enforcement stage, at the Legal Execution Department (LED).
Our company is not based in Thailand. Can we sue?
Yes. You need a power of attorney for the lawyer and company documents translated into Thai. If the power of attorney is signed abroad and the court has doubts, it may require it to be witnessed by a Thai consul or, where there is none, a notary (CPC, s. 47), so it is best to have the signature certified from the start. If your company has no office or assets in Thailand, the defendant may ask for security for costs (s. 253).
Will a judgment from our home court be enforced in Thailand?
Not directly. Thailand has no statute or treaty on recognising foreign court judgments: you file a new lawsuit, and the foreign judgment serves as evidence. While a case runs abroad, the Thai limitation period may expire. Foreign arbitral awards are enforced under the New York Convention: the petition to a Thai court is due within 3 years of the award becoming enforceable, with a Thai translation.
Can the debtor's money be frozen before judgment?
Yes, if there are grounds and the claim is not a petty case (มโนสาเร่). With the claim or later, before judgment, you can ask the court to attach the defendant's assets, including money owed to them by others, or to stop them selling their property (CPC, s. 254). We prepare the application together with the claim.
What if the debtor has been declared bankrupt?
File your claim with the Official Receiver at the Legal Execution Department (LED) within 2 months of publication of the absolute receivership order. For a creditor abroad, the Receiver may extend this by up to 2 more months at their discretion. We check bankruptcy cases through the LED online services.
Who handles the case in court, and in what language?
Only a lawyer licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand may represent a party in a Thai court, and only Thai nationals can obtain that licence (Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (1985), ss. 33 and 35). We run your case together with such a lawyer. Proceedings are in Thai (CPC, s. 46). You get a report in English or Russian after every hearing and every step.
Often needed together
Let's assess your case before time runs out
Send the contract, invoices and correspondence — a specialist will reply within 15 minutes and tell you how much time is left and where to start.
Every day, 9:00–21:00 (Bangkok time)
A Sabai Legal lawyer will reply — in English, Russian or Thai