If a person in Thailand passes away without leaving a will, the law of intestacy will apply. This means that the estate of the deceased will be distributed among their statutory heirs according to the law outlined in Book VI of the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand.
There are six classes of statutory heirs in Thailand, and each class is entitled to inherit in a specific order:
The surviving spouse is also considered a statutory heir and is entitled to inherit from the estate.
The process of inheriting property in Thailand may require court involvement, depending on the value and type of the property left by the deceased. For small amounts of money in the bank or property that does not require registration, it may be possible to inherit without a court order. However, for certain properties like land or cars, you may need to be appointed as an estate administrator by the court to inherit.
Typically, it takes around 3 months for the court to process an application for estate administration and an additional 30 days for the court to issue an “Order of Final Judgment.” However, contested applications can prolong the process up to a year or more.
If you need assistance with estate planning, inheritance, or appointing an estate administrator in Thailand, please contact us at [mythailoveofficial@gmail.com].