Thai Law for Foreigners - The Thai Legal System Easily Explained
Reviewed by Hugh Leong  Thai Law for Foreigners is a book you would refer to if you had just about any question regarding Thai law. From being born, to making a will, to dying. From getting engaged, paying a dowry, getting married, and then getting a divorce. It is an introduction to Thai law from cradle to grave, and all the mundane legal stuff in between.  There are countless blogs out in cyberspace for foreigners living in Thailand that contain question upon question about situations farangs find themselves in where they need to understand Thai law. These range from visa regulations to divorce procedures, to adopting Thai children, to how to obtain legal representation in criminal or civil law cases. Up until now, other foreigners opinions and experiences were about all they could rely on to answer these questions.  One feature of this book that makes it extremely useful is the fact that the first half of the book is written in English while the second half is translated into Thai. So many legal problems occur where two parties, a Thai and a foreigner, are involved. This book will give both parties access to the same information.  When I am considering buying a reference book I usually start with a list of questions I have and then look to see how thoroughly the book answers them. Here are a few questions I came up with and how Thai Law for Foreigners deals with them.  What is a person s individual rights under Thai law? If a person is accused of a criminal offence he is entitled to a lawyer, to meet with that lawyer in private, to get an interpreter if needed, to receive visitors and be treated if sick. An accused is also entitled to bail and will be provided with a lawyer if he can t afford one.  How does one adopt a child in Thailand? Anyone thinking of adopting a Thai child, whether they be foreigners living abroad, or a foreigner married to a Thai and wanting to legally adopt their Thai spouse s children as their own, will find a good starting point here.  Can a foreigner get Thai citizenship? This is a question that is often asked, and a section of the book covers citizenship requirements. Another related question is will a child born to a foreigner/Thai relationship be able to carry Thai citizenship? The book contains a table which very clearly spells out who is entitled to citizenship rights. This will be useful information to any foreigner who has children in Thailand.  Judging by the way the book satisfactorily answered all of my test questions I would recommend it to anyone thinking of living or working in Thailand. It is great to have something like this waiting on your bookshelf just in case you have the need. If you have real legal questions then it is best to consult with a lawyer. But this book is a very good place to begin learning about how Thai law works. --Chiang Mai Citylife Magazine