GUOZUN CATHAY ASSOCIATES officially inaugurated its Thailand office in the CBD of Bangkok, the national capital, in August 2024, with resident service points in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, Rayong (EEC Special Economic Zone) and Chonburi. As the firm’s flagship cross-border branch for its expansion across Southeast Asia and core RCEP markets, the Thailand office hosts a full-time team made up of Chinese foreign-related lawyers, locally licensed Thai lawyers and ASEAN cross-border legal experts. All core members have over 10 years of experience in two-way China-Thailand legal services, with a focused specialisation in high-priority, high-frequency legal needs of Chinese-funded enterprises in Thailand, and provides clients with full-chain local legal support from early-stage compliance to post-dispute resolution.
This document sets out the official unified fee schedule of GUOZUN Thailand Office for 2026. All quoted prices are exclusive of value-added tax (VAT), which is levied at 7% under Thailand’s current VAT regime. Payments may be settled freely in Thai Baht, Chinese Yuan or US Dollars, with no mandatory bundled charges applied.
I. Legitimate Fee Models of GUOZUN Thailand Office
In strict compliance with Thailand’s Lawyers Profession Act and the official fee guidelines of the Thai Bar Association, and adapted to the transaction practices and requirements of Chinese-funded clients, we offer five standardised fee models:
1.Fixed Fee Model – Applicable to routine services with standardised processes and accurately estimable workload. The total fee is confirmed and locked in at contract signing, with no hidden charges throughout the service period.
2.Hourly Rate Model – Applicable to complex litigation and arbitration, large-scale non-litigation projects and bespoke special consultations. Fees are calculated based on the actual chargeable working hours of instructed lawyers, with a detailed monthly work statement provided.
3.Proportion of Subject Matter Value Model – Applicable to property-related cases such as commercial disputes, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate transactions. Fees are charged on a tiered, decreasing scale according to the value of the case’s subject matter.
4.Contingency Fee Model – Available exclusively for cases including debt recovery, tort compensation and construction payment claims. Fees are charged at an agreed proportion only after a successful outcome or actual recovery of funds, with the maximum proportion capped at 30% of the amount recovered.
5.Annual Legal Retainer Model – Provides enterprises with regular year-round legal services for a fixed annual fee. Clients are assigned a dedicated service team and entitled to a 48-hour priority response service.
II. Hourly Rate Standards for Lawyers at GUOZUN Thailand Office
The Thailand team operates a tiered service system. All lawyers hold valid practising certificates issued by the Thai Bar Association; core lawyers are proficient in both Chinese and Thai, and some partners hold practising qualifications in multiple ASEAN countries, with in-house legal experience at Fortune 500 companies operating in Thailand.
For 2026, the overall hourly rate range for lawyers at the Bangkok office is THB 1,500 – THB 10,000 per hour, covering junior lawyers, mid-level lawyers, senior lawyers/partners and full-time experts seconded from the Beijing headquarters. The specific applicable rate will be determined holistically based on case complexity, the alignment of the lawyer’s area of expertise, and the proposed team configuration.
Note:
For services delivered within Thailand but outside Bangkok, an additional 30%–50% surcharge applies for travel costs and off-site case handling allowances.
For urgent expedited services requiring response within 72 hours or work on public holidays, a uniform 50% surcharge applies.
For cross-border cases involving the application of laws of other ASEAN countries, the base rate is increased by 20%.
For cases requiring simultaneous interpretation in Chinese, English and Thai for court hearings or negotiations, the base rate is increased by 15%.
III. Specific Fee Standards for Core Practice Areas
(A) Company Incorporation and Foreign Investment Compliance Services
Fee range: THB 15,000 – THB 2,600,000
1.Full-process registration of Thai limited companies and filing formalities with the Ministry of Commerce
2.Application, qualification maintenance and annual review of BOI investment promotion incentives
3.Enterprise settlement in the EEC Eastern Economic Corridor and related policy applications
4.Application for Foreign Business Licence (FBL) and special industry operating licences
5.Establishment, alteration and deregistration of branches and representative offices
6.Foreign equity structure design and compliance risk mitigation for nominee shareholding arrangements
7.Annual industrial, commercial, taxation and foreign investment compliance audits for enterprises
8.One-stop settlement services for Thai industrial parks and industrial zones
(B) Labour Employment and Expatriate Management
Fee range: THB 10,000 – THB 1,800,000
1.Drafting and review of bilingual Chinese-Thai labour contracts, confidentiality agreements and non-compete agreements
2.Compliance review and revision of employee handbooks and internal rules and regulations
3.Design and implementation of social security, provident fund, work injury insurance and employee welfare systems
4.Full-process application and renewal of Work Permits (WP) + Long-term Non-Immigrant B Visas (Non-B) for expatriate staff
5.Design and compliant execution of employee dismissal and redundancy plans
6.Full-process representation in labour dispute mediation, arbitration and litigation
7.Representation in trade union liaison and collective bargaining
8.Risk assessment and rectification for illegal employment of expatriate workers
(C) Legal Services for Real Estate and Infrastructure Investment
Fee range: THB 80,000 – THB 6,200,000
1.Full-process legal services for the sale, purchase and leasing of residential and commercial properties in Thailand
2.Legal due diligence on land ownership, mortgages, seizures and existing leasehold relationships
3.Agency services for the leasing and transfer of industrial land, factories and warehouses
4.Compliance advisory for the development and operation of hotels, apartments and office buildings
5.Tendering and contract management for infrastructure projects in the EEC Special Economic Zone
6.Dedicated handling of engineering claims, construction delays and quality disputes
7.Cross-border mergers and acquisitions and legal due diligence on target companies
8.Legal services for real estate mortgages, financing and security arrangements
(D) Legal Services for Intellectual Property and Digital Economy
Fee range: THB 10,000 – THB 2,100,000
1.Registration application and renewal of trademarks, patents, copyrights and industrial designs
2.IP infringement investigation, administrative complaint filing and litigation representation
3.Dedicated compliance advisory for cross-border e-commerce platforms including TikTok Shop, Shopee and Lazada
4.Establishment of compliance frameworks under Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)
5.Brand enforcement, domain name disputes and unfair competition resolution
6.Cross-border data transfer review and privacy policy audit for internet platforms
7.Drafting and negotiation of technology transfer and licensing agreements
8.Compliance services for live-streaming e-commerce and influencer brokerage
(E) Tourism, Hospitality and Wellness Sector Compliance
Fee range: THB 30,000 – THB 3,500,000
1.Qualification application and annual review for travel agencies and tour guide companies
2.Business licence processing and compliance advisory for homestays and short-term rental properties
3.Development of operational compliance systems for hotels and resorts
4.Qualification application and compliance services for medical tourism and aesthetic medicine institutions
5.Drafting of tourism product contracts and handling of consumer disputes
6.Operating licensing and compliance review for catering and entertainment businesses
7.Legal services for scenic area development and operation
(F) Dispute Resolution and Compulsory Enforcement
Fee range: THB 40,000 – THB 25,000,000
1.Full-case representation for minor civil disputes
2.Litigation and mediation for general commercial contract disputes
3.Complex commercial litigation and arbitration at the Thailand Arbitration Centre (THAC)
4.Resolution of cross-border China-Thailand trade and investment disputes
5.Recognition and enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards from Chinese and foreign courts
6.Administrative reconsideration, administrative litigation and response to government penalties
7.Dedicated services for debt recovery, property preservation and compulsory enforcement
8.Shareholder disputes and company deadlock resolution
(G) Criminal Defence and Crisis Response
Fee range: THB 50,000 – THB 4,000,000
1.Client meetings, bail applications and defence representation during the investigation stage
2.Case file review and defence work during the examination and prosecution stage
3.Full-process defence at first instance, second instance and retrial stages
4.Specialist defence for customs anti-smuggling and smuggling-related cases
5.Handling of visa fraud and illegal residence cases
6.Defence for economic crimes and duty-related offences
7.Emergency criminal crisis management for foreigners in Thailand
Special Note: For criminal cases involving major drug offences, transnational crimes, or offences carrying a potential sentence of more than 10 years’ imprisonment, there is no upper limit on defence fees. A bespoke quotation will be provided based on case complexity, evidence-gathering difficulty and required team resource input.
(H) Immigration Visas and Personal Family Law Services
Fee range: THB 8,000 – THB 450,000
1.Full-process application and renewal of Thailand Elite Visas
2.Processing and renewal of Retirement Visas (O-A) and Dependent Visas (O)
3.Application and visa conversion services for student visas, business visas and tourist visas
4.Application and compliance consultation for Long-Term Residence (LTR) permits
5.China-Thailand transnational marriage registration, divorce and child custody disputes
6.Legal services for cross-border estate succession and asset preservation
7.Personal wealth planning and offshore trust advisory
IV. Key Factors Affecting Legal Fees
1.Cross-border Complexity – Fees will increase for cases involving dual China-Thailand legal system alignment, cross-border evidence collection, or parties from multiple jurisdictions.
2.Industry Specialisation – Services in niche fields such as BOI investment, EEC infrastructure, medical tourism and digital economy are priced higher than general civil and commercial work, due to the required specialist industry knowledge and regulatory expertise.
3.Urgency – A 50% expedited service surcharge applies as stipulated for urgent matters requiring commencement within 72 hours or completion within a tight deadline.
4.Scope of Service – Selecting an all-inclusive package typically reduces overall costs by 15%–25% compared to purchasing multiple individual services separately.
5.Team Configuration – For projects requiring collaboration with Beijing headquarters experts or joint handling by multi-disciplinary lawyers, fees will be adjusted in line with the size and seniority of the team.
6.Expected Case Outcome – The fee percentage for contingency cases is directly linked to case difficulty, likelihood of success and projected recovery timeline.
V. Additional Third-Party Costs to Budget For
In addition to legal service fees, clients should allocate funds for the following third-party expenses. All such costs are reimbursed at official Thai government rates or actual disbursements, with no markup charged by GUOZUN Office.
1.Government Fees – Including company registration fees, visa fees, court filing fees, IP official fees, licence application fees and similar charges.
2.Notarisation and Authentication Fees – Local notarisation in Thailand is charged at 0.1%–0.25% of the transaction value; China-Thailand consular authentication costs THB 2,000–4,500 per document.
3.Translation Fees – Translation of Chinese-Thai legal documents costs THB 300–600 per thousand characters; simultaneous interpretation for court hearings costs THB 20,000–40,000 per day.
4.Expert Witness Fees – Appearance fees for industry specialists and technical witnesses range from THB 30,000 to THB 120,000 per hearing.
5.Travel Expenses – Transport, accommodation and daily subsistence allowances incurred for case handling outside Bangkok are reimbursed on an actual-cost basis.
6.Bank Charges – Transaction fees arising from cross-border remittances and currency conversion are borne by the client.
VI. Important Reminders
All fee standards listed above are official reference prices. The final service fee will be set out in writing in the Entrustment and Agency Contract, determined according to your specific requirements, case particulars and scope of service.
We recommend arranging a complimentary 15-minute preliminary consultation with lawyers from GUOZUN Thailand Office prior to formal instruction. We will then provide you with a tailored case assessment report and a personalised, detailed quotation.