Legal service for foreign clients
Criminal Defense — Bail, Defamation, Fraud in Thailand
Every offense — from investigation to Supreme Court, 24/7 hotline.
Quick answer
In criminal cases, get counsel before the first police interview. Three key rights: (1) counsel present during questioning, (2) right to remain silent, (3) right to bail. Our 24-hour hotline covers defamation, Computer Crime Act, fraud, narcotics, and assault. Fees from THB 45,000 per court level, plus emergency bail service.
From THB 45,000 — From 45k/court + travel for upcountry cases · Bail 4–24h / trial 6–14 months
Who this is for
- Those served with summons / arrested
- Victims wishing to file a complaint
- Defendants charged with criminal offenses
- Foreign nationals in Thai criminal proceedings
What you receive
- Counsel present at police interrogation
- Bail petition — Criminal Court or Provincial Court
- Defense at all trial and appellate levels
- In-house EN–TH interpreter during interrogation
- 24/7 hotline for after-hours arrests
Documents to prepare
- Summons / arrest warrant (if any)
- ID card / passport
- Land title or collateral for bail
How it works
5-step process
- 1
24-hour intake
Immediate hotline pickup, counsel to station within 2 hours.
- 2
Charge & rights briefing
Explain charge, sentencing range, and rights.
- 3
File bail
Prepare collateral, file petition, coordinate with the court.
- 4
Trial preparation
Assemble witnesses, build defense theory, challenge prosecution.
- 5
Trial + judgment
Advocate at trial, assess appeals.
In depth
Criminal Defense — Bail, Defamation, Fraud: what foreign clients need to know
Criminal matters take their direction in the first forty-eight hours. The interview stage is when facts are fixed into the investigation file and become hardest to revisit later. The lawyer's job is therefore not to craft an elegant excuse but to be present from the first session, control the scope of what is said, and see that every legal right is actually exercised.
The investigation stage: what to say and where to stay silent
An accused person may have counsel present during questioning and need not give answers that harm their own position. The common failure is a client wanting the officer to understand, and in explaining, confirming an element of the offence without realising it. We therefore agree the boundary before the room: what can be answered now, and what will be submitted in writing later.
This stage is also the window for evidence that vanishes fast. Camera footage in many premises is overwritten within weeks, and call records and electronic traces have retention limits. We therefore ask the investigating officer to gather defence evidence at the outset rather than waiting for trial.
From investigation file to the decision to charge
Many matters end at the prosecutor's desk without reaching court. A petition for justice attaching evidence not yet in the file is a genuinely effective tool where documents plainly contradict the allegation — payment records against a fraud charge, or an authority document against a misappropriation charge.
If charges are laid, we split the work in two. One track is legal: whether the conduct satisfies every element of the offence. The other is factual: whether the prosecution evidence reaches the standard beyond reasonable doubt. The two draw on different material, and merging them usually blurs the submission.
Sentence, suspension and the life that follows the case
Clients usually ask about acquittal first, yet in many cases the form of the sentence matters more to their life. Compensating the injured party and presenting documented mitigation weighs materially on judicial discretion, so we build the mitigation bundle alongside the main defence from the start.
The second thing to plan early is the effect on work status and travel. A pending criminal matter can bear on work-permit renewal and some visa applications. Foreign clients should understand these side effects before deciding whether to plead or fight, because the quicker route may be paid for with a record that follows them for years.
Cost structure: government fees vs professional fees
| Item | Official fee | Professional fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attending questioning at the investigation stage | No government fee | THB 15,000–35,000 per session | Travel is added where the station is upcountry |
| Petition for justice to the public prosecutor | No government fee | THB 30,000–70,000 | Best value where documents plainly contradict the allegation |
| Defending a first-instance criminal trial to completion | Criminal trials carry no value-based filing fee; application and copying fees apply at set rates | From THB 120,000 by offence and number of hearings | We state the expected hearing count and its fee impact up front |
| Mitigation bundle and settlement with the injured party | Court deposit fees as directed in each case | THB 25,000–60,000 | Materially affects discretion on the form of sentence |
A fraud allegation that ended at the prosecutor's stage
Situation: A client was accused of taking money without delivering, though part of the work had been delivered and the scope was changed midway.
What we did: We compiled the scope-change emails, partial acceptance notes and proof of the refunded balance, then filed a petition for justice.
Outcome: The prosecutor declined to charge and the matter never reached court.
A guilty plea that resulted in a suspended sentence
Situation: A client accepted the conduct in a lower-range offence and needed closure to keep employment.
What we did: We settled compensation in full before the hearing and filed employment history and dependants' evidence with the plea.
Outcome: The court suspended the sentence and the client returned to work.
When to act, and when waiting is fine
Call a lawyer before giving any statement
Investigation statements are usable at trial and are the hardest thing to walk back.
Preserve electronic evidence in the first week
Camera footage and traffic data have short retention windows.
Consider a petition for justice when documents clearly contradict
Ending at the prosecutor's stage saves both time and reputational consequence.
Do not let relatives negotiate with the injured party alone
Careless negotiation messages can become evidence confirming the conduct.
Documents in detail
| Document | Issued by | Certification / translation | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summons naming you as suspect, or the arrest record | The investigating officer at the station that took the complaint | Ask for a copy initialled by the investigating officer | It fixes your reporting date — attend on time |
| Any statement you already gave during investigation | The investigating officer | No certification, but re-read it against what you actually said | It follows the whole case and is very hard to walk back |
| Security for a bail application | A bank, the Land Department, or an insurer | Title deeds need a land-officer certified copy when used as security | Use the most recent appraisal |
| Evidence placing you elsewhere at the material time | Employer, mobile operator, or CCTV holder | Get a letter from whoever holds the data — CCTV is usually overwritten on a cycle | Request fast: footage is typically retained only about 7–30 days |
Timeline and who does what
| Stage | Owner | Duration | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgent consult before you give a statement | Handled by our team | Same day | We identify the charge, its penalty range, and whether to answer or exercise your right to remain silent at this stage. |
| Attend the police interview with counsel | Handled by our team | On the date in the summons | Counsel sits in on every interview and checks the record before you sign. |
| Bail application and opposing detention requests | Depends on the agency | The court normally rules the same day | We prepare the security plus grounds on settled residence, dependants, and absence of flight risk. |
| Public prosecutor stage | Depends on the agency | Roughly 1–4 months | We file a petition for justice with fresh evidence, seeking a non-prosecution order at this stage. |
| Trial and judgment | Depends on the agency | Roughly 6–18 months depending on witness count | We keep the defence theory consistent across hearings and always prepare mitigation in parallel. |
Common pitfalls
Giving a police statement without counsel, then facing it in court
Ask to postpone and bring counsel before answering anything
Paying the complainant without a properly drafted settlement record
Execute a settlement and formal withdrawal so a compoundable offence genuinely ends
Losing your own evidence — for example CCTV overwritten
Send a preservation request the moment you learn of the allegation
Missing a hearing, triggering an arrest warrant and forfeiture of bail security
Let our team hold the hearing calendar and remind you before each date
Doing it yourself vs working with us
| Aspect | On your own | With our team |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation stage | Answering everything out of fear of looking evasive | We answer selectively on favourable points and place objections on the record |
| Bail | Under-prepared security can mean a night in custody | We ready the security and the petition to file on day one |
| Chance of ending before trial | Unaware that a petition to the prosecutor is possible | We use the prosecutor-stage channel systematically when the evidence allows |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Arrested at 2 AM — what now?
Call the hotline immediately, say nothing until counsel arrives.
How much for bail?
Depends on offense — typically THB 50k–500k.
Police used force?
Alert counsel, preserve evidence, file with NACC / Police Inspector.
Online defamation penalty?
Sec 328 + CCA §14(1): up to 5 years, THB 100k fine.
Do foreigners get equal rights?
Yes, including free interpreter under CrPC §13.
The police have summoned me — must I attend?
Attend as summoned with counsel; ignoring it without explanation can lead to an arrest warrant.
Can a statement given without counsel be withdrawn?
You can add a further statement and challenge its weight, but the original remains in the file.
Can criminal and civil cases from one event run together?
Yes, and one outcome may be cited in the other, so we align both tracks deliberately.
Do foreign clients need an interpreter at questioning?
Yes where Thai is not sufficiently understood; we arrange one and verify the record's accuracy.
Written by: Thai Law & Accounting Services — attorneys and licensed accountants
Reviewed by: Reviewed by a Notarial Services Attorney registered with the Lawyers Council of Thailand.
Last updated: 2026-08
Information as of August 2026. Government fees and processing times change — verify with the relevant agency before acting, or let our team verify for you.