Long-stayers, villa owners and resort or tour-business operators on Koh Lanta typically need a lawyer sooner or later — above all to structure a land lease or business purchase safely, since foreign land ownership on the island runs through leases and company structures rather than direct ownership. This guide covers what lawyers help with, typical fees in Thai baht, how to tell a lawyer from a visa agent (and why Koh Lanta itself has no immigration office), and how to vet a firm — and avoid nominee traps — before you hand over money.
Thai law is conducted in Thai, follows its own procedures, and treats foreigners very differently in areas like land and company ownership — which matters on Koh Lanta, where two decades of villa, resort and tour-business development means ownership almost always runs through a lease or company structure rather than direct title. At least one law firm, Walin International Law Firm, maintains an actual branch on the island; others such as SiamConsult are based in Krabi town but regularly serve Koh Lanta clients. Unlike immigration -- which is handled at Krabi town, since Koh Lanta has no office of its own -- marriage registration can be filed locally at the island's own district office. Below is what to hire a lawyer for, roughly what it costs in baht, and how to choose a firm you can trust. Fees are typical ranges only; always confirm a written quote and scope with the specific firm.
Koh Lanta has seen real villa, resort and beach-bungalow development over the past two decades, but foreigners still cannot own Thai land outright. Property is typically held on a registered long-term lease (commonly 30 years, sometimes with pre-agreed renewals) or through a Thai limited company with genuine, active Thai shareholders. A lawyer runs a title search at the Krabi land office, checks access and any coastal or agricultural-zoning restrictions common on the island, and structures the lease or company correctly before you commit capital to a build, renovation or resort purchase.
A Thai company that genuinely trades and has active Thai shareholders can legally hold land for a foreign-run business. A company set up purely as a nominee — Thai names on paper holding land only for a foreigner's benefit — is illegal under Thai law, and Thai authorities have stepped up scrutiny of nominee shareholding arrangements in tourist provinces including Krabi in recent years. A lawyer gives you an honest read on whether an existing structure (common on a resort or guesthouse resale) or one you're proposing is defensible, not just paperwork that looks official.
Koh Lanta has no immigration office of its own — 90-day reporting and visa extensions are handled at the Krabi town immigration office, roughly an hour to ninety minutes away by road (the island connects to the mainland via bridges from Koh Lanta Noi, so this is a drive rather than a ferry crossing for most of the year). A lawyer or a Krabi-based visa agent handles routine extensions, but reach for a lawyer specifically for business-linked work permits, extensions for non-tourist categories such as retirement, marriage or business, overstay or blacklist issues, or a refused application.
Koh Lanta's foreign-run businesses cluster around beach resorts, guesthouses, dive centres, tour operators and restaurants along Long Beach, Klong Dao and Old Town. A lawyer sets up the Thai limited company, checks the Foreign Business Act licence a resort, dive shop or tour business needs, arranges hotel and homestay registration where applicable, handles work permits for managers and instructors, and drafts commercial leases and staff contracts — the paperwork that turns a beach business into one a bank or immigration officer recognises as legitimate.
Unlike immigration, Koh Lanta does have its own district (amphur) office on the island, which can register a marriage to a Thai partner locally once you have the required affirmation of freedom to marry from your embassy (usually arranged in Bangkok or by mail), certified translation and legalisation. A lawyer can also draft an enforceable prenuptial agreement, which must be registered together with the marriage. If you hold a land lease, company shares in a resort or dive business, a vehicle or a Thai bank account, a bilingual Thai will matters too — without one, an estate is settled under Thai intestacy law, which can leave a foreign spouse or partner without quick access to sort things out.
Indicative ranges gathered from common property-owner, business-owner and long-stayer matters on and around the island. Government charges, certified translation and legalisation are usually extra unless a firm quotes an all-in fixed fee in writing.
| Service | Typical fee (THB) | Notes |
| Initial consultation | Free - 3,000 | Many firms serving Koh Lanta offer a free intro call or meeting |
| Senior lawyer hourly rate | 3,000 - 9,000 / hr | Krabi-based and Koh Lanta-branch firms serving the island sit mid-range |
| Land lease or company-structure due diligence | 35,000 - 80,000 | Land-lease and company structuring for a villa, resort or land purchase |
| Lease drafting or review | 5,000 - 18,000 | Long-term land and commercial leases (resorts, tour operators) cost more |
| Thai company setup for business/property | 30,000 - 60,000 | Plus government fees and registered capital |
| Foreign Business Act licence (resort/dive/tour operator) | 20,000 - 45,000 | Often bundled with company setup for hospitality and tour ventures |
| Hotel or homestay registration | 10,000 - 30,000 | Depends on property size and whether it qualifies as a homestay or hotel licence |
| Retirement, marriage, DTV or LTR visa assistance | 10,000 - 28,000 | Excludes government fees and certified translation |
| Work permit application | 15,000 - 30,000 | Often bundled with company setup for resort or tour-business roles |
| Marriage registration support | 10,000 - 25,000 | Affirmation, translation, legalisation, amphur filing — can be filed on-island at the Koh Lanta district office |
| Prenuptial agreement | 15,000 - 38,000 | Must be registered with the marriage to be valid |
| Thai will drafting | 10,000 - 28,000 | Bilingual will covering Thai-situated assets |
| Litigation / court representation | 50,000+ | Highly dependent on the case; the relevant court sits in Krabi town |
A practising lawyer in Thailand is licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand. At least one firm, Walin International Law Firm, maintains an actual branch on Koh Lanta itself alongside its Krabi town office and specialises in real estate and corporate law; other residents use a Krabi town firm such as SiamConsult, which lists Koh Lanta among the areas it regularly serves, or a Bangkok firm for complex company and visa work. Confirm genuine English fluency, ask for bar registration, and favour a firm with real experience in land-lease and resort/tour-business structures on Krabi-province islands rather than a mainland generalist with no local track record.
Do not rely solely on a lawyer recommended by the seller of a villa, resort or dive/tour business — their job is to close the sale. Engage your own lawyer to run the lease or company-structure due diligence and confirm access, title and any hotel/homestay or Foreign Business Act licensing are clean. Given how much Koh Lanta property and resort stock has changed hands over the island's development, this is the single most common point where a modest fee saves a much larger loss.
Because Koh Lanta has no immigration office of its own, routine 90-day reporting and simple visa extensions at Krabi town immigration can often be handled by a local visa agent without a lawyer. Reach for a lawyer when a business-linked work permit, a refused application, an overstay or blacklist issue, or a full visa renewal for a non-tourist category is involved — anything with real legal exposure rather than a straightforward form filed at the immigration counter.
Confirm up front whether meetings happen in person on Koh Lanta, by video call, or require a trip to the mainland, and get a written quote covering government fees, translation, legalisation and any travel costs before you commit. Staged payments tied to milestones protect you far better on a lease, company or resort-business matter than a single up-front sum.
Read independent reviews, confirm the firm is Thai-registered, and be wary of anyone pressuring a fast wire transfer or guaranteeing a land-lease or visa outcome. Thailand has no Western-style notary public — ask specifically for a Notarial Services Attorney if you need documents certified for use abroad. Keep every instruction and quote in writing and hold onto official receipts.
It's not legally required but strongly advisable. Nearly every foreign property or resort/business deal on Koh Lanta involves a registered land lease or Thai company structure — a lawyer checks title and access at the Krabi land office and confirms the structure is legitimate rather than a bare nominee arrangement, which is illegal. Legal fees of roughly 35,000-80,000 THB are modest insurance against a structure that later proves unenforceable.
Not the land itself. Foreigners cannot own Thai land outright, so villas, resorts and beach businesses are held on a registered long-term lease (commonly 30 years) or through a Thai limited company with genuine, active Thai shareholders. A pure nominee company set up only to hold land for a foreigner is illegal and has drawn increased government scrutiny in recent years, so get independent legal advice on structure before you buy or build.
At least one, Walin International Law Firm, maintains an actual branch on the island alongside its Krabi town office, specialising in real estate and corporate law with English-speaking staff. Other residents use a Krabi town firm such as SiamConsult, which lists Koh Lanta among the areas it regularly serves, or a Bangkok firm for complex company, visa or litigation work.
It depends on the work. Initial consultations are often free or up to about 3,000 THB, senior lawyers charge roughly 3,000-9,000 THB per hour, and fixed-fee jobs range from about 5,000-18,000 THB for a lease review to 35,000-80,000 THB for land or company due diligence. Always get a written quote covering government fees, translation and any travel.
Koh Lanta has no immigration office of its own -- 90-day reporting and visa extensions are handled at the Krabi town immigration office, about an hour to ninety minutes away by road via the bridges from Koh Lanta Noi. Marriage registration, by contrast, can be filed locally at Koh Lanta's own district (amphur) office. Use a lawyer for business-linked work permits, full visa renewals for non-tourist categories, refused applications, or overstay and blacklist issues.
Primary and official sources are cited above. Government rules, fees and procedures in Thailand change over time and vary by office; always confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before relying on them. BAANLYY never takes paid placement in editorial content.
Koh Lanta city hub · Koh Lanta emergency services · Koh Tao lawyers guide · Thailand visa guides
Find your area and residence first, then line up the legal help you need for the lease, resort business or visa.
Hero photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels. General information only, not legal advice; fees, procedures and visa rules change — confirm current details with a licensed Thai lawyer and official sources.