THAILAND LEGAL PROFESSION

The legal profession in Thailand has three categories: judges, public prosecutors, and lawyers. Legal
practice is based upon the civil law system with the code of law influenced by other codified systems such
as France, Germany and Japan as well as customary laws of Thailand.

CURRICULUM
Legal education in Thailand is an undergraduate programme. To enter, it is compulsory to take the
National University Entrance Examination conducted by the Ministry of University Affairs. Entry is determined
by academic records from upper secondary school, test scores, interviews and physical examinations.
Sample Law schools in Thailand:

Bangkok - Chulalongkorn University - Faculty of Law

254 Phyathai Road, Bangkok, Phone: +662-215-0871-3

Bangkok - Krirk University - Faculty of Law

43/1111 Ramintra Road, Bangkok 10220, Phone: +66 2 552-3500

Bangkok - Siam Univesity - College of Law

235 Petkasem Road, Bangkok, Phone: +662 868 6000

Jatujak - Sripatum University - School of Law

61 Phaholyotin Road, Jatujak 10900, Phone: +662 579-1111

Nakhon Ratchasima - Vongchavalitkui University - School of Law

12 Mitraparb Highway, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Phone: +66 44 255 5234

Nakhon Sri Thammarat - Srisophon College - School of Law

Moo 5 Tambon Mamong Songton, Nakhon Sri Thammarat 8000, Phone: 075 357617

Nonthaburi - Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University - School of Law

Open Unviversity, Nonthaburi 11120, Phone: +66 2 504 7777

Suanluang - Kasem Bundit University - Faculty of Law

99/101 Batanakarn Road, Suanluang 10250, Phone: +66 02-320-2777

Ubonrachathani - North-Eastern Polytechnic - Faculty of Law

199/19 Mitrapap Road, Ubonrachathani 40000, Phone: +66 0-4528-3770-2

Sources: Baker & McKenzie, Bangkok Office, Doing Business in Thailand: Legal Brief 2001.
https://www.hg.org/law-schools-thailand.asp retrieved September 14, 2015

CURRICULUM OF BANKOK UNIVERSITY

Normal Course
Total credits 142 course credits.
A. General education courses 30 credits.
The nine credits of English
The requisite 15 credits
6 elective credits
B. Pre-foundation Audits
C. Division of only 106 credits.
A group of law enforcement 90 credits
16 credits select group of law
D. Electives 6 credits.

The cooperative education course

Total credits 142 course credits.
A. General education courses 30 credits.
The nine credits of English
The requisite 15 credits
6 elective credits
B. Pre-foundation Audits
C. Division of only 106 credits.
A group of law enforcement 90 credits
16 credits select group of law
D. Electives 6 credits.
Note : The alternative course of normal and cooperative education, the number of credits students must enroll in
and pass equally. But the difference is that students who choose to study in cooperative education. Must register
and Pass km 438 and km 439, which is in the category of law-credit option and a choice of law. When students
pass the course will count for course credits Legal selected nine credits the remaining credits in select another
group of law students must choose to complete seven credits. Students can enroll at any time of choice of law
faculty students of other subjects. Structured like a choice normal in all respects.
Source: http://law.bu.ac.th/index.php/en/2013-07-11-04-06-57 retrieved September 14, 2015

REQUIREMENTS TO THE PROFESSION

The Law Society of Thailand operates to promote, educate, and supervise its members. To become a
member of the Law Society of Thailand, an individual must meet certain educational requirements and be a
lawyer as defined in the Lawyers Act. Educational requirements for membership in the Law Society of Thailand

are that a candidate must have obtained a Bachelor's Degree in law (LL.B) or an Associate Degree in law or a
certificate in law equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree or Associate Degree, from an educational institution
accredited by the Law Society of Thailand. Further, the individual must also be a member of the Thai Bar
Association.
To be registered and to obtain a lawyer's license, in most cases the candidate must complete training in
professional ethics and the basic principles of advocacy and the legal profession. The training course, run by the
Institute of Law Practice Training of the Law Society of Thailand, is usually divided into two terms. In the first
term, the candidate has to learn the theory of case conduct and professional ethics for not less than 90 hours. In
the second term, he/she must practice working in a qualified law office for at least six months. An examination
will be held at the end of each term. After completion of the training course, a candidate may apply for
membership in the Law Society of Thailand. An exception to the training course is given to candidates who
have been an apprentice in a law firm for over a year and have passed an examination specified by the Board of
Governors of the Law Society of Thailand.
Source: http://www.thailawforum.com/articles/charununlegal2.html retrieved September 14, 2015

BAR EXAMINATION
In Thailand, the bar examination is different from the lawyer licence. To practice law as a lawyer, i.e. to
speak in the court, one must pass a lawyer licence examination and does not need to be called to the bar. People
take the bar examination to be qualified to take a judge or a public prosecutor examination.
To be called to the bar, one must pass the written exams consisting of four parts as follows.
1. Civil and commercial law, intellectual property law, and international trade law.
2. Criminal law, employment law, constitution law, administrative law, and tax law.
3. Civil procedure law, bankruptcy and business reorganization law, and the system of the court of justice.
And
4. Criminal procedure law, human rights, and law on the evidence.
Each part has 10 essay questions. The pass mark is 50. The parts 1-2 are usually taken in October and
the rest are usually taken in March. One does not need to pass all four parts in one year. After passing all the
written exams, there is an oral exam.
Around 10,000 bar students sit the exam each year. In 2013, 1,231 students are called to the bar, 111 of
which did it in only one year.
Quite confusingly with international norms, students called to the bar are referred to as netibandit (
), which gets translated into English as Barrister-at-Law. The Thai legal profession, however, is a fused
one and those with a lawyers license are able to function both as barristers and solicitors in the
British/Commonwealth sense. Many students called to the bar choose to become judges or public prosecutors
instead of lawyers. As the Thai bar examination (administered and awarded by the Thai Bar Association) is
separate from the lawyers licensing scheme (administered and awarded by the Lawyers Council of Thailand),

this means that judges and public prosecutors belong to a separate licensing organization from lawyers. This is
unlike in the US where judges and prosecutors most often come from the ranks of senior lawyers and belong to
the same bar.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_examination retrieved September 14, 2015

REQUIREMENTS TO TAKE THE LICENSURE EXAM:

Section 35 of the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528 (AD 1985) provides as follows:
"Section 35. An applicant for registration and a License shall have the following qualifications: (1)
being of Thai nationality; (2) being at least twenty years of age; (3) having a Bachelor's Degree or an Associate
Degree in law or a certificate in law equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree or Associate Degree from an
educational institute accredited by the Law Society of Thailand, and must be a member of the Thai Bar
Association; (4) not being a person of indecent behavior or delinquent morals or a person whose conduct is
indicative of dishonesty; (5) not being imprisoned by a final judgment; (6) never having been imprisoned by a
final judgment for an offence which, in the Board's discretion, will impair the integrity of the profession; (7) not
being bankrupt by a final judgment; (8) not having an ailment which is contagious and repugnant to the public;
(9) not being physically disabled or mentally infirmed which may cause professional incompetence; (10) not
being a government official or a local government official with permanent salary and position except a political
official."
Source: http://www.thailawforum.com/articles/charununlegal2.html retrieved September 14, 2015