Thailand has a democratic legal system which consists of four courts. These courts are the constitutional court, the military and administrative court, and of course the court of justice. If you hail from the United States or the UK, you would be required to pass what is known as the bar exam; in Thailand, this is not the case.
If you want to become a successful lawyer in Thailand, then you need to be licensed by the Thai Law Association. There are other requirements as well that need to be met before you can become a legal professional.
If you want to join the many successful Bangkok lawyers, then it is a stipulation that you must be at least 20 years of age and you definitely must be a Thai citizen. You must also have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and the degree must be earned in a university that is accredited and recognised by the Thai Law Society.
Like in any important profession, you must be professional always and it always helps to have an appealing personality. If you have been penalised by the law in any shape or form then you are not allowed to practice law in Thailand. Obviously you must be in good health and you must not have any mental illness that would affect your competence as a legal professional. If you are currently a government official, then you’re not permitted to become a lawyer.
If you still feel that this is a career that you would like to pursue then here are some of the regulations and requirements to become a Thai lawyer.
A Licence To Practice
To be licensed to practice and be registered, you must first have a bachelors or associates degree in law. There are some alternatives that you can take advantage of like an LLB, which is a law degree or equivalent to the standard university degree. They also expect you to be a member of the Thai Bar Association.
Professional Training
You need to complete professional training with regard to the legal profession and you also need to learn about all of the basic ethics and principles that are required. The training course itself is split up into two semesters where you will learn about ethics, case behaviour, and practical training. You then need to make sure that you have some kind of work experience in a registered law firm for at least a six-month period. You will take an exam after each class and if successful, you can apply for membership of the Thai Law Society.
If you follow the above procedures then you can look forward to having a career in Thai law. Sometimes, you can be exempted from attending the above courses if you can become an intern in a law firm for more than 12 months. There is also an examination that is issued by the Law Society’s Board of Governors; this will allow you to bypass the above two semesters as well.
