Service
Last Will & Testament.
A coherent will set across the jurisdictions you actually touch.
Who Richard advises
Richard advises people from organisations like these.
Employer information is provided by clients during the consultation process and is not independently verified. Logos shown are trademarks of their respective owners and do not imply endorsement of Richard Knight or Business Class Asia.
Who this is for
Who this service is for.
- 01
Expats with Thai-situated assets
Hold a Thai condo, vehicle or local accounts and want them to pass to the right person without years of Thai probate.
- 02
Holders of a single global will
Have one will written in the UK that purports to cover everything, and have never had it checked against Thai law.
- 03
Blended cross-border families
Children from a prior relationship and a Thai partner, and want clarity on exactly what passes to whom.
What's involved
What's actually involved.
Assets in the UK and assets in Thailand sit under two very different probate systems. This is one of the most common avoidable causes of delay, additional legal cost and estates becoming tied up across multiple jurisdictions.
Where assets are held in more than one country, you will often need a Last Will & Testament in each jurisdiction. Separate wills are coordinated with solicitors in each jurisdiction and drafted carefully so one document never revokes another by accident.
The two-will structure
A Thai will scoped to Thai-situated assets and a home-jurisdiction will scoped to the rest, drafted to refer to each other and not contradict. The risk to manage is one document accidentally revoking the other, which is a drafting matter, handled with the solicitors.
Planning, not drafting
I do not draft wills. The work is the planning around long-term-resident status, situs and probate sequencing, coordinated with the UK and Thai solicitors who do the drafting, so the documents and the plan agree.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes to avoid.
- 01
Relying on one global will for Thai assets.
Thai courts treat foreign wills inconsistently. A single document covering both estates routinely produces months of administrative limbo.
- 02
Letting two wills revoke each other.
A later will with a standard revocation clause can silently void an earlier one in another jurisdiction. The set has to be drafted to talk to each other.
How the practice works
Three conversations before any commitment.
A measured introduction, a written plan, and a clear engagement. No long sales process. No pressure on the first call. You leave the first meeting with a clearer view of what is in front of you, whether or not the work proceeds.
- 01
An introduction.
Thirty minutes by video, or in person at the Bangkok, Hua Hin or Pattaya office. A discussion of your situation, your concerns, and what the years ahead are intended to look like. Rough figures are sufficient. No documents required in advance.
- 02
A written plan.
A second meeting where the work is appropriate for both parties. A written summary of the plan, the moves in priority order, the realistic timeline, and the cost in plain numbers.
- 03
An engagement, in writing.
A written engagement letter that sets out how I am paid, commission on what is arranged and a fee on what is managed, with every figure and what it pays, before you proceed. Either party may end the engagement at any time. Custody arrangements remain in place regardless.
Free guide
A will set across borders.
A single global will moving Thai-situated assets through probate is the most common avoidable cause of an estate taking eighteen months to reach a family. The will set that distributes cleanly instead.
What is inside
- Where the estate sits: residence, situs and scope
- The two-will approach, one per jurisdiction
- Thai intestacy and the probate timeline
- The revocation trap, when one will cancels another
Plain English, nothing to sign. Useful even if you never get in touch.
The advisor
Richard Knight.
Richard Knight is a British national with fifteen years' experience in private wealth management, advising internationally mobile clients across Asia, Europe and beyond. Based in Thailand, he works with expatriates and international families navigating the complexities of cross-border wealth, retirement and estate planning.
The practice is built on first-hand experience of international relocation and long-term expatriate life, rather than a purely theoretical understanding of it.
He is an Associate Member of the UK's Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (ACSI) and holds CISI qualifications in Financial Planning and Investments.
He also serves as Vice Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand in Hua Hin, supporting the local business and expatriate community.
Richard maintains a deliberately limited client base, focusing on conservative, long-term planning for people who value clarity, stability and peace of mind over unnecessary risk.
“Richard works in finance business for many years and his recommendations are reliable and efficient. He is very attentive to the clients and help them to come to the most beneficial solution. Having Richard as your personal finance consultant you can feel secure for your future.”
“Richard is reliable person, with good knowledge of the products that he propose to clients. He want client to understand the process and he cares of the client future.”
“Richard is a great and reliable service provider.”
Fees and what to expect
What it costs, and how I'm paid.
I am paid through commission on the products arranged and an ongoing fee on the assets managed. Every cost, and what it pays, is set out in writing before you decide.
You may ask what any recommendation pays me, and the figures that apply are agreed in writing in the engagement letter before you proceed.
A first 30-minute consultation costs nothing and obliges you to nothing.
Client assets are held by an appointed trustee or a regulated platform, never by me.
Questions
Questions about this.
Begin a conversation.
Thirty minutes, by video or in person at the Bangkok, Hua Hin or Pattaya office. Free, and without obligation. You leave with a clearer view of what is in front of you, whether or not the work proceeds.
Book a meeting
Choose a time that suits you.
Thirty minutes with Richard Knight, ACSI directly. By video, phone, or in person. No obligation.