The core answer
A monthly legal retainer is quoted from what you expect the firm to do for you each month, and how quickly. There is no standard tariff. The factors that move a quotation are the number and type of contracts, the number of companies and branches, HR headcount and HR matters, the response time you expect, any regulated licences, meetings and reports. Firms also differ on what they include and what they bill separately, which is why two quotations for the same company can look very different.
The rule (law). No Thai statute fixes a retainer quotation. It is a contract between you and the firm, so what binds both sides is what is written down. If the firm's engagement terms are a pre-printed standard form, the Unfair Contract Terms Act B.E. 2540 section 4 says a term that gives the drafting party an unreasonable advantage is enforceable only to the extent that is fair and reasonable, and doubts in a standard-form contract are read in favour of the party that did not draft it. Do not rely on that as a substitute for a clear written scope.
Our practical view. Quotations are easier to compare when every firm receives the same facts and answers the same scope questions. Spend your effort on the preparation pack and the scope table below, not on negotiating a headline number. For fee models in general, see our guide to lawyer fees in Thailand. For when to retain counsel and what the agreement should say, see choosing corporate legal counsel. This guide does not repeat either.
1. What do firms actually look at when they quote a retainer?
A firm is estimating the work it will do and the people it must make available. The inputs are mostly facts about your business, not about the law:
- how many contracts you send or receive, and of what kind
- how many companies and branches it must keep track of
- how many staff you employ and how many HR matters arise
- how quickly you expect an answer, and through which channel
- whether you operate under a licence or in a regulated sector
- how many meetings, site visits and reports you want
The table below links each factor to why it moves the quotation and what you should prepare. It states no amounts, because any figure would depend on the firm and on your facts.
| Factor | Why it moves the quotation | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Number and type of contracts per month | Standard form checks take less lawyer time than bespoke drafting or heavy redlining | Rough monthly count by type: sales, supply, services, leases, NDAs |
| Standard or bespoke | A template with agreed fallback positions is quick to apply; one-off terms need more thought | Your templates, and which clauses staff may and may not change |
| Language | Thai, English or bilingual drafting adds work; a bilingual contract needs both versions to say the same thing | Languages of each contract type, and which version prevails |
| Negotiation rounds | Each round of comments is further review time | Typical number of rounds on your larger deals |
| Companies and branches | More entities mean more documents, signatories and records | List of entities, branches and who signs for each |
| HR headcount and HR matters | Work rules, contracts, warnings and disputes add a separate stream of work | Headcount, existing work rules, recent HR issues |
| Response time expected | Same-day answers need capacity held in reserve | Which matters are urgent, and what "urgent" means to you |
| Client-side coordinator | A single point of contact reduces repeated explanations and conflicting instructions | Name of one coordinator and one back-up |
| Regulated sector or licences | Licence conditions and renewals bring checks beyond ordinary contracts | List of licences and their renewal dates |
| Meetings and site visits | Time in meetings and travel is time not spent on other clients | Expected frequency, in person or online |
| Reports | A written monthly report takes preparation | Whether you want one, and what for |
2. What is usually included and what is billed separately?
Practice varies, and we do not present any of the following as a standard tariff. Ask each firm to state which of these it includes in the monthly sum and which it bills separately:
- litigation and court appearances, which many firms quote separately before work starts
- court and agency fees, which are paid to the court or agency itself
- translation and notarisation
- travel outside the firm's own area
- very large transactions, such as a major acquisition or financing
- drafting a full new agreement, compared with reviewing one you send in
- work outside business hours
For our own retainer service, the site describes the scope as a named lawyer on a monthly basis, reviewing the contracts you use, answering day-to-day questions, issuing demand letters and settling disputes before court, with scope and monthly volume agreed in advance. Litigation is quoted separately, before work starts. See retained corporate legal counsel.
3. How do you compare quotations like for like?
Do not compare monthly sums until the scopes match. Build one table and ask each firm to complete the same rows.
| Question | Firm A | Firm B | Firm C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named lawyer and back-up | |||
| Contract reviews included per month | |||
| Drafting of new contracts: in or out? | |||
| Languages covered | |||
| HR matters included | |||
| Response time, routine and urgent | |||
| Meetings and site visits | |||
| Monthly report | |||
| What happens above the agreed volume | |||
| Billed separately (list) | |||
| Litigation: how and when quoted | |||
| Term, review and exit |
A firm that leaves rows blank is giving you the information you need. If the volume is agreed in advance, ask what happens in a busy month and whether unused volume carries forward. Both answers change the real cost more than the headline figure.
4. What should you send when you ask for a quotation?
A firm quotes what it can see. A complete pack shortens the exchange and makes the answers comparable.
Preparation pack
- Company profile. Legal name, business, number of entities and branches, who signs.
- Last three to six months of legal matters, by type. For example: contracts reviewed, demand letters, HR issues, questions asked. Rough counts are enough.
- Contract templates in use. Sales terms, supply, services, NDA, employment contract, work rules.
- Open disputes and threatened claims. Say plainly what is open, so it can be quoted as separate work rather than discovered later.
- HR headcount. Number of employees, and whether any are foreign nationals needing work permits.
- Languages. Which documents are Thai, English or bilingual.
- Decision-makers. Who approves a contract, who may instruct the lawyer, and who is the single coordinator.
- Preferred channel and hours. Email, LINE, phone or a shared folder, and when you expect answers.
- Regulated activities. Licences held, and renewal dates.
- What you want to see each month. A report, a contract register, a meeting, or nothing.
If you have no contract control process, the pack is easier to produce once you have set one up. See our contract review and approval process guide.
5. What are the red flags in a retainer proposal?
- Unlimited-everything promises. A single sum for all legal work with no limits stated usually hides the limits elsewhere.
- No written scope. If scope is not written, each side will assume a different one by the third month.
- No named lawyer. You are buying access to someone who knows your business, so ask who it is.
- No stated response time. "As soon as possible" is not a commitment.
- Silence on litigation. You should know whether it is quoted separately and when.
- Nothing said about conflicts. Ask how the firm handles a conflict if it acts for a counterparty.
- No exit terms. Ask how the engagement ends and what you get back.
6. Do you need to be a big company to ask for a quotation?
No. A company with a small team can still have a steady flow of contracts and HR questions. What matters is whether the monthly volume is predictable enough to agree a scope in advance. If it is not, a retainer with a small agreed volume, or work per matter, may suit better. Our guide on when to get a lawyer to review HR documents may help you judge how much HR work to expect.
7. What should you check once the retainer starts?
Agree up front how you will know the retainer is working. The first month's deliverables are in choosing corporate legal counsel. After that, our guide on measuring a legal retainer and reporting to executives explains what evidence of value looks like in a month with no dispute.
Checklist before you request quotations
- One coordinator named on your side
- Preparation pack complete (section 4)
- Same pack sent to every firm
- Scope table ready (section 3)
- Each firm asked to list what it bills separately
- Response times asked for, routine and urgent
- Litigation treatment asked for in writing
- Term, review and exit asked for
Further reading
- Lawyer fees in Thailand 2026
- Choosing corporate legal counsel in Thailand
- Contract review and approval without a legal department
- Measuring a legal retainer and the executive report
A retainer quotation reflects the work you describe, so give every firm the same facts, compare scopes before sums, and get the exclusions in writing.
We act as retained legal counsel for companies in Thailand, with scope and monthly volume agreed in advance. For an initial consultation, call +66 92 254 2045 or send us the details. See also retained corporate legal counsel, contracts and documents and HR documents.
This guide is published by Suwanvara Law Firm — a Khon Kaen law firm established in 1986. General information only, not legal advice on a specific matter.
