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
British expats with Thai property
Own a Thai condo or have other Thai-situated assets, want to make sure your spouse or beneficiary receives them efficiently.
- 02
Long-term UK residents with global estates
Still within UK Inheritance Tax scope under the post-April-2025 long-term-residence test despite years in Thailand, exposed on the worldwide estate, want to plan around it.
- 03
Blended-family expats
Children from prior relationships, Thai spouse, want clarity on what will pass to whom.
What's involved
What's actually involved.
A British expat resident in Thailand for twenty years can still fall within the scope of UK inheritance tax. From 6 April 2025 that scope follows long-term residence, not domicile, and that single fact decides whether HMRC takes 40% of the worldwide estate or none of the Thai-situated one. The work is building the two-jurisdiction will set, the lifetime gifts strategy where it makes sense, and the documentation that makes the worst day procedurally clean for the family.
Long-term residence vs domicile
From 6 April 2025, the scope of UK inheritance tax follows long-term residence, not domicile. Broadly, ten of the previous twenty UK tax years of residence brings the worldwide estate into scope, and the exposure can persist for several years after you leave the UK.
Diagnosing where you genuinely sit under that test is the first task. Most of the value is in being honest about it early rather than finding it out through the estate.
Two-will drafting
A Thai will scoped to Thai-situated assets and a UK will scoped to UK-situated assets, drafted to talk to each other and not contradict. This is the structural fix to the 12-to-18-month probate delays that single-global-will expats routinely experience.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes to avoid.
- 01
Relying on a single global will.
Thai courts treat foreign wills inconsistently. A single document purporting to cover both UK and Thai assets is a recipe for years of administrative limbo. The fix is a two-will set drafted in coordination.
- 02
Treating departure as an automatic exit.
Long-term-resident status, not your current address, decides the inheritance-tax scope. The exposure can persist for several years after you leave the UK. Assuming departure ended it creates the worst kind of IHT surprise.
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
Thai tax and estate planning.
The 2024 remittance rule, where it is heading, and the legitimate treaty and trust structures that bring foreign income and pensions out of scope. Plain English, with the trade-offs.
What is inside
- How we got here: FATCA, CRS and the 2024 rule
- The rule applied to you: residence, what is assessable, allowances
- The legitimate routes: treaty relief, gifting, pre-2024 capital, the LTR
- Where trust and pension structures earn their place, and where they do not
- Brackets and allowances at a glance
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.
Go deeper
Tools and related reading.
Try the tool
Where your domicile, assets and beneficiaries cross borders, and the questions that raises. A guide, not advice.
- Richard Knight, ACSI
Estate · 7 min
Do you need a Thai will?
For most British expats with Thai property, the answer is yes, and the cost of not having one falls squarely on the spouse you would have left it to.
Read article - Richard Knight, ACSI
Estate · 7 min
Inheritance law in Thailand for foreigners, the working version
Thai intestacy, how a foreigner’s estate passes, and what an executor actually has to do.
Read article - Richard Knight, ACSI
Estate · 9 min
Protecting a Thai spouse financially, the planning steps
Pension nominations, life insurance, property structuring, and the documents that make the difference at the worst moment.
Read article
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.