Capacity

A person, on completion of twenty years of age ceases to be a minor and becomes a person who is capable of managing one's own affairs and who has all the rights and is not under the power of another.

Legal capacity in Thailand

Under Thai law, legal capacity refers to a person’s ability to enter into binding legal acts and manage their own affairs. The concept is governed by the Civil and Commercial Code. According to Section 19 of the Civil and Commercial Code, a person who has reached the age of twenty years ceases to be a minor and becomes sui juris, meaning legally capable of managing their own affairs and exercising their rights independently.

Persons under twenty years of age are considered minors and generally have limited legal capacity. Under Sections 20 and 21, a minor’s legal acts may require the consent of a legal representative, except for acts that are purely beneficial or specifically permitted by law.

Legal capacity may also be restricted in cases where a person is declared incompetent or quasi-incompetent by a court due to mental incapacity, in which case a guardian or curator may be appointed to act on their behalf.

Legal capacity is an essential requirement for entering into contracts, including making a 'last will', granting a power of attorney (as the principal must have the legal ability to authorize another person to act on their behalf).

• Capacity in the civil and commercial code