Business Class Asia

22/09/2026

Pablo Picasso built one of the greatest artistic legacies in history.

Yet when he died in 1973, he left behind an estate worth hundreds of millions.

He hadn't written a Will.

With around 45,000 works of art, cash, gold, five villas and multiple heirs, settling his estate took six years of legal proceedings and reportedly cost more than $30 million in legal and administrative expenses.

Picasso spent a lifetime building his legacy. But without a clear plan, the courts played a significant role in deciding what happened to it.

The more you've built, the more important it is to have a clear estate plan.

If your affairs span more than one country, make sure your plans are properly reviewed.

Schedule a consultation with our team.

www.businessclassasia.com

08/09/2026

If you have a Will in your home country and are considering writing one for your assets in Thailand, there's an important detail worth knowing first.

Most Wills contain a standard sentence: "I revoke all previous Wills." It is intended to make clear which Will is the most recent.

But if you already have a Will in another country, that wording can potentially revoke it too — even when that was never the intention.



In the UK case Sangha v Sangha, a man with assets in England and India signed a later Will in India that was intended to deal with his Indian assets. The Will included a standard revocation clause stating that previous Wills were cancelled.

The Court of Appeal ultimately ruled that this clause revoked his earlier Will as well. As a result, part of his UK estate was no longer covered by a valid Will and had to be distributed under intestacy rules.

If you have a Will from your home country and are considering a separate Will for assets in Thailand, make sure each document clearly states what it covers and how it interacts with any existing Wills.

A Will review can help identify potential conflicts before they create unintended consequences for your family.

https://businessclassasia.com/estate-planning/last-will/

27/08/2026

Running a cross-border business in Thailand raises questions most business owners don't get clear answers to:

• Is the group structured efficiently for tax?

• What happens when you need to restructure across entities?

• What do you actually owe your Thai employees in terms of pension provision?

On 8 September, our consultant Bourgoin, will be a speaker at the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce SME Committee for Episode 5 of Doing Business in Thailand, covering:

→ Corporate taxation optimisation strategies in Thailand.

→ Cross-border company restructuring approaches.

→ Enhancing employee security through corporate pension solutions.

→ Preparing for future Thai regulations, including the Employee Welfare Fund.

Registration link in the comment section.

25/08/2026

In the Finance Act 2026, the UK Government replaced the old domicile-based IHT system with a new residence test. Not living in the UK does not automatically mean your worldwide assets are IHT-free.

There's a tail period — HMRC's scale runs like this:

→ 10–13 years of UK residence before leaving = 3-year tail

→ 14 years = 4-year tail

→ 15 years = 5-year tail

→ Rising to a maximum 10-year tail for 20+ years of UK residence

During the tail, your global estate — property, investments, cash, wherever it sits — can still face UK IHT at 40% if you die or make a chargeable transfer.

Soteria Trusts has published a clear breakdown of how the tail period is calculated and what it means in practice.

Worth reading if you've been in Thailand a while and assumed you were clear. Link in the comment.

20/08/2026

As Thailand's regulatory landscape continues to evolve, businesses with cross-border operations need to stay ahead of changing tax, corporate, and employee benefit requirements.

In this session, Benjamin Bourgoin of Business Class Asia will share practical insights on how international businesses can:

✔ Optimise corporate taxation in Thailand

✔ Navigate cross-border company restructuring

✔ Strengthen employee benefits through corporate pension solutions

✔ Prepare for upcoming regulations, including the Employee Welfare Fund

📅 Register today: https://businessclassasia.com/event/doing-business-in-thailand-ep-5-cross-border-group-activities/

18/08/2026

A lot of expats assume this is more complicated than it actually is — or worse, that one will "just handle it." Neither is quite right.

Here's the simple version: your home-country Will covers your home-country assets. Your savings, pension, or property back home stay governed by that country's law, exactly as you'd expect. But once you own something in Thailand — a condo, a car, a bank account — that asset falls under Thai law, and your Will back home generally has no authority over it here.

The solution isn't choosing one Will over the other. It's having both, built to work together rather than against each other — a Thai Will for what you hold here, alongside the Will you already have at home, so nothing overlaps, contradicts, or gets left in limbo.

Done properly, it's not complicated. It just has to be done deliberately, with someone who understands how both systems fit together.

If you own assets in more than one country, it's worth having this looked at properly: businessclassasia.com/estate-planning/last-will/

13/08/2026

You may have seen this event listed for 8 July. Due to upcoming regulatory changes, FTCC and Business Class Asia have moved the date to 8 September, ensuring you get the most accurate, up-to-date information.

This session explores how companies can optimise corporate taxation, strengthen employee social support, and manage cross-border business structures in Thailand's evolving regulatory environment.

Business Class Asia's Benjamin Bourgoin will focus on corporate pension solutions and cross-border structuring for international groups operating in Thailand.

📅 Tuesday 8 September 2026

🕚 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

💻 MS Teams Webinar

https://businessclassasia.com/event/doing-business-in-thailand-ep-5-cross-border-group-activities/

11/08/2026

You've settled into life here. The mornings on the beach, the familiar faces at your local café, the community that's become your second family. But when it comes to protecting what you've built for the people you love, a few common assumptions can cause real problems later.



Here are 7 mistakes we see again and again:

1️⃣ Assuming your Will back home is enough. A UK, German, or Australian Will doesn't automatically apply to assets you hold in Thailand and without a Thai Will, your Thai assets may be distributed according to Thai intestacy law, not your wishes.

2️⃣ Not appointing someone who can actually act for you in Thailand. An executor named in a Will back in your home country may have no legal standing here. Your Thai will needs its own appropriately appointed executor.

3️⃣ Assuming a foreign marriage automatically protects a spouse. Thai inheritance law doesn't always treat spousal rights the way your home country does — it's worth understanding exactly where you stand.

4️⃣ Forgetting to update documents after big life changes. New property, a new relationship, grandchildren — your estate plan should grow with your life here.

5️⃣ Leaving family in the dark. If your loved ones don't know your plans exist (or where to find them), even the best-drafted Will can cause delay and confusion.

6️⃣ Overlooking Power of Attorney. If you're unable to make decisions yourself, who's legally able to act on your behalf in Thailand?

7️⃣ Waiting for "someday." Estate planning tends to sit on the to-do list until it becomes urgent. It doesn't have to.



A little clarity now means less stress for the people who matter most later.

If you're not sure where you stand, a conversation costs nothing.

Our team at Business Class Asia is happy to talk it through with you.
https://businessclassasia.com/meet-the-team/

06/08/2026

When it comes to your Wealth and Estate Structure, you're not getting a generic answer.

You're getting someone who's actually lived it.

Every Business Class Asia consultant is an expat themselves — they went through the same struggles, same questions, in the same country you now call home.

📅 Book a free consultation: businessclassasia.com/meet-the-team/

04/08/2026

If you think your Will alone will shield your loved ones from financial nightmares, think again.

Our latest article in Hua Hin Today explains what to check and how to ensure your loved ones are protected.

Discover the shocking truth about probate delays and how naming beneficiaries on pensions and investments helps your family sidestep red tape and secure their financial future—fast.