Table of Contents
This page is my personal account of an incident that took place in Thailand. I am keeping it online so that the public record is available to anyone who searches my name or asks about the history of the firm I founded. The page is intentionally short, factual, and free of personal attacks. If you are looking for legal services in Thailand today, please scroll to the last section — that is where my current practice is described.
Background and context
I am Sébastien H. Brousseau, LL.B., B.Sc. I have lived in Thailand since April 2004 and have worked in the Thai legal sector for more than twenty years, first as Director of a Pattaya office of a large Thai legal network, then as the founder and Managing Director of Isaan Lawyers (2007–2022) in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). I am a member of the International Bar Association and a former member of the Quebec Bar.
In 2019 I authored the public petition that led to the partial reform of the TM30 reporting requirement for foreign residents in Thailand. The petition gathered more than 7,000 signatures and the campaign was covered on the front page of the Bangkok Post and by the BBC. I sold Isaan Lawyers in 2022 and now run my Thai legal practice through ThaiLawOnline.com, a fully remote firm assisted by Thai lawyers and modern legal technology.
What happened
The video on this page records a private exchange that took place after I sold Isaan Lawyers. In it, the buyer, John Spooner, can be heard making statements that I considered threatening. I have chosen to publish the recording rather than describe it, so that anyone who watches it can form their own opinion.
Mr Spooner is regulated in the United Kingdom by CILEx Regulation. The CILEx Code of Conduct sets out the standards expected of regulated lawyers. I filed a formal complaint with CILEx Regulation in September 2024. Whether or not any sanction follows is for the regulator to decide; I will respect the outcome of their process.
What to do if you feel threatened by a lawyer
The reason I keep this page online is practical. Foreigners in Thailand sometimes find themselves in a dispute with a person whose authority — real or perceived — feels intimidating. If that ever happens to you:
- Document everything in writing. Save messages, emails and recordings (where lawful in your jurisdiction).
- If a physical threat is made, file a police report. In Thailand, the local police station is the right venue.
- If the person is a regulated lawyer, file a complaint with the bar association or regulator that licenses them — not just in Thailand, but also in their home jurisdiction.
- Consult an independent lawyer about your options before publishing or escalating.
About me — and where I work today
Most people who reach this page are searching for either my name or the firm I used to run. If that is you, here is the up-to-date picture:
- Current firm: ThaiLawOnline.com — wills and estate planning, prenuptial agreements, property purchase and lease, company registration, divorce, immigration, demand letters, online notarisation and tax consultation.
- Languages: English, French and Thai.
- Practice base: Cha-Am, Thailand. Service is fully remote across the country.
- Court record: close to 100 % success rate on the disputes I have personally taken to a Thai court over twenty years of practice. References available on request.
- Contact: info@thailawonline.com / +66 87 225 1340.
If you would like to speak about a Thai legal matter, please reach out via ThaiLawOnline.com. Pricing is published on the site — that transparency is one of the things I built the firm around.
Note on this article
This is a personal account by the author and is not a finding of fact by any court, regulator or bar. It does not allege any criminal conviction. References to professional rules describe what those rules say in general; the application of those rules to any individual is a matter for the relevant regulator. The page exists so that readers who arrive via search can see the underlying recording and reach their own conclusions, and so that I can point my own clients to a single, restrained reference rather than repeating the story in correspondence. If you are the subject of this page and you would like a right of reply published here, you are welcome to send it to info@thailawonline.com and I will consider it in good faith.
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