1. Definitions
The following terms are used throughout this Agreement with the meanings set out below:
- "Bidcout Partners", "we", "us", "our" — The document authentication and apostille advisory practice operating under the name Bidcout Partners, with offices at 312 Ratchadaphisek Road, Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
- "Service" — Any advisory, authentication coordination, or programme engagement offered by Bidcout Partners and described on our website or in a written engagement letter.
- "Client", "you", "your" — Any individual, family, or corporate entity that engages or enquires about our services through the website, by telephone, or by email.
- "Agreement" — These Terms and Conditions, together with any applicable engagement letter or written scope of work issued to you.
- "Website" — The Bidcout Partners website accessible at bidcoutures.com and its associated pages.
- "Content" — All written material, advisories, document indices, programme reports, and other deliverables produced by Bidcout Partners in connection with a Service engagement.
2. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing the Website, submitting a contact form, or engaging our services in writing or by telephone, you enter into a binding agreement with Bidcout Partners under these Terms and Conditions. If you are acting on behalf of a company or organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind that entity.
You must be at least 18 years of age and legally capable of entering into contracts under the laws applicable to you. We do not knowingly provide services to minors.
If you do not accept these terms, please do not use the Website or submit an enquiry.
3. Service Description
Bidcout Partners offers document authentication advisory and coordination services to individuals and organisations whose documents are intended for cross-border use. Our three primary service tiers are as follows:
- Path Advisory for a Single Document — A written advisory for one document, mapping the likely authentication steps and timeline for use in a specified overseas jurisdiction.
- Coordinated Authentication for Multiple Documents — A staged engagement covering a defined set of documents, including pre-checks, coordinated processing, and a written document index upon completion.
- Cross-Border Programme for Long Document Trails — A multi-month engagement for complex document sets associated with overseas proceedings, large transactions, or multi-jurisdiction estate matters, including coordination with overseas counsel and quarterly written progress reports.
Precise scope is confirmed in a written engagement letter before work commences. Services are delivered in the English language unless otherwise agreed. Bidcout Partners operates in Thailand and coordinates with Thai government authorities and, where applicable, overseas counsel as required by the nature of the engagement.
We reserve the right to decline any engagement at our discretion, including where the documents or intended use fall outside the scope of services we provide.
4. User Responsibilities
4.1 Accurate information
You are responsible for providing complete, accurate, and current information when submitting an enquiry or engaging our services. Inaccurate or incomplete information about the documents or their intended use may affect the advice we are able to provide and the outcome of any authentication process.
4.2 Document authenticity
You confirm that all documents submitted to Bidcout Partners for processing are genuine, have not been altered or falsified in any way, and are lawfully in your possession. We do not accept forged, altered, or fraudulently obtained documents and may terminate any engagement immediately if we have reasonable grounds to suspect otherwise.
4.3 Permitted use of the Website
You agree to use the Website only for lawful purposes. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:
- Attempting to access systems or data not intended for general access
- Introducing malicious software or harmful code to the Website
- Using the Website to collect information about third parties without their consent
- Impersonating another person or entity
- Using the Website or our services for any unlawful purpose under Thai or applicable international law
4.4 Cooperation
Timely engagement is material to the services we provide. You agree to respond promptly to requests for clarification, additional documentation, or decisions required to progress your matter. Delays arising from your failure to cooperate may extend the estimated timeline and may constitute grounds for termination of the engagement.
5. Intellectual Property
All written advisories, document indices, programme reports, website content, and other materials produced by Bidcout Partners are our intellectual property unless expressly stated otherwise in writing.
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the content we produce for you solely in connection with the purpose for which it was prepared — that is, the cross-border use of your documents. You may not republish, resell, or commercially exploit our written deliverables without our prior written consent.
The Bidcout Partners name, logotype, and website design are protected. You may not use them in any way that implies an association or endorsement without our express permission.
6. Fees & Payment
6.1 Quoted fees
Our published service fees are stated in Thai Baht (฿) and represent our professional fees only. They do not include official government fees charged by Thai authorities (such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), courier costs, notarisation fees, or any costs imposed by overseas institutions or counsel. Such additional costs are your responsibility and will be communicated to you in advance where they can be reasonably estimated.
6.2 Payment terms
Specific payment schedules are set out in each engagement letter. For most engagements, a proportion of the professional fee is payable on commencement and the balance on completion or at stages defined in the letter. We accept bank transfer and other methods specified in the engagement letter.
6.3 Refunds
Fees paid for work already commenced are not refundable except where we terminate an engagement without cause. Where an engagement has not yet commenced, we will refund any advance payment received. If you withdraw from an engagement after work has commenced, fees corresponding to the work completed to that point are retained.
6.4 Currency
All fees are quoted and payable in Thai Baht unless the engagement letter specifies otherwise.
7. Service-Specific Terms
7.1 Scope and changes
The scope of each engagement is defined in the written engagement letter. Requests to extend the scope — such as adding documents not covered in the original scope or addressing additional jurisdictions — will be assessed separately and may require a revised engagement letter and additional fees.
7.2 Timelines
Estimated timelines are provided in good faith and reflect our experience with Thai government processing times and typical overseas requirements. They are not contractual commitments. Processing times at Thai authorities and overseas institutions are outside our control and may vary. We will keep you informed of material changes to expected timelines.
7.3 Deliverables
Written deliverables — advisories, document indices, and programme reports — are prepared for your use in connection with the specified cross-border matter. They reflect the state of affairs and published requirements at the time of preparation. We do not warrant that requirements in the destination jurisdiction will not change after the advisory is issued.
7.4 Overseas counsel
Where the Cross-Border Programme requires coordination with overseas counsel, that counsel acts on your behalf and is engaged and instructed by you directly, or by Bidcout Partners as your agent where so authorised in writing. Bidcout Partners does not assume responsibility for the advice or conduct of overseas counsel.
8. Disclaimers
Bidcout Partners provides advisory and coordination services for document authentication. We are not a law firm and the written advisories and programme reports we produce do not constitute legal advice. If your matter involves legal proceedings, property rights, inheritance disputes, or other matters requiring legal advice, you should obtain advice from a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.
Our services are provided on the basis of published requirements and standard procedures as they stand at the time of engagement. Authentication requirements, government fees, and processing procedures are subject to change by the relevant authorities, and we cannot be responsible for changes that occur after the scope of work has been agreed.
The Website and its content are provided for information purposes only. While we take care to keep information current, we make no representation that the information on the Website is complete, accurate, or up to date at all times.
9. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by Thai law, our total liability to you arising from or in connection with any engagement — whether in contract, tort, or otherwise — is limited to the professional fees actually paid by you for the specific engagement giving rise to the claim.
We are not liable for:
- Indirect, consequential, or special loss, including loss of anticipated savings or commercial opportunity
- Delays or refusals by Thai authorities or overseas institutions outside our control
- Changes in requirements imposed by any authority after the engagement scope is agreed
- Loss or damage arising from information you provided that was incomplete or inaccurate
- Events constituting force majeure, including acts of government, natural disasters, public health emergencies, or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
10. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Bidcout Partners, its principals, and staff from and against any claims, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to: your breach of these Terms; your submission of inaccurate, false, or fraudulent documentation; or any use of our services for purposes that violate applicable law.
11. Confidentiality
We treat all information provided to us in connection with a service engagement as confidential. We do not disclose client information to third parties except as necessary to perform the services (such as submission to Thai authorities or communication with overseas counsel as authorised), as required by law, or with your explicit consent.
You agree to treat as confidential any methodologies, internal procedures, or pricing structures that we share with you in the course of an engagement and not to disclose them to competitors or use them for any purpose other than your own cross-border documentation needs.
12. Termination
Either party may terminate an engagement by giving written notice to the other. Where you terminate, fees for work already completed are payable in full. Where we terminate due to your breach or non-cooperation, the same applies. Where we terminate without cause, we will refund a pro-rated portion of any advance fees corresponding to work not yet commenced.
On termination, we will return original documents in our possession to you promptly. Clauses relating to intellectual property, confidentiality, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution survive termination of any engagement.
13. Dispute Resolution
13.1 Governing law
These Terms and any engagement conducted under them are governed by the laws of Thailand. The parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Bangkok, Thailand.
13.2 Informal resolution
Before commencing formal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt to resolve any dispute in good faith through direct communication. Either party may raise a concern in writing to the other, and both parties will make reasonable efforts to resolve the matter within 30 days of that notice.
13.3 Mediation
If informal resolution is not achieved within the 30-day period, either party may refer the dispute to mediation through a mutually agreed mediator or, absent agreement, through a mediator appointed by the Thai Arbitration Institute. Costs of mediation are shared equally unless the mediator directs otherwise.
14. General Provisions
14.1 Entire agreement
These Terms, together with any applicable engagement letter, constitute the entire agreement between the parties in respect of the services and supersede all prior understandings, representations, or discussions.
14.2 Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and all remaining provisions will continue in full force.
14.3 Waiver
Failure by either party to enforce any provision of these Terms on any occasion does not constitute a waiver of the right to enforce that provision on any subsequent occasion.
14.4 Assignment
You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our obligations to a successor practice or entity without your consent, provided that your rights under these Terms are not thereby diminished.
14.5 Notices
Formal notices under these Terms should be sent by email to [email protected] or by registered post to 312 Ratchadaphisek Road, Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. Notices sent by email are deemed received on the next business day following the date of sending, absent evidence of non-delivery.
15. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services, applicable law, or our operational procedures. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Website or our services following any update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
If you have an active engagement at the time of any revision, the Terms applicable at the time your engagement commenced will govern that engagement unless you agree in writing to the revised Terms.
16. Contact Information
For questions about these Terms and Conditions, or to raise a concern, please contact us:
- Bidcout Partners
- 312 Ratchadaphisek Road, Din Daeng, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Phone: +66 2 692 8147
- Legal enquiries: [email protected]