Official documents going abroad, and foreign documents used in Thailand, need a certified translation. What usually goes wrong is not the quality of the translation but the form: a name spelled differently from the passport, seals and signatures left untranslated, or a translation made from a copy rather than the original.
A document refused on those grounds has to go through the whole certification chain again, at each office's own pace. We therefore check the destination's requirements before any translation begins.
We translate between Thai and English, certify the translation, and carry the legalisation through to the receiving authority.
Documents we translate and certify
- Civil registration documents: birth certificates, house registration, ID cards and certificates of single status.
- Marriage and divorce certificates and registers.
- Corporate documents: company certificates, shareholder lists, memoranda and financial statements.
- Degree certificates and academic transcripts.
- Contracts and powers of attorney.
- Judgments and court orders for use in foreign proceedings.
The usual order of certification
- The translation is made from the original, with the translator's certification.
- The Notarial Services Attorney certifies the translation and the signature.
- The Department of Consular Affairs certifies next.
- The destination country's embassy or consulate certifies last.
Some countries and offices require only part of this chain, and some require a translator registered with that particular authority. Check before starting.
What to bring, and what to watch
- The original, or a copy certified by the issuing office.
- The passport of anyone named in the document, so that the spelling in the translation matches it exactly.
- Which country and which office the document is for.
- The date it is needed, since each certification stage has its own queue.
- Some documents expire a set period after issue, so do not obtain them too far in advance.
Requirements differ by country and by office, and they change. This page is general guidance; tell us the details and the current requirements can be checked.