Certified translation of corporate documents
How corporate translations pass consular review and satisfy the recipient: consistent company names, registration numbers, director titles and the accounting and legal terminology used uniformly across the whole set.
Certification by the Legalisation Division of the Department of Consular Affairs verifies that the translation matches the original — not that the original's content is correct or that the company is in good standing. Translations that add meaning, drop text or 'improve' the style are frequently returned even when they read better.
The company name must be the English name registered with the DBD, not a fresh transliteration chosen by the translator. Where no English name is registered, apply a consistent transliteration and reuse it identically throughout the set.
Use standard renderings for titles and defined terms: director, managing director, registered capital, ordinary shares. Alternating between near-synonyms within one set invites the reviewer to suspect that different companies or different items are involved.
For numeric documents such as financial statements and shareholder lists, keep the original number format and units, state the currency as Thai baht explicitly and never round, because recipients reconcile totals across the set.
Documents to prepare
- The original corporate documents, whether issued by an authority or company-drafted with certified signatures
- A glossary of company-specific terms — product names, branch names, internal titles — so the whole set is consistent
- The company's registered English name, if one exists
- The recipient's formatting requirements, such as whether a translator's certificate is needed
- Previously certified translations for reference, to keep terminology stable
Order of steps
- Gather the whole set before translation begins so terminology can be fixed from the start
- Translate keeping the original structure and order, adding and removing nothing
- Proofread numbers, personal names and registration numbers again against the original
- File for certification at the Legalisation Division, Department of Consular Affairs
- Add embassy certification if required and archive the translation for future consistency
Pre-filing checklist
- The company name matches the registered English name exactly
- The 13-digit registration number and tax ID are correct
- Director names match their passports rather than a fresh transliteration
- Defined terms are rendered identically across the whole set
- No translator-added text, such as explanatory notes absent from the original
Frequently asked questions
Who may translate corporate documents?
Thai law does not restrict general translation to registered translators, but a translation submitted for consular certification is checked by officials against the original. Some foreign recipients additionally require a translator certified in their own country.
How should a company name with no registered English form be handled?
Apply a consistent transliteration used identically across the set, and keep the Thai name in brackets if the recipient needs to cross-check.
Is a translator's certificate required?
It depends on the recipient. Some countries want a signed certificate of translation accuracy; others accept the consular legalisation stamp alone. Ask before you start.
Can a previously certified translation be reused?
Use it as a terminology reference, but a newly issued original — such as a fresh affidavit — must be translated and certified anew against that specific original.
Do bilingual originals still need certified translation?
If the original is already bilingual and the recipient accepts it, a separate translation may be unnecessary; many authorities still require legalisation, so confirm with the recipient first.
Want our team to review the corporate file before submission? Contact LINE @nycli, phone +66-83-249-4999 or email nycli@ilc.ltd and we will confirm the steps and a realistic timeline for your case.