Certificates of employment and service letters
A certificate of employment proves experience for job applications, professional registration or skilled-work visas. It must state the position, dates and duties consistently with every other document in your file.
Of all employment paperwork, the certificate of employment gets read most closely, because it is the primary evidence for counting years of experience. Many professional bodies require exact start and end dates — day, month, year — and a statement of whether the role was full-time or part-time. Missing those details usually means a return to the employer, which costs far more time than writing it properly the first time.
Under the Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), an employee may ask the employer to issue a certificate of service when the employment contract ends. This is a legal entitlement, not a favour. In practice, request it in the exact format the receiver wants from the outset: going back for amendments after your former manager has left is often impossible.
The duties described should match the job title. Where the internal title means nothing outside the company, ask for two or three lines describing the core responsibilities. This matters enormously for professional registration and skills assessment, where an assessor must map real duties onto the destination country's occupational standard.
For overseas use the working chain is: an original signed by an authorised person, signature certification by a Notarial Services Attorney, translation into the required language, legalisation of the translation by the Department of Consular Affairs, then the destination embassy where required. Skipping a step normally means starting over.
Documents to prepare
- The original certificate on company letterhead, signed by an authorised person
- A recently issued company affidavit, plus a power of attorney if the signatory is not a director
- The applicant's passport, to confirm name spelling
- Consistent supporting evidence such as payslips, proof of insured status, or a work permit
- Any document from the receiver specifying the required format and content headings
Step order
- Obtain the receiver's required format and headings in writing before drafting
- Have an authorised person sign the original on company letterhead, with the seal where the affidavit requires it
- Certify the signature with a Notarial Services Attorney
- Translate into the required language with a translator's certificate
- Legalise the translation at the Department of Consular Affairs, then the destination embassy where required
Pre-filing checklist
- Start and end dates given in full — day, month, year
- A statement of full-time or part-time status, and weekly hours where the receiver asks
- The job title plus a description of core duties intelligible to an outsider
- The signatory's name, title and contact details so the receiver can verify
- Every figure consistent with payslips and social security records for the same period
Practical tips
- Ask for a Thai-and-English certificate at source where the company can issue one; it removes arguments about how the title was translated
- If you changed roles internally, list each period on its own line so a skills assessor can count experience precisely
- Request several originals at once — some receivers keep the original and do not return it
- If your name changed during employment, prepare and certify the official name-change certificate alongside
Common pitfalls
- Giving only years without days and months, so experience cannot be counted and the file is returned
- Using an internal job title with no explanation, leaving an assessor unable to map it to an occupational standard
- Stating a period that conflicts with social security records, which makes the receiver doubt the document
- Issuing the letter on blank paper with no letterhead or contact details, making verification impossible
Frequently asked questions
Is the employer obliged to issue a certificate of employment?
Under the Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), an employee is entitled to request a certificate of service when the employment contract ends. It is a legal right, not a favour.
Must the certificate state salary?
It depends on the receiver. Visa and income assessments usually require it; a pure experience check often does not. Get the requirement in writing first.
The company issued it in English — is translation still needed?
If the receiver works in English and accepts documents issued in English, no. If it works in another language, or requires the translation itself to be legalised, the translation chain still applies.
My former manager has left. Who can sign?
A person with current authority for the legal entity — a director named in the latest company affidavit, or an attorney-in-fact holding a power of attorney.
What if the certificate conflicts with social security records?
Fix it at source before entering the chain, because receivers routinely compare the two. If it cannot be fixed, attach an explanatory letter from the employer setting out the reason for the discrepancy.
Does certification confirm the statements are true?
No. It confirms only the signature and seal. The destination employer or authority may still verify the content directly with your former employer.
For a document review before you file, contact us on LINE @nycli, call +66-83-249-4999 or email nycli@ilc.ltd. Our team will confirm the steps, any missing documents and a realistic timeline for your case.