Heir documents and death certificates — certified translation both ways

Proving heirship in Thailand rests on civil registration records. The death certificate is issued by the district registrar where the death was reported, the deceased's house registration must show the name struck off as deceased, and relationship documents such as children's birth certificates or the spouse's marriage certificate link each person to a class of heir under section 1629.

Where heirs or assets are abroad, those Thai documents must be translated into the language the receiving authority requires and legalised by the Department of Consular Affairs; some countries then require a further certification by their embassy in Thailand. Always ask the recipient for their requirements in writing before starting.

In the other direction, death certificates and registry documents issued abroad go through the origin country's chain and the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate before being translated into Thai. The pages most often missed are those carrying seals or reverse-side text, which must also be translated; incomplete translations are sent back for correction.

Name spelling matters more here than anywhere else. The deceased's and heirs' names must match across the death certificate, house registration, passport and title documents. Where a name or surname changed, attach the change-of-name certificate or marriage certificate to establish that the person is the same individual.

The family tree should cover every heir in every class, living and predeceased, with dates of death and representation under section 1639, because the court uses it to check whether a class exists that would exclude the petitioner. Incomplete family trees are a frequent cause of adjourned hearings.