Powers of attorney and signed personal documents

These are private documents with no issuing government body, so the chain must begin by creating a verifiable signature. The standard route is for the signatory to sign in the presence of a Notarial Services Attorney registered with the Lawyers Council of Thailand, presenting original identification.

Wording matters. A power of attorney must identify both parties precisely, list the powers granted item by item, specify the property or transaction concerned and, where needed, its validity period. Many receiving authorities publish their own form and reject self-drafted wording, so obtain the form before booking the signing.

Parental consent for a child's travel is the most closely scrutinised case. Immigration officers usually want proof of the relationship — a translated and legalised birth certificate — plus custody evidence where the parents are divorced or separated.

A signatory abroad cannot have a Thai attorney certify a signature remotely. Signing must take place at a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General, or under the local certification system, after which the document re-enters the Thai chain in the order the destination requires.

Thailand still operates the traditional legalisation chain. The 1961 Hague Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027, following the deposit of its instrument of accession on 30 June 2026 (source: HCCH). Until that date, documents must still pass through the Department of Consular Affairs and the destination embassy.