Pleadings and documents filed with the court
Complaints, defences, motions, statements and their annexes filed with a Thai court — the family where the translation must mirror the source word for word, because the court reads it to frame the issues in dispute.
Section 46 of the Thai Civil Procedure Code requires that a document written in a foreign language and used in proceedings be accompanied by a Thai translation, with the translator certifying its accuracy. In practice individual courts may ask for slightly different certificate wording, so confirm the format with the court clerk or with the attorney handling the file before every filing.
Pleadings define the scope of the case. A single mistranslated term — 'default' rendered as 'breach', or a payment due date transposed — can shift the issues the court will decide. This family therefore has to be translated in the Thai legal vocabulary that matches Thai procedure, not in general-purpose language.
Where one party is foreign, translation usually runs both ways: foreign documents into Thai for filing, and Thai orders or judgments into the client's language for review or for use abroad. Both directions should share one glossary for the whole case so party names, contract titles and defined terms never diverge between filings.
Our translators work on court files routinely and an in-house attorney reviews the legal wording before the certificate of accuracy is issued. If a hearing date is already fixed, tell us the deadline first so we can confirm a realistic delivery window before starting.
Legal status note: Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026; the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027 (source: HCCH). Until that date, documents leaving Thailand still pass through the Department of Consular Affairs and the destination embassy in the traditional order.
Documents in this family
- Complaints, counterclaims and statements of defence
- Motions, applications, statements and objections
- Lists of evidence and annexes to pleadings
- Powers of attorney for litigation and appointment of counsel
- Demand letters relied on as supporting documents
Certification order
- Collect the originals and lock the spelling of party names, company names and defined terms across the whole file
- Translate with a translator experienced in court documents and build a case glossary
- In-house attorney reviews legal wording and checks that every annex is present
- Attach a signed certificate of translation accuracy to each document
- File in the format that specific court requires (confirm with the court clerk beforehand)
Preparation checklist
- Scan every page of the original, including pages with seals and signatures
- Give us the case number and the court, so the certificate format matches that court
- Tell us the hearing or filing deadline in advance
- Confirm the spelling of personal names exactly as in the passport or ID card
Frequently asked questions
Does a Thai court require foreign-language documents to be translated?
Under section 46 of the Civil Procedure Code, a foreign-language document used in proceedings must be accompanied by a Thai translation and the translator must certify its accuracy. Certificate wording can vary in practice, so check with the court where you file.
Must the translator be officially registered?
The general rule is that the translator certifies accuracy, but a particular court or agency may impose extra requirements on who may translate. Confirm the requirement with the receiving court or authority before work starts.
How is the fee calculated?
It depends on the language pair, page count and complexity, so we quote after reviewing the documents. Send scans by phone, LINE or email and our staff will confirm the steps and the fee.
Send the file list or scans and our team will confirm the steps and a realistic timeline for your matter — LINE @nycli, +66-83-249-4999, nycli@ilc.ltd.