Corporate and commercial documents
Company affidavits, shareholder lists, memoranda of association, financial statements, board resolutions and commercial contracts — for foreign counterparties, banks and tenders.
Company affidavits and business registry records are issued by the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce. In practice they have a short acceptance window because they show status as at the extraction date, so most foreign counterparties and banks require a fresh extract. Check the recipient's rule before translation so the document does not expire mid-process.
Corporate translations must keep the registered English company name exactly, including the entity suffix. Where an English name is already registered, it is never re-translated: banks and foreign registrars match it against other records such as VAT registration or signed contracts.
The objectives clause and the limits on directors' authority carry the greatest legal weight in an affidavit and must be translated in full — particularly binding-signature conditions such as how many directors must sign jointly and whether the company seal is required. Omitting these can leave a foreign counterparty with the wrong view of signing authority.
Financial statements use accounting terminology that must match the reporting framework under which they were prepared, and the notes must be included: they explain accounting policies and obligations. Translating only the balance sheet and dropping the notes is a common cause of rejection.
Legal status note: Thailand deposited its instrument of accession to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, and the Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 February 2027 (source: HCCH). Until that date, translations and documents still pass through the Department of Consular Affairs and the destination embassy in the traditional order.
Documents in this family
- Company affidavit issued by the Department of Business Development
- Shareholder list (Bor Or Jor 5)
- Memorandum and articles of association
- Financial statements with notes
- Minutes and board or shareholder resolutions
- Commercial contracts, VAT registration (Por Por 20) and operating licences
Order of steps
- Obtain a fresh affidavit from the Department of Business Development
- Translate keeping the registered English name and all signing-authority limits
- For company-prepared documents, have the authorised signatory sign before a Notarial Services Attorney
- Legalise at the Department of Consular Affairs
- Add embassy legalisation where the recipient requires it
Preparation checklist
- Use only the registered English company name
- Keep the extraction date within the recipient's acceptance window
- Translate the objectives and binding-signature conditions in full
- Always include the notes to the financial statements
- Confirm the signatory's authority against the latest affidavit
FAQs
Can an older company affidavit still be used?
Recipients such as banks and foreign registrars usually require a freshly extracted affidavit, because it reflects status as at the extraction date. Ask the recipient what window it accepts before starting.
Should the company name be translated or transliterated?
If an English name is registered with the registrar, use it verbatim. A different rendering prevents the recipient from linking the document to other registration records.
How are company-drafted resolutions handled?
They are private documents, so the authorised signatory signs before a Notarial Services Attorney registered with the Lawyers Council before the file can proceed to legalisation.
Do financial statements need translating in full?
Translate the complete set including the notes and the auditor's report, since these explain accounting policies and obligations. If the recipient defines a narrower scope, state that scope in the certificate.
What should a bilingual contract specify?
A governing-language clause stating which version prevails in case of conflict, to reduce disputes arising from wording differences between the two versions.
How are foreign company documents used in Thailand?
They are normally certified in the country of origin under that country's system and by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General there, then translated into Thai for filing with Thai authorities.
Send scans of your set by LINE or email and our staff will confirm the exact steps and the fee for your case before any work starts.