Litigation documents filed with Thai courts
Pleadings, defences, disputed contracts, foreign-language documentary evidence, foreign judgments and enforcement papers — the family where a translation is evidence, so accuracy is judged word by word.
Section 46 of the Thai Civil Procedure Code requires documents submitted to Thai courts to be in Thai; where a document is in a foreign language, the court may order the party to file a Thai translation certified as accurate by the translator. A litigation translation is therefore not a supporting document — it is evidence that the opposing party and the bench can scrutinise throughout the proceedings.
The translation must preserve the full structure of the original: letterhead, case number, dates, signatures, seals, footnotes and struck-through text. Where the original is illegible, the translator marks the exact position as illegible rather than guessing. Adding or omitting even a short phrase gives the other side grounds to challenge the evidential weight of the document.
Legal terminology decides the quality of this work. Terms that look interchangeable in English — termination and rescission, indemnity and warranty — carry materially different consequences. The translator must choose Thai wording consistent with Thai legal concepts and retain the source term in brackets whenever it is a defined term in the contract.
For a foreign judgment or court order to be used in Thailand, the document itself usually needs certification in the country of origin and by the Royal Thai Embassy there, in addition to the translation. Requirements vary by case type and country, so confirm with the receiving court or authority before translation begins.
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
- Pleadings, defences, motions and submissions
- Contracts in dispute and their annexes
- Foreign-language documentary evidence, emails and transaction records
- Foreign judgments, court orders and enforcement writs
- Powers of attorney for litigation
- Expert reports and legal opinions
Order of steps
- Collect every page of the original, including pages carrying only a seal or signature
- Translate into Thai (or English for outbound use) preserving the original layout
- Translator signs a certificate of accuracy attached to the translation
- Where the court or the other party requires it, add certification by a Notarial Services Attorney
- File with the court together with the originals so they can be compared
Preparation checklist
- Verify case number, party names and dates match the original exactly
- Build a glossary of party names and defined terms so the whole file stays consistent
- State the page count in the certificate to prevent later insertion or removal of pages
- Do not summarise or translate selected paragraphs unless the court allows partial translation
- Keep a high-resolution scan of the original in case the translation is challenged
FAQs
Do Thai courts require translations of foreign-language documents?
Section 46 of the Civil Procedure Code provides that proceedings are conducted in Thai and allows the court to order a party to file a Thai translation certified as accurate by the translator. In practice, file the translation together with the foreign-language document from the outset.
Must a lawyer certify a litigation translation?
As a rule the translator certifies the accuracy of the translation. Additional certification by a Notarial Services Attorney is used when the receiving authority or the opposing party wants confirmation of the signatory's identity. Ask the recipient which level is required.
What if part of the document is illegible?
The translator marks that exact position as illegible. Guessing or filling in text is not permitted, because content that does not appear in the original makes the translation diverge from the evidence and opens it to challenge.
Can a foreign judgment be used in Thailand immediately?
Giving effect to a foreign judgment in Thailand depends on the type of case and requires a Thai court process. The documents normally need certification in the country of origin and by the Royal Thai Embassy there. Consult a lawyer and confirm with the receiving court first.
Translate the whole document or only the relevant parts?
Translate in full wherever possible, so the other side cannot argue you selected only favourable passages. If the court permits partial translation, state the exact scope in the certificate of accuracy.
How should personal and company names be transliterated?
Follow the spelling on the official document already in use — passport or company affidavit — and keep the source-language name in brackets so the court can match it against other documents in the file.
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.