Education and qualification documents
Degree certificates, transcripts, school certificates, professional licences and course descriptions — used for admissions, employment, professional registration and visa filings.
Thai education documents are issued by public or private institutions, and that distinction affects the process. Public institutions issue documents with seals and authorised signatures that consular officers can verify; some private institutions also need a supporting certificate from their regulator. Ask the issuing institution which format to request before you start.
Transcripts are the easiest document in this family to get wrong: course codes, course titles, credits, the grading scale and graduation criteria all matter. The translator must not convert Thai grades into the destination country's scale; values are kept as printed, together with the full grading-scale legend. Credential equivalence is decided by the receiving authority, not by the translator.
Degree and field names must use the institution's official English titles. Where an institution already has a registered English name, that name is used rather than a fresh translation, because foreign credential evaluators check it against institution databases.
Professional licences — in health or engineering, for example — usually need an accompanying status certificate from the regulating professional council, and some countries require the council to send documents directly to the receiving body. Check this first: self-sent documents may not be accepted.
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
- Degree certificates, diplomas and qualification certificates
- Academic transcripts
- Enrolment and graduation verification letters
- Course descriptions and curriculum structures
- Professional licences and licence status certificates
- Training records and vocational certificates
Order of steps
- Request official copies from the institution with seal and authorised signature
- Translate into English keeping official institution names and the original grading scale
- Legalise at the Department of Consular Affairs
- Add embassy legalisation if the receiving body requires it
Preparation checklist
- Use the institution's and degree's official English titles
- Keep the grading legend and graduation criteria in full
- Never convert grades or recalculate GPA in the translation
- Check the transcript is complete and the seals run across pages
- Ask whether the receiving body requires direct institutional delivery
FAQs
Can the translator assess credential equivalence?
No. Deciding what a qualification is equivalent to is the role of a credential evaluation body or the receiving authority. The translator only renders the text faithfully.
Does every transcript page need translating?
Yes, including the reverse side carrying the grading legend, which the receiving body uses to read the results. Missing it usually triggers a request for more documents.
My degree was issued in English — does it still need translation?
If the institution issues an official English version, a translation is generally unnecessary, but legalisation and embassy certification may still be required by the recipient.
What supports a professional licence?
Normally a licence status certificate from the regulating council confirming the licence is current as at its issue date. Detailed requirements vary by country and profession.
What about records from an international school in Thailand?
Check which authority oversees the school and whether the documents carry verifiable authorised signatures. Some cases need a supporting certificate from the regulator before legalisation.
How are field names with no direct English equivalent handled?
Use the institution's official English name; if none exists, translate by meaning and keep the Thai name in brackets so reviewers can match it to the original.
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.