Q1031. What are the legal requirements for translating memoranda and articles of association in multiple languages?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Memoranda and articles of association of foreign companies are required in Thailand for subsidiary or branch registration, BOI applications, bank account opening, and sometimes for court filings where a foreign company is a party. The legal requirements: the documents must be current certified copies from the home registry or notarised by a home-country notary, legalised through the chain (foreign ministry plus Royal Thai Embassy), translated into Thai in full — including all amendments, not just the current consolidated version where the receiving office asks for the amendment history — and certified at the MFA (200/quoted on request per stamp). Points that cause rejections: the company's registered objectives in the translation must be complete, because the DBD compares them against the proposed Thai activities; the authorised signatory provisions (who may bind the company, singly or jointly) must be translated precisely, as banks and the DBD rely on them to validate the power of attorney; and where the articles reference statutes by section number, the references are kept as-is with the statute name translated — inventing Thai statutory equivalents is an error. For companies from jurisdictions with model articles (UK, Hong Kong, Singapore), the translation should note which standard provisions apply. Confirm the receiving office's requirements on amendments and certification form before commissioning.