Q1072. How to process government procurement and public bidding document translations?

Answered by the NYC Visa & Translation certified translation team

Government procurement documents in Thailand are governed by the Government Procurement and Supplies Management Act, and the translation question runs in both directions. Foreign bidders on Thai government projects: the tender documents (TOR) are issued in Thai, and while some large international-funded projects (ADB, World Bank, JICA co-financed) provide English versions, the Thai text governs in case of discrepancy — so foreign bidders need accurate English working translations to bid, but must verify key clauses against the Thai original. Thai bidders on foreign or international-organisation projects: the company 's qualification documents (registration certificates, financial statements, work-experience records) are translated into English and certified, with legalisation where the procuring entity requires it. Practical rules: bid documents have absolute deadlines — translation timelines must be booked backwards from the submission date with buffer for certification; the TOR's evaluation criteria and disqualification clauses deserve the most careful translation because bids are lost on formalities; and for e-procurement submissions, document formats are prescribed. For international-funded procurements, the funding agency's procurement guidelines (which specify language requirements) apply alongside Thai law — check the specific tender's language clause. Caution: a mistranslated eligibility requirement can produce a non-compliant bid that is rejected unread. Confirm the procuring entity's language and certification requirements in the tender documents themselves.