Notary Public — English (Foreigner)

How Thai Notary Public Differs From U.S. / U.K. Notaries

In Thailand, notarial services can only be provided by attorneys licensed as “Notarial Services Attorneys” by the Lawyers Council of Thailand under Royal Patronage — not by any lawyer, banker or court clerk. This is fundamentally different from the U.S., where notaries public are lay officials, or the U.K., where the role is held by specialized Notaries Public regulated by the Faculty Office. The practical implication is that a Thai notarization carries the weight of an attorney's signature, but it is not automatically recognized abroad: every notarized document destined for use overseas must first be authenticated by the Department of Consular Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and then legalized by the destination country's embassy, or receive an Apostille under the Hague Convention 1961 (Thailand acceded in 2024). Our firm's six Notarial Services Attorneys are fluent in both Thai and English, so foreign clients can sign statutory declarations, affidavits, and powers of attorney in a language they fully understand. Every certificate we issue carries the attorney's registration number, embossed seal, and a wet-ink signature so it can be verified by any consular officer worldwide.

What Foreign Clients Typically Notarize in Thailand

Foreign residents, tourists, and expatriates in Thailand most often require notarization for four categories of documents. First, personal affidavits — statutory declarations of single status for overseas marriage, affidavits of identity for lost passports, and consent letters allowing a spouse or grandparent to travel with a minor. Second, powers of attorney — appointing a family member overseas to sell property, close bank accounts, or represent the signatory in court. Third, corporate and commercial documents — resolutions, share transfer forms, and contracts signed in Thailand for foreign registration. Fourth, certified true copies of passports, driving licenses, university diplomas, and marriage certificates for visa or employment purposes in a third country. We often work with foreign nationals preparing K-1 fiancé visa petitions (USCIS), UK Home Office spouse visa applications, Australian partner visa lodgements, and Canadian IRCC family sponsorship — each of which requires meticulously worded affidavits and consent letters. Our attorneys review the destination authority's exact wording requirements before you sign, avoiding rejections and re-notarization fees.

• Statutory declarations of single status (for K-1, UK spouse, EU marriage)
• Affidavits of identity, address, or relationship
• Certified true copies of passports, IDs, diplomas, transcripts
• Powers of attorney for property, banking, litigation, or divorce
• Consent letters for minors traveling with one parent
• Corporate resolutions and contract signatures on behalf of a foreign entity

From Notary to Full Overseas Legalization — One-Stop Chain

A notarized document alone is rarely accepted by foreign governments. The full chain is: (1) Notary Public — attorney witnesses the signature; (2) MFA Consular Department (Chaeng Watthana, Bangkok) — authenticates the notary's signature and registration; (3) either the destination embassy in Bangkok legalizes it, OR — for Hague Convention countries — the MFA issues an Apostille, which is recognized by all 124+ member states without further embassy stamps. Since Thailand acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention in December 2024, most Western destinations (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Japan, India, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina) now accept Apostille only, saving 5–14 days. Our One-Stop service manages this end-to-end. We collect the original at your hotel or office, notarize with the attorney, submit to MFA the same day (or next business day), then either courier to the embassy or collect the Apostille, and deliver back to you or ship internationally by DHL/FedEx. Typical total turnaround is 5–10 business days for Apostille route, 10–21 business days for embassy route.