Proposed Amendment to the Ministerial Regulation on Certifying Thai Translations and Accepting Foreign-Language Documents
Foreign-language documents are now a routine part of dealing with Thai government agencies, for Thais and foreigners alike. Foreign investors establishing companies or applying for business licenses, individuals applying for visas or work permits, couples registering marriages, families handling inheritance matters and parties to court proceedings may all be required to submit translated documents. Yet the rules on who may certify a Thai translation have not been revised in decades.
The proposed amendment to the Ministerial Regulation B.E. 2540 (1997), set out in draft regulations (the “Draft Regulations”) issued under the Administrative Procedure Act B.E. 2539 (1996), would expand the list of persons and organizations authorized to certify a Thai translation of a foreign-language document submitted to a state official. It would also widen the circumstances in which an official may accept a foreign-language document without a translation.
Background: Too Few Certifiers
Under the existing regulation, applicants (Thai and foreign) who must submit certified Thai translations often struggle to obtain them within the required timeframe. Officials, too, face difficulties receiving and processing such documents, given the volume of certification needed.
The Office of the Council of State (OCS), as secretariat to the Administrative Procedure Committee, considers the list of permitted certifiers too narrow for present circumstances, and the conditions for accepting untranslated documents too limited. The OCS has therefore proposed a more modern and adaptable regulation that still maintains an acceptable standard.
Current Status
The OCS opened a public hearing on the Draft Regulations on 15 October 2026. The hearing remains open until 13 November 2026 through the central public-hearing system.
A Broader Group of Certifiers
The 1997 regulation recognizes only four categories of certifiers:
- A Thai national holding at least a bachelor’s degree from a programme taught in the language of the document.
- A university lecturer who teaches that language.
- A foreign embassy or consulate in Thailand, where the language is an official language of the country it represents.
- A Thai embassy or consulate abroad.
The Draft Regulations would retain all four categories and add the following:
- Government units capable of translating the language in question.
- Public or private university units that teach in, or can translate, the language.
- Foreign chambers of commerce from countries where the language is used.
- Thai chambers of commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand.
- The Federation of Thai Industries.
- Registered associations, foundations, juristic persons and other private organizations that can translate or teach the language.
A Simpler System with More Choice
The Draft Regulations would simplify the system by clarifying that:
- A listed person or organization has the option, but not the duty, to provide certification services.
- An eligible person or organization may certify a translation prepared by itself or by someone else.
- A lecturer in any discipline may certify a translation in a language used in their teaching.
This would give applicants more choice of service providers and price points. However, availability and cost will depend on whether the newly eligible certifiers choose to offer the service, and on whether government agencies consistently accept their certifications.
Greater Flexibility for Foreign-Language Documents
Currently, an official may accept a foreign-language document without a Thai translation in two situations: where the official understands the language, or where a colleague does. The Draft Regulations would keep both and add two further cases:
- Non-essential documents: An official could accept a document without translation if it has no significant bearing on the decision. This reflects existing practice in some agencies and is intended to reduce the burden on applicants.
- Additional cases by announcement. The Prime Minister, on the recommendation of the Administrative Procedure Committee, could announce further cases in which untranslated documents are acceptable.
The Prime Minister would likewise be empowered, on the committee’s recommendation, to announce additional persons or organizations eligible to certify translations. The Draft Regulations themselves would therefore not need to be amended each time circumstances change, allowing the list of certifiers to keep pace with developments. The Draft Regulations do not create a licensing system, a new committee or any criminal penalties.
Key Takeaways
- The Draft Regulations aim to make translation certification more practical by widening the range of those who can certify Thai translations of foreign-language documents.
- The four existing certification routes remain, and a range of government, university, chamber of commerce and private bodies would be added.
- Officials could accept some foreign-language documents without translation where the document is not significant to their decision.
- The Draft Regulations will take effect only once enacted; current filings should continue to follow the existing routes.
- Public comments are open until 13 November 2026.
Author: Panisa Suwanmatajarn, Managing Partner.
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