A Notary Public is a legal professional who authenticates signatures and documents. Notaries are especially important for individuals who are applying for immigration or sending documents abroad.
In Thailand, only lawyers are authorized to act as Notary Public and must pass a specific license assessment by the Lawyers Council. Documents notarized by a Notary Public are recognized internationally.
Authentication of Documents
Many countries require that certain documents be authenticated in order to be considered valid. This is generally required for legal documents containing signatures or statements of individuals under oath.
Thailand has no official notary public, but the Lawyers Council of Thailand does issue a regulation to recognize particular attorneys as “notarial service attorney”. This means that foreign documents signed by such a lawyer can be accepted for authentication in some cases. In other cases, additional certification may be required from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a foreign embassy in Thailand depending on the requirements of the document’s destination country.
A notary is also a witness, and can be helpful in verifying that the documents being submitted are authentic and that the individuals signing them are who they claim to be. Often, these documents will be presented to an embassy, and a notary can save time by providing the necessary verifications at the same time.
Authentication of Signatures
In most countries, a Notary Public is an official who authenticates legal documents, signatures, and affidavits or statements of people under oath. In Thailand, there is no official Notary Public but the Lawyers Council provides certain attorneys the role of Notarial Services Attorney that allows them to perform authentication services regulated by the Lawyers Act B.E. 2528.
Expats living in Thailand often need notarized signatures on contracts and other legal documents. Many international companies also require that the signatures of their executives on important documents are certified by a notary.
Authentication of a signature is an official fraud-deterrent process that ensures that the person signing a document is indeed the one named on it and that he or she did so freely and under his or her own free will. It is an essential part of international business and legal documentation. The notary’s unbiased witnessing is crucial to deter fraudulent activity. Notarization also certifies translations of documents for international transactions.
Authentication of Affidavits
In most countries, a Notary Public is an official who authenticates signatures and documents. They also witness affidavits or statements of persons under oath. These are essential for a document to be considered authentic. A document that is certified by a Notary Public is guaranteed to be true. This is because it is certified by a neutral person who guarantees the authenticity of the document.
For those who courier signed documents abroad for business purposes, the receiving party might ask that your signature be certified by a Notary Public to confirm that it is indeed your signature. Similarly, some countries require your will and testament to be certified by a Notary Public to ensure that you are intending to give your estate to someone when you pass away.
In Thailand, there are no notaries public, but some lawyers are registered as Notarial Services Attorney by the Lawyers Council of Thailand. They are required to undergo a professional training course before they are authorized to do this.
Authentication of Statements
In a world where many people move and operate internationally, notarization is a service that’s required for a wide range of documents. Signed documents that need to be couriered abroad for business purposes, translated documents and testaments and wills, all require a notarized signature. Our Notary Public can authenticate and certify these documents for you.
In most countries, a Notary Public is state-licensed to verify and authenticate legal documents, signatures, affidavits or statements of individuals under oath. In Thailand, the Lawyers Council of Thailand creates the Notarial Services Attorney role, allowing lawyers to perform authentication services regulated by their profession.
The consular section at the US Embassy in Bangkok can notarize American citizens’ documents for US passport applications, notarized copies of diplomas and academic credentials, and certified copies of marriage certificates and other domestic official documents. However, these “notarizations” have no legal weight outside the US and are unlikely to be recognized by an institution or government office in another country.
