AI-generated illustration. The people and situation are fictional, not actual clients.
General legal information, not advice for a specific case. Check current law and the facts of your situation before acting.
“Get it certified” can mean different things to different receiving authorities. I’m Attorney Nok, and I would ask where the document will be submitted and what that office actually requires before paying for translations or appointments.
Imagine Clara needing a certificate from her home country for a Thai transaction. She orders a translation immediately, only to learn that the receiving office requires the original to follow a particular authentication route first. She may have to repeat part of the process.
Ask the receiving office whether it needs an original, certified copy, Thai translation, embassy authentication or legalization by Thailand’s Consular Department. Compare names with the passport and ask whether the document has a validity window or an appointment requirement.
A notarial certification and consular legalization are not necessarily interchangeable. The correct sequence depends on the document and the authority that will use it.
Source: Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consular Department: Legalization ↗