Thailand has no notary public in the sense you know from the UK, the US or Australia. A lawyer certified by the Lawyers Council of Thailand for notarial services (a Notarial Services Attorney) certifies signatures and copies. For a sale of land or a condo, the Land Department expects a power of attorney on its own form. Sign it abroad and, until 28 February 2027, it also goes through a legalisation chain. Rules are as of 7 October 2026.
In short
- Thailand has no notary law. A 2025 academic article (Journal of Social Science for Local Development, 12 September 2025) says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lawyers Council-certified lawyers perform notarial functions under ministerial rules.
- For land and a house the Land Department expects Tor Dor 21, for a condo Or Chor 21. A generic power of attorney is usually refused (ThaiLawOnline, 29 September 2026).
- Tor Dor 21 needs at least one witness. A notary is not on the list, but land offices differ, so we ask yours (ThaiLawOnline, 29 September 2026).
- Signed at home, a power of attorney goes through a local notary, your foreign ministry, the Thai embassy and a Thai translation until 28 February 2027. ThaiLawOnline adds a last legalisation of the document and translation at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (27 September 2026).
- Your own embassy in Bangkok is unlikely to do this for Thai use: the Australian Embassy notarises only for use in Australia, and British embassies offer "very limited" notarial services (checked 7 October 2026; GOV.UK, 31 July 2025).
Is there a notary public in Thailand, and do you need one for a power of attorney?
For a Land Department power of attorney signed in Thailand, published guidance names a witness, not a notary (ThaiLawOnline, 29 September 2026). Thailand has no notary public: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lawyers Council-certified lawyers (Notarial Services Attorneys) do the certifying. Their stamp matters when a document leaves Thailand or the recipient asks for a certified signature.
Certification confirms who signed and that a copy matches the original, not the content or the legality of the deal. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs works the same way: it certifies the signature, the signer's capacity and the seal (ThaiLawOnline, 27 September 2026).
Which power of attorney does the Land Department accept?
The Land Department accepts a power of attorney on its own form: Tor Dor 21 for land and a separately registered house, Or Chor 21 for a condo. The form names the property, the title number and the specific act, such as a sale or a lease registration. A generic "do anything" power is usually refused (ThaiLawOnline, 29 September 2026).
A general power does not cover a sale, a mortgage, a gift, litigation or a lease over three years: those need a special power (Civil and Commercial Code, s. 801; ThaiLawOnline, 27 September 2026). Tor Dor 21 covers sale, purchase, gift, transfer by inheritance, mortgage, lease registration, usufruct, superficies and servitude over land under a Chanote or Nor Sor 3 Gor (ThaiLawOnline, 29 September 2026). The agent cannot go beyond the named act, counterparty and price, and cannot deal with themselves unless the power says so (s. 805). Never leave a signed blank form with anyone.
How do you sign a power of attorney at home so that Thailand accepts it?
Until 28 February 2027 a power of attorney signed abroad goes through a notary in the country of signing, that country's foreign ministry, legalisation by the Thai embassy and a Thai translation (ThaiLawOnline, 27 September 2026). ThaiLawOnline adds that the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs then legalises the document and translation. After 28 February 2027, for states that do not object to Thailand's accession, an apostille replaces the foreign-ministry and embassy steps. The translation stays.
Washington and Canberra say on their pages that they do not accept apostilles, and London takes documents legalised by the FCDO.
| Where you sign | Steps | Embassy fee and time (embassy pages) |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | Tor Dor 21 or Or Chor 21 and a witness | Ask your land office |
| UK | Notary, FCDO, Royal Thai Embassy London, Thai translation | GBP 10 per document, 3 working days (30 April 2026) |
| US | Notary, Secretary of State of the issuing state, US Department of State, Royal Thai Embassy, Thai translation | USD 15 per seal, up to 21 business days (24 December 2025) |
| Australia | Notary, DFAT, Royal Thai Embassy Canberra, Thai translation | AUD 25 per seal (checked 7 October 2026) |
How each step works is on the page Apostille and document legalisation for Thailand, and what changes after 28 February 2027 is in the article Apostille and Thailand: legalising documents now and from 28 Feb 2027.
Can your embassy in Bangkok notarise it?
Usually not for Thai use. The Australian Embassy in Bangkok says its notarial services are available only where documents are Australian in origin or intended for use in Australia (checked 7 October 2026). GOV.UK says British embassies offer "very limited notarial and documentary services" and tells you to find a local notary or lawyer (31 July 2025).
Your embassy may help in the opposite direction, with a document you sign in Thailand for use at home. The Australian Embassy, for example, offers certified copies, statutory declarations and witnessing of signatures for use in Australia. If your country wants a Thai stamp instead, the chain runs backwards: a Notarial Services Attorney certifies the signature, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalises it and your embassy adds its step where it still asks for one (ThaiLawOnline, 27 September 2026). From 28 February 2027 a Thai apostille should replace both stamps, but its procedure and fee are not yet published (HCCH, 1 July 2026).
Where does a power of attorney fail?
An office may refuse a power of attorney if it does not name the property and title number, names the wrong act, lacks the signature of a second co-owner, or was signed too long ago. Some offices ask for a fresh paper when yours was signed months earlier (ThaiLawOnline, 27 September 2026).
Other papers have a shelf life too: in a typical DTV situation the London embassy accepted a police certificate only within six months of issue (DTV refused over a bank statement).
What we do and what to check yourself
We find out what your land office requires, draft the text on the right form with a translation, guide you through signing and legalisation, and check the set before filing. If you cannot travel, we register the deal under the power of attorney. The price and scope are on the service card, and we agree the estimate before work starts.
- We ask the land office which form and attachments it accepts: offices treat translations and signing dates differently.
- We draft the power: property, title number, act, term, in Thai plus English.
- We tell you where to sign: in Thailand with a witness, or abroad before a notary, with the steps for your country.
- We translate into Thai, legalise at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs where needed and compare names and dates across documents.
- We file at the Land Department under the power, or go with you to registration.
What to check yourself before you contact us:
- Does the power name the property, the title number and the act? Strike words like "any actions".
- Is your name spelled the same in the passport, the power and the translation?
- Was the paper signed only a few months before registration?
- What does your land office ask for: the form, a witness, translations? Ask in writing.
Describe your situation in the form below: where the power will be used, where you will sign it and which property you have in mind. Within 24 hours we tell you which route fits, which documents you need and how long it takes.
