💡 Quick Summary
Notary Public is an attorney with a special license to certify documents, signatures, and oaths. Regular lawyers handle court cases, legal advice, contract drafting. All Notaries are lawyers, but not all lawyers are Notaries.
Who is a Notary Public?
In Thailand, a Notary Public is an attorney with a special license from the Lawyers Council with authority to: witness signatures; certify true copies; certify translations; administer affidavits/sworn statements; administer oaths; certify documents for international use. Qualifications: must be a licensed attorney for at least 5 years; complete special training from Lawyers Council; receive Notary Public license. Thailand has approximately 1,000 registered Notaries nationwide.
What Do Regular Lawyers Do?
Regular lawyers have a broader scope: court litigation (civil and criminal); legal consultation; contract drafting and review; company registration; labor, family, IP cases; land registration. But regular lawyers cannot: certify signatures as Notary; issue Notarial Certificates; certify documents accepted by foreign agencies. Summary: need document certification → Notary Public. Need litigation/legal advice → Lawyer. Thai Notary Law offers both services in one place.
Notary vs Lawyer Comparison Table
Comparison: License: Notary = special Lawyers Council license | Lawyer = standard license. Qualifications: Notary = 5+ yr attorney + special training | Lawyer = pass bar exam. Authority: Notary = certify documents, signatures, oaths | Lawyer = litigation, consultation, contract drafting. Fee: Notary = price on request | Lawyer = price on request. When to use: Notary = document certification for Thai/international use | Lawyer = disputes/court cases. Timeline: Notary = 30 min-1 day | Lawyer = months/years.
Notary Public Qualifications in Thailand
Notary Public qualifications in Thailand are strict: 1) Must be a licensed attorney for an extended period. 2) Must complete Notary Public training from Lawyers Council (~40 hours). 3) Must pass Notary Public examination. 4) Must receive Notary Public license from Lawyers Council. 5) Must renew license every 2 years. 6) Must have an established office. 7) Must have no disciplinary record. Currently ~1,000 registered Notaries nationwide. Thai Notary Law has Notarial Services Attorneys — more than most firms with 0-1.
Documents a Notary Public Can Certify
Thai Notary Public can certify various documents: 1) CTC — certified true copies of passports, IDs, degrees. 2) Signature Witnessing — POA, contracts. 3) Sworn Statement/Affidavit — single status, income, residency. 4) Certified Translation — document translations. 5) Notarial Certificate — official Notary certificates. 6) Acknowledgement — document understanding. 7) Protest — bill of exchange refusals. 8) Authentication — document accuracy. All Notary-certified documents are accepted by government agencies, embassies, Consular Department, banks, and international organizations.
Notary Public vs Lawyer Fees
Fee comparison: Notary Public: CTC price on request; signature certification price on request; Affidavit price on request; POA price on request; translation+certification price on request. Regular Lawyer: consultation price on request; contract drafting price on request; civil case price on request; criminal case price on request; company registration price on request. Summary: Notary fees are much lower as it's document certification, not litigation.
When You Need Both Notary and Lawyer
Some situations need both: 1) Marrying a foreigner — lawyer for legal advice + Notary for Affidavit. 2) Property purchase — lawyer for contract review + Notary for POA. 3) Joint venture registration — lawyer for drafting + Notary for signature certification. 4) International litigation — lawyer for court + Notary for foreign court documents. 5) Cross-border inheritance — lawyer for estate management + Notary for Affidavit of Heirship. Thai Notary Law has both lawyers and Notaries in one office — saving clients time and cost.
Why Choose Thai Notary Law?
Thai Notary Law combines Notary Public and Lawyer services: Notarial Services Attorneys — available daily; legal advisors for all areas; Lawyers Council–registered attorneys, individual and corporate clients nationwide; translators in multiple languages; 77 provinces. Whether you need document certification, legal advice, contract drafting, or litigation — full service in one place. Transparent pricing, verifiable job reference on every certificate.
