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Certified Thai Name Change Document Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record a change of name in Thailand, including the marginal annotations and registry endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Ch.3 and Ch.5 — two named certificates
Thailand issues purpose-made certificates for this. A change of given name produces a Ch.3 (ช.3) certificate and a change of surname a Ch.5 (ช.5), both from the district office (amphoe).
They are small printed certificates rather than court orders, and a Thai packet frequently contains several from different decades. We name the form as what it is, because a Thai office asked for "the Ch.5" will not accept the Ch.3.
Surnames must be unique in the kingdom
Thailand requires every family surname to be unique nationally — a surname introduced under the 1913 Surname Act may not duplicate an existing one. That is why Thai surnames are long, Sanskrit-derived and unlike anyone else's.
It also means two people sharing a Thai surname are almost certainly related, and that a new surname registered on marriage or a change had to be invented rather than chosen from a stock. We translate the certificate without shortening the name.
The house registration and the ID number
The tabien baan, the house registration book, records the person's name and is updated alongside the certificates. The thirteen-digit ID number does not change with a name and is the reliable identifier.
The number is printed with separating dashes in a fixed pattern and we reproduce it exactly as printed.
Buddhist Era, and romanisation
Thai documents are dated in the Buddhist Era, 543 years ahead of the Gregorian, so a Ch.5 dated B.E. 2540 was issued in 1997. Months and leap rules match, so only the year shifts, and we show both.
Thai romanises inconsistently and the same name appears several ways across a packet — Somchai and Somchay, Srisuk and Sisuk. We follow the passport and note the variants. See our Thai page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, so the reader can see that the change was recorded against the original entry rather than written into a fresh document. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Ch.5?
The district office certificate for a change of surname. A Ch.3 is for a given name, and they are not interchangeable.
Why is my Thai surname so long?
Thai surnames must be unique nationally, so they are invented rather than chosen from a stock.
Does my ID number change?
No. The thirteen-digit number is the reliable identifier across the packet.
My certificate says 2540.
Buddhist Era: 1997. Only the year shifts, and we show both.
Ready to get started?
Upload the order, the resolution or the annotated certificate and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.