The Cabinet of Ministers of Thailand has approved a resolution to accede to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention. This was reported on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Why an apostille is required
The use of documents issued in one country within the territory of another has always involved certain restrictions and formal requirements. For centuries, authorities in different countries could refuse to accept foreign documents due to non-compliance with national standards or the inability to verify their authenticity.
This created significant difficulties, primarily for private individuals who, unlike commercial companies, could not rely on the assistance of chambers of commerce.
As previously reported by Schmidt & Schmidt, the issue was partially addressed through the introduction of consular legalisation at the international level. This procedure involves certifying a document first by a specially authorised authority in the country of origin (most commonly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Justice), and then by the consulate or consular section of the embassy of the country where the document will be submitted.
However, consular legalisation is a rather complex and time-consuming procedure that requires the payment of multiple fees. For this reason, in private international law it has gradually been replaced by the apostille procedure. Its implementation began within the framework of the Hague Conference on Private International Law in 1961, following the signing of the relevant Convention.
An apostille is an internationally standardized form of certification confirming the legal validity of a document for use in countries that recognize this type of legalization. It usually takes the form of a special stamp or certificate. In recent years, the electronic apostille (e-Apostille) has also become increasingly common — a digital certificate that verifies the authenticity of documents issued in electronic form.
The authorities of any state participating in the Convention need only affix an apostille to a document they have issued for it to be accepted, without additional legalization, in all other countries that have ratified this international treaty.
The use of an apostille is clearly more convenient than consular legalization. However, for political, legal, and other reasons, a number of countries did not join the Convention for a long time. At various stages, these included major states such as China, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, there has been a global wave of accessions to the Hague Convention. In 2019, the Convention entered into force for the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Philippines; in 2020 — for Palau and Jamaica; in 2022 — for Indonesia and Saudi Arabia; in 2023 — for Senegal, Pakistan, and China; in 2024 — for Rwanda and Canada; and in 2025 — for Bangladesh. Algeria has also acceded to the Convention.
Indonesia has also become a kind of “ambassador” of the apostille system. Its authorities actively encourage countries that are not yet parties to the Convention to join it. Malaysia, Egypt, and Ghana are currently in negotiations regarding the implementation of the apostille procedure.
How Thailand is preparing to accede to the Apostille Convention
Thailand is a major international tourism hub. Its capital, Bangkok, was the most visited city in the world in 2025, welcoming 30.3 million international tourists. According to official forecasts, the Kingdom expects to receive 40 million foreign visitors this year. The previous record — 39.9 million tourists — was set in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
Due to its attractive natural environment, well-developed service sector, and relatively affordable cost of living, Thailand is a popular destination for relocators from developed countries who work remotely. In addition, Thai real estate continues to attract foreign investors.
At the same time, Thai nationals actively seek employment abroad due to comparatively low domestic wages. Popular destinations include Taiwan, Israel, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and other countries. As a result, the legalization of foreign documents for use in Thailand — as well as Thai documents for submission abroad — remains a highly relevant issue.
However, documents intended for use in Thailand are still required to undergo consular legalization. This creates significant inconvenience for both local residents and foreign nationals.
In 2024, Thailand hosted a conference entitled “Addressing Private International Law through the Lens of the Apostille Convention” as part of the 62nd Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO).
The event was attended by Dr. Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), and Ms. Chaowani Tangwongprasert, Head of the Legalization Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.
The discussion was moderated by Ms. Ornyajai Phultanang, Head of the International Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Justice of Thailand. The conference participants expressed their support for the Kingdom’s accession to the Apostille Convention. However, the initiative remained under consideration for more than a year, and only in December 2025 did the negotiations reach their final stage.
On 9 December 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution approving Thailand’s accession to the Apostille Convention.
Accession to the Convention will help reduce procedures and costs associated with document legalization, thereby providing greater convenience for citizens and businesses that require document authentication.
— the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom stated.
Following the adoption of the government resolution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began preparing the necessary documentation for submission to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which acts as the depositary of the Convention.
The accession process is being handled by a special subcommittee operating under the National Committee responsible for Thailand’s implementation of its obligations under the Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance, chaired by the Minister of Justice.
According to preliminary statements by the authorities in Bangkok, the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand is expected to be designated as the competent authority for issuing apostilles.
Thailand’s accession to the Apostille Convention is expected to bring significant benefits to a wide range of stakeholders, including students pursuing education abroad, individuals seeking employment overseas, and businesses engaged in cross-border operations. Documents widely used in international trade, such as certificates of company registration, certificates of origin, and certificates of free sale, will be processed more efficiently, thereby accelerating commercial transactions and reducing transaction costs. At the macroeconomic level, accession aligns with Thailand’s proactive economic diplomacy strategy. The apostille system enhances transparency, reduces disputes related to documents, strengthens trust between international partners, and harmonizes Thailand’s document authentication practices with global standards.
— commented experts of the SEAProTI association on the launch of the official accession process to the Apostille Convention by Bangkok. Read more on the SEAProTI website.
The exact dates for the submission of the instrument of accession and for the Convention’s entry into force for Thailand have not yet been announced.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
