Interpreters at police stations and during investigation

Yes. Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Code requires Thai to be used in proceedings and requires an interpreter to be provided where a suspect, defendant, witness or injured person cannot speak or understand Thai — both during investigation and at trial. The right does not depend on nationality or on the party's financial means.

Tell the investigating officer you do not understand Thai and ask for an interpreter; the officer has a duty to arrange one under section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Do not sign a record of statement that has not been interpreted to you — that record can later be used as evidence in court.

Yes. The right covers suspects, injured persons and witnesses alike. If no interpreter is available at that moment, you can arrange a new appointment with one. A report that misstates the facts tends to shape the whole case from the outset.

The officer may permit it, but it is unwise where that person has an interest in the same matter — an opposing party, spouse or business partner. The interpreter's impartiality can be challenged, which weakens the evidential value of the statement.

It is difficult once signed. The correct approach is to have the interpreter read the whole record back before signing and ask the officer to amend anything inaccurate immediately. If discovered later you must file a supplementary statement or contest it in court, which takes longer and carries less weight.

Normally yes — the interpreter signs to confirm the content was interpreted to the person giving the statement, with their full name and identification number. That record allows the interpreter to be called to confirm the interpretation later.

Yes, but a consensual divorce requires a clear expression of intent before the registrar with two witnesses. Where a child-custody or property settlement is annexed, an interpreter and a translation of that annex matter most, because that is the binding part.

They bridge communication between owner, tenant and officer, check that what is recorded matches the facts, and help confirm that the TM.30 address notification and 90-day reporting have been completed.

Where the buyer or seller is a foreigner who does not understand Thai, the land officer usually asks for an interpreter to confirm the parties understand the substance of the sale agreement and the registered price. In many offices the interpreter also signs the statement of the parties.

Yes, where the content has first been interpreted to the signer, because the substance of signature attestation is that the person signed voluntarily and knew what they were signing. The safe practice is to have an interpreter present and record that fact in the certificate.

Send us the language, date and time, venue, type of engagement (court, police, district office, land office, immigration, hospital or business) and the relevant documents by phone, LINE or email. Our staff will confirm interpreter availability and quote the fee for that engagement type and duration before the work starts.

Under section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Code the investigating officer has a duty to arrange an interpreter where a suspect or injured person does not understand Thai, and the state bears that cost. In practice many stations have no interpreter listed for the language, so families engage a private interpreter to avoid delay. In that case the person engaging the interpreter pays, and the interpreter's name should be recorded in the case file for transparency.

Raise it immediately, before signing, because a signed statement becomes evidence at trial. Ask the officer to read the passage back through the interpreter, then have the wording amended with your initials next to each change. If you discover an error afterwards you can still request further questioning or explain the discrepancy in your testimony, but the burden of explaining why the record is wrong is far heavier than correcting it on the spot.

Consecutive means the speaker pauses and the interpreter renders each segment. It suits courts, police stations, district offices, land offices and contract signings because it is accurate and auditable, though it roughly doubles the time. Simultaneous means interpreting in real time through headsets. It suits conferences and large shareholder meetings, but needs two interpreters rotating every 20–30 minutes plus audio equipment, so it costs more. Almost all Thai government work is consecutive.

For business meetings, some hospital appointments, initial bank conversations and pre-appointment briefings, yes. For anything where the interpreter must certify the interpretation in front of an official — court, district office, land office, police investigation — attendance in person is normally required, because the official checks the interpreter's ID and takes their signature. If in doubt, confirm with the receiving office in advance and keep an in-person interpreter as backup.

At least one interpreter is required whenever either party does not understand Thai, because the registrar must be satisfied that both parties understand the register entry and consent freely. The interpreter must be of legal age, present an original ID card or passport, should not be a party or have a financial interest in the couple's property, and must sign the interpreter field alongside two witnesses. Some districts also ask for a short written statement confirming the entry was read out and explained in full.

At the investigation stage the inquiry officer arranges or approves the interpreter under Criminal Procedure Code section 13, and the rendered answers are recorded in the statement that later becomes evidence. In court the interpreter takes an oath or affirmation before serving and renders speech consecutively so that it appears in the record of proceedings. The practical difference is that court renderings can be challenged on the spot by opposing counsel, so experience with the same case type matters more there.

Send key documents one to two days ahead: the complaint or recorded statement, the disputed contract, a list of parties and witnesses, industry or medical terminology, and the spelling of proper names. Where sensitive data is involved, cover it with a confidentiality undertaking consistent with the Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562. Preparation reduces mid-hearing clarifications, shortens the session, and lowers the risk that a rendering goes wrong on a decisive point.

English, Russian, Mandarin, German, French and the Scandinavian languages are requested most, followed by Arabic, Korean, Japanese and Eastern European languages. The most common settings are marriage registration, statements to inquiry officers after road and marine accidents, condominium sale signings, and negotiations with insurers at hospitals. Book rarer languages at least a week ahead because the pool of available interpreters is small.

Most often when giving statements for a dependant visa application, explaining a late residence notification, attending a spousal interview for an extension of stay based on marriage, or explaining an overstay. The interpreter helps ensure the recorded statement matches the facts and does not contradict the filed documents. An interpreter is not a filing agent: the applicant must still appear in person and sign as the officer directs.

Under sections 13 and 13/1 of the Criminal Procedure Code, an interpreter must be provided when a suspect or witness does not understand Thai, and must affirm that the rendering is truthful and complete. The investigating officer records the interpreter's name in the case file, and stations usually ask for the interpreter's ID or passport plus evidence of experience in that language pair.

Consecutive interpreting is usual so the minutes capture everything; large meetings may use simultaneous interpreting with headsets. Send the agenda, draft resolutions, and financial statements ahead, and decide whether minutes will be bilingual or Thai with an attached translation.