Notary attorneys
End-to-end cross-border service of summonses, complaints, court orders, subpoenas, and other judicial / extraj
Affidavit of Service · HCCH 1965 + 1961 · CPC §§ 34, 70–83 · FRCP 4(f) · CPR 6.40 · EU 2020/1784
End-to-end cross-border service of summonses, complaints, court orders, subpoenas, and other judicial / extrajudicial documents, plus drafting and notarization of the Affidavit of Service by a Notarial Services Attorney under the Lawyers Council Reg. B.E. 2546. Covers (a) inbound service from foreign courts into Thailand via Letters Rogatory through the MFA + Thai CPC § 34 (Thailand is NOT a Service Convention party); (b) outbound service from Thai courts into HCCH Service Convention parties via the destination Central Authority, or via Letters Rogatory for non-party states; (c) Affidavit of Service drafted in destination-court format (FRCP 4(l), CPR PD 6A, EU 2020/1784 Annex I, AU Form 7, SG ROC O.8 r.5, HK RHC O.10 r.1, JP Sōtatsu Shōmeisho, CN 送达回证) + MFA Apostille (HCCH (in force for Thailand 28 February 2027)) returned to the issuing court. Fixed-fee — no contingency on case outcome.
An Affidavit of Service of Process is a sworn statement (under Jurat) by a process server confirming to the issuing court that a summons, complaint, court order, subpoena, or other judicial / extrajudicial document was delivered to the named recipient in the destination jurisdiction in compliance with the applicable rules of service. Common-law courts (US, UK, AU, NZ, SG, HK) will not proceed against a non-appearing defendant — and may dismiss under FRCP 12(b)(5) or vacate a default judgment — without a valid Affidavit of Service. Civil-law courts (DE, FR, JP, KR) require an equivalent Service Certificate.
**Key Thai feature — Thailand is NOT a HCCH Service Convention party** (it acceded to the separate Apostille Convention 1961 on 30 June 2026, entering into force 28 February 2027, but those are two different instruments). Consequently (a) inbound service into Thailand must travel through the diplomatic channel as a Letter of Request, never via private mail or a private process server entering Thailand directly; (b) typical timelines are 4–9 months; (c) costs are higher than under the Convention; (d) every document must be sworn-translated into Thai. Conversely, outbound service from Thai courts into the 127 Convention parties can use the Convention via the destination's Central Authority (typically 2–4 months).
**Modes of service** recognised by leading jurisdictions: (1) Personal Service (FRCP 4(e)(2)(A), CPR 6.5(3)); (2) Substituted Service on a competent household member 16+ (FRCP 4(e)(2)(B), Thai CPC § 76); (3) Mail with signed return receipt (FRCP 4(f)(2)(C)(ii)); (4) Service by Publication (last resort, court order required); (5) Email / WhatsApp / Social Media when permitted as Alternate Service (FRCP 4(f)(3) — see Gurung v. Malhotra 2012 SDNY, FTC v. PCCare247 2013, St. Francis Assisi v. Kuwait 2016); (6) Central Authority service under HCCH Art. 5.
**Common failure modes**: (1) Sending a private process server into Thailand without going through the MFA — breaches sovereignty and the destination court will reject the Affidavit; (2) Serving into an HCCH party without using the Central Authority — service is void and the defendant can vacate the default judgment (Volkswagenwerk v. Schlunk 1988 US Sup. Ct.); (3) Omitting sworn translation into the official language of the destination — violates HCCH Art. 5(3); (4) False statements in the Affidavit (e.g. claiming personal service that did not occur) — Thai Penal Code § 177 (up to 7 years) + perjury in the issuing court; (5) Failing to capture Date / Time / GPS / Photo / Body Cam evidence — defence counsel can challenge service.
**Our workflow**: (1) intake — review summons / complaint, issuing court, recipient address, and service deadline; (2) translation — sworn translation into Thai / English / Chinese / Japanese / Arabic / Russian / French / German / Spanish; (3) channel selection — HCCH Central Authority / Letters Rogatory / mail with return receipt / court-ordered alternate service; (4) service execution — licensed process server with full evidence pack (photo + GPS + body cam + witness); (5) Affidavit drafting in destination-court format; (6) notarization + Jurat before a Notarial Services Attorney under Reg. 2546 §§ 17–19; (7) MFA Apostille (HCCH (in force for Thailand 28 February 2027)) or embassy legalization; (8) return to the issuing court + court tracking + Affidavit of Due Diligence if service could not be effected.
End-to-end cross-border service of summonses, complaints, court orders, subpoenas, and other judicial / extraj
Provinces · 50+77
16,168+ clients · 60+ nationalities
Send the court summons + recipient details + destination country via LINE — receive a service plan + fixed-fee
PDPA + sovereignty + due-diligence compliance
Is Thailand a party to the HCCH Service Convention 1965?
**No.** Thailand acceded only to the separate Apostille Convention 1961 (entering into force on 28 February 2027). Inbound service into Thailand must therefore use Letters Rogatory through the diplomatic channel under Thai CPC § 34 — private process servers entering Thailand directly is invalid and breaches sovereignty.
How long does cross-border service take?
(1) Thailand → HCCH party (US/UK/EU/AU) via Central Authority — 2–4 months; (2) Thailand → China — 6–12 months; (3) Thailand → non-HCCH (UAE/SA/VN) via Letters Rogatory — 6–12 months; (4) foreign court → Thailand via MFA — 4–9 months. Urgent matters can request court-ordered alternate service under FRCP 4(f)(3).
Can a Thai Affidavit of Service be used in a foreign court?
Yes, after two steps: (1) signed before a Notarial Services Attorney with Jurat under Reg. 2546 + Oath of Office Act B.E. 2542; (2) MFA Apostille for HCCH parties (127 states) or embassy legalization for non-parties (UAE, SA, VN, ID).
What if the defendant is evading service?
(1) Personal Service the court-mandated number of attempts (typically 3, varied days/times) + Affidavit of Due Diligence; (2) move the court for Substituted Service (posting on the door + registered mail); (3) Service by Publication as last resort; (4) court-ordered alternate service (email / WhatsApp / social media) under FRCP 4(f)(3).
What is the penalty for a false Affidavit of Service?
(1) In Thailand — Penal Code § 177 (perjury — up to 7 years) + § 137 (false statement to public officer — 6 months); (2) Abroad — perjury under 18 USC § 1621 (US, up to 5 years) or Perjury Act 1911 (UK, up to 7 years); (3) The notarizing attorney who certifies a known-false Affidavit faces disbarment in Thailand and the destination jurisdiction.
How much does cross-border service + Affidavit cost?
Fixed-fee: (1) service inside Thailand + Affidavit + Apostille — quote on request (phone / LINE / email); (2) Thailand → HCCH party — quoted on request (includes Central Authority fee); (3) Thailand → non-HCCH (Letters Rogatory) — quoted on request; (4) sworn translation — quoted on request; (5) body-cam recording included. **Never a contingency.**
Is email / WhatsApp / Facebook service valid?
**Only with a court order as Alternate Service** under FRCP 4(f)(3) — counsel must show (1) personal service is impractical and (2) the electronic channel is reasonably calculated to provide notice. Leading cases: Gurung v. Malhotra (SDNY 2012, Facebook), FTC v. PCCare247 (2013, email), St. Francis Assisi v. Kuwait (2016, Twitter). Thai courts have not yet permitted electronic service.
Can a diplomat or consul in Thailand be served?
**No.** Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 (Art. 31) and Consular Relations 1963 (Art. 43), diplomats hold immunity from civil and criminal jurisdiction. Service must be routed via MFA → embassy → the diplomat's sending state. Direct service is void and may result in persona non grata expulsion.
Can a foreign default judgment be enforced in Thailand?
Under Thai CPC § 271 bis and Sup. Ct. Dika 1734/2503, Thai courts **do not directly enforce foreign default judgments**, but accept them as evidence in a fresh Thai action. A flawless Affidavit of Service is therefore essential to prevent collateral attack — defective service voids the judgment in Thailand and abroad.
How does PDPA affect process service?
The process server is a data controller of recipient data and must: (1) issue a privacy notice under § 23; (2) practise data minimization (§ 24 — only address + photo ID); (3) refuse disclosure to third parties outside the court; (4) delete body-cam recordings per the 7-year retention schedule; (5) use Standard Contractual Clauses (§ 28) for cross-border transfer.
Why no contingency fee?
Lawyers Council Ethics § 11 prohibits outcome-based fees because the process server would have a perverse incentive to rush or mis-record service in order to close the case quickly. We quote fixed fees in writing before commencing work.
ลูกค้าจริง 60+ สัญชาติทั่วโลก ใช้บริการ Notary, แปลรับรอง, MFA และสถานทูตกับเรา
"ทีมงานช่วยจัดเตรียมหนังสือมอบอำนาจสำหรับใช้ที่ออสเตรเลียได้รวดเร็วมาก พร้อมประสานงาน NAATI ครบจบในที่เดียว"
"Very professional notary service. Document was certified, translated and ready for the UK embassy in two business days."
"ใช้บริการรับรอง Affidavit + รายชื่อผู้ถือหุ้นเพื่อจดทะเบียนสาขาที่สิงคโปร์ ทีมงานละเอียดและตอบกลับไว"
Send the court summons + recipient details + destination country via LINE — receive a service plan + fixed-fee quote within one business day
Short answer: An affidavit is a statement of facts confirmed by the deponent and signed before a Notarial Services Attorney. The attorney certifies that the person appeared and signed, not that the contents are true. The document is then legalised at the Department of Consular Affairs and, where the receiver requires it, at the destination embassy.
Deponent
For foreign proceedings
Corporate deponent
1. Define the facts to be stated
Identify what the receiver needs confirmed and draft numbered paragraphs limited to the deponent's own knowledge.
⏱ 1–3 business days (estimate)
2. Draft and attach exhibits
Reference exhibits by matching numbers and avoid opinions or legal conclusions.
⏱ 1–3 business days (estimate)
3. Sign before a Notarial Services Attorney
The deponent appears in person; the attorney records the identification and certifies the signature.
⏱ Same day
4. Legalise at Consular Affairs
Have the certifying attorney's seal and signature authenticated before the next layer.
⏱ 2–5 business days (estimate)
5. Embassy legalisation and delivery
Legalise at the destination embassy where required, then deliver the complete set through an accepted channel.
⏱ 3–15 business days (estimate)
| Criterion | Affidavit | Certified true copy |
|---|---|---|
| Function of the document | Confirms facts within the signatory's knowledge | Confirms the copy matches the original shown |
| What is certified | The deponent's appearance and signature | The comparison between copy and original |
| Main risk | Statements beyond the signatory's own knowledge | Missing pages or an unreadable copy |
| How they combine | Usually paired with certified exhibits | Usually forms an exhibit to an affidavit |
When a foreign filing date is fixed, our advisers help draft, organise the exhibits and run every certification layer in time. Send us the case details to start.
All durations are working-day estimates excluding agency queues, and are not a guarantee of any authority's decision.
Sources: สภาทนายความในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ · กองสัญชาติและนิติกรณ์ กรมการกงสุล กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ · Last reviewed: 2026-08-11
Document and legalization advisers with 15+ years of practice
Before we start, we read your actual documents and confirm the legalization route matches what the receiving authority asks for. During the work we report progress, and after delivery we still answer questions about how to submit the file.
We prepare documents to the requirements of the receiving authority. Any approval decision remains at that authority's discretion.
Send your documents on LINE for a preliminary review, a recommended legalization route and a written quote.
The scenarios below are illustrative composites of common document patterns, not records of individual clients, and are not a guarantee of any authority's decision. All timeframes are approximate working-day ranges that depend on the receiving authority's queue.
Illustrative scenarios, not individual client records · Last reviewed 2026-08-08
Notarial Services + Cross-Border packages frequently bundled together
An affidavit is a statement of facts confirmed by the deponent and signed before a Notarial Services Attorney. The attorney certifies that the person appeared and signed, not that the contents are true. The document is then legalised at the Department of Consular Affairs and, where the receiver requires it, at the destination embassy.
When a foreign filing date is fixed, our advisers help draft, organise the exhibits and run every certification layer in time. Send us the case details to start.
Durations are working-day estimates excluding agency queues and are not a guarantee of any decision.

Statements on this page follow the authorities below. Confirm current requirements with the authority before filing. Last reviewed 2026-07-29.
Fees are not published online — ask our team by phone, LINE or email for a scope-based quote.