ฉบับภาษาไทย: อ่านหน้านี้เป็นภาษาไทย
Can a relative interpret for me in a Thai case?
Short answer
It is generally a bad idea and is often refused. A relative has an interest in the outcome, which goes directly to the reliability of the rendition, and a court or investigating officer may decline to accept them or may treat the resulting record as weak. Where the matter is contested, use a neutral interpreter.
The problem is not competence but incentive. Family members compress, soften and explain instead of rendering, and under pressure they answer the question themselves. In a police interview or a hearing, that produces a record which does not match what the party actually said — and the party, not the relative, is bound by it.
There are low-risk situations where an informal helper is fine: reading a queue number, arranging an appointment, understanding a form before it is filled in. The line to hold is any moment where a signature, a sworn statement or an official record follows. For those, book an interpreter who has no stake in the result.
Reviewed as of 2026-08-04. General guidance only, not case-specific advice and not a guarantee of outcome. Government fees, conditions and processing times are set by the responsible authority and can change. This site does not publish prices — please ask our staff.
ให้เจ้าหน้าที่ตรวจขอบเขตงานและเอกสารก่อนเริ่ม
สอบถามรายละเอียดและเงื่อนไขได้ทางโทรศัพท์ LINE หรืออีเมล