When a loved one dies in Thailand, one of the most important documents the family will need is the official Thai death certificate. This document is required for many legal, financial, and administrative steps, including probate, insurance claims, bank account matters, pension claims, repatriation of ashes or remains, and registration of the death overseas.

In Thailand, the official death certificate is issued by the local district office, known as the Amphur or Khet office, depending on the province. This is different from the medical certificate issued by a hospital or the police report that may be prepared if the death occurred outside a hospital. The hospital or police documentation helps support the death registration, but the official legal death certificate comes from the district office.

A common issue for foreign families is that only one original death certificate may have been issued at the time of death. Some embassies warn that once the original Thai death certificate has been issued, obtaining another copy can be difficult, and next of kin may need assistance from a Thai lawyer or local representative to request a duplicate or certified copy.