Hi

I am a British citizen and I am going to live in Chiang Mai in the next few months. I will be travelling on a Multi -entry Non Immigration O visa and hopefully once in Thailand applying for the extension based on retirement. I have been given conflicting advice whether a criminal records check is required. I have enquired with the police in the UK and they only give a form not a letter of any kind. If it is required would this form be acceptable and does it need translating into Thai?

Edited January 25, 200719 yr by pwllgrgn

Nobody knows. This is an unusually difficult time here. Teachers who wish to move to Thailand are sometimes told they have to have a clearance. Apparently only teachers, probably. The lower level clearance, not the full CRB, is probably acceptable (cost ten quid in the UK, they say), even for a teacher. Probably not needed for an O visa to convert to retirement. Unless, of course, you're applying for an O-A visa, which has more stringent requirements.

Somebody far more knowledgable will be by shortly, I'm sure....

I spoke to the Thai consul in Hull yesterday as I already have my UK police check dated the 8th Jan but have suffered delay in my travel plans and will not arrive in BKK till late March when the document will be almost 3 months old.

His advice was to take it to Immigration right away before it is 3 months old.

He also told me to go to the BKK British embassy and get a letter from them regarding the monies I have banked here in the UK.

He also advised be to have the police check notarised!! This I do not understand as I tried to photocopy it and the result was that it will not copy without white lettering appearing in the new background saying FRAUD. Clever stuff eh.

What is the point in having an original document notarised????

The rule used to be that if you applied for the Non Immigrant O-A visa (retirement)

at the Embassy in London you would need the criminal check.

If you apply for an ordinary Non Imm O visa first and then extend it in Thailand you do not need the check.

Stupid, eh?

However these rules may have changed, but so far no one has reported the fact.

Good luck

PS the photocopy bit is intriguing, as Immigration usually need multiple copies of documents.

I wonder what they will make of this.

Apparently only teachers, probably.

Nope, from what I saw the other day for a new boy in town who is not here to teach was also rejected for not having a police clearance check with him even though everything else was in order. From what I can see, it is being applied to ALL new applications here but as always it is probably down to the whims of the immigration / labour officer you encounter at that moment in time and how they have interpreted the rules.

In Jomtien office, a police report is currently NOT being asked for of new applicants for extensions based on retirement.

Edited January 25, 200719 yr by Jingthing

A police report is only required for a non immigrant O-A visa issued in your home country that provides one year permitted to stay when entering Thailand. It is not required for a normal o visa single or multi entry.

Teachers also require a police check now so a non immigrant B visa for teaching would require such a clearance (done in home country if living there - in Thailand if living here).

Hello

Thanks for all the replies. I think that I will apply for the criminal records check in the UK. Its no problem to obtain and then if its needed I've got it.