Passport Application Witness

[farangsay]

My current (Irish) passport is almost full (one blank page) and have encountered a hiccup in the replacement process.

The application has to be witnessed by someone who is :

"Satisfied as to your identity"

One of the following professions : Policeman/clergyman/doctor/lawyer/bank manager/school principal etc.

Now , whilst not knowing any such professional myself , I had thought that one of the few people I know here would be able to come up with a doctor or bank manager they could suggest. No luck.

However I now have a time constraint (Visa/PTS expiry) and would be grateful for helpful suggestions.

When I said to the Thai lady at the consulate that I couldn't be the only person with this problem she agreed with me...... When I (tongue in cheek) said "OK , thanks , wish me luck" she replied "OK , I wish you luck".

You just have to love them.

I've posted this in the BKK forum because that's where I am.

[tgeezer]

My current (Irish) passport is almost full (one blank page) and have encountered a hiccup in the replacement process.

The application has to be witnessed by someone who is :

"Satisfied as to your identity"

One of the following professions : Policeman/clergyman/doctor/lawyer/bank manager/school principal etc.

Now , whilst not knowing any such professional myself , I had thought that one of the few people I know here would be able to come up with a doctor or bank manager they could suggest. No luck.

However I now have a time constraint (Visa/PTS expiry) and would be grateful for helpful suggestions.

When I said to the Thai lady at the consulate that I couldn't be the only person with this problem she agreed with me...... When I (tongue in cheek) said "OK , thanks , wish me luck" she replied "OK , I wish you luck".

You just have to love them.

I've posted this in the BKK forum because that's where I am.

It must be a mistake, what proof of identity is required of the witness? if none, sign it yourself. If you still have a problem, ask to see the consul and see if he can help, he may sign it himself, after all if he is not satisfied that you are who you say you are he couldn't replace your passpport anyway.

[soundman]

I ran into this problem three years back. As an Aussie passport holder, there was a clause that specified, on top of the professions listed above, that any Aussie passport holder, who has known the aplicee (sp) for more than one year can sign the id clause as well.

If this is the case with Ireland, just find another on the forum, or in a bar , have them sign & quote their passport number, then bob's your uncle!

Otherwise, get that doctor / policeman who gave you a ticket who you saw two years ago to sign it for a bottle of grog.

BTW The embassy will call any Thai national you get for verification...

Cheers,

Soundman.

[farangsay]

It must be a mistake, what proof of identity is required of the witness? if none, sign it yourself. If you still have a problem, ask to see the consul and see if he can help, he may sign it himself, after all if he is not satisfied that you are who you say you are he couldn't replace your passpport anyway.

They can check back to confirm that the witness is for real (they fill in professional address / phone no etc).

And I can confirm they do (my missus got hers signed once by an MD who went on holiday straight after. She got a call from the embassy to say they hadn't been able to contact the guy and she replied , with impeccable logic , "well I can assure you he does exist , I'm minding his goldfish").

What is difficult here is the fact that they do not provide a local-language explanatory leaflet (as they do in eg France) which clearly explains that all the person is doing is attesting they believe the applicant is who he says he is. Failing that one is left with the task of explaining to a Thai person what signing the form implies.

If it was as simple as seeing the consul wouldn't life be great but I don't imagine I could persuade a consular official to toss the bureaucratic rule-book in the bin. That plus the fact that I have in my possession four Irish passports (1 current 3 expired) issued between 1973 and 2003 but this counts sadly for nothing in the eyes of bureaucracy.

[farangsay]

I ran into this problem three years back. As an Aussie passport holder, there was a clause that specified, on top of the professions listed above, that any Aussie passport holder, who has known the aplicee (sp) for more than one year can sign the id clause as well.

If this is the case with Ireland, just find another on the forum, or in a bar , have them sign & quote their passport number, then bob's your uncle!

Otherwise, get that doctor / policeman who gave you a ticket who you saw two years ago to sign it for a bottle of grog.

BTW The embassy will call any Thai national you get for verification...

Cheers,

Soundman.

Thx SM but this doesn't apply.

Doctor / policeman might have been a possibility elsewhere (Phuket) but here in BKK I've not been sick or ticketed (or arrested anywhere).

You are correct that they will verify the signatory.

[garro]

Are you renting?

Could you use your landlord as a reference?

[farangsay]

Are you renting?

Could you use your landlord as a reference?

Yes , indeed she (the landlady who is very nice and speaks excellent English) was one of the first I approached in the hope that she would refer me to her doctor/bank/whatever but that has so far produced nothing. She herself is not qualified (see the profession list in my OP).

[nonthaburial]

I had the same problem earlier this year, British passport holder but was informed if I applied in person, that section was not required to be filled in.

[leisurely]

Does the signatory have to be Irish? If not, PM me and I'll do it for you. I am a qualified nurse and have signed many PP applications in the past. Alternatively any teacher will do a (certainly for British ones). Have you considered a Monk? if not, you must have consulted a dentist or doctor, surely they would do.

[A_Traveller]

I had the same problem earlier this year, British passport holder but was informed if I applied in person, that section was not required to be filled in.

Has anyone done this?

I'm yet to hear from an individual who renewed their British passport without a signatory. I'm due to renew soon and it looks like I'll have to do it through Bangkok.

Regards

[bino]

The Canadian embassy let me swear the affadavit to their in-house notary public in lieu of a verification like you mentioned by a person in those occupations. Charged me 50 CAD... but it was quick and easy when I considered that I didn't know anyone who was qualified to sign it for me.

I belived that most embassies have a notary public or similar official person.... worth asking them?

[bkkmadness]

I had the same problem earlier this year, British passport holder but was informed if I applied in person, that section was not required to be filled in.

Has anyone done this?

I'm yet to hear from an individual who renewed their British passport without a signatory. I'm due to renew soon and it looks like I'll have to do it through Bangkok.

Regards

Yes. I got a new British passport last year, there was no need for a signatory as I had the old passport so I expect that was already proof enough of my ID. I think you only need a signatory the first time you get a passport, the two passports that I have had since then (both from consulate in BKK) have not needed them.

[tgeezer]

I had the same problem earlier this year, British passport holder but was informed if I applied in person, that section was not required to be filled in.

Has anyone done this?

I'm yet to hear from an individual who renewed their British passport without a signatory. I'm due to renew soon and it looks like I'll have to do it through Bangkok.

Regards

Yes. I got a new British passport last year, there was no need for a signatory as I had the old passport so I expect that was already proof enough of my ID. I think you only need a signatory the first time you get a passport, the two passports that I have had since then (both from consulate in BKK) have not needed them.

Perhaps those Irish jokes have some validity, I have also never had a problem renewing a UK passport.

[Tony Clifton]

If Canadians can't find a guarantor in Thailand, there is an official at the embassy to certify that you are who you are even though they ve never met you before. :blinlk: You have to fill a form in lieu of a guarantor and they sign it, 50$.

Your embassy may do the same and the employee wasn't aware?

[bino]

If Canadians can't find a guarantor in Thailand, there is an official at the embassy to certify that you are who you are even though they ve never met you before. :blinlk: You have to fill a form in lieu of a guarantor and they sign it, 50$.

Your embassy may do the same and the employee wasn't aware?

Great tip, Tony!!

[Mossfinn]

Does the signatory have to be Irish? If not, PM me and I'll do it for you. I am a qualified nurse and have signed many PP applications in the past. Alternatively any teacher will do a (certainly for British ones). Have you considered a Monk? if not, you must have consulted a dentist or doctor, surely they would do.

No you don't have to be Irish.

But unless there is a get out clause as stated above regarding an embassy official being able to do it, which I don't know, I believe you need to positively I.D him. Are you able to do that? I also thought that you needed to know the applicant for at least two years before being eligible to sign?

Sorry F'Say I am not in Bangers and wont be for several months so can't sign it myself, not that I have known you for two years or positively I.D you, but there can't be many eccentrics like yourself about, so a beer or two and I guess I could have been persuaded to sign it. But sadly not.

Good Luck

Moss

Edited June 26, 2007 by Mossfinn

[farangsay]

Does the signatory have to be Irish? If not, PM me and I'll do it for you. I am a qualified nurse and have signed many PP applications in the past. Alternatively any teacher will do a (certainly for British ones). Have you considered a Monk? if not, you must have consulted a dentist or doctor, surely they would do.

As Moss has already said they do not have to be Irish , the last two occasions it was the family doctor in France who obliged. They do have to be from the list of professions given however. A school principal or vice principal will do but not a teacher. The girl at the consulate suggested I cold-called international hospitals and churches in Bangkok but I've been slightly confined to barracks the last 8/9 days only venturing as far as the 7/11 and pharmacy at the end of the soi when I thought the innards had calmed.

I know I should have had some dental work done (could do with it) or at least got sick last year but hindsight is 20/20 vision. I just checked the list again and saw "notary" included and I'm sure I saw that word on a storefront on Udomsuk so I'll find it tomorrow and see if tea money is still in vogue.

Thanks for the kind offer.

Does the signatory have to be Irish? If not, PM me and I'll do it for you. I am a qualified nurse and have signed many PP applications in the past. Alternatively any teacher will do a (certainly for British ones). Have you considered a Monk? if not, you must have consulted a dentist or doctor, surely they would do.

No you don't have to be Irish.

But unless there is a get out clause as stated above regarding an embassy official being able to do it, which I don't know, I believe you need to positively I.D him. Are you able to do that? I also thought that you needed to know the applicant for at least two years before being eligible to sign?

Sorry F'Say I am not in Bangers and wont be for several months so can't sign it myself, not that I have known you for two years or positively I.D you, but there can't be many eccentrics like yourself about, so a beer or two and I guess I could have been persuaded to sign it. But sadly not.

Good Luck

Moss

The wording on the form says "satisfied as to the identity of the applicant" nothing more. I am in enough trouble already so I'm sticking with what it says on the tin.

Eccentric ? I must protest !

Edit :

PS As others have remarked whilst this requirement might be reasonable for a first time passport application , it is faintly ridiculous when one is able to produce four previous consecutive passports one of which is still current , just a tad full.

Edited June 26, 2007 by farangsay

[adammike]

I have got my last 3 British passports without the need for a witness.

As long as you go to the embassy or in my case the consulate

in Amsterdam in person no problem

though its about 130euro now.

[billp]

Go to the nearest temple with a super-size "monk basket" from Tesco. Ask to see the abbot or a senior monk, and explain your mission. That's your "clergyman."

[Mossfinn]

I also thought that you needed to know the applicant for at least two years before being eligible to sign?

I wasn't sure about this, as it is a long time since I got my passport, but I am convinced it is a requirement somewhere, could it be a requirement for a Brit passport?

Eccentric ? I must protest !

You doth protest too much me thinks

Good Luck again

Moss

[puuchai299]

Just walk into a thai lawyers office,1000 baht,signed and done with,he dont care if he knows you 2 years or not.