Check By Thai Police

[Martin]

I will have to go to UK for a few weeks this autumn to sort out one or two family matters. But while I am there I will have a few spare days 'in among', so I thought that I might as well do odd days of Supply Teaching and recoup some of my expense.

However, when I contacted the Supply-teaching Agency who I worked for in the past, they tell me that I now need to bring a record of a Police Check for my period in Thailand from Nov 2001 till now.

Apparently, UK is now vetting teachers much more than it used to.

I told the Agency that I didn't know how the Thai Police system worked, but that I live next door to the District Police Station, and some of my neighbours are senior Police Officers there. I asked the Agency if it would suffice for me to get a letter from the Officer-in-Charge to say that I hadn't been in any trouble with the Police, and have that translated.

The Agency say that "a letter from a policeman friend" won't do, and "you will need an official police check done", and "it must be along the lines of a British Police Check". So I guess the Udon Thani Provincial Police HQ will have to be approached.

Does anyone know of any UK teachers returning to work in UK who have already explored this path?. It may be a new one for the appropriate section in the Police HQ in Udon Thani, so anything I can offer on the subject, such as who does these checks in Bangkok etc, could be very useful.

Thanks. Martin.

[GuestHouse]

Martin,

Sorry to hear you are having such problems, you might want to check over at Ajarn.com, maybe someone over there can help you out.

Alternatively contact the British Embassy.

[george]

If you are British you don't need anything except for your passport, to enter the UK. Period.

[tuky]

If you are British you don't need anything except for your passport, to enter the UK. Period.

Not everyone will admit to that George

[GuestHouse]

If you are British you can enter and leave Britain without a passport (Magna Carta, you shall have leave to come and go without let or hinderance).

Of course you'll not be let in the other side, but immigration have no right to detain you.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If you are British you can enter and leave Britain without a passport (Magna Carta, you shall have leave to come and go without let or hinderance).

Of course you'll not be let in the other side, but immigration have no right to detain you.

I couldn't recommend it as a travelling tool or idea, but it sounds an interesting way to piss authorities off.

[Dutchy2]

If you are British you don't need anything except for your passport, to enter the UK. Period.

That's not the point George, the poster wants to do some teaching work in the Uk.

[lopburi3]

I suspect, but this is only a guess, that you will need to contact the UK Embassy for a letter to the Thai Police for an official check from the Bangkok office just as is required for most immigrant visa applicants to western countries.

[maerim]

The reason the authorities in the UK are tightening up on the backgrounds of anyone teachers, social workers infact anyone who has to work with children is after some terrible crimes against children recently.

The most recent high profile case was Ian Huntly a school caretaker who murdered two young girls his references were not checked properly by the headmaster and others.

Also Victoria Climbie who was killed by relatives, social services again did not do there jobs properly, so no change there then.

The story is always the same "It won't happen again" sure it won't, that is until the next time.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I suspect, but this is only a guess, that you will need to contact the UK Embassy for a letter to the Thai Police for an official check from the Bangkok office just as is required for most immigrant visa applicants to western countries.

Check with the UK Embassy for the appropriate form. They'll want to do a fingerprint search. Kiddy fiddlers need not apply.

[Ajarn]

Some years ago, when doing some research for a fiance visa, I think I read that the Thai Police do not do a 'police clearance' for farangs, as required in many visa applications....

[andyinkat]

Hmm, this is an interesting problem.

I'm a British teacher just off to a job in Thailand. I've just had the British Police Authorities give me a form stating I have no criminal record so that I can show Thai authorities, but I hadn't thought about the other way round.

IF there really is no such official process in Thailand that would satisfy any British school you might have to consider failing to inform a supply teaching agency that you worked with children in Thailand. If you were tutoring adults or in 'import/export' and have only worked with minors in Britain that would get you in, wouldn't it?

[Ajarn]

Hmm, this is an interesting problem.

I'm a British teacher just off to a job in Thailand. I've just had the British Police Authorities give me a form stating I have no criminal record so that I can show Thai authorities, but I hadn't thought about the other way round.

IF there really is no such official process in Thailand that would satisfy any British school you might have to consider failing to inform a supply teaching agency that you worked with children in Thailand. If you were tutoring adults or in 'import/export'  and have only worked with minors in Britain that would get you in, wouldn't it?

Frankly, if the Thai police did do such a service, I feel positively sure we'd all be required to produce one on a regular basis to show to immigration...

[Martin]

Thanks, everybody. Situation to date:

1. I have taken up the suggestion by Guesthouse about Ajarn.com, and there is certainly interest there!

2. I have also enquired of the British Council as they are likely to have been involved with people going back to teach in Blighty.

3. As Guesthouse suggests, I had e-mailed the Vice-Consul at the British Embassy at the same time that I posted here. I have had a reply that "I am passing the enquiry to my colleague who can give you the details".

4. I will post the result as it may affect more teachers in the future.

5. A few years back I discovered that, in my particular circumstances, rather than working in LOS, it was best to go three-months-on/three-months-off to UK to earn money doing Supply Teaching. I will post a topic on Ajarn.com about what I found out doing that.

[stroll]

I am a German citizen and have been asked several times for police clearance when I applied for work. The bottom line is, if you are German, you need to get police clearance from Germany, the embassy have the forms to send to a central office in Germany which will deal with the inquiry, embassy staff can also verify your signature and personal details. No fingerprints required, only your passport.

My guess is that a similar system is in place for the UK, but a local school wouldn't know about it. Logical in a way, because if you transgressed in Thailand or a different host country, you wouldn't be allowed to stay there, so a Thai police clearance for a farang is a contradiction in terms.

I know, ironic, I haven't lived in Germany for more than 20 years, by now I just burst out laughing when asked for police clearance.

[Ajarn]

because if you transgressed in Thailand or a different host country, you wouldn't be allowed to stay there, so a Thai police clearance for a farang is a contradiction in terms.

I know, ironic, I haven't lived in Germany for more than 20 years, by now I just burst out laughing when asked for police clearance.

Exactly!

Certainly no lack of dichotomies all around us in Thailand. Keeps us on our toes, and gives us (sometimes!) a laugh! .....

What a long strange trip its been for me here

[lopburi3]

Some years ago, when doing some research for a fiance visa, I think I read that the Thai Police do not do a 'police clearance', as required in many visa applications....

They most surly do. There was a period when it was not required by the USA however so perhaps that is what you remember. I believe it is now required by the US again. It is done by Special Branch and full details are listed in this Australian PDF document:

LINK

[Martin]

I now have the precious piece of paper, and an official copy.

The Consulate section at the British Embassy replied to my e-mail to say that it was done by Special Branch in Building 20 at Police Headquarters at Bangkok (take the exit at the SE corner of Siam Skytrain Station). Consulate had tried to get more details from Police HQ, but failed. The Thai officer at Consulate said she couldn't get the details "as they just pass my call around".

The next time I went to Bangkok, I went to Building 20, and was directed down the road to Building 24 where there is an office staffed by civilian workers who accept these applications. They give you a form to fill in, and want 2 photos and a photocopy of your passport main page and present visa (which I went over to Big C to get). Then they do a careful job of taking two sets of your fingerprints.

They then give you a 'receipt' telling you, in Thai, to phone them in 3 weeks to see if it is ready for collection. I addressed an envelope to myself and left money with the man who was accepting the application to EMS the report to me. He phoned after two weeks to say he had it and was sending it.

It is an impressive certificate on plasticised paper with imprints that would be very hard to forge. It is numbered and dated and signed by a Police Major General. It says "This is to certify that Mr. Martin XXX XXX, of British nationality, so far has neither criminal record nor activity in our police files, which may endanger the public safety of Thailand."

I like the "so far" bit!!!!

What surprised me was that this didn't seem to be a well-trodden path. I would have thought that there would have been lots of Brit teachers who had gone through this mill when returning to Blighty, and that the procedure would have been common knowledge on www.ajarn.com and at the British Council, though maybe not at the Embassy.

So I downloaded the appropriate UK Guidance Notes. They say "Overseas applicants should be asked to provide such a document.....". Also the UK employer wants "addresses for the past five years". So presumably if I had waited till I was in UK, and just put down the UK address that I maintain, I could have avoided having to get this certificate from the Thai police. Maybe there is a bit of a loophole.

But also anybody leaving Thailand who may want to teach in the next five years ought to get one of these certificates. Suppose you went back to Blighty to a 'normal' job, but wanted to go into teaching after a year or so. I doubt if you could get clearance for your time in Thailand without actually visiting Building 24 and having your fingerprints taken.

I will put this on ajarn.com also.

[Ajarn]

I now have the precious piece of paper, and an official copy.

The Consulate section at the British Embassy replied to my e-mail to say that it was done by Special Branch in Building 20 at Police Headquarters at Bangkok (take the exit at the SE corner of Siam Skytrain Station). Consulate had tried to get more details from Police HQ, but failed. The Thai officer at Consulate said she couldn't get the details "as they just pass my call around".

The next time I went to Bangkok, I went to Building 20, and was directed down the road to Building 24 where there is an office staffed by civilian workers who accept these applications. They give you a form to fill in, and want 2 photos and a photocopy of your passport main page and present visa (which I went over to Big C to get). Then they do a careful job of taking two sets of your fingerprints.

They then give you a 'receipt' telling you, in Thai, to phone them in 3 weeks to see if it is ready for collection. I addressed an envelope to myself and left money with the man who was accepting the application to EMS the report to me. He phoned after two weeks to say he had it and was sending it.

It is an impressive certificate on plasticised paper with imprints that would be very hard to forge. It is numbered and dated and signed by a Police Major General. It says "This is to certify that Mr. Martin XXX XXX, of British nationality, so far has neither criminal record nor activity in our police files, which may endanger the public safety of Thailand."

I like the "so far" bit!!!!

What surprised me was that this didn't seem to be a well-trodden path. I would have thought that there would have been lots of Brit teachers who had gone through this mill when returning to Blighty, and that the procedure would have been common knowledge on www.ajarn.com and at the British Council, though maybe not at the Embassy.

So I downloaded the appropriate UK Guidance Notes. They say "Overseas applicants should be asked to provide such a document.....".  Also the UK employer wants "addresses for the past five years". So presumably if I had waited till I was in UK, and just put down the UK address that I maintain, I could have avoided having to get this certificate from the Thai police. Maybe there is a bit of a loophole.

But also anybody leaving Thailand who may want to teach in the next five years ought to get one of these certificates. Suppose you went back to Blighty to a 'normal' job, but wanted to go into teaching after a year or so. I doubt if you could get clearance for your time in Thailand without actually visiting Building 24 and having your fingerprints taken.

I will put this on ajarn.com also.

Martin, thanks for the education.

Good luck back in the UK...

[astral]

because if you transgressed in Thailand or a different host country, you wouldn't be allowed to stay there, so a Thai police clearance for a farang is a contradiction in terms.

My thoughts as well.

The trouble is that the Brits don't realise the fact.

The Thai police do provide the service.

A Thai colleague was waiting to emigrate to Australia, the delay was that he was waiting for the Thai police report.

[Ajarn]

because if you transgressed in Thailand or a different host country, you wouldn't be allowed to stay there, so a Thai police clearance for a farang is a contradiction in terms.

My thoughts as well.

The trouble is that the Brits don't realise the fact.

The Thai police do provide the service.

A Thai colleague was waiting to emigrate to Australia, the delay was that he was waiting for the Thai police report.

They've always had the service for Thais, but this is the first confirmation I've heard that it's available for farangs, too..

I learn something new here every day

[Ijustwannateach]

I've heard of this happening in reverse- had a friend who was required to get this clearance to do some part-time French teaching at an international school here. Guess it only makes sense they'd want to cover themselves in case any problems occurred ("we checked his background and it was all clear, how could we have known?"). Might even be written into their insurance paperwork somewhere.

"Steven"