English To Thai Translation Of Passport/documents/etc.

[delmersomsri]

Went to get Tambien Baan last week and was told they wanted my passport translated into Thai from the US Embassy. Checked with the embassy and they said they do not do translations (still trying to figure out what services they do offer). Delema ! Where can I get my translations done where by they will be accepted by most Thai government agencies ?

[Lite Beer]

You do not say where you are but there are plenty of Translation Agencies in Bangkok. I only know the British Embassy but there are some near there. They may also want it verified by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[delmersomsri]

You do not say where you are but there are plenty of Translation Agencies in Bangkok. I only know the British Embassy but there are some near there. They may also want it verified by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Sorry. I assumed since I mentioned dealing with the US Embassy I could only be in Bangkok. Will try to avoid that mistake in future correspondence. The CERTIFICATION part was what I was most concerned with. Now where the is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Typical simple process turns into a 2 or 3 agency trek. Trying to adjust to Thai's bureaucracy but I'm beginning to feel like one of the two vultures sitting on a limb. Thanks for your quick response.

[Lite Beer]

As far as I know you need Dept. of Consular Affairs in Laksi. Scroll down to get the address http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2633.php

There is a map in this thread. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Immigration-...se-t277579.html

[metisdead]

Went to get Tambien Baan last week and was told they wanted my passport translated into Thai from the US Embassy. Checked with the embassy and they said they do not do translations (still trying to figure out what services they do offer). Delema ! Where can I get my translations done where by they will be accepted by most Thai government agencies ?

Been there, done that back in January. I used a translation office there on Wireless Road after coming out of the embassy then took the documents to the place on Chaeng Wattana. There is an express fee if you'd like to have your notarized document back the same day, still takes a few hours to have it done.

[welo]

Sorry to hi-jack this thread, but a friend of mine has a similar problem/question. He needs to get the birth certificate for his newborn daughter. The district office asked him for an official translation of his name into Thai script. They said they could do the birth certificate right away, but he might run into troubles later on at his embassy if the name is not translated/transcribed 'correctly'.

He is German national and is living with the Thai mother, but not married.

From what they told him he has to get a translation of his passport from the embassy and then take it to the Thai ministry (of Foreign Affairs?) to legalize/notarize. But I read here that you actually go to a translation agency and not to the embassy.

Is there a way to get the translation without going (physically) to the embassy since he stays quite far away from Bangkok. He needs to go to Bangkok in about 2 months to get a new passport anyway but the birth certificate cannot wait.

The district office basically said that they would fill in any name, just want to make sure it is the correct translation so he will not come back later to change the birth certificate when his embassy refuses the birth certificate because of an incorrect name.

So is there a standardized system to translate German names to Thai script and who can apply it? What is the easiest way of getting a standardized translation if it does not necessarily have to be stamped/legalized/notarized?

thx,

welo

[welo]

Anyone?

[astral]

There is a standard system for translating English characters,

I am not sure about the extra German ones.

Sorry

[metisdead]

There is a standard system for translating English characters,

I am not sure about the extra German ones.

Sorry

I'm wondering if there might be translation offices near the German Embassy who might specialize in translating German correctly? Just a thought.

[astral]

Or check with the German Embassy as to who they recommend.

[welo]

@astrak

Thx for the good will!

@metisdead

I am sure there are, but the goal is to not have to go to Bangkok for reasons of time and costs.

Had Hoped that somebody would come up with more insight into the details of the process of getting the birth certificate. Nevermind. I will tell my friend to go for a translation of the passport without the stamp from the Thai ministry. And contact the embassy and translation office for more info.

Thx, welo

[Time Traveller]

The procedure for official notarization of translations is as follows:

For official documents in Thai that are to be translated into English:

1. Translate the Thai language document into English then have the translator note at the bottom of the translation that they declare this is a correct and true translation and write the translators name and have them sign it. Any translator is acceptable.

2. Take the original document, a copy of the original, as well as the translated version which has been signed by the translator, and a copy of your passport to the Dept of consular affairs at the Chaeng Wattana.

3. Then decide whether you want both the Thai and the English to be stamped by the Dept of Consular Affairs or just the English translation. The cost is 200 baht per page (ie. 400 for both Thai and the english) and price is double if you want it done in the same day, otherwise you need to wait at least 2 working days.

For official documents in English that are to be translated into Thai:

1. In this case take a photocopy of the document (e.g. passport, degree certificate, birth certificate etc) to your embassy to have them officially stamp on the photocopy that it's a true copy as well as the embassy stamp signed by the embassy officer. (This can be quite expensive for a simple stamp to state that it's a photocopy by an embassy official!)

2. Take the stamped photocopy to get translated into Thai. Note that the translation has to follow goverment translation guidelines - if you don't know these, it's best to pay a translator who does - meaning that everything needs to be translated (even the letters in passport code) or transliterated in the case of names, as well as the year format must be in B.E. not C.E. The stamp or seal of the embassy must also be translated as well as the signed statement made by the embassy officer. If the document has a picture on it, the translation must also include a blank box where the picture appears on the original.

3. After translated, certified and signed by the translator take all of the documents to Dept of Consular Affairs to be certified as per above.

Some things to note. It does not matter who translates the document - it can even be done by yourself, as I did this and checked with the officials who said it was fine, and accepted and approved the translations. However, if your translator into Thai does not know the government guidelines then you may find the translation not acceptable and be asked to translate the document again which may mean another trip out to the end of the earth particularly if you arrive their near closing time (3:30pm).

Any original document not in Thai that has not been certified and stamped by the foreign embassy will NOT be accepted for endorsement by their consular affairs office, so you can save a trip by going to your embassy first.

Also check that the translators use the same transliteration of your name into Thai or into English, if you already have your names on some documents. This will save any future problems regarding spelling of names. However, there is no one correct way of transliterating Thai names into English and the Thai to English translator should always check with you to see how you want your name spelled in English before certifying the documents. They should also do this for your name into Thai also, but most translators figure that foreigners can't read Thai hence don't really care about how they want their name to be spelled in Thai.

[welo]

Thank you so much for your comprehensive guide, Time Traveller. Awesome!!

One word about the name translation, since I am just curious how it works

Also check that the translators use the same transliteration of your name into Thai or into English, if you already have your names on some documents. This will save any future problems regarding spelling of names. However, there is no one correct way of transliterating Thai names into English and the Thai to English translator should always check with you to see how you want your name spelled in English before certifying the documents. They should also do this for your name into Thai also, but most translators figure that foreigners can't read Thai hence don't really care about how they want their name to be spelled in Thai.

From what I heard so far the translation of names into Thai script seems to be an important issue. I was told that the embassy might reject the Birth certificate of the child (like in my friend's case) later because of an incorrect translation (into Thai) of the father's name (and his address) on the birth certificate. In many cases this might not be a problem, since the translation of a document into Thai only matters to Thai government departments. But in some cases the Thai side will issue a new document (like the child's birth certificate) based on a translation which later will be shown again to the embassy for another process, thus closing the circle.

But what I slowly come to realize (sorry, I am a newbie when it comes to paperwork like this), that maybe it is not the result of the translation that later might be objected by the embassy but the process of how the translation was done. Is that correct?

Meaning, even if the translation is completely rubbish, as long as you can prove the process how it was translated (with all the stamps, especially the one from the Thai Dept of Consular Affairs) it will be alright. Maybe this is a bit over talked, but my point is that maybe if I bring my translated passport to the Dept of Consular Affairs a second time with a slightly different spelling I will still get it approved. So the question really is if there is a standard for translating names INTO Thai (from English, from German, from whatever) and if the Dept of Consular Affairs and the embassies will check translations against that.

Considering what astral wrote earlier, there is a system/standard for English -> Thai and probably for other languages too. But it might be it is more a recommendation than a legal standard.

Sorry for all this hypothetical bla, if nobody is interested I will not mind However, I like to understand things, helps in decision making and also helps to do things correctly.

welo

[tutsiwarrior]

get a lawyer and throw money at it. Nothing gets done in Thailand otherwise. The forum sponsors do it painlessly, for a price.

life is too short, etc, etc...

[welo]

get a lawyer and throw money at it. Nothing gets done in Thailand otherwise. The forum sponsors do it painlessly, for a price.

life is too short, etc, etc...

Sure. It is always good to stick with professionals. The same thing applies to cars, computers, house building etc. Though I am a DIY man as far as my brain and my talent and my time allows it. And even if I go to professionals, I'd like to have a clue what is going on (control freak?).

But since it is not my case here but that of my friend, I might advise him to go to an agency if stuff gets too complicated and I get bored of it

Appreciate your comment though.

welo

[aussiebebe]

Went to get Tambien Baan last week and was told they wanted my passport translated into Thai from the US Embassy.

What does the OP mean? What is Tambien Baan? What does he/she want? is it about adding a name to the blue registration book or have I misunderstood?

[prodriver]

Went to get Tambien Baan last week and was told they wanted my passport translated into Thai from the US Embassy.

What does the OP mean? What is Tambien Baan? What does he/she want? is it about adding a name to the blue registration book or have I misunderstood?

I'm assuming that the OP is applying for a Yellow Tabian Baan.

[Time Traveller]

Thank you so much for your comprehensive guide, Time Traveller. Awesome!!

One word about the name translation, since I am just curious how it works

Also check that the translators use the same transliteration of your name into Thai or into English, if you already have your names on some documents. This will save any future problems regarding spelling of names. However, there is no one correct way of transliterating Thai names into English and the Thai to English translator should always check with you to see how you want your name spelled in English before certifying the documents. They should also do this for your name into Thai also, but most translators figure that foreigners can't read Thai hence don't really care about how they want their name to be spelled in Thai.

From what I heard so far the translation of names into Thai script seems to be an important issue. I was told that the embassy might reject the Birth certificate of the child (like in my friend's case) later because of an incorrect translation (into Thai) of the father's name (and his address) on the birth certificate. In many cases this might not be a problem, since the translation of a document into Thai only matters to Thai government departments. But in some cases the Thai side will issue a new document (like the child's birth certificate) based on a translation which later will be shown again to the embassy for another process, thus closing the circle.

But what I slowly come to realize (sorry, I am a newbie when it comes to paperwork like this), that maybe it is not the result of the translation that later might be objected by the embassy but the process of how the translation was done. Is that correct?

Meaning, even if the translation is completely rubbish, as long as you can prove the process how it was translated (with all the stamps, especially the one from the Thai Dept of Consular Affairs) it will be alright. Maybe this is a bit over talked, but my point is that maybe if I bring my translated passport to the Dept of Consular Affairs a second time with a slightly different spelling I will still get it approved. So the question really is if there is a standard for translating names INTO Thai (from English, from German, from whatever) and if the Dept of Consular Affairs and the embassies will check translations against that.

Considering what astral wrote earlier, there is a system/standard for English -> Thai and probably for other languages too. But it might be it is more a recommendation than a legal standard.

Sorry for all this hypothetical bla, if nobody is interested I will not mind However, I like to understand things, helps in decision making and also helps to do things correctly.

welo

For the purpose of names of people or places - which are transliterated not translated - there is no one regulated way to do this officially in Thai to English.

For English to Thai what I believe happens is that when new words or rather foreign language names are transliterated into Thai there may be more than one way of spelling in Thai these words. Eventually a commonly accepted way of spelling is adhered to and becomes widely known and used. (Interesting Note: I saw this happen with the Thai transliteration of the word "Tsunami" in the past). Anyway for all the more common English "sounding" names (e.g. David, Michael, Henry, Peter etc) would not present problems in spelling when transliterating into thai and therefore should not present problem with your embassy. But just remember to check how names are spelled each time after translating documents and it will not present a problem. Consistency in the key.