I'm a UK national and have to sign and submit an affidavit for submission by a solicitor to a court in South Africa over a disputed will (basically to stop a thug from stealing a dying old woman's inheritance). I have given the solicitor power of attorney so he can, at least initially, act on my behalf, but sooner or later I will have to print up the affidavit, sign it and find the equivalent here in Bangkok of a 'commissioner of oaths' to witness it. Any ideas how to proceed? Will the Uk (or maybe SA) consulate do the job? Or do I have to go to a law firm and pay lots of baht for their trouble? I'm a Brit, but the case will be heard in SA.

Many thanks in advance.

It sounds like you need a document notarized. I guess they have another word for it in the UK. I know the US Embassy performs this service for US citizens. So, I would think the British Embassy would perform such a service. Look on their website... Good luck.

The British embassy, consular section, in BKK performs this service. It takes 24 hours and will cost you.

1 post giving illegal advise and a reply to it deleted.

There a Notary Public in the paid area of Nana BTS station.

Honestly, there is. I forget what hours he keeps, but how convenient is that?

I was on my way back from a fruitless Friday afternoon trip to Her Majesty's consulate on Wireless Road (half-day Friday) with some financial papers needing notarised, gerumbling and cursing away to myself and there he was - the very man I wanted to see, a Notary Public, in a little box in the station. And there's a post office right nearby too that will courier your newly notarised documents to anywhere in the world.

How convenient is that? I suppose some people will whing about having to pay THB 15 to go into the paid area....

SC

I believe that an affadavit is different from notarising a document because with an affadavit you have to make a sworn oath in front of a dominated individual.

Saying that, I made an affadavit at the Brit embassy last year and I didn't even get to see the person who signed it, let alone swear an oath (apart from when I saw the price of the signature).

If its important I would recommend the Brit embassy way to be safe.

Since the affidavit is to be used in a South African court proceeding, you should swear it before a South African consular official.