Translation Of Documents

[malct]

Hi all

Just reading a few threads regarding translation of documents!!!

Is this just a new request that has happened in the last 12 months?

I am in the process of putting together my GF application and if we need her documents translated then thats going to throw a spanner in the works for me.

Our plans was to submit the application on the first day in Bangkok and then travel south to a resort for a week but now it seems that i will have to find somwhere to translate the documents and i dont have a clue to get the translation done and what the cost it will be.

I didn't have a problem in 2009 when my GF was granted a Tourist Visa, Now i have concerns to what they want.

Malc

[Thai Visa Express]

Visa for which country ?

[malct]

its for the uk

[MartinL]

Malct,

See my latest post in the "other" thread. With luck, the same will apply to you as far as translations go.

But,if it's not necessary to translate for FamilyVVs, and possibly others, why isn't that mentioned on the VFS Thailand website???

[malct]

I have emailed the uk visa office in bangkok! just waiting for a reply

Being a "Yank" I wouldn't know about the British Embessy, but based on my experience with the American one I expect that a phone call to your embessy, and a polite request would get you all the information you need and a list of embessy approved and suggested translators in Bangkok. I know the American embessy has, or at least had at one time, such a list which they passed out to those who needed Thai documents translated the embessy required from them and I would expect the British Embessy to have something similar.

Now if your needing official certified copies of Thai government documents from the Thai government, that is a different matter. I'm sure however that someone on this forum has the knowledge of what Thai governemnt office you need to visit to get an oficial certified translation...but I'm afraid I don't know that information myself.

[kunash]

I phond VFS Global who deal with UK visitor visas, and they told me translations are not needed

[Thongkorn]

You do not need translations , believe it or not Thai people can speak English and they do have Thai speakers working for the Vaf centerer. Just being sarcastic , no you do not need translations

[sumrit]

This subject has been discussed many times before and, at least until the beginning of this year translations were not required. On the VFS website there used to be a PDF list of visa application forms with their associated check lists clearly stating translations were not required. This settlement checklist clearly shows this.

Spouse check list.pdf

However, looking through through their website for the first time for several months, the list of PDF files has been changed. All points based visa checklists now state

'Please note that ALL the specified documents must be original and in English Or Welsh otherwise you must include a certified English translation'.

For non point based visas (settlement, visitor, etc) a link to this UKBA webpage http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/vafs/vafsdocschecklist/ is all thats now provided and the reference there clearly states

Originals or photocopies?

You must include the original documents and a photocopy of each document. You will also need to provide a translation of any supporting documents which are not in English, or your application may be refused. Each translated document must:

be dated;

include the translator's name and signature; and

include confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document.

So unfortunately it now appears that you must provide translations. There are several translation shops very close to the Embassy though, and I'm sure they'll be geared up to providing whatever translations you need very quickly.

[MartinL]

Received today (11 Nov) from VFS Thailand:-

<A name=OLE_LINK6 target=_blank>"Dear, Sir/Madam

Thank you for contacting the UK Border Agency Visa Information Service in Bangkok.

In general, for non points-based applications we would accept the supporting documents both in English or in Thai. If your documents are in English it would be easy for the Entry Clearance Officers to understand, but if the documents are in Thai the embassy could ask their Thai staff for the brief translation. However, this would recommend to the short contents of Thai documents only. In addition, only some type of visas will be required to translate Thai documents into English i.e. PBS application".

This seems to be saying that non-PBS visas need not have the documents translated if it's a short document. Next question - how short is "short"? Then it says only PBS visas require translation.

Still not clear but I don't think VFS can really provide a definitive answer on this one. Maybe my next e-mail will seek clarification from the Embassy Visa Section itself.

Sumrit, thanks for the useful information but I haven't found a suitable translation service in my area and don't fancy having to spend additional time in Bangkok to obtain translations there. Going to VFS for a visa app. could turn into a major excursion at this rate.

[malct]

What gets my goat up is that your already paying for a service and that they are now saying that they find it hard to provide if documents are in Thai,

People have been submitting Thai documents for years now and they seem to be going backwards by saying If your documents are in English it would be easy for the Entry Clearance Officers to understand, but if the documents are in Thai the embassy could ask their Thai staff for the brief translation.

its now 2010, not 1910, you would think they would have systems in place to deal with translations.

Malc

[7by7]

I speak as both a Brit and and ordinary member when I ask; why is it these days so many of my fellow countrymen want everything done for them? Every large city, and many large towns, in Thailand have translation agencies; it's neither hard nor expensive to get them done!

I know that the visa fees are very high and one may be tempted to wonder what one is paying for, but this is due to a deliberate policy of the last government, not to cover costs but to make a profit; a policy which this current government seems to be continuing.

Ten years ago when my wife and step-daughter obtained their settlement visas, all documents not in English had to be accompanied by a certified translation.

This then changed, with them saying that Thai staff at the embassy could translate standard documents such as marriage certificates.

However, my personal feelings are:

1) Providing a translation may speed up the process as the ECO wont have to wait for a Thai speaker to become available.

2) You will need translations once in the UK, and it's a lot cheaper to get them done in Thailand.

[sumrit]

I speak as both a Brit and and ordinary member when I ask; why is it these days so many of my fellow countrymen want everything done for them? Every large city, and many large towns, in Thailand have translation agencies; it's neither hard nor expensive to get them done!

I know that the visa fees are very high and one may be tempted to wonder what one is paying for, but this is due to a deliberate policy of the last government, not to cover costs but to make a profit; a policy which this current government seems to be continuing.

Ten years ago when my wife and step-daughter obtained their settlement visas, all documents not in English had to be accompanied by a certified translation.

This then changed, with them saying that Thai staff at the embassy could translate standard documents such as marriage certificates.

However, my personal feelings are:

1) Providing a translation may speed up the process as the ECO wont have to wait for a Thai speaker to become available.

2) You will need translations once in the UK, and it's a lot cheaper to get them done in Thailand.

The ironic thing now though 7by7 is that the Government Departments in the UK will now no longer accept those certified translations. When I applied for my wife's N.I. number and stepdaughter's child benefit last year they told me not to send the translations from Thailand as they couldn't be certain the translations were accurate (they also said it's so easy these days to alter things on a PC) so they insist on just being sent the original (Thai) documents and they would have their own translations done. The only good thing is that they don't charge us for those translations...............YET .

The Thai translations are still acceptable when applying for things like bank accounts though