British Embassy

[sinbin]

I'm in the process of applying for the 'Yellow Book'. My local Amphur won't issue one until I show an authenticated translation of my passport. I had a translation done, but when I sent it off to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs they send it back unauthenticated. The reason why was because I have to have the translation stamped first by the British Embassy first. They say they cannot authenticate documents from English to Thai, but can the other way round. Crazy as that may sound !!

It's not a simple process for me to just go to the Embassy for that to be done. So does anyone know if they will do it by post ? I know I can phone and ask them on Monday, but I'd like to know ASAP so that I can make arrangements in planning to go to Bangkok or not .

[Daffy D]

I'm not an authority on this but there was something similar on here some time ago and the general opinion was that Passports are international documents and a translation is not needed.

As for the British Embassy needing to stamp a translation, they are not translators so how could they authenticate a Thai translation?

Anyway good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Soutpeel]

I'm not an authority on this but there was something similar on here some time ago and the general opinion was that Passports are international documents and a translation is not needed.

As for the British Embassy needing to stamp a translation, they are not translators so how could they authenticate a Thai translation?

Anyway good luck and let us know how you get on.

I was under the same impression, first time I have ever heard of translation of a passport being required, in the same vein, do you have to provide an "approved" translation of you PP when getting a DL or work permit....No.....seems very strange, a passport details page has very little info to be translated anyway.

Sure this is not a misunderstanding and being confused with the person signing the phottocopies....this is common place.

[tonytigerbkk]

Hi Sinbin,

I have just done this 2 weeks ago.

First you need to go to the embassy and get a 'certified copy' of your passport, which IIRC cost Baht 1,500.

That will have the embassy seal and stamp on it.

You then take the certified copy to the MFA and get that translated by one of the local translaters.

The security guard on the gate called one of these chaps over to me and i paid Baht 300 for the translation, which took around 15 minutes.

The translation has to have a stamp that it was done by a certified translator.

It's best to get to the MFA before 8am so that you are ready to submit the documents as early as possible.

After that you go to the main office and hand in the certified passport copy and the translation for them to authenticate the translation.

I paid for the express service (Bhat 800) and it was ready by 11am on the same day.

When yougo to your local amphur make sure that you have both the certified passport copy and the translation.

You will also have to take your passport with you and may need photocopies of the documents.

Regards,

Tiger.

[beano2274]

I did not have to get my Passport translated at all to get my Yellow Book, this was in Nonthaburi

[beano2274]

Hi Sinbin,

I have just done this 2 weeks ago.

First you need to go to the embassy and get a 'certified copy' of your passport, which IIRC cost Baht 1,500.

That will have the embassy seal and stamp on it.

You then take the certified copy to the MFA and get that translated by one of the local translaters.

The security guard on the gate called one of these chaps over to me and i paid Baht 300 for the translation, which took around 15 minutes.

The translation has to have a stamp that it was done by a certified translator.

It's best to get to the MFA before 8am so that you are ready to submit the documents as early as possible.

After that you go to the main office and hand in the certified passport copy and the translation for them to authenticate the translation.

I paid for the express service (Bhat 800) and it was ready by 11am on the same day.

When yougo to your local amphur make sure that you have both the certified passport copy and the translation.

You will also have to take your passport with you and may need photocopies of the documents.

Regards,

Tiger.

Are you sure this is for the Yellow Book, I had to go to the Main Government Offices in Nonthaburi, not the local Amphur.

[transam]

I did not have to get my Passport translated at all to get my Yellow Book, this was in Nonthaburi

Same Ubon, they had a printed form to transfer info from my passport. There was some head scratching by them but l thought they deal with this stuff every day but l kept smiling. It helped that our area head man, who lives in a shack, came with us to verify who l was. Crazy cos the Tourist Police wrote a letter for me saying who l was and where l lived but they refused it, the guy in the shack who l had never met confirmed who l was.

[taff33]

Hi Sinbin,

I have just done this 2 weeks ago.

First you need to go to the embassy and get a 'certified copy' of your passport, which IIRC cost Baht 1,500.

That will have the embassy seal and stamp on it.

You then take the certified copy to the MFA and get that translated by one of the local translaters.

The security guard on the gate called one of these chaps over to me and i paid Baht 300 for the translation, which took around 15 minutes.

The translation has to have a stamp that it was done by a certified translator.

It's best to get to the MFA before 8am so that you are ready to submit the documents as early as possible.

After that you go to the main office and hand in the certified passport copy and the translation for them to authenticate the translation.

I paid for the express service (Bhat 800) and it was ready by 11am on the same day.

When yougo to your local amphur make sure that you have both the certified passport copy and the translation.

You will also have to take your passport with you and may need photocopies of the documents.

Regards,

Tiger.

Are you sure this is for the Yellow Book, I had to go to the Main Government Offices in Nonthaburi, not the local Amphur.

I had my yellow book from the local Amphur office also.

[cmjantje]

That is why a Thai drivers licence becomes handy. Here in Wiengchai No problems at all.

[mallyrd]

The only translation I needed to get for my yellow book was that of my Mother and Fathers name including my mothers maiden name.

[tonytigerbkk]

Hi Sinbin,

I have just done this 2 weeks ago.

First you need to go to the embassy and get a 'certified copy' of your passport, which IIRC cost Baht 1,500.

That will have the embassy seal and stamp on it.

You then take the certified copy to the MFA and get that translated by one of the local translaters.

The security guard on the gate called one of these chaps over to me and i paid Baht 300 for the translation, which took around 15 minutes.

The translation has to have a stamp that it was done by a certified translator.

It's best to get to the MFA before 8am so that you are ready to submit the documents as early as possible.

After that you go to the main office and hand in the certified passport copy and the translation for them to authenticate the translation.

I paid for the express service (Bhat 800) and it was ready by 11am on the same day.

When yougo to your local amphur make sure that you have both the certified passport copy and the translation.

You will also have to take your passport with you and may need photocopies of the documents.

Regards,

Tiger.

Are you sure this is for the Yellow Book, I had to go to the Main Government Offices in Nonthaburi, not the local Amphur.

In reply to Beano, No I needed the documents for another purpose (son's ID card) but the document that Sinbin has been asked to produce by his Amphur is the authenticated translation of his passport, which is what I also had to produce.

The documents needed for the Yellow book differs between different Amphurs so what was accepted by your local Amphur will not necessarily be accepted by other Amphurs.

Regards,

Tiger

[scorecard]

I'm not an authority on this but there was something similar on here some time ago and the general opinion was that Passports are international documents and a translation is not needed.

As for the British Embassy needing to stamp a translation, they are not translators so how could they authenticate a Thai translation?

Anyway good luck and let us know how you get on.

I was under the same impression, first time I have ever heard of translation of a passport being required, in the same vein, do you have to provide an "approved" translation of you PP when getting a DL or work permit....No.....seems very strange, a passport details page has very little info to be translated anyway.

Sure this is not a misunderstanding and being confused with the person signing the phottocopies....this is common place.

I am also not an expert.

When I got permanent residency I came to the scenario you describe. Some further discussion with the Australian consulate revealed they could stamp the documents 'Seen at the Australian Embassy' (Key word 'seen', not 'approved' or 'verified' or anything similar').

The agent who helped me presented a couple of documents to the Thai immigration people who were handling PR applications with the stamp 'seen at.....' and they instantly said 'OK' that's what we want.

[sinbin]

Hi Sinbin,

I have just done this 2 weeks ago.

First you need to go to the embassy and get a 'certified copy' of your passport, which IIRC cost Baht 1,500.

That will have the embassy seal and stamp on it.

Regards,

Tiger.

I'm confused as '7 by 7' says this.

7by7

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Posted 2011-04-29 01:19:14

The British embassy do not certify translations.

It also states that on the website. And what is "IIRC" ?

Edited August 27, 2011 by sinbin

[sinbin]

As far as I can establish, there is no such thing as a 'certified translation' agency/whatever in Thailand. To have a translation certified, the translation has to be stamped by the MoFA to be classed as certified copy. I'm open to correction.

[sinbin]

Each Amphur interprets the rules as they see them. The Amphur I'm dealing with are working to the book, literally. I tried the envelope method of getting the 'Yellow Book" but they wouldn't take it. And yet farangs who live in the same village, but live in a neighbouring Amphur just paid 2,000 Baht to their Amphur, end of story.

Edited August 27, 2011 by sinbin

[transam]

Each Amphur interprets the rules as they see them. The Amphur I'm dealing with are working to the book, literally. I tried the envelope method of getting the 'Yellow Book" but they wouldn't take it. And yet farangs who live in the same village, but live in a neighbouring Amphur just paid 2,000 Baht to their Amphur, end of story.

Cost me 0 bht.

BUT, l gave the head guy bottle of Whiskey and gave him 500 bht. I know, big spender.

Edited August 27, 2011 by transam

[sinbin]

Cost me 0 bht.

BUT, l gave the head guy bottle of Whiskey and gave him 500 bht. I know, big spender.

A 'bottle of Whiskey' and 500 Baht doesn't equate to 0 Baht. Just using your post 'Transam' to bump this thread for a little more info on my problem.

Edited August 28, 2011 by sinbin

[tonytigerbkk]

Hi Sinbin,

IIRC = if I recall correctly.

I did not say that you get the certified translation from the Embassy, what I said is that you get a 'certified copy' of your passport from the Embassy and then get that document translated by the translation services near to MFA.

For the certified translation agency, If you go to the MFA with a translation done by anyone who is not on their list of translators they will find a fault with th translation and then you will have to get another translation carried out.

The translators that are based near to the MFA will put their stamp/chop onto the translated document so that he MFA will know that you have used one of their favoured translators.

You could probably guess why the MFA pushes you to use their favoured translators, TIT.

Regards,

Tiger.

[sinbin]

Brilliant Tonytigerbkk !! I'm now much clearer as to how to do it. I did phone the British Embassy and they told me that if I got there early my passport will be certified by lunchtime. Anyway just to add a little bit extra to this story. I've been in contact with a translation service in BKK who, on me sending them my passport, will do it all for me for 4,900 Baht. I've worked out what it would cost for me to travel from where I live and do it myself. Plus, if things get too late, an hotel stay may be required. I haven't accounted for that.

Fuel to catch a bus - 1,000 Baht including return trip.

Bus fare - 400

Car-parking - 250

Taxis - 600

Embassy charge - 1,500

Translation - 500

MFA - 800

Total - 5,050

It looks like the translation service will be doing the job for me. Thanks to all that assisted in my questions.

Edited August 29, 2011 by sinbin