Need Help Registering Birth With The Us Embassy...

[BuddhistDruid]

I have been putting this off forever, but am finally trying to do the Certification of Birth Abroad with the US embassy. There have been some issues that needed to be resolved with the Thai courts, so I have more documents that need to be translated into English than just the standard birth certificate.

I have been going around and around in emails with ACS at the US embassy on what is required to translate my Thai paperwork into English. The person answering my emails is obviously not very well informed, and tells me I need to find a "translation centre". (Notice the British spelling here...I'm obviously not dealing with an American.)

Since I am not in Bangkok and none of the information on the website helps me, I have no idea what a "translation centre" is, and they have specifically told me I can not translate the documents myself, can anyone else who has gone through the process explain exactly what they want? I fear I could continue emailing them without ever getting a resolution to this problem.

They offered that I could have any Thai agency translate it and then appear in person at the GPF tower next to the Embassy, which is clearly ridiculous. Nobody is going to go all the way to Bangkok to do this...not at a reasonable price anyway.

What are the US Embassy requirements for official translations of documents from Thai to English? I am currently staying near Pattaya as my home in Pathumthani is still under 50 centimeters of water. Can anyone suggest some Thai->English translators in the area they may have used which are known to be acceptable to the US Embassy? Some of the documents are official Thai court documents, and may require a reasonable level of skill.

[Mario2008]

Read the US embassy website: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/birth-of-a-u.s.-citizen-in-thailand.html

There is a link to a pdf with a lis of translation agencies you can contact.

[BuddhistDruid]

Read the US embassy website: http://bangkok.usemb...n-thailand.html

There is a link to a pdf with a lis of translation agencies you can contact.

Thank you for that. But as I told the US Embassy via email correspondence I am not in Bangkok. What I need is a description of how to find an appropriate translation service in my area. They must follow some requirements or have some approved methodology they use to qualify translators. While I believe that anyone on that list would work, I will need to find someone local who is not on that list.

Can anyone explain what the embassy actually needs in the way of a certified translation?

Edited December 13, 2011 by BuddhistDruid

[Thailaw]

Thank you for that. But as I told the US Embassy via email correspondence I am not in Bangkok. What I need is a description of how to find an appropriate translation service in my area. They must follow some requirements or have some approved methodology they use to qualify translators. While I believe that anyone on that list would work, I will need to find someone local who is not on that list.

Can anyone explain what the embassy actually needs in the way of a certified translation?

I am not sure where you got the idea that the translation(s) need to be certified, but as of 1 year ago it/they do not. I did the translation of my daughter's Thai birth certificate myself. It was not "certified". The US Embassy accepted it without hesitation and provided us with the Consular Report of Birth Abroad for my daughter. A Thai ministry, I believe the Ministry of Interior, has the English form of the Thai birth certificate on its web site. You can download it and fill it in. I have read on this forum or another one that others have also done the translation themselves and the US Embassy accepted it without problem. My experience was 1 year ago (Sept 2010) and rules and requirements can change -- I have not kept up with this requirment since getting the Consular Report for my daughter. Your case also sounds more complicated, but I expect that the issue is having the necessary Thai documents translated into English, and not having the translation done by an "approved" translation service. Any company offering the service will stamp (aka "certify") the translated copy as a correct translation, and it should be accepted by the US Embassy for your purpose. There are many such translation services in Pattaya, and they differ mostly by cost. There is one on Pattaya Klang (north side) about 500 meters east of 2nd Road named Ocean Travel -- it is a travel agent that also offers translation services. A friend used them a while ago and found them to be competent, quick, and reasonably priced. I believe that the translated copy (along with a copy of the original in Thai) was being given to the US Embassy. Good luck.

Edited December 13, 2011 by Thailaw

[elektrified]

You are making it difficult on yourself. Just use one of the approved translation services. If you can't get there, post, fax, or email it to them. I sent my son's Thai birth certificate to the translation service by fax. The translator called me to go over it on the phone and confirm a couple of things. He spoke absolutely perfect American English and was very professional. He then faxed the translation back to me to double-check. I sent the money to his account and he sent me the documents by post. Simple as that. Since they are "approved", they stamp the document. The U.S. Consulate will recognize the service and the translator.

Do a search on TV, there are many threads where people recommend U.S. Consulate approved translators. It doesn't matter where they are located since you will do it all by post/fax/email. Good luck.

[Thailaw]

You are making it difficult on yourself. Just use one of the approved translation services. If you can't get there, post, fax, or email it to them. I sent my son's Thai birth certificate to the translation service by fax. The translator called me to go over it on the phone and confirm a couple of things. He spoke absolutely perfect American English and was very professional. He then faxed the translation back to me to double-check. I sent the money to his account and he sent me the documents by post. Simple as that. Since they are "approved", they stamp the document. The U.S. Consulate will recognize the service and the translator.

Do a search on TV, there are many threads where people recommend U.S. Consulate approved translators. It doesn't matter where they are located since you will do it all by post/fax/email. Good luck.

The post above is complete nonsense, although the conclusion (which does not follow from the post) is ok. It will probably only increase your cost by 3 or 4 times, which may be a lot or a little depending on how many pages you need translated. The US Embassy web site, provided above, states:

"Please provide the following original documents (these will be returned):

1. Original Thai birth certificate for the child (issued by the district office) and an English translation. Please see a list of translators in the Bangkok area (PDF 50KB)".

No where does it say that the English translation must be "certified" or done by someone on the list of translators provided. The list is simply a "list of translators in the Bangkok area" and provided as a service to make it easier for those living in the Bangkok area, rather than to hunt for someone to do the translation. The translators on the list are not "approved" (although it is hard to imagine that the Embassy would reject the translation from one of the translators on the list after having made the list avaiable). Nor is the list exclusive in any sense. The Embassy personnel are smart enough to know that not everyone living in Thailand lives in the Bangkok area, and many will use translation services outside the Bangkok area. As I noted above, all of the translation services that offer the service will stamp the translation copy and "certify" that the copy is a "true and accurate" translation of the original document. This has absolutely nothing to do with the service being "approved" by the US Embassy. To suggest that it is does is utter nonsense. The approach of getting the translation done by e-mail, mail and fax will of course work, albeit at more cost. But having the translation done by a translation service locally (not in Bangkok and therefore not on the Embassy's list) will also work.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Thailaw