Notarizing Us Documents

[rotherman]

Hi - Does anyone know where (or "if") I can get some U.S. Documents notarized in the Pattaya area. I basically need some authorized person to witness my signature on a document to be used in Ohio, and stamped. Thank you.

[IMA_FARANG]

I don't know if you can get in done in the Pattaya area but for any official documents or even those that require a legal notarised stamp in the U.S. that can be done in the American Citizens Services section of the U.S. embessy in Bangkok.

Go to the website:

http://bangkok.usemb...l-services.html

and the information is there.

According to that site :

• Have government-issued photo ID;
  
• Understand your document. We are not allowed to explain the contents to you;
  
• Complete the document with the appropriate names, places, and dates before you arrive (but don't sign it; you'll sign it at the Embassy in front of a Consul);
  
• Pay the appropriate fee (see below). We accept cash payments in U.S. dollars or Thai baht or credit cards. We do not accept checks.
  
• If your document requires the presence of witnesses in addition to the notarization, you must supply these witnesses. Our staff cannot act as witnesses.
  
• We can only provide notary services for American citizens, legal permanent residents, their spouses and dependents, or when the documents to be notarized will be used in the United States. We are usually unable to notarize documents brought in by foreign nationals to be used outside of the U.S.
  
• 
  
• And the fee is $50. You can pay in Cash or Thai Baht or with a Credit Card....but they will not accept checks.
  
• 
  
• All the information is on their site, so go there first and make an appointment.
  

[wayned]

The US Embassy has an "outreach" program to provide such services. It is currently scheduled to be in Pattaya on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

[wpcoe]

Ask the folks in Ohio if a Thai notary would be acceptable. When I had an identity theft issue involving unauthorized charges on a US-issued credit card, the VISA folks in America accepted my statement which was notarized by a Thai law firm.

If they require an American notary, then yes, the US Embassy is the only one available in Thailand.

[mojaco]

and I seem to recall that the USA embassy charges that extremely high cost for EACH signature you want notarized

[T_Dog]

Do the US Consulates notarize documents that have no signature? I.E. notarize a copy of a passport or ID Card to denote is an accurate copy?

[pmarlin]

Do the US Consulates notarize documents that have no signature? I.E. notarize a copy of a passport or ID Card to denote is an accurate copy?

Yes if issued in the USA,

[Mario2008]

There is no official notary in Thailand. For use in the US the embassy is probably your only option.

[T_Dog]

Do the US Consulates notarize documents that have no signature? I.E. notarize a copy of a passport or ID Card to denote is an accurate copy?

Yes if issued in the USA,

So notarizing the authenticity of a copy of a Thai passport is not possible at the consulate? Do I understand this correctly?

[ricklev]

Depending on the document and it's purpose, I have on several occasions simply had my bank manager stamp a bank seal or a Garuda stamp next to my signature along with something that has Thai writing. It's free and I've never had it rejected.

Several friends have done this with various stamps from their office with success as well.

[wayned]

Authication of documents issuesed in the US by the embassy is possible, but there are procedures that must be followed. Here is the quote from ACS Bangkok regarding the issue:

U.S. Citizen Services

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• Emergency Contact Information
  
• Office Hours/Location
  
• Service Fees
  
• Passports
  
• A New Baby
  
• Enroll With Us
  
• Notary Services
  
• Overseas Voting
  

Authentication Procedure

[/url]

Authentication of Vital Records, Academic, Commercial or Other Credentials Issued in the U.S.

Information about Notary Services provided by the U.S. Embassy.

U.S. Consular Officers are not Empowered to authenticate Public Documents Issued in the United States. Such documents include vital records (birth, marriage, death and divorce), as well as academic, commercial, or other credentials. Consular Officers do not have access to the records of the issuing office or the seal of the custodian of these records.

Public documents issued in the United States may be authenticated by the designated official in the U.S. state or other jurisdiction where the public document was issued. For documents issued in the United States, please refer to the respective state’s authentication office for more information. The National Association of Secretaries of State website contains contact information for each state’s authentication authorities and can be found at: http://www.nass.org Home page>Issues>Business Services>Notary Services>Choose a state for the state Notary Public website. The document may then be authenticated for use abroad by the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office.

When a certification or authentication of a true copy of a document issued outside of Thailand is required, please contact the embassy or consulate of the country where the document was issued.

Procedures for Authentication and Legalizing Official Documents Issued In the United States

Official documents requiring authentication will need to be certified first by the entity that issued them, then by the state in which that entity is located, and then by the federal government (the U.S. State Department). Once the document has been authenticated by the U.S. State Department, the foreign embassy in the United States of the country requesting the document will perform a final authentication. Following is a brief outline of what will be required (though the actual requirements will vary greatly from state to state).

To authenticate and legalize official documents issued in the United States, please follow the steps below.

Step 1: Obtain the Document

If you do not already have the document, contact the custodian of records where the document was originally issued to obtain a copy. In some cases you may be required to obtain a new sealed copy for the purposes of authentication, even if you already possess a copy. Please check with your respective state.

Academic Records: Contact the respective academic institution directly for information on what it will need to certify the document’s authenticity. Some academic institutions require the submission of the original diploma; others issue a true copy themselves. Most academic transcripts issued to the student, for example, cannot be used for official purposes; a new sealed copy must be obtained.

Step 2: Contact the State Authentication Office

Authentication procedures vary from state to state. We strongly encourage patrons to contact their respective state’s authentication office for more information. Refer to the National Association of Secretaries of State website to locate the state specific Authentication Authorities at: http://www.usa.gov/ Home Page > A-Z Index> S> State Agencies by Topic> State Government Home Pages.

* In some cases, the Clerk of Court is required to certify that the Notary's term has not expired in the county where the Notary Public is commissioned.

Step 3: Obtain Signature and Seal from State Secretary of State (State Authentication Office)

The document must then be signed and sealed by the Secretary of State in the state where the Notary is located, certifying to the Notary’s current status. For contact information, visit the State Department’s list of State Authentication Authorities at: http://www.nass.org Homepage> Issues> Business Services> Notary Services> Choose a State to get to the state Notary Public Website.

Step 4: Obtain U.S. Department of State Authentication

Forward all documents to the U.S. Department of State at the following address:

Department of State Documents Authentication Office

518 23rd ST. N.W., SA-1, Columbia Plaza

Washington, D.C. 20520

Tel: (202) 647-5002 or 1-800-688-9889, FAX: (202) 663-3636

The Department of State Documents Authentication Office charges a fee of $7.00.

Step 5: Obtain Embassy/Consulate Authentication of Foreign Government

Once the documents have been authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, bring the documents to the foreign embassy in the United States of the country requesting the documents, where they will do the final authentication.

Contact information for the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington D.C. can be found at: http://www.thaiembdc.org

Step 6: Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Legalization Division

Once the document is in Thailand, submit the document to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Legaliation Division to make the document legal for use in Thailand. Once they put their stamp and seal on the document it can now be used in Thailand officially. The phone number for the Legalization Division is (+66) 2-981-7171.

Further Questions: U.S. Embassy – Bangkok, American Citizen Services at (66) 2-205-4049 or U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Office of American Citizen Services at (202) 647-5225, or (202) 647-5226.

Disclaimer: The information in this circular is provided for general information only. The Department of State makes no warranty regarding the accuracy of this information. While some of the information is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign attorneys.

For more information on Authentication of Documents, Apostilles, or Copies of Birth, Death, Marriage, or Divorce Records, please consult travel.state.gov.

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[longball53098]

Do the US Consulates notarize documents that have no signature? I.E. notarize a copy of a passport or ID Card to denote is an accurate copy?

Yes if issued in the USA,

So notarizing the authenticity of a copy of a Thai passport is not possible at the consulate? Do I understand this correctly?

I believe the only way to get a certified copy of a Thai passport is to visit the MFA building on Chang Wattana and pay them to certify a copy of the Thai passport,,,,,,I did this to help my wife apply for a US ITIN number for tax purposes.

[wobblyjohn]

Maybe these people can help

www.magnacarta.co.th

[T_Dog]

Do the US Consulates notarize documents that have no signature? I.E. notarize a copy of a passport or ID Card to denote is an accurate copy?

Yes if issued in the USA,

So notarizing the authenticity of a copy of a Thai passport is not possible at the consulate? Do I understand this correctly?

I believe the only way to get a certified copy of a Thai passport is to visit the MFA building on Chang Wattana and pay them to certify a copy of the Thai passport,,,,,,I did this to help my wife apply for a US ITIN number for tax purposes.

I saw on another thread that the US Consulate (in Chiang Mai) does confirm the authenticity of Thai passports and notarizes the copy. Can anyone confirm this is true?

[pmarlin]

Do the US Consulates notarize documents that have no signature? I.E. notarize a copy of a passport or ID Card to denote is an accurate copy?

Yes if issued in the USA,

So notarizing the authenticity of a copy of a Thai passport is not possible at the consulate? Do I understand this correctly?

I believe the only way to get a certified copy of a Thai passport is to visit the MFA building on Chang Wattana and pay them to certify a copy of the Thai passport,,,,,,I did this to help my wife apply for a US ITIN number for tax purposes.

That is correct just had it done so I could complete the W-7 form for the US ITIN to send in with my tax return. The instructions states for foriegn issued documents they will only accept notorized /certified copies from the issuing agency so since I was using my wifes passport I had to go to the MFA to get it done. The instructions clearly states they will not accept nortorized/certification form US Counsulates when it pertains to other countries documents.

[T_Dog]

Turns it that is not the only way to get a foreign passport authenticated for an ITIN. Attached is an image from the current W7 instructions that DOES refer one to a consulate or embassy, and another image from

http://chiangmai.usc...u.s.-taxes.html that shows they provide exactly that service.

[vagabond48]

I believe the only way to get a certified copy of a Thai passport is to visit the MFA building on Chang Wattana and pay them to certify a copy of the Thai passport,,,,,,I did this to help my wife apply for a US ITIN number for tax purposes.

I saw on another thread that the US Consulate (in Chiang Mai) does confirm the authenticity of Thai passports and notarizes the copy. Can anyone confirm this is true?

I can tell you that this month, I got a certified copy of my wife's Chinese passport from the US Consulate Chiang Mai so I would think that you could get a Thai passport copy certified as well. She didn't even have to come. I brought her passport and they copied and certified it.

I emailed the same question to the consulate and they responded within 1 day. I don't have their email address now so go to their website to get it. Hope this helps

[NewlyMintedThai]

There is no official notary in Thailand. For use in the US the embassy is probably your only option.

Sure there is -- has been for several years. I have a Thai notary public on my staff, which is very convenient. Outside notaries general charge in the region of 1K baht.

[noise]

Depending on the document and it's purpose, I have on several occasions simply had my bank manager stamp a bank seal or a Garuda stamp next to my signature along with something that has Thai writing. It's free and I've never had it rejected.

Several friends have done this with various stamps from their office with success as well.

I quit reading here to add my DITTO to Ricklev's recommendation.

[pmarlin]

Turns it that is not the only way to get a foreign passport authenticated for an ITIN. Attached is an image from the current W7 instructions that DOES refer one to a consulate or embassy, and another image from

http://chiangmai.usc...u.s.-taxes.html that shows they provide exactly that service.

True in the past, the rules were changed Jan 2011. The Bangkok ACS has removed that tax information. This was for tax year 2011 but for 2012 it has changed again http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw7.pdf It seems more liberal interputation of what they will accept.