Anyone know of the whereabouts of any Notaries?

If I ask people in the office, I just get a vacant stare.

Thailand does not have such a thing as a notary public. You basically need to go to your embassy's consular affairs section to obtain notarization. I am only familiar with the process at US Citizen Services Section - bringing along your passport, you walk in, stand at window, tell them what you want - they look over your documents, then give you an annotated price listing. You then take this to a cashier's window in next room, and pay (I think its about US $45 or $50 these days, but I'm not sure). Once you have receipt, you go back to first window, wait, and then turn in your receipt, passport, and document - then go sit down.

30 minutes later, they call for you, and (if it is your identity/signature being notarized) have you sign in presence of the consular official, who then notarzies the document. Otherwise, they notarize the copy.

Consular section works only 9:00-11:00 am and 1:00 to 3:00 pm - and takes off all US and all Thai holidays.

Good luck!

Indo-Siam

The price has gone down to $30.00 usd for notary and 20.00 for additional certified copies of same document.

Nearly all lawyer firms have at least one person authorized to perform Notary Public services, this should be a lot less costly than at the embassy.

Also most business centers in the large hotels (Hilton, Conrad) provide this service.

This is the correct information:

NOTARIAL AND AUTHENTICATION SERVICES OF U.S. CONSULAR OFFICERS ABROAD

http://travel.state.gov/notarials.html

NOTARIALS Embassy of the United States of America

Bangkok, Thailand

http://www.usa.or.th/embassy/pspt.htm#pspt-notarials

I guess it's back to Eye of Sauron -

Where do you want the notarization to be honored? If the US (for example), it will have to be a notary whose commission is recognized in US.

I know of no Thai lawyer whose signature carries notary authority in US. Thailand does NOT have the concept of "generic" notarization within its legal structure.

Indo-Siam

Indo-Siam,

You are correct. I investigated this some time ago, and contacted notarial organizations in the USA, who said that with the exception of U.S. missions (embassies) abroad, and military commissioned officers, the notary function is determined by the states. Therefore, as you say, a "notary" certification from a Thai law office for a land deal in the USA is unlikely (read will not be) to be recognized as valid.

The embassy is the only resource, although it might be possible that American lawyers practicing here might be able to provide the service if they are registered notary publics in their home state, but again, they would have to be from the state of the person needing notarial certification.

Thus it would pay anyone who needs such a service to ask the proper authorities in their home state what will be acceptable. Who knows, some small town may not be willing to accept a certificate from an embassy.

Yup - As a US Army Adjutant, I used to serve as a notary under 10 US Code, Article 936.

Cheers!

Indo-Siam

I guess it all comes down to where the notarized documents are going to be used.

A document notarized by the US embassy may not be legally valid in Thailand, same as a document notirized by an authorized Thai Notary Public may not be valid in the US.