Non Immigrant B Teaching Police Check

[solentstu]

I live in Phuket and have done for a couple of years now, I have just enrolled on a TEFL course and have a good degree from England. I am shortly going to be applying for teaching positions and was hoping that someone might be able to share their experience with regards having police clearance/check for the non immigrant B visa for teaching.

I do not have a police check certificate from the UK and dont really want to have to go all the way up to Bangkok to get police clearance. I also have a police caution for a minor offence back in England several years ago. This is not a conviction but a caution however the police at the time said that it would show up on a CRB check. So I dont know if this would affect my chances of getting a visa.

I understand that some consulates tend to demand the police clearance in order to issue a visa and some do not. If anyone could share their experience of police checks being required or not at the various consulates close to Thailand I would be very grateful

[chonabot]

I had no issues earlier this year at Vientiane.

I could be wrong but I was told it is usually the school that requires the check - correct me if I am wrong

Edited August 27, 2012 by chonabot

[Scott]

The police clearance is needed by the Ministry of Education, I believe. The school doesn't need it except to complete the paperwork for the non-immigrant B visa. Ultimately, I believe it is the Ministry of Labor that wants it to grant a Work Permit for teaching. For jobs other than teaching, I don't believe a police clearance is necessary.

[sirchai]

The police clearance is needed by the Ministry of Education, I believe. The school doesn't need it except to complete the paperwork for the non-immigrant B visa. Ultimately, I believe it is the Ministry of Labor that wants it to grant a Work Permit for teaching. For jobs other than teaching, I don't believe a police clearance is necessary.

Nobody was ever asking me for a police clearance. Neither from Europe, nor from Thailand, headquarters Bangkok. Well, i do remember that my first school I've worked at kept my passport for almost two weeks. Possible that they did it without telling me anything about it.

I'm in my eighth year now and would be surprised if they'd ask me for one in May, when I'll have to renew visa and work permit. Let's wait and see....

Edited September 4, 2012 by sirchai

[TommoPhysicist]

Depends what the caution was for.

Fighting in a pub .... probably OK

Child molesting ........ probably not OK

[Scott]

The emphasis on getting a police check came into full force after the arrest of John Mark Karr in the arrest of the murder of John Bennet Ramsey case, if I remember correctly. Prior to that I don't believe a police clearance was necessary. That was in August, 2006.

[SlyAnimal]

When I was initially applying for a visa etc, the NZ Thai Embassy had a police clearance certificate listed as a requirement for my visa. However it said that it wasnt always necessary.

I've never heard of anyone being turned down for lack of a police clearance, however it'd be prudent to try and get one (I just filled in a form and mailed it to the NZ police, they mailed back my form. I'd imagine there would be a similar process in most countries)

I think it's mainly for if you look like a dodgey person, or perhaps if your name is similar to someone who has a warrant for their arrest etc maybe.

[Scott]

I do know of people who have been refused a non-immigrant B visa because they did not have a police clearance. It is only necessary for teaching and if your paperwork is from a school, then you will need to have one. There may be some places and some officers who conveniently forget or ignore the requirement, but I wouldn't want to spend the time and money on a non-immigrant B visa run and not get it.

[aidenai]

It's still stated as requirement on the website of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Kingdom of Thailand.

2.4 Non-Immigrant Visa Category “B” (Teaching) Foreigners who intend to take up employment as school teachers at the levels below university level in Thailand must submit the following required documents:

- Passport or travel document with validity of not less than 6 months

- Completed visa application form

- Recent passport-sized photograph (4 x 6 cm) of the applicant taken within the past 6 months.

- Letter of acceptance from employing institute or school in Thailand.

- Letter of approval from government agencies such as the Office of the Private Education Commission, the Office of the Basic Education Commission.

- Evidence of educational qualification such as diplomas or teaching certificates.

- School license or business registration, list of shareholders and school profile.

- Applicant’s resume.

- Police certificate verifying that applicant has no criminal record or equivalents or letter issued by authorised agencies in applicant’s country. (The requirement of the submission of such police certificate is optional. The applicant must submit it if consular officer requests he/she to do so. This requirement is effective as from May 2007)

http://www.mfa.go.th...siness-and.html

But as said before, not enforced by all Embassies or Consulates nor officials working in those places.

[DILLIGAD]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/581862-non-b-question/

[aidenai]

Why the link?

Different threads, different topics.

This one is about Police Clearance while the other one is about degrees.

[SBB]

Anyone had a similar experience or has anyone recently been to get a police check to apply for non-imm B for teaching?

Went to ask about getting a police check today at the police HQ opposite Central World - they gave my Thai colleague a number to call which turned out to be an 'agency' asking 2,700 baht to supply one with 7 days otherwise it was going to take up to a month to issue...

Am going to Vientiane for the visa - would like to know if anyone has been there recently and whether the police check was required?

Thanks

[aidenai]

Anyone had a similar experience or has anyone recently been to get a police check to apply for non-imm B for teaching?

Went to ask about getting a police check today at the police HQ opposite Central World - they gave my Thai colleague a number to call which turned out to be an 'agency' asking 2,700 baht to supply one with 7 days otherwise it was going to take up to a month to issue...

Am going to Vientiane for the visa - would like to know if anyone has been there recently and whether the police check was required?

Thanks

I read several forums related to the foreign teaching profession in Thailand and I haven't read any reports that the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane requires a certificate of a criminal background check when applying for a non-immigrant B visa. However, the requirement is stated on the Embassy's website.

http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/

[Loaded]

Anyone had a similar experience or has anyone recently been to get a police check to apply for non-imm B for teaching?

Went to ask about getting a police check today at the police HQ opposite Central World - they gave my Thai colleague a number to call which turned out to be an 'agency' asking 2,700 baht to supply one with 7 days otherwise it was going to take up to a month to issue...

Am going to Vientiane for the visa - would like to know if anyone has been there recently and whether the police check was required?

Thanks

I read several forums related to the foreign teaching profession in Thailand and I haven't read any reports that the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane requires a certificate of a criminal background check when applying for a non-immigrant B visa. However, the requirement is stated on the Embassy's website.

http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/

We've had lots of teachers go there for their B. I believe that the requirements is stated (or was) on their website. However, I haven't heard of one person being asked to present one. it's the same for B extensions at Immigration and work permit applications at Labour. Other provinces may insist and some schools insist. I also know many consulates and embassies request for the initial B visa. I believe it's not essential to have one unless your schools requests.

[Scott]

I asked our Visa girl about this and she said that we ask employees to get one, but a few people have gone to get the non-B without and have not had a problem.

It is a requirement and at some point it may be enforced and I wouldn't want to be the one who gets caught short.

I think the question is, are the Royal Thai Police providing a police clearance or are people forced to use some agency and pay a rather high fee?

[Neeranam]

I was asked too get a police check in 2008. This was after 13 years as a teacher here. I went to Bkk and got it. I was worried as I have a criminal record. However, it must have been 'spent', as it was about 20 years previous. I've never had to show anyone yet so it was a waste of time.