Life Certificate

[tijnebijn]

Hi , all dear members , I want to know if some of you can help me out regarding the issue of needing a life certificate , needed for proof of life .

i guess I can have at the embassey , but don't want to travel as far , staying in Chiangmai , police station or immigration will do .

Wandering if any of you have some experience , waiting time and cost differences .

thank you very much .

[prodriver]

I have to fill in a 'life certificate' every year to enable me to receive my pension from Sweden. I used to travel up to the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok each year which was a pain! I have since found a lawyer where I live in Kanchanaburi who will verify that I am still alive. Costs me 300 baht and is accepted by the Swedish authorities.

Don't know if there are any lawyers that can provide that service for you up in Chiang Mai.

[glegolo]

I am also swedish and have never heard about such extra vaganza..... you guys can if you like... make it much easier for your self.

First of all these forms concerning what you call: life certificate is availible at the internet on the authorities involved in your homecountry....

You fill them out, and you go to your local amphue-office with your yellow book or whatever you have availible that make you live there. 20 baht later and 20 minutes later you have it confirmed by the local thai authorities.. In Sweden they also suggest policestation, but they are not so found of this stuff here and ask you kindly to go to the amphue which is the proper place to go.....

To go all the way to the embassy for me from Chaiyaphum (334 kilometers one way) is a stupid solution ...

Good luck

Glegolo

[tijnebijn]

Thanks for the replies , I'm from the Netherlands and think our governments work very similar , the Ampuh would be great cause I already thought the police station could create some unwilling faces , the immigration office in Chiangmai is a no no , don't want to make their already overworked officers and my precious time waiting for ages available for a simple signing .

The Ampuh is the Municipality right ?

thanks guys

[lopburi3]

Yes - District Office - but AFAIK they only deal in Thai language so translations may be required.

[david555]

does your embassy people not make a once in a while service visit to an important city in your arrear ?

But i realize that normally that prove of life is send around your birthday, so that should be a luck to be that time

[glegolo]

Actually here in Chaiyaphum, I just hand over the form (in english) and with

the help of my wife (thai of course) they soon enough sign stamp and deliver that sign of life back to me. I dont know if I am lucky here, but so it is now for 5 years and running....

These service visits, i know that the american embassy send theire people at least once a year to Khon Kaen, but I have never heard about that the rest of us smaller nations have that great service....

Glegolo

Edited February 8, 2013 by glegolo

[lopburi3]

It is not a function of a District Office to accept or sign foreign documents so it is a favor of the first order.

[glegolo]

It is not a function of a District Office to accept or sign foreign documents so it is a favor of the first order.

You are surely right, but it is good to mention the different options I guess, right?

Glegolo

[lopburi3]

Yes - just as long as it does not lead to disappointment. There could also be a question of another country accepting such as well as most officials not likely to appreciate being asked to put there signature on something they know nothing about so probably not a good option for most.

[Bosse137]

As lopburi3 says,many times difficult to have officials put their name/stamps on something.Tried it in my area..They wanted a written translation,my life story and one week to study the whole thing.... Another thing,those forms have to be the originals and are send out at a certain time of year;nothing to do with your birthday. Could be different rules in different countrys though.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Bosse137

[david555]

As lopburi3 says,many times difficult to have officials put their name/stamps on something.Tried it in my area..They wanted a written translation,my life story and one week to study the whole thing.... Another thing,those forms have to be the originals and are send out at a certain time of year;nothing to do with your birthday. Could be different rules in different countrys though.

indeed my official goverment pension send around the birthday the document for life prove , easy to expect and to arrange to fill in and send back , difficult to forget your birthday , unless alzheimer striked already... ,

but probably other countrys different rules ..... example my embassy does not give attestification letter of income/ pension whithout proof , different than the U.S.

Civil servant pension people need to give even 2 times a year (each 6 months , only if living out of country

(they receive toooo generous pensions , that's why )

Edited February 8, 2013 by david555

[Guest]

Pardon my ignorance. What is a life Certificate and what is it required for? I've lived here for years and never heard of it.

[lopburi3]

It appears to be a way some countries keep track of pension recipients actually still being alive? Nothing to do with Thailand.

[Mario2008]

Pardon my ignorance. What is a life Certificate and what is it required for? I've lived here for years and never heard of it.

It is related to pensions from either the government or private companies and such. Many require proof once a year that you are still alive and thus entitled to payment. The form of the proof differs. I only have to sign a form myself, while other persons might need to have a form signed by their embassy, amphur or local police.

[tijnebijn]

Yes indeed it is a reassurance for further payment of any government pensions entitlements or any other subsidy , private and employer pensions also require this proof of life callled life certificate but are easier to confirm . So I guess its an interesting thread , I've never seen any of it on here , but it's substantial part of being an expat in Thailand for many who have to do this yearly , mostly Western and Norhhern European countries I think , who work similar .For my questions on this thread I'm partly sattisfied , getting some experience of others and actual facts they normally won't do this without translation , which was one of my concerns regarding experience I have with local authorities .I give it a try soon at the Ampuh and will report about it , police I won't bother to go , they mentioned I could go to tourist police , regular police , thai immigration , municipality or the embassy .I wonder though if I try the immigration office if they will know what to do and if I have to do some explaining , I used to sign this at the consulate , but is no longer in Chiangmai , this will surely help me a lot to confirm somebody just done that , don't think they need any translation ? A notary used to be okay but they not mentioned it anymore as an accepted authority ...strangely so .Thanks for the attention , can help many who perhaps travel extensively to get a stamp ...

Edited February 9, 2013 by tijnebijn

[ubonjoe]

You probably could have a notary stamp done by a law office that might be accepted if it was in English (or have it translated). There are plenty of Thai law offices that could do this.

[Mario2008]

For the Netherlands a nptary is normally not accepted.

OP can state the institution he neds it for, than I can give him some better advise. In most cases it wil be a form that has to be signed by the embassy or the local registar (from the amphur) or police.

[tijnebijn]

For the Netherlands a nptary is normally not accepted.

OP can state the institution he neds it for, than I can give him some better advise. In most cases it wil be a form that has to be signed by the embassy or the local registar (from the amphur) or police.

Hi mario , need it for the SVB office , as you state its a form that has to be signed , now I try to figure out if I can go another route then the Embassy , cause its a long travel and want avoid that , needing translations for the Ampuh seems not so attractive costwise , so am in dire straits at the moment .

thanks

[glegolo]

For the Netherlands a nptary is normally not accepted.

OP can state the institution he neds it for, than I can give him some better advise. In most cases it wil be a form that has to be signed by the embassy or the local registar (from the amphur) or police.

Hi mario , need it for the SVB office , as you state its a form that has to be signed , now I try to figure out if I can go another route then the Embassy , cause its a long travel and want avoid that , needing translations for the Ampuh seems not so attractive costwise , so am in dire straits at the moment .

thanks

I have already answered you before in this respect! I like you to challange the others a bit and try it my way, and just go ton the Amphur with your wife or girlfriend, I have been (lucky?) for the last 5 years and have never had any problems whatsoever.

The swedish form (Life certificate) is BOTh in swedish as well as in english and it doesn´t need to be translated at all. They do understand english some of the guys there...... I mean try it for God sake first before you listen to the other guys... It may save you a trip down to your embassy......

Glegolo

[Bosse137]

Hallo glegolo! See my post (11),where I already told you,and others,that it might not be that easy! Happy though to hear,that some amphur have people who can understand English.Do you think I can use them also,although I do not live in your area? Still,my "jangwat" is Chayaphum,so perhaps?? Would save me a trip to Pattaya!Bye the way,allt väl?

[glegolo]

Hallo glegolo! See my post (11),where I already told you,and others,that it might not be that easy! Happy though to hear,that some amphur have people who can understand English.Do you think I can use them also,although I do not live in your area? Still,my "jangwat" is Chayaphum,so perhaps?? Would save me a trip to Pattaya!Bye the way,allt väl?

I will give you a PM and speak swedish with you....I guess the others here will be sad, that only speaks one language.... if I will do it here....

glegolo

[tijnebijn]

okay glegolo , I give it a try at my local Ampuh , if not I can go to the head ampuh in Chiangmai City , but anyways still open for experiences or knowhow of the other possibilities , I have given an email if a notary can be accepted or not , guess will hear from them in 2days .

Anyway I've got to keep track of the other ways , first I try the Ampuh route , notary route , police , immigration and last the embassy if all not works out ,

if it turns out that way I wll send a complain big time , bureaucratic headaches , and waist of time and money .

I appreciate your efforts in sharing your experiences of all , thank you very much .

[Mario2008]

The SVB form cannot be signed by you, but believe can be done at the amphur. It also should have the information in English on it. I once was lucky that an official at the amphur as very good in English and didn't have a problem signing it without a translation into Thai.

the possibilities of who can sign the form should be on the form itself. Maybe the Social Security Office is acceptable? They work togehter with the SVB regarding the AOW.

I believe the statement at the embassy is free, but you need to go in person.

I know another government agency that now has changed its form, so you can only have to sign the form yourself, and submit it together with a copy of your valid passport. Saves me a lot of headache.

[tijnebijn]

yes indeed its both in Dutch and English , I already stated in another post what they say as a valid authority to sign , the SSO checks all the forms correctly done , but aren't a valid authority to sign the life certificate .

Start to have a better feeling regarding being able to sign it locally now , definitely give it a try , I will report my efforts .

[glegolo]

The SVB form cannot be signed by you, but believe can be done at the amphur. It also should have the information in English on it. I once was lucky that an official at the amphur as very good in English and didn't have a problem signing it without a translation into Thai.

the possibilities of who can sign the form should be on the form itself. Maybe the Social Security Office is acceptable? They work togehter with the SVB regarding the AOW.

I believe the statement at the embassy is free, but you need to go in person.

I know another government agency that now has changed its form, so you can only have to sign the form yourself, and submit it together with a copy of your valid passport. Saves me a lot of headache.

Please Mario, is it a secret?? I love to know what you mean by the last part of your post!! Can you share maybe some information..... come on now...

Glegolo

[Mario2008]

It is not a secret, but had some trouble looking it up.

http://www.nationale...9/169?aresult=0 This is a report from the Dutch Nationale Ombudsman, regarding the form used by the UWV.

As a result of the coplaint the form was changed to only a few questions and you now can sign the form yourself, with copy of valid passport.

[Carlos Primeros]

Here in Samui we just take the proof of life form to the Immigration Office together with the passport and then they will stamp and sign the form for you.

Very easy.

Cost us TB 500 though.... But still better than to go to BKK to the Embassy.

Cheers,

Carlos