How to get Birth Certificate and Name Change duplicates

[capt330]

First off, "Hello" to everyone, I have enjoyed and learned a lot reading your posts. With all the expertise I have seen in the past, maybe someone can offer some helpful input into a problem my wife and I have run into.

My wife and I are already in the U.S. and she has her unrestricted green card. For a Birth Certificate we have a photo static copy with a certifying stamp from the Chumponburi, Surin sub-district office. At age 13 she legally changed her first name. On the name change document the Thai official started to misspell her fathers name, whited it out, and then typed it correctly. Problem is there are occasions here in the U.S. ( like getting a drivers license ) when she is required to present her original Birth Certificate and Name change documents. They (MS state gov't) will not accept the photo copy despite it being certified, and 2. they will not accept any legal document with any kind of white out or alteration on it.

Her parents have gone to the Chumponburi sub-district office and the officials have adamantly refused to produce official, legal duplicate (not Photostats) documents. They say, "You only get one when you are born and change your name.". They have the originals on file because they keep giving her parents photo copies of the originals with stamps on them.

I know with floods and fires there are Thai people that have their documents lost or destroyed. Not all, but some of these people work for the government or are in positions with international companies that would require them to be able to validate their identify. It seems there would be some established procedures for obtaining new documents.

Basically I'm asking for assistance from forum members that would have some pertinent knowledge that would aid us.

Three things I would like to find out:

1. Is it possible to get legal duplicates in Thailand?

2. If so, how and where is this accomplished?

3. Ref. #2. Where in the Thai laws is this found? (Incase we need to present this documentation to an unknowledgeable sub-district level government bureaucrat.)

We have been battling this now for over 3 months now. If anyone has any knowledge of this subject your assistance would be greatly appreciated!!!

[ubonjoe]

I don't think you can get anything better than what you have now.

I think the drivers license office is being overly picky. Have you tried going to a different DL office.

Perhaps if you got a certified copy from one of the Thai consulates it would help. There are honorary consulates in New Orleans and Montgomery AL that are close to MS.

Contact info here: http://www.thaiembdc.us/dcdp/Thai_Consulate_Directory2

[theoldgit]

Post suggesting illegal activity removed.

[abrahamzvi]

I suggest you get your ln laws to get the officially stamped copies and then have them translated into English and have the legal translation certified by the US Consulate/Embassy. That should suffice for any purposes in the US

[ubonjoe]

The US embassy will not certify a translation. They would only do a certified copy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does translation certifications.

[misterphil]

Hi, and welcome.

My wife too changed her name when she was younger and she has the certificate. She has 2 certificates now, 1 from when she changed her name from when she was younger and a more recent one from when she changed her name to mine, after we got married. The 2 certificates are a different type, the old one has been done on a type writer and the newer one was done on a computer.

I asked my wife if she lost the old one can she get a new one? She says that the only way that it can be replaced is if she goes to the Amphur in person. She said a family member cannot get this certificate, they need to see the person themselves.

So if your wife wants a new certificate she has to be here in Thailand.

Hope this helps you out.

[misterphil]

I don't think you can get anything better than what you have now.

I think the drivers license office is being overly picky. Have you tried going to a different DL office.

Perhaps if you got a certified copy from one of the Thai consulates it would help. There are honorary consulates in New Orleans and Montgomery AL that are close to MS.

Contact info here: http://www.thaiembdc.us/dcdp/Thai_Consulate_Directory2

Thai consulates dont deal with birth, death, name change and death certificates. They are obtained from Amphurs where the person is registered. The OP's wife has to be in Thailand in person to obtain a new one. See my other post about my wife changing her name.

[ubonjoe]

I suggested getting a certified copy done of what they have now not a new birth certificate.

I don't think the Amphoe can create a new birth certificate. All they will do is make a copy of what they have. At least that is all my wife was able to get.

[misterphil]

I suggested getting a certified copy done of what they have now not a new birth certificate.

I don't think the Amphoe can create a new birth certificate. All they will do is make a copy of what they have. At least that is all my wife was able to get.

The OP isnt looking for a new birth certificate, or a copy of it. He wants to know if he can get a new or ammended name change certificate as his wifes has been altered after the Amphur made a mistake. The mistake has been changed using white out or tipp ex and they are having problems when they submit paperwork.

[avocadowangnamkeouw]

A possible way to create a legal USA document from a copy from the Thai original:

-Take the copy of the original to a certified translation office

-The copy with translation has to go Min. of foreign affairs for legalisation, ( Chaeng Wattana)

With that 'new' created document you go to your embassy, for a final legalisation.

That document will have the status: ' foreign document ment for use in (this case) USA

Fuji-translation office can do the works, even when you just mail them a scan

Fuji Translation Center & Travel Agency Ltd. Part.
888, Ground Fl., Unit 3, Mahatun Plaza Building, Ploenchit Rd., Lumpini,
Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand Tel: 02-2526428, 02-6753877
Fax: 02-6753877 Mobile: 085-3653488; 086-1063401
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

[ubonjoe]

I suggested getting a certified copy done of what they have now not a new birth certificate.

I don't think the Amphoe can create a new birth certificate. All they will do is make a copy of what they have. At least that is all my wife was able to get.

The OP isnt looking for a new birth certificate, or a copy of it. He wants to know if he can get a new or ammended name change certificate as his wifes has been altered after the Amphur made a mistake. The mistake has been changed using white out or tipp ex and they are having problems when they submit paperwork.

The drivers license office is also not accepting the birth certificate. The name change document will be the same copy like they have now.

I suspect part of the problem is that the Amphoe does not do raised seal type stamps like most official documents in the US have on them.

[SteveB2]

I suggested getting a certified copy done of what they have now not a new birth certificate.

I don't think the Amphoe can create a new birth certificate. All they will do is make a copy of what they have. At least that is all my wife was able to get.

The OP isnt looking for a new birth certificate, or a copy of it. He wants to know if he can get a new or ammended name change certificate as his wifes has been altered after the Amphur made a mistake. The mistake has been changed using white out or tipp ex and they are having problems when they submit paperwork.

Ok - I have done this recently. This is what I had to do to correct my name spelt incorrectly on a Thai birth certificate.

Corrective action needed based on the important fact that Thai birth certificates cannot be changed or corrected after issuance!

These actions must be done in Thailand - I am not aware of any way this can be done overseas. This was only my own experience, I am sure that each amphur office's procedure will be slightly different, since they often seem to make up the procedures for this less common stuff as they go along

1. 1st Visit: Both sets of parent and Puu-Yai-Baan (village headman/mayor/etc) turn up at the local Amphur office that issued the birth certificate that is in error.
2. Inform the 'Nai-Palaat or Nai-Ampheur' of the mistake in the document, and your wish to have an official document issued acknowledging the mistake, and what the correct name on the certificate should be.
3. Ask him what official documents are needed to be produced to produce the document acknowledging the mistake.
4. Set a future date to return and process the issuance of the document acknowledging the mistake.
5. 2nd Visit: - bring all documents requested by the official, and every other official document relating to every part of your life held in a briefcase held at your side, in the likely circumstances that the official or someone higher up the food-chain should request more documentation. Any document not in Thai should be certified copies from your own embassy, with official translation stamped at the Thai foreign ministry. Remember that in Thailand, government officials all have the power to request for any other evidence they want to satisfy them that the application is legitimate. This goes for any interaction with any Thai government official in any department of any ministry.
6. An official letter will be produced by the government official which he will read out to you in Thai language that the parents must sign acknowledging the name correction. After signing this letter, it will have to go up to higher official levels, maybe Nai-Ampheur, or even Changwat level for other signatures. Ask when the document can be collected (likely 2-3 weeks)
7. 3rd visit - collect the official document in Thai language in person at the local Amphur office acknowledging the name error. This will need to be signed for in person and cannot be sent be post.
8. Then finally for any overseas (non Thai) foreign embassy uses, get the official Thai document translated into English by a translator recommended by your embassy.
9. Then get the original Thai 'name correction/ document and the official English translation notarized by your Embassy to their satisfaction.
10. This final (your) embassy notarized document should then suffice for all other future needs in your own country.

That's it.

Likely timescale beginning to end 1-2 months