Translator Scam At Amphur?

[verzenden]

Hi all,

I got married 3 days ago with my Thai GF! All the paperwork in Holland was easy to obtain, as it was for my wife to get hers here. I went to the Dutch embassy 5 days ago, early in the morning. I was able to pick up my papers around noon the same day! The same day went to the ministry of foreign affairs, where we translated the papers into Thai and got them stamped by the ministry. All in 1 day!

2 Days later we went to the Amphur Dindang in BKK. After a long wait a woman at the Amphur told us we needed a translator to help me out. We had brought 2 witnesses already to the Amphur, but both were not certified to do the translation job. But no problem coz a woman at the Amphur knew someone, called an english student, and we had to pay him only 500 Baht for translating some sentences!

We had to wait 1 hour for the student to arrive. In the meantime we got ourselves informed about other Amphurs, it seems to be the case that there's some sort of new law requiring you to bring a translator, so we just stayed at this Amphur.

When the student arrived we negotiated a price, 300 Baht. We had to wait another hour coz the woman at the Amphur was having her lunch by now.

The woman at the amphur, who told us that the student would cost me 500 Baht, whispered something in the students ear! Of course i couldn't hear it but I knew she said:" Charge the farang 500 baht!".

Finally we could finish all the paperwork and get married. They asked me some questions, translated by the student. Where are you from? What's your mothers name? How much you earn for a living? What's your address? All questions seemed to be useless coz the answers where right in front of her in my paperwork, just looked like an examination! Lucky me i could still remember my moms name.

When the examination was done I paid the student 300 Baht. He seemed very happy with this easily earned money. But than the Amphur woman asked him how much he was paid, and he said 300. She just got really angry, and said you have to charge him 500! He can pay 500! Why you not ask 500? I told you 500! The student replied: "I agreed upon 300 Baht, it's ok!" Then she turned to me and said 500! I just simply didn't reply to her.

After we made a new ID card for my fresh wife, since she adopted my last name they required her to get a new ID card. By the time we left we saw the student walking out, followed by the Amphur woman telling him, next time 500 na! remember 500! It just made me laugh

Now happily married

It's me,

Kevin

[cnxpat]

Hi all,

I got married 3 days ago with my Thai GF! All the paperwork in Holland was easy to obtain, as it was for my wife to get hers here. I went to the Dutch embassy 5 days ago, early in the morning. I was able to pick up my papers around noon the same day! The same day went to the ministry of foreign affairs, where we translated the papers into Thai and got them stamped by the ministry. All in 1 day!

2 Days later we went to the Amphur Dindang in BKK. After a long wait a woman at the Amphur told us we needed a translator to help me out. We had brought 2 witnesses already to the Amphur, but both were not certified to do the translation job. But no problem coz a woman at the Amphur knew someone, called an english student, and we had to pay him only 500 Baht for translating some sentences!

We had to wait 1 hour for the student to arrive. In the meantime we got ourselves informed about other Amphurs, it seems to be the case that there's some sort of new law requiring you to bring a translator, so we just stayed at this Amphur.

When the student arrived we negotiated a price, 300 Baht. We had to wait another hour coz the woman at the Amphur was having her lunch by now.

The woman at the amphur, who told us that the student would cost me 500 Baht, whispered something in the students ear! Of course i couldn't hear it but I knew she said:" Charge the farang 500 baht!".

Finally we could finish all the paperwork and get married. They asked me some questions, translated by the student. Where are you from? What's your mothers name? How much you earn for a living? What's your address? All questions seemed to be useless coz the answers where right in front of her in my paperwork, just looked like an examination! Lucky me i could still remember my moms name.

When the examination was done I paid the student 300 Baht. He seemed very happy with this easily earned money. But than the Amphur woman asked him how much he was paid, and he said 300. She just got really angry, and said you have to charge him 500! He can pay 500! Why you not ask 500? I told you 500! The student replied: "I agreed upon 300 Baht, it's ok!" Then she turned to me and said 500! I just simply didn't reply to her.

After we made a new ID card for my fresh wife, since she adopted my last name they required her to get a new ID card. By the time we left we saw the student walking out, followed by the Amphur woman telling him, next time 500 na! remember 500! It just made me laugh

Now happily married

It's me,

Kevin

We paid 20 THB in the amphur (in BKK) to get married, for the lot, paperwork, legal stuff etc.

so the answer to "a scam" is probably: yes

[Casanundra]

I just love the way the Thai's can spot a green horn at 50 yards.... sounds like you was wearing your green gullable suit that day because there is no way they would try it if they had any kind of inkling that you knew too much.

It cost me 20 baht and about 30 minutes of my time.

[Jared]

It depends which one you go to. We rang one up first and we got all that crap about needing a translator etc, I put a post up on here to see if anyone else had to do this. Everyone said to try another one so we did and didnt need the translator and paid a very small price, cant remember exactly how much.

[verzenden]

Actually we got married for free! The Amphur didn't charge anything. I paid 300 Baht directly to the student who was my translator. So the people at the Amphur didn't get a single satang.

While we where waiting for the translator to arrive my Thai family informed at other Amphurs. They told me the law has changed, everyone needs a translator at every Amphur nowadays.

I got my paperwork from the Dutch embassy at the same time as another Dutch man. We did some chitchat and went to the ministry of foreign affairs together to legalise the paperwork. I kept in touch with him and he had exactly the same problem at another Amphur 2 days ago. He called me to ask the number of the Thai student translator.

So any other recently married guys out here who can confirm a change of law?

It's.....

Kevin

[leisurely]

Look, does it matter, you're wed now............................

[barryofthailand]

The registration of a marriage in Thailand is free. Some ampurs will jack you around. My wife and I registered our marriage at her home ampur which would have been your best bet. The ampur your wife is registered in will never jack you around. We gave the directer of the Ampur a 500 baht tip. He now remembers us and any time my wife needs any documents she has no problems obtaining them.

Barry

[erikr_]

The registration of a marriage in Thailand is free. Some ampurs will jack you around. My wife and I registered our marriage at her home ampur which would have been your best bet. The ampur your wife is registered in will never jack you around. We gave the directer of the Ampur a 500 baht tip. He now remembers us and any time my wife needs any documents she has no problems obtaining them.

Barry

It seems the amphurs (or Khets) in and around BKK are more strict then upcountry. We had the same issue at dindang (or something similar, had a fun time with the ladies upcountry laughing during all the translations and changes they needed to make as they forget to put my last name on the certificates (happen to have 3 first names which is a bit to much for them). But it was done all for free (ok we needed some icecream during the process) and yes they do remember me as they keep joking with me everytime we walk into the building (not to often haha)