What does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs authenticate and NOT authenticate?

[lv426]

Having a debate with a mate who thinks the MFA just authenticate any translation of anything whether English to Thai or Thai to English. For example he wants a DNA report from some Bangkok lab translated by a "recognized MFA translator" and then authenticated by their "Legalisation Department". I've argued they only deal with third-party translations of ID documents issued by the Thai government at some level like a birth certificate, and don't translate themselves or deal with documents unrelated to the government. Who's' right?

[Maestro]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) authenticates the signature of the translator, nothing more and nothing less. This applies to the translator's signature on the translation of any document, not only of government-issued documents.

 

The MFA also authenticates the signature of accredited embassy and consular officials a specimen of whose signatures is deposited with the MFA and the signature of Thai ambassadors and consuls.

 

Although this procedure is colloquially called legalisation of a document, it  does not attest the authenticity of a document or a translation.

[Loaded]

My experience of using them in Chiang Mai to notarize an English translation of a Thai death certificate was that they check the translation which for them also includes the layout of the document. I went back to the translator a couple of times before they were satisfied.

 

My experience was that they don't translate, just authenticate/notarize the translation.  I think anyone can translate.

[ubonjoe]

There is no authorized MFA translator.

The will authenticate a translation of any doucment in Thai to any language or from any language to Thai.

You need to use a good translator or it make take more than one trip to get the get the authentication done. Many translation services can have the department of consular affairs authentication done for you. 

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

... You need to use a good translator or it make take more than one trip to get the get the authentication done. Many translation services can have the department of consular affairs authentication done for you. 

This is a good reason to pay the extra 500 Baht or so (in Bangkok) to have the translator handle the MFA stamp for you - if they screw up the translation, it's their problem to fix it and re-file it.  That 500 Baht is usually called a "service fee" and is in addition to the translation-cost and MFA-authentication cost. 

 

I say "in Bangkok" because one agent in Pattaya quoted 3200 Baht vs the 500.  If you are in Bangkok to deal with your embassy for a document anyway, best to get this done there.

[Emster23]

I had that 'freedom to marry" docu done by well known firm, got the MFA stamp and all. Wife to be and I went to run gauntlet for marriage certificate. The boss of that dept looked over paper, said "There should be an 'a' here... can you get that fixed and come back before end of the month?" Wife had taken day off from work to do the deed, etc etc....

 Tried reason: "The MFA stamped it as 'okay', so as far as that goes, it should be okay". No luck, more yada yada....  wait around, etc. Seems the wife to be saw her and slipped her a 500, unknown to me.

End of that problem. Of course more showed up.... surprised I didn't "go postal"

[JackThompson]

18 minutes ago, Emster23 said:

I had that 'freedom to marry" docu done by well known firm, got the MFA stamp and all. Wife to be and I went to run gauntlet for marriage certificate. The boss of that dept looked over paper, said "There should be an 'a' here... can you get that fixed and come back before end of the month?" Wife had taken day off from work to do the deed, etc etc....

 Tried reason: "The MFA stamped it as 'okay', so as far as that goes, it should be okay". No luck, more yada yada....  wait around, etc. Seems the wife to be saw her and slipped her a 500, unknown to me.

End of that problem. Of course more showed up.... surprised I didn't "go postal"

Some Amphurs are more friendly than others.  Which Amphur gave you the headache?  Others might be able to avoid it if they know.  You can use any, but a PITA to go shopping around, especially when the wife "missing work" is part of the equation. 

[Emster23]

4 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Some Amphurs are more friendly than others.  Which Amphur gave you the headache?  Others might be able to avoid it if they know.  You can use any, but a PITA to go shopping around, especially when the wife "missing work" is part of the equation. 

I live half time in Bangkok (where got translation service, etc), other half in "P" town. Easier to get to offices for marriage, foolishly thought would be more used to farangs taking the leap of faith. Don't want to name the place... defamation and all that, sure you could guess correctly. It was a shakedown, probably happens to most farang-Thai marriages...