Police Check Requirements

[Ijustwannateach]

Incidentally, to clear up what we know and what we don't know about police checks:

As far as I've heard from people who've recently had to do Non-Imm-B visa runs, you *do* need the police check paper of some sort.

However, it still seems unclear how long you need to have been living in Thailand to get the Thai police check (or is anyone in Thailand who can go to the station listed in the above link eligible???) If not, we have now had some info on how to do the police check in the U.S. (above in the thread) and in Ireland. More information is welcome and appreciated.

"Steven"

[mopenyang]

As far as I know, renewals have thus far not been affected by this requirement. If anyone knows something to the contrary, please let us know.

Also, touching on a point just made by ijwt, who determines what kind of police check you are expected to provide if you are presently resident in Thailand? Is it the Thai police check or should you provide a police check from your home country? Is it the Embassy (Consulate), Immigration, Education, Labour, school.....?

Edited May 19, 2007 by mopenyang

[Nickkbh]

Just curious.What exactly is this police clearance certificate good for.

thx

[Lorin]

Just curious.What exactly is this police clearance certificate good for.

thx

Exactly my question.

[sungod]

Just curious.What exactly is this police clearance certificate good for.

thx

Exactly my question.

Some occupations and some employers require you to have a background check before they will employ you. In the UK you would apply for a criminal background check which would normally go back 10 years. As I have been out of the UK for over 10 years this would be pretty pointless. The Thai Police check covers me for the period I have been in Thailand.

I'm not a teacher, however you can understand the logic there why they would want to know what you have been up to or not as the case may be. Also for some countries it is a requirment in the process for applying for a visa.

Edited May 20, 2007 by sungod

[PeaceBlondie]

Color me confused. I've kept track of this police clearance check issue on three forums, and have never been clear. Some people think it's your home police that need to issue the clearance; others suspect it's the Thai police that issue the clearance. Some people think this check is needed to get certain visas for teaching in Thailand, only at certain consulates. Others think that apparently maybe some guy whose sister used to work at Labour or Education or Morals Ministries thinks maybe it's a good idea....

Who can point us to a reasonably clear explanation in English, on a Thai website from a Thai ministry, that teachers need a police clearance check? Or, an official governmental sub-agency's official policy spelled out in English on letterhead stationery, scanned to this topic? Details, details, details?

[Phil_ne_uk]

In the UK you would apply for a criminal background check which would normally go back 10 years.

Actually the Uk police check goes back through all your life. Or at least 30 years anyway.

[grtaylor]

Just curious.What exactly is this police clearance certificate good for.

thx

Exactly my question.

And about three messages up I answered it . . . .

G

[cosmont]

Well done ! Edited May 21, 2007 by cosmont

[PeaceBlondie]

Quickly reviewing the posts in this topic, we can see the Thai police check is useful for aliens leaving Thailand. Nobody has mentioned whether any agency in Thailand requires an alien to get a police check from Thailand to work in Thailand. I doubt that they do, but rumours abound.

[lopburi3]

I believe a police check is a requirement to obtain a visa to teach in Thailand now and for those living here, or who have lived here, that is a Thai police clearance.

[PeaceBlondie]

I believe a police check is a requirement to obtain a visa to teach in Thailand now and for those living here, or who have lived here, that is a Thai police clearance.

Probably so, lopburi3 - to some extent, for some people, maybe. Some branches of the MFA are asking for teachers abroad to get a local police check in their country, but I've seen nothing official about aliens needing to get Thai FBI clearances to teach in Thailand. There was a rumour about that last week, that an expat who's taught several years in one place might need to get some kind of criminal check or police clearance or kaow-pad-ghai approval, but it's just rumour, and his school doesn't know what it's talking about.

It's most upsetting to expats who teach in Thailand, to be told first one ignorant thing and then another, by expert educators who don't know the first thing about what applies to foreigners.

[Chaichara]

t it's just rumour, and his school doesn't know what it's talking about.

It's most upsetting to expats who teach in Thailand, to be told first one ignorant thing and then another, by expert educators who don't know the first thing about what applies to foreigners.

As an expert educator and teacher recruiter of many years in Thailand, I can assure you that any males applying at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad for a Non-Imm Visa B, based on accompanying documentation for the employment as a teacher in mainstream primary and secondary schools, they will be required to produca a Police Clearance Certificate not older than six months. That is the ruling even if some consulates or their clerks decide not to insist on it.

[PeaceBlondie]

it's just rumour, and his school doesn't know what it's talking about.

It's most upsetting to expats who teach in Thailand, to be told first one ignorant thing and then another, by expert educators who don't know the first thing about what applies to foreigners.

As an expert educator and teacher recruiter of many years in Thailand, I can assure you that any males applying at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad for a Non-Imm Visa B, based on accompanying documentation for the employment as a teacher in mainstream primary and secondary schools, they will be required to produca a Police Clearance Certificate not older than six months. That is the ruling even if some consulates or their clerks decide not to insist on it.

It's great to have an expert educator; you probably weren't one of the educators I was referring to. As for your assurance, could you please back that up with a direct quotation from a named official at the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? What about an Irish citizen who's lived in Thailand for the last ten years? Which of the two levels of 'police clearance checks' from the United Kingdom meet the requirement? Is this clearance from the citizen's own country, or from the Thai police? How many employees of the MFA and its honorary consulates know a clearance check when they see one? Is there an approval on a case by case basis, or is anybody with a reckless driving offense from 32 years ago automatically denied a visa?

Whilst we're on the subject of police clearances, is this only for visas issued abroad? What about visas extended within Thailand by the Immigration Police? Is a police clearance check required for a longterm teacher and resident in Thailand who merely changes schools? What about work permits issued by offices of the Ministry of Labour? What about teachers' licenses issued by the Ministry of Education?

Thank you for your definite assurance. Such precise statements, however, are rather thin on the ground in these parts.

[chatette]

I required a police clearance as a component of a visa application to live and work in Belgium some years ago. I found the process to be very straight forward, as I've found most police procedures in Thailand. Much more so than in Belgium. I've never been asked for a police clearance for a Thai NonI B visa, but then I'm not a man or a teacher....

[hill16]

Hi PeaceBlondie,

Are we to take it that the Police Checks issue is still as clear as mud?

Regards,

Hill16

PS Any of you Irish lads in Chiangmai?

it's just rumour, and his school doesn't know what it's talking about.

It's most upsetting to expats who teach in Thailand, to be told first one ignorant thing and then another, by expert educators who don't know the first thing about what applies to foreigners.

As an expert educator and teacher recruiter of many years in Thailand, I can assure you that any males applying at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad for a Non-Imm Visa B, based on accompanying documentation for the employment as a teacher in mainstream primary and secondary schools, they will be required to produca a Police Clearance Certificate not older than six months. That is the ruling even if some consulates or their clerks decide not to insist on it.

It's great to have an expert educator; you probably weren't one of the educators I was referring to. As for your assurance, could you please back that up with a direct quotation from a named official at the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? What about an Irish citizen who's lived in Thailand for the last ten years? Which of the two levels of 'police clearance checks' from the United Kingdom meet the requirement? Is this clearance from the citizen's own country, or from the Thai police? How many employees of the MFA and its honorary consulates know a clearance check when they see one? Is there an approval on a case by case basis, or is anybody with a reckless driving offense from 32 years ago automatically denied a visa?

Whilst we're on the subject of police clearances, is this only for visas issued abroad? What about visas extended within Thailand by the Immigration Police? Is a police clearance check required for a longterm teacher and resident in Thailand who merely changes schools? What about work permits issued by offices of the Ministry of Labour? What about teachers' licenses issued by the Ministry of Education?

Thank you for your definite assurance. Such precise statements, however, are rather thin on the ground in these parts.

[PeaceBlondie]

Sorry, hill16, but I couldn't read your post; the mud is too thick here. We had a dusty season and a rainy season, and it's been raining mud ever since.

[hill16]

Sorry, hill16, but I couldn't read your post; the mud is too thick here. We had a dusty season and a rainy season, and it's been raining mud ever since.

Nice one PB!!!

Here's an idea though, maybe a poll thread could be commissioned on TV - Teaching in Thailand Forum of how many TV members since Jan 01 2007 had to get Police Clearance to teach and ask them to give details. Or is this pointless in light of the lack of definitve Thai authority guidelines?

[tayto]

Hi PeaceBlondie,

Are we to take it that the Police Checks issue is still as clear as mud?

Regards,

Hill16

PS Any of you Irish lads in Chiangmai?

it's just rumour, and his school doesn't know what it's talking about.

It's most upsetting to expats who teach in Thailand, to be told first one ignorant thing and then another, by expert educators who don't know the first thing about what applies to foreigners.

As an expert educator and teacher recruiter of many years in Thailand, I can assure you that any males applying at a Thai embassy or consulate abroad for a Non-Imm Visa B, based on accompanying documentation for the employment as a teacher in mainstream primary and secondary schools, they will be required to produca a Police Clearance Certificate not older than six months. That is the ruling even if some consulates or their clerks decide not to insist on it.

It's great to have an expert educator; you probably weren't one of the educators I was referring to. As for your assurance, could you please back that up with a direct quotation from a named official at the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? What about an Irish citizen who's lived in Thailand for the last ten years? Which of the two levels of 'police clearance checks' from the United Kingdom meet the requirement? Is this clearance from the citizen's own country, or from the Thai police? How many employees of the MFA and its honorary consulates know a clearance check when they see one? Is there an approval on a case by case basis, or is anybody with a reckless driving offense from 32 years ago automatically denied a visa?

Whilst we're on the subject of police clearances, is this only for visas issued abroad? What about visas extended within Thailand by the Immigration Police? Is a police clearance check required for a longterm teacher and resident in Thailand who merely changes schools? What about work permits issued by offices of the Ministry of Labour? What about teachers' licenses issued by the Ministry of Education?

Thank you for your definite assurance. Such precise statements, however, are rather thin on the ground in these parts.

1 Irish in Chiang Rai.

Up Donegal.

Nobody asking in my school( 4 farang).

[Ijustwannateach]

Actually, Hill, your suggestion of a poll thread is an excellent idea. I'll try to set one up now.

[mamastar]

Belatedly adding a response - sorry I must have gotten the station wrong - due to the fact I ride my trusty Honda Wave everywhere, and don't use public transport.

For Australian immigration, have found it necessary to get a police clearance certificate as I have resided here in Thailand for more than 12 months. Hence my starting this thread in the other visas section.

Apologies for the mistaken station, but hope the other information might be of use to someone.

Cheers.

[smily]

Hi

I was enquiring about that topic yesterday at the local garda station and it can be done only if your travelling or for instance teaching in Thailand. You just need to bring ID and a self adressed envelope. The garda i spoke to said it would take about 3 weeks. The certificate is required for any form of teaching in Thailand but as far as i am aware only certain schools and institutes ask to see it. I am no expert on the matter thats just from what i have been reading here and on other websites.

Hi

I was enquiring about that topic yesterday at the local garda station and it can be done only if your travelling or for instance teaching in Thailand. You just need to bring ID and a self adressed envelope. The garda i spoke to said it would take about 3 weeks. The certificate is required for any form of teaching in Thailand but as far as i am aware only certain schools and institutes ask to see it. I am no expert on the matter thats just from what i have been reading here and on other websites.

Thanks, smily. I don't quite understand this. Can Irish citizens do this by post, from abroad?

Information from Irish Garda.

How do I obtain a Police Certificate?

Police Certificates are issued only for the attention of Consular Authorities and for Foreign Adoptions Boards. They are not issued for employment or any other purpose. They can however be issued when being used for the purposes of establishing, or registering, a business in another EU Member State.

Where to apply:-

Persons resident in the Republic of Ireland - apply to your local Garda Station This no longer applies

Persons resident outside of Ireland - apply in writing (by post) to the Superintendent in charge of the District covering the area of your principal place of residence while living in the Republic of Ireland.

Details to be supplied:

Full name as on birth certificate (including maiden/married name if applicable)

Date and place of birth (or copy of birth certificate)

Current address

All addresses at which you resided in Republic of Ireland

Purpose (i.e. Embassy) for which Certificate is required

Stamped, self addressed envelope if applying to local Garda Station

There is no fee for the issue of a Police Certificate

Issue of a Police Certificates can take up to 4 weeks depending on the particular application

Hi

The garda that gave me the information above was wrong. I went back to do it and they told me i had to contact the garda central vetting office who i called and they advised me that i had to write a letter to them to get the cert. It costs €6.35. The telephone number of the office is 0504427300.

The address is

Garda Central Vetting

Racecourse rd

Thurles

Co.Tipperary

I was informed it could take up to 40 days

[Ijustwannateach]

Thanks for all the info, guys. The more people who post things like this in this section, the fewer that will have to go through that frustrating search for information by themselves.

[tayto]

Seems to be a lot of confusion over this.

I got this e-mail from the Deputy Commissioner two days ago.

Dear xxxxxxxxxxx

I am directed by Deputy Commissioner, Strategic and Resource Management to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated 18 May 2007.

To obtain Garda clearance, you should write to the Superintendent of your local Garda Station (or local to the last address you lived at in Ireland).

In your letter you should;

1) Outline you reason for requesting the clearance

2) Include your full name, date of birth and every address you have lived at in Ireland

Regards

Gráinne Shortall

Office of Deputy Commissioner

Strategic and Resource Management

[smily]

Seems to be a lot of confusion over this.

I got this e-mail from the Deputy Commissioner two days ago.

Dear xxxxxxxxxxx

I am directed by Deputy Commissioner, Strategic and Resource Management to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated 18 May 2007.

To obtain Garda clearance, you should write to the Superintendent of your local Garda Station (or local to the last address you lived at in Ireland).

In your letter you should;

1) Outline you reason for requesting the clearance

2) Include your full name, date of birth and every address you have lived at in Ireland

Regards

Gráinne Shortall

Office of Deputy Commissioner

Strategic and Resource Management

I would persume it is possible then to do it both the ways we have suggested then.

[hill16]

Seems to be a lot of confusion over this.

I got this e-mail from the Deputy Commissioner two days ago.

Dear xxxxxxxxxxx

I am directed by Deputy Commissioner, Strategic and Resource Management to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail dated 18 May 2007.

To obtain Garda clearance, you should write to the Superintendent of your local Garda Station (or local to the last address you lived at in Ireland).

In your letter you should;

1) Outline you reason for requesting the clearance

2) Include your full name, date of birth and every address you have lived at in Ireland

Regards

Gráinne Shortall

Office of Deputy Commissioner

Strategic and Resource Management

I would persume it is possible then to do it both the ways we have suggested then.

Hi lads,

My mate's a Garda and he told me I had to apply to Thurles. I'll try to see if he knows anything about the local Superintendent option. The clearance was probably never intended to be used for our purposes (if indeed we need it at all in Thailand).

Cheers,

Hill16

[expatwannabe]

First let me say "HI, Peaceblondie" and thanks for your help the other day, Buddy!

Ok, to add my $.02 to this discussion...

I traveled to BKK with the Thai bf on Monday this week so that we could both obtain Thai police clearance certificates. Why did we need them? Because we're immigrating to Canada together. I'm American and he's Thai. And since we've both lived at least 6 mo. in Thailand, we both needed the Thai certificates. (I also needed a police clearance certificate from Germany as well as from the FBI - but those were separate deals.)

The Thai Police Clearance Service Center is located on Rama I exactly halfway between Henry Dunant and Ratchadamri Rds. The closest Skytrain stations are Chitlom and Ratchadamri. Walk from the Skytrain platform down to the front of the Police Hospital - then halfway down the street. Walk in the front gates and head to a station about 20 metres on the left, where you show your passport and receive a badge to walk around. Then proceed straight forward about 200 metres to a building marked "24" in Thai. (I should mention that while I can read some Thai, it was invaluable to have the boyfriend there to speak for both of us).

The office says it opens at 8:30, but we arrived at 8:00 and were allowed to start the paperwork. We were actually second in line and I was glad we arrived early, because by 8:45 when we left, there were a dozen people filling out applications. I think the fingerprint officer was happy we arrived early too because we had time to teach him new words like "trash can" and "reside" (as opposed to "stay").

The things a foreigner must bring to the office are:

* copy of first page of passport (notarized by consulate)

* copy of current visa page

* proof of living or working in Thailand (work permit-copied and notarized, or proof of residency-copied and notarized)

* passport and original of work permit or proof of residency

The things a Thai must bring to the office are:

* copy of first page of passport

* copy of house registration

* copy of Thai national ID card

* copy of military record book

* copy of name change request (if any)

* copy of marriage/divorce certificates (if any)

* originals of all of the above documents

What happened:

The information desk pointed us to the fingerprinting area, where we filled out two fingerprint forms each. Foreigners fill out just the top half of the front side, while Thais fill out both sides completely. We also filled out a police clearance certificate request (each). After our fingerprints were taken, we were pointed to the photo room where they took a digital picture. Then we went back outside to the information desk. They checked again that everything was in order - forms and signatures and fingerprints - and sent us to separate processing desks. There the officer looked over everything once again, stamped each document, and wrote a receipt for a final pick-up date. Since I live in ChiangMai, I asked to have the certificate mailed. He asked, "where?" I replied, "ChiangMai." He said, "OK, 40 Baht" and pulled out an envelope for me to address. I'm expecting the certificate within 3 weeks.

The process overall went very smoothly - much more than expected. We thought it might have been better to get fingerprints before arriving in Bangkok, but it wouldn't have been - they were really fast. We thought we'd need to bring our own pictures - we didn't. We thought we'd need to bring our own envelopes and stamps - we didn't. We did bring mailing labels, which were convenient to slap on the envelopes.

The only weird thing was that while they needed proof of my living or working in Thailand, they didn't seem to understand the affidavit I had brought from the U.S. Consulate certifying my address in Thailand. But they accepted it. Overall, it was a pleasant experience.

EW

[Rumpelstilskin]

A friend from Canada said that even though she has a degree and a work permit, a police clearance was necessary for her new employer (an international school) to get a visa and work permit.

Taking the bull by the horns, I set out on Friday to get fingerprinted! Belive it or not, only 1 police station is empowered and ready to serve foreigners, the Royal Police station about a block away from Siam Paragon. If you only want them to fingerprint you, bring a copy of your passport, and they'll have you out the door in 10 minutes.

Paranoids like myself make a color copy before putting it in the mail to the FBI, just in case.....

[spectrum]

Thanks for the info on getting fingerprinted in BKK, obama.

I am applying for my "police record" through the Australian Federal Police.

( http://www.afp.gov.au/business/criminal_history_checks )

There are 3 kinds available :

$36 each name check application.

$130 for a fingerprint and name check application where fingerprints are to be taken and processed by the AFP.

$103 for a fingerprint and name check application where fingerprints are supplied to the AFP upon application.

I thought the fingerprinted kind would be most authoritative (& might come in handy for who-knows-what in the future.) However, the Aus Embassy in BKK told me they cannot take fingerprints. (Why not ? They don't have to interpret them - that's what the police do - just take them and certify they're those of the passport-holder in front of them. Is much expertise required for that ? I know the U.S. Consulate here in Chiang Mai can do it for Merkins.) I was told I'd need to return to Oz to get printed .

The Embassy assured me the document w/o fingerprints would suffice for all occasions, but I wonder. If folks from other countries are fronting up with documents with prints, what's the bet that sooner or later, somewhere or other in VisaApplicationLand, a document w/o prints will be rejected ? I should probably get prints from the police station in BKK and reapply.

BTW, for Aussies applying to Fed Police by mail, you cannot buy International Reply Coupons in Thailand (at least, that's what the Aus Embassy told me ). I contacted AFP and they told me if there was any such difficulty supplying return postage cost, it could be waived. Might be an idea to add a brief note of explanation.

Edited May 28, 2007 by spectrum

[Scott]

In practice, where I work, we've had pretty good luck with them issuing the non-immigrant B as long as there is A police check. Some folks have given us police checks from the last country they worked in; for example one person submitted one from S. Korea. Another person wrote to her home country and received one. The only person we've had rejected was someone that showed up for the visa without one.

A recent employee, who worked last year in Thailand, we were told he doesn't have to get one--at least for the letter from the MOE. I don't know if they plan to check with the Royal Thai police or not.

I'll let you know what happens when he goes to get his visa.