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Last Saturday, a question was asked about the SSO in Laem Chabang, where the state pensioners of Pattaya and the surrounding area have the Life Certificate of the SVB checked, stamped and signed. I already responded to that, but other AOW pensioners still had questions.

I received the form from the SVB at the beginning of October, which I normally always receive in January. What I did with it is described in my letter to the SVB below.

"Dear Madam, Sir,

After receiving your letter of October 13, 2020 last week, I and my partner have reported to the SSO in Laem Chabang to have my form checked, stamped and signed. That was your instruction, which has been routine for me for many years.

Unfortunately I could not be helped, instead I was handed a paper (see attachment) stating that the SSO no longer handles the signing of the life certificate and that I should contact the Dutch embassy in Bangkok.

The Dutch embassy is also the only alternative, which is mentioned in your letter, but a visit to Bangkok is physically difficult for me, it would also cost me a whole day and an expensive taxi ride.

For other life certificates and papers that I need for a visa extension, I have been using the services of the Consulate of Austria (also a Schengen country) for many years. That Consulate is located 500 meters from my home in Pattaya within walking distance.

I would have liked to ask your permission to have the Certificate of Life checked, stamped and signed by the Austrian Consulate in this case as well, but unfortunately the contact form on your website was not available. I have therefore taken the liberty of following this procedure and the checked, stamped and signed form can therefore be found in the appendix.

I look forward to your confirmation – preferably by e-mail – that I have fulfilled my obligation.”

I thought that the SVB was in default by not announcing that the option for processing the Life Certificate at the SSO in Laem Chabang was no longer current. I therefore found my action via the Austrian consul justified, because a trip to Bangkok would be time-consuming and expensive.

Yesterday I received the response from the SVB:

“We have received your life certificate in good order and you have fulfilled your obligations.

We thank you for the explanation and letter from the SSO.”

Finally

If you also went to the SSO in Laem Chabang for the SVB Life Certificate, you can now also use the services of the Austrian consul in Pattaya North. You can go there during office hours, you do not need to make an appointment and the service will be provided free of charge granted.

About this blogger

Gringo
Gringo
Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!

39 responses to “A quick chat about Life Certificate SVB and SSO Laem Chabang”

  1. l.low size says up

    Dear Gringo,

    Thank you for your "preliminary work" and how it has now been resolved.
    I haven't received my letter from the SVB yet
    I can now lean back somewhat relaxed.

    Regards,
    Lodewijk

  2. sjakie says up

    Very good action Gringo, my compliments for the very relevant and relevant letter to the SVB and thanks for sharing this success. Cheers!

    • Thailand John says up

      ThailandJohn

      I just went to the Austrian consulate, had it stamped and signed there. Then sent by post to the SVB. It's time for that to be possible. Because if you have to send 2020, you will still cost more money and it is still not certain that it will arrive. But yes it is just the tax authorities? We can't make it easy. it's more difficult. It's just very rude and then I express myself carefully and politely. To allow elderly and less mobile people to travel to the SSO office for Jan with the short surname and to incur costs while the SVB is aware that they no longer need to be there.

      • sjakie says up

        @Thailand John. It has been a few years now that you can scan the life certificate and send it to the SVB by email, after which you no longer have to send it by post. Works fine.

    • FREEK says up

      Would you be so kind as to let me know the correct address
      have just come to live in Nongplalai, totally unknown in Pattaya
      current address incorrect and telephone also incorrect from consulate
      Thank you in advance for your kind cooperation
      FREEK

      • Gringo says up

        The Consulate of Austria is located on the grounds of the Thai Garden resort in North Pattaya Road.
        Coming from Nongplalai via Sukhumvit take the Pattaya Nua exit, then make a U-turn at the second set of traffic lights and turn immediately left onto the grounds of Thai Garden resort.

        • FREEK. van DIJK says up

          Thank you very much for useful advice
          go there this Friday, I understand that the consulate is closed on Wednesday and Thursday
          FREEK

          • raymond says up

            freek, I read they are open Monday to Friday 10.00am to 16.00pm and closed on German Thai and public hollidays as Friday is a special public holiday

      • Rene Brown says up

        Dear Mr. Freek van Dijk, I also live in Nongplalai and may be able to help you in Pattaya. My telephone number is: 0877953754. Greetings René de Bruin.

  3. Tarud says up

    Does this mean that all SSOs in Thailand are no longer willing to sign proof of life? I live in Udon Thani region and plan to go to SSO Udon Thani as soon as I get the letter from SVB. I haven't received it yet. I also don't like a trip to Pattaya to use the services of the Austrian consul in Pattaya North.
    In short: Only the possibility of processing the Life Certificate at the SSO in Laem Chabang is no longer current. Or does this apply to all SSOs in Thailand?

    • Thailand John says up

      Taruud you can assume that it is the same everywhere. A Notary, or police station and then just send it to them with a note. Sorry the SSO no longer works and the Embassy is much too far away.

    • He says up

      The same applies to many pensionados in Thailand, so be wary.

    • Leo Th. says up

      Fortunately, Gringo was able to go to the Austrian consulate located almost next to his home. In my opinion it is also absurd of the SVB to mention the Dutch embassy in Bangkok as the only alternative to the SSO (in this case in Laem Chabang). I can vividly imagine that you don't like traveling from the Udon Thani region to Pattaya to have your life certificate stamped there; in terms of distance, that is considerably further than the journey that Gringo would have had to make to Bangkok. The reactions to not being helped by the SSO in Laem Chabang showed that other SSOs in Thailand did stamp the forms, but it remains uncertain and for many the nearest SSO is often still far away. Hopefully the SVB will work with the many suggestions to make it easier to provide proof of life.

    • William van Beveren says up

      1 week ago my proof of life was stamped by SSO Phichit, no problem

  4. George says up

    Last year in November I digitally submitted my living proof of my pension fund to the SVB.
    It wasn't until the end of February that I could see on the site that it had been accepted. This year I did the same again.
    Hopefully it will be fine again.

  5. Jos says up

    Also called SVB yesterday, explained everything about SSO and asked if I can go to the Austrian consul in Pattaya North, had given me permission to do that, did it today and sent it to SVB via PC and tomorrow the life certificate will be sent by post

  6. Ad Vermeulen says up

    Does this apply to all SSO?

  7. kees says up

    I have not received a letter from the SVB.
    Should I do or just wait for what happens?
    Kees

    • sjakie says up

      @kees. The SVB has indicated that the Life Certificate Form can be submitted later this year due to the Corona vicissitudes. Usually you will receive it in your month of birth, just wait a little longer and if you have not received it 3 months after the expiry of your month of birth, you can email the SVB, but nothing prevents you from doing so now.

  8. happy man says up

    My wife also had to be present at the SSO.
    My question is whether the same applies to the Austrian Consulate?

    • sjakie says up

      @Happy man, see the explanation to question 5 in the 2019 Life Certificate form. So the answer to your question is either Yes or No.

    • Gringo says up

      Yes, if you receive a partner allowance, the SVB also wants to know whether that partner is still alive.

      • sjakie says up

        And YES if your wife receives a benefit from the SVB.

  9. Jochen schmitz says up

    attn Taruud.
    I have been to the SSO in Udon Thani in October and the form of being alive was signed without any problems. I did not receive it from the SVB either, but I used a copy and sent it by e-mail. Later I received a letter through my mailbox that the SVB will send the form in February.
    Succes

  10. Do says up

    Here's a response from Hua Hin, we went to the SSO here yesterday (17.11.2020), and 10 minutes later we were outside again with a stamped and signed proof of life from the SVB. Been doing this here for years, and to full satisfaction. So it turns out that all SSOs have their own rules.

  11. Theodore Moelee says up

    Was 10 Oct. birthday and so far no AdeV form received. I have sent the SVB the question with DigiD when I can expect this form. No reply received yet.
    The question is of course whether the SSO throughout Thailand has stopped !!

    I'm disappointed that the SVB makes such a mess of it. Have always been treated nicely in the past.

    • sjakie says up

      @Theodoor Moelee, The responses show that: A. not all offices of the SSO no longer sign the form, so they don't mess it up, on the contrary. And B: It also appears that people understand that it is all a bit more difficult in the Corona year and the SVB has responded to this.

    • He says up

      I should have received it in May, but nothing yet.

      • Do says up

        The website of the SVB states that after October 20, people started sending the Proof of Life again. This has to do with the Corona virus.

      • He says up

        Received today, hopefully the SSO in Korat will still cooperate.

  12. Renee Martin says up

    Thank you for letting us know what is possible. In my opinion, the Dutch government/embassy could also play a more active role in this.

  13. theobkk says up

    At the beginning of October I had my life certificate signed at the SSO office in BangKapi in Bangkok.
    It was specifically said that they only do this for Dutch people.
    In response to Gringo's message, so it's probably up to the office if they want to do it.
    I was outside 20 minutes later with a signed copy.

  14. biba bowling says up

    If you visit the SVB website you can read that they are doing tests with a digital life certificate. So it will probably become easier after all the corona problems.
    Jos

  15. Ton says up

    I read somewhere that an app for mobile phones is being developed that will take over the task of paper life certificates for both the SVB and pension funds. I hope it's true. It is a terribly time consuming and costly hassle for many.

  16. ron says up

    I think the accompanying recent letter answers questions that are alive now 🙂 and how things will develop in 2021
    https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/binaries/rijksoverheid/documenten/kamerstukken/2020/09/18/antwoorden-op-kamervragen-over-de-mogelijkheid-voor-gepensioneerden-in-het-buitenland-via-app-hun-levensbewijs-door-te-geven/aanbiedingsbrief.pdf

  17. Henkwag says up

    After my perhaps somewhat hidden critical reaction to Saturday's message
    it's all clear now! Gringo has good preparations for many of us
    done, for that, and for today's very extensive info, my sincere thanks!

  18. William says up

    Thanks ron for your link ron.

    Asked this question this morning via the WhatsApp SVB since the Austrian consulate is also a bit far for me.
    Can I have it confirmed with a local lawyer?
    Reply

    Good morning, that is also allowed, A notary / lawyer falls under the competent authority.

    Up to a solid payment, although there is also a considerable price difference with those 'men', I have been told. The advantage is quick and easy and just ask for the PDF in your e-mail plus of course the original to send.

    Did I see something about E mail address here to send PDF which I can't find again?

    • Ron says up

      https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/documenten/vragen-en-antwoorden/coronavirus-veel-gestelde-vragen-over-levensbewijs-svb

      No email address or contact form
      Otherwise, ask for an email address via whatsapp

  19. He says up

    My question to the SVB whether the SSO still cooperates with the SVB in connection with the events in Pattaya yields the following answer.

    “We are not aware that the SSO in Pataya no longer signs life certificates. I advise you to just go to the SSO in your province.”


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