The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided that from 1 February 2018 consular statements and (signature) legalizations may only be issued by an embassy.
For the Consulate in Phuket, this means that only life certificates may be stamped there or, where appropriate, a statement of life may be issued. In addition, the consulate will continue to provide consular assistance to Dutch citizens in need.
Consular statements, such as a visa support letter and a statement of residence, can be requested (by post) from the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok. You must always appear in person at the consulate or embassy for a statement of life.
More information can be found at www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/…/thai…/wonen-en-werken
Source: Facebook page Dutch Embassy in Bangkok
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
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It's getting crazier…
For a confirmation of a “declaration alive form”, you must now also appear in person before the Embassy in Bangkok???
For years this confirmation has been given by, for example, the immigration service for which you paid 500 baht or through a lawyer…
The same procedure was also discussed this past year, for your “Income statement”, where you suddenly had to appear in person at the embassy, but fortunately this was canceled and you can now arrange this by mail.
Don't forget that many Dutch people live very far from Bangkok and are old and cannot easily make such a long journey… (besides the costs involved)
And the question is also what will that cost at the embassy?
Doesn't anyone understand anything at the embassy or Foreign Affairs, what this means for this group???
I hope that this does not happen and that one can simply get a confirmation through the immigration police, which is also an official body, by a stamp and signature from the immigration service….
This is exclusively about the powers of a consulate, which are apparently limited. If your 'certificate of life' was issued by authorities other than the consulate and accepted in the Netherlands, this statement will not change that.
That is also a bit of what I wonder, what if you are bedridden and therefore unable to report to the embassy. Will you be declared dead right away?
That then excludes the use of consul austria ws……..for income statement, etc.
no no
Income statement is proof of income whether you empathize or not
Where do you read that? This does not affect the powers of other consulates………
Don't see bears on the road, which aren't there ……………relax and wait and see!
I have a few times for proof of life for the Nationale Nederlanden insurance company.
Have this statement signed by a licensed doctor at a hospital in Lamphun.
Costs 100 baht.
Jan Beute
I just went to the nearest immigration office, they signed and stamped free of charge for the SVB.
Incidentally, it is of course retarded that they can check whether you are not secretly living with your state pension, but do not accept the 3-monthly immigration check with extension as proof of life.
That could be done by the same Thai agency.
But yes, the Netherlands. Why should we make it easy for citizens…
Jasper the SVB only accepts signatures and stamps from the Social Security Office.
The consul of Austria makes good money and will not stop. I don't think this is an agreement between the consul of Austria and the embassy of the Netherlands. They both fish in the same fishing water. It is more based on EU policy and applies to all EU citizens and an arrangement with immigration at Jomtien. There are also French people there for such a statement, just to name a side street.
In my last paper from the ABP pension fund, I read that three more agencies can sign before the form is alive.
Literal text:
What do we ask of you? Fill in the requested information and then have this statement confirmed. This confirmation may only be done by three persons: – a civil registrar in your place of residence or – a civil-law notary or – a judge.
As you read, a police agency is not mentioned.
What surprises me is that a consulate is no longer allowed to issue consular statements, but that this must be done in writing at the embassy??
I know that the Dutch in Thailand are considered less and less important for the mother country, but this is really a step too far. Stop bullying your compatriots dear BUZA. Our basic needs, which we do not ask for but which are needed, are not compromised but are generously met. That's my opinion.
Jacques, just a response to your comment regarding the ABP Pension Fund. I also receive my pension through ABP. Before I started receiving AOW, I always received a request from the ABP if I could provide proof of life. I went to Immigration in Hua Hin with this and got a stamp and signature there. Since I receive AOW, the ABP no longer asked about anything, something I found strange. I then contacted them, and it turned out that SVB and ABP are connected with each other in terms of proof of life. Together with my wife here in Hua Hin I go to the SSO (sister of the SVB here in Thailand) and there the proof of life sent by the SVB is neatly signed and stamped. My wife uses a copy of this form to forward to her agencies where she will receive a pension, as a certificate of life. This is always duly accepted.
The various authorities in the Netherlands have no idea how things work in Thailand. People think it's the same here as in the Netherlands, eg distances and addresses, mm After about 40 years here I still have to explain how an address in Thailand works. Abbreviations are used with the result that the mail does not arrive. Same with distances, I'm now 81 years old and I'm going to have some difficulty walking. If you then have to travel a few hundred km by public transport to show your face at the NL Embassy, it is not easy.