How do you legalize documents from Suriname for Thailand if authorities contradict each other?
Dear readers,
Please advise regarding legalizing a document for Thailand.
For some official acts in Thailand, the District Office of Surat Thani asks me for a legalized document, in this case my passport, birth certificate and some other documents. I had these documents translated from Dutch to English in my country of origin, Suriname, by a recognized translation agency and provided with an Apostille stamp, issued by the Ministry of Justice and Police.
I then had to send these documents by courier service to the Embassy of Thailand in Brasilia (responsible for Suriname) for certification (for a fee). However, the Thai Embassy in Brasilia returned the documents to me with the note: “We cannot legalize your documents because your documents have not been legalized by the Suriname's Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.
Actions taken:
- I went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Suriname with these documents, provided with an Apostille. The Consular/Aliens Department there says that they are not familiar with this requirement. They cannot help me.
- Then I went to Justice and Police, where the Apostille stamps were obtained. They do not know this requirement either. They want to see the Thai legislation on this. So they did not help me. I was allowed to try it at a notary, but they did not know whether this is recognized by Thailand.
- I presented this situation to a friend, Honorary Consul for the Philippines in Suriname. He is also not familiar with this requirement. When I asked him how he proceeds when legalization is required for a Surinamese for the Philippines, he replied that he has never had to do this.
- I contacted a well-known legal office in Bangkok. They give the same advice: legalize it through the Foreign Office in Suriname.
I'm back to square one and can't make any progress.
Request:
- Do you have any advice on this?
- Can you tell me where I can find the Thai law text regarding the legalization of documents by the Foreign Office?
- Is a notary legalization recognized by Thailand?
Thank you very much. I am at my wits end.
Regards,
Prim Ritoe
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Prim Ritoe, the problem is in Brazil where the Thai embassy assumes that in Suriname such evidence must be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They do not know that Surinamese law stipulates that only the Court of Justice issues it there.
I would like to advise you to first check the above statement. Is it true that only the Court of Justice does that, in Suriname, based on Surinamese legislation? Read this link: https://rechtspraak.sr/home/procedures/legalisatie/
Your legalization is valid for use abroad; only Thailand does not know that. So you will have to convince the Thai embassy of the correctness of the legalization.
Thank you very much for your response, Mr. Kuijpers. The information you refer to on the site https://rechtspraak.sr/home/procedures/legalisatie/ is correct, and the only way of legalization, and that by means of an Apostille stamp. Here I went back with my legalized documents, for advice how to proceed. See above.
I must mention that at the request of the Embassy of Thailand in Brasilia, I spoke to the responsible person at this Embassy by phone and tried to explain for almost 20 minutes that Suriname only legalizes by means of an Apostille stamp. The person said that she follows Thai law and cannot help me. Thailand has not signed and ratified the Apostille Convention (The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)) and therefore does not accept this legalization.
I will keep you informed of what happens next. I will try to call the Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tomorrow.
prime
It's a pity you don't indicate why you need those documents.
For some official acts you don't always have to go through all that hassle.
There was even someone recently who had to come to a revenue office with legalized evidence.
Greetings from Trat.
Which documents specifically are involved?
Do you have Dutch nationality?