The journey to a Yellow Book in Hua Hin

[Big Boy]

Recently buksida posted how easy it had been to obtain a Yellow Book and ID Card in Bang Saphan. I could never really see any advantage in a Yellow Book, but the ease with which buksida got his rekindled my interest, and I think a Thai ID Card will have its advantages, despite being girly pink . This thread will describe my Journey to a Yellow Book in the hope that it might help others.

To keep the thread on subject i.e. it will be my journey, including mistakes and pitfalls, I will keep it locked, and post it as a sticky so that it can be easily found. Any comments/help should be posted on the existing Yellow Book thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30544 .

08 June 2016

• Visited Hua Hin Tessebahn to make initial enquiries. This is what I was told:

o Make a photocopy of my passport details page.

o Have the page officially translated – I used Sirada (cost 450 Baht).

o Provide details of parents, and where they lived. Tessebahn provided the correct format.

o Have parents details officially translated – I used Sirada (cost 200 Baht).

• Next stage will be to take passport, photocopy and Thai translation to British Embassy to have everything confirmed as correct. Appointment to attend British Embassy has been arranged online for next week (cost will be £25 I think/hope, but could technically be double – original + translation). I need to provide proof of identity and proof of where I live.

• When British Embassy have confirmed everything, we have to take those papers together with details of parents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have everything confirmed as correct.

• Final stage should be to take everything back to the Tessebahn, where they say they will issue my Yellow Book and ID Card.

I will update further as I progress. It doesn’t sound too difficult yet, but attending 2 Bangkok Institutions does sound a little bit daunting.

[Big Boy]

9 June 2016

I re-read buksida's experience, and noticed he needed his marriage certificate. Despite not being told of this requirement by the Tessebahn, I decided better safe than sorry. As we were married in the UK, I decided to get my marriage certificate translated as well. We used Sirada - cost 450 Baht.

[Big Boy]

I'm writing this, sat in the waiting area at Bangkok Station waiting for the train back to Hua Hin.

This should start with Mistakes So Far.

My biggest mistake was trying to plan ahead and get certified true copies. Neither the British Embassy nor Thai Ministry of Affairs would accept my Sirada copies. The British Embassy insisted on doing their own and I had to get another certified true copy of the Embassy's copy. Found a translation shop, and it cost only 300 Baht - ready in just 30 minutes.

The translation shop advised that we would be too late to get the job done today. This was a dilema - do we stay 1 more night, or take the translation shop's offer to do it all for us (2,200 Baht) and papers would be couriered to us. I hate Bangkok, so it sounded like a great idea to me, but Mrs BB is tight, and wanted to stay (of course, staying would cost more than 2,200 Baht).

While we were deciding, we found out that our son was unwell, and my wife wanted to get home - no way would she stay another night.

So we now have to wait for the postman before the next stage.

[Big Boy]

Home safe and sound. My son has survived without us, and I home in time for the footie. A couple more snippets about today:

The Embassy part was really slick (apart from not taking my Sirada translations). My name was called dead on the appointment time. The cost was 1,375 Baht, and the finished article looked really good.

The irony of today, is the translation company used the Sirada translation to produce their own translation.

I should make it clear, there was nothing whatsoever wrong (in my opinion) with the Sirada documents, it was the Embassy doing a jobsworth act.

[Big Boy]

The next exciting installment.....................

The documents finally arrived from Bangkok at about 1pm today. Full of anticipation we picked up our 'Yellow Book' pack and were off to the Tessebahn.

Top tip If visiting the Tessebahn, you will rarely get into the Tessebahn car park - use the water company car park, it's about the same walking distance, and you can always find space.

In we went, and were called after a short wait. Additional documents required were:

- Blue book
- Details of parents and where they lived (Thai and English on same paper)
- Marriage Certificate and translation.

Everything was going well. They'd even said go back on Tuesday to collect my Yellow Book and make my ID Card.................... then the fight started.

The clerk was double checking everything, and spotted that my name in the Blue Book was spelt differently (I didn't even realise I featured in the Blue Book). I think the world was about to end. There is no exact translation of my name into Thai, and the Tessebahn in Somdet over 4 years ago had given a different translation.

Everything had to be changed. I argued that the only thing wrong was an erroneous entry into the Blue Book 4 years ago, and it was the Blue Book that needed correcting. Tessebahn were having none of it, everything had to conform, so everything had to be re-done incorrectly . TIT became very apt.

I had visions of having to go back to Bangkok, visit the Embassy again (the original Embassy copy already had the MFA stamp on it, and was dated).

Anyway, I told Mrs BB to phone the agent to see what could be done. The agent didn't seem to think it was a problem and told us to send everything back by EMS, together with the incorrect spelling of my name and 400 Baht in notes - she would get everything sorted. So another 49 Baht to send it EMS and a further delay.

However, this isn't the end of it. Because that clerk in Somdet got it wrong, there are other documents where the spelling has to be changed to make them legal for other non-associated reasons.

Crazy having to re-write everything because of an error over 4 years ago.

It could be a while before the next installment.

[Big Boy]

A point of clarification on this. Yesterday's problem was explained to me incorrectly. I was told the fault lay with the clerk at the Somdet Tessebahn. I now realise the error goes back beyond that. The clerk in Somdet simply copied the wrong translation from my son's birth certificate.

I now understand why it is important to rectify everything. At the end of the day, it's only costing 449 Baht to rectify, and a little more time.

[Big Boy]

Mini update - all non-Yellow Book documentation updated with Tessebahn. We now have an assurance that Yellow Book will be issued when documentation received back from Bangkok.

[Big Boy]

Another expensive mini-update. Agent in Bangkok has decided they need a further 1,200 Baht (at least Dick Turpin wore a mask). So I've just paid the ransom, which cost 25 Baht to transfer.

Nearly there............................................. I hope.

[Big Boy]

FFS Sh*t Happens

When I started this thread, its intention was to help others through the process. I did not think it would become a pantomime entitled 'How Not To Get A Yellow Book'.

The latest saga. The agent went back to the MFA and got everything rectified. The documents were despatched by EMS.

A couple of days passed, and nothing. I ask Mrs BB to phone the agent to ask for the tracking number (for some reason, I find Thais send things by EMS, but are very reluctant to share the tracking number). As usual, no tracking number, but an assurance they would be in touch.

Next day Mrs BB received a call from an embarrassed agent.............. my papers had been sent to a client in Petchabun by mistake. The fact my personal details were being shared with the world was irrelevant and of no concern. The client in Petchabun had agreed to send the papers on to me by EMS - I'm still waiting.

Now waiting to see if my papers actually turn up, or has somebody stolen my identity

Watch this space for the next comical installment.

[Big Boy]

A brief update........... my globe trotting papers finally arrived back with me yesterday. I will be visiting the Tessebahn, full of optimism later today, and will hopefully have something positive to report.

[Big Boy]

Almost there. I've crawled through the hoops and jumped the hurdles.

I presented my re-vamped paperwork to the Tessebahn this morning, and no questions asked, the documentation was raised. I've been told to go back on Tuesday to pick everything up.

When I've got Yellow Book and ID Card in hand, I'll summarize the 'correct procedure (cutting out the errors made), together with a breakdown of costs.

[Big Boy]

Everything comes to those that wait.........................................

Back to the Tessebahn as instructed this morning, and we walked out 30 minutes later with a Yellow Book and ID Card. Today's cost was 10 Baht for a Yellow Book wallet and 5 Baht ID Card wallet.

20160712_113501.jpg (53.02 KiB) Viewed 18204 times

[Big Boy]

Summary

Step 1 – Obtain true copy of your passport from your Embassy.

Step 2 – Have the embassy copy of your passport translated into Thai.

Step 3 – Take your true copy and translation to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), to confirm authenticity.
NB: You need to be at the MFA between 8am and 9am. So obtaining Embassy true copy and MFA on same day is impossible.

Step 4 – Visit Hua Hin Tessebahn with:

• Your passport
• True copy of passport
• Translation of true copy
• Marriage certificate
• Translation of marriage certificate
• Tabien Bahn
• Details of parents (names and where they lived)
• Translation of details of parents

It is all quite straightforward, just a pain gathering the information together.

Step 5 – Return to the Tessebahn 4 days later to pick up your Yellow Book and ID Card.

Costs Direct:

• Sirada translation of parents details – 200 Baht
• Sirada translation of marriage certificate – 450 Baht
• Embassy production of passport true copy – 1,375 Baht
• Bangkok translation of true copy – 300 Baht
Total – 2,325 Baht

Costs Indirect:

• Sirada copy of passport (not accepted) – 450 Baht
• Bus to Bangkok – 538 Baht
• Bangkok Taxis – 800 Baht
• Rail fares home from Bangkok – 254 Baht
• Bangkok hotel – 1812 Baht
• Agents fees (part 1) – 1900 Baht
• Agents fees (part 2) – 1625 Baht
• EMS – 49 Baht
• Yellow Book Wallet – 10 Baht
• ID Card Wallet – 5 Baht
Total – 7,443 Baht

Grand Total – 9390 Baht

Of course, I had a few special problems on the way, but using an agent saved me 3 additional nights in Bangkok. Everybody's circumstances will be different, but steps quoted will be common to most people.

[Big Boy]

Thread now unlocked. My journey is complete, so questions on this thread are now welcome.

[buksida]

I'm astounded that you had to go to all the hassle and expense at the embassy and MFA where in Bangsaphan, following exactly the same procedure, they accepted the Sirada translation. Guess it is a Hua Hin thing, 2 hours down the road 9,000 baht less - gotta love the consistency in this country.