Thread: Back in the UK...Criminal Record check

Hi everyone,

After teaching in Thailand for 6 months I am now back in the UK. I have an interview early next week for a job in a school and they obviously will do a CRB check as part of the process, which is no problem. However the problem I have is that due to me working abroad the school are asking for evidence of an equivalent check from Thailand. I worked legally in Thailand with the correct visa/work permit all done properly through the school but never had to undergo a record check.

Has anyone had one of these in Thailand? I'm a bit stuck with what to do now, the school have asked for official certification rather than just a letter from the school.

Any advice?

Thanks

Bells

I'm curious to see how this turns out. The Thai civil service loves paperwork but do they ever look at it twice? Will PC Somchai be able to definitively state that they have no record of you?

---Update---

I always imagined that the reason I gave the dept of immigration a mountain of paperwork each year was to save them looking for what I gave them the previous years.

dunno about that, I've seen immigration police desperately looking for paper work.

---Update---

anyways.... as bird said, I'm sure your nearest consul will know how to get the ball rolling.

Thanks for all your help!

I have been in contact with the Thai consulate who said they'll be in touch soon, so fingers crossed something will come from that.

Well, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission took a second look when it comes to background check. Of course there are times when people's background gets in their way to have a certain job. So, the EEOC has asked that employers put "less emphasis" on criminal records found during background checks and it is effective immediately. They are responsible for ensuring that everybody in the U.S. has an equal chance at getting employment. New recommendations issued by the EEOC still allow employers to take into account employee's criminal history records, but only to a certain extent.In fact, employers will not be able to consider a criminal record as a disqualification that has nothing to do with the job. Article source: Employers can still consider criminal records.

Originally Posted by bellsuk

I have been in contact with the Thai consulate who said they'll be in touch soon

Don't ask the Thai consulate to do it all for you, just apply by post yourself to the Royal Thai Police on Rama I Road, Bangkok using the specimen letter from LDMA's link.

Originally Posted by Getorfmoiland

Doesn't the CRB check also include overseas work?

Don't believe so, no. Otherwise they'd charge twice as much in fees and take twice as long to process it.

Thanks for all of your help. I've managed to get most of the documentation together to get the certificate, the only issue I've had is getting fingerprints done. After making several trips to the local police station and ringing various numbers I've been told my only option is to keep popping into the station and hoping that there is someone free to do the prints. I obviously understand that something like this isn't top of their priority but they were incredibly vague about it all which isn't particularly helpful. I've tried other smaller stations in the local area but they point blank refused. Just to round off this incredibly annoying scenario the cost of getting the required three sets of prints is £130!!! So with the added processing costs from Bangkok this is likely to cost £200+

I'm very much regretting not getting this all sorted when I lived in Bangkok now!

I had a similar thing when I was asked to get a criminal record check for my time in Japan. The Japanese police force would provide it for free but they needed me to get certified fingerprints from the UK police. A few years ago that cost 70 pounds (if I remember correctly - maybe more to get additional sets)... and even in London they said there was only one place that would do it and that was only open for a few hours a week, all during work hours. It may have changed now.

I was looking for UK supply work and only one agency needed the criminal record check covering my time in Japan. The other agencies were fine with the enhanced check (that didn't cover my time Japan) so I just found work with these agencies and never ended up getting the fingerprints. I later found out that the reason that the one agency was being extra careful was because the supply teacher who had had an affair with a student was employed through that agency! Maybe that means that criminal record checks covering time spent abroad is not a legal requirement and can be talked around? or just doctor your CV to say that you were travelling during those months for future jobs...