Americans in Thailand
FBI Background Check & Apostille in Bangkok
How Americans living in Bangkok get an FBI background check fingerprinted locally, issued by the FBI, and apostilled for use in Thailand — all by mail.
Quick answer
Get fingerprinted in Bangkok on FBI FD-258 cards at a local police station or fingerprinting service, then mail the cards to us. We obtain your FBI Identity History Summary, authenticate it and have it legalized at the Thailand embassy in Washington, D.C., and ship it back to Bangkok. Thailand is not a Hague Convention member yet — it joins on 28 February 2027, so your FBI check needs U.S. Department of State authentication and then legalization at the Thailand embassy.
- Thailand route
- Authentication + embassy legalization
- Translation
- Certified Thai translation required.
- Price
- $548 + $99 worldwide return
- Turnaround
- 16–19 business days once we receive your prints
Why Americans in Bangkok need it
Thai work permits and teaching licences commonly require a criminal background check. Because only the FBI holds your nationwide U.S. record, it can’t be replaced by anything you get locally — and because it’s a federal document, only the U.S. Department of State can authenticate it.
Fingerprinting: the only step that happens in Bangkok
Everything after your fingerprints is paperwork between Washington offices, handled by mail. The prints themselves have to be taken where you are:
- Where: a local police station or a private fingerprinting service in Bangkok. Call ahead — not every station offers it, and some want an appointment.
- What to bring: blank FBI FD-258 fingerprint cards and your passport. Ask for rolled prints in black ink.
- Take two sets. If the FBI rejects one card for quality, the spare saves you another appointment and weeks of delay.
- The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok generally doesn’t take fingerprints for FBI checks — confirm before relying on it.
Step by step from Bangkok
Get fingerprinted
Two full sets on FD-258 cards, with your identifying details filled in exactly as on your passport.
Order online and mail the cards
Send them to our processing office by tracked international courier. Don’t fold or bend them.
We obtain your FBI report
We submit your prints through an FBI-approved channel — typically 1–2 business days after we receive them.
Authentication and embassy legalization
The Department of State authenticates the report, then the Thailand embassy legalizes it.
Shipped to Bangkok
Returned by tracked international courier, with a certified translation if you ordered one.
What Thailand requires
Thailand is not a Hague Convention member yet — it joins on 28 February 2027, so your FBI check needs U.S. Department of State authentication and then legalization at the Thailand embassy. Certified Thai translation required. Receiving offices often want the report issued within the last three to six months, so time your fingerprinting close to your filing date.
More detail on the route for Thailand: FBI background check for Thailand · all documents for Thailand.
FBI check from Bangkok — FAQ
Can I get fingerprinted at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok?
U.S. embassies and consulates generally don't take fingerprints for FBI background checks. Confirm with the embassy, but plan on a local police station or fingerprinting service in Bangkok.
How long does an apostilled FBI check take from Bangkok?
Allow several days for your prints to reach us by courier, then about 16–19 business days once we receive your prints, plus international return shipping.
How much does it cost?
$149 FBI check + $399 authentication and embassy legalization, plus $99 worldwide return shipping. Government fees are included.
Do I need a translation in Thailand?
Certified Thai translation required. We can arrange certified translation with your order.
Is the FBI check the same as a Thailand criminal record certificate?
No. The FBI check covers your U.S. record. If you've lived in Thailand for a while, authorities may also ask for a local certificate from Thailand's own authorities.
What if my fingerprints are rejected?
The FBI rejects prints it can't classify. Taking two full sets at the same appointment saves weeks if one is rejected.
Related: How to get an FBI background check · FD-258 fingerprint cards · FBI background check apostille
Ready to start?
Order online in minutes, or call and we will walk you through it. Federal documents from anywhere in the U.S. — one flat price, all government fees included.