Criminal checks in Thailand: a comprehensive overview
The process of conducting criminal background checks is a vital practice in numerous organizations, especially within high-risk industries like transportation, construction, and healthcare. These checks are at the core of employment background screening and are crucial for HR departments in making well-informed decisions before hiring prospective employees.
They play a pivotal role in uncovering critical issues, such as a history of driving under the influence of alcohol or the possession of forged diploma degrees, which are frequent red flags encountered in Thailand. There are two ways to conduct a criminal check in Thailand: through criminal courts and through police records.
Criminal court checks in Thailand
Information from courts is public however several factors contribute to the lengthy processing times:
- Lack of a centralized and online Public Database: Thailand’s judicial system lacks a centralized online portal for public access to case databases. Instead, each court maintains separate databases.
- Structure of the Judicial System: The Thai judicial system consists of courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court.
- Provincial variations: The number of Provincial Courts in each province depends on its population, leading to variations. For example, Bangkok boasts several courts, while Trat has just one.
It is therefore difficult to conduct a comprehensive search in those conditions. Each court maintains its own records, typically including case numbers, plaintiff/defendant names, charges, filing/judgment dates, and judgment details. However, challenges may arise if a person has changed their name without declaring it.
Royal Thai Police checks
To get comprehensive information, criminal checks conducted through the Royal Thai Police is generally the solution favored by the HR departments and requested from screening companies.
The Royal Thai Police does not yet provide results online, consequently, a field visit is still required. Here are the features of these checks:
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- Data Accuracy: The Royal Thai Police maintains a centralized, digitalized database with accurate and reliable information. It relies on the citizen’s ID number and fingerprint, which remain consistent even if a person changes their name.
- Procedure: To conduct a criminal check with the Royal Thai Police, a consent form in Thai must be completed and submitted to the police, along with a copy of the ID card for Thai citizens. However, with the new Digital ID solution, it is now possible for individuals to order their criminal records online.
- Result Delivery: Results are provided within 7 to 10 working days. For foreigners, the process is similar but takes 10-14 working days.
- Result Content: The report includes the name, surname, ID number, and an indication of whether a case was found related to the subject.
Conducting criminal background checks ethically requires strict adherence to procedures. Such compliance is the bedrock that ensures trustworthiness, reliability, and legality, even if it takes time.
Understanding that the process of conducting background checks can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and often challenging to fit within tight timelines. Consequently, having a third-party service provider committed to compliance can offer an effective option for delving deeper into a candidate’s background. This is because the process necessitates ample time, precision, as well as local expertise, and advanced technology to uncover the complete story behind the candidate.
