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The wrong day of birth was written down in govt records & his life has never been the same since....

Government official displays the new style of ID card back in 2008. Mistakes made on ID cards can be difficult to correct.

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Local News

Feb 30 birth date causes problems

9/01/2013

SA KAEO - Imagine if your birthday was on a day that never existed. That has been the case for Sangwian Khuncharoen, 53, a deputy village headman of Moo 3 in tambon Thapchan of Aranyaprathet district.

A mistake on his civil registration records listed him as born on Feb 30, 1960 - a date that did not exist.

Because of the error, Mr Sangwian never officially graduated and could never open a bank account.

And not once in his life has he been able to hold a party on his birthday.

The deputy village headman was born in Khok Sung district of Sa Kaeo, when the district still was still a sub-district of neighbouring Prachin Buri province.

He later moved to Aranyaprathet.

Since his house registration document carried the wrong birth date, his identification card, issued to him at the age of 17, repeated the mistake.

The error has plagued him ever since. For a person to change his or her birth date they need at least two witnesses - including an official who can guarantee the information was incorrect - to testify in support of the change request. It is difficult to do for people who have moved away from their birthplace, he said.

Mr Sangwian raised the problem of his non-existent birth date at a meeting of about 400 village headmen, and other local administration officials yesterday in Aranyaprathet district. It remains unclear if he will be able to get the mistake corrected.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Local News, Feb 30 birth date causes problems, 9/01/2013, link)


Government Records Vocabulary
 
records - pieces of information describing something written down or stored on a computer บันทึุก
government records - information kept at the government (such as records of births, deaths, marriages, divorce, etc)

mistake - ความผิด, ความผิดพลาด
government records mistake

correct - change something that is wrong, so that it is right แก้ไขให้ถูกต้อง
correct mistake
get the mistake corrected

identification - the process of finding out what or who someone is การชี้ตัว การหาตัวผู้กระทำผิด
identification card - an official government card that shows and proves who you are (See Wikipedia)

Thai identification card - ID card, identification card, identity card บัตรประชาชน  บัตรประจำตัวประชาชน, เอกสารแสดงฐานะโดยย่อของบุคคล มักมีรูปถ่ายของบุคคลนั้นติดอยู่ด้วย (See Wikipedia)

issue - ออกใหม่
issue identification card
his identification card, issued to him at the age of 17, repeated the mistake

exist (verb) - มีอยู่
existent (adjective) - ที่มีอยู่
non-existent (adjective) - ที่ไม่มีอยู่

birth date - the day you were born on วันเกิด
non-existent birth date
non-existent - a date that did not exist.

imagine  - จินตนาการ
imagine if your birthday was on a day that never existed

deputy - a person who is given the power to do something instead of another person, or the person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน

village headman - the local leader in a village ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน
deputy village headman

That has been the case ... - that is true for ...
That has been the case for Sangwian Khuncharoen, 53, a deputy village headman of Moo 3 in tambon Thapchan of Aranyaprathet district.

graduate - - to finish school successfully and get a certificate or diploma เรียนจบ
officially - approved by the government or some authority ที่เป็นทางการ

officially graduated - to graduate according to the school, in the school records
never officially graduated

bank account - the place where people keep their money in a bank (with an number to identify it) บัญชีเงินฝาก, บัญชีเงินฝากธนาคาร
open a bank account - create a new bank account

party- งานเลี้ยง
hold a party - have a party (at your home, workplace, restaurant, etc)
hold a party on his birthday

registration - recording in an official list
house registration - listing your house at the local government offices (and paying any fees)

civil registration - such information for each person in a local area such as births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc
civil registration records

a mistake on his civil registration records

document - a piece of paper or a set of papers containing official information เอกสาร
house registration document
his house registration document carried the wrong birth date

plague - cause a lot of problems for someone or something for a long period of time ทำให้ยุ่งยาก ลำบากมานาน
the error has plagued him ever since.

witnesses - a person who say an event, usually an accident or crime that they describe, an eyewitness

guarantee - a promise that something is true or will be done or will happen คำรับรอง, การประกัน
guarantee the information was incorrect

official - a high level person in the government
an official who can guarantee the information was incorrect

testify
support - help, by giving money, for example สนับสนุน
testify in support of the change request.

For a person to change his or her birth date they need at least two witnesses - including an official who can guarantee the information was incorrect - to testify in support of the change request.

It difficult to do for people who have moved away from their birthplace, he said.

raised the problem ... - tell people about a problem that exists ....

local - in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about ท้องถิ่น
local administration - local government, the government in a local area
local administration officials

meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
a meeting of about 400 village headmen

Mr Sangwian raised the problem of his non-existent birth date at a meeting of about 400 village headmen, and other local administration officials yesterday in Aranyaprathet district.

It remains unclear if - it is not sure ....
It remains unclear if he will be able to get the mistake corrected.