Britain’s Man In Bangkok: An interview with British Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Brian Davidson

[TheLobster]

On ‎07‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 6:17 AM, Father Fintan Stack said:

Send an openly gay ambassador with his head in the clouds to a country under a military ************.

No wonder they think Britain is a joke these days. 

 

On ‎07‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 7:58 AM, ratcatcher said:

"Brian Davidson, Britain’s man in Bangkok and the epitome of a thoroughly contemporary ambassador, shares the Colonial-style home, with Scott Chang, his Chinese-American husband, and their baby son Eliot, born to a surrogate mother in California."

Rule Britannia. A man for all reasons.

Too much F...ing PC these days. I'm heterosexual, maybe that's why the British Embassy in Bangkok don't want to seem to help my family?

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

15 hours ago, Orac said:

 

Not really a job that you apply for. The ambassador before him was a Muslim though so can't see it would be a problem.


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He was the one before Kent: Asif Ahmad.

And what a complete disaster he was. Shipped off early, and deservedly so.

How dare he change the rules at the embassy to suit his own religion. In his dwelling okay, but to enforce it on the compound was simply racist.

A fast tracked Tony Bliar PC appointment.

Right now he should be in the Caribbean waiting for storm Irma...

 

 

[Ricardo]

6 hours ago, baboon said:

So now you know: There is no tooth fairy and our country does not care about us one little bit. Nor has it for years. The taxes you pay mean nothing. You mean nothing.

I do not mean any of this as a personal slight to yourself, but I think it is high time that the misplaced patriotism so many feel ought to be brought to an end.

No offense taken  ...

 

I (on behalf of my family) decided to vote with-my-feet fifteen years ago, not sorry I did, but one cannot so-easily shake-off one's early-years & education & memories.

 

It's an interesting experience to view one's country & native-culture from-afar, as many on TV have found, it changes your world-view, no bad thing IMO.

 

But I can't help feeling that government ought to stand for their taxpayers/citizens, in an ideal world, and I wouldn't really want to loose that view completely.  Time for coffee !  Have a Good Day !

[faraday]

6 hours ago, TheLobster said:

 

Too much F...ing PC these days. I'm heterosexual, maybe that's why the British Embassy in Bangkok don't want to seem to help my family?

Do you really want to know the answer......?

[baboon]

6 hours ago, TheLobster said:

 

Too much F...ing PC these days. I'm heterosexual, maybe that's why the British Embassy in Bangkok don't want to seem to help my family?

The sexual orientation of the ambassador is nothing to do with it. They are there to represent the interests of the state. In our case, a state who cares little or nothing about us. 

Not happy? Take it up with the government of the day and their policies, not those tasked with carrying them out.

[wakeupplease]

His sexuality should not come into it in this day and age and we all know there are some doggy Brits out here hiding from one thing or another, so give it a miss on that side. BUT

 

They appear to be here for one reason and that is not looking after British people who live and visit here, its one big party for the staff of the embassy and maybe a bit of trade and with the current trade imbalance you might as well shut the god dam place as it does not say much for any trade efforts if any, from this bunch of money burners.

 

Big business gets the efforts you and I get F all.

[pornprong]

I was watching an interview with John Cleese yesterday, in it he said back in the Monty Python days the top tax bracket was 83% - it is now 45%.

 

Tax cuts mean less public services, can't have one without the other.

 

Who here thinks a politician going to an election promising to raise taxes to pay for overseas embassies to babysit expats would win that election?

 

Where this guy sticks his c*** is irrelevant.

[Orton Rd]

5 hours ago, pornprong said:

I was watching an interview with John Cleese yesterday, in it he said back in the Monty Python days the top tax bracket was 83% - it is now 45%.

 

Tax cuts mean less public services, can't have one without the other.

 

Who here thinks a politician going to an election promising to raise taxes to pay for overseas embassies to babysit expats would win that election?

 

Where this guy sticks his c*** is irrelevant.

But it would be in some countries, he would never be appointed to the same post in Saudi Arabia, or any other Islamic state.

[pornprong]

6 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

But it would be in some countries, he would never be appointed to the same post in Saudi Arabia, or any other Islamic state.

Neither would any of those countries appoint a woman.

So what's your point?

[sungod]

On 9/8/2017 at 8:11 AM, colinneil said:

What if he is gay !1 so what.

He will probably be as useless as those that he be in the job before.

British embassy is only interested in screwing ex-pats out of money, nothing else.

 

Look at my case, i am in hospital in a coma, wife is unaware of what to do because i am British.

So she calls the British embassy for help/advice, as was promptly told !! not our problem goodbye !!

Not trolling, genuinely interested. What sort of advice do you think she needed? They can help find /inform relatives, other than that I guess you were in hospital and the doctors were your best bet?

[nong38]

On 9/8/2017 at 7:38 AM, chowny77 said:

Why do we even bother to have an embassy here anymore?? They do F&*k all and charge way over the top for something that should be free. We can not even get passports processed here anymore and have to pay through the nose to and use an agency to perform the task of sending it back home. Sell up the embassy estate and kick them out. No use to anyone and just wasting tax payers money.

A tent in the grounds would probably suffice, dress up like scouts if you like, a few songs round the camp fire and then toddle off home there a good chap.

[nong38]

I must say that the dear old thing does not look like he would much good at third man,  silly mid on or short leg maybe.

[dick dasterdly]

22 hours ago, shanesox said:

And Adopting a baby with a partner at his age! Irresponsible


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Why did the adoption agencies 'reduce' their rules in this case?  Surely nothing to do with money .

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, sungod said:

Not trolling, genuinely interested. What sort of advice do you think she needed? They can help find /inform relatives, other than that I guess you were in hospital and the doctors were your best bet?

I agree and was wondering the same thing.

[wakeupplease]

Two things that put me off this place where visible as you approach the front gate, security is like Downing street and no friendly British face to greet you. Yet across the road and down a bit is the Swiss Embassy, a very different ball game there with real people and no where near the over the top security.

 

Its plain to see the Embassy is not there to help its own nationals by the performance of the staff. Even  bib say if the embassy will not help you why should we care (Said A Few Times I heard). We know of a case that an attorney telephoned for assistance on a British death only to be told contact the relatives as its their responsibility. Staff there even told us sorry we do not speak Thai, so why in the hell are they there?.

Its an old boys network looking after friends and family with jobs for life at our expense.

 

If you need a lawyer do not use one of their recommendations as they never do Due diligence and the first thing the lawyers say when you call any on that list is have you got 1 million B.

 

Waste of time even going to them for help or guidance.

 

Nice to see other countries embassies do help their countrymen unlike the British.

[rickudon]

As an individual i do not care about his family arrangements. But one thing for certain, the British Embassy provides a crap service.

 

Considering that the British are possibly the largest percentage of the western expats in Thailand (hard to tell, as neither the British or Thais gather extensive data), they offer one of the worst services. No outreach visits, cutting back on consulates even when UK expat numbers were growing, and possibly charge the highest fees. Also many useful consulate services have been out sourced (e.g. passports and visas) and if the services they provide are incompetent the British government just says nothing to do with us.

 

And when did the British Embassy last actually provide any diplomatic pressure to help a citizen in trouble? The press and social media now have to do that! Just a party circuit for other diplomats and large business corporations.

 

I would really like to see how much the services they provide ACTUALLY cost to run, and how much they make from providing them ......

[TheLobster]

On 9 September 2017 at 7:21 AM, faraday said:

Do you really want to know the answer......?

Please tell ...

[4737 Carlin]

On 10/09/2017 at 9:57 AM, rickudon said:

As an individual i do not care about his family arrangements. But one thing for certain, the British Embassy provides a crap service.

 

Considering that the British are possibly the largest percentage of the western expats in Thailand (hard to tell, as neither the British or Thais gather extensive data), they offer one of the worst services. No outreach visits, cutting back on consulates even when UK expat numbers were growing, and possibly charge the highest fees. Also many useful consulate services have been out sourced (e.g. passports and visas) and if the services they provide are incompetent the British government just says nothing to do with us.

 

And when did the British Embassy last actually provide any diplomatic pressure to help a citizen in trouble? The press and social media now have to do that! Just a party circuit for other diplomats and large business corporations.

 

I would really like to see how much the services they provide ACTUALLY cost to run, and how much they make from providing them ......

It's not even like they try to hide the contempt with which the UK government seems to hold for its own people. No sane country would prioritise foreign immigrants over natives yet in Britain its seen as completely normal and, if you raise any objection, your a racist nazi who wants to gas people. I went to the UK Embassy here in Phnom Penh the other day about a trivial matter - the fella they sent out to see me was a Somalian and was no help whatsoever. In the future, people will look back at this period in history and conclude that the Western European peoples became extinct through an epidemic of mass hysteria / insanity based around a fear of being seen as racist.