US Embassy visa interview appointment at Bangkok

[Konrad 12]

How can a Thai national get a soon interview appointment at the US Embassy in Bangkok?
After filling the visa application and paying the fee, an appointment calendar opens up, offering available appointments only some month away, some days in October, on other days in January next year.

Is that the way it is, or is there another way of getting an appointment in time?

Any help welcome.

 

[LarrySR]

Your Congressman in your hometown might be able to help? Likely has staff that are working on immigration issues daily.

They like to say yes to their constituants.

[bkk6060]

Welcome to the wonderful land of U.S. embassy Bangkok.

If it is a Visa for a Thai female there is a 99.9% chance you are wasting your time.

But, good luck.

[21cSchizoidMan]

7 minutes ago, LarrySR said:

Your Congressman in your hometown might be able to help? Likely has staff that are working on immigration issues daily.

They like to say yes to their constituants.

Absolutely horrible advice.

 

9 minutes ago, LarrySR said:

They like to say yes to their constituants.

 

Pish. Really? Especially the ones overseas which make them non constituents. What fact is this based upon?

 

 

Do not ever try to strongarm the staff here with some generic request from a lowly congressperson.

 

The only way to get your appointment bumped up is to continually check the calendar and reschedule.

[LarrySR]

3 minutes ago, 21cSchizoidMan said:

Absolutely horrible advice.

 

 

Pish. Really? Especially the ones overseas which make them non constituents. What fact is this based upon?

 

 

Do not ever try to strongarm the staff here with some generic request from a lowly congressperson.

 

The only way to get your appointment bumped up is to continually check the calendar and reschedule.

Worked for me. Set up a meeting pronto after I contacted his office and fast tracked the VISA.

[skatewash]

16 minutes ago, 21cSchizoidMan said:

Absolutely horrible advice.

 

 

Pish. Really? Especially the ones overseas which make them non constituents. What fact is this based upon?

 

 

Do not ever try to strongarm the staff here with some generic request from a lowly congressperson.

 

The only way to get your appointment bumped up is to continually check the calendar and reschedule.

Addressing your point on being a non-constituent because, for example, I happen to live in Thailand.  I and any other American can continue to vote in the last place they were registered to vote in the US, especially for a federal office like a congressional representative or a senator.

Furthermore, which elections we have voted in is a public record, easily accessed even by congressional staff.  People who live or die by electoral support have a fine sense of self-preservation and are perfectly capable of assessing what they have to gain or lose in addressing or not addressing a constituent's concern.  Personally, I vote in every election (presidential, off-year, and local dog-catcher) and even though it's obvious in the public record which party I belong to I can't imagine a better chance of my voting for an incumbent of another party than if they personally helped me out in regards to my dealings with government bureaucracy (which in electoral politics would count as two votes, one vote for them and one less vote for their opponent).  Obviously, your clout increases if you are a financial contributor to a congressional representative or a senator.

Obviously, the front line staff isn't going to care, but I assure you that at some level in the vast bureaucracy at the Department of State, someone will care and they can if motivated properly make those downstream care.

Note that I'm not saying that he will get his appointment next Tuesday at 9:00, but if enough heat about a subject is raised, sometimes there is light, too.  Maybe more resources are made available so that someone doesn't have to wait 6 months for an appointment.  There are no guarantees, but it's more likely if you complain than if you say nothing.  My point is that if you start complaining with someone who cares (because it's in their self-interest to care) you might get further than complaining to a deaf ear.

[LarrySR]

23 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Addressing your point on being a non-constituent because, for example, I happen to live in Thailand.  I and any other American can continue to vote in the last place they were registered to vote in the US, especially for a federal office like a congressional representative or a senator.

Furthermore, which elections we have voted in is a public record, easily accessed even by congressional staff.  People who live or die by electoral support have a fine sense of self-preservation and are perfectly capable of assessing what they have to gain or lose in addressing or not addressing a constituent's concern.  Personally, I vote in every election (presidential, off-year, and local dog-catcher) and even though it's obvious in the public record which party I belong to I can't imagine a better chance of my voting for an incumbent of another party than if they personally helped me out in regards to my dealings with government bureaucracy (which in electoral politics would count as two votes, one vote for them and one less vote for their opponent).  Obviously, your clout increases if you are a financial contributor to a congressional representative or a senator.

Obviously, the front line staff isn't going to care, but I assure you that at some level in the vast bureaucracy at the Department of State, someone will care and they can if motivated properly make those downstream care.

Note that I'm not saying that he will get his appointment next Tuesday at 9:00, but if enough heat about a subject is raised, sometimes there is light, too.  Maybe more resources are made available so that someone doesn't have to wait 6 months for an appointment.  There are no guarantees, but it's more likely if you complain than if you say nothing.  My point is that if you start complaining with someone who cares (because it's in their self-interest to care) you might get further than complaining to a deaf ear.

Exactly. My Congressman said he had 3 staff working on immigration issues. Put me in contact with staff in his DC office. Got the appointment, waltzed in and problem solved.

Edited April 22, 2022 by LarrySR

[skatewash]

2 minutes ago, 21cSchizoidMan said:

Great ramble.

 

We agree. Contacting what amounts to a random congressperson will do no good.

 

If you look on any US immigration website forum they will explicitly tell you not to do this. This measure is reserved for visas that are stuck in the mud for months.

 

Of course, if you are woke and privileged like Larry and did not afford proper amounted of time then by all means contact a random congressperson in ?? where you used to live to complain you don't like your appointment and are special and should be put ahead of everyone else because your needs are more important than others that actually have waited, and had afforded proper time.

 

Maybe just ask Larry to do it for you?

You seem to be missing the point a bit.  I'm not talking about a random congressman, I'm talking about the person's congressman.  Congressional representatives have staff dedicated to constituent services.  One aspect of constituent services is dealing with bureaucracy.  If you think waiting six months for an appointment isn't a problem with a bureaucracy then I think we do disagree.  If the embassy is treating everyone badly and failing to deliver a service than I fail to see how that is better than simply failing in one particular case.

In any case, as Henry Ford observed once, if you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.

[mudcat]

The consulate staff does have a heart and some flexibility.  Faced with a scheduled interview that was a bit too late, I pleaded with them for an earlier appointment:

 

Dear sirs, I am the petitioner for <Name> fiancée visa application (BNK20127xxx).  I write to inquire whether there is any possibility of obtaining an earlier interview appointment for <Name>.  <Name> has already obtained her Police and medical clearances and could be ready to interview on a few days’ notice should there be a cancellation.  I understand that all applicants desire a speedy adjudication of their application, and fully understand that the schedule is already set, but if there is any possibility of fitting <Name> into a cancelled appointment we would appreciate knowing that so we can leave our plans as flexible as possible.

 

The only extenuating circumstance that applies in our case is some of my prior obligations in mid-October that conflict my commitments to my fiancée to support her throughout the visa process.  In fulfilling my promise to <Name> I travelled to Thailand on August 22 to accompany her to her medical exam.  At that time, I hoped that we would be able to submit our Package 3 in time to obtain an interview appointment in late September or earliest October to be able to travel to the United States on October 8th (yes, it is my birthday, but I am sure you are used to dealing with hopeful romantics).  Unfortunately, obtaining her Police report took longer than anticipated and now we are faced with cancelling our existing reservations and some of my appointments back in the States.

 

 

Their response:

We happen to have availability on Tuesday, Sept. 25^th at 7:30am and are scheduling the applicant for that morning. The applicant must be on time and print this message and bring it to show the security checkpoint upon arrival. The applicant must bring all of the documents listed in the instructions we previously sent as well as any other documents you think may be pertinent to qualifying for a US visa. Our adjudicators have the discretion to request any additional documentation they deem necessary during or after the interview.

 

 

 

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts and some troll posts have been removed.

[Konrad 12]

On 4/22/2022 at 4:43 PM, bkk6060 said:

Welcome to the wonderful land of U.S. embassy Bangkok.

If it is a Visa for a Thai female there is a 99.9% chance you are wasting your time.

But, good luck.

Thanks for your comment. Actually she is female and had 2 times a 10 years US visa before, just let it slip to renew it in time.

[Konrad 12]

On 4/22/2022 at 4:34 PM, LarrySR said:

Your Congressman in your hometown might be able to help? Likely has staff that are working on immigration issues daily.

They like to say yes to their constituants.

Thanks for your advise! I will try and might be positively surprised.

[TimBKK]

18 minutes ago, Konrad 12 said:

Thanks for your comment. Actually she is female and had 2 times a 10 years US visa before, just let it slip to renew it in time.

Pretty much a lock for the visa, I would think.  

[CartagenaWarlock]

Most first generation Indian American in Silicon have parents 10-year visitor visa to the USA. 

[bbko]

If the next available appointment is months away, why is she so special that she can jump ahead of others?

[Dogmatix]

When I looked for an appointment back in February for a trip in August I found a few slots open in October and November.  Someone suggested logging in every day and waiting for cancellations to pop up.  I tried that for a few days but got bored with it. I noticed there were appointments open in Chiang Mai so I booked one of those after checking that it was OK to go to either consulate.  So next week I will get a trip to Chiang Mai which I don't mind.

[mackayae]

My friend's Thai girlfriend has an appointment scheduled for a US tourist visa. What documents such as chanotes, bank books, etc. should she bring to the interview? She has old passports which show travel to other destinations but not the US.