Message for U.S. Citizens: Temporary Suspension of Consular Services at Consulate General Chiang Mai

[ubonjoe]

Just got a email about the suspension.

 

 

Effective immediately, the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai is temporarily suspending all consular services until further notice due to staffing shortages.  Although we hope to resume consular services soon, consular services in Thailand are currently only available at the U. S. Embassy in Bangkok.

 

If you are a U.S. citizen in northern Thailand in need of emergency assistance, please call the Bangkok American Citizens Services unit (02-205-4000).  If you have an appointment for, or are seeking, routine services, please email [email protected]. 

 

For visa assistance and information, please email [email protected].

 

[rumak]

Amazing ............. USA

[Captain Monday]

Completely falling apart

[Issanman]

No advance notice. 

Very strange.

I have a feeling it won't reopen.

 

[cardinalblue]

This is unacceptable….staff shortages? These positions are in high demand….

 

a well run org never gets to this level….

[Reposed]

Something fishy is going on in Chiang Mai.

 

No possible way there could be a shortage of State Department staff for consulates. 

 

No way.

 

This is like all the recent deaths of younger "celebrities" where no cause of death is given....

 

Why not say why it is closed? Is it a secret?

[seedy]

1 hour ago, Issanman said:

No advance notice. 

Very strange.

I have a feeling it won't reopen.

Construction well underway for the new consulate on the frontage road North side Superhighway

[sqwakvfr]

It’s not like service was great when they were fully staffed.  Last time I was there was in 2018.  What if your passport is lost or stolen?  Do I apply for a replacement online?  As an American who has worked and lived overseas for almost 10 years I can say the US State Department is the second most useless organization after the United Nations.  

[mackayae]

ETC September 2023.

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

What if your passport is lost or stolen?  

You have to apply for a new passport at the embassy. See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

Normal passport renewals are done by mail to the embassy.

 

[sqwakvfr]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You have to apply for a new passport at the embassy. See: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/adult-passport-renew/

Normal passport renewals are done by mail to the embassy.

 

That could be a problem if normal consular services are suspended in Chiang Mai.  Good luck taking a flight from CNX to BKK as a foreigner without a passport unless you have a Thai Drivers License.  

[Reposed]

1 hour ago, mackayae said:

ETC September 2023.

Wow, that's great, except....

 

According to the consulate, nobody wants to work there.

 

Maybe robots. The good news is at least robots have a smidgen of personality, and can even be programmed to pretend to care.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

That could be a problem if normal consular services are suspended in Chiang Mai.  Good luck taking a flight from CNX to BKK as a foreigner without a passport unless you have a Thai Drivers License.  

If you did a police report for a lost or stolen passport I would think a copy of your passport and it would be accepted. 

Airlines will normally accept any type of ID.

[clokwise]

Any word on whether this affects Visa issuance for Thais as well? My wife literally just today sent in her passport to get a new visa  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[elektrified]

3 hours ago, Reposed said:

Something fishy is going on in Chiang Mai.

 

No possible way there could be a shortage of State Department staff for consulates. 

 

No way.

 

This is like all the recent deaths of younger "celebrities" where no cause of death is given....

 

Why not say why it is closed? Is it a secret?

Lack of staff.

[sqwakvfr]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If you did a police report for a lost or stolen passport I would think a copy of your passport and it would be accepted. 

Airlines will normally accept any type of ID.

I hope I never have to test your theory?

[TravelerEastWest]

1 hour ago, Reposed said:

Wow, that's great, except....

 

According to the consulate, nobody wants to work there.

 

 

 

 

Where did you hear that?

 

I doubt it highly as I was told by an American staff member a few years ago that it is a post in high demand.

 

It would also be a job in high demand by Thai nationals

[Puwa]

The reason is a covid outbreak among consular staff

[Reposed]

18 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Where did you hear that?

 

I doubt it highly as I was told by an American staff member a few years ago that it is a post in high demand.

 

It would also be a job in high demand by Thai nationals

a) then, why are they short-staffed?

 

b) Thai nationals cannot be consulate officers...

 

c) but if in high demand to be Thai 'security', again, why are they short-staffed?

 

Please explain.

 

 

[Bill97]

5 minutes ago, Reposed said:

a) then, why are they short-staffed?

 

b) Thai nationals cannot be consulate officers...

 

c) but if in high demand to be Thai 'security', again, why are they short-staffed?

 

Please explain.

 

 

Staff is sick, Puwa told us and he has the line.  Covid has caused a lot of temporary shutdowns.

[1FinickyOne]

6 hours ago, Reposed said:

 

Something fishy is going on in Chiang Mai.

 

 

You think they are doing it on porpoise? 

[Reposed]

1 hour ago, 1FinickyOne said:

You think they are doing it on porpoise? 

I said something is fishy. A porpoise is a mammal....

 

I don't think they closed for the halibut, but you can bet your bass this closing isn't a fluke. I think claiming it is a staffing shortage is a red herring, meant to jack us around.

 

[habanero]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you did a police report for a lost or stolen passport I would think a copy of your passport and it would be accepted. 

Airlines will normally accept any type of ID.

an expired passport is good enough to board a plane for domestic travel. 

[MisterTee]

A Covid outbreak is a plausible explanation for this sudden shutdown of services.

But if so, why didn't they just come out and say it?

Is obfuscation becoming the instinctive reaction to situations like this?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

My presumption when I got and read the State Department bulletin was that the sudden closure was somehow because of COVID / illnesses there....

 

But, I haven't seen / found anything authoritative thus far that confirms that as the reason...

 

[TravelerEastWest]

4 hours ago, Reposed said:

a) then, why are they short-staffed?

 

b) Thai nationals cannot be consulate officers...

 

c) but if in high demand to be Thai 'security', again, why are they short-staffed?

 

Please explain.

 

 

Local nationals are not foreign service officers but they are consulate staff and from what I can see while traveling this is normal around the world.

[Reposed]

2 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Local nationals are not foreign service officers but they are consulate staff and from what I can see while traveling this is normal around the world.

 

You respond to my posts, but avoid answering my questions.

[1FinickyOne]

8 hours ago, Reposed said:

I said something is fishy. A porpoise is a mammal....

I don't recall calling it a fish... 

[Mentors65]

Interesting, because Switzerland is doing the same in Chiang Mai.

Coinsidence? 

[Iamfalang]

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Effective immediately, the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai is temporarily suspending all consular services

One of the biggest cities in Thailand.    Easily run by the wealthiest country in the Universe.  A country that spends BILLIONS on countries much, much, much smaller than Thailand.

 

If COVID, this makes sense.   

 

I'll hold off on rambling ...... if still closed in a month, then there's a big problem.

 

Of course they can staff any place anywhere at anytime.  People, check.  Money, check.   It's not a staff shortage in this sense.  But if they have COVID and they need trained people, well then I can see a temp. closure.  still makes no sense........send people from Bangkok.