British Embassy Faces Rising Consular Case Demands in Thailand

[JimHuaHin]

At least the British Embassy is doing something for British nationals in Thailand, unlike the Australians!!

 

Have been following the Oz Embassy FB page for yonks, and cannot recall anything relating to consular affairs being posted (maybe my memory is at fault 5 5 5).

[CFCol]

5 hours ago, Robert_Smith said:

They are about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

 

May as well not be here at all!

 

regards,

bob.

My friend is a Consul, recently in China. A proper Consul, not an honorary Consul. They work very hard. It is the duty of holidaymakers to do their own due diligence with regard insurance issues and doing nothing illegal. The Consulate cannot waive a magic wand and sort out the problems of the uneducated. Again your remark shows your ignorance.

[Andrew65]

23 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said:

At least the British Embassy is doing something for British nationals in Thailand, unlike the Australians!!

 

Have been following the Oz Embassy FB page for yonks, and cannot recall anything relating to consular affairs being posted (maybe my memory is at fault 5 5 5).

I'm a Pom and found the Ozzie Embassy much better to deal with than the British Embassy.

[oldestswinger]

1 hour ago, Thumbs said:

Hire more staff then you just sold the embassy grounds and made a tidy sum of money, 

I think that all the money they made went on the new apartment for the ambassador and his husband.

[oldestswinger]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

To avoid disappointment and the daft comments above, you should understand that the primary role of overseas missions is not to provide direct support for British citizens but to advance and secure trade and diplomatic interests for the UK.

 

This has historically been the case for every nation’s foreign missions. However, it is a common misconception that these missions exist primarily to serve as a safety net for their citizens abroad, which is most certainly not the case, but often the basis of such comments as your above, Bob.

The original purpose was to assist British citizens rather than act as a trade mission which was a later development.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

However, it is a common misconception that these missions exist primarily to serve as a safety net for their citizens abroad, which is most certainly not the case, but often the basis of such comments as your above, Bob.

The role of the UK Embassy Consular Section is to assist UK nationals in that particular country.

 

"The Consular Service is the part of the UK Government to which British nationals turn when they encounter serious problems overseas: from lost passports to kidnapping, detention or death. The Consular Service also has a role in the event of a crisis abroad and may arrange evacuation “in extreme and rare circumstances” for British nationals."

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2024-0075/#:~:text=The Consular Service is the,to kidnapping%2C detention or death.

[sandyf]

55 minutes ago, nakhonandy said:

I've only needed them a couple of times and they were helpful and efficient.

How long ago?

I got caught up in the passport fiasco in 2014 and had to turn to the embassy for help. They responded promptly and saved the day, but that was before the Consular Section was reduced in size.

[Drumbuie]

1 hour ago, Thumbs said:

Hire more staff then you just sold the embassy grounds and made a tidy sum of money, 

It would be fascinating to know exactly where the £420 million raised from the sale of the British Embassy by the last (Conservative) government went. And how much renting part of an office block in Silom and a duplex condo for the Ambassador is costing them. 

 

Meanwhile the face the UK lost in Asia by selling that land is incalculable. 

 

The budget the FCDO allots to Consular services each year is cut and then it's cut again. They do the best they can. 

 

The Consular offices are not a nanny service, there to wipe people's noses after yet another idiotic, predictable mistake usually caused by a cocktail of  ignorance and arrogance. 

[GammaGlobulin]

The best way to reduce the workload is to just discourage those from the UK visiting Thailand.

I suggest the same for Americans and Canadians, as well.

Aussies are OK, though, for me.

The population of Australia is very low.

Therefore, not, really a problem.

 

[freedomnow]

56 minutes ago, norsurin said:

I keep my passport in the safe with my credicards.I take out the cash i need.I never bring my phone outside with me if go to a bar for drinking.I have a good travel insurance that cover me good if needed.

Its as simple at that when u travel abroad.

famous last words....

[freedomnow]

2 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

The best way to reduce the workload is to just discourage those from the UK visiting Thailand.

I suggest the same for Americans and Canadians, as well.

Aussies are OK, though, for me.

The population of Australia is very low.

Therefore, not, really a problem.

 

bizarre commentary as always.

[wensiensheng]

Is this a PR piece written by the Bangkok British Embassy? 

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, sandyf said:

The role of the UK Embassy Consular Section is to assist UK nationals in that particular country.

 

"The Consular Service is the part of the UK Government to which British nationals turn when they encounter serious problems overseas: from lost passports to kidnapping, detention or death. The Consular Service also has a role in the event of a crisis abroad and may arrange evacuation “in extreme and rare circumstances” for British nationals."

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2024-0075/#:~:text=The Consular Service is the,to kidnapping%2C detention or death.

 

Not quite - thats just 'part of the responsibilities' of an Embassy: like others, you seem to be under common misconception that these missions exist primarily to serve as a safety net for their citizens abroad....

 

 

The key responsibilities of the British Embassy in Thailand and many other locations: 

 

Diplomatic Representation

Strengthens bilateral relations between the UK and Thailand in areas such as trade, security, education, and culture.

Engages with Thai government officials to discuss political, economic, and social matters.

Promotes British values and interests in Thailand.

 

Consular Services for British Nationals

Provides assistance to British citizens in distress, such as those facing legal issues, medical emergencies, or loss of passports.

Issues emergency travel documents if a British passport is lost or stolen.

Supports British nationals in cases of arrest, imprisonment, or repatriation.

Offers guidance on local laws and customs.

 

Visa and Immigration Services (outsourced)

Processes UK visa applications for Thai nationals and residents wishing to travel, work, or study in the UK.

Provides information on UK immigration rules and visa requirements.

Supports UK businesses looking to employ Thai nationals.

 

Trade and Investment Promotion

Facilitates trade relationships between UK and Thai businesses.

Supports British companies looking to invest in Thailand and vice versa.

Organises trade missions and networking events to boost commercial ties.

 

Cultural and Educational Cooperation

Promotes educational partnerships between UK and Thai institutions.

Supports British Council initiatives in Thailand, including English language programmes.

Engages in cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding.

 

Security and Defence Collaboration

Works with Thai authorities on counter-terrorism, cyber security, and law enforcement cooperation.

Supports UK-Thailand defence partnerships and military cooperation.

Location and Contact

 

 

[tomazbodner]

6 hours ago, Robert_Smith said:

They are about as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

 

May as well not be here at all!

 

regards,

bob.

Recommending British Embassy to close entire consular section and replace it with announcement:

 

Due to AseanNow popular vote, consular section has closed. If you need any assistance, get yourself a plane ticket to UK and visit local office there. If you can't afford one, open GoFundMe account with some sad story, or else apply for AseanNow membership for ultra successful and SAS veterans there to donate you a ticket home. If you've been arrested, rot in peace, ya piece of [deleted].

 

Sincerely, ex. Consular team of the British Embassy, Bangkok.

[Keeps]

21 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

The population of Australia is very low.

Maybe, but every one of them is a problem waiting to happen.

[Asquith Production]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Deaths accounted for over a third of these cases,

So around 700 deaths a year. Well give us our correct pension and we will try and live a little longer by buying a better lifestyle and medical assistance. This may help to bring the numbers down. Hope this helps.

[Keeps]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Not quite - thats just 'part of the responsibilities' of an Embassy: like others, you seem to be under common misconception that these missions exist primarily to serve as a safety net for their citizens abroad....

I do not think anyone is under any 'common misconceptions'. Nobody thinks that the embassies sole role is to assist their citizens that may have encountered problems. However, it is one of their roles and quite rightly so.

[richard_smith237]

18 minutes ago, Keeps said:

I do not think anyone is under any 'common misconceptions'. Nobody thinks that the embassies sole role is to assist their citizens that may have encountered problems. However, it is one of their roles and quite rightly so.

 

Given a lot of the comments, I do wonder.

 

It seems a lot of people are under the impression that just because they are 'British' the British Embassy will be able to negotiate their way out of trouble (or any Embassy and nationality for that matter) - ultimately, in many of the legal situations a foreign national may get themselves in, there is very little that can be done - this is very often translated as 'there is very little that they [Embassy] can be bothered to do'....   Hence all the comments.

 

 

I'm not 'sticking up for the Embassy' but I've never expected anything more of them other than the limitied resources they are permitted to provide.

 

 

 

 

[Keeps]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Given a lot of the comments, I do wonder.

 

It seems a lot of people are under the impression that just because they are 'British' the British Embassy will be able to negotiate their way out of trouble (or any Embassy and nationality for that matter) - ultimately, in many of the legal situations a foreign national may get themselves in, there is very little that can be done - this is very often translated as 'there is very little that they [Embassy] can be bothered to do'....   Hence all the comments.

 

 

I'm not 'sticking up for the Embassy' but I've never expected anything more of them other than the limitied resources they are permitted to provide.

 

 

 

 

I do doubt their efficacy myself in being able to extract people from (perhaps) their self made problems. I was purely pointing out that they are (and should be) an initial port of call for those in trouble. Whether such souls obtain any help or welcome the responses they receive is an entirely different matter. 

[Samh]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

To avoid disappointment and the daft comments above, you should understand that the primary role of overseas missions is not to provide direct support for British citizens but to advance and secure trade and diplomatic interests for the UK.

 

 

The primary role seems to be create jobs for the boys and girls in a nice tropical location. Are they doing much advancing and securing of trade between the the UK and Thailand. How damned inconvenient for a third of 2007 people to die while in Thailand. Could they they have foreseen this and got on a plane back to the UK? 0.2 % of UK travellers needing consular support hardly seems substantial to me.

[Samh]

39 minutes ago, Asquith Production said:

So around 700 deaths a year. Well give us our correct pension and we will try and live a little longer by buying a better lifestyle and medical assistance. This may help to bring the numbers down. Hope this helps.

On the figures that I saw the death rate in the UK is .98%. The death rate in the Thailand for British citizens is .67%. Seems more British citizens need to go to Thailand to die and give the authorities back home a break.

[Samh]

1 hour ago, Drumbuie said:

The Consular offices are not a nanny service, there to wipe people's noses after yet another idiotic, predictable mistake usually caused by a cocktail of  ignorance and arrogance. 

The only time in 45 years of travelling to Thailand that I needed any help was due to the Boxing Day tsunami. OK I know how bloody inconvenient it was that it happened early on Boxing Day morning interrupting their hangovers and late sleep ins but I couldn't really have arranged a more convenient time for the earth quake.

[GinBoy2]

32 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Given a lot of the comments, I do wonder.

 

It seems a lot of people are under the impression that just because they are 'British' the British Embassy will be able to negotiate their way out of trouble (or any Embassy and nationality for that matter) - ultimately, in many of the legal situations a foreign national may get themselves in, there is very little that can be done - this is very often translated as 'there is very little that they [Embassy] can be bothered to do'....   Hence all the comments.

 

 

I'm not 'sticking up for the Embassy' but I've never expected anything more of them other than the limitied resources they are permitted to provide.

 

 

 

 

I kinda agree with that.

 

The embassy isn't there to bribe your way out of whatever crime you've committed, advice maybe.

 

Also there seems to be a misconception, primarily with the Brits, when some health emergency happens the embassy will get you home.

 

Maybe it's because at home you believe everything is free, for a lot of us we're used to paying for health insurance at home or overseas

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, GinBoy2 said:

I kinda agree with that.

 

The embassy isn't there to bribe your way out of whatever crime you've committed, advice maybe.

 

Also there seems to be a misconception, primarily with the Brits, when some health emergency happens the embassy will get you home.

 

Maybe it's because at home you believe everything is free, for a lot of us we're used to paying for health insurance at home or overseas

We have to pay a lot of tax for the health service in the UK.

When I worked in Oz a condition of my work visa was that my employer had to show that they had health insurance for me, that doesn't happen in the UK.

[Pouatchee]

9 hours ago, watchcat said:

 

Good, that means they aactually have to do some work.

 

 

555 now let's see my canadian embassy justify their existence. Oh... wow... silence... fly buzzing in room...

 

Useless overpaid <deleted>!

[quake]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

We have an embassy with an ambassador?

 

Think it's this guy.

What your reckon. same same but different.

 

[Samh]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

We have to pay a lot of tax for the health service in the UK.

When I worked in Oz a condition of my work visa was that my employer had to show that they had health insurance for me, that doesn't happen in the UK.

We also have to pay tax for the Foreign Office. Is it not too much to ask that a British tax payer gets some help when they are in need of it.

[kdugmore]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

To avoid disappointment and the daft comments above, you should understand that the primary role of overseas missions is not to provide direct support for British citizens but to advance and secure trade and diplomatic interests for the UK.

 

This has historically been the case for every nation’s foreign missions. However, it is a common misconception that these missions exist primarily to serve as a safety net for their citizens abroad, which is most certainly not the case, but often the basis of such comments as your above, Bob.

So why do we have to put up with stories about how hard the poor dears are working on behalf of the British public?

ve to 

[ukrules]

I didn't realise they still had a consular services section, from what I heard they closed it down years ago - it's all spies, police and diplomats.

 

[jesimps]

10 hours ago, jayboy said:

Puff piece to which there is no particular objection, but it would be interesting to know whether the customer base had an equally sympathetic view.

 

Generally the Embassy officials dealing with consular matters are not top flight Foreign Office types.There are no high fliers (ie those identified as likely to reach high positions) and are generally competent run of the mill types.Actually there is not really a need for them to have brilliant minds - just practical skills, empathy and a sense of urgency when necessary. To be frank the latter is often lacking.

 

The Ambassador and top staff have little interest in consular affairs - though they pretend otherwise - though they are aware that if there is a cock up they will be held accountable.It's hard not to sympathize since I suspect the typical Distressed British Subject in Thailand is not the type of person they would bump into the Travellers Club in Pall Mall.It was all so much more congenial in the 1950's when British visitors to Thailand were mostly gents.

Correct! Only mainstream officers can be expected to go above Grade 5. If I remember correctly, they enter as Grade 8 and are groomed in the diplomatic, economic and commercial jobs. I think the bottom grade for the dogsbodies is Grade 14, although I can't be certain. Consular departments are a very small part of an overseas mission, in most cases manned by a low grade UK Based officer and a couple of local staff. I should think that Bangkok would be run by a Grade 10 or thereabouts. High profile missions with high UK immigration applications, like Delhi and Islamabad, I think would be run by a Grade 7. If any high profile cases arise, then one of the senior dip grades would step in to deal with it. This would only happen in exceptional circumstances, the dips don't really like to dirty their hands with run of the mill stuff, but I'm sure no one's surprised to read that.