Us Embassy Consular Staff To Visit Udon Thani

[george]

Dear Phuket and Udorn Thani Area American Citizens,

The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok is pleased to inform you of the addition of a last minute consular outreach visit to Phuket and Udorn Thani. Please come if you can!

Consular staff will be available to provide consular services at the following dates and locations:

Monday, September 29, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, at 333 Patah Road, Karon Beach, Phuket, Thailand, 83100, telephone: 076-396-433.

Tuesday, September 30, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Udorn Charoen Sri Grand Royal Hotel, at 277/1 Prajaksilapakhom Road, Makkaeng Sub-district, Muang District, Udorn Thani, Thailand, 41000, telephone: 042-343-555.

The following consular services will be available during our outreach visits:

* Passport renewal applications ($75.00 or Baht 2550 for adult passports, and $85 or Baht 2890 for a child's passport)

* Notarial Services and Certified Copies ($30.00 or Baht 1020)

* Absentee ballot application and voting abroad information

* Social security, VA or other federal benefits question will be limited, but we will try to provide forms and answers

(Please bring exact change!)

NOTE: We cannot process extra visa pages during our outreach trips. We can accept applications, but the passports will have to be brought back to the Embassy for final processing the next day. The passports will then have to be picked up in person (or by a friend upon presentation of a letter of authorization signed by the applicant) at the Embassy. We regret any inconvenience caused by this change in procedure, and we are still working on gaining authorization to begin mailing passports back to applicants.

Additionally, Consular Reports of Birth cannot be processed during consular outreach trips.

If you have any questions, please e-mail: [email protected] or call the American Citizen Services Unit at: 02-205-4049.

We look forward to seeing you in Phuket on Monday, September 29 and in Udorn Thani on Tuesday, September 30.

Sincerely,

American Citizen Services

U.S. Embassy

Bangkok, Thailand

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/

[RY12]

hmm.., again, I think most Americans in Isaan would probably appreciate more that the consulate spend their extra energy perhaps, i dunno, giving our thai gf's something better than an arbitrary, racist dismilssal of all their visa applications ...than to take some veiled vacation to Udon Thani.

It's absolutely absurd.

It astonishes me more people don't talk about the insanity of that retarded bureacracy.

Edited September 28, 2008 by RY12

[Svenn]

hmm.., again, I think most Americans in Isaan would probably appreciate more that the consulate spend their extra energy perhaps, i dunno, giving our thai gf's something better than an arbitrary, racist dismilssal of all their visa applications ...than to take some veiled vacation to Udon Thani.

It's absolutely absurd.

It astonishes me more people don't talk about the insanity of that retarded bureacracy.

I concur.

[soidog2]

hmm.., again, I think most Americans in Isaan would probably appreciate more that the consulate spend their extra energy perhaps, i dunno, giving our thai gf's something better than an arbitrary, racist dismilssal of all their visa applications ...than to take some veiled vacation to Udon Thani.

It's absolutely absurd.

It astonishes me more people don't talk about the insanity of that retarded bureacracy.

I wholeheartedly agree.

The people working at the embassy are most arrogant, racist bunch of bible huggers I ever run across.

[expatudon08]

hmm.., again, I think most Americans in Isaan would probably appreciate more that the consulate spend their extra energy perhaps, i dunno, giving our thai gf's something better than an arbitrary, racist dismilssal of all their visa applications ...than to take some veiled vacation to Udon Thani.

It's absolutely absurd.

It astonishes me more people don't talk about the insanity of that retarded bureacracy.

common sense does not win votes in europe our u.s.a these days

but at least guys in udon and north east expats can save a lot time and trouble

in 95 i think they closed the consulte down in udon i think in the next year our 2 it may well open up again

[robee]

hmm.., again, I think most Americans in Isaan would probably appreciate more that the consulate spend their extra energy perhaps, i dunno, giving our thai gf's something better than an arbitrary, racist dismilssal of all their visa applications ...than to take some veiled vacation to Udon Thani.

It's absolutely absurd.

It astonishes me more people don't talk about the insanity of that retarded bureacracy.

would like to learn more about this bureacracy. Anyone have comments?

[soidog2]

hmm.., again, I think most Americans in Isaan would probably appreciate more that the consulate spend their extra energy perhaps, i dunno, giving our thai gf's something better than an arbitrary, racist dismilssal of all their visa applications ...than to take some veiled vacation to Udon Thani.

It's absolutely absurd.

It astonishes me more people don't talk about the insanity of that retarded bureacracy.

would like to learn more about this bureacracy. Anyone have comments?

What do you want to know ?

[maxjay]

Well, I for one appreciate their visits. I appreciated their visits when I lived in Pattaya, and now I appreciate them when they visit Udon or Khon Kaen.

Saves me time and more importantly money!

On the 30th in Udon, all I needed was notarial service: 1020 baht.

If I would have had to go to Bangkok for the same service, it would have been at least 6000 baht (for a day trip).

I gotta be honest, this is the first time, in my nine years here in the LOS, that I have heard any complaints about the consular outreach service. The majority of U.S. expats appreciate the service.

As far as them having a "veiled vacation", they arrive on the first flight in the morning and go back mid-afternoon. Yeah! A real wild and crazy "vacation".

Keep coming back Consular Services!

Edited October 12, 2008 by maxjay

[Thaddeus]

This is just a wild stab in the dark, nothing is ever black and white (is it Citizen), the people who are happy with the consular services are those that have retired to Thailand with no intent of leaving and all they need to do is renew passports, certify income documents etc, the people who are not happy are those who don't live here full time yet and at some point have tried to obtain a visa for a loved one to travel outside Thailand ....... is that about right?

[maxjay]

Well I'm not sure if this will answer your question Thaddeus, but here goes.

The Consular Section of the American Embassy which includes the Consular Outreach Program, really has nothing to do with the issuance of Visas. Visa application, approval, etc., is a separate section altogether. Since I have not had the need to use the Visa Service, I have no idea what their attitudes or behavior is like.

I have though, over the years, met many men who have successfully applied for and received Visas for their spouses. Both tourist and immigrant visa. So, I feel sorry for RY12 and his difficulties. However, I do have ask the question: why are you and your wife having so many problems? Is the problem on your end or your wifes?

[soidog2]

This is just a wild stab in the dark, nothing is ever black and white (is it Citizen), the people who are happy with the consular services are those that have retired to Thailand with no intent of leaving and all they need to do is renew passports, certify income documents etc, the people who are not happy are those who don't live here full time yet and at some point have tried to obtain a visa for a loved one to travel outside Thailand ....... is that about right?

You are 100% correct.

While I live here full time , I still have a viable business in the states .

I travel back and forth several times a year, occasionally I need the embassy for extra pages, renewals ETC.

Every time I step in there , the first thing I notice is how badly Thai people are treated. It reminds me of the veiled racism practiced in the states under the cover of political correctness.

For American citizens is not much better, no privacy what so ever. There is always a line of people that have been robbed of their passports, credit cards ETC.

They are being grilled by insensitive bureaucrats ( obvious young eager beaver republicans ) about most private details and made to feel like they are the criminals.

My daughter born in the states, when it was time to renew her passport; the idiot talking to me made me go and make a “Cd “ with pictures showing her growth in the past five years.

Luckily I had my laptop with me, if not it would have meant a huge inconvenience

I can go on and on, I understand the guys point about saving money and I agree.

This post is not about that, using 9/11 as an excuse we are transforming into Nazi Germany and this is not what America is all about.