alanmorison Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) On a visit to Phuket, Germany's ambassador has blasted local Thai authorities for their failure to notify embassies about the arrests and deaths of citizens, as international convention dictates. Offered the choice of meeting with a vice governor or to wait another 20 minutes for Governor Wichai Praisa-Ngob, Dr Hanns H. Schumacher, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, decided he had waited long enough. Having already waited 30 minutes, he dropped the diplomatic hand grenade before he left by saying: ''I as well as other European ambassadors are about to investigate the situation that too frequently, our embassies are not informed when our nationals are either detained or die in an area of jurisdiction of any police district in Thailand. ''Thailand has signed the international convention on consular affairs and it has the legal commitment to inform the embassies as soon as possible. ''I understand that this is not so much a question of good will. The authorities in Bangkok are quite cooperative. ''But it has to go down, trickle down, to the local police authorities. This was an issue I would have loved to discuss with the governor.'' It was the new Phuket governor's first day at work. Full report at http://phuketwan.com/tourism/german-ambass...rs-blast-walks/ Edited March 16, 2009 by alanmorison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 German Ambassador Blasts Thai Authorities, Embassies 'not being told quickly about arrests, deaths' On a visit to Phuket, Germany's ambassador has blasted local Thai authorities for their failure to notify embassies about the arrests and deaths of citizens, as international convention dictates. Are they not notifying or not notifying quickly enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartman Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Obviously with a surname of Schumacher not many are going to be quick enough Thais have got no hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaigerd Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 ..............It was the new Phuket governor's first day at work. Welcome Gerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumnien Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Patience was never considered a Germanic trait. He must have had a cocktail and a cigar waiting for him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChangMaiSausage Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Maybe Governor Wichai Praisa-Ngob was on the squat toilet and working to Thai time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalkingMan Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I would have thought that the Governor would have been on time for just a quick meet and greet with a few photos. Once the snaps were done, just send him on your way. TheWalkingMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) I would have thought that the Governor would have been on time for just a quick meet and greet with a few photos. Once the snaps were done, just send him on your way. TheWalkingMan Good thing he didn't do a Simon as he walked out otr he might face 2 years too. Edited March 16, 2009 by harrry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ping Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 He kept the ambassador waiting 30 minutes, and then had staff advise the ambassador he could either see a vice or wait another 20 minutes (Thai time). The ambassador left. What would you have done in the face of such arrogance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slip Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Good thing he didn't do a Simon as he walked out otr he might face 2 years too. Presumably, had this been the case, his embassy would have been slightly more helpful than those tossers at Wireless Road were to Simon. (Then again maybe not- what a great way to get rid of your boss for a couple of weeks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotusbluete Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Hallo, I myself have a habit just to wait for 15 minutes (the so called "academic quarter"). Nowadays nearly everybody has a hand phone and can call in if late. But to keep an ambassador waiting and even if it's the first day in office, is in my eyes an insult. I am quite sure this visit and the whole meeting schedule of the German ambassador has been arranged well beforehand. And the ambassador was presumably on a official diplomatic mission (accompanied by the honorary consul!) and not on a beach vaccation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caf Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I would have thought that the Governor would have been on time for just a quick meet and greet with a few photos. Once the snaps were done, just send him on your way. TheWalkingMan Good thing he didn't do a Simon as he walked out otr he might face 2 years too. Simon was treated one way. And the Thai won Ambassador treated another. And the Thai won The game is being played on home ground and the ref is Thai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NBT TV Phuket Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 VDO: The German Ambassador to Thailand came to Phuket hoping to discuss cooperation on a few issues including Germans in trouble. http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...hp?news_id=1021 Dr. Hanns Heinrich Schumacher, the German Ambassador, based at his Embassy in Bangkok, came down to Phuket to meet local officials. He had hoped to meet the new Phuket Governor, Mr. Wichai Praisa-Ngob, on his first working day, but the Governor was unavailable, so the Ambassador gave a short interview to the local press at the Provincial Hall, in which he stated the 3 main reasons for his visit: to discuss matters with the German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann especially about the large number of Germans in Phuket; the arrest of a German juvenile in Patong on sex abuse charges; and to investigate cases of other Germans arrested or dieing in Phuket apparently not reported promptly by the Thai police to the Embassy: (Voice of Ambassador ******) Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 7pm & 1am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Tuesday 17th March 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews Send comments to [email protected] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 if it was his first day at work, and possibily his first time in Thailand, he has a lot to learn about ' Thai Time ' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Haddock Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 It's one way to avoid a possible confrontation! Better than turning up to the Ambassador and laughing nervously at him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWalkingMan Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 if it was his first day at work, and possibily his first time in Thailand, he has a lot to learn about ' Thai Time ' The childish excuse of 'Thai Time' is ok for piddly stuff, but once you get to a certain level, that 'Thai Time' rationalization needs to be squashed. I think that the Governor has a lot to learn about greeting high level guests and should be sent to protocol training. TheWalkingMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caf Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 if it was his first day at work, and possibily his first time in Thailand, he has a lot to learn about ' Thai Time ' Please do try and keep up with other posters on this thread ..It was the new Phuket governor's first day at work. Welcome Gerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brahmburgers Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 (edited) Reminds me of a little item in the Bkk Post I read a couple years ago. About 17 U students were in a special class - studying to become journalists. Part of the training was to get interviews with important Thai people. Every time a student would arrange a meeting, the Thai VIP was late. Sometimes 25 minutes, sometimes 2.5 hours, sometimes a no show (after students were kept waiting for long durations). Not once was on VIP remotely on time for a meeting. The students got frustrated by the consistent rudeness. All got discouraged, and not one student in the class wound up pursuing a career in journalism. Edited March 17, 2009 by brahmburgers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geriatrickid Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Shoes on the other foot now. Had the diplomat made the Thai official wait, it would be treated as an "offense" to Thailand. This was a serious affront and a major screwup. You do not piss off a heavy hitter like the ambassador. The issue that some may have missed was the matter over the detained German minor implicated in the child sex crimes. Apparently, the minor was denied access to assistance and it has been postulated that the minor was a victim as well, recruited by the adult to serve as bait to lure other children. It had far reaching implications and the ambassador came to see for himself, particularly since the problems reported are associated with other nationals as well. My understanding is that the ambassador was also going to report back to the roundtable of diplomats as to the situation since his concerns are shared by other ambassadors. The Canadian government was none too please about the response to the recent murder of one of its citizens as it was alleged that there was limited information given. Same for Australia and the UK. The diplomatic community do work together in matters like this, so the behaviour of the governor was a rebuff to the diplomatic community as a whole too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GungaDin Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 10/10 to the German Ambssador for leaving, I wonder if the penny will ever drop with the Thais. I doubt it vey much. The new gov'nor must be as thick as two short planks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaiwanderer Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 It's one way to avoid a possible confrontation! Better than turning up to the Ambassador and laughing nervously at him... spot on and of course was governor's first day in the job so can be excused being busy settling into his new trough (? excuse my english, is that the right word?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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