Service by one staff at Australian Embassy

[harrry]

Im editing the topic title to reflect the discussion a bit more

please bear in mind that we cannot make across the board accusations about any firm or organisations, as we run the risk of libel suit. Please refrain from that direction.

In this case I see the issue was with one staff at the embassy. thanks everyone

I notice that you are also getting a lot of useful advice on how to go about getting a gaurantor. which is visa related. let me know if you want it moved to the visa section.

THe behaviour of the staff member is insignifigent when compared to the failure of the organization to train and control their staff in making threats to the OP and in refusing to allow the OP to esculate the problem to more senior staff.

THe staff member may have been doing her best as she saw it but apparently did not knowand head not been trained how to respond in the fashion that is required in Australian Government departments of which the embassy is part.

[yabaaaa]

Dont worry the UK Thai embassy is also "manned" by Thais who dont know what they are doing. I needed a letter of confirmation last year and live in Birmingham about 120 miles from London so I rang them asking if they could do it by post and if there was anywhere else I could do it. I checked twice and they said nope , had to come down in person etc blah blah blah. E mailed Hull Consulate and they said yes and did it all by post in 2-3 days.

It was Thai staff I spoke to in London. however I should add many places dont know their own freakin rules.

Had a new roof put on my house in the UK, next thing I know I get a letter from Council saying I needed a building permit to do this as new ledgislation brought in a few years back means removing a "thermal element" ( global warming co2 B,S) requires an inspection form them. On reading their 10 page resons why I needed this £190 permit I see that if I am removing and replacing with so mething not substantially heavier or lighter I DONT need it. I mailed them this and they agreed , however I could have just posted off the cheque. Idiots are everywhere esp in govt depts and in ALL countries!!

[scorecard]

LVARACK wrote;

"Anyway we continued to argue about this point for about 5 minutes then I asked to speak to an Australian who may be able to help me she replied that the AUSTRALIAN WORKING HERE DO NOT HANDLE THE GENERAL INQUIRIES OR APLICATIONS."

This is not correct.

I very recently went to the Aust. embassy twice to renew my passport.

On first visit I initially spoke to a Thai person who indicated that the photos were unacceptable. I went outside and returned an hour later with new photos, this time an Australian lady came to the counter and was very pleasant, good listener and very helpful.

At this visit, whilst I was waiting, a young Thai lady was applying for an Australian Passport. Initially she was spoken to by a Thai employee who was very abrupt and told the Thai lady that all her documents were useless and she was wasting her time, she could not get an Australian passport. All through this, the Thai lady was trying to explain that she had visited about 10 days before and had spoken to an Australian lady who helped the Thai lady to understand exactly what documents she needed to gather and what to be careful of, and had told her that she has a legitimate case and would very likely be approved.

This visit was to bring all the gathered documents. After maybe 15 minutes of very negative and abrupt dialogue from the Thai employee, no listening at all, suddenly the farang lady appeared behind the booth, she quickly acknowledged the Thai lady and politely told the Thai official that she would handle the case. Totally different attitude, the Thai lady spoken to with respect, 15 minutes later all the documents were completed. The Thai lady was given the name of the embassy employee, a date and a telephone number to call to get an update on her application.

Next visit was to pick up my new passport. Farang lady (different person to first visit) came to the counter, very pleasant, new passport received, and I was gone within 5 minutes.

AUSTRALIANS DO HANDLE GENERAL INQUIRIES AND APPLICATIONS AT THE AUSTRALIAN EMBSSY IN BANGKOK.

[phaethon]

Dont worry the UK Thai embassy is also "manned" by Thais who dont know what they are doing. I needed a letter of confirmation last year and live in Birmingham about 120 miles from London so I rang them asking if they could do it by post and if there was anywhere else I could do it. I checked twice and they said nope , had to come down in person etc blah blah blah. E mailed Hull Consulate and they said yes and did it all by post in 2-3 days.

It was Thai staff I spoke to in London. however I should add many places dont know their own freakin rules.

Well, they were correct, in a way...

If you apply for a visa at the Thai embassy in London, you have to go there in person. If you apply for the same from Hull consulate you can do it by post. What the Thai Embassy failed to do was tell you that you could apply by post to Hull - they only told you about the rule that applies to them.

Birmingham consulate turned me down for a Non-Imm O and implied I would never get one, but two days later my passport returned from Hull all visa'd up.

[yabaaaa]

Dont worry the UK Thai embassy is also "manned" by Thais who dont know what they are doing. I needed a letter of confirmation last year and live in Birmingham about 120 miles from London so I rang them asking if they could do it by post and if there was anywhere else I could do it. I checked twice and they said nope , had to come down in person etc blah blah blah. E mailed Hull Consulate and they said yes and did it all by post in 2-3 days.

It was Thai staff I spoke to in London. however I should add many places dont know their own freakin rules.

Well, they were correct, in a way...

If you apply for a visa at the Thai embassy in London, you have to go there in person. If you apply for the same from Hull consulate you can do it by post. What the Thai Embassy failed to do was tell you that you could apply by post to Hull - they only told you about the rule that applies to them.

Birmingham consulate turned me down for a Non-Imm O and implied I would never get one, but two days later my passport returned from Hull all visa'd up.

Yes but I also asked about HULL when phoning London just to be sure. Nope cant be dont ...........yeah right!!

[dave111223]

I think all embassy are the same, you always end up leaving with a bad taste in your mouth.

Last time i had to go to the US embassy some jobs-worth Thai security guard made us wait outside in the rain for 30 minutes on the street because it was lunch time.

<deleted> is the waiting room for? And all those covered walkways...no he wasn't having any of it...<deleted>...

[scorecard]

The current Australian Consul General is Mr. Stephen C.

Stephen is a senior Aust. governement official, very professional, very pleasant, a good listener, and very customer focused.

[phaethon]

Yes but I also asked about HULL when phoning London just to be sure. Nope cant be dont ...........yeah right!!

They don't have an embassy in Hull... gotta be literal with these people

[yabaaaa]

Yes but I also asked about HULL when phoning London just to be sure. Nope cant be dont ...........yeah right!!

They don't have an embassy in Hull... gotta be literal with these people

Sorry Pha yes I meant Consulate I think my Question to them was could I do it via Hull. I know there's only 1 Embassy in the UK.

[Lancelot]

Funny story but sad too.

It is the same at the US embassy

All Thai guards whose English was worse than my Thai

Funny though the guards.................Is TL too small time?

I mean I always thought of the US Embassy in the same way you think of the Aussie Embassy.

I would have guessed a marine or two at the gates? Is that not how it is in other countries or no?

A sanctuary of sorts. I mean if you had cause to run up to the gate there is a good chance you would not get in during an emergency.

I had a Thai security guard raise his voice and become very rude when I was leaving the US Embassy and was trying to produce my ticket to reclaim my cell phone. At first I could not find my ticket and asked the guard "Are you sure you gave me a ticket?" He started yelling, saying "I give you, you no take care!" I eventually found the ticket, got my phone and left.

When I arrived home, I called the embassy and asked to speak to the head of security. Of course he was out but they did give me his email address. I emailed him stating my complaint and -to his credit- he did reply and after exchanging several replies, he informed me that he had spoken to the Thai guard and reminded him of proper conduct.

FWIW, any embassy is considered to be the soil of the nation represented, so the Thai guard was insulting an American citizen in the USA

[BigSnake]

I went into the Australian Embassy recently to get an Australian Passport for my 2 year old son. Spoke to a thai woman at the front desk and presented all the appropriate forms which I obtained from the DFAT website for a passport for those citizens living abroad. My son was born in Thailand and has dual citizenship. When I presented the forms I was told by the thai lady that I need an Australian citizen to garantee that he/she has known him for 12 months to prove identity. I had the forms signed by his thai doctor who has been looking after him since birth as stated as one of the people who can do on the forms. We began to argue as she said this is wrong and it must be an Australian citizen. I don't know any aussies in thai who have known him for 12 months.

Anyway we continued to argue about this point for about 5 minutes then I asked to speak to an Australian who may be able to help me she replied that the Australian working there do not handle the general inquiries or applications. I requested to speak to an aussie anyway. She said I was being rude and I can be arrested for insulting a thai government official and if I didn't leave she would call security and have me arrested.

Correct me if I am wrong but inside the confines of the Australian Embassy isn't that considered Australian territory. Are the people in there not working for the Australian Government and Australian taxpayer like myself. When was a law passed in Australia that you can not argue your point with a person working for the Australian government? I am sure all aussies have done so at some point. When did the thai authorities get the power to arrest someone for arguing a point with an Australian government employee on Australian territory.

I have found thai government employees more helpful than those at the Australian Embassy.

My Thought>time to send this old GIRL to an INACTIVE Post

[strawberry]

I registered my daughter 12 yearsago at the aussie embassy but I don't recall having this kind of trouble. but it seems to me that the birth sertificate should be enough after all its got my name on it.

In 2007 I arive at the embassy to get my stat.dec. for my visa. A woman at the gate asks me what I want and I tell her what I want she then insists I need to go to the immigration department for that I start to argue and next thing a small guy comes through the gate puts his hand on my chest and starts walking me backwards across the footpath waving my aussie pasport in his other hand. eventually my refusal to leave made him telephone upstairs and I finally get to enter ,but when I get to the consulate office window I'm met with a guy with a strong american accent.

In a way it reminds me that in 1952 I transfer from the British navy to the Aussie navy. There is an aussie ship in Devenport and as I walk up the gangway a guy at the top says '' and who might you be '' and I say I'm a transferree from the British navy at which he tells me ''this is a good navy effed up by a few Aussies''

Regards joe

[bonobo]

Funny story but sad too.

It is the same at the US embassy

All Thai guards whose English was worse than my Thai

Funny though the guards.................Is TL too small time?

I mean I always thought of the US Embassy in the same way you think of the Aussie Embassy.

I would have guessed a marine or two at the gates? Is that not how it is in other countries or no?

A sanctuary of sorts. I mean if you had cause to run up to the gate there is a good chance you would not get in during an emergency.

There are Marine guards at every embassy.  But they are there to man a few posts, such as Post 1, the post at the main entrance to the embassy itself.  They are at the secure entrances, not at the consular affairs entrance where the general population can enter.

[kiakaha]

I went into the Australian Embassy recently to get an Australian Passport for my 2 year old son. Spoke to a thai woman at the front desk and presented all the appropriate forms which I obtained from the DFAT website for a passport for those citizens living abroad. My son was born in Thailand and has dual citizenship. When I presented the forms I was told by the thai lady that I need an Australian citizen to garantee that he/she has known him for 12 months to prove identity. I had the forms signed by his thai doctor who has been looking after him since birth as stated as one of the people who can do on the forms. We began to argue as she said this is wrong and it must be an Australian citizen. I don't know any aussies in thai who have known him for 12 months.

Anyway we continued to argue about this point for about 5 minutes then I asked to speak to an Australian who may be able to help me she replied that the Australian working there do not handle the general inquiries or applications. I requested to speak to an aussie anyway. She said I was being rude and I can be arrested for insulting a thai government official and if I didn't leave she would call security and have me arrested.

Correct me if I am wrong but inside the confines of the Australian Embassy isn't that considered Australian territory. Are the people in there not working for the Australian Government and Australian taxpayer like myself. When was a law passed in Australia that you can not argue your point with a person working for the Australian government? I am sure all aussies have done so at some point. When did the thai authorities get the power to arrest someone for arguing a point with an Australian government employee on Australian territory.

I have found thai government employees more helpful than those at the Australian Embassy.

I never go to my embassy , but recently my wife and I had to vote in the NZL elections....so did so at the NZL embassy in Bangkok...I can concur that the NZL diplomatic staff were nice, polite, cordial and good at their jobs.....the Thai front liners were incompetent snooty little worms.

[greenwood01]

Ya Canadian embassy the same, I needed important information and advice and a THAI person answered and insisted her information was correct. Due to her misinformation I landed up breaking the law... unbelievable, she gave me completely false information, I have never seen an actual Canadian at the Canadian embassy.

Same here, but i found the direct number of the Consular's aid. She speak perfect english. Only problem is she is lazy. When something is EXTREMELY urgent, she will reply. ok maybe tomorow and then you get the answer 2weeks later. but it will be correct information

OP: thai doctor can be a guarantor. and actualy an australian citizen could NOT BE. they have to be a professional and live in your province.

[marsteele]

I went into the Australian Embassy recently to get an Australian Passport for my 2 year old son. Spoke to a thai woman at the front desk and presented all the appropriate forms which I obtained from the DFAT website for a passport for those citizens living abroad. My son was born in Thailand and has dual citizenship. When I presented the forms I was told by the thai lady that I need an Australian citizen to garantee that he/she has known him for 12 months to prove identity. I had the forms signed by his thai doctor who has been looking after him since birth as stated as one of the people who can do on the forms. We began to argue as she said this is wrong and it must be an Australian citizen. I don't know any aussies in thai who have known him for 12 months.

Anyway we continued to argue about this point for about 5 minutes then I asked to speak to an Australian who may be able to help me she replied that the Australian working there do not handle the general inquiries or applications. I requested to speak to an aussie anyway. She said I was being rude and I can be arrested for insulting a thai government official and if I didn't leave she would call security and have me arrested.

Correct me if I am wrong but inside the confines of the Australian Embassy isn't that considered Australian territory. Are the people in there not working for the Australian Government and Australian taxpayer like myself. When was a law passed in Australia that you can not argue your point with a person working for the Australian government? I am sure all aussies have done so at some point. When did the thai authorities get the power to arrest someone for arguing a point with an Australian government employee on Australian territory.

I have found thai government employees more helpful than those at the Australian Embassy.

I never go to my embassy , but recently my wife and I had to vote in the NZL elections....so did so at the NZL embassy in Bangkok...I can concur that the NZL diplomatic staff were nice, polite, cordial and good at their jobs.....the Thai front liners were incompetent snooty little worms.

Yes I don't know what it is with the thais that work at the various embassies. Don't they realise in there they are the farangs not the nationals that attend. Maybe this is why they get so snotty

[kiakaha]

I went into the Australian Embassy recently to get an Australian Passport for my 2 year old son. Spoke to a thai woman at the front desk and presented all the appropriate forms which I obtained from the DFAT website for a passport for those citizens living abroad. My son was born in Thailand and has dual citizenship. When I presented the forms I was told by the thai lady that I need an Australian citizen to garantee that he/she has known him for 12 months to prove identity. I had the forms signed by his thai doctor who has been looking after him since birth as stated as one of the people who can do on the forms. We began to argue as she said this is wrong and it must be an Australian citizen. I don't know any aussies in thai who have known him for 12 months.

Anyway we continued to argue about this point for about 5 minutes then I asked to speak to an Australian who may be able to help me she replied that the Australian working there do not handle the general inquiries or applications. I requested to speak to an aussie anyway. She said I was being rude and I can be arrested for insulting a thai government official and if I didn't leave she would call security and have me arrested.

Correct me if I am wrong but inside the confines of the Australian Embassy isn't that considered Australian territory. Are the people in there not working for the Australian Government and Australian taxpayer like myself. When was a law passed in Australia that you can not argue your point with a person working for the Australian government? I am sure all aussies have done so at some point. When did the thai authorities get the power to arrest someone for arguing a point with an Australian government employee on Australian territory.

I have found thai government employees more helpful than those at the Australian Embassy.

I never go to my embassy , but recently my wife and I had to vote in the NZL elections....so did so at the NZL embassy in Bangkok...I can concur that the NZL diplomatic staff were nice, polite, cordial and good at their jobs.....the Thai front liners were incompetent snooty little worms.

Yes I don't know what it is with the thais that work at the various embassies. Don't they realise in there they are the farangs not the nationals that attend. Maybe this is why they get so snotty

i think next time, we we will fly to Singapore to vote in our national elections

[Lavarack]

Had to come back to Melbourne for a couple of days and decided I would pop into the Department of foriegn affairs (DFAT) in the city. Gave them all the documentation and guess what? It was all correct no problems at all. Was told that the thai in Bangkok was bum f**king me so to speak had no idea. Anyway everything fixed as far as the passport is concerned but they still have to send it to Bangkok for official recording of issue.

[marsteele]

Had to come back to Melbourne for a couple of days and decided I would pop into the Department of foriegn affairs (DFAT) in the city. Gave them all the documentation and guess what? It was all correct no problems at all. Was told that the thai in Bangkok was bum f**king me so to speak had no idea. Anyway everything fixed as far as the passport is concerned but they still have to send it to Bangkok for official recording of issue.

yep I did my son's citizenship by decent at the office in Melbourne took about 10 minutes. Best way to do things going to the embassy is pointless dealing with thais on Australian issues. If you want milk you don't go to mechanic.

Edited May 3, 2009 by marsteele

[TonySoprano]

funny thread.

OP, you must have been very rude for a Thai to have acted that way towards you.

btw everytime i go to the embassy there is an old farang (usually with his scantily dressed thai partner in tow) arguing with an official.

Edited May 3, 2009 by TonySoprano

[marsteele]

funny thread.

OP, you must have been very rude for a Thai to have acted that way towards you.

btw everytime i go to the embassy there is an old farang (usually with his scantily dressed thai partner in tow) arguing with an official.

I think you have misunderstood OP's story. From what I read he was confronted by a thai who thought she was dealing with a farang on Australian territory. Thought she was in Thailand working for the Thai government. She was the one on foriegn soil who thought she knew all about Australian issues when she knew diddly. After dealing with an Australian official it appears that the OP knew what he was talking about and not the thai as it appears all his paperwork was in order when perused by the Australian official.

So are you saying that all thai's and in particular thai government officials are sweet and polite and it is always a farangs fault if the act in a certain matter. I think this particular thai was proven wrong by the Op and did not want to back down to save face. How many thai's will say sorry sir I was wrong and you are right. I think her only way out was threaten him with arrest and get him out of the embassy to save face.

[Lavarack]

funny thread.

OP, you must have been very rude for a Thai to have acted that way towards you.

btw everytime i go to the embassy there is an old farang (usually with his scantily dressed thai partner in tow) arguing with an official.

umm let me see ........ FARANG means FORIEGNER am I right? I am Australian and was on Australian soil. I think you meant to say "Everytime I go to the embassy there is an old Aussie (usually with his scantily dressed farang (thai) partner in tow) arguing with an official.

Ok yes I guess I am old by Thai standards at 36yrs of age but I did not have my scantily dressed thai farang partner in tow. My wife who incidently is 38 yrs old (Yes I know strange for an aussie to have an older thai as a wife) is a well educated phsycian who was educated in Australia never dresses scantily. Sorry we are not your typical mixed couple, 60 yr old man with his 20 yrs old bargirl wife.

As for arguing with an official it is my belief that there are NO Thai Government Officials working at the Australian Embassy. There are however thai nationals working as Public Servants for the Australian Government.

Yes I am guilty as to arguing with a farang (thai) public servant at the Australian Embassy. Guilty as charged and never denied that. I pressume that you are Australian and have at some point in your life had cause to argue a point with a public servant from some Australian Agency. (Tax dept, centrelink, medicare etc)

As to being rude maybe my attitude if in thailand at the time would have been considered such but I was on Australian soil. My documents were checked via fax prior to attended and confirmed as being correct and in order.

The problem occured when confronted with the thai farang at the embassy.

Yes I was rude I did not bow to her at the desk (didn't think we did this in Australia)

Yes I was rude for pointing out her error and underminding her public servant authority (well her assumed authority.

Yes I was rude for requesting to speak to an Australian who may be able to help me thus making this thai lose face in Australia.

Yes I was rude for not backing down and allowing a thai who still thought she was Thailand and not Australia and who still considered me as farang shit on my own soil.

Yes rude guilty as charged...

[TonySoprano]

you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. she was wrong, sure. but guess what, the last 99 abrasive Australians with their terrible to listen to accents were wrong. its clear from your posts that you wanted to put a Thai in their place. i am sure you enjoyed the entire experience and were looking for conflict. if you just wanted to be served, you could have easily done it the thai way, stood there as long as it took, been extra polite etc.

the stuff about the Australian embassy not being thailand, and that she is the farang is just comical.

Edited May 3, 2009 by TonySoprano

[marsteele]

you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. she was wrong, sure. but guess what, the last 99 abrasive Australians with their terrible to listen to accents were wrong. its clear from your posts that you wanted to put a Thai in their place. i am sure you enjoyed the entire experience and were looking for conflict. if you just wanted to be served, you could have easily done it the thai way, stood there as long as it took, been extra polite etc.

the stuff about the Australian embassy not being thailand, and that she is the farang is just comical.

Sounds as tho you are a thai person. Since when does the bloody Australian embassy come under thai authority. The only nationals in the embassy are australians all others are farang. Typical self ritious thais who think they are superior to westerners. The foriegn embassies in thailand are not bloody governed by thai's and thai's have no duristiction in them. What a complete wanke_r. Sorry I have to completly agree with Laverack.

Edited May 3, 2009 by marsteele

[TonySoprano]

The foriegn embassies in thailand are not bloody governed by thai's and thai's have no duristiction in them.

Except that they work there and are thus given power of authority by Australian officials?

[waza]

you should have pulled out your phone and called the Aussie embassy and asked the aussie official to come downstairs. I have found them sympathetic and helpfull.

[chiangdan]

you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. she was wrong, sure. but guess what, the last 99 abrasive Australians with their terrible to listen to accents were wrong. its clear from your posts that you wanted to put a Thai in their place. i am sure you enjoyed the entire experience and were looking for conflict. if you just wanted to be served, you could have easily done it the thai way, stood there as long as it took, been extra polite etc.

the stuff about the Australian embassy not being thailand, and that she is the farang is just comical.

Sounds as tho you are a thai person. Since when does the bloody Australian embassy come under thai authority. The only nationals in the embassy are australians all others are farang. Typical self ritious thais who think they are superior to westerners. The foriegn embassies in thailand are not bloody governed by thai's and thai's have no duristiction in them. What a complete wanke_r. Sorry I have to completly agree with Laverack.

I think this tony nitwit is trolling for conflict he obviously has no bloddy idea about Australia or Australians I bet he thinks Australia is in europe. What a dickwit go troll for trouble somewhere else. If he hates the aussie accent so much stop loitering around the aussie embassy which you know bloody nothing about.

[chiangdan]

The foriegn embassies in thailand are not bloody governed by thai's and thai's have no duristiction in them.

Except that they work there and are thus given power of authority by Australian officials?

do you have any idea what an australian public servant is. What bloody power of authority. To treat aussies like shit. Pull you head in and crap on your own embassy and people dickwit. Do some research sorry I bet you cant read.

[phaethon]

Ok yes I guess I am old by Thai standards at 36yrs of age

I didn't think Australians lived that long... remember the old saying - "An Australian is not just for Xmas, if you keep them away from the booze some of them make it through to New Year..."

[mmushr00m]

I think local embassy staff (Thai) are hired/chosen based on their rudeness. I was once told their "job" was partly to root out the "no hope-ers" so the embassy staff dont have to wade through a sea of applications.

The one at the Canadian embassy is very good at her job. She even interrogated me on what I did in LOS the last time we went to get another TV for the wife......well she tried to until I asked her if I made a mistake and walked into the Thai embassy.

The others are very nice and helpful..........once you get past the "guardian of the gate"