Why Are The Workers At The Us Embassy So Rude?

[bdenner]

I once had a similar experience at the Australian embassy, before they outsourced the visa applications.

My gf could not understand why the Thai workers were being so rude to everyone.

At a social function one night, I happened to meet the Australian Ambassador to Thailand, and during the course of a brief conversation I asked him about his thoughts on the subject.

His response?

"They are trained to be that way. We get a lot of riff-raff here appying for visas, and we have to weed out the scum"

I responded by asking if he thought it was fair that everyone, scum or not, were treated the same way, and he just shrugged and walked off.

Not a topic he wanted to discuss. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I’m afraid I have to concur with the Ambassador. Look in the visa sections of most Western Embassies and what do you see:-

a. Well dressed Thai nationals seeking visas for whatever their personal needs are.

b. A mixture of other applicants including agents.

--- and then ---

c. A large number of poorly dressed slobs toting along some young thing they picked up at a bar last night.

Groups a and b usually get good service and the occasional smile – but- just watch the body language of the staff change when group c are called up.

We made numerous trips to the Aust. Embassy for ‘Visitor’ visas prior to applying (on Embassy advise) then receiving our ‘Temporary’ then ‘Full Residency’ for Thai wife and daughter. I always wore shoes, pants and shirt and she in either traditional Thai dress or respectable, non flirtatious attire.

Not wanting to generalise, I think a lot of people need to take a look at them selves before condemning the staff over the counter. As for <jakesideas> comments on telephone conversations with the staff I agree he does have an axe to grind.

[ProThaiExpat]

Ah, a thread that invites generalities.

I must admit I have difficulty not thinking ill of all French despite their reputation for rudeness to trourist who go to their country. My experience:

Arrrived at De Gaulle airport, after an overnight flight from the U.S., with my college age daughter who had studied French in school.

Standing at the train/subway station ticket window at the airport window pointing at a train station in Paris with my finger and asking for two billetes, tickets etc. Grim faced female ticket seller who refused to understand why I was there.

Of course the line behind me got quite long. My daughter's attempts likewise met with the same attitude. Her pleas to "take a cab dad" were met with a refusal.

Eventually, a Frenchman came to the head of the line from somehwere behind me and in polite English, asked if he could help. I pointed to the same train station on the map and used the same English/French words "Two tickets/billetes". He turned to the ticket taker, gave her a torrent of French and the correct tickets were issued forthwith.

Such stories abound among travelers. Anger definitely arises when there is a failure of expectations.

I would never "expect" to be treated politely by a low level government employee, in fact I expect the opposite and am only occasionallly surprised. Getting "past" such people is like getting "past" filling out the usually ambiguous application forms and gathering all the irrelevant documents.

My visits to the former Aussie visa section with my Thai reinforced my view that many visa applicaants have no clue about dressing properly when dealing with officials, regardless of rank. Just go to any Thai immigration and see how many ignore the conventional advice regarding dress.

I always dress up, not down, whenever I go out and have to deal with "officials" including airline employees, hotel staff or restaurant hosts.. Not because I am more comfortable, but because I am uniformly treated better than when I "go as I am".

My falang neighbor's new Thai wife was referred to as a "prostitute", by my Thai, not based on evidence, but on dress. The poor thing just didn't know any better and her choice of clothes reflected here version of fashion.

Cearly she wasn't a former prostitute, she just dressed like one.

I have seen so many distinguised looking falang men walking around town dressed as backpackers, they look like trash, although they probably are not.

Not knowing the dynamics of any given "confrontation", we can only guess at what "really happened" and how much of the re-telling is accurate. Suffice to say, a two hundred pound pig like female is that way because of a poor self image and can only raise that feeling by putting others down. Her condition is obvious and must be dealt with if success is contemplated. I am sure, whether she is polite or not, is not remembered, if we are successful in obtaining the visa.

Rejection is handled in many ways, resentment toward the "rejector" is human and uniformly common.

It is a fact of life that countries give visas readily to those they perceive as "big spenders" and deny visas to those who are perceived as not having much, a pure matter of enconomics. Overstayers, likewise, usually come from the those who have little and desire a job overseas, obtained while overstaying a visa.

Human nature being what it is, I am equally angered by Thais who give me a "very polite and convoluted story", when explaining why they don't have something I want to save both of us "face", when in point of fact, they have it but don't know it or are too poorly trained or lazy to determine they actually have it.

I doubt if "politeness" by embassy staff would alleviate anger very much felt by those rejected for visas.

[Dr. Burrito]

I've been in our Embassy many times, a couple of the with my wife. Not once has she ben treated with anything but respect. Might well be because she dresses respectfully, conducts herself respectfully and basically doesn't invite issues with the staff.

American Citizen's Services unit - exemplary

I suppose someone could always catch somebody there on a bad day and come away with a poor impression, but several times in a row???? Would be a surprise to me.

Edited May 5, 2005 by Dr. Burrito

[Jeff1]

Just tell her that that's the way Americans are.

This guy may be talking about the people who you get forms from and also get information true?? If that is the case then these are not americans but indeed thai people.

I am from America and I am not at all rude!! You have rude people from all over the world. Not just the United States Sir

Where are you from Sir?

Say's he's from Antwerpen , must be where the twerp's are from