New Us Consulate Fees

[mrmillersr]

I just noticed at http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service/a...terly-issue.pdf that some consulate fees would soon be going up and some down. However, after reading the newsletter all I saw were increases, no decreases.

Some of the not so minor proposed increases are boosting the notary fee from $30 to $50. (At 5 minutes or less, this works out to about $600 an hour for this basic service. Sorta like what the Pentagon pays for toilet seats).

Fortunately, I just renewed my passport which will go from $75 to $110. But the biggest kicker of all is what was once no charge - adding extra pages to a passport - this will now be a whopping $82 - more than what it cost to renew a passport!

IMHO this is just another sign of the times of just how bad things are really getting for the US. While claiming Social Security had a number of years to go before it would be running a deficit, it was just recently announced that this year they will in fact take in less than they are paying out. Between the dollar sinking and fees/cost of living increasing things are gonna get tight for a lot of us expats but still rather be here than in the 'real world'.

[ChouDoufu]

if you don't like it, you can renounce your citizenship.

but they just added a new fee of $450 for that service.

[BLUEEYEDTHAI]

Sorry dude this is the real world.

[Pib]

Well, a person has to 8 April to register his/her opinion with the State Dept regarding the proposed fees. I just emailed in my comments on the notary fee increase from $30 to $50--what a outrageous/rip-off price for such a simple and quick process.

[gotlost]

Hel-l this it not news it is 3 months old have been sleeping?

[jackr]

Think yourself lucky; I've just paid the best part of $145 (in your money) to renew the nipper's UK passport here... it's valid for 5 years.

[Dustoff]

~

It is rumored that most of the fees go to the Thai Government but I cannot substantiate that.

But I know what you mean - in the States, a notary fee is about $5 and if you have an account with a bank, they will usually do it for free. So if Thai Immigration is pushing retirees to get a yearly notarized affidavit of income, which EVERYONE knows is bogus right from the get-go, this would explain why..

We Americans can, however, opt to get a 52-page passport, at no additional fee when we renew, thus avoiding paying for extra pages if we are 'frequent travelers'.

"A penny saved is a penny spent on some other stupid thing tomorrow."

[jaideeguy]

Notary fees in USconsulate used to be free.....then Reganomics bumped it up to $75 and a few years price dropped to $30 [if heat strained memory serves me]. Just went in on March 26 and fee was still a $30 ripoff.

Was great when Thai immigration accepted the photocopy only of the affidavit.

Not only is it the $$, but the BS just to enter the freaking paranoid compound any more......used to enjoy the old, low key friendly CM USconsulate. Ah....the good old days!!

[neverdie]

NEWSFLASH PEOPLE! The government of the United States of America is going broke. Do these price hikes really surprise you?

[ChouDoufu]

the first 7 pages of the standard 24-pager are unusable. 2 pages at the rear are reserved for

amendments/endorsements.

has anyone recently gotten a 52-pager? i've heard they are being phased out........

[hml367]

The proposed notary fee increase (along with the other changes) is from the Department of State. If you look for the information instead of guessing or going by hearsay it is very easy to find. The consul in Chiang Mai gave the information as to where the increases are coming from clearly in their announcement.

MSPain

[Pib]

Hopefully all the folks making a comment here on ThaiVisa have also done something productive by senting a comment to the State Dept regarding the fee increases.

[gotlost]

  Pib said:

Hopefully all the folks making a comment here on ThaiVisa have also done something productive by senting a comment to the State Dept regarding the fee increases.

Members on this form do something productive. You have to be joking.

[mcgriffith]

I got a 52 pager when I renewed my last passport in 2005.

And for good measure, got some extra pages bound in (for free) when I last visited the Consulate in 2007.

My passport is like a paperback novel....still have a few dozen pages to go.....

As mentioned above- the Brits are gouged way worse than the Americans when it comes to consular service fees.

[Pib]

  gotlost said:

  Pib said:

Hopefully all the folks making a comment here on ThaiVisa have also done something productive by senting a comment to the State Dept regarding the fee increases.

Members on this form do something productive. You have to be joking.

One can hope!

[cmdream]

  hml367 said:

The proposed notary fee increase (along with the other changes) is from the Department of State. If you look for the information instead of guessing or going by hearsay it is very easy to find. The consul in Chiang Mai gave the information as to where the increases are coming from clearly in their announcement.

MSPain

WoW !! That sounds almost important !!! 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555. More money for nothing ! Whats new?

[hml367]

  cmdream said:

  hml367 said:

The proposed notary fee increase (along with the other changes) is from the Department of State. If you look for the information instead of guessing or going by hearsay it is very easy to find. The consul in Chiang Mai gave the information as to where the increases are coming from clearly in their announcement.

MSPain

WoW !! That sounds almost important !!! 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555. More money for nothing ! Whats new?

right