US Embassy Bangkok Calls For Americans To STEP Up

[hardy1943]

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

^ Indeed.....Indeed. Big brother wants to know all....

Thank You but I will pass.

Do you also keep Big Brother in the dark by passing on entering your address or the correct address on your yearly federal tax return?

I registered with them a long time ago and they keep me well informed of all on goings in Thailand. Apparently most of you do not earn much retirement. By claiming my wife and my 2 adopted Thai daughters I just break even and pay no taxes. While single at age 53 and retired at 53 I paid way back then over $6,000 a year to Uncle Sam.I had top security clearance while working for Boeing and they knew 10 time more then I did about my life and relatives but I had nothing to hide.

[craigt3365]

This free service brought to you by the folks that now charge $85.00 for previously free passport pages. It is good to see where our money is going.

Are they also charging more to get a new passport now?

This is a major game changer I am shocked to hear this!

It is so stingy and unfair that they only give you about 24 pages in the new passport and then will charge another $85 for how many cents worth of paper and time spent?

Meanwhile the republicans continue to seek loopholes and tax breaks for wealthy billionares and oil companies dont you just love it?

This is unconstitutional and could possibly be contested in court as it is an unfair tax on traveling.

Justice William O. Douglas held that the federal government may not restrict the right to travel without due process:

The right to travel is a part of the 'liberty' of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment. If that "liberty" is to be regulated, it must be pursuant to the law-making functions of the Congress. . . . . Freedom of movement across frontiers in either direction, and inside frontiers as well, was a part of our heritage. Travel abroad, like travel within the country, . . . may be as close to the heart of the individual as the choice of what he eats, or wears, or reads. Freedom of movement is basic in our scheme of values.

Agreed, but what about the citizens who don't travel? Should they subsidize your "free" passport? I think it's OK for those who need it to pay for the product/service. Just wish this was the case for a lot of other things in the US!

[hardy1943]

This free service brought to you by the folks that now charge $85.00 for previously free passport pages. It is good to see where our money is going.

Are they also charging more to get a new passport now?

This is a major game changer I am shocked to hear this!

It is so stingy and unfair that they only give you about 24 pages in the new passport and then will charge another $85 for how many cents worth of paper and time spent?

Meanwhile the republicans continue to seek loopholes and tax breaks for wealthy billionares and oil companies dont you just love it?

This is unconstitutional and could possibly be contested in court as it is an unfair tax on traveling.

Justice William O. Douglas held that the federal government may not restrict the right to travel without due process:

The right to travel is a part of the 'liberty' of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment. If that "liberty" is to be regulated, it must be pursuant to the law-making functions of the Congress. . . . . Freedom of movement across frontiers in either direction, and inside frontiers as well, was a part of our heritage. Travel abroad, like travel within the country, . . . may be as close to the heart of the individual as the choice of what he eats, or wears, or reads. Freedom of movement is basic in our scheme of values.

Agreed, but what about the citizens who don't travel? Should they subsidize your "free" passport? I think it's OK for those who need it to pay for the product/service. Just wish this was the case for a lot of other things in the US!

I got mine added for free about 4 years ago I think, but I also agree. I travel allot and spend lots of money and having to pay next time I will cry over that minor amount.

[phuketrichard]

to me it is not being paranoid, its that the government should not be involved in the citizens lives.

That government is best which governs least

Civil Disobedience (Resistance to Civil Government) is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. It argues that people should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice.Paying taxes is one way in which otherwise well-meaning people collaborate in injustice.

Thoreau asserts that because governments are typically more harmful than helpful, they therefore cannot be justified. Democracy is no cure for this, as majorities simply by virtue of being majorities do not also gain the virtues of wisdom and justice. The judgment of an individual's conscience is not necessarily inferior to the decisions of a political body or majority, and so "t is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right..

and the new government in Bangkok should realize,

Because government is man-made, not an element of nature or an act of God, Thoreau hoped that its makers could be reasoned with. As governments go, he felt, the U.S. government, with all its faults, was not the worst and even had some admirable qualities. But he felt we could and should insist on better. "The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is a progress toward a true respect for the individual.… Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government?

NOTE: as to the new extra pages which cost you $85. I was told by the consul when he was here in Phuket that when u apply for the extra pages you can ask for TWO extra sets for the same PRICE

the NEW 28 page passports only have 20 pages that can be used. I filled that up in 18 months!!!

Edited July 20, 2011 by phuketrichard

[crusader79]

Registering here is a good thing. I get regular updates via email. And the more US citizens they know that live here, the better services they will provide.

A friend who registered years ago told me not to bother, that he receives mostly warnings about what countries not to travel to and other 'dangers' within Thailand. Is that true?

Edited July 20, 2011 by crusader79

[devaram]

This free service brought to you by the folks that now charge $85.00 for previously free passport pages. It is good to see where our money is going.

Are they also charging more to get a new passport now?

This is a major game changer I am shocked to hear this!

It is so stingy and unfair that they only give you about 24 pages in the new passport and then will charge another $85 for how many cents worth of paper and time spent?

Meanwhile the republicans continue to seek loopholes and tax breaks for wealthy billionares and oil companies dont you just love it?

This is unconstitutional and could possibly be contested in court as it is an unfair tax on traveling.

Justice William O. Douglas held that the federal government may not restrict the right to travel without due process:

The right to travel is a part of the 'liberty' of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment. If that "liberty" is to be regulated, it must be pursuant to the law-making functions of the Congress. . . . . Freedom of movement across frontiers in either direction, and inside frontiers as well, was a part of our heritage. Travel abroad, like travel within the country, . . . may be as close to the heart of the individual as the choice of what he eats, or wears, or reads. Freedom of movement is basic in our scheme of values.

Agreed, but what about the citizens who don't travel? Should they subsidize your "free" passport? I think it's OK for those who need it to pay for the product/service. Just wish this was the case for a lot of other things in the US!

I have no problem paying $125 for a passport but to pay $85 for a few pieces of paper to stick a visa on? How it it go from $0 to $85 in one second flat? Even $30 sound like too much to me..

Anyway they are broke and desperately grabbing without intelligence for whatever they can.

Government people are not known for their intelligence.

They are know for their desire for power.

The intelligent usually have better things to do...

Edited July 20, 2011 by devaram

[Huey]

Ummmm, not just No, but Hell No!

[vahack]

This free service brought to you by the folks that now charge $85.00 for previously free passport pages. It is good to see where our money is going.

Are they also charging more to get a new passport now?

It is so stingy and unfair that they only give you about 24 pages in the new passport and then will charge another $85 for how many cents worth of paper and time spent?

it wouldnt be so bad if Thai immigration didn't use 2 pages every year..

[BigSkip]

Yeah they were a big help when I got snatched up by the Lat Phrao cops for no reason years ago. I couldn't get a hold of anyone there. Waste of time.

Well if its anything like JUSTMAG all the U.S. holidays plus all the Thai holidays when do they ever have time to work? Don't forget the U.S. Retires who have commissary privileges denied because they don't want to over load the poor harding people.

[vahack]

to me it is not being paranoid, its that the government should not be involved in the citizens lives.

thats my POV too. especially since i dont live in the country or use its services or benefits. once a year i go to the US embassy to get a notarized piece of paper and pay $50 for it. social security? it wont exist in 25 years when i am eligible. i dont drive on US roads, i dont use US public utilities, and i dont care to line the pockets of fat greedy politicians.

haters and ignorant "patriots", feel free to bash me

[hardy1943]

This free service brought to you by the folks that now charge $85.00 for previously free passport pages. It is good to see where our money is going.

Are they also charging more to get a new passport now?

It is so stingy and unfair that they only give you about 24 pages in the new passport and then will charge another $85 for how many cents worth of paper and time spent?

it wouldnt be so bad if Thai immigration didn't use 2 pages every year..

If you travel it could be 4 or 5 ..

[Honolulu]

Especially when all they have to do is make the stamp a little smaller!

You can't beat the cost of living, my friends, no matter which country is your citizenship. And the people who sign up, help to establish next years budget for services. It's not a bad thing.

[mosan]

What the embassy REALLY needs to do is prioritize their efforts and STEP UP their visa agents to satisfy the demand for more application processing.

Currently their system is to let a visa applicant's 90 days paid subscription expire before they begin to consider granting a visa - that's a ridiculously absurd and ludicrous approach to handling what seems to be an overloaded visa department

What a novel idea it would be to add more agents to make the interviews and qualify the applicants - Duhh!! - reducing the load and getting those people qualified to go and spend money in the USA - WOW - how simple minded management can be.

Instead they spend their resources getting addresses of travelers and residents updated online.

I registered before - for what ? - a national crisis control ? - no-one contacted me to advise me to evacuate or instructions for other emergency contingency during the May red-shirt demonstrations with bombs and tanks rampant in the streets - I never heard of anything from the during the Tsunami

So what is their to STEP UP to ?

So you think consular section purposely doesn't want to manage everything as efficiently as possible? Now that's a ridiculous and absurd statement if I ever heard one. Every organization in the world has a budget to stick to regardless of what you think and it's not about processing numbers (individuals) just so they can spend money in the USA—talk about simple minded! Unless you're hiding from someone or some organization, it's a good idea to let the embassy know who and where you are...what? You think you're totally beyond danger here in Land of Smiles? Have you not heard how many foreigners and Thais come up dead, missing or whatever over here? Pull your head out man...I've been here since 2003 and I've registered and everytime any type of trouble rears it ugly head here, I get an email from American Citizens Services with a lot of good information on trouble spots, things to think about to keep yourself safe, etc., etc., etc. Heck if you don't listen to or want any good advise, at least you can cease with the non-nonsensical comments!

[craigt3365]

Registering here is a good thing. I get regular updates via email. And the more US citizens they know that live here, the better services they will provide.

A friend who registered years ago told me not to bother, that he receives mostly warnings about what countries not to travel to and other 'dangers' within Thailand. Is that true?

I've been registered for quite some time, as has my wife. So we get notified twice! The only warnings I got were for the protests in Bangkok. Which I think were good warnings. If nothing else from a traffic point of view.

I've gotten notices of the 4th of July party (missed it again! ), upcoming consular events...including the outreach ones here in Pattaya. Which was a great thing to be notified about. And a few other things as well. Never got warnings about what countries to travel to and never got warned about other 'dangers' within Thailand.

[TomJoad]

<br />

to me it is not being paranoid, its that the government should not be involved in the citizens lives.<br />

thats my POV too. especially since i dont live in the country or use its services or benefits. once a year i go to the US embassy to get a notarized piece of paper and pay $50 for it. social security? it wont exist in 25 years when i am eligible. i dont drive on US roads, i dont use US public utilities, and i dont care to line the pockets of fat greedy politicians. haters and ignorant "patriots", feel free to bash me <img src='http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=''

What's the $50 for if you don't mind my asking..?

[marquess]

The joys of being an American Citizen!

[hellodolly]

Knowing where we are is a good thing.Get over your paranoia.

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

he can't help it.

It runs in the family.

He inherited it from Uncle Sam. :cheesy:

[puipuitom]

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

When I was stationed ( 2004) in Port Harcourt - Nigeria, when riots broke out and.. estimated 2.500 Nigerians were killed. There was complete panic in my hotel. Staff wanted to go to their families 30-40 km outside of the premises, but cars were stopped, and persons from the wrong tribe shot.

Oh what all were happy when - after a call of the US embassy - a list of all US citizens was faxed up to them, and a 10 or so "Sports School" guys with big bags came to stay in our hotel... Every body happy Big Brother was watching them.

Comments then: you are British: Navy will come. Cypriot? Nobody cares. Dutch as me? Your government will talk till you are already dead and grave forgotten.

[bubbaba]

No reason not to register unless on the lamb or not wanting to pay income tax. I registered long ago and it's a good thing.

[konaboy]

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

What medical services?

[tropo]

Between biolmetric passports, the Thai visa system, cellphone and credit card usage

they can pinpoint us reasonably quickly if they REALLY want to.

I'm sure most people using cellphones here don't register them. They aren't going to be much use at tracking down people.

If a person doesn't want to be found in Thailand it's very easy to stay below the radar.

[ThaiPauly]

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

^ Indeed.....Indeed. Big brother wants to know all....

Thank You but I will pass.

Big Brother aka the IRS, sniffing out merkins who aren't paying their pound of flesh.

Add those two words the IRS = THEIRS

[Langsuan Man]

Well if its anything like JUSTMAG all the U.S. holidays plus all the Thai holidays when do they ever have time to work? Don't forget the U.S. Retires who have commissary privileges denied because they don't want to over load the poor harding people.

What makes you think that you have any right to use the JUSTMAG commissary in the first place ?

Even US Embassy employees can't use it and they are here on US Government business. And your are denied it because of the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) between Thailand and the US Military not because of "harding" (sic)

Retire in Germany or the UK and see how much access you have to US facilities !

Be grateful that you can get APO access through the back door (which you might loose if they change to the DPO system) not to mention the Tri Care scam

[Galong]

I used to hear: America, love it or leave it. I left, please stop following me.

I see what sort of 'help' the gov is capable of. If they treated the 9/11 emergency responders the way they did, just imagine how much care they'll give an expat in trouble.

I'll take care of myself, thank you.

[GeorgeO]

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

– please consider enrolling with the US Embassy's Consular Section via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program [sTEP].

One stop service???? :jap:

How the hell does this qualify as US citizens being asked to STEP UP?

Is this a call to arms?

Gimmee a break!!

[ableguy]

A good idea in some respects. It also enables Big Brother to know where you are.

More conspiracy theory ? what on earth makes you think they want to know ?

[MaxYakov]

This free service brought to you by the folks that now charge $85.00 for previously free passport pages. It is good to see where our money is going.

Using 'free' and 'service' in the same sentence?! Simply using 'free' when it refers to anything other than breathing air is wrong and even that may change. Do you suppose they're going to use those 85 bucks/per to help pay off the national debt? You claim you can see where it's going. It's been going there for some 50+ years and now it's just a lot more of it going there these days.

[MaxYakov]

Between biolmetric passports, the Thai visa system, cellphone and credit card usage

they can pinpoint us reasonably quickly if they REALLY want to.

I'm sure most people using cellphones here don't register them. They aren't going to be much use at tracking down people.

If a person doesn't want to be found in Thailand it's very easy to stay below the radar.

Yeah ... well ... Thai Immigration has been asking for my cell number on the last two extensions. I've been soooo tempted to ask them if they're going to call me, but have resisted because the official was not that stunning. They have my correct address anyway so I don't lose any sleep wondering if they're going to triangulate my cell phone or some such thing. If I were that paranoid, I'd turn it off and then find a plastic surgeon after I cut off my fingertips and had all my teeth pulled.

[zydeco]

Well, they can stick their STEP where the sun don't shine. They'll be building igloos in Bangkok before I give them so much as a hint as to where I am.

[Suradit]

Fears of losing your anonymity by registering with the Embassy seems unwarranted unless you have an ulterior motive for doing so. We that live here, most anyway, still file tax returns so the big secret is out anyway.

Most file US tax returns and many receive Social Security payments, have US based bank accounts, pensions and investments ... I think if Big Brother wanted to find you for whatever devious reasons they wouldn't need to rely on your voluntary ACS registration.

On one occasion my brother in Chicago was involved in an accident. Others weren't immediately sure of my contact information and a message was relayed to me via a consular officer in Bangkok ... and she did ask my permission to respond to the sender, saying that some people wish to remain "unfound" by relatives, which was up to me.