Anyone Knows A Foreign Service Officer?

[vjoe]

Hi,

I want to see if there are any FSO or ex FSO in the forum.

I took the exam last year and didn't pass so I will try again in

a couple of years. But meanwhile, I would like to hear about

life as an FSO in Thailand.

If anyone has any experience they would like to share please do.

Or you can email me privately if you're concern about privacy/security.

some questions

- Is housing provided?

- Do you have to do visa run?

- How do you like working there?

thanks.

[DJ Pat]

I know several. Why?

[sbk]

Did you read the post DJPat? Seems clear to me:

I would like to hear about

life as an FSO in Thailand.

- Is housing provided?

- Do you have to do visa run?

- How do you like working there?

[samran]

mmm...

strange question to ask, why would you want to know why a FSO officer has to do visa runs or not. Surely a bit of common sense will tell you what the correct answer is.

[solo siam]

Actually I dont know if they would, I'm guessing yes - but then there that whole foreign soil thing, so technically are they working in the kingdom or not etc...

[skylar]

Depends on what you mean by foreign service - techical and administrative or diplomat? Diplomats have diplomatic passports. Technical and administrative personnel are issued respective passports. No visas are needed with a diplomatic, technical or an admin passport to enter any country provided that country recognises the country of the passport bearer. The holder of an unrecognised passport will be declined to enter the country they wish to travel to. And of course housing is provided. The US, British and Australian Embassy have their own housing compounds. This is public knowledge, by the way.

[britmaveric]

Actually I dont know if they would, I'm guessing yes - but then there that whole foreign soil thing, so technically are they working in the kingdom or not etc...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nope - embassy's are technically on their own soil hence british embassy is technically part of britian. Any rate - they have diplomatic passports and are exempt from visa runs.

[DJ Pat]

No visa runs, nice digs and no, as far as I know, Thailand is no walk in the park.

[lopburi3]

Depends on what you mean by foreign service - techical and administrative or diplomat? Diplomats have diplomatic passports. Technical and administrative personnel are issued respective passports. No visas are needed with a diplomatic, technical or an admin passport to enter any country provided that country recognises the country of the passport bearer. The holder of an unrecognised passport will be declined to enter the country they wish to travel to. And of course housing is provided. The US, British and Australian Embassy have their own housing compounds. This is public knowledge, by the way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Perhaps someone should tell that to the MFA so they would not have to issue diplomatic visas per below (you do not travel anywhere and enter any country without a visa just because you have an official or diplomatic passport):

4. DIPLOMATIC / OFFICIAL VISA

- Thai Embassies and Consulates-General may upon official request grant visas to diplomatic or official passport-holders who wish to assume duties at a foreign Diplomatic Mission or Consulate or International Organization in the Kingdom and their family members or who desire to enter the Kingdom on official duty.

- Supporting documents are Note Verbal and/or documents issued by the foreign government or international organization, certifying the identity of the person concerned and his/her purposes while visiting the Kingdom.

Those issued diplomatic passports may be administrative or technical as well as those on the diplomatic list. The other type of passport is called Official.

Last I knew the US Embassy housing compound was where the current US Embassy stands and the majority never lived there.