Recently spoke with Mr Hughbert St.John-Smythe, acting honorary-consul at our excellent local UK-consulate, who was telling me that building-work will shortly be starting on an extension to the main-office building, in the grounds of the Consulate/British-Council.

However not to worry as normal-services/opening-times will be maintained, while the work is underway, aimed at adding extra office-accomodation, which will be needed once the service is upgraded next year to a full Embassy, upon relocation of many Thai central-government offices to Chiang Mai, following the recent flooding & in-anticipation of longer-term problems.

Various locations in Isarn had been proposed, but Chiang Mai's clearly-higher location and also better transport-links, such as our international-airport and planned China-Chiang Mai-Bangkok-Singapore high-speed railway, won out in-the-end.

This can only be good for local expat-residents, who would be able to enjoy upgraded-service, and is also likely to boost property-prices in the area, a trend which has already been visible recently, as Bangkok-residents look to move to 'the Rose of the North'.

Further details may be expected to emerge shortly, I understand.

Yeah; just read about the embassy relocation in the-newspaper-that-cannot-be-referenced. Remarkable, but positive. I personally can't wait for other embassies to follow suit.

Come on you really believe the Brits know about "capital moving to CM from BKK" and the rest don't know. They are not that smart , believe me I'm here (UK) at the moment! Hint, hint, hint!

April fools

I also heard they will reduce their outrageously high consular fees as a goodwill gesture to their citizens.

In addition, they will no longer raise them because of rises in the cost of oil, drops in the cost of oil, the rise in value of the pound against Thai baht, the drop in value of the pound against Thai baht, the Bangkok floods, the rise in the cost of ink they use to sign paperwork etc.

Edited April 1, 201214 yr by Loaded

Not a Brit but I had heard they had no service for their countrymen.

Well, at least we tried, Many Thanks to Winnie for your support, 'I will wear it with pride for many years', etcetera.

Edited April 2, 201214 yr by Ricardo

You're welcome.