U.S. Embassy: Mandatory Appointment System For American Citizen Services

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Need a new passport? Extra pages? Affidavit for income or place of residence? Report of birth? Notary service? About anything that you used to just walk in to get and wait in line, no more, except perhaps the wait.

Mac

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/072412_announcement.html

Mandatory Appointment System for American Citizen Services at U.S. Embassy Bangkok

This message is for all U.S. citizens in Thailand.

Effective Monday, July 30, 2012, the U.S. Embassy, will strictly enforce an appointment-only system for all non-emergency services.

The appointment system, which was introduced in 2011, allows American citizens in Thailand to plan ahead and book a time to complete their required service. This has substantially reduced wait times for U.S. citizens who require non-emergency services. Due to a consistently-growing workload, the American Citizen Services section will now move to the appointment-only policy that is being followed at Embassies and Consulates world-wide.

Starting on July 30, 2012, American citizens who come to the Embassy for non-emergency services, but who do not have an appointment, will not be able to receive non-emergency services, such as routine passport applications and renewals, additional visa pages, notary or report of birth services at that time.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok schedules appointments Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., except Thai and American holidays. NOTE: We are closed to the public on the last Friday of every month.

To make an appointment, please go to: http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/acsappointment.html.

Bring your passport or other form of photo identification to your appointment.

In the event of an emergency, such as the death, serious illness, or arrest of an American citizen in Thailand, please call us directly at 02-205-4049 or 02-205-4000 for the Embassy operator. If your call is not an emergency, we will refer you to our website to make an appointment for routine service.

The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service.html) is located at 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok, and can be reached by calling 66-2-205-4049, or by e-mailing [email protected]. The Embassy’s after-hours emergency telephone number is 66-2-205-4000. The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai (http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service.html) is located at 387 Wichayanond Road in Chiang Mai. The American Citizen Services Unit of the Consulate General can be reached by calling 66-53-107-777 and by e-mail at [email protected]. The after-hours emergency telephone number is 66-81-881-1878.

For the latest security information, you should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website (http://travel.state.gov/), where current Worldwide Cautions, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings and health-information resources can be found. You can also obtain up-to-date information on security by calling 1-888-407-4747 (toll free) in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in other areas, by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

We encourage you notify us of your presence in Thailand by enrolling in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), available at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/.

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[kennedy]

Thanks for the heads up on this.

[ripstanley]

Does this make anyone wish that the world did not suffer from "progress". There is one group of people that we can thank for the new reality of security measures. Can you guess who. Hint - it is not the Thais and it is not the Eskimos.

As non politically correct as this may be, the destruction of our environment is being ensured by big business and the erasure of our freedoms are being taken care of by religious factions.

No specifics but all the truth.

I think that I am glad I am not from usa.

[Jingthing]

...

Can you guess who. Hint - it is not the Thais and it is not the Eskimos.

...

Batman fans?

[BuckarooBanzai]

...

Can you guess who. Hint - it is not the Thais and it is not the Eskimos.

...

Batman fans?

Certainly they are batty but I do not think they have many fans!

[telldem]

This info saved me a trip....Thanks!

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Thaivisa Connect App

[BuckarooBanzai]

Does this make anyone wish that the world did not suffer from "progress". There is one group of people that we can thank for the new reality of security measures. Can you guess who. Hint - it is not the Thais and it is not the Eskimos.

As non politically correct as this may be, the destruction of our environment is being ensured by big business and the erasure of our freedoms are being taken care of by religious factions.

No specifics but all the truth.

I think that I am glad I am not from usa.

Why? Do you think you are immune from the worlds reality? Nice try at trying to blame a country but the reality is it is more wide spread than nationalism. It is a contagion that effects a broad population of believers. Think a little bit about what you see and rethink if you have established that Americans are the bad guys.

[Fookhaht]

I am just about equidistant from Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Does anyone know if Chiang Mai is on a walk-in basis, or is it also the same system?

[Jingthing]

I am just about equidistant from Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Does anyone know if Chiang Mai is on a walk-in basis, or is it also the same system?

Same:

http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service/appointments.html

[Sheryl]

Does this make anyone wish that the world did not suffer from "progress". There is one group of people that we can thank for the new reality of security measures. Can you guess who. Hint - it is not the Thais and it is not the Eskimos.

As non politically correct as this may be, the destruction of our environment is being ensured by big business and the erasure of our freedoms are being taken care of by religious factions.

No specifics but all the truth.

My understanding is that this has nothing to do with security, it is a measure taken due to workload problems.

[lopburi3]

There is no (or very little) waiting with this system as you proceed to front of outside security queue if going to ACS and then report directly to marked window (believe it is 2) for processing. Have used for last two years and seems better this year.

[CrazyKid]

There is no (or very little) waiting with this system as you proceed to front of outside security queue if going to ACS and then report directly to marked window (believe it is 2) for processing. Have used for last two years and seems better this year.

I used the system inside USA to get my new passport. No wait once I arrived at appointment time But 6 week wait for the appointment. So plan ahead. I am sure the wait time for getting an appointment varies.

[lopburi3]

Check at 0920 on Friday shows there are 9 appointment times available this Monday and 21 on Tuesday so should not be a problem for most people.

[BigRick]

That is a good idea and provides for quality service. Why should I make an appointment when some asshat walks in off the street and just cuts in front of everyone. The three times I have been to the Embassy I have seen the same sh*t different day. "What I need a number?" "Ohh all these people were standing in line?" "What my green card does not make me special?" It gets ugly in there. It has nothing to do with security that place has great security they don't even let you take electronic devices in. The just got sick of people walking in and making problems for the people who do it the correct way. The need a no yammering policy if you don't get it then listen to what they are saying if you don't understand that then step the <deleted> aside.

[farang000999]

i always got an appointment before this and i always laughed my ass off at the people waiting in line and the way they would look at me when i just walked in and i am immediately served because i have an appointment.

[1bbcd5]

I agree with the author's point of view! I learned a lot. Thank you!

[bendejo]

Every time I've visited the embassy in Bangkok and got into conversation with the person who is sitting next me it turns out they are there to get a new emergency passport because when they tried to board the plane for Siem Reap they were rejected because their passport had less than six before expiration.

They should look into setting up a kiosk at the airport.

[kikoman]

I have used the appointment system for the last 2 years in Bangkok and Chaing Mai. Works great for me!