Thailand election delays appointment of Phuket's Australian Hon Consul

[webfact]

Thailand election delays appointment of Phuket’s Australian Hon Consul
Claire Connell

PHUKET: -- The appointment of Phuket’s new Australian Honorary Consul will be delayed due to Thailand’s February elections, the Australian Embassy has confirmed.

“We expect the progress now to take even longer as the Thai Government needs to approve the decision, and that will have to wait for at least after the election,” a spokesperson from the Embassy told The Phuket News today (January 3).

“There are steps in the process. We have identified suitable candidates and they have to have various checks and then we will take our chosen candidate to the Thai government to be approved.”

Australians on Phuket have now been without a Honorary Consul for three months, after Larry Cunningham retired from the position at the end of September. He had been in the role around eight years.

Mr Cunningham plans to divide his time between Australia and Phuket.

The Embassy said that Australians in Phuket who require notarial or passport services can visit the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. Opening hours are 8.30am – 4pm weekdays and no appointments are necessary.

Australians with a consular emergency can contact the Australian Embassy in Bangkok on +66 2 344 6300 for assistance.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/thailand-election-delays-appointment-of-phuket%E2%80%99s-australian-hon-consul-43813.php


-- Phuket News 2014-01-03

[Costas2008]

Won't loose my sleep on that.

[chooka]

Why does Australia need approval from Thailand who it appoints to represent Australians? Is Thailand seeking a yes man/woman who will back them against complaining Australians when the get scammed, beaten or killed? Was Larry to much of a handful for the Thais and worked to hard for Aussies?

Why doesn't Thailand just appoint one of their people as the Hon Consol. I am sure Somchia the tuk tuk driver would be just the man for them.

[LivinginKata]

I would guess it's just a protocol procedure. Nothing much to see here.

[simple1]

Why does Australia need approval from Thailand who it appoints to represent Australians? Is Thailand seeking a yes man/woman who will back them against complaining Australians when the get scammed, beaten or killed? Was Larry to much of a handful for the Thais and worked to hard for Aussies?

Why doesn't Thailand just appoint one of their people as the Hon Consol. I am sure Somchia the tuk tuk driver would be just the man for them.

Under the Vienna Convention for Consular Relations the host nation may at any time and for any reason declare a particular member of the consular staff to be persona non grata. I assume, as stated above, even though the title is Honorary Consul, the acceptance of an appointee would need to follow diplomatic protocol & require the Thai government’s acceptance/approval.

Edited January 3, 2014 by simple1

[godden]

i'd like to sujest barry humphries, would go down well.

[johnlandy]

Won't loose my sleep on that.

Perhaps you're correct but the whole world has to wait while the bureaucrats get their hands off their dicks and start running the country.

The r*&$m is a joke.....

[PlastikbinLina]

Won't loose my sleep on that.

sleep tight then and you won't lose any sleep at all

[harrry]

With the exception of the past Honary Consol I think it will not not matter who is there. They will do their usual nothing.

[chooka]

With the exception of the past Honary Consol I think it will not not matter who is there. They will do their usual nothing.

Well I guess Thailand will be looking at appointing someone who will work in Thailands best interest and not Australians. The will want someone who will just fade away and can be totally controlled by Thailand.

Thailand made a wise choice when they appointed the Aust Hon Consol in Chiangmai, no one has ever seen or heard from him.

Edited January 4, 2014 by chooka

[simple1]

With the exception of the past Honary Consol I think it will not not matter who is there. They will do their usual nothing.

Well I guess Thailand will be looking at appointing someone who will work in Thailands best interest and not Australians. The will want someone who will just fade away and can be totally controlled by Thailand.

Thailand made a wise choice when they appointed the Aust Hon Consol in Chiangmai, no one has ever seen or heard from him.

You are being very unfair; Honorary Consuls do not enjoy diplomatic immunity and are extremely limited in what they can actually do to influence Thai authorities.

You previously posted your virulent dislike of the Australian government, but again the Embassy/Consular staff are constrained under diplomatic protocol to address domestic issues in Thailand. As you know what they can/cannot do in support of Australians in Thailand is clearly documented on the Bangkok Embassy website and mirrors the same statements as other Western Embassy’s.

http://www.thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/consular.html

[chooka]

With the exception of the past Honary Consol I think it will not not matter who is there. They will do their usual nothing.

Well I guess Thailand will be looking at appointing someone who will work in Thailands best interest and not Australians. The will want someone who will just fade away and can be totally controlled by Thailand.

Thailand made a wise choice when they appointed the Aust Hon Consol in Chiangmai, no one has ever seen or heard from him.

You are being very unfair; Honorary Consuls do not enjoy diplomatic immunity and are extremely limited in what they can actually do to influence Thai authorities.

You previously posted your virulent dislike of the Australian government, but again the Embassy/Consular staff are constrained under diplomatic protocol to address domestic issues in Thailand. As you know what they can/cannot do in support of Australians in Thailand is clearly documented on the Bangkok Embassy website and mirrors the same statements as other Western Embassy’s.

http://www.thailand.embassy.gov.au/bkok/consular.html

I understand what they can or can't do. What I am saying is that if it is up to Thailand to approve who will or won't be the Hon Consol then they can choose someone who best fits the needs of Thai's and Thailand. Larry was very out spoken and often made Australia and Australians aware of the scams and crime going on around the island and I am very sure this did not go down well Thais and it would have been seen as tarnishing the reputation of the island even tho it was very true.

I would say that Thailand would be looking for someone who kept his mouth shut and towed the Thai party line. They will be looking for a yes man who serve Thailands interests and help cover up the scams and wrong doings.

Aussies and other expats would love another Larry but Phuket/Thailand definitely would not.

Edited January 5, 2014 by chooka

[simple1]

if an Australian Hononary Consul were to help cover up the scams and wrong doings I suggest he/she would not retain their job for very long