Visa Crises At Norwegian Embassy In Bangkok

[george]

Visa-crisis At Bangkok Embassy

BANGKOK: -- People coming to the Norwegian embassy in Bangkok in these days are greeted by a full waiting room and long delays.

The number of visa-applications received at the Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok has risen sharply since March this year. At the same time Norway is implementing a new computerized visa-handling system, which makes the registration process of each application take longer.

“This has lead to an increased workload in the visa-section, a full waiting room and long delays in the reception of visa-applications. I am truly sorry for this situation,” Norwegian ambassador to Bangkok Merete Fjeld Brattested writes in a news mail.

In order to receive their customers properly the Embassy has recruited more visa-officers. These officers are now being trained.

“We will also change the routines with respect to receiving applications and returning passports. New routines will be applied as from 1st June and more information will follow,” the ambassador informs.

Come alone

As the embassy is working hard to solve the problem, it asks its customers applying for a visa to help out as well. It simply requests that visa-applicants come alone.

“There is normally little, if not to say nothing, the visa-applicants’ Norwegian reference, family and friends can do during an interview that is meant to be with the applicant alone,” Merete Fjeld Brattested stresses adding:

“The interview also takes longer when our staff has to deal both with the applicant and his/her family and friends and explain the same thing several times in different languages.”

--ScandAsia.com 2006-05-17