UK Embassy introduce online appointment service for Consular services

[theoldgit]

From 23 March you will no longer be able to pitch up at the UK Embassy and visit the Consular Section for notarial or documentary services, you will need to make an appointment.

Details are here, though are a little sketchy https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/introduction-of-appointments-for-notarial-services-in-bangkok

Clearly they want to encourage people to apply for their income letters by post, fine if you live a distance away, but less convenient for those who live locally, why do they charge 100 Baht for a 35 baht EMS charge to return your letter?

[Brit_Doggie]

The man or post lady who delivers to ems has a need of wages also,and 100 isn't extravagant for me and i hasten to add i not a high roller type of guy but bless her my gf thinks i am lol.

[digitalchromakey]

Presumably the Consular Section applications opening hours remain unchanged at Mon - Fri 08:00 -11:00 a.m. excluding public holidays.

So one will still have to deal with appointments aimed at that already very small time window.

Very good however fro the Embassy to remind folks that many of the Consular paperwork services can be obtained/dealt with without the need for a personal appearance/trip to BKK.

[ubonjoe]

I checked it out for oaths and etc and got as far as selecting a time. Appointments start at 8 am in 15 minute increments to 10:30 am.

[thonglorjimmy]

The man or post lady who delivers to ems has a need of wages also,and 100 isn't extravagant for me and i hasten to add i not a high roller type of guy but bless her my gf thinks i am lol.

That's a fair point, after all the price the British Embassy are required to charge to churn out these letters is pretty tight tight and there is probably no slack to absorb the cost of an EMS stamp, so it's only reasonable that they round the price up to the next 100 Baht.

It's also fair to note that one of their staff would probably make a special journey to the Post Office to drop these letters off, they certainly wouldn't be included with the Embassy's regular EMS mail.

I personally wont use the postal service, it's far easier for me to swing by the Embassy.

[Sawan Chan 7]

Apart from the Guerka guy who's been there for at least 20 years, the staff there are poor at English. I had to speak Thai to the girl who told me to give her my phone.Then she said, " YOU come back " which I did. She meant pick it up when I was coming back.

Being subjected to rude Thais is endurable around that area but on British soil is way out of line.

[alantheembalmer]

The poor dears must have been exhausted dealing with customers coming at unpredictable times during their 3 hour work-a-thon. This one appointment every 15 minutes should be just bearable.

[evadgib]

Apart from the Guerka guy who's been there for at least 20 years, the staff there are poor at English. I had to speak Thai to the girl who told me to give her my phone.Then she said, " YOU come back " which I did. She meant pick it up when I was coming back.

Being subjected to rude Thais is endurable around that area but on British soil is way out of line.

This likely refers to the gate staff and has no bearing whatsoever on the serviced recieved. I suspect some of the lesser known faces that work there don't always get in smoothly either Edited March 10, 2015 by evadgib

[AyG]

it's only reasonable that they round the price up to the next 100 Baht.

In fact, it's surprisingly generous of them. They usually round prices for their services up to the next 500 or 1,000 Baht.

[nzexpat]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Apart from the Guerka guy who's been there for at least 20 years, the staff there are poor at English. I had to speak Thai to the girl who told me to give her my phone.Then she said, " YOU come back " which I did. She meant pick it up when I was coming back.
Being subjected to rude Thais is endurable around that area but on British soil is way out of line.

For clarity this refers to the gate staff and has no bearing whatsoever on the serviced you recieved. Some of the lesser known staff that work there don't always get in smoothly either

Some , clearly, are easily offended.

Whenever I have visited the Embassy I have only ever been treated with civility and respect from the "gate staff"

Guess you speak excellent Thai ?

[evadgib]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Apart from the Guerka guy who's been there for at least 20 years, the staff there are poor at English. I had to speak Thai to the girl who told me to give her my phone.Then she said, " YOU come back " which I did. She meant pick it up when I was coming back.

Being subjected to rude Thais is endurable around that area but on British soil is way out of line.

For clarity this refers to the gate staff and has no bearing whatsoever on the serviced you recieved. Some of the lesser known staff that work there don't always get in smoothly either

Some , clearly, are easily offended.

Whenever I have visited the Embassy I have only ever been treated with civility and respect from the "gate staff"

Guess you speak excellent Thai ?

Had you waited for the edit you'd have realised that I was trying to inject a little humour in order to neuter the "aint doing nuffink" brigade before they'd gathered any traction....

Edited March 10, 2015 by evadgib

[Sawan Chan 7]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Apart from the Guerka guy who's been there for at least 20 years, the staff there are poor at English. I had to speak Thai to the girl who told me to give her my phone.Then she said, " YOU come back " which I did. She meant pick it up when I was coming back.

Being subjected to rude Thais is endurable around that area but on British soil is way out of line.

For clarity this refers to the gate staff and has no bearing whatsoever on the serviced you recieved. Some of the lesser known staff that work there don't always get in smoothly either

Some , clearly, are easily offended.

Whenever I have visited the Embassy I have only ever been treated with civility and respect from the "gate staff"

Guess you speak excellent Thai ?

if you mean me, there is no comparison with my Thai level and her English. However, if she studied English like I have Thai for 26 years and lived in England like I have Thailand for 26 years

then it would be fair to compare.

[Baerboxer]

I checked it out for oaths and etc and got as far as selecting a time. Appointments start at 8 am in 15 minute increments to 10:30 am.

A 2.5 to 3 hour working day - sounds about right.

[Baerboxer]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Apart from the Guerka guy who's been there for at least 20 years, the staff there are poor at English. I had to speak Thai to the girl who told me to give her my phone.Then she said, " YOU come back " which I did. She meant pick it up when I was coming back.

Being subjected to rude Thais is endurable around that area but on British soil is way out of line.

For clarity this refers to the gate staff and has no bearing whatsoever on the serviced you recieved. Some of the lesser known staff that work there don't always get in smoothly either

Some , clearly, are easily offended.

Whenever I have visited the Embassy I have only ever been treated with civility and respect from the "gate staff"

Guess you speak excellent Thai ?

Lucky you. My experience has been more mixed. The girls who ask what you want and demand your passport have very variable command of English and intelligence IME. One repeatedly asked what I wanted. Quite frankly FA to do with her, simply not her business.

[theoldgit]

Lucky you. My experience has been more mixed. The girls who ask what you want and demand your passport have very variable command of English and intelligence IME. One repeatedly asked what I wanted. Quite frankly FA to do with her, simply not her business.

I have to say that I have also encountered mixed responses from the lasses behind the glass when I've requested admission to visit the Consular Section, some are polite and efficient whilst others are quite rude and seem to enjoy their perceived level of authority.

Whilst I fully accept that the staff are there to ensure only people with a valid reason are allowed to enter, they should do so in a reasonable manner.

I'm sure that the senior managers of the Embassy are aware that their customers, and that's all we are to them, judge them by the first interaction with their staff, and as a result will put their best staff into that role