Differences in visa application forms and requirements between Thai consulates in the one country

I don't have a problem. I just wondered how such a situation could arise. Is it 'Thainess' in action or is there another explanation?

Recently the Brisbane consulate in Australia closed 'temporarily'. I've always used them because they were fast; usually I got my passport back inside a week. So I took a look at the forms and instructions for Sydney and Canberra.

The forms for all 3 missions ask for different information. On one form they need to know where you are staying in Thailand. On another, they want to know if you have visited Thailand before. In terms of requirements, one mission requires 2 passport photos instead of 1. Another mission requires you send an original bill with your name and address; or if not, your physical driver's licence! I actually rang the Sydney embassy to ask them if they wanted the real licence because if I lost my passport and drivers licence in the one go, I would have a hard time proving who I was! The girl on the line said "A copy is fine but you have to get it notarized by a JP" - a requirement not mentioned on the form..

You would think the embassy would be in charge of distributing official forms to the various consulates and that everything would be unified. Perhaps this is the case but the various consulates didn't always adopt the latest forms when they received them. Go figure.