UK govt review casts doubt on future of British Embassy in Bangkok

[daiwill60]

Is it possible that this may be another sort of PFI scheme thought up by a Tory Government in the UK. Sell it and lease it back at an extraordinary amount with a company registered in panams or jersey or elsewhere that hides company assets and profits etc ????????

[GinBoy2]

Idle musing over my breakfast cup of coffee and toast....

Now I'm not British but American, but I always wonder what I'm missing, that other people seem to worry about with the loss of embassy services?

I've lived outside the US for 20 years in various countries, and in all that time needed to actually enter an embassy once.

Now, I've never been arrested in a meth drug raid or the like, so don't know what consular support you get, or need (maybe someone here has some experiences!!!) but really the fact that there is, or not, a US embassy in Bangkok doesn't affect me one way or the other.

Even my last passport renewal that I did here in Thailand was at a local outreach, which is about as far as my engagement with US embassy staff has ever gone.

Is there something else that UK citizens actually 'need' from the embassy?

[al007]

It would be very good if British Embassy followed US practise of outreach visits

[jayboy]

Is it possible that this may be another sort of PFI scheme thought up by a Tory Government in the UK. Sell it and lease it back at an extraordinary amount with a company registered in panams or jersey or elsewhere that hides company assets and profits etc ????????

No it is not possible.

[Spaniel]

Waste of British tax payers money, U.K. Have no clout now in Thailand, so close it.

I believe they are considering selling the present embassy and moving the embassy elsewhere. Not just closing it down.

[evadgib]

It would be very good if British Embassy followed US practise of outreach visits

Given their ratio of one diplomat per citizen it stops them getting bored

[theoldgit]

Does anybody else know of any other country that allows an independent company to run their visa department , that's located in the same building , and same floor as a corrupt Thai run company , that somehow manages to obtain visas , that others can't . It's a disgrace !

No, I don't know of any country in the world that allows a private company to run their visa department, and that includes the UK, which of course doesn't.

[Rancid]

If you get into trouble Rule number 1 is to avoid the embassy. I have seen at least half a dozen instances of disgraceful cavlier treatment of their citizens. Embassies are a waste of money and space.

Yes, but you are assuming Embassies are there to help their citizens whereas that has nothing to do with their function.

Embassies are somewhere for governments to offload retired politicians, public servants, business donors and of course to bribe various party trouble makers to get them out of the country. They get a lucrative salary, fancy title, nice digs, lots of parties and most importantly a hefty retirement package. And also for some countries as a place to headquarter their spy networks.

Embassies would prefer it if no nationals ever visited. In fact they slap on travel warnings if they feel they are overworked.

[jayboy]

If you get into trouble Rule number 1 is to avoid the embassy. I have seen at least half a dozen instances of disgraceful cavlier treatment of their citizens. Embassies are a waste of money and space.

Yes, but you are assuming Embassies are there to help their citizens whereas that has nothing to do with their function.

Embassies are somewhere for governments to offload retired politicians, public servants, business donors and of course to bribe various party trouble makers to get them out of the country. They get a lucrative salary, fancy title, nice digs, lots of parties and most importantly a hefty retirement package. And also for some countries as a place to headquarter their spy networks.

Embassies would prefer it if no nationals ever visited. In fact they slap on travel warnings if they feel they are overworked.

You are talking undiluted rubbish.Occasionally a head of mission is a political appointment but this has never happened in Bangkok.All staff are career officers.

[theoldgit]

You are talking undiluted rubbish.Occasionally a head of mission is a political appointment but this has never happened in Bangkok.All staff are career officers.

Not all staff at the UK Embassy are career officers, a large number are locally employed, Thai and Expats, paid local rates.

[jayboy]

You are talking undiluted rubbish.Occasionally a head of mission is a political appointment but this has never happened in Bangkok.All staff are career officers.

Not all staff at the UK Embassy are career officers, a large number are locally employed, Thai and Expats, paid local rates.

Obviously I was talking about UK based staff as was the original foolish observation.

[seedy]

Nonsense post removed - and quoted replies

[JAG]

If the embassy does close , who will the private companies, that somehow manage to obtain visas for Thai girls to enter the UK and work as "Escorts " pay their bribes too ? Google Thai escorts London , and you'll see what I mean .

Does anybody else know of any other country that allows an independent company to run their visa department , that's located in the same building , and same floor as a corrupt Thai run company , that somehow manages to obtain visas , that others can't . It's a disgrace !

Several years ago I attempted to get visas for my wife and baby to come to the UK for a holiday. At that time I was caring for my mother in the UK who had dementia. The application was turned down out of hand by the consular services. The Thai locally employed official gave me a card for an agency which she said would get me the visas ( for a substantial fee ). The card had a reference number which she told me to quote - presumably to ensure she got her commission.

I took it up with my MP when I returned home. He was told by the Home Office that all such matters were exclusively the concern of the consular services in the Bangkok Embassy and they were not able to get involved.

As far as I am concerned a folding table on Soi 4 is the most appropriate place for them. I hope that the umbrella leaks.

You may well have been knocked back but your interpretation of events that followed differ significantly from whatever the facts might be.

How on earth can you say that, given that I have simply described exactly what happened?

I was given the card with a reference number to quote, by the employee in the embassy office. I was told that if I payed them they would arrange the visa. That is a fact. It happened.

My MP was fobbed off with the reply I quoted when he raised the matter on my behalf. That is a fact. It happened.

To say "your interpretation of events that followed differ significantly from whatever the facts might be" is so enigmatic as to be meaningless.

You seem to suggest that the facts were different.. How were they different? I would rather like to know, and if you do know then there is no reason why you can not tell me/us.

Edited April 9, 2016 by JAG

[Ricardo]

If the UK-government yet again reduces the level of services it provides to its local citizens, will they also similarly be reducing the rates of tax which they charge us, on our income or capital-gains arising in the UK ?

Oh, and give us back our votes, and give us MPs whose specific role is to represent overseas-Brits ?

It would seem only fair ... "no taxation without representation", as our US chums used to say !

Edited April 10, 2016 by Ricardo

[DaveinAsia]

Waste of British tax payers money, U.K. Have no clout now in Thailand, so close it.

I believe they are considering selling the present embassy and moving the embassy elsewhere. Not just closing it down.

Sounds very feasible. I can't imagine that the UK government would close down a trading post. They gave the consular services up several years ago because Trendy can probably manage that quite well and cheaper and they only care about their commercial interests anyway, so to give up the embassy doesn't make sense at all.

I never paid taxes in the UK as I moved away there as a young kid already but I can imagine that the people who did pay taxes are fuming. Most other Western nations have a great service for their citizens but somehow the UK doesn't seem to care too much about it's overseas citizens(unless you are on a VIP list).

I remember a story of a Dutch mate several years back. He was drunk one night over on Patpong and got into an argument with staff about ripping him off. I tried to calm him down but he just went apeshi-t so the mamasan called in the troops. Luckily for us the cops were nearby and eventually he was arrested instead of being slaughtered by the 'big monkey men'. Anyways, to cut a long story short, when he got to Satorn copshop he called up his embassy and told them about his arrest and within an hour some Dutch Embassy official was at the copshop to bribe him out. Here comes the best part; a similar story happened to oneself several years later and I called our guys over on Wireless Rd only to get the expected reply that they couldn't do anything for me. Sorry guys, but the sun has set quite a while ago already on the British Empire. I'm sure some of you are still in denial but when one has a good look at the facts the truth will manifest itself

[djjamie]

Australian Embassy in Bangkok won't be that far behind then. They are moving as well.

[i claudius]

These single-story sprawling embassies are a waste of real estate anyway. Whatever business is transacted inside could probably be accomplished in a dozen rooms of economy office space.

The thing is the land was given to the Embassy by the Thai govt long ago ,when it was wasteland and worth very little , as they wanted the old Embassy land back , still the British govt are broke and want money ,and people loke us are of no value to them so we just do not matter ,

[dick dasterdly]

Waste of British tax payers money, U.K. Have no clout now in Thailand, so close it.

I believe they are considering selling the present embassy and moving the embassy elsewhere. Not just closing it down.

Sounds very feasible. I can't imagine that the UK government would close down a trading post. They gave the consular services up several years ago because Trendy can probably manage that quite well and cheaper and they only care about their commercial interests anyway, so to give up the embassy doesn't make sense at all.

I never paid taxes in the UK as I moved away there as a young kid already but I can imagine that the people who did pay taxes are fuming. Most other Western nations have a great service for their citizens but somehow the UK doesn't seem to care too much about it's overseas citizens(unless you are on a VIP list).

I remember a story of a Dutch mate several years back. He was drunk one night over on Patpong and got into an argument with staff about ripping him off. I tried to calm him down but he just went apeshi-t so the mamasan called in the troops. Luckily for us the cops were nearby and eventually he was arrested instead of being slaughtered by the 'big monkey men'. Anyways, to cut a long story short, when he got to Satorn copshop he called up his embassy and told them about his arrest and within an hour some Dutch Embassy official was at the copshop to bribe him out. Here comes the best part; a similar story happened to oneself several years later and I called our guys over on Wireless Rd only to get the expected reply that they couldn't do anything for me. Sorry guys, but the sun has set quite a while ago already on the British Empire. I'm sure some of you are still in denial but when one has a good look at the facts the truth will manifest itself

Exactly.

Assistance from our Embassy, should we find ourselves in trouble, is what we misguidedly expect.

The fees charged for proof of income letters don't bother me, although I was taken aback when they somehow manged to get my name wrong on their certification letter.

A few years ago I tried to 'phone them about renewing my passport, but it proved impossible to talk to a human being. This didn't endear them to me either.

Reading about the champagne events they attend does at least give us an idea as to their onerous duties and explain why they are unable to find the time to help ordinary, tax paying, British citizens.

[evadgib]

Waste of British tax payers money, U.K. Have no clout now in Thailand, so close it.

I believe they are considering selling the present embassy and moving the embassy elsewhere. Not just closing it down.

Sounds very feasible. I can't imagine that the UK government would close down a trading post. They gave the consular services up several years ago because Trendy can probably manage that quite well and cheaper and they only care about their commercial interests anyway, so to give up the embassy doesn't make sense at all.

I never paid taxes in the UK as I moved away there as a young kid already but I can imagine that the people who did pay taxes are fuming. Most other Western nations have a great service for their citizens but somehow the UK doesn't seem to care too much about it's overseas citizens(unless you are on a VIP list).

I remember a story of a Dutch mate several years back. He was drunk one night over on Patpong and got into an argument with staff about ripping him off. I tried to calm him down but he just went apeshi-t so the mamasan called in the troops. Luckily for us the cops were nearby and eventually he was arrested instead of being slaughtered by the 'big monkey men'. Anyways, to cut a long story short, when he got to Satorn copshop he called up his embassy and told them about his arrest and within an hour some Dutch Embassy official was at the copshop to bribe him out. Here comes the best part; a similar story happened to oneself several years later and I called our guys over on Wireless Rd only to get the expected reply that they couldn't do anything for me. Sorry guys, but the sun has set quite a while ago already on the British Empire. I'm sure some of you are still in denial but when one has a good look at the facts the truth will manifest itself

<cant be bothered>

Edited April 10, 2016 by evadgib

[evadgib]

"Confused callers looked to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for advice on bizarre issues ranging from where to buy English bacon in Europe, how to recruit a butler in Lebanon and how to avoid nudists in southern Spain, it has been revealed.

The FCO has released details of the ten weirdest consular calls it has received in the past year, as a reminder to the public that they should only look to use its services for genuine emergencies.

The calls included....."

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bizarre-requests-from-brits-abroad

Edited April 10, 2016 by evadgib

[rubl]

An article from a few days ago. Mind you, the 'country representation' part is stressed together with diplomacy. No mention of 'the people'.

"A diplomatic necessity: Why embassies persist in the digital age

In conjunction with the launch of the Lowy Institute's Global Diplomacy Index, we present a series of pieces on the role and continued relevance of embassies.

Do countries still need to maintain expensive, permanent official establishments in foreign capitals? Or have advances in communication overtaken embassies? Like a hardy perennial, this question comes around every few years. Contrary to those who believe embassies have had their day, in my view they are in renaissance, performing a role for which there is no substitute. If embassies did not exist, they would have to be invented."

http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2016/04/06/A-diplomatic-necessity-Why-embassies-persist-in-the-digital-age.aspx

[simon43]

and within an hour some Dutch Embassy official was at the copshop to bribe him out.

The moral of this tale is that anyone who is in the poo-poo should call the Dutch Embassy, say 'tway Duvel astublief, dank u vel etc etc, and hope to be bailed out by the nice man from Den Haag.

As for the British Embassy news, I can't see the problem, if they still maintain an office presence in BKK. The service might even improve

[Ghostnigel]

That piece of land belongs to the most expensive in the country.

So sell out and move to the better reachable outskirts of bkk sounds like a brilliant idea. Especially since the UK struggles to take good and decent care of its older citizens.

"Especially since the UK struggles to take good and decent care of its older citizens."

Are you talking about expats ? If so what more "good and decent care" should be offered by the UK to those who have chosen to spend their later years in Thailand ?

What is the Embassy there for then? If you say its not for its own citizens, they might as well close it down then. What do they do there? Sit with their feet up on the desk all day? Remember those card players in Pattaya, what did they do to help them? They weren't drug smuggling, or any other serious offence, but they did nothing...

[johnatong]

That piece of land belongs to the most expensive in the country.

So sell out and move to the better reachable outskirts of bkk sounds like a brilliant idea. Especially since the UK struggles to take good and decent care of its older citizens.

"Especially since the UK struggles to take good and decent care of its older citizens."

Are you talking about expats ? If so what more "good and decent care" should be offered by the UK to those who have chosen to spend their later years in Thailand ?

What is the Embassy there for then? If you say its not for its own citizens, they might as well close it down then. What do they do there? Sit with their feet up on the desk all day? Remember those card players in Pattaya, what did they do to help them? They weren't drug smuggling, or any other serious offence, but they did nothing...

What help did you expect to be given ?

Were all the illegal card players British ?

Did other Embassy's rush to provide assistance ? If so what "assistance" was provided ?

Seems some need to learn about what "Embassy's" can and cannot do.

[Tomtomtom69]

Geez, why can't the US Embassy people be that smart....they own half of Wireless Road......lol :-(

True and what for? It's all about image. The US wants to project itself as mighty so all the embassies they operate in the world are usually much bigger than they need to be.

The US embassy on Wireless road is much bigger than America's actual footprint in Thailand. Chinese tourists, Chinese businessmen and Chinese FDI far, far outweigh that of America and the bulge is getting wider every year as more Chinese come to Thailand and as American FDI slowly declines. Yet the Chinese embassy on Ratchadaphisek road, as well as the consulate-general in Chiang Mai are way smaller than the US embassy.

Similar story in Laos with the new US embassy there. What the hell was the purpose of constructing such a large building (though still much smaller than the US embassy in Bangkok, but still), especially in Laos, a country which America bombed for 9 years straight and has only paid a small amount to clean up the huge mess left by the UXOs that still remain undetonated in the eastern part of the country near the border with Vietnam. America barely does anything in Laos business wise (compare for example all the Chinese, Vietnamese and even Thai business activity) so that embassy sure is an expensive waste of US taxpayer's money only to be used as a support base to find MIA soldiers from the American war in Vietnam (aka the Vietnam war).

[theoldgit]

Inappropriate and offensive posts, which breach forum rules, removed.

[Nicolas32]

I could see the embassy moving to trendy house as there is space plus other embassy do use that building to be fair plus its only 20,000B per month if am right ..

http://www.thetrendyoffice.com/floorplan.html

Even look at the size of New British Embassy Laos, Consular it's very small ?

Even the compound area was sold for £30 million. back in 2005 in Bangkok ?

http://2bangkok.com/2bangkok-news-9260.html

Edited April 20, 2016 by Nicolas32

[jerico2017]

U.S. needs to downsize as well.

How much profit is it bringing in? NULL

Does it help its citizens when they get into trouble? NO

Can you go to your embassy 24/7? Big NO, make appointment.

[Spaniel]

U.S. needs to downsize as well. How much profit is it bringing in? NULL Does it help its citizens when they get into trouble? NO Can you go to your embassy 24/7? Big NO, make appointment.

I think the appointment system at the US consulate is great. Actually if you have an emergency situation and you didn't have time to make an appointment then if you just go to the consulate someone there will see you. If you happen to show up and want to renew your passport or request other consular services then they will tell you to make an appointment. I don't think you can go to any embassy/consulate 24/7.

[kimamey]

I am not normally one to complain... but

The way us British citizens are treated by our own government in Thailand is disgraceful.

I paid my taxes for many years, in fact I still pay some to the UK and I get ZERO in return, the blighters in Embassy forget who pays their bloody wages.

Yes but you are not living in UK now but spending most of your money or giving your money to Thai economy. You contribute nothing to the UK embassy now. Anyway I think the issue is not about cutbacks, it's that relations with Thailand are now very strIned and with no outlook for that to improve. Hence more of a statement to Thailand that we do not agree with current political situation. I fear for the future of expats in Thailand, as the signals are not looking good.

That doesn't make any sense.

technologybytes mentions paying taxes as I do myself. I certainly pay more than people I know who've been unemployed for years.

If relations with Thailand are stained what do you think they're like in North Korea where we have an embassy or Moscow. There are embassies in Lao, Cambodia, Burma and Vietnam as well.

If they just want to sell the building and land I would guess the main reason is money.