Multiple Farang Deaths in Phuket

[Ian]

I had to go to the Brit Embassy in BKK once and had no problems!

Guess it depends what you went for, also if you were paying for the service

[villager]

Does any Brit know of any Brit who has a good word to say about the Brit embassy in Bangkok or its various honorary Consuls?

IAN , although I have never had the "privilege" of any dealings with the BE , from what I have heard about them any remarks should be made under the "Gestapo" thread., although I did here a rumour that to receive the very best of service you have to wear a turban and shout Allah Akhbar quite loudly as you walk through the hallowed doors ,LOLOLOL.

[prommee_NE]

I register with the British Embassy on arrival (through the internet) de-register a couple of weeks after I get back and subscribe to the embassy internet web pages. I have never had any problems with them and their site provides some very useful advice to the first time, short term and long term visitors...Just what is it that you are complaining about???

In my experience, the British Embassy has been all that I have asked for it to be...so for those who complain...be specific...tell us your woes and tell them truthfully. I hate generic hatred towards anything...Abhisit, Thaksin, Police, Thai Embassy, English Embassy...could do it all in a generic way...ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH...I sound like that Scy or Sloth...guess I will have to replace them...but in a nicer way.

[villager]

I had to go to the Brit Embassy in BKK once and had no problems!

Here's some food for thought !
Wait until you try to getting a Marriage visa to take your fiance back to the UK to get legally married instead of a Thai "jump the broomstick" job ! Degrading for you but even worse for her, believe me, we did it !
Plus the many unanswered emails written to our wonderful British Embassies in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok
These were prompted by the exhorbitant cost of renewing a British passport THB8,000 (which included a 10% surcharge for renewing outside the UK) and the high handed treatment dished out by the "Honorary" British Consul in Penang
They get the title "Honorary" because they are subcontractors not even British Government employees !
Also the British Embassy in Kuala Lumpur charge RM384 (Bangkok charge THB2,300) for a letter certifying OAPs incomes
These are required by the Thais in order to qualify for a One Year (report every 90 days) Non Immigrant O so we can live with our wives !
What a racket ! The British Embassies are nothing but profit centres, visa shops and charge for everything else (Income letters and even photocopies). They know expats have nowhere else to go !
They probably have to send an Income & Expenditure Account every month back to HO to show how much profit they've made !
If you ever need their help - I reckon they'd be about as much use as an ashtray on a Honda Click

Hi Propaganda ,your post more or less substantiates what I have heard from others who say attending an "interview " is worse than attending a tribunal by the Inland revenue!, I,m told that even the lesser employee,s like the telephone switchboard lady are totally intoxicated with power , whether this is correct or not I can only speculate, but it did seem rather odd that all the six people I have spoken to on this subject all sang the same tune.

[Ian]

I once got so angry with the BE in Beijing that when I returned home I raised the matter with my MP who raised the matter with the FO and eventually I got a letter of apology from them.
What gets me incensed it what I call reciprocisity. If I stay as a guest in the family home of a friend in any Asian country, why cannot I invite them to do the same and visit me, even when I garantee in writing that I will support and be responsible for their actions whilst in Britain and ensure their return to their home country? I have to jump through many hoops to do this. They shame me!

[Ian]

Quayle calls for better tourist safety

"If there is a particular spate of attacks targeting tourists or targeting people on motorcycles, one would expect the authorities to take some counter measures," British Ambassador Quinton Quayle told the Gazette this morning.
Following a wave of Phuket Gazette reports of crimes against foreigners in recent weeks, British Ambassador to Thailand Quinton Quayle today voiced his concern over the personal safety of British citizens in Phuket.

The British Ambassador was totally ignored, the Thai police did absolutely nothing and crimes against farangs actually increased.
Just about says it all, maybe the Quayle and the Embassy staff should stick to issuing overpriced passports, visas and OAPs income letters.

The only time the Thai authorities listen to ambassadors is when a group of them act together, the last instance was a demand as to what happened to the tsunami relief fund. I believe they eventually found a convenient official who had run off with the money, end of story.

[Sean Moran]

Be careful riding motorbikes late at night on dark rural backroads around Mapthaput. Keep your head down, make sure that your high-beam is working and keep a very good eye on the road ahead, and it might save your neck.

[Ian]

The only time the Thai authorities listen to ambassadors is when a group of them act together, the last instance was a demand as to what happened to the tsunami relief fund. I believe they eventually found a convenient official who had run off with the money, end of story.

Officer charged over tsunami funds misappropriation

The \\ //// Thai Police Disciplinary Division has charged a high-ranking officer in the Foreign Affairs Division over alleged improprieties in the use of funds for the Thailand Tsunami Victims Identification (TTVI) center.
The case made international headlines after the ambassadors of seven countries that donated funds to the TTVI requested then-Police Commissioner Kowit Wattana to launch an independent audit of how 88 million baht in donated funds were used.

They charged him but his colleaugues in crime, sorry I meant the police force, never caught him so he was sacked and lost his pension.

That was a bit mean losing his pension after agreeing to be the fall guy, still it's difficult to pay a pension to someone you can't find

[stilljustbrowsing]

I wonder where his lost pension went? It probably didn't go to waste. Upon reflection, perhaps it did!
"Honour amongst thieves" comes to mind.

[pachangamac042]

I wonder how you lose a “continental boarding house” in Thailand. He probably just sold his pension and bought a hotel instead.