EXPOSED - A NEW CONTENDER FOR THE BEST CONSULAR SERVICES IN THE WORLD

British aim

Various western foreign governments have been making overtures of late trying to improve the image of their respective countries’ consular services based out of Bangkok in the face of growing whining from their expat citizens. 

The British Embassy embarked on its part in a worldwide campaign a year or so ago with a goal, it claimed, to offer the best consular services in the world.

Did they mean best 'sub-contracted' consulat services in the world?

The Australians retaliated with the highly controlled television fly on the wall series ‘The Embassy’ which basically portrayed the Embassy staff as benign do-gooders dealing with a bunch or Aussie morons. (Situations like this do of course arise with astonishing regularity).

And there's the crunch. Any foreign embassy in Thailand can produce similar results. There are not shortage of cases of their own country nationals leaving their brains behind back home.

This series was quite a coup for the Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Consul Trudy McGowan says after helping a couple in distress.

"Its so easy for me to do this and it makes to much difference to them'.

From 'The Embassy' Channel 9 (Aus)

The Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs did nothing while continuing to turn a blind eye to some very dodgy Irish private trade deals in Vietnam.

But, hang on.  They did announce that as from July Irishmen will be able to travel to Europe initially using a 'passport card' the same size as a credit card. (It will probably not work in the Nana Plaza ATM).

This can be bought for as little as €35 and can be applied for on your mobile phone and delivered within a week.

This may could developed by the British who might also provide a chip and pin facility for Brits in Pattaya on disability payments together with some 300,000 surplus CCTV cameras which they may donate to Thailand as running them in the UK has been getting a bit expensive.

Application for this card however may still require seeking a bank loan and waiting until the date for your planned trip has been passed by at least two months. And the cards will be on sale in Lagos within a couple of days.

Those whining about help from Western Embassies in Thailand will however take little comfort to learn that the People’s Republic of China appears to be way ahead of the league in looking after its citizens in trouble abroad (and by the way spares no effort in tracking down its own criminals in Thailand too often sending officers in uniform).

When three Hong Kong Chinese were killed and three others seriously injured in a road crash in Petchaburi at the weekend the South China Morning Post reported that Immigration Department dispatched two Immigration officers to immediately assist. One flew in from Hong Kong. The other had to abandon his Thai holiday.

Here’s the Immigration Department Press Release.

Hong Kong (HKSAR) - Regarding media enquiries on the fatal traffic accident in Thailand, the Immigration Department (ImmD) today (June 8) responded as follows:
After learning the fatal traffic accident in Thailand, the ImmD had immediately contacted the injured and family of the deceased, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong (OCMFA) and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Thailand (Embassy) to render practical assistance according to their wish. 

Flying Sporran's Midweek Diary

Officers of the ImmD deployed to Thailand had visited the injured at the hospital today. They discussed with the injured and family of the deceased regarding matters of medical transfer, corpse handling and issuance of relevant documents, and provided appropriate advice and assistance. 

The ImmD will continue to keep contact with family members, OCMFA and the Embassy to render assistance. Hong Kong residents travelling outside Hong Kong who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of ImmD at (852) 1868.