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British more likely to need consular assistance in Thailand
British tourists and residents are more likely to need
consular assistance in Thailand than anywhere else in the world, according
to Michael Hancock, Her Majesty’s Consul at the British Embassy in Bangkok.
Michael spoke to the Pattaya City Expats Club at their February 10 meeting.
He noted that the Embassy estimates that there are about 50,000 Brits
residing in Thailand, and that there are about 870,000 visits to Thailand
each year by British tourists and residents.
Michael Hancock, Her
Majesty’s Consul at the British Embassy in Bangkok, addresses PCEC members
and guests on the issues which can arise requiring Brits to seek consular
assistance in Thailand; they are more likely to require assistance while
visiting Thailand than any other destination in the world, Michael said.
The Embassy’s visa section, which is a regional hub,
processes about 80,000 visas a year. The embassy in Bangkok is one of
Britain’s largest, with 35 UK staff and 110 locally employed staff. (It used
to be a 50-50 split.) The Consular Section in the embassy has 25 staff in
Bangkok and two in Chiang Mai. The work is supplemented by an honorary and
voluntary network made up of Honorary Consuls in several locations in
Thailand. Some of these positions, including the one in Pattaya, are
currently vacant. The Honorary Consuls provide “first aid” emergency help to
people in difficulty where Embassy staff is not present.
Michael explained the goals of the British Consular Services, which is to
provide British nationals around the world with modern and efficient
consular services; one of the three foreign policy priorities of the UK
government, the other two being security and prosperity.
PCEC Chairman Pat Koester
presents Michael with a Certificate of Appreciation, thanking him for his
excellent presentation.
Michael said that the British Consular Services are both
proactive and reactive. Examples of proactive services are educating people
about the risks of travel to Thailand before they leave, reminding them to
purchase insurance, and letting Thai authorities know about the concerns of
British residents and tourists. Examples of reactive services include
notarial and documentary services, emergency travel documents, registration
of births and deaths, and assistance to British Nationals in difficulty.
In terms of volume, the biggest customers of the Consular Services are
people needing passports, notarial and documentary services and emergency
travel documents. (There are more notarial and document stamping
transactions at the Bangkok Embassy than at any other British embassy,
largely because of Thai requirements.)
‘IT guy’ Richard Smith
advises of the upcoming iPhone / iPad / SmartPhone users’ group meeting. MC
(& fellow IT guy) Richard Silverberg holds the mike.
However, the most important customers are victims of serious crime,
prisoners and those involved in serious accidents, incidents and crises -
and people who have had a relative die in Thailand. These cases often
require face-to-face handling.
Michael provided a breakdown of the assistance cases handled by the Consular
Services in 2012 which included 340 relating to deaths, 180 to
arrest/detention, and 231 to hospitalizations. Of the 180 arrest and
detention cases, 35 involved illegal drugs and 61 involved immigration
issues. Michael said that there are about 80 British prisoners currently in
Thai jails, in 21 different locations. Consular staff visits each prisoner
once every eight weeks.
Michael noted that the Consular Section used to issue passport renewals, but
that this service was discontinued because of the need to cut costs.
Globally, 80 passport centres were reduced to eight regional centres,
including one in Hong Kong which serves Brits in Thailand. Starting in 2014,
Michael said, all passport renewals will be handled directly by London.
Board Member Richard Smith
introduces fellow member Gary Brown, ‘a man who needs no introduction’, at
least for older members. Gary is now resident in Florida, but doing a visa
run to Thailand as he assists in peace negotiations in the Middle East,
particularly between the main religious groups in the area. Let’s hope he
packs a cut lunch!
The British Embassy previously conducted a survey of
retired British nationals. He mentioned that the four largest concerns
expressed dealt with exchange rates, frozen state pensions, risk of road
accidents, and the need to renew their Thai visa annually. He also commented
on the reason for closing the consular office in Pattaya last November,
which was the need to cut costs. Although the Office is closed, the Embassy
is in the process of filling the Honorary Consul position in Pattaya.
For consular information, the Embassy Consular staff can be contacted by
calling 02-305-8333 or emailing Consular
[email protected].
Information can also be found on their website: ukinthailand. fco.gov.uk.
After Michael answered several questions, Master of Ceremonies Richard
Silverberg then provided an update on upcoming events and called on Roy
Albiston to conduct the Open Forum where questions are asked and answered
about Expat living in Thailand; Pattaya in particular.
For more information about the many activities of the Pattaya City Expats
Club, visit their website at
www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
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Amari touts wedding packages at Valentine’s month festival
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh
(center), Amari Orchid Pattaya GM Brendan Daly (2nd right), and Central Festival
Pattaya Beach GM Saran Tantijamnaj (2nd left) cut the ribbon to begin the Amari
Loves Weddings festival at Central Festival Pattaya Beach.
Warunya Thongrod
For the second consecutive February, the Amari Orchid Pattaya organized a
wedding fair to show off the hotel’s complete nuptial packages.
This year’s “Amari Loves Weddings” festival moved from the North Pattaya hotel
to Central Festival Pattaya Beach. The Feb. 8-10 event aimed at enticing couples
into booking weddings at the hotel.
Amari Orchid Pattaya sales team
explains in detail the different styles of wedding that the hotel can offer.
The festival featured Thai, Chinese, and Indian style wedding
gowns, cakes to be tasted and souvenirs. Guests watched an ice sculpture
exhibition and flower arranging before being offered a 10 percent discount on
wedding packages, 20 percent discount on bridal spa treatments, and a 50 percent
discount from Ban Ton Rak photo studio.
Brendan Daly, GM of Amari Orchid Pattaya said that the Amari wedding packages
are considered the first complete wedding service in Pattaya. Engaged couples
can be sure their wedding will be perfect, performed by experts.
For more information, call 038-418-418.
An example of a Chinese style
table setup is also on display at the fair.
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Lighthouse returns to the networking scene
(L to R) Louis Lee (Managing Director of Nam Talay
Estates Co., Ltd.), Russell Jay Darrell (MIX 88.5 FM), and Simon Philbrook
(Client Advisor MBMG International Co., Ltd.).
Paul Strachan
After an absence of two months, the Lighthouse Club of Pattaya returned with
another of their popular networking evenings on Friday the 1st of February, the
venue on this occasion was the ‘Moon Deck’ of the Hard Rock Cafe.
As the beer and wine started flowing the chairman of Lighthouse Club Pattaya,
Joe Grunwell, made a short speech to the two hundred plus guests, thanking
everybody for attending and for the Hard Rock Hotel for accommodating them. He
also reiterated that Lighthouse helps those who have been disadvantaged by the
building trade and that everybody attending the event was therefore helping
them.
The sponsor of the evening was ‘Legacy of Legends’. They are a company that
carries on the legacy of legendary heroes. They work with famous people from the
world of sports, music and politics.
(L to R) Glonlu Jones, Tim Gladwin (MD of
Sallmanns), John Howarth (MD of Asia Pacific Pensions), and Russell Jay Darrell
(MIX 88.5 FM).
Legacy of Legends teams up with them to create highly entertaining events that
support good causes and with a long term impact.
At the networking it was announced that Legacy of Legends will be bringing
Olympic champion and professional welterweight boxer Sugar Ray Leonard for golf
and dinner events in Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore from April the 5th.
Peter Banner, who is a well known auctioneer at events in and around Pattaya,
told the networkers that tickets will soon be on sale through Thai Ticker Major
but Lighthouse regulars were offered a special ‘early bird’ discount if they
signed up for tickets there and then.
Later in the year Legacy of Legends will be looking to bring Manchester United
heroes Clayton Blackmore, Lee Sharpe & Denis Irwin, followed in September with
Mike Tyson.
These events will support various charities including: The Mechai Foundation,
Operation Smile Thailand, Woman With a Mission and the Camillian Social Center
in Rayong.
(L to R) Robert Buckley, Dave Buckley (Real Estate
Magazine Thailand), and Brett.
More information regarding Legacy of Legends can be found on their website at
legacyoflegends.org or on their facebook page.
The dates and venue for the next Lighthouse Club are still to be announced but
again will be available on their popular facebook page.
(L to R) John Stenton and Joe Grunwell.
(L to R) Martin Hansen and Michael Holt.
(L to R) Terrence Allen Collins (The Vineyard) and
Joe Cox (Defence International Security Services).
(L to R) Andy Wadsworth (Graphic Design & Web
Design), Lyndsey Rowe (Senior Client Adviser MBMG Group), and Paul Strachan.
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Elephants become lions for
Chinese New Year at Nong Nooch
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden elephants are dressed up
in Chinese lion gear for a lion dance parade during the Chinese New Year
holiday.
Patcharapol Panrak
Elephants who thought they were lions rang in Chinese New Year at Nong Nooch
Tropical Garden.
The park dressed up four of its many pachyderms as Chinese lions for “Mee Pae
Yim” and “Lao Nang Fah” new year’s parades.
Director Kampol Tansajja said Nong Nooch invites tourists and Chinese-Thai
residents to celebrate Chinese New Year every year at the park just outside
Pattaya. The elephants-as-lions procession, complete with drum show, puts a
twist on the conventional holiday dance.
He said Nong Nooch overflowed with holiday merrymakers during the Feb. 9-10
celebration.
99 couples wed on Valentine’s Day at Nong Nooch
One of 99 couples to marry on the backs of elephants
on Valentine’s Day at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden this year.
Patcharapol Panrak
Valentine’s Day brought 99 couples to Nong Nooch Tropical Garden to get
married while riding elephants.
Sattahip Mayor Phawat Lertmukda and district Permanent Secretary Thanawut
Seetankaew administered the mass wedding in the middle of a heart-shaped garden
at the Pattaya tourist attraction. District staffers registered the marriages as
park Director Kampol Tansajja and General Manager Pattanant Khantisukhaphant
bore witness and handed out wedding gifts.
Phawat said the Valentine’s Day wedding was the fourth held at the park for
non-residents of Sattahip District and the most popular year yet. Elephants are
considered good luck, as they symbolize prosperity and endurance in Thai
society.
In addition to a wedding gift, the park presented the first 30 couples with free
passes to enjoy the entire tropical garden and elephant park.
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