Jump to content

Passport Renewal Glitch


FatJosh

Recommended Posts

All is well.

 

I went into the United States Embassy in Bangkok, gave them the fee, required photos and forms and walked out with a slip of paper that read on one side "Your passport will be ready for collection Two weeks from date of application", and had the address and phone number of the embassy on the other. It was personally autographed by "Andrew".

 

So why am I worried.

 

Truth be known, in between the submission of the paperwork, and the collection of the slip of paper there was a bit of drama.

 

The number "115" (my number) came up on the monitor, I went to the window and Mr Andrew said something to the effect of

 

"there is an issue, and until we resolve this issue we cannot return your passport or give you any passport at all"

 

Ok, a bit of a shocker because I have no clue what he's talking about... issue?

 

It gets even better

 

Mr Andrew

 

"Where are you staying? Don't worry, we aren't going to break down your door or anything"

 

(a fresh issue? still, I have no idea)

 

I answer "Banglamphu"

 

Andrew "Where is banglamphu?"

 

He gives me the slip of paper, and says

 

"We have your phone number?"

 

I answer "yes, and email"

 

"We will call you today or tomorrow to resolve this"

 

 

 

End interview.

 

 

 

Almost two weeks go by, no word from Mr. Andrew. Where is my passport, in some embassy drawer, forgotten?

 

 

Given that "Andrew" didn't call or e-mail I can only assume it was a bad joke of some kind. Clearly not very much concern here for the security or safety of Americans abroad here, Mr Andrew appears to have the luxury of being able to take a passport (illegally?) and not worry very much about it, or think that he may be called into account for it.

 

Tomorrow (in theory) I should go into the embassy and pick up my new passport.

 

In the event that it is not there, and no call or response comes from the consulate by tomorrow what should I do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The key might be to phrase questions to them in such a way as to preclude a simple yes or no response. When asked how they might help you you would respond with something such as "Please tell me what is happening with my passport application blah blah" or some such.

 

Asking questions that allow simple answers rarely provides comfort at a level comprehensive enough with which to feel satisfied.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For sure, if it was the Aussie embassy and my passport I'd be around there every day. :angry:

 

It's the only thing bureaucrats understand... create work for them, they hate it!

 

There is no way on earth that I would endure the ride out to South Sathorn Rd and the crazy security at the Embassy just to be left sitting on a chair while some bureaucrat tries to distinguish his arse from his elbow. Why the f*ck do they have an Embassy way out there when any Aussie who is in trouble will almost certainly be living/staying closer to Suk ? Not all of you, granted, but certainly most short-timers. The whole attitude of the Thai staff on the gate is 'What the fuck do you want ?' - clearly, someone showed them the video of the Embassy bombing in Jakarta.

 

You can walk down Suk and see the 'United Nations', with embassies/consulates on either side, and I haven't seen any to compare to that bloody Taj Mahal on South Sathorn Road. The Phillipines embassy looks like something out of a rubber plantation - very reminiscent of the Thai Embassy in Singapore, actually - while ours looks like it houses the Uzbek Secret Police. Fuck you, KRUDD, and the rest of the parasites in Canberra. Fantastic to see our tax dollars at work. :angryfire:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed about the attitude outside and in... the only time I ever got to talk to a real Australian there was when I went to vote once.

Not sure how you get to blame the Rudd government for it though, it was exactly the same when that lying piece of shit Howard was selling the country off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I lost my passport back in June. I had it when I boarded my flight from Heathrow to Dubai but didn't have it about a month later when I needed a copy of it to re-register my car. I kept looking for it for about a month but eventually I got around to ordering a new one, which is done in Germany now (well, application goes to Germany but passport is issued from UK). It arrived about a month later and then I was told that I had to report my lost passport to the police (and advertise its loss in the classifieds section of one of the local newspapers) before immigration would transfer my visa into the new passport. So went to the police station and about 1 minute later I was told that my original passport had been found four months earlier and was in the police lost property office at the airport! :banghead:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...