Dutch Embassy seriously pissing me off

[Monzoon]

>>> Nice way to treat those paying your salary. <<<

 

Are you paying taxes at Holland? ::

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

No, but I have and all my family still is.

 

Sanuk!

[dinkas]

khunsanuk said:

Hi,

 

"Then, you specifically went to the counter for picking up passports to ask a question when you knews you needed to wait in a different line."

 

While I am willing to concede the point on asking the Dutch girl, I will not concede this one. I went to ask a quick question which she could have answered with a simple yes or no, yet instead she gave me attitude. Nice way to treat those paying your salary.

 

I am convinced that the majority of Thai staff see themselves as way above those coming to apply, whereas in truth they are public *servants* whose job it is to *serve* those applying for visas. I think it wouldn't hurt that they are reminded of that from time to time.

 

Sanuk!

 

But you have already said the line was there for collecting passports only. Perhaps, a simple yes or no answer was not possible, perhaps if a change of flight details meant updating the system which she wasn't in the position to do. She then asked you wait your turn like everyone else. I don't understand what is wrong with this (this is not to say she couldn't have done it in a more polite manner and given a better explanation as to why she couldn't answer yr question).

 

Now, I agree with your second paragraph.

 

Monzoon: Wouldn't the visa fees pay for their salary so it doesn't matter whether KS does or is not currently paying taxes in the Netherlands

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

"Perhaps, a simple yes or no answer was not possible"

 

The girl on the phone later today answered it with a simple no (i.e. not a problem).

 

"this is not to say she couldn't have done it in a more polite manner and given a better explanation as to why she couldn't answer yr question"

 

Bingo. She didn't even let me finish, just told me to wait for my turn (in a very rude tone) and turned away. That is *not* the way a public servant should treat a 'customer'.

 

Sanuk!

[Guest]

I am convinced that the majority of Thai staff see themselves as way above those coming to apply

 

I have had only a little contact with my embassy (UK), and that was many years ago for a lost passport, to which I am of course 100% entitled and not for anything that the Embassy had the option of refusing (eg Wife / GF visas).

 

However I did also get the same impression as you, especially when they were dealing with other folk, who were clearly looking to get visas for their wives / GF / BG.

 

I also thought that perhaps they enjoyed having some authority OVER a Farang (for a change?).

[dinkas]

khunsanuk said:

"Perhaps, a simple yes or no answer was not possible"

 

The girl on the phone later today answered it with a simple no (i.e. not a problem).

I have looked again at what you said above and since she allowed you to ask a question in the first place, thus she should have least answered with a yes or no added with 'but if you have any more questions please wait in line'. It probably took her longer to tell u wait in line than to answer your question.

[gummigut]

BelgianBoy said:

I'll restate that your first post was totally unwarranted, and that my reply was a bit over the top.

 

The way you word it, my post was totally unwarranted and your "nuff said" was a bit over the top. Here's the double standard again.

 

The "nuff said" post was totally unwarranted. My post is pointing that out.

 

Again, don't we have better things to do like building each other up then tearing down?

 

BelgianBoy said:

As for the rest, I wont bother to reply, you're just too prejudiced against me for me to bother anymore.

 

Ahh, I see, then how do you begin to explain your post I'm replying too?

 

How about "bloody", "fuck", and "village idiot" in response to a VERY reasonable post in a very reasonable tone.

 

This isn't making very much sense.

 

This is what is talked about when people say your attitude has changed. It's not just one or two people.

 

BelgianBoy said:

I'll just note that another member here thought I made 2 valid points, I did not see you chew his ass for that.

 

Look, if I criticize valid points, does that make sense? No.

 

What I'm criticizing is your "nuff said" post and attitude. All your clarification stuff came after. That's where you made your points, NOT in the "nuff said" post.

 

Again, I think anyone reading these couple of posts can easily understand what's going on.

 

Aren't there better more positive things in life?

 

<<burp>>

[gummigut]

Jazz said:

This makes sense from theoretical perspective but how the embassy works is not that different from any other government agencies back in USA ... I mean, I never found decent help dealing with DMV, Social Security, IRS or other agencies (generally speaking) ... they were generally inefficient and unhelpful.

 

A definite point with regards that it's a part of the government thus it inherently is "inefficient".

 

But my two points are:

 

1) I hold the workings of a US embassy abroad (especially the headquarters for the region) to a much higher degree of professionalism than say, the DMV (department of motor vehicle).

 

2) The Thai staff should be acting and treating people like the non-thai staff. This unfortunately doesn't occur as often as it should.

 

My problem with interacting with Thai staff is that sometimes they act like they are making the rules. But there are established rules and procedures. If one follows them then you can demand to high hell to get the service you are owed and you will get it.

 

I've had to do this with one Guard at the embassy (just to let me in!) and I would have done it to the Thai staff who was grilling me for a notarized document if she dared come back to the window.

 

On the whole though, I do have to say that I'm pretty impressed with US embassy staff in general. They handled some pretty stupid American's during the 9/11 crisis and have been very helpful to me on the whole.

 

Then again, I have yet to apply for that dreaded wife/fiance/friend visa!

 

<<burp>>

[BelgianBoy]

gummigut said:

BelgianBoy said:

I'll restate that your first post was totally unwarranted, and that my reply was a bit over the top.

 

The way you word it, my post was totally unwarranted and your "nuff said" was a bit over the top. Here's the double standard again.

 

The "nuff said" post was totally unwarranted. My post is pointing that out.

 

Again, don't we have better things to do like building each other up then tearing down?

 

BelgianBoy said:

As for the rest, I wont bother to reply, you're just too prejudiced against me for me to bother anymore.

 

Ahh, I see, then how do you begin to explain your post I'm replying too?

 

How about "bloody", "fuck", and "village idiot" in response to a VERY reasonable post in a very reasonable tone.

 

This isn't making very much sense.

 

This is what is talked about when people say your attitude has changed. It's not just one or two people.

 

BelgianBoy said:

I'll just note that another member here thought I made 2 valid points, I did not see you chew his ass for that.

 

Look, if I criticize valid points, does that make sense? No.

 

What I'm criticizing is your "nuff said" post and attitude. All your clarification stuff came after. That's where you made your points, NOT in the "nuff said" post.

 

Again, I think anyone reading these couple of posts can easily understand what's going on.

 

Aren't there better more positive things in life?

 

<<burp>>

 

You really are getting boring and are deliberately trying to misread my posts.

 

Case in point is where I state that you had no valid argument to post here in the first place -except to troll me- and that I admitted my reply to you was a bit over the top.

As for my first post in this thread to KS, I gave hime advise, which Dinkas tought were valid points, but others -according to you- see as som nam na and negative attitude.

Funny, but in view of your prejudice towards me, understandable.

 

Talk about attacking the poster and not his post !!!

 

About the "nuf said" comment....... I pointed the obvious out of applying on time, when KS posted again another rant 'and the saga continious' followed by 3 more posts from KS and 3 more replies from me.

 

For you to interpret this as me gloating that KS deserves this is just plain sick from you.

Plus the laughable fact for you to claim knowing me and trying to judge my posts.

 

Get it ?

 

BB

[gummigut]

Look, quite simply my post was pointing out that the "nuff said" post was unnecessary.

 

You keep trying to add in your "valid points" and your "first post" in this thread. I have not made that an issue, so I don't understand why you keep bringing them up.

 

I am not trying to deliberately missread your posts. Please point out where I have done so.

 

"Plus the laughable fact for you to claim knowing me and trying to judge my posts."

 

People can judge for themselves. I thought I was being pretty reasonable. I am just relaying to you what people say, which really is garnered from our words in the forum as many of us don't often meet in real life.

 

I'm pretty happy with the way life is going. Hopefully that's reflected in my words. Trying to be constructive and not taking things out of hand and making interpretations like, "is just plain sick from you"

 

 

<<burp>>