Contacting the British Embassy in Bangkok

[Big Boy]

That sounds pretty good - it won't be an Embassy stamp, which from experience then has to be verified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok; but as that is an impossible request, they may accept it as a Plan B.

[Big Boy]

As a follow-up, I have received a reply from the British Embassy in Bangkok, which should help me when I go back to the tax office i.e.:

The British Embassy does not handle tax certificate; information on P60 forms: workers' guide and contact detail can be found on Gov.UK at https://www.gov.uk/paye-forms-p45-p60-p11d/p60

You can contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on +44 135 535 9022 for Outside UK
Opening times: Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
Closed on weekends and bank holidays.

At least it confirms that I have tried to do what they asked, and they are asking for the impossible.

[pharvey]

Sad state of affairs really. When living in China, I had good friends and great help from the British Consulate in Chongqing and as such, great help from the British Embassy in Beijing (and Singapore when required). Both friends and "contacts" have stayed with us over the years.... A great pity to hear that this support is seemingly coming to an end.

We (UK) seem to Kowtow to others - just look at the so-called "Mega Embassy" in London to be built for the Chinese. Why on earth are we not taking care of our own?

Whilst I'm totally pi$$ed off with the current state of affairs and the present Government here in the UK, this apparent (and complete) lack of support for UK citizens based overseas hardly convinces me that retirement in "Sunnier Climbs" would be anything but a complete disaster. I'll stick with the odd holiday....

Sorry I can't offer any insight as in how to contact the British Embassy in Bangkok. But best of luck.

[STEVE G]

^I’ve spent the majority of my adult life living overseas and from my experience, British Embassies exist to support British interests and not British subjects.
I don’t remember ever having got anything useful from them in any country and as this thread shows, it’s not even easy to get in touch with them.
Mind you, that does prove that they’re not required to live abroad, although apparently they do get involved if you die!

[Dannie Boy]

^I’ve spent the majority of my adult life living overseas and from my experience, British Embassies exist to support British interests and not British subjects.
I don’t remember ever having got anything useful from them in any country and as this thread shows, it’s not even easy to get in touch with them.
Mind you, that does prove that they’re not required to live abroad, although apparently they do get involved if you die!

It used to be different back in the 90’s (at least it was in Karachi Pakistan), the British High Commission had a pub that they opened up to British nationals once a week and were always available to answer the phone, in fact the High Commissioner herself (May Gibson) came out to see us in her bulletproof Land Rover when we had an incident at our plant in 1998 after I had spoken to her personally on the phone.

Probably like Thailand though, it won’t be the same now!!

[Big Boy]

I've used the British Embassy in Bangkok several times in the past, as I'm sure many others on this Forum have. On each occassion it has been because the Thai Government required it. It isn't a place I relish visiting, but it has been necessary.

Again, I need to contact them as one of the hoops Thailand require me to jump through. This time, it seems all channels of communications have been cut.

I hear what Steve G says about, "British Embassies exist to support British interests and not British subjects." However the British Embassy Mission statement says:

If you cannot get the support you need from local services, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can help British people abroad.

Like many organisations these days (not just the British Embassy in Bangkok), they talk a good job. Unfortunately, the Thai authorities read that same statement, and set expats challenges based on what should be possible.

[Dannie Boy]

They’ve definitely reduced the services over the years though (that’s all Embassies not just Bangkok) - I remember back in 2010 getting an appointment to visit and get my marriage certificate attested there and it was relatively painless - I’m sure it would be more difficult today!!

[STEVE G]

I've llived less than 500m from the British Embassy in Luxembourg for the last six years and I don't even know how you get in it.
I see that many other Embassies in the city have a door and reception area but the British Embassy has a high, solid security fence with no visible entrance accessible to the public.
I've worked here for most of the last twenty years and it may as well of not existed for all the use it has been to me.