The consular section of the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok
This blog regularly contains messages from or about the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok (one of the 140 diplomatic posts of the Netherlands abroad). The most appealing articles then often concern the consular section, which we as “ordinary public” have to deal with the most. These articles generate reactions, often positive, but also critically negative. Of course that is allowed, but I suspect that the negative reactions often stem from ignorance about the tasks and activities of that consular section.
Recently I sent a message to the embassy with the request to explain how the consular department functions. I wanted to know what the tasks of that department, as determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are and how those tasks are carried out in practice. I was subsequently sent the following detailed report:
Consular social work
The consular section of the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok offers assistance to Dutch nationals who have run into problems in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. This is called consular social work. Examples include death, detention, accidents, hospital admissions, missing persons, robberies, financial problems, etc. When contact has to be maintained with family or friends in the Netherlands (this is always done via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague) in the event of a request for help, a digital file is created. The figures below indicate the average of these files, measured over the last three years.
Death of Dutch people
Every year, an average of 78 reports of death are received at the Dutch embassy in Bangkok. This concerns almost all deaths in Thailand. The embassy maintains contact with the relatives in Thailand and, if necessary, with the hospital, the police, the travel insurance company and/or the funeral director. The embassy also provides the Thai authorities with the required documents to release the body to the next of kin and any travel documents for repatriation of the remains to the Netherlands. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague will inform the next of kin in the Netherlands and will maintain contact with them. The average age of Dutch people who die in Thailand is 66 years. 91 percent of the deceased are male, 9 percent are female.
Dutch prisoners
Every year, an average of eighteen Dutch citizens are detained in Thailand. The majority of these detentions concern persons who are staying illegally in the country and therefore end up in the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok, awaiting deportation (which they must pay for themselves). After the embassy has received a detention notification, an employee visits the prisoner. In the case of a deportation, finances are sought in consultation with the detainee to pay for a ticket to the Netherlands. Often, help is sought from family in the Netherlands. In collaboration with the Netherlands Probation Service, it is also examined whether the detainee needs reception in the Netherlands and, if necessary, guidance during reintegration. The average age of the (new) prisoners is 47 years. 96 percent are male, 4 percent are female.
Prisoners who have been detained for a long time due to suspicion of or conviction for a criminal offense are visited by an employee of the consular section two to a maximum of four times a year. Throughout the year, the embassy monitors detention conditions and, if necessary, consults with the Thai authorities on practical matters and health issues. The family in the Netherlands is kept informed via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There are currently eight people in long-term detention in Thailand and three people in Cambodia.
Medical issues
On average, the Dutch embassy is called upon for help with medical issues fourteen times a year. This may be the case in the event of an accident or illness, where no family or friends are present at first. It also happens that the embassy is called in by the Thai authorities when a Dutch person is found in a confused state, often people with a psychiatric disorder. The embassy will then contact the family in the Netherlands via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. The average age of this category is 55 years, 93 percent are male, 7 percent are female.
Miscellaneous
Every year there are an average of thirteen cases that fall into the 'other' category. This concerns general consular assistance or advice in the event of calamities, theft, robberies or financial problems, for example. The average age of the Dutch in this category is 48 years. 82 percent are male, 18 percent are female.
The figures mentioned above only concern the part of the consular social work where contact is maintained with family in the Netherlands via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. General requests for help, such as advice and assistance with loss of travel documents, financial problems, detentions, hospital admissions, confusion, etc. are part of the regular work of the consular department and are not recorded in statistics.
Consular documents
You can also contact the consular department of the Dutch embassy for applying for travel documents, obtaining consular statements and legalizing documents. Most short-stay (Schengen) visas are handled by an external party (VFS Global). The MVV visas (long stay) are all processed through the consular department.
Below is a numerical overview of the services for the year 2016. The figures from 1 January to 22 May 2017 are stated between brackets.
- Consular statements: 2.717 (1.007)
- Legalization of documents: 3.938 (1.714)
- Passport applications: 1.518 (654)
- Visa applications: 11.813 (7.234)
- of which MVV: 637 (233)
To apply for travel documents and to legalize documents or signature, you must always appear in person at the embassy. You can also apply for consular statements by post.
From January 2017 to 22 May 2017, the consular section at the embassy received 2.029 visitors. (Visitors to VFS are not included here.)
Staff
A few years ago, the consular section consisted of seven people (a Head and a Deputy Head of Consular Affairs, a Senior Consular Officer and four Front Office (desk) Employees). Due to recent cutbacks and efficiency operations, that number was reduced to five employees in 2014 at the direction of the department. Due to an increase in the number of compatriots living or long-term residents in Thailand and a growing number of Dutch tourists, the workload has increased since then. At the insistence of the embassy, the consular department was therefore reinforced again in mid-2016 with a senior member of staff, who is mainly engaged in consular social work. The Consular Section currently consists of six persons: a Head and Deputy Head, a Senior Consular Officer and three Front Office Employees.
I think that this report gives a clear and honest picture of what happens on a day-to-day basis in that consular section, so that people may be able to gain a little more understanding if they are not always helped quickly enough or adequately. The staff in that department work hard and do everything they can to make everyone happy. However, it is ordinary people, like you and me, who do their jobs to the best of their ability. Please keep that in mind when reacting.
VERY interesting to read this article for which thanks. What struck me at first with all activities/tasks was the low average ages in the various categories.
In general, I receive excellent assistance when visiting the consular section of the Embassy.
But what I do find strange is that English is the working language at the counters. Normally it is expected that Dutch is the official language there. After all, you are visiting the Dutch Embassy. It is best to express yourself in Dutch, even though English is a language that you can speak reasonably well.
But those who only speak poor English have a problem or is there a Dutch-speaking employee who can help them?
Very clarifying and helpful.
Still hard work : 49 visa applications per working day (240) and on top of that the rest. pffffff
My annual Schengen visa review is almost finished, I hope to send it to the editors no later than this weekend and shortly afterwards I also hope to send in an update of the Schengen file.
Here's a sneak preview:
Applying for a Schengen visa from Thailand for a short stay, in short Schengen visa type C (the MVV is type D):
2010: 6.975 (6% rejected)
2011: 8.006 (3,5% rejected)
2012: 9.047 (3,7% rejected)
2013: 10.039 (2,4% rejected)
2014: 9.689 (1% rejected)
2015: 10.938 (3,2% rejected)
2016: 11.389 (4% rejected)
So quite a nice growth, although the growth in some other member states in Thailand is much higher. There have also been some growers for the Netherlands. Just off the top of my head I say that in 2015 the Netherlands was still 15-16th and now 17-18th when you look at the number of visa applications submitted to all Dutch consulates.
I can hardly imagine that the average age of death here in Thailand for the Dutch is 66 years, so most of them cannot or hardly enjoy their AOW and/or pension. It would therefore be an ideal country for the government and pension funds.
If this is true, then I do not understand that “Heerlen” can be so difficult about a possible tax exemption, because you are not going to live a long life here.
An average alone does not say everything. We also do not know the distribution.
For example, if exactly half of the people who die are 44 and the other half are 90 years old, the average age is 66 years. If half of the deaths were 25 and the other half were 90, the average age of death would be 57,5.
So there may be quite a few oldies who die somewhere in the mid or late 70s and with some deaths of young people (18-25 years) bring the average down quite a bit. For example, the median (which number is most common?) would provide a little more insight than just the average. In high school math, you learn about mode, median, and mean for a reason.
If the end of 60 is also the most common number and there are no excesses that significantly influence the average, another scenario is possible: hubby quits work, goes to live there with a Thai partner and within a year she thinks “let him go”. have an accident”. 555+ 😉
The average for men in the Netherlands is 75,4 years (2015)
The average for Thai men in Thailand is 71,3 years (2015), so 66 years for 91% men and 9% women is very low, so not really a country to "retire" one should say.
That 75.4 years is the average life expectancy from birth. If you are already sixty years old, you still have an average life expectancy of 23 years. If you are 100 years old, you have an average of two years left!!! I am now 73, so I have an average of almost 12 years left. Wow!
You can calculate that yourself here:
https://www.rekenkeizer.nl/pensioen-aow-leeftijd/hoe-oud-word-ik-je-levensverwachting-cbs-bij-overlijden?skipcache=rsform59380f968e607
Thought about 200.000 Dutch people go to Thailand every year. Look, then you have a large group where things take place, for example death.
Perhaps the average age of this group, mainly tourists, is lower than the average age of long-stayers. And maybe the retired men who stay permanently in Thailand might actually live past those 66 years. Just some assumptions that might reflect the reality,
Can confirm that I was always helped friendly and quickly, only the working language English is not appropriate for me personally, but I can live with it. Give the Embassy a solid 8.
Overall very satisfied with our consulate. Not only in Thailand but also in many other countries. It is a pity that the much better old website of the Embassy has been replaced.
In comparison, we find the Dutch consulate much more pleasant than the American one (for my daughter) and to a lesser extent the Brazilian consulate (for my wife). What is also striking is that the Thai employees in the Brazilian consulate speak Portuguese. The Brazilian consulate is also prepared to solve problems quickly if necessary (new passport in 1 day while this normally takes much longer). The Dutch consulate strictly adheres to the rules without exception.
Yes great job. Kudos.
Yet we forget that more than a dozen hired external employees make the whole thing possible.
We can think of security guards 2 pieces in three shifts 7 days a week. Gardeners. Cleaning (st) er (s) maintenance workers and many many people working for the Dutch embassy for the visa issuance. (Visa is largely outsourced). Tribute to all.
The back office visa work has moved to Kuala Lumpur since October 2013. Until then, the employee(s) of the consular department at the embassy assessed visa applications. But since the end of 2013, Dutch civil servants in K have been doing this. From 2019 this will once again move to the Netherlands.
The front office work, taking in the file at the counter (going through the checklist, asking a few questions) is still the task of the embassy. This task has largely been taken over by the external service provider VFS Global. Many applicants for a short-stay visa to the Netherlands consciously or without knowing better choose to apply at the VFS visa center (Trendy Building), but that is optional. Some still choose to hand in a visa at the counter of the embassy.
And yes, we should not forget to mention the support staff such as the gardeners and cleaning. 🙂
Recovery: But since the end of 2013, Dutch officials in KL (Kuala Lumpur) have been doing this.
Excuse.
Experience with my personal affairs at the Dutch Embassy in Bkk are sufficient but no more than that.
Two years ago when a Dutchman passed away and the previous hospital trajectory that I was forced to take on, my experiences were bad. Information and support from the Dutch embassy in this regard were largely insufficient.
The entire process surrounding the critically ill Dutchman who was in hospital and then his death took me a lot of improvisation and time.
It would have been much easier with a few simple extra instructions.
The family of this Dutchman with a foreign affairs department in The Hague had the same experience.
Under penalty that this message will be removed, after all at Thai Blog they are very pleased with our embassy, I would like to say something about how I feel about our embassy.
I once stood next to a man and woman who had a lot of trouble with the English language and asked each other again and again how to say that in English. Personally I think it's a shame that you can't be helped in your mother tongue in your own embassy. I once read on this blog that this is due to the cutbacks from the Netherlands. But there is no Thai that would be cheaper, but a European that will probably not cost less than someone who is fluent in the Dutch language.
Twice I was referred to the shop across the street for passport photos. The past photos, taken by a photographer, were rejected and had to come from across the street. Made with a phone and must be protected from the sun with a platematch. An appointment must also be made in the same shop, and of course for a fee, with the embassy, which has once again changed the opening hours.
For questions, such as the legalization of your marriage certificate, a question from immigration, you have to resort to the Austrian embassy in Pattaya, which can arrange all this for you.
In short, I really cannot say that the representation of my Netherlands, the embassy, is of much use to me now.
Nice report, kudos for this, which could be an addition., what were the causes of death. was this accident, self (murder), illness (if so what died from)., and with the detainees., what crime did they commit, drugs, murder, theft, etc.. this purely out of curiosity.