Embassy letter for German citizens

[jackdd]

German citizens are able to get an embassy letter (which you can use to apply for a 30 day extension at immigration) in these two cases:

- Non-O or non-B visa holder and you are mostly living in Thailand

- You usually live in a country which currently doesn't allow you to enter

They charge 40 Euro for this service, and it sounds like you have to pick it up in person.

 

The complete information in German: https://bangkok.diplo.de/th-de/service/aktuelle-informationen/2320408

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by jackdd

[alianware]

6 hours ago, jackdd said:

You usually live in a country which currently doesn't allow you to enter

What ?? This sounds stupid and wrong. You cannot be in Thailand if thai gov. doens't allow you to come. Tell the embasy to make another better logic reason to earn money from tourist they should protect. That is what embasy for. 

[Oldie]

4 minutes ago, alianware said:

What ?? This sounds stupid and wrong. You cannot be in Thailand if thai gov. doens't allow you to come. Tell the embasy to make another better logic reason to earn money from tourist they should protect. That is what embasy for. 

What is so hard to understand. You live normally in a country that doesn't allow you to return at the moment and so you are trapped in Thailand. 

[tabbycat]

8 minutes ago, alianware said:

What ?? This sounds stupid and wrong. You cannot be in Thailand if thai gov. doens't allow you to come. Tell the embasy to make another better logic reason to earn money from tourist they should protect. That is what embasy for. 

What do you not understand? There are many countries which have their borders completely closed off, or are only open to their own citizens and nobody else (not even foreign residents of that country), or require approval prior to entry (like Singapore) which can take months to receive on its own!

[jackdd]

8 minutes ago, alianware said:

What ?? This sounds stupid and wrong. You cannot be in Thailand if thai gov. doens't allow you to come. Tell the embasy to make another better logic reason to earn money from tourist they should protect. That is what embasy for. 

Let's say you are German, but are living and working in Australia. In March you made a holiday trip to Thailand, and then suddenly Australia closed the borders and you are not able to return there. In this case the German embassy will issue you such a letter.

[thai999]

If anybody of you guys try to get the letter: push them to send this letter with email like any other embassy, i am just trying the same already. This can’t be true that they want us to come there in person, have to fly to bangkok for that...

[tabbycat]

8 minutes ago, thai999 said:

If anybody of you guys try to get the letter: push them to send this letter with email like any other embassy, i am just trying the same already. This can’t be true that they want us to come there in person, have to fly to bangkok for that...

Perhaps it's an official letter with a stamp/raised seal? If they won't budge on emails, try to convince them to post/courier it to you (offer to cover the costs yourself, of course).

[jackdd]

9 minutes ago, thai999 said:

If anybody of you guys try to get the letter: push them to send this letter with email like any other embassy, i am just trying the same already. This can’t be true that they want us to come there in person, have to fly to bangkok for that...

I think the problem isn't receiving the letter, in April they also sent them by email.

The problem is probably the payment, a bank transfer might be too sophisticated for them.

[thai999]

Sending by post would be to close for me too. Looks like I have to fly there tomorrow...

You guys think the letter will be in English? I wouldn’t be surprised if it is in German. There would be no time anymore to translate this because they would need a stamp from the Thai MFA...

[FlyingThai]

21 minutes ago, thai999 said:

If anybody of you guys try to get the letter: push them to send this letter with email like any other embassy, i am just trying the same already. This can’t be true that they want us to come there in person, have to fly to bangkok for that...

Sollten Sie sich derzeit in den Amtsbezirken der Honorarkonsulate Phuket und Pattaya aufhalten, beantragen Sie die Bescheinigung bitte per Mail an [email protected] bzw. [email protected].

[FlyingThai]

10 minutes ago, thai999 said:

Sending by post would be to close for me too. Looks like I have to fly there tomorrow...

You guys think the letter will be in English? I wouldn’t be surprised if it is in German. There would be no time anymore to translate this because they would need a stamp from the Thai MFA...

It will be in English. However remember you need an appointment to go inside the Embassy even as a German citizen. You can't just roll up there and demand to go to the counter.

 

What's really grotesque IMHO is that you now have three business days left to get this letter, two if you want to go to immigration on Friday and get the letter before. They've jerked people around for WEEKS and refused to provide any type of letter and now everything has to be express and you pay 40 Euro for the privilege.

 

I said it before and I say it again: The German Embassy in Bangkok is the worst bunch of bullsh*tters under the sun.

Edited September 22, 2020 by FlyingThai

[thai999]

I got an appointment already. They needed 5 days for giving an answer and now thanks to them the time is so close. I live in Isaan, for me it’s over 500km to Bangkok, which is the nearest Embassy. Can only fly. Taxi will take to long.

We are just like a dog for them, I hate them. 

[tabbycat]

23 minutes ago, thai999 said:

Sending by post would be to close for me too.

If they sent it by courier (not post) tomorrow, regardless of where you are in Thailand you should receive it the next day. I doubt they would have an issue if you offered to pay all the costs yourself, but I think they want you in person because they may not be able to accept bank transfers from anyone and everyone (like most embassies) - hence requiring you to pay cash at their office.

[FlyingThai]

8 minutes ago, thai999 said:

I got an appointment already. They needed 5 days for giving an answer and now thanks to them the time is so close. I live in Isaan, for me it’s over 500km to Bangkok, which is the nearest Embassy. Can only fly. Taxi will take to long.

We are just like a dog for them, I hate them. 

If you need any help send me a PM I don't live too far from the Embassy. Never expressed anything within Thailand so not sure how reliable that service is to reach you within 24h.

[Caldera]

Their desire to charge 40 Euro seems to outweigh any other concerns, which is insane considering that there's not a lot of time left.

[FlyingThai]

35 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Their desire to charge 40 Euro seems to outweigh any other concerns, which is insane considering that there's not a lot of time left.

Totally in line with their usual approach to service and problem solving. Useless!

[Letseng]

23 hours ago, alianware said:

What ?? This sounds stupid and wrong. You cannot be in Thailand if thai gov. doens't allow you to come. Tell the embasy to make another better logic reason to earn money from tourist they should protect. That is what embasy for. 

You can be a German citizen but have a permanent home in Panama. Therefore, you cannot go to your home of residence. 

What is stupid or difficult?

 

[vkuehne]

Registered here so I could post an update. I was superannoyed by the way our embassy is handling this letter business. I actually need it, but am excluded bc I still have my residence address in Germany, even though I've been traveling for 3 years and came to Asia in Feb 2019.

 

Anyway, decided to find out what's going on and fight to get this letter.

 

Spoke in length to Consul in Phuket (very friendly), she can't do anything bc the order came from Berlin. So I worked the Foreign Ministry until I got hold of the Thailand officer there.

 

Awesome guy, we spoke for a looooong time, he explained that yes, they were - together with other Europeans - pressuring the Thais to do away with this letter business, apparently unsuccessfully.

 

And then embassy would consult with lawyers back in Foreign Ministry how far they could go, without actually lying in the letters.

 

He could *not* explain the weird restrictions to certain visa types - I also don't see why ppl on spouse or work visas would get any different treatment in the letter business.

 

He could also not explain why not simpy email+pdf like in March.

 

He promised to call the embassy again and take up my suggestion to just issue us a generic letter not mentioning flights, just something about the general situation, which my guess is would be plenty satisfactory for immigration for their file.

 

I'm now still waiting for the call back from the ambassador, left my number in morning, but he was out til afternoon, said his secretary.

[Letseng]

16 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

Totally in line with their usual approach to service and problem solving. Useless!

You could have gone home long ago.  Germany had many evacuation flights. Still have flights to FRA now. Check embassy website. Btw, no high infection risk in Germany. 

Well organised whereever you go. I go frequently for shopping from across the border in Austria.

[Letseng]

5 minutes ago, vkuehne said:

Registered here so I could post an update. I was superannoyed by the way our embassy is handling this letter business. I actually need it, but am excluded bc I still have my residence address in Germany, even though I've been traveling for 3 years and came to Asia in Feb 2019.

 

Anyway, decided to find out what's going on and fight to get this letter.

 

Spoke in length to Consul in Phuket (very friendly), she can't do anything bc the order came from Berlin. So I worked the Foreign Ministry until I got hold of the Thailand officer there.

 

Awesome guy, we spoke for a looooong time, he explained that yes, they were - together with other Europeans - pressuring the Thais to do away with this letter business, apparently unsuccessfully.

 

And then embassy would consult with lawyers back in Foreign Ministry how far they could go, without actually lying in the letters.

 

He could *not* explain the weird restrictions to certain visa types - I also don't see why ppl on spouse or work visas would get any different treatment in the letter business.

 

He could also not explain why not simpy email+pdf like in March.

 

He promised to call the embassy again and take up my suggestion to just issue us a generic letter not mentioning flights, just something about the general situation, which my guess is would be plenty satisfactory for immigration for their file.

 

I'm now still waiting for the call back from the ambassador, left my number in morning, but he was out til afternoon, said his secretary.

Do you believe what you are rambling on about here? Thai embassy in Berlin is well aware that the situation in Germany is anything but desperate.  What are 1000 infections with 90 mio inhabitants? 

[Adam219]

Germans do not need an embassy letter. I know this first hand as the guy i met at MTT today, on a VE, had no embassy letter and they let him through the queues, same as me. 

 

What is more interesting, is that without the letter, he got an "under consideration stamp" for 21st October... but it was crossed out! then, on the next page, a full 30 day extension stamp until 26th October.

 

I had a british embassy letter, and got the under consideration stamp until 21st.

 

If you're german and on VE with an extension available, I would say just go for it.

[vkuehne]

3 minutes ago, Letseng said:

Do you believe what you are rambling on about here? Thai embassy in Berlin is well aware that the situation in Germany is anything but desperate.  What are 1000 infections with 90 mio inhabitants? 

Dude, stop derailing the thread with your pointless comments from Austria. We are talking about the letter from our embassy, so stay on topic or <deleted>.

[vkuehne]

1 minute ago, Adam219 said:

Germans do not need an embassy letter. I know this first hand as the guy i met at MTT today, on a VE, had no embassy letter and they let him through the queues, same as me. 

 

What is more interesting, is that without the letter, he got an "under consideration stamp" for 21st October... but it was crossed out! then, on the next page, a full 30 day extension stamp until 26th October.

 

I had a british embassy letter, and got the under consideration stamp until 21st.

 

If you're german and on VE with an extension available, I would say just go for it.

Wow, that's awesome info.... first time I heard this. Maybe they *did* work out some kind of face saving deal behind the scenes. I will be able to report back only Friday when I hit Krabi immigration.

[thecyclist]

23 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

It will be in English. However remember you need an appointment to go inside the Embassy even as a German citizen. You can't just roll up there and demand to go to the counter.

 

What's really grotesque IMHO is that you now have three business days left to get this letter, two if you want to go to immigration on Friday and get the letter before. They've jerked people around for WEEKS and refused to provide any type of letter and now everything has to be express and you pay 40 Euro for the privilege.

 

I said it before and I say it again: The German Embassy in Bangkok is the worst bunch of bullsh*tters under the sun.

The German consulate in Saigon is even worse. 

[ubonjoe]

55 minutes ago, Adam219 said:

Germans do not need an embassy letter. I know this first hand as the guy i met at MTT today, on a VE, had no embassy letter and they let him through the queues, same as me. 

What is more interesting, is that without the letter, he got an "under consideration stamp" for 21st October... but it was crossed out! then, on the next page, a full 30 day extension stamp until 26th October.

I think he had not applied for a 30 day extension of his visa exempt entry so that is what they gave him.

[vkuehne]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

I think he had not applied for a 30 day extension of his visa exempt entry so that is what they gave him.

Right, I kinda read what I wanted to read. "on VE with an extension available". Explains it. Sigh.

[Adam219]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think he had not applied for a 30 day extension of his visa exempt entry so that is what they gave him.

Yeah, I have not used my 30 day extension either. But everywhere you look, they say you need the letter (at bangkok anyway). so theres hope for those that have an extension left and want to renew in mtt without a letter ????

 

Maybe I would have been better off to not have handed them the embassy letter? who knows!

Edited September 23, 2020 by Adam219

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Adam219 said:

Yeah, I have not used my 30 day extension either. But everywhere you look, they say you need the letter (at bangkok anyway). so theres hope for those that have an extension left and want to renew in mtt without a letter

Maybe they have changed their policy and are doing it the correct way now.

[Max69xl]

On 9/22/2020 at 5:34 PM, thai999 said:

If anybody of you guys try to get the letter: push them to send this letter with email like any other embassy, i am just trying the same already. This can’t be true that they want us to come there in person, have to fly to bangkok for that...

There are also consulates here and there in Thailand, for example in Pattaya. Can't they issue the letter?

[vkuehne]

35 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

There are also consulates here and there in Thailand, for example in Pattaya. Can't they issue the letter?

If the weird rules apply then pretty sure, yes. I talked to the Consul in Phuket in length today but didn't ask that question, bc she couldn't have given me one anyway.