Foreign Embassies in Thailand

Re: Trouble - consider three scenarios.

First, you lose your wallet and passport. You never got around to making a copy of the important pages in your passport or the numbers for your credit card. What will your embassy do for you? They will help you get a new passport and that is probably all. Your money situation is your problem. You might be able to take care of your money problem this way. Call a relative collect and ask them to send money via Western Union. If you have a Thai bank account, you could ask your relative to deposit money into your account.

There are some big IFs here though. If you don’t have your bankbook or ATM card, you can’t get the money out of the bank. If you have no ID (that’s why the help with the new passport is so important) you can’t use your bankbook to get money from your account and you can’t claim your money at Western Union.

NOTE: Make copies of things, note down special numbers, keep stuff you aren’t planning on using (e.g., credit cards ATM cards) in the hotel safe.

Second scenario: You’re arrested. Maybe you’re innocent, maybe you aren’t. Maybe it’s a silly law in the first place. What can your embassy do? Nothing. Foreigners are obliged to obey local laws. Check out Thai police

Third scenario: You’ve completely run out of money and have no ticket home. You’re desperate. You have an emergency and must get home.

Will your embassy give you a one-way ticket? Highly unlikely at best. Embassies are not charitable organizations. They might possibly be able to give you some advice, and that would be about it.