Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05CHIANGMAI201
2005-09-01 09:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Chiang Mai
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS CHIANG MAI 000201
SIPDIS
BANGKOK FOR CONS, PA
DEPT FOR CA/P, CA/VO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS CMGT OIIP OPRC KPAO TH
SUBJECT: ASK A CONSUL
REF: 04 CHIANG MAI 299
UNCLAS CHIANG MAI 000201
SIPDIS
BANGKOK FOR CONS, PA
DEPT FOR CA/P, CA/VO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS CMGT OIIP OPRC KPAO TH
SUBJECT: ASK A CONSUL
REF: 04 CHIANG MAI 299
1. Summary: To make the U.S. visa process more understandable to a broad Thai audience, the U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai has initiated a weekly newspaper column titled "Ask a Consul".
End Summary.
2. The Consulate's "Ask a Consul" column debuted August 26 in Thai News, the largest newspaper in northern Thailand with a
circulation of 40,000. The paper featured the Thai-language
column as a quarter-page box, with flag, star, and Statue of
Liberty graphics top and bottom. The paper also included the
Consulate website address, visa section hours, and a list of the
15 provinces in Chiang Mai's consular district.
3. For the column's first appearance Consular staff prepared and translated two sets of questions and answers asking, "What documents do I need to get a visa?" and "Why do I have to pay $100 to apply for a visa, even if I'm refused?" The aim is to demystify the visa application process and dispel the commonly held notion that Consular officers possess but are unwilling to share a secret formula for success.
4. "Ask a Consul" builds on earlier efforts by Chiang Mai's Consular Section to put information into the hands of applicants
- nearly 4,000 in the past year -- before they arrive at the interview window. Previous consular outreach has included new information on the Consulate website, ConOff visits to universities and speeches about U.S. study and the student visa application process. (reftel)
5. The Consulate contacted Thai News in early August with an offer to produce a weekly column on visa questions for the paper. Managing Director/Editor Monchai Tesaphaet welcomed the approach, noting the paper's former close relationship with the now-closed U.S. Information Service (USIS) office in Chiang Mai and the fact that Thai News is not only the biggest but also the oldest of some 100 newspapers published in northern Thailand.
Khun Monchai and the Consulate agreed to continue the column as long as both sides find it useful.
CAMP
SIPDIS
BANGKOK FOR CONS, PA
DEPT FOR CA/P, CA/VO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS CMGT OIIP OPRC KPAO TH
SUBJECT: ASK A CONSUL
REF: 04 CHIANG MAI 299
1. Summary: To make the U.S. visa process more understandable to a broad Thai audience, the U.S. Consulate General Chiang Mai has initiated a weekly newspaper column titled "Ask a Consul".
End Summary.
2. The Consulate's "Ask a Consul" column debuted August 26 in Thai News, the largest newspaper in northern Thailand with a
circulation of 40,000. The paper featured the Thai-language
column as a quarter-page box, with flag, star, and Statue of
Liberty graphics top and bottom. The paper also included the
Consulate website address, visa section hours, and a list of the
15 provinces in Chiang Mai's consular district.
3. For the column's first appearance Consular staff prepared and translated two sets of questions and answers asking, "What documents do I need to get a visa?" and "Why do I have to pay $100 to apply for a visa, even if I'm refused?" The aim is to demystify the visa application process and dispel the commonly held notion that Consular officers possess but are unwilling to share a secret formula for success.
4. "Ask a Consul" builds on earlier efforts by Chiang Mai's Consular Section to put information into the hands of applicants
- nearly 4,000 in the past year -- before they arrive at the interview window. Previous consular outreach has included new information on the Consulate website, ConOff visits to universities and speeches about U.S. study and the student visa application process. (reftel)
5. The Consulate contacted Thai News in early August with an offer to produce a weekly column on visa questions for the paper. Managing Director/Editor Monchai Tesaphaet welcomed the approach, noting the paper's former close relationship with the now-closed U.S. Information Service (USIS) office in Chiang Mai and the fact that Thai News is not only the biggest but also the oldest of some 100 newspapers published in northern Thailand.
Khun Monchai and the Consulate agreed to continue the column as long as both sides find it useful.
CAMP