Seoul: Thailand opened a new consular office building in Seoul to better meet demand for consular services, officials said Friday. The new office, located directly across from the Thai Embassy in central Seoul, will officially begin operations next Wednesday, according to the embassy's website.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during its opening ceremony Wednesday, Thai Ambassador to South Korea Tanee Sangrat stated that the existing space could not properly meet the demand for consular services, prompting a need for its relocation. "The Thai Embassy in South Korea provides various consular services to about 200,000 Thai nationals residing in South Korea and other foreign nationals in the country," Sangrat said, noting that it is among the busiest Thai diplomatic missions in the world with about 400 people using its services a day.
"It had been difficult to meet this with the existing consular section's space," he said. "Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognized the importance of improving consular services for Thais in South Korea." He said the ministry allocated funds for the relocation as this year marks the ministry's 150th founding anniversary. The office will offer various consular services, such as visa issuance, passport services, and protection of Thai nationals in South Korea, according to Sangrat.