MFA Deputy Permanent Secretary Thani Thongphakdi presented apolicy to the consular officers during the seminar, where he stressed the needto adopt a person-based approach to make their services more efficient for bothThai and foreign nationals.
More than 37 million foreigners visit Thailand each year,while 7 million Thais travel overseas each year. The Deputy Permanent Secretarywants the consular officers to be more proactive in their role and adaptable tochanges now when the country is moving towards a digital era.
The Thai Department of Consular Affairs has also madeconsular services more convenient for the public. People are now required touse only their identification cards when using any consular service. Those planningto travel overseas can also apply for an e-visa online and seek assistance froma Thai embassy in case of an emergency via the Oun Jai mobile application.-NNT/VNA