Pattaya expats and longstay tourists from UK say the four-day celebrations to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne were too expensive. A survey has suggested that the majority felt the 50 million pounds of government grants and donations from the National Lottery and other agencies could have been put to better use in view of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The informal street survey was conducted in Jomtien and on Soi Bukhao between June 1 and June 5.
Sixty five percent were critical of the jubilee details, but a third agreed with the pomp and ceremony, pointing out that the profits from the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors boosted the economy by over one billion pounds. The positive minority also thought that the Queen personally deserved the pageantry after steering the country through so many domestic and international changes since the 1950s. Most of those questioned agreed the Queen was an incomparable figurehead, but were less enthusiastic about other royals, especially Prince Harry and his wife.
British expats in particular were critical of the spectacle. They seem determined to link the alleged waste of money with the decline of the embassy’s consular services in Thailand. “It’s almost impossible to speak to an actual person when you phone and what’s the point anyway?” said one. Another argued that the recent sale of the Bangkok embassy site had produced no improvements in services, haplessly unaware that the cash went straight into UK treasury funds.
The conclusion appears to be that many expats – howbeit unfairly – judge British institutions by their experience here in Thailand, which basically means the British embassy which is the most obvious symbol of officialdom. One summed up, “As a Brit I have a frozen state pension, can’t get an embassy letter to support my annual visa and have been told to wait three months for a new passport.” Luckily, the future of the monarchy isn’t in his hands.
 |
 |
 |
