PATTAYA, Thailand – Mark Gooding, British ambassador to Thailand since 2021, hosted a community evening at Courtyard by Marriott (North Pattaya) on April 23. He was accompanied by Bangkok-based consul Joanne Finnamore-Crorkin and other senior diplomats including business and trade director Ben Morley. The invited audience were mostly British expats, retired or working or involved in voluntary activities locally.
Mr Gooding confirmed that the embassy was busy in all sections and referred in particular to the Thai-UK Partnership which aims to strengthen the many-sided business relationship ahead of the 170-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Joanne was lobbied on the two matters of dire concern to many British expats: frozen UK state pensions in many countries, including Thailand, and the reinterpretation of taxation rules on foreign income by the Thai Revenue. She said that both issues were political decisions beyond the remit of the embassy. However, she had passed on concerns about frozen UK pensions to the relevant authorities back home.
The ambassador explained the months-long delay in the appointment of a new honorary consul for Pattaya was occasioned by bureaucracy in London, but he was hopeful that a formal announcement would be made in the near future. Bert Elson, the existing Pattaya honorary consul, had requested retirement last year but had agreed to carry on until a replacement was announced. Honorary consuls represent the British embassy in various localities, mostly through consular liaison when British nationals are arrested or are seriously ill or die.
