Austria’s honorary consul general Rudolf Hofer explained his role and duties in Pattaya to members of the German-language Rotary Club of Phoenix-Pattaya.
Hofer, who also is the designated honorary consul for the German embassy, talked about the daily routine at the consulate, noting most of the work is similar to what’s done in the embassies in Bangkok.
Group picture of the participating Rotarians with Austria’s honorary consul general Rudolf Hofer in the middle (in suit).
“Of course there are some things I cannot do right now, like accept visa applications,” he said. “Now there is a special copier needed for the fingerprints and since this is rather expensive we still will have to wait a while for it.”
Most people who come to the consulate need authentications “that they are still alive” to collect their pensions, he said.
“In the case somebody gets such an authentication and dies the very next day, his widow has a chance to receive his pension for another year, which is illegal. By the time the mistake is noticed, it is usually too late and the money can usually never be paid back. That costs the government sometimes millions of euros per year.”
He added that the system most likely will be changed and the needing authentications must obtain them every six months.
The honorary consul general also explained why the fee increased for some of the services.
“I only can tell you that the prices are the same at the embassy in Bangkok and those increases were made by the governments of Germany and Austria,” Hofer said.
