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Thailand marks opening of new consular office in Seoul's Yongsan District

Published: 28 May. 2025, 17:01 Updated: 28 May. 2025, 17:13

LEE SOO-JUNG
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Thai Ambassador to Korea Tanee Sangrat, center, Buddhist monks and other guests pose for a photograph during a ceremony for the opening of a new consular office building in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on May 28. [LEE-SOO JUNG]

Thai Ambassador to Korea Tanee Sangrat celebrated the opening of a new consular office in Yongsan District in central Seoul on Wednesday, promising improved support for Thai nationals in Korea.

During his speech, Sangrat said the Thai Embassy in Seoul has dealt with the highest number of enquiries and applications among all the country's consular offices globally, about 400 cases a day. He noted that the previous single-floor consular section inside the embassy building was not spacious enough to accommodate and process all applications.

Approximately 200,000 Thai nationals are residing in Korea, according to the ambassador.

Sangrat added that Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded the construction of the new consular building as an effort to fulfill its slogan for consular services, “People Diplomacy, Everywhere we care.” The phrase appeared to embody the Thai government's diplomatic effort to protect its population abroad.

The new three-story consular office building is located across the embassy, a one-minute walk away. Each floor is designated to provide specialized services — the second floor for visas, the third floor for passport issuance and the fourth floor for protection services for Thai nationals.

The address of the new consular office is 45, Daesagwan-ro, Yongsan District in central Seoul. It will offer services starting June 4.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]