Switzerland appoints Honorary Consul for Phuket

PHUKET: The Swiss Embassy in Bangkok has appointed long-time Swiss resident Andrea Kotas Tammathin as its first honorary consul for Phuket.

Mrs Tammathin was formally presented to Phuket officialdom on Friday afternoon, when Swiss Ambassador Christine Schraner Burgener and Head of Chancery Bernhard Bienz met Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa at Provincial Hall.

“The consulate is the first contact point for Swiss people in Phuket. Some tourists face problems if they lose their passports or have health problems. They can contact the honorary consul and she can take their case to the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok,” Amb Burgener said in explaining Ms Tammathin’s role.

“Phuket is a destination for Swiss tourists, therefore we would like to have somebody living here. I am in Bangkok, which is too far away to take care of every case in Phuket,” she said.

“We are happy that we could find Ms Kotas Tammathin, a Swiss who has been living here for more than 16 years and knows the Phuket situation much better than me,” she added.

There are about 7,000 Swiss expatriates registered with the Swiss Embassy as residing in Thailand. Of these, about 800 live in Phuket, she said.

“More than 10,000 Swiss tourists visit Thailand each month and many of these include Phuket in their travel plans,” she added.

The Switzerland Honorary Consulate in Phuket is located at the Patong Beach Hotel at 124 Thaweewong Road in Patong. For more information call 081-8915987 or email: phuket@honrep.ch

— Chutharat Plerin

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