PHUKET: A young Canadian lawyer, Michelle Hawryluk, is Australia's new honorary consul designate for Phuket, Phuketwan can reveal.
Chaos in Bangkok has delayed the formal announcement of the chosen replacement for Larry Cunningham, Australia's first honorary consul for the Thai holiday island.
The veteran hon con retired in September last year after eight years in the part-time job with a reputation for refusing to tolerate tourists or local residents being ripped off, or bad police work.
An unusually long gap in replacing Mr Cunningham has been caused by the Bangkok street protests that began in November and have continued to disrupt Thailand's decision-making process ever since.
The appointment of Ms Hawryluk, 34, still has to be officially approved by Thailand's Cabinet when the chance comes, but her name is unlikely to be rejected.
Meanwhile, Ms Hawryluk has indicated that she is available to help with emergencies, even if protocol means she is unable yet to respond to requests for interviews.
Phuketwan understands that she is quite well known at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, having provided legal counsel for Australians in trouble on Phuket on several occasions.
There are no restrictions on the nationality of Australian honorary consuls. Ms Hawryluck, having gained a law degree in Australia, probably can do a passable imitation of a Down Under accent if required.
Ms Hawryluck has called Phuket home for about five years. She is married to Somneuk Patburee and the couple live in Patong.
Her office at Hawryluck Legal Advisors is on the bypass road in Phuket City, near Mr Curtain and diagonally opposite the newly renovated Tesco Lotus supermarket and retail centre. The consulate will be easier to reach once the underpass is completed.
Phuket's 3000 Aussie residents plus the invading tourists and many others who live or stay in Krabi and Phang Nga can now sing three rousing choruses of 'Advance Australia Fair.'
However, they will still have to apply to the embassy in Bangkok to have most tasks processed until Ms Hawryluck's formal appointment. There is no accurate indication as to when that might be.
It's understood that Australian Region 8 Police volunteer Wal Brown, who is based in Patong, has made it his business to help Australians in trouble in the vacuum left since Mr Cunningham's retirement.
There has been continued talk of a fully staffed consulate general being established on Phuket but chances appear more remote after a slashing Australian government sliced jobs in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and killed the Australia Network television service in the annual budget this week.
Phuket's honorary consuls were due to meet in February but the regular three-monthly forum with Governor Maitree Intrusud was cancelled with no alternative date set, so it may be a while before Ms Hawryluck can be greeted and congratulated by her Phuket peers.
Meanwhile, the business hours number for Aussies in trouble on Phuket, in Phang Nga or Krabi is 076 510111.
Chaos in Bangkok has delayed the formal announcement of the chosen replacement for Larry Cunningham, Australia's first honorary consul for the Thai holiday island.
The veteran hon con retired in September last year after eight years in the part-time job with a reputation for refusing to tolerate tourists or local residents being ripped off, or bad police work.
An unusually long gap in replacing Mr Cunningham has been caused by the Bangkok street protests that began in November and have continued to disrupt Thailand's decision-making process ever since.
The appointment of Ms Hawryluk, 34, still has to be officially approved by Thailand's Cabinet when the chance comes, but her name is unlikely to be rejected.
Meanwhile, Ms Hawryluk has indicated that she is available to help with emergencies, even if protocol means she is unable yet to respond to requests for interviews.
Phuketwan understands that she is quite well known at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, having provided legal counsel for Australians in trouble on Phuket on several occasions.
There are no restrictions on the nationality of Australian honorary consuls. Ms Hawryluck, having gained a law degree in Australia, probably can do a passable imitation of a Down Under accent if required.
Ms Hawryluck has called Phuket home for about five years. She is married to Somneuk Patburee and the couple live in Patong.
Her office at Hawryluck Legal Advisors is on the bypass road in Phuket City, near Mr Curtain and diagonally opposite the newly renovated Tesco Lotus supermarket and retail centre. The consulate will be easier to reach once the underpass is completed.
Phuket's 3000 Aussie residents plus the invading tourists and many others who live or stay in Krabi and Phang Nga can now sing three rousing choruses of 'Advance Australia Fair.'
However, they will still have to apply to the embassy in Bangkok to have most tasks processed until Ms Hawryluck's formal appointment. There is no accurate indication as to when that might be.
It's understood that Australian Region 8 Police volunteer Wal Brown, who is based in Patong, has made it his business to help Australians in trouble in the vacuum left since Mr Cunningham's retirement.
There has been continued talk of a fully staffed consulate general being established on Phuket but chances appear more remote after a slashing Australian government sliced jobs in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and killed the Australia Network television service in the annual budget this week.
Phuket's honorary consuls were due to meet in February but the regular three-monthly forum with Governor Maitree Intrusud was cancelled with no alternative date set, so it may be a while before Ms Hawryluck can be greeted and congratulated by her Phuket peers.
Meanwhile, the business hours number for Aussies in trouble on Phuket, in Phang Nga or Krabi is 076 510111.
Let's see if she will be as active and helpfull as Larry, she is only 33 and female i think this job will be a bit rough for her example confronting jetski boys etc etc, anyway good luck!
Posted by Marko on May 16, 2014 21:57