What will your consulate do for you in an emergency? Do they have lists? Written rules we can see? And are they the same everywhere?

I have read the long list of what they will NOT do and the short list of what they CAN do , however , on visiting the British Embassy , in Phnom Pehn with a man abandoned by his local council disability allowance office , they seem to have no desire to do anything in an emergency , like , it might as well have been "What was the name of that stray dog again sir ? " Hope your consolate is more of a humane person .

I must step up to the plate with my modified point of view on the British consolate here in Phnom Penh , he has been most helpfull after his off handed manner at our first meeting . I imagine they must get travel bums and scavengers that tend to inure them somewhat from personal feelings etc so as not to get scammed . My appologies in absentium . Colin

I went to see what the US government had to say. They had a long list of ways to get money to you, including an account you can set up with them. If you have no family or other resources, then you are to contact the local consulate. That implies to me that they will then actually do something.

The consulate in Cancun told me it is absolutely against policy to recommend doctors. All they would do was tell me to avoid a certain hospital. Yet I've read that the consulates in some of the border towns maintain lists of Mexican doctors and dentists.

During an interview at our Embassy I was told that the Embassy's purpose is mainly to promote and retain good relations with the countries they are in. They are NOT there for assistance to the expats or tourists unless it is an International related incidence.
However every person is required by law to register at your Embassy in every country you visit or move to . If you have, they will assist you and inform you during emergency evacuations.
I found the USA and UK Embassy's are the most concerned about their own people (provided you can get an appointment!). Best is to join the Embassy's local "get togethers" so they get to know you.

You aren't required by law to register at the embassy. If that were true, you would be required to register at borders. Or they would have to arrest, or at least fine, every American who leaves the country. The number who register is miniscule. Can you imaging touring Europe and every day calling in or posting on the internet to give your current contact information?

Also, emabassies are diplomatic, but consulates actually do have helping their citizens as part of their charter. That's why every American consulate has a section called American Services.

I've known a number of people who have had to be evacuated out of countries, and the best place to go for help is the Canadian or Australian consulates.

For example, there was an earthquake on Flores, a relatively undeveloped island in Indonesia ten years or so ago. The American consulate kept telling families who were worried about members that they thought were in Flores, "We have been given no information at this time," or something to that effect. They sat back and waited for the Indonesian government to report to them.

The Australian consulate, on the other hand, called all the airlines and ferry companies and got copies of all the manifests in and out for two months (the maximum length of a visa) and manually cross checked every single entry by an Australian to determine if there was a corresponding exit, and in less than two days had a list of everyone they believed might still be there.

Now, if your retired parents are traveling around Asia, where do you want to be from? Australia, whose consulate might be able to tell you that your parents arrived three weeks ago and left last Thursday, or American, whose consulate waited for a very inefficient government to send them a report?

I don't think they can recommend doctors and such, because if something went wrong they could be held liable. Sometimes they may bend the rules in an emergency, but it depends on the consulate.

The thing is, it isn't consistent. Some consulates in Mexico do provide lists of doctors and dentists, others don't.

In a nutshell , like i have tried to express about pensions in another thread ,
governments are so inconsistant dependant on the office or employees whim of the day , oh the foibles of human nature and translation of the written word . Should the world be so perfect as to devoid us of inconsistancies and reasons to formulate a complaint , however infantisimal , from whence would come the absolute pleasure of frowning on the lesser performance of another human ? Oh , we can all postulate on our superiority in any given field of expertise , but the bottom line is , we all need to use the toilet at some time or other to relieve the tensions within us , on this forum , can we please try to understand the inequities of others , should you be so perfect , people would refer to you as , Jesus , or Allah , or some other inconsequensial name , we were all only born innocent , please do not forget that absolute fact of life , what we are is what we have become due to our transgressions in our lives , oh yes , you are not alone .