No, you can’t get a loan to pay for a prostitute in Thailand. And seeking assistance to evict a polecat above a ceiling in the U.S. is going to be futile.
Australia is taking steps to curb such absurd requests that its travelling citizens have lodged with Australian embassies and consulates around the world.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the measures on Wednesday to underscore consular services as a last resort and to promote “a stronger culture of self-reliance.” “Our consular staff are not there to pay for the repairs to your jet ski; they’re not there to pay your hotel bill; they’re not there to lend you a laptop or to provide you with office space in the embassy for you to do your work,” Bishop said, listing actual requests that Australian embassies have refused.
Other examples: Australians who were evacuated from civil unrest in Egypt in a government-chartered Qantas airliner in 2011 expected frequent flier miles for trip.
