Posting update for posterity.
Specific to Bangkok embassy per the instructions above...
If you are required to submit a sputum sample for smear and culture test for TB, and you won't have the results to complete your medical packet before your interview, you must email visasbkk@state.gov and inform them of this situation. You will receive an autoresponse email that states:
"Thank you for contacting the Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. We will review your email as soon as possible. For immediate resolution to most inquiries, please see our helpful Visa Navigator or detailed information on our website.
Due to the high volume of inquiries received, if your inquiry can be answered by the information on our Visa Navigator or on our website, you will NOT receive a response. If you are contacting us regarding a prior issue or following up on your visa application, please use the Visa Navigator for instructions on how to contact us.
Please note that we DO NOT respond to general questions about visa services or the visa application process from this mailbox. For inquiries related to visa interview appointment scheduling, visa application fee payment, passport delivery status; please contact our U.S. Visa Service Desk at support-thailand@ustraveldocs.com or contact the call center at 02 105 4110 (Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 16:00, except on holidays). "
Reviewing the Visa Navigator and Website, you will see instructions that indicate:
Who Is Eligible To (Re)schedule An Immigrant Visa Appointment?
You may only schedule a new visa interview appointment if falling under one of the following categories:
I failed to attend the IV interview appointment scheduled by the NVC (or KCC for DV).
My petitioner or I filed an IV petition through the USCIS office in Bangkok (before this office’s closure) or through the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit, and the IV Unit has asked me to schedule an appointment.
My IV case was expedited through the NVC, and the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit has asked me to schedule an appointment.
I am a follow-to-join IV applicant. The principal applicant has already applied for or been issued an IV, and the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit has asked me to make an appointment.
Others such as second interview, oath renewal, reaffirmation, and the Bangkok Immigrant Visa Unit has asked me to schedule an appointment.
You cannot reschedule your visa interview appointment date earlier than your initial interview appointment date. If you do so, you will not be interviewed.
If you meet any of the following conditions, do not reschedule an immigrant visa interview appointment. Instead, please submit an inquiry to visasbkk@state.gov
You have been interviewed.
You are the principal applicant and you have not contacted the Embassy for more than a year.
Your case is not current for processing based on the current cut-off dates. This includes retrogressed cases.
Your visa class has been changed.
Pay close attention to the wording to determine what you need to do since the autoresponse email says you won't get a reply if you find the answer to your inquiry on the Visa Navigator or Website. My wife is the primary applicant, and she never contacted the embassy, so we simply waited to receive a reply. Within 48 hours we received a reply from visasbkk@state.gov with the following instructions:
Your case's interview date was provided by the National Visa Center (NVC). If you are not able to go to the interview on your scheduled date, you can reschedule the appointment after the original interview date from the NVC (20-MAY-2024) has passed, and after the hospital clears the medical examination.
Please follow the instructions below to re-schedule your appointment after the date of your original interview has passed:
Log in to https://www.ustraveldocs.com/th/. If you scheduled an appointment in the past, you should use the same email address and password as before. If this is your first time visiting the website, please create a login.
Click the New Application/Schedule Appointment tab on the left
Select Immigrant Visa, then All Immigrant Visas, then your visa class.
Complete your personal information and passport details
Add dependents, if any
Answer the questions as “Yes” or “No” to continue
Specify your document delivery information and update your case ID
Schedule your appointment from the open slots visible in the appointment calendar.
NOTE: If there are no available appointments, that means all appointments are filled. We frequently open additional appointments. Please continue to check the website for available appointments
Once your appointment is successfully scheduled, click on Printable Version, and print two (2) copies of the Appointment Confirmation page. You will need both copies:
· One copy is to show the hospital for your medical examination (if you have not completed your medical examination or if your medical examination is expired and you must get a new one).
· One copy is for the Greeter when you arrive at the Embassy on the day of your visa interview.
Hopefully this proves beneficial for anyone who may go through a similar experience in Thailand.
9 weeks to go before we get the results of the sputum culture!!