New Boss, New Crackdown for Pattaya Bars

[Pattaya One]

With a new Police Chief firmly installed at Pattaya Police Station the job of maintaining law & order has begun with a check of late night entertainment venues around Pattaya. 20 Police and...

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[QuotaMan]

Semi annual public 'look how tough we are cracking down' event.

 

Or, tea money time baby!

[Mr Wombat]

At the MC2 Pub 10 Thais were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of their Thai ID Cards which is a minor offence punishable by a fine. A further 4 Foreign Nationals were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of passports. 

 

Does anyone carry their passports around?. I know you are meant to, But they could arrest 90% of farangs in pattaya if they wanted to

[Cosmic36]

Dick waving

[Pattaya_Brian]

At the MC2 Pub 10 Thais were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of their Thai ID Cards which is a minor offence punishable by a fine. A further 4 Foreign Nationals were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of passports. 

 

Does anyone carry their passports around?. I know you are meant to, But they could arrest 90% of farangs in pattaya if they wanted to

 

All you need is a copy of your passport's I.D. page and a copy of the page that shows your current visa. 

 

There is no need to carry your actual passport around.

[risenman]

At the MC2 Pub 10 Thais were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of their Thai ID Cards which is a minor offence punishable by a fine. A further 4 Foreign Nationals were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of passports. 

 

Does anyone carry their passports around?. I know you are meant to, But they could arrest 90% of farangs in pattaya if they wanted An

Anybody know the fine for not having your passport on you?

[Ru4Real]

No idea, never carry it and never been asked for it ... even when I got taken down the cop shop after I found out I couldn't pee in a cup on demand 

[QuotaMan]

Years ago I was stopped on second road during the day when I was a passenger on a moto-sai (no helmet).

 

I didn't have my passport on me, only had a state drivers license, so the cop held onto that so I had to go pay the fine at the police station. Wasn't fined for not having passport.

 

In fact I posted links here before where it says you only need to have some form of ID on you I believe, not necessarily a passport. Up to discretion of officer.

[Shilo]

A further 4 Foreign Nationals were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of passports. 

 

That's 4 more customers arrested in a Pattaya raid then all of the AC raids over the past year put together... maybe everyone should cancel their Pattaya trips... to much risk

[Soi7]

That's 4 more customers arrested in a Pattaya raid then all of the AC raids over the past year put together... maybe everyone should cancel their Pattaya trips... to much risk

[oha]

this is a friendly reminder to donate generously to the police.

[hanni02]

Years ago I was stopped on second road during the day when I was a passenger on a moto-sai (no helmet).

 

I didn't have my passport on me, only had a state drivers license, so the cop held onto that so I had to go pay the fine at the police station. Wasn't fined for not having passport.

 

In fact I posted links here before where it says you only need to have some form of ID on you I believe, not necessarily a passport. Up to discretion of officer.

 

Traffic control doesnt check your passport, passport control check your passport

 

All you need is a copy of your passport's I.D. page and a copy of the page that shows your current visa. 

 

There is no need to carry your actual passport around.

 

Thats wrong. by law In Thailand you have to carry your passport all time. 

But a copy will be accepted too in most cases.

 

NEVER leave your passport it with a car or scooter hire shop.

[999Baht]

I was just thinking last week that it's been a while since the last raid on the bars and then here we have it!

[BKKFarang]

Does anyone know if they actually enforced the earlier (legal) closing time?

 

A new police chief is often accompanied by forced 1am closures for a weekend or two while proper umm lines of communication are re-established...

[T-T-T]

he is just making sure everybody know to change the payment details to him now he is in charge. would want any of that tea money going to the old support staff.

 

its the same old bullshit if you go back through Pattaya news you see the same old story just different characters

 

in over 40 trips I have never carried my passport. there is no way I am going to risk losing that not in a million years. I have an old Briitsh  photo driving  licence  and a photo copy of my passport if I remember to put it my wallet but usually nothing.

 

if they are so desperate to see it quite happy to pop back t the room and get it but never in all my time in Thailand have ever been asked for it

[ctm]

US citizens can get a passport card.  It is id sized.

I just carry a copy of passport and have for decades without problem.  Passport number is also on a thai dl.

[BKKFarang]

US citizens can get a passport card. It is id sized.

I just carry a copy of passport and have for decades without problem. Passport number is also on a thai dl.

 

Having been in Asia many years and rarely carried my passport, the only time I've ever been asked for it was in KL.

 

The cops raided for underage drinkers. Shut down the whole bar (normal but popular suburban pub). They lined everyone up and did an ID check and then herded everyone who was underage and did alcohol tests.

 

I sat at the bar with my pint. When police asked for passport, I just smiled, apologised and told them it was in my condo a few hundred metres away. They said no probs and didn't do anything.

 

In Thai I've been pulled over when driving by police who've asked for passport or ID card. Showed them my overseas DL and had no problems at all.

 

This "crackdown" is just new chief stuff. As mentioned by others, a couple of weeks of silliness before buskness as usual

[Daddee]

US citizens can get a passport card.  It is id sized.

I just carry a copy of passport and have for decades without problem.  Passport number is also on a thai dl.

oh ya, I forgot I have one of those, you can only use it for travel to mexico or canada, but as an alternative to carrying around your passport in Thailand it would be great too!

 

I went to Key Visa and got a free copy of my passport and visa page on one of my first trips, been using that since, and have only had to show it one time, at the hospital last trip...    Darren at Key Visa is a great guy and supports a good children's charity... But he has moved his office from LK Metro to someplace not on the typical mongers' beaten path... 

[QuotaMan]

Traffic control doesnt check your passport, passport control check your passport

 

 

 

Thats wrong. by law In Thailand you have to carry your passport all time. 

But a copy will be accepted too in most cases.

 

NEVER leave your passport it with a car or scooter hire shop.

I was responding to a question about fine for not carrying a passport. The implication being what would happen if you were stopped by a cop in public with no passport on you. In my case I wasn't fined for not having my passport on me.

 

At any rate, I've posted link here before but there's nothing in Thai laws that specifically state a foreigner must have passport on them at all times. It does mention that you have to have some form of ID on you though. So by default many have made the passport as the required ID (like some embassies have done).

[Larry001]

At the MC2 Pub 10 Thais were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of their Thai ID Cards which is a minor offence punishable by a fine. A further 4 Foreign Nationals were arrested after they were found not to be in possession of passports. 

 

Does anyone carry their passports around?. I know you are meant to, But they could arrest 90% of farangs in pattaya if they wanted to

Probably 99.9% Why anyone would carry their passport to bars and risk losing it is beyond me. In fact most Embassies advise you to lock it away in a safe place. Another Thai law that does not fit in with the rest of the world.

[BKKFarang]

Probably 99.9% Why anyone would carry their passport to bars and risk losing it is beyond me. In fact most Embassies advise you to lock it away in a safe place. Another Thai law that does not fit in with the rest of the world.

 

It's actually generally a law in most countries that you have to carry ID.

 

Most embassies and most local police interpret that as needing your passport. As it's the most readily identifiable and readable ID.

 

It's not a Thai law per se

[tingtongdavid uk]

25 years visiting 4 times a year.............................never been asked.

[QuotaMan]

Re-posting link (one dude's opinion)

 

http://www.thaizer.com/basics/carrying-your-passport-in-thailand/

 

There appears to be a lot of confusion about whether or not you are legally obliged to carry your passport with you at all times when you are in Thailand. I’ve personally read and heard different things over the years in Thailand and different people have their own interpretations of the legal requirements.

 

Is there a law which says you must carry your passport at all times when in Thailand?

 

I’ve not found any link to a Thai law which definitively says foreigners must carry a passport with them at all times. That’s not to say that such a law doesn’t exist, but I can’t find any link in Thai or English to that law. However, there is a law in Thailand which says everybody, Thai or foreign, must carry identification. Thais are issued with an ID card which includes a photo which they are obliged to carry with them at all times. For tourists, a passport will be the most obvious form of ID, but other forms of photo-ID may be accepted depending on the circumstances.

 

What is the Thai police stance?

 

I’ve asked a mid-ranking Thai police officer in Chiang Mai what the official line is for tourists. His answer suggested that it depended on individual police officers and the circumstances in which the tourist was being asked to produce ID. Sometimes a driving licence or a photo-copy of a passport would be sufficient, but sometimes the original passport would be insisted upon.

 

What are the chances of being stopped and asked to produce my passport by police?

 

The chances of the average tourist to Thailand getting stopped by Thai police in the street are very low, so it’s not really an issue to worry about. The circumstances when police check ID of foreign tourists is usually for traffic offences like not wearing a motorbike helmet or jumping a red-light. If you do get asked for ID by Thai police always be polite and respectful. Whether you think you are in the right or not, being argumentative or trying to get clever with Thai police doesn’t really work.

 

When do I need to show my passport?

 

There are a number of occasions when visitors to Thailand will be asked to produce their passport.

·         Checking in at hotels and guest-houses

When you check into accommodation in Thailand, the check-in staff will take photo-copies of your passport together with the immigration card that would have been attached to it when you entered Thailand. This is a requirement under Thai law so always have your passport to hand when checking-in anywhere in Thailand. Your passport should always be handed back to you once the photo-copies have been made.

·         Renting a car or motorbike

If you hire a motorbike or car in Thailand, you will normally be asked to show your passport to the office hiring out the vehicle and they will make photo-copies before handing the passport back to you. Do not hand your passport over to anybody as a ‘deposit’. If you are subsequently stopped by police for any reason, you will probably be asked to produce a driving licence and/or your passport.

·         Flights

For domestic flights within Thailand, tourists should show their passport at check-in. Thai people can use their ID card and some airlines may accept other forms of photo-ID for expats (such as a Thai driving license), but to save any potential problems take your passport with you.

·         Buses, trains and boats

If you are getting on any bus, train or boat in Thailand, you should have your passport with you. Random police checks of vehicles, particularly in border areas, do sometimes occur and having your passport on your person makes things easier.

 

Different advice issued by different governments

The confusion over whether it is law to carry your passport in Thailand is shown with the differing advice given by various governments.

The UK government says on their website:
“By law, you must carry your passport with you at all times in Thailand. Tourists have been arrested because they were unable to produce their passport upon request. Ensure you complete the next of kin details section in the back of your passport.”

 

The Irish government offers similar advice to the UK statement. However, the Australian government stance is slightly different and they don’t specify a passport, but do say that:
“Foreigners are required to carry identification at all times.”

 

I couldn’t find any specific advice on the American government website for visitors to Thailand, but the Royal Thai Embassy (Washington DC) site gives the general advice:
“When traveling, please remember to carry a photocopy of your passport separately from your passport. In the event of loss or theft, the copy will help facilitate issuance of an emergency passport.”

 

Are photo-copies of a passport acceptable as ID?

 

It’s understandable that many people don’t like the idea of carrying their passport with them everywhere when they travel in Thailand and would rather lock the original away in their hotel safe. Carrying your passport with you on the beach or in bars or nightclubs isn’t always practical and arguably increases the chances of losing it or getting damaged or stolen. I know that some visitors to Thailand (tourists and expats) take photo-copies of the relevant pages of their passport (including immigration stamp and card) which they then shrink to a convenient size and laminate it for protection. This is a good compromise and seems a sensible way of doing things. In the majority of cases, this is likely to satisfy Thai police but there could still be times when you will need to produce the original passport and not just a copy.

 

 

[dave-]

Some thing I do that I've not seen mentioned is I take a pic of my passport photo page and visa page.

Never been asked so don't know if they would accept seeing the details on my phone but it's better than having nothing.

[THAJEC]

I am willing  to report hotel where I stay and where I have my passport. That  is all ! It is after the Thai police investigate more. I have never been asked for proof identification during 22 trips.