Carrying Passport in Thailand!

[sandman]

I am unclear on one important point. Is it mandatory that a foreign national have his Passport on his person in Thailand? I read on Thai-Anxiety that, during the recent Police raids of bars, customers who did not have their "ID's" were arrested.

 

I am such a careless, forgetful person that I am reluctant to carry my Passport. I usually carry a photocopy of my Passport's identity page with a photocopy of the page with my current visa. Is this adequate "ID" for the Police? MANY THANX!

 

CHEERS!

[FROST MEDIC999]

Yes it is Law that a Passport is carried at ALL times when in Thailand, and failure to produce this when asked could result in a fine.

 

Does this happen ? very rarely and most of us carry a Colour Photo Copy of it which should most of the time address any requests by the BIB ( Police )

 

I do not let any hotel keep mine, nor Bike Hire Shop. if the insist I move on but again very rarely am I asked for it and on production of a spare Colour Copy all is good.

 

Changing TC does require a Passport and some cash Changes.

[pubstud]

To the best of my knowledge Thai Immigration law is that the foreigner/tourist must carry his/her passport with them at all times. Now for obvious reasons this is totally fucking ridiculous. You go out on the piss in Soi 6 or WS with your passport in your shirt pocket and the chances are 99.9% that you're gonna lose the fucking thing and will be phoning your embassy the next day and giving them massive headaches. And what happens if you in your hotel room and you just pop downstairs and walk across the street to the 7-11 for a beer or a pack of cigs? Don't forget to take your passport with you (go to hotel reception and get it from the safe) or you'll be technically breaking the law. So most people make a color photocopy of the name/photo page and the current visa page, and fold these up and put into their wallets. I have been told by many people that Thai cops are satisfied with this. But it's always possible a mean bastard trying to get some tea money could squeeze your balls for not carrying your passport.

 

By the way, recently two farang friends have shown me small laminated ID cards that they have had made in Khao San Road for 50 Bt. The shops reduce your psssport pages to ID size and put them back-to-back and then laminate them. So the result is a color ID size card with your photo, passport details and visa details on the reverse. Fits in the wallet just fine and looks most impressive. I have a Brother scanner/copier/printer and thinking of making one myself in the next few days.

 

As for the story you read about farang been arrested for not having passports/ID. Yes, I think in a police raid if you didn't have any form of ID at all - a driver licence from home country, or some card with your name on it, you would get pulled into the station. I don't carry my passport but do have a few cards with my name on them, showing the cops something is way better than nothing...

[Daveo]

I have never heard of anyone being arrested for not having their passport on them, I myself have been stopped at various checks over the 7 odd years I have been here and never had my passport on me and had no problems, although I used to carry a copy credit card size and now have the Thai drivers licence which carries your passport number.

[Freeze]

Scan your passport into your computer and them send it to yourself in an email. That way it's always available everywehere.

[awara]

Carrying a passport is not mandatory. If you are caught doing something wrong, then you need to produce your passport. Otherwise, a copy of passport is enough for routine checks.

If cops insist on Passport, you can always say it is available at hotel and they can check it there. I have never faced this issue in any country i traveled.

[Edge]

Carrying a passport is not mandatory. ...................

 

I'm pretty sure that's wrong, by the letter of the law, but i would concur with what others have said happens IRL.

[clayton]

I've just scanned my passport and send it to my email. Then I just sync my mails in my phone and save that PDF, so that is available without expensive roaming charges.

 

Once I was entering that one disco, in the beginning of the WS, and those door men were happy with that scan of my passport.

[Tatanka]

Make a credit card copy of your passport with visa stamp on the back and laminate it.

100 Thb form the copy shop on soi buakhao close to the soi Lengkee junction.

 

I carry a USB stick attached to my room key on which I have my passport copy, copy of my flight, insurance etc.

[jojomecanic]

I'd rather spend a night at the police station and pay a 50,000b fine than loosing my passport being pissed in Soi6!

 

So I'm ready to be arrested and fined. No problem at all. Better spend a day at the police station than a week at the consulate to get a new passport.

So I never carry my passport, and even not a copy.

 

This is also a good method to keep your passport safe if you get arrested for anything. They won't confiscate your passport as you haven't go it with you (they like running away with your stuff, good way to get tea money...)

One day, The bibs went away with my driving licence. It took me the whole day to find it back, running all around town to find the guy that had it in his pocket... If I had my passport with me this day, he would have gone with it!

 

I keep a copy in my room, and the passport is in the reception safe. Officialy, my passport is at the consulate for papers work. I have only a copy in my room...

[pubstud]

Make a credit card copy of your passport with visa stamp on the back and laminate it.

100 Thb form the copy shop on soi buakhao close to the soi Lengkee junction.

 

I carry a USB stick attached to my room key on which I have my passport copy, copy of my flight, insurance etc.

 

So you can have this done in Patts too. Thanx for the tip, I'll go there today and have one made, bloody good idea to have that in my wallet.

[pubstud]

I have never heard of anyone being arrested for not having their passport on them, I myself have been stopped at various checks over the 7 odd years I have been here and never had my passport on me and had no problems, although I used to carry a copy credit card size and now have the Thai drivers licence which carries your passport number.

 

Yeah I personally know of 1 case. Aussie guy ran a corporate training company in BKK, was stopped at a cop roadblock down on Bang Na-Trat, the Aussie wasn't driving, he had a Thai driver, cop asked to see his passport, he says it's kept in his safe back at his company office, along with his WP and verious company docs. He was arrested on the spot and spent the entire day at the police station, had to get a Thai lawyer in to release his ass. Thai law states the foreigner MUST carry passport at all times, and while the majority of Thai cops will not worry much about this, there's always the chance of bumping into a mean bastard,

[eXplosief]

So you can have this done in Patts too. Thanx for the tip, I'll go there today and have one made, bloody good idea to have that in my wallet.

Many copyshops and photoshops can do this for you.

[Hyekillabee]

I always make color copies before I depart for a foreign country. It's too much time and hassle to fix the problem if you lose it.

[DMustang]

I always make color copies before I depart for a foreign country. It's too much time and hassle to fix the problem if you lose it.

The problem with that is you won't have a copy of your customs stamp coming in to the country, so it's one more thing for the BiB

to get cranky about if they do decide to check you for your paperwork.

[rolln]

I have lost one passport in Bangkok. It wasnt much fun getting that resolved. But, I still carry my passport around with me.

[pubstud]

Is there anything like a "resident card" available to foreigners on long-term and annual visas?

 

I generally carry my passport with me when I go to another country as a tourist, like I often go to Lao, Cambo, VN for a few days or a week or two. But here in Thailand I live here long term and have a home (not in a hotel room)

[marko456]

Never had a problem, I did have a ID size copy made on trip 2, now

trip 11. Most "Photo Shops" will make a copy for you and laminate

to. Place I went to was near Soi 8 and 2nd road. 50 tbh all in.

I carry it instead of my passport, along with current flight tickek stub

showing when I got to the kingdom .

 

I use this when changing $$ at banks and indy $$ money changers,

again never a problem.

[Highlander]

It is definitely a legal requirement to carry your passport in Thailand, whether it is strictly enforced in neither here nor there.

 

As people have indicated, the cops sometimes turn a blind eye but from the many expats I know, have all told me that a shrunken down business card sized copy of both the photo page and the entry stamp are sufficient for them as it is unlikely you will have a Thai drivers licence.

 

The link below is a Wikipedia page and if you scroll down to the section that is titled "Get in" there is proof of the requirement to carry passports.

 

There are links to the Thai Ministry for Foreigb Affairs website but I can't be bothered finding the info.

 

I am not trying to show anyone up, I am merely giving the facts so that you can make an informed decision about whether you carry your passport, a copy or nothing at all.

 

http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand

[Brianrich1]

Well for me I will take a copy of my passport as well. But what I normally do is take a picture of my passport and itinerary and any other important papers with my cell phone. That way your info will be stored in your phone as a picture. Then I also send that info in an email to my email address so you can print it if needed.

[Rootdreamer]

Good idea to have a laminate copy of passport. Can somebody tell me where to find a copy shop near Soi 6 ? It will be my first thing to do for my next stay.

[fondylius]

thanks for the good advice. Wil get it done next time in town

[Gadget]

^

That's what I've got, don't forget to put your visa stamp on the back, well worth it, I took my passport out one night and lost it in JP Bar, got it back the next week though, never take it out with me again.

You can get laminating done in loads of places, big C, near the six.

[Soi Six Snatch Sniffer]

I am unclear on one important point. Is it mandatory that a foreign national have his Passport on his person in Thailand? I read on Thai-Anxiety that, during the recent Police raids of bars, customers who did not have their "ID's" were arrested.

 

I am such a careless, forgetful person that I am reluctant to carry my Passport. I usually carry a photocopy of my Passport's identity page with a photocopy of the page with my current visa. Is this adequate "ID" for the Police? MANY THANX!

 

CHEERS!

photo copy your passport, carry the photocopy around with you. would be silly to carry your actual passport imo

[kundai]

Most countries insist you carry I.D. card at all times, all Thais must carry their I.D.

Legally you should carry your passport and visa legible copies are good enough for most police

but if they wamt to they can arrest you