craigt3365

I'd rather risk getting caught without it then risk losing it.

Depending on the situation, no passport could mean a bit of a stay in the pokey. I'd rather get a replacement than face that. Especially if you are out of town and it will take some time for someone to retrieve it for you. If they are really nasty, and no passport in 24 hours, you're off to the Bangkok remand prison.

You need to remove a thread then started by Thai Visa that I linked at the start of this debate, Clearly says you do not need to carry your Passport

From that article:

He stated that if asked to show their passports, tourists can produce their documents at a later time if necessary.

And therein lies the rub. What does "later time" mean? What defines "necessary"? To one cop, it might mean tomorrow, to another, it might mean very soon. What if you are not a tourist? And if they determine it's "necessary", then that could mean right now. Again, if you are in your home town and somebody is available to get it for you quickly, then no worries. If you get into hot water while on a trip far from home...you could be in hot water and stuck in jail until it's produced.

The purpose of that article was to stop the shenanigans that were going on with the passport shakedowns in Bangkok. Which have been ongoing for years. The law still states you need to prove you are in the Kingdom legally with proper documents within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the official onsite. Clear as mud.

I'd rather risk getting caught without it then risk losing it.

Depending on the situation, no passport could mean a bit of a stay in the pokey. I'd rather get a replacement than face that. Especially if you are out of town and it will take some time for someone to retrieve it for you. If they are really nasty, and no passport in 24 hours, you're off to the Bangkok remand prison.

It has already posted few times by Thai Visa the remarks one of the Thai General has made regarding carrying the passport. They say you just need to carry a copy of it. So I advise you to just get a color copy of your passport, the visa, the Entry stamp and departure card. Put them all in a small clear plastic bag and keep it in your pocket at all time.

If you have a Thai driving license I think that would be enough as your passport number is also mentioned in it. But I always carry both to avoid any problem.

Again, your driver's license doesn't have your visa info. So they can't tell if you are in the Kingdom legally or not. Thus, the need for either your passport or a copy of your passport and current visa page. Depending on the situation, a copy may or may not work.

These topics are always tough. Right now, seems a copy of the main page of your passport AND current visa, are OK. But, as mentioned above, it you get into a delicate situation (your fault or not), your original will probably be required. If you can't produce it within a reasonable time as determined by the officer on the scene, you could be in a bit of hot water.

If you are near to home and have quick access to your passport. No biggie. If you are out of town and can't get it quickly...could be a biggie. I never leave on an extended trip without my passort. Just like I wouldn't travel in any other country around the world without it in my posession.

I found a UK insurance that not only covers me for 6 months+ but also covers me to ride bikes up to 750cc at no extra cost.

....and comes out cheaper than most other insurances.... not that theres many that cover long stay travel insurance anyway.

Nice avatar! LOL

Do you know if that insurance policy requires you to have a Thai DL or an IDP? Just curious....

Can you quote the law that says that for any riding you need an Intl DL?

I have one, but in 4 stops (just minor stop/check everyone type checkpoints) I've never been asked for it. Only my home country DL. I was under the impression that there is a 30 day grace period under which you are allowed to ride a motorbike with only your DL from home. If you stay longer, you're then expected to either have an Intl DL or get a Thai one. I'm speaking in reference to the Thai laws, not insurance rules... they may be 2 very different things.

I do fully agree that there are far too many people coming here that get way too comfortable with flaunting the rules and/or their own limits... and end up paying for it. It's not always their fault, but it often is. The vast majority of accidents I've seen foreigners involved with here did also involve someone who was consuming alcohol. And that person may or may not have been wearing a helmet. Lack of familiarity with Thai driving styles + no safety gear worn + alcohol is a bad recipe.

Gear up, ride sober, be very aware and ride defensively... it wont 100% guarantee you wont have an accident, but it will greatly reduce the chances.

No, I can't. But I'm sure if you searched the internet or searched the Bikes in Thailand sub forum here, you'll find info on this. I do believe you are correct about the 30 day grace period. But your home country DL has to have an endorsement that you are licensed to ride bikes. Yes, Thai laws and insurance laws are completely different. Good point.

A friend broke his leg here in Pattaya a few years ago. Had to have a metal rod put in his leg. The doc said they do 3-5 of these every day there...at just that one hospital. I think it cost him upwards of 400k Baht. Wow.

I'm self insured, so don't drive a bike here any more. Out in the country would be OK, but here in Pattaya it's insane. For me, just not worth the risk.

The biggest reason I posted this was mentioned above. Most don't know you need a proper license or you insurance is invalid. And that most travel insurance policies specificially prohibit ridiing motorcycles.

Here on Thaivisa, I've read about so many who've gotten into accidents and have run up hospital bills over 1MM Baht. Then don't have the money to pay and struggle to leave the country. I've rented scooters many times, but never fully realized this. I do now!

I know where it is, but can't give you directions. Let's move this over to the Pattaya forum. I'm sure somebody there will be able to help out!

Topic Moved.

I personally know of many who've gotten into trouble for not having their passport readily available. In ,any cases a photocopy is OK, but if you get into a touch situation with the police, the real thing will be request. I've never been asked for it either, but I've been lucky and have never been in a "delicate" situation with the police. Which can happen even if you are doing nothing wrong.

It is the law here. Just as in most other countries around the world. Ignore it at your own potential risk.

If you get into an issue with the police, you can be held until you present your passport. You can even be sent to Bangkok remand prison after a certain time if you can't provide it. I'd never leave my home town without my passport.

Bought heaps of phones there. Never had a problem. They would be stupid to sell a fake as a original, it would give the whole place a bad name and there would be to many angry customers coming back. As for accessories most are fake which is why they are so cheap.

Stupid? Probably. But they do sell lots of fake phones there. Mostly telling customers that's what they are, but not always.

Buyer beware.

Plenty of info available on the web. I don't have work permit for dog training.

I've tried. It ain't easy. Plus, she's a rescue dog. So has a few issues we have to deal with.

Whoopee, another chance for the dog haters to come out and play.

Not dog haters, irresponsible dog owner haters.

See post #3.

Dogs don't yap if properly trained by responsible dog owners.

Can you help me with my yappy Yorkie! She goes crazy when the door bell rings...or a dog is on TV! She loves to watch TV....just waiting for the moment to bark. LOL

Just thinking about this...how about we move this over to the Bikes in Thailand sub forum. Might get some good responses over there. A link will be left here in the travel forum. OK? We can always move it back if necessary.

Topic Moved.

Why are you not going further south? I'm sure the ride would be great and some amazing places to checkout.

I'll look around and see what I can uncover for you.

The place to go is city hall. They have a consumer complaint office there.

Interesting. What are your thoughts on this?

While Google has been experimenting with flight search since 2011, the company is now prepared to bring its computing power to what it says is a massive problem facing travelers. "There are about a trillion flights you could take from New York in the coming year,” said Kourosh Gharachorloo during a demo of the site on Tuesday. The question Google aims to answer: Which of those trillion is the right one for each traveler?

http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-02-25/5-reasons-you-should-start-using-google-s-flight-search-tool

Don't get into an argument like this. Go to the police, file a report and let them take care of it. Before you blast my post, this method does work.

What I do miss is being able to travel with my leatherman mutli-purpose tool. As a boy scout and firmly believing in the motto "be prepared", I bought that thing for trips exactly like this. Small pliers, various screw drives, small file, awl, knife can come in handy. Unfortunately 911 and subsequent airline security policies make it difficult to impossible to bring that as a carry on.

I bought one at a border market here several years ago. While in Vietnam. Never was found in my luggage! LOL

Used it to open a bottle of wine and the screw just broke in two. Used the blade to try and pry something open...not much force...and it snapped. Left it in Hanoi. 55555

One problem a long term backpacker will have is dealing with multiple climates. When I did my RTW trips, packing was a problem. But for SE Asia, it's a breeze! LOL

For that amount, you'll get a small room, Thai style, with few western amenities. But, it will be OK. Cheap and GREAT food is readily available everywhere. There are lots of options on where to stay here. Do you like mountains, beaches, small towns? Need to narrow it down a bit and then maybe some others can give you some good recommendations.

I'm pretty sure Foodland can take care of you.

Having done this for about 5 years now, every visit is different. Some good, some bad. And next week, things could change again. Lucky us!