Fine For Not Carrying Your Passport

[dr_Pat_Pong]

As of drivers license, yes they can take it away from you if you not pay tea money.  They will hold it minimum 15 days, and then you can come and get it pay a larger fine that is pretty much set according to their laws, and at same token your traffic offense will be recorded and show you have been convicted of a traffic offence  which makes it harder for you to get a thai drivers license if you never had one prior.  So keeping your record clean in the eyes of Thai police is to your benefit.  So pay the tea money instead if such occurs in your effort to keep a clean record.  Usually the tea money ranges between 500 Baht to 1500 Baht.  Depends on how desperate they are being in need of the Baht!!!!!  Average is around 750 Baht to 800 Baht.

Daveyo

Do you actually live in Thailand or do you just guess at these aswers you post?

I was told you don't but there again the information I recieved could have been guessed at.

Dave lives in them United States of Merricy. His contributions here are usually unburdened and never hampered by loads of facts.

[RDN]

  I have had my passport stolen from my pocket in a busy shopping centre. It was a hassle getting it replaced, having to go to the Chinese Embassy, filling out the forms, and waiting 2 months.

Som nam na!

[ThaiPauly]

britainmal, a little over a year ago i was stopped by a thai policeman while on my way home. it was at a traffic stop. he was waving some cars past and stopping others. he stopped me and asked for my passport.

i never carry my passport because i'm terrified of it being lost or stolen. luckily, i had followed one of trink's reccommendations and had a copy of the face page and visa stamp. close enough said the copper and waved me on my way.

what would have happened had i not had the copy with me? no idea. perhaps a fine or a trip to the station, i really can't say. i strongly urge all foreigners in thailand to carry a copy of the face page and visa stamp with them at all times. it can avoid a lot of trouble.

marks

It is always wise to carry a colour photocopy of your driving license, if the cops ask to see it, never hand it over, just give them the copy with a 100 baht note wrapped inside, you will be on your way in no time

[opalhort]

It is always wise to carry a colour photocopy of your driving license, if the cops ask to see it, never hand it over, just give them the copy with a 100 baht note wrapped inside, you will be on your way in no time

if you pay a "fine on the spot" NEVER let the cop keep any ID, not even a copy!

this could backfire if he is a real bad guy because he will then have evidence that you bribed an officer which could land you in a lot more trouble than a trafic fine.

opalhort

[Bobcat]

After spending several days consulting various groups - including Thai immigration (Suan PLu and Don Muang), the Thai tourist police, several foreign embassies and several Thai lawyers, I have been advised that there is no law on the books in Thailand which requires a foreigner to carry his/her passport on his/her person at all times. I have further been advised there are no laws that stipulate a fine is payable for not carrying your passport. So, for those of you saying that there is such a law - or have been told there is such a law - I would be very interested to see it.

[opalhort]

After spending several days consulting various groups - including Thai immigration (Suan PLu and Don Muang), the Thai tourist police, several foreign embassies and several Thai lawyers, I have been advised that there is no law on the books in Thailand which requires a foreigner to carry his/her passport on his/her person at all times.  I have further been advised there are no laws that stipulate a fine is payable for not carrying your passport.  So, for those of you saying that there is such a law - or have been told there is such a law - I would be very interested to see it.

but there is a law that Thai nationals have be able to identify themselves at all times (carry ID card etc). if they can not prove who they are, they may be taken in to establish their identity.

so it makes sense that the same law should be applied to every person in Thailand, including foreigners even if it is not stated in any law regarding foreigners.

opalhort

[Bobcat]

Indeed, that may be the case. However, I was more concerned with the subject of this post - which is the fines to which a foreigner may be liable for not carrying his or her passport at all times. Although it appears that the authorities have been known to impose fines on foreigners for not carrying passports (acording to the personal experience of some on this forum) - I believe that the persons imposing these fines may not always have the right to do so (especially if the person without a passport has another form of identification) and that such fines, if challenged, would not hold up. Of course, if you are the subject of heavy handed harassment by an official, it is not always easy or appropriate to argue with them about the legality of their actions - at some point the practicality of you situation woud need to prevail. It is just a point of interest that something which many assume to be the law many in fact not be.

My feeling is that there is a law out there that says a person must be able to identify themselves if asked to do so by the authorities. What this actually means is another issue. I will now try to hunt down this more general "identify yourself" law. Will report my findings shortly.