Immigration staff checking passports at DMK Domestic

[Farangwithaplan]

I went through DMK on Friday afternoon and check in I had the first ID check. Between that check and the second airport staff staff check, Immigration police in casual clothes with black vest with Immigration in yellow writing were pulling people aside and going through passports and checking validity of visas. After I finished with them, I went to the second check and on to security screening.

 

If you are overstaying you might want to avoid flying domestic until you get your issue sorted out.

[Boon Mee]

I never carry my passport. Pink Card and DL always works fine. 

[scorecard]

Here's another view. Did anybody notice the small news article saying one of the low cost carriers had recently taken a subscription to the always up to date world database of all countries passports.

 

As bookings come in the passport number, name etc., is automatically compared to the world database.

 

In the first 30 days of using the system 60 fake and/or stolen passports were detected. 

 

[rosst]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

Here's another view. Did anybody notice the small news article saying one of the low cost carriers had recently taken a subscription to the always up to date world database of all countries passports.

 

As bookings come in the passport number, name etc., is automatically compared to the world database.

 

In the first 30 days of using the system 60 fake and/or stolen passports were detected. 

 

I didn't see that but I am pleased to read that, the last thing we need is travellers with false documents. 

Thanks for warning travellers with overstay issues but in general, I have no sympathy for people who are not complying with the rules as it makes it more difficult for the people who do. 

[KhunBENQ]

I never fly domestic without passport. That simple.

The OP fits well to a current thread I just posted in:

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1047314-carrying-a-passport-around

 

Edited July 9, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[flyingdoc]

A passport is required to match up with an eticket, regardless of whether you are going on a domestic or international flight!

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

I never carry my passport. Pink Card and DL always works fine. 

But Thai law says you should. You naughty man.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, rosst said:

I didn't see that but I am pleased to read that, the last thing we need is travellers with false documents. 

Thanks for warning travellers with overstay issues but in general, I have no sympathy for people who are not complying with the rules as it makes it more difficult for the people who do. 

More difficult and more dangerous.

 

I don't want to be an aircraft with passengers who are deliberately using fake or stolen passports. 

 

 

[starky]

1 hour ago, flyingdoc said:

A passport is required to match up with an eticket, regardless of whether you are going on a domestic or international flight!

Where? For whom? Supply links please. I'm calling BS. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by starky

[Farangwithaplan]

1 hour ago, rosst said:

I didn't see that but I am pleased to read that, the last thing we need is travelers with false documents. 

Thanks for warning travelers with overstay issues but in general, I have no sympathy for people who are not complying with the rules as it makes it more difficult for the people who do. 

For sure, knowing that is that much harder for them to move freely in the kingdom might make them do something about their situation.

I've traveled domestically without my passport on me. I forgot it in a rush. my phone was flat so I couldn't access my passport image in the cloud.

 

After much debating I was told I could take the journey but on the return flight I must be able to produce a photo of my passport as a minimum. It was a good outcome under the circumstances. Someone in a similar position to me on that occasion might have ended up somewhere completely different if they ran into the immigration team at DMK on Friday.

[KamnanT]

1 hour ago, flyingdoc said:

A passport is required to match up with an eticket, regardless of whether you are going on a domestic or international flight!

And yet many Thais who travel domestically on e-tickets manage to do it without even possessing a passport.  They use their baht prachachon or their driver's license.  I have always used my Thai driver's license for domestic flight security checks and have never had a problem.

[moe666]

53 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

But Thai law says you should. You naughty man.

You could have a hard time checking into a hotel without your passport. In Kanchanaburi two hotels there demanded my passport as immigration makes rounds of the hotel checking records.

[NoshowJones]

14 minutes ago, moe666 said:

You could have a hard time checking into a hotel without your passport. In Kanchanaburi two hotels there demanded my passport as immigration makes rounds of the hotel checking records.

The Nana Hotel in Soi 4 will not let you check in without a passport, driving licence, pink card not accepted.

[RandG]

2 hours ago, flyingdoc said:

A passport is required to match up with an eticket, regardless of whether you are going on a domestic or international flight!

Although my wife and I have our passports with us,  we always check in for domestic flughtacwith our Thai driving licences. Never an issue 

[vaultdweller0013]

2 hours ago, flyingdoc said:

A passport is required to match up with an eticket, regardless of whether you are going on a domestic or international flight!

Nope, you need a government issued photo ID for domestic.

 

I have flow using both a Thai DL and a work permit.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

I never carry my passport. Pink Card and DL always works fine. 

DL does not show if you are currently legal or not. After my visa expires I'll still have my DL. Passport is required when travelling in LOS.

[RandG]

48 minutes ago, moe666 said:

You could have a hard time checking into a hotel without your passport. In Kanchanaburi two hotels there demanded my passport as immigration makes rounds of the hotel checking records.

Have never had an issue checking in to a hotel with Thai driving license. In the last year we have used hotels in Chiang Mai,  Bangkok and Korat. Small independent hotels as well as larger chains.  Never even a raised eyebrow. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

But Thai law says you should. You naughty man.

 

The current interpretation of the law on this by the police is that a COPY of one's passport is sufficient for just carrying around purposes.

 

No legal need to carry one's original passport around, unless flying internationally.  Domestic flights, I'm not sure.

 

[NoshowJones]

39 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The current interpretation of the law on this by the police is that a COPY of one's passport is sufficient for just carrying around purposes.

 

No legal need to carry one's original passport around, unless flying internationally.  Domestic flights, I'm not sure.

 

Sometimes you have to watch what you believe in Thailand, some official will tell you one thing and another will tell you something else.

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Sometimes you have to watch what you believe in Thailand, some official will tell you one thing and another will tell you something else.

 

I recall a couple of concurrent threads a few years back when the top cop in one city said a passport copy is fine, and the same day, the top cop in another city said it wasn't- you need to carry the original.

 

I don't carry mine because the risk of getting it stolen trumps the risk of getting turned away at a hotel or a flight (though that's never happened when I pulled out the Thai DL, I can't say it never will).  But that's a personal calculation and others may feel differently.

 

And there have been a few times when I was asked for a passport, handed over the DL instead, and found out that I got a sizable discount for having a 5 year DL.  Go figure...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Sometimes you have to watch what you believe in Thailand, some official will tell you one thing and another will tell you something else.

 

That advice, re passport photocopies being acceptable to carry for general use around town, has been widely reported here on ThaiVisa and in different news reports.  Since that advice was issued by Immigration a couple years ago, AFAIK, it's never subsequently been contradicted/changed.

 

As always though, a person would still need to be able to provide their original passport from home or wherever if demanded by the police.

 

Edited July 9, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[impulse]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

As always though, a person would still need to be able to provide their original passport from home or wherever if demanded by the police.

 

The problem with "producing your passport from home" is that they can hold you until you produce the passport.  They don't have to let you go get the passport.  Which opens up a huge vulnerability to tea money demands unless you have a wife at home who can deliver the passport, or a friend with access to your home- and you can tell them where to deliver it.   I'm not sure letting some districts of the BIB have you by the short-and-curlies is a good idea.  I've heard plenty of stories about guys and gals who just paid up to get released.  Of course, they may be urban legends, but after hearing a bunch of them...

 

[jackdd]

About 1.5 months ago when i flew from BKK to Udon immigration police was at the arrival area at Udon and checked the passport of a black man. But only of this one person, he got angry and accused them of racism. After checking his passport for a few minutes they let him go

[lungbing]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

But Thai law says you should. You naughty man.

No, it doesn't.  It says you have to have identification on you.

[jackdd]

5 minutes ago, lungbing said:

No, it doesn't.  It says you have to have identification on you.

It doesnt even say that, it just says you have to be able to identify yourself

[NoshowJones]

19 minutes ago, jackdd said:

It doesnt even say that, it just says you have to be able to identify yourself

Like I keep saying, some IOs will say one thing and others may say something else.

 

This is Thailand.

[jackdd]

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Like I keep saying, some IOs will say one thing and others may say something else.

 

This is Thailand.

We are talking about what the law says, other than the opinion of an IO this is kinda fixed ?

[scorecard]

7 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

I never carry my passport. Pink Card and DL always works fine. 

However the pink card is valid only up to 30 (40?) kilometres from the place of issue, as written on the back of the card. If the airline wanted to be serious they could, on the above grounds refuse to accept it, possibly concerned that they could be punished for accepting it.

 

This is one of the reasons why the card has been so criticized.

 

Further, it was in a TV news item perhaps a week ago that the Thai authorities issued a statement that the pink card and Thai DL can no longer be used as ID.

 

 

[Hans Rayong]

I know that they do wrong, but Peninsula, Sheraton, Marriott and Hilton in Bangkok have always accepted my Pink Card.

 

[NoshowJones]

45 minutes ago, jackdd said:

We are talking about what the law says, other than the opinion of an IO this is kinda fixed ?

True, but the law most of the time means nothing. This is Thailand?