Immigration staff checking passports at DMK Domestic

[GSFGSF]

Feels more and more like north Korea...

 

[Fairynuff]

So just to clarify the situation here’s a summary.....

your pink card is valid as ID for hotels and domestic flights, except when it’s not.

your DL is also valid, except when they won’t accept it.

you must carry your original passport with you at all times, except when you don’t have to.

Now if we’re all clear can we move on!

[scorecard]

9 hours ago, KamnanT said:

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.

Thai's don't need to present a passport for domestic travel, they do need to present their Thai ID card.

[starky]

15 hours ago, possum1931 said:

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

A hotel of that calibre? Wow. On the other hand won't affect my life nor being able to check into the nana hotel lol.

[starky]

14 hours 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.

Much like posters on Thaivisa then!

[Vacuum]

13 hours ago, jackdd said:

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

What the law says does not matter! If the IO want you to produce a passport, you'd better do it.

[Vacuum]

6 hours ago, scorecard said:

Thai's don't need to present a passport for domestic travel, they do need to present their Thai ID card.

Thais don't need a passport, period. Most Thais don't have one.

[Get Real]

As this is a question of immigration and regarding what you don´t want to do if you are on overstay, the laws about carrying or not carrying passport is irrelevant. Anyway, time to sort it out.

 

19 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

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

You are required to carry at least a copt of your passport together with a copy of your lastest and valid stamp for the allowed duration of stay. That you can fly with your Pink ID card is right, but with the wrong Immigration Officer you might eventually end up in problem.

 

16 hours ago, starky said:

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

The requirement have probably no substance in the law, but are you the one the wants to take that up with an immigration Officer, be my guest. You do know that there is much that is at the discretion of the officer at hand, right? Real Passport not nessecary, but copys, as above stated, is something they can demand in some cases.

[Hans Rayong]

"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."

 

Ask 10 Thais and you get 10 answers what the text on the back of the Pink Card really means.

 

From the beginning, the Pink Card was issued only to people from Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos who came to Thailand for work and who were only entitled to reside within a restricted area. No one within the authorities has thought about that they should change the text when it was possible for all foreigners to get the Pink Card.

[starky]

8 hours ago, Get Real said:

As this is a question of immigration and regarding what you don´t want to do if you are on overstay, the laws about carrying or not carrying passport is irrelevant. Anyway, time to sort it out.

 

You are required to carry at least a copt of your passport together with a copy of your lastest and valid stamp for the allowed duration of stay. That you can fly with your Pink ID card is right, but with the wrong Immigration Officer you might eventually end up in problem.

 

The requirement have probably no substance in the law, but are you the one the wants to take that up with an immigration Officer, be my guest. You do know that there is much that is at the discretion of the officer at hand, right? Real Passport not nessecary, but copys, as above stated, is something they can demand in some cases.

You want to misquote others fine but leave me out. I was responding to a blanket statement about needing a passport to board a domestic flight. Rule of law or not I have never encountered many immigration officers whilst flying domestic. Maybe I'm lucky maybe I'm not but I am quite happy to take it up with the Non existent immigration officers at domestic terminals in thailand.  So sort that out all knowing all seeing.

Edited July 10, 2018 by starky

[Get Real]

32 minutes ago, starky said:

You want to misquote others fine but leave me out.

How do you feel misquoted? The tread is about immigration staff checking passports at DMK domestic.

Regarding the information I gave, that is 100% correct.

Edited July 10, 2018 by Get Real

[5633572526]

On 7/9/2018 at 2:06 PM, 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. 

 

This is good news and I wish all airlines did this.

[5633572526]

DMK always seems to be an issue here with various complications and problems and actually this forum is why I only fly out of swampy.

other than the occasional long line at immigration I have very few issues with swampy and I travel frequently because I prefer traveling to doing 90 day reports ?

[scorecard]

44 minutes ago, 5633572526 said:

This is good news and I wish all airlines did this.

Well there's an extension of this item, how well do the gate staff actually check (check completely) that the name on the passport (ID card) is the same as on the boarding pass and how often do they check that the photo* is the person standing there?  (* It's mentioned on all airline sites that the traveller must present a photo ID.)

 

The truth is that 9 / 10 they don't check properly. Case in Point 3 weeks ago my Thai son took his wife and 3 kids from CM to Bkk and return, he presented the 5 boarding passes and 5 Thai passports. On both outbound and return trip the gate staff person checked the first b/pass and passport but didn't do any check of the other 4 b/passes and passports. My son is very careful about these things*, he asked (both times) why they didn't check all the b/passes and passports. Same answer 'too busy'.

 

(*Son is serious on this because some years back he was boarding a flight at Swampy to return to school in Singapore. At that time there had been an incident and S'pore airlines own staff were checking everything at the gate and doing it thoroughly. He was the next person in line to present his documents to the s/pore airlines boarding staff. Suddenly one of the boarding staff made a call and very quickly 3 airport security staff arrived, a very quick conversation and the passenger in front of my son was handcuffed and taken away. My son heard the conversation before the handcuffs went on: "What's the name on the b/pass and the passport and how do you spell the name? - Passenger couldn't answer. Passenger instantly held by the 3 very close security guards and handcuffs on quickly, and quickly escorted away.  Son never forgot.)

 

Some years back I was flying domestic and regional several times every week. Older Thai lady in front of me at gate check asked the girl from XXX , in Thai language.why she wasn't checking / comparing the details b.pass and passport. Smart ass gate girl replied in English 'It's not your business, go!' and pointed to the door to the ramp. Old Thai lady responded in perfect English 'so you want to discuss in English, then stepped away and made a call, very quickly a senior AOT officer arrived along with a staff member, old Thai lady explained what had happened, AOT senior told the XXX airline girl to step away and quickly got the replacement girl checking the documents for the remaining passengers. The AOT officer apologised to the waiting passengers then took the errant XXX girl away.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by scorecard

[4MyEgo]

On 7/9/2018 at 5:05 PM, Boon Mee said:

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

So far so good for you.

 

I flew with AirAsia from Udon Thani to Phuket once, gave my pink ID card at the counter, no problem, also provided it with my boarding pass going towards the plan.

 

At Phuket, it was handed straight back to me, Passport please sir, but I have a pink ID card, yes sir, but you are a farang, Passport please sir, what If I don't have it with me, then you cannot fly sir, Airline policy, passport required to board AirAsia flights for non Thai's, passport thank you sir...lol

 

Fortunately for me, I always carry my passport as I know it is a requirement, and a copy with me including the extension of stay and 90 day paper, for when I am not in my hotel, and am out and about.

 

As for AirAsia's policy on non Thai's requiring passports, I wouldn't doubt the young lady doing her job, why else would she be asking for it then.

[Vacuum]

What's the obsession with people to not bring their passports when they're travelling?

[scorecard]

57 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

So far so good for you.

 

I flew with AirAsia from Udon Thani to Phuket once, gave my pink ID card at the counter, no problem, also provided it with my boarding pass going towards the plan.

 

At Phuket, it was handed straight back to me, Passport please sir, but I have a pink ID card, yes sir, but you are a farang, Passport please sir, what If I don't have it with me, then you cannot fly sir, Airline policy, passport required to board AirAsia flights for non Thai's, passport thank you sir...lol

 

Fortunately for me, I always carry my passport as I know it is a requirement, and a copy with me including the extension of stay and 90 day paper, for when I am not in my hotel, and am out and about.

 

As for AirAsia's policy on non Thai's requiring passports, I wouldn't doubt the young lady doing her job, why else would she be asking for it then.

 

Did you consider that for domestic flights Thais are not categorically required to show their passport, they are required to show either their national ID card or passport.

 

In reality not all that many Thai folks actually have a passport and they are not required by law to obtain a passport, same as in many countries. 

 

Regarding the pink card that some foreigners have, it says clearly on the back that the holder is restricted to remain within 30 (40?) kilometres of the place of issue of the card. Therefore some airlines might have fears that if there is some incident they will be scolded / punished for accepting the card knowing well that the holder is about to travel further than the 30 (40?) as stated on the card.  I heard of another angle, at the gate the airline staff member would not accept the pink car because the name is written in Thai script and the boarding pass in English therefore she could not properly compare the spelling and it's a strict international regulation that the spelling on both documents must match perfectly.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by scorecard

[ballpoint]

5 hours ago, Vacuum said:

What's the obsession with people to not bring their passports when they're travelling?

They don't have the strength to take the extra weight of a passport due to the large chips they're already carrying on their shoulders.

[Wake Up]

On 7/9/2018 at 3:22 PM, KhunBENQ said:

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

 

I never fly domestic with a passport. Never and never had any problem using thai drivers license at airport or hotel or car rental agency. Passport simply not needed for domestic travel. 

[Ks45672]

8 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I never fly domestic with a passport. Never and never had any problem using thai drivers license at airport or hotel or car rental agency. Passport simply not needed for domestic travel. 

Me either

Don't see why I should when thais fly with driving licences as well 

[Farangwithaplan]

11 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I never fly domestic with a passport. Never and never had any problem using thai drivers license at airport or hotel or car rental agency. Passport simply not needed for domestic travel. 

I see your point, but how will you handle the situation I came across with the immigration checking validity of being in Thailand?

 

Have you ever had that happen to you?

 

[Wake Up]

8 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I see your point, but how will you handle the situation I came across with the immigration checking validity of being in Thailand?

 

Have you ever had that happen to you?

 

Never and I don’t have any worries. I have a DL, an extension of stay, an address, a bank account and travel domestically a lot. Posts like yours simply exists to scare and promote poor information on TFV and give the anxiety people a place to pronounce their arguments. This country actually wants and needs retired expats with funds to live on and correct visas. They do not require us to carry around our passport and a passport is not required unless we are leaving the country, exchanging money, going to immigration office, getting a bank account, getting a Thai DL, or renting a condo.  Traveling domestically or walking around the street with your passport is not only unnecessary and dumb because you risk losing it. 

Edited July 14, 2018 by Wake Up

[Wake Up]

8 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I see your point, but how will you handle the situation I came across with the immigration checking validity of being in Thailand?

 

Have you ever had that happen to you?

 

My first response failed to answer your questions - sorry. I would talk to the officer and show him my thai DL that has my passport number on it. If needed explain where I get my extensions of stay, do 90 day reports and any other question he has. That would satisfy him.  No one legitimate has anything to worry about. Nobody going to jail for not having a passport if they are at an airport with a Thai DL and airplane ticket and can answer a few basic questions. To the guy who will post and say he knows someone that went to jail until a friend brought him his passport I say BS. There is more to the story that simply not having your passport on you.  

[Farangwithaplan]

5 hours ago, Wake Up said:

Posts like yours simply exists to scare and promote poor information on TFV and give the anxiety people a place to pronounce their arguments.

I appreciate your second post answering my question but I do have to now ask you which of my posts and specifically which line in my posts goes anywhere near attempting to scare someone. Or do you have me confused with another poster? I haven't got into the debate about what is required and what is not. I simply stated what happened to me. I am not trying to inflate the point or make issue.

 

[Wake Up]

2 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

I appreciate your second post answering my question but I do have to now ask you which of my posts and specifically which line in my posts goes anywhere near attempting to scare someone. Or do you have me confused with another poster? I haven't got into the debate about what is required and what is not. I simply stated what happened to me. I am not trying to inflate the point or make issue.

 

Nothing personal to you intended. I did not intend to be personal to you. But the subject of your post tends to bring out the scaremongers of TVF 

[blackcab]

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