How often were you asked to show your passport?

[Suradit69]

Never asked for passport in 20 years aside from things like counter cash withdrawal at bank or P.O. when collecting parcels and of course during immigrations visits.

 

After paying for True and 3BB bills at a local Krung Thai Bank for years, a couple  of months ago the teller wanted to see my passport. I just said no and paid at 7/Eleven. Pretty sure she had no idea what she was doing and that it had not been a bank policy. Obviously no reason to show ID to pay a bill. Who cares who's paying your bills.

 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Suradit69

[Ulic]

Never, except when I am doing a border bounce in a mini-van, near the border.

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

With the exception of doing something official, like getting a WP, opening a bank acct etc, I've never been asked for my passport.

 

In 8 years here I've never been stopped on the street or when out and asked to show a passport. 

I have only ever been asked once in 13 years to show my passport by police, and that was in a minivan

 at a spot check on the way to Bangkok.

[NoshowJones]

16 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Fingerprinted: Never in Thailand, but have in Malaysia and Singapore.

Photographed: For driver's licence and pink ID card.

Breathalysed: Never in Thailand, but have a number of times at random checkpoints in Western countries.

Piss tested: Never, anywhere.

Any police who ever stop me for a piss test will get a blank refusal, and will be told to take me to their boss, not in a car or motorbike, but under my own steam with them following me.

[Neeranam]

On 2/18/2019 at 1:12 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

. But how high is the risk? It seems to me very low.

Yes, very low risk but trust me it is not worth it. Can you imagine the panic everytime a policeman approaches you?

If you've ever seen the inside of an immigration jail, it would be a nightmare.

I had one friend who was 8 years overstay, who said he was a nervous wreck.

[Jane Dough]

Approaching forty years in Thailand I think never shown my passport except doing normal admin. I carry a tiny laminated face page bit in my wallet but generally use Thai driver's license for all admin purposes. 

 

Rooster

[OneMoreFarang]

45 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I had one friend who was 8 years overstay, who said he was a nervous wreck.

And I would have thought after 8 years he was sure nobody will every stop him.

[tgeezer]

The chances of a policeman or anybody checking your permission to stay are covered by Murphy’s law. I took my passport with me to the police station when I had a brush with a taxi, I think that I was happy that I took it but it was only glanced at, my driving licence was used to record my name. I don’t usually carry the passport but do carry a copy.

[kannot]

On 2/18/2019 at 1:34 PM, Kwasaki said:

Tourist Police once a year to my house

eh  why?

[Kwasaki]

10 minutes ago, kannot said:

eh  why?

Dunno why haven't got a clue and after 14 years of history, the guys know me and say sorry but I say no worries.

They are directed by the new Sukhothai immigration office to come and take a picture with their mobile phone of my passport and me standing next to them at my house.  

 

[JingjoDave]

Passport ,, AHHH brings back some upsetting memories.

Year 2005 place "Om noi" outskirts of BKK , me at night club only farang amongst about 600 Thai's. big commotion and lights come on ,, see 20 -30 police and numerous Television reporters / camera's at entrance. Eventually found out was drug raid ,, no problem for me,,, lined up with everyone to pee in a bottle ,, whilst supplying my sample the Thai beside me asked me to fill up his bottle ,, no worries mate :). Sample tested and all clear ,, then the real fun began ..... Farang show me passport ,,, ummm it at my hotel. Law you MUST carry ,,, sorry I am scared to carry uis at hotel my girlfriend can bring it here in 10 minutes. Ok Farang you wait until we see passport. Make the phone call girlfriend and passport arrive ,, checked and all good ( or so i thought) ok farang you go now. Caught taxi back to hotel ,,,, THEN just after arriving a police car turns up and they arrest me <deleted> ??? Off to police station , charged with not carrying passport ,, now I was "pissed off" ,,, long story short is one of the TV camera's had filmed me and a police officer had told them farang not carry passport. So they figured they had to arrest me even after letting me go. 4 hours of arguing at the police station did little.

Fine 1,000 Baht and one angry foreigner.

Note : I do agree was my fault , ignorance of the law is not a defence.

[SoonOh]

Police stop check. After presenting my current international driving licence, cops wanted to see my passport.... Big Joke

 

Hotel receptionist.  Photocopied All my passport pages and asked to see my TM6 departure card.... Big Brother 

 

Thailand is very friendly country. 

[Kwasaki]

On 2/20/2019 at 12:06 PM, kannot said:

On 2/18/2019 at 1:34 PM, Kwasaki said:

Tourist Police once a year to my house

eh  why?

4 Immigration police and 4 trainee immigration police, 2 policeman 1 from local station and the other a high ranking policeman from the Sukhothai city police station also 4 Tourist Policemen turned up at my house this morning in 3 seperate police trucks.

They took pictures of our house my passport pages, 90 day report slip, TM6 slip and house yellow book pages.

Then a photo session of me holding my passport and yellow book with the high ranking policeman one side and top ranking immigration officer among them on the other.

 

Probably a purge of some kind and I wasn't bothered by it as one of the immigration police officers is a friend of the family and the local policeman family. 

[Kwasaki]

On 2/20/2019 at 8:29 PM, JingjoDave said:

Fine 1,000 Baht and one angry foreigner.

Note : I do agree was my fault , ignorance of the law is not a defence.

Carry a copy of passport in your wallet and a copy on your phone and a Thai DL if you have one job done.

[brokenbone]

never except near border on a visa run so many years ago,

...and i just realized i can make room in my belt

[OneMoreFarang]

34 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

4 Immigration police and 4 trainee immigration police, 2 policeman 1 from local station and the other a high ranking policeman from the Sukhothai city police station also 4 Tourist Policemen turned up at my house this morning in 3 seperate police trucks.

They took pictures of our house my passport pages, 90 day report slip, TM6 slip and house yellow book pages.

Then a photo session of me holding my passport and yellow book with the high ranking policeman one side and top ranking immigration officer among them on the other.

 

Probably a purge of some kind and I wasn't bothered by it as one of the immigration police officers is a friend of the family and the local policeman family. 

Be prepared to see your pictures in newspapers and on the web. The authorities have to show that they are active and do something.

And maybe enlarge one of those pictures and hang it over your door. Then everybody knows they don't have to bother you in the future.

[balo]

Never , after 9 years never been asked except at hotels , but I show them my Thai drivers license instead. 

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by balo

[Kwasaki]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Then everybody knows they don't have to bother you in the future.

I somehow think that, that is not gonna happen.

It's always happy photo time with me, no problem just like when the Chang girls come to what I call my pub 7 for photo sessions.