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strange pink card experience


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16 minutes ago, fourpack said:

I have used pink card for money exchange. Banking. Proof of address within and outside Thailand with it translated of course. Booking into hotels always. (But the "those days are numbered" lovers will be jumping on this????. Even used it at Nong Khao border post as officer says he couldn't read my writing on TM6 or understand my pigeon Thai. Handed him I'd happy as Larry.

If they accepted your pink id card they would also have accepted your Thai driving license. So these were bald examples if you want to show that a pink id card is useful.

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24 minutes ago, elviajero said:

There is a plan to introduce ID style cards to expats which will include their visa status etc. No idea when that’ll happen as it’s been talked about for ages, but IMO it would be a better option than the pink ID card that isn’t really meant for expat use.

Got to agree with that. Would be a very good move.......if it ever gets off the ground.

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Although the pink ID card doesn't do much (for anyone) it would be good if it could be issued to everyone and made more useful than it currently is.

 

Getting discriminated in relation to Thais is one thing but I can't stand the idea of Thais categorizing foreigners based on nationality or race. That's just not on.

 

If Burmese can get a pink ID card so should we. What's so special about Burmese anyway?

 

Also, there are definitely no African migrant workers in Thailand and they are treated the same as westerners.

Edited by drbeach
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42 minutes ago, sumrit said:

Not true. Thai Driving licences may occasionally be accepted but not very often these days.

 

Driving licenses are usually accepted except where the individual/authority needs to see your passport stamps or visa. I wonder how it works for Singaporeans and HK citizens using the autogates though as no stamps appear in their passport.

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41 minutes ago, kokesaat said:

My experience, having had the pink card for many years, is that Thais treat me better when they see the card.  Police, banks, airports.  When I'm asked for my passport, I show my pink ID and that usually does the trick.

 

That sums it up quite well -  "usually does the trick." That's certainly my experience but there are occasions when it doesn't. The trouble is that until it's universally accepted/understood, "usually does the trick" isn't good enough. Most people will need a backup, for instance DL or passport if the task in hand is critical eg signing documents at a bank or government office.

 

I think the situation is getting better particularly on internal flights where after initial puzzlement, I haven't had any problems for some time in presenting the pink card at security.But for the time being I also carry other ID (see above).

 

I note however on this forum there are still those pink card holders who get stroppy and defensive if there's a suggestion the pink card isn't quite yet the Thailand version of Willy Wonka's golden ticket.

 

 

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11 minutes ago, drbeach said:

Getting discriminated in relation to Thais is one thing but I can't stand the idea of Thais categorizing foreigners based on nationality or race. That's just not on.

 

If Burmese can get a pink ID card so should we. What's so special about Burmese anyway?

Because of the travel restriction which is written on the back of the card, i'm quite sure that these cards were introduced for people who came into Thailand to seek asylum and who couldn't get any other identification document.

I don't see why you anybody would feel discriminated just because he can't get the same card as a person who had to flee from his home.

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3 minutes ago, drbeach said:

Although the pink ID card doesn't do much (for anyone) it would be good if it could be issued to everyone and made more useful than it currently is.

For those of us who already have one, we probably use it almost as much as a Thai National does. It's certainly more readily recognised and accepted now than is was a few years ago.

 

Ask your wife/partner how often she's needed to use hers in the past and what she needed it for then ask yourself how much that compares with you using the foreigner version and what you would use it for. My daughter did this exercise at University and compared herself, my wife and me. The amount we each used them and what we used them for were similar for each of us. 

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9 minutes ago, sumrit said:

Ask your wife/partner how often she's needed to use hers in the past and what she needed it for then ask yourself how much that compares with you using the foreigner version and what you would use it for. My daughter did this exercise at University and compared herself, my wife and me. The amount we each used them and what we used them for were similar for each of us. 

In all these situations you could have used your passport instead, it would have worked in the same way. And in nearly all of these cases you could also have used a Thai driving license. A Thai could also use his passport in these cases, no Thai ID card required.

If any task specifically requires a Thai ID card (because they have to put it in their card reader), then this task is not possible with a pink id card, because it doesn't have a chip.

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A guy I studied with a while back pulled out one of these cards in an apparent effort to "impress" the Thai people present at a dinner with his "Thai ID card". They all proceeded to laugh their guts out at him, proclaiming: "That's the card the Burmese immigrants have!"

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2 hours ago, kokesaat said:

My experience, having had the pink card for many years, is that Thais treat me better when they see the card.  Police, banks, airports.  When I'm asked for my passport, I show my pink ID and that usually does the trick.

 

My experience, having had the pink card for many years, is that Thais treat me better when they see the card. Are YOU Serious ???

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2 hours ago, jackdd said:

Because of the travel restriction which is written on the back of the card, i'm quite sure that these cards were introduced for people who came into Thailand to seek asylum and who couldn't get any other identification document.

I don't see why you anybody would feel discriminated just because he can't get the same card as a person who had to flee from his home.

Who said they fled from their homes? They voluntarily came from their homes to work here because 300 Baht a day is better than the 100-200 Baht they get back home.

 

I don't see why one group of foreigners should get a card but not another group of foreigners. Except the travel distance restriction which may be a good explanation. Still, a piece of paper would do the job just as well.

 

Also, an ID card like the pink one is similar to what many other countries automatically give ALL foreigners not just a select group. Philippines and Korea are two such countries. An ID card is definitely much easier to carry around than a passport. I also don't like people constantly asking for my passport, but I wouldn't have a problem if they asked for my ID.

Edited by drbeach
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56 minutes ago, Myran said:

A guy I studied with a while back pulled out one of these cards in an apparent effort to "impress" the Thai people present at a dinner with his "Thai ID card". They all proceeded to laugh their guts out at him, proclaiming: "That's the card the Burmese immigrants have!"

That's just stupid. In other countries all foreigners get such an ID card and nobody laughs at them. These Thai people at dinner have something wrong with them.

 

And besides, what's wrong with Burmese laborers? Why should westerners be considered "better" than them to warrant such a bizarre and baseless reaction?

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2 minutes ago, drbeach said:

Who said they fled from their homes? They voluntarily came from their homes to work here because 300 Baht a day is better than the 100-200 Baht they get back home.

 

I don't see why one group of foreigners should get a card but not another group of foreigners. Except the distance restriction which may be a good explanation. Still, a piece of paper would do the job just as well.

Why do you think that Burmese who come to Thailand for work have a pink id card?

I'm quite sure that the majority of them doesn't have it.

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2 hours ago, sumrit said:

For those of us who already have one, we probably use it almost as much as a Thai National does. It's certainly more readily recognised and accepted now than is was a few years ago.

 

Ask your wife/partner how often she's needed to use hers in the past and what she needed it for then ask yourself how much that compares with you using the foreigner version and what you would use it for. My daughter did this exercise at University and compared herself, my wife and me. The amount we each used them and what we used them for were similar for each of us. 

OK that is good to know. Having said that Thais never need to prove their nationality when they go to a national park in order to avail themselves of the Thai price. i guess you are referring to checking into hotels (can be done with a driver's license too), making transactions and anywhere that ID is requested but a passport and visa not expressly required. I'm sure it's the same with Burmese migrant workers - they would be required to show their passports and visas for some things but not others.

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