Can I take a domestic flight with Thai driving license?

[Tarukhtah]

Hello,

 

I am not a Thai national. I have a flight booked (was booked and the itinerary and planning was done before I knew this) within Thailand, from DMK to a local town. Unfortunately and by many reasons it happens that my passport will be in the immigration office right at the time my flight takes off.

Question: Is it possible to take the flight with the Thai driving license?

 

Thai driving license is valid, i.e. not expired, has my picture and same name as my passport. Otherwise I can obviously bring a copy of my passport with me, which otherwise is also valid, not expired, and has a valid tourist visa on it. I do not hold a work permit.

 

I contacted Nokair, they claim on their side is ok with the driving license, i.e. they will issue the boarding pass. However, I am wondering... in the passport / IDs controls in the airport... will it be ok? Has anyone made this experience before?

[GalaxyMan]

Thai driver's license usually also has your farang passport number on it.

[craighj]

I’ve never used anything else for a domestic flight here and never had an issue.

 

Craighj

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, Tarukhtah said:

will it be ok?

Yes.

[mitostone]

Domestic airline don't really care, however if you are unlucky met until immgration officer. You may have to produce your passport. As for what i know, they are trying to catch those people without visa. 

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, mitostone said:

Domestic airline don't really care, however if you are unlucky met until immgration officer. You may have to produce your passport. As for what i know, they are trying to catch those people without visa. 

 

Op: Ensure you are carrying a receipt from your Embassy stating that they have your passport (or a receipt from whoever stating that that they have your passport. 

Also ensure you are carrying photocopies of your Passport ID Page and Visa Page, along with Arrival Stamp and TM6 and you ‘should’ be fine if stopped by an immigration official - If you are, just be polite. 

 

This should cover most eventualities. Regarding taking a domestic flight and using your Thai DL as ID, I have never done that - but as others have said, they have done so. 

[Tarukhtah]

Hello guys,

 

Thank you so much. Really. Great to know you could fly with the Thai driving license.

 

One issue though is the passport number in the driving license is my old passport, although I can have that old passport with me for sure.  I have a certification from the embassy about the passport change, also the old passport.

 

And also agreed, I talked with Nokair. They said "yes". I mean... it sounded not very convincing but said yes they can issue the boarding passes even if I come just with the driving license. So I am more worried by the people in the security checks etc. Maybe some will insist I cannot go through without passport. That'd be a mess.

 

And yes it would be great if I had some proof that my passport is submitted to immigration... but I screwed a bit that part. I'll try to see if the agent has something but I am quite afraid no. Let's see.

 

Backup plan is I take a bus LOL. 

 

[Raphus]

Anythingvisbpossible in Thailand with small brown envelope. We are seeing this more and more at the moment. And will see more to come when  the amnesty finishes.

Thailand is the land of opportunity and the largest brown paper user.

[galolo]

Of course, i do it all the time.

[ArickChaiyaphum]

I only use my Thai license. 

[Trillian]

5 hours ago, Tarukhtah said:

Hello guys,

 

Thank you so much. Really. Great to know you could fly with the Thai driving license.

 

One issue though is the passport number in the driving license is my old passport, although I can have that old passport with me for sure.  I have a certification from the embassy about the passport change, also the old passport.

 

And also agreed, I talked with Nokair. They said "yes". I mean... it sounded not very convincing but said yes they can issue the boarding passes even if I come just with the driving license. So I am more worried by the people in the security checks etc. Maybe some will insist I cannot go through without passport. That'd be a mess.

 

And yes it would be great if I had some proof that my passport is submitted to immigration... but I screwed a bit that part. I'll try to see if the agent has something but I am quite afraid no. Let's see.

 

Backup plan is I take a bus LOL. 

 

You are worrying about this unnecessarily, neither the airlines nor anyone else cares about the passport or whether the passport number on your driving license current. That said, it doesn't have the supportive paperwork that you have although it's a bit belt and braces. If it helps, when Thai people want to see some form of ID from a foreigner they usually ask for a passport, that's only because they see the word passport as being synonymous with the word, identification, it doesn't actually mean they want to see your passport, in most cases.

[theoldgit]

8 hours ago, Tarukhtah said:

And also agreed, I talked with Nokair. They said "yes". I mean... it sounded not very convincing but said yes they can issue the boarding passes even if I come just with the driving license. So I am more worried by the people in the security checks etc. Maybe some will insist I cannot go through without passport. That'd be a mess.

 

You could of course check in online and print your own boarding pass.

[Geroniman]

I’ve flown many times (NokAir, VietJet, Bangkok Airways, Air Asia) within Thailand using only my Thai driving licence for ID, never had a problem and never been asked to provide any extra passport info. Like the OP, my driving licence shows my previous passport number  

[VirgoSG]

55 minutes ago, Geroniman said:

I’ve flown many times (NokAir, VietJet, Bangkok Airways, Air Asia) within Thailand using only my Thai driving licence for ID, never had a problem and never been asked to provide any extra passport info. Like the OP, my driving licence shows my previous passport number 

Same for me too.  In 8 years of extensive domestic flight travel I have not once had to show my passport.  Neither to the airline, nor to security.

Also, contrary to what many people here contend, I always use my driving licence to check into hotels.  Last year I spent 80 nights in domestic hotels (probably similar in all the other years since I have lived here) in Bangkok and all over Thailand.  Not once was I asked for a passport.  Over those 8 years, I believe just 2 hotels have insisted on a passport at check in, and on the spot I just emailed or AirDropped a copy from my phone so they can print it.  No problem.

[khunPer]

19 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

Thai driver's license usually also has your farang passport number on it.

If you have a Yellow House Book and pink ID-card for aliens it might carry your Thai ID-number instead. You and I are probably renewing DL at the same Land Transport Office, I had passport number before, now I have my Thai ID-number.

[jomtienisgood]

18 hours ago, mitostone said:

Domestic airline don't really care, however if you are unlucky met until immgration officer. You may have to produce your passport. As for what i know, they are trying to catch those people without visa. 

Why would you meet an IO in Domestic ???? Never seen before.

[khunPer]

20 hours ago, Tarukhtah said:

I contacted Nokair, they claim on their side is ok with the driving license, i.e. they will issue the boarding pass. However, I am wondering... in the passport / IDs controls in the airport... will it be ok? Has anyone made this experience before?

I've been flying domestic with my Thai DL before, but it's some years ago now; that was Bankok Airways to/from Bangkok. I did have my passport with me, but wished to check if the DL only worked, it did!

 

If you have a photocopy of your passport you could bring that also. For a domestic flight it's only security you are going to pass through, and when having already been issued a bording pass you should be safe there, in my view.

[khunPer]

12 hours ago, Tarukhtah said:

One issue though is the passport number in the driving license is my old passport, although I can have that old passport with me for sure.  I have a certification from the embassy about the passport change, also the old passport.

You should get your DL updated with your new passport number as soon as possible, and also any other stuff – like bankbooks and loyalty cards carrying your passport number – as it might give you problems if numbers don't match; I talk from experience.

 

If you have an extension of stay moved to your new passport, your original entry visa would also be mentioned with a stamp together including the old passport number, which often can clear any problems; thanks to Ubon Joe for telling that, it actually works...????????

[Tarukhtah]

Thank you guys.

Thank you so much for the info. Indeed, if so many people could fly so much domestically with the driving license, I hope I won't be different. And yes I will check-in online and print the boarding passes. But I have flewn many times from DMK and when going to the gates they always tell me I need to get a boarding pass from the check-in counter. They never allowed me to fly with the boarding pass from the check-in online.

 

Any clue if that has changed? Last time was like 1 year ago.

 

The other thing is, you guys flew during "normal" times. What if now they are eager to catch foreigners with expired visas or something? That's my fear, that they would insist in seeing my passport. But given the multiple positive reports in this thread, I guess it should be all good.

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, Tarukhtah said:

What if now they are eager to catch foreigners with expired visas or something?

That would in my view be an immigration matter, which might be not be the question for a domestic flight check-in. I wouldn't suspect Nok Air or airport security to trace overstayers, and there is furthermore a visa-amnesty until end of July.

 

You can be stopped by police anywhere and checked for expired visa and not only "something", but anything else. To my knowledge an alien shall in principle always carry a passport, however some immigration offices – like where I live – recommend to carry a copy instead; best if you always carry a photo ID. Whenever online – like the new immigration BMW smart-cars – a passport number should reveal any immigration- and visa status.

[Makoshark]

why would you leave your passport with immigration?  NEVER do that ! ! !

 

i'm from the USA and got a Passport Card.  I use that when flying domestically without any issues

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/14/2020 at 10:45 PM, mitostone said:

Domestic airline don't really care, however if you are unlucky met until immgration officer. You may have to produce your passport. As for what i know, they are trying to catch those people without visa. 

Driving licences don't prove one has a valid visa.

Like everything in LOS it doesn't matter till it does. Feel lucky?

On 7/14/2020 at 9:31 PM, Tarukhtah said:

Unfortunately and by many reasons it happens that my passport will be in the immigration office right at the time my flight takes off.

Aliens are required to carry passport at all times. That most of us don't and have no problem doesn't mean that it isn't required to produce it if asked by the authorities.

What happens if the OP is involved in a traffic accident at his destination and has to go to hospital and can't produce his passport? Feel lucky?

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, Makoshark said:

why would you leave your passport with immigration?  NEVER do that ! ! !

 

i'm from the USA and got a Passport Card.  I use that when flying domestically without any issues

Well done bringing that up. I've never had to leave passport at immigration. Sounds like he's using an agent or something.

 

Never heard about a passport card. Is that a new thing?

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, Tarukhtah said:

Thank you guys.

Thank you so much for the info. Indeed, if so many people could fly so much domestically with the driving license, I hope I won't be different. And yes I will check-in online and print the boarding passes. But I have flewn many times from DMK and when going to the gates they always tell me I need to get a boarding pass from the check-in counter. They never allowed me to fly with the boarding pass from the check-in online.

 

Any clue if that has changed? Last time was like 1 year ago.

 

The other thing is, you guys flew during "normal" times. What if now they are eager to catch foreigners with expired visas or something? That's my fear, that they would insist in seeing my passport. But given the multiple positive reports in this thread, I guess it should be all good.

Given you don't know anyone on this thread, what are you gonna do if they are wrong? No one on here is going to rescue you.

Why don't you delay your flight till you have your passport back? I never travelled without it even on trains and buses. Cops have checked passengers on buses at checkpoints in my experience.

[Tarukhtah]

How to put this more

clear...

 

It is not an arbitrary choice. It is just a compound of coincidences that happened so that in that exact day I cannot have my passport with me because it will be in the immigration office. This is not like I forgot my passport there. Really it needs to be that day.

 

And yes it is really unfortunate. Still I cannot change the world.