Police was about to arrest me

[freesudani]

Just today as i was walking down the street and out of nowhere i was surrounded by 3 officers, asked me for my passport and did a body search , unfortunately i told them that i left my passport back at my apartmernt (why would i carry my passport with me it suppose to be a grace period) , they attempted to arrest me and take me to the police station , i told them (with my poor thai) that my house is near by , luckily they were considerate enough to come with me to my apartment to check my passport which i showed them , my question is even if they arrested me what they gonna charge me with ?  we are suppose to be in a grace period right.

Edited August 17, 2020 by freesudani

[freesudani]

8 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Did you have a copy of passport with you? Or no identification at all?

i had my university ID , but they told they only wanna see a driver license or atleast a photo of my passport , i had thousands of photos in my phone so i wasnt able to find it.

[hanuman2]

Where exactly did this happen?

[freesudani]

8 minutes ago, hanuman2 said:

Where exactly did this happen?

sukhumvit

[richard_smith237]

Scummy chancers are at it again... ?

 

Where was this? (I’m wondering if its Thonglor Police again). 

 

Any idea ‘what type' of Police it was? i.e. Immigration Police or Regular Police? any idea of Rank ?

Theoretically, if Immigration Police are not present, only a Commissioned officer and above can ask for your Immigration Status. Regular Police can ask for Government issued photo ID (but it doesn’t have to be a passport - it can be a Pink ID Card, Driving Licence etc).

 

Advice to Op: Use Dropbox or some other cloud storage so you can access a scanned copy of your documents from any device. 

[JoseThailand]

This happens all the time in Bangkok

[tomazbodner]

18 minutes ago, freesudani said:

i had my university ID , but they told they only wanna see a driver license or atleast a photo of my passport , i had thousands of photos in my phone so i wasnt able to find it.

You must have a photo ID with you at all times. Thonglor (which possibly this area belongs to) is known for searching people between Asoke and Thonglor in the evenings. From what I remember the chief of that station said that it is OK to have passport copy showing entry stamp. That's a year+ ago though... make sure to have a copy with you to prevent this again in the future... And ps: by law you're supposed to have original passport with you.

[herwin1234]

1. you always have to carry identification with you. Thais, you, everybody. 

 

2. They didnt "attempt" to arrest you. If they would "attempt" to arrest you, they wouldnt have failed. lol.

 

3. They simply checked you for your passport, and body searched you, whatever that means. (probably just checked your pockets..)

 

4. The police were reasonable to listen to you and go jolly together to your appartment. (in the usa you probably would have been tasered and or handcuffed by bully cops telling you "you can tell that on the station!!")

 

5.Say "thank you police for being understanding and going to my appartment."

 

6. "what if they arrested me." well they didnt. No need for a hypothetical "what if". ???? If in the end your passport or visa are okay, you should not have problems, unless you make your own problems with arguments etc

 

7. Happened to me also. Wanted to check my visa but didnt have my passport with me. (i had a copy of passport and visa but this was not accepted) Anyone in such or similar situation, be understanding and respectful, they are just doing their job, and are very reasonable. Just like the OP they were helpful to check my visa in an easy way.

 

8. I always carry my passport with me now, even if it would be a massive headache to get a new one in the case i lose it, or rain destroys it....

Edited August 17, 2020 by herwin1234

[teacherclaire]

36 minutes ago, freesudani said:

i had my university ID , but they told they only wanna see a driver license or atleast a photo of my passport , i had thousands of photos in my phone so i wasnt able to find it.

Thousands of photos of...well. Obviously not one that was helpful. I've scanned all my documents in and sent them to my e-mail account and when needed, I have access to them whenever I want.

 

Using technology wisely isn't always easy, right? 

 

 

  

[AndyAndyAndy]

I was told that walking around without passport could (if police officer wanted) lead to being taken to the police station to verify your identity and visa status + paying 2 000 Baht fine.

 

Of course in 8 years of living in Thailand only time I have passport on me is once a year when I'm going to renew my visa. Driving licence will do the rest even when driving across entire Thailand.

[freesudani]

8 minutes ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

I was told that walking around without passport could (if police officer wanted) lead to being taken to the police station to verify your identity and visa status + paying 2 000 Baht fine.

 

Of course in 8 years of living in Thailand only time I have passport on me is once a year when I'm going to renew my visa. Driving licence will do the rest even when driving across entire Thailand.

well ive been in thailand for nearly a year and i have been asked for documentation  around 15 times.

[AndyAndyAndy]

Just now, freesudani said:

well ive been in thailand for nearly a year and i have been asked for documentation  around 15 times.

Well, then you should probably learn something from that and carry documents around! Than being all surprised that you were stopped for the 16th time.

[Chivas]

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

. And ps: by law you're supposed to have original passport with you.

How many times does this need to be said. You dont. TV even went as far as to get official comment from Chief Immigration officer and posted to forum. I have the copy still at hand

You have reasonable time to produce it to any Police Station. Nobody should be carrying their official passport on them period.

[freesudani]

25 minutes ago, kekalot said:

it is what it is, sorry you are having this problem but it's not about to stop and challenging them on it  definitely would not have gone down well. 

 

I have been here 7 years and was never asked for documentation once outside of immigration.. I've been through countless roadblocks as well.

however, I'm white and the only one time i questioned their red tape process and pushed for two minutes .. I ended up with one government officer lady disliking me and like 6 years later she still has an attitude about it.

 

 

thank you for your kind words...yeah this perception of africans is gonna continue and only time gonna change it ...the influx of Nigerians who use to do their dirty works are not active any more (as far as i can see) ..so the only thing left for them to do is to arrest and stop innocent black people till they eventually come to  conclusion that its a waste of time and resources.

[blackcab]

Off topic posts and replies to them have been removed.

[tomazbodner]

28 minutes ago, Chivas said:

How many times does this need to be said. You dont. TV even went as far as to get official comment from Chief Immigration officer and posted to forum. I have the copy still at hand

You have reasonable time to produce it to any Police Station. Nobody should be carrying their official passport on them period.

Yes, period.

 

Thaivisa.com, a popular portal for expats and travellers, put the question directly to Pol Col Thanasak Vongluekiat, superintendent of the Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phetchaburi Immigration office in Hua Hin.

He said that by law, all tourists and expats nationwide are required to carry their original passports with them at all times. There is no exception. Failure to carry your original passport may result in a 2,000-baht fine. A photocopy, stamped or not, or a driver's licence is not an acceptable substitute.

"The reason behind this is that Immigration needs to keep track of overstayers and foreign criminals who may be staying illegally in the country," Thaivisa quoted Pol Col Thanasak as saying.

However, late last week, a senior Immigration Bureau official in Bangkok offered a different interpretation.

Pol Col Voravat Amornvivat told Thaivisa that he wanted to reassure the expat community. "Making all foreigners in Thailand carry their original passports with them would be very difficult," he said. "It's about being reasonable and using common sense."

He said tourists would not have to carry their original passports and expats could use a Thai driving licence if they have one, or a photocopy of their passport as a form of identification.

 

This is from that unmentionable site that quoted Thaivisa.com... So I can't provide the link.

 

So: THE LAW states you MUST carry original passport. However Bangkok police notices this is impractical and accepts other forms of identification.

 

Now please provide your link to exact wording of the law that substantiates "Nobody should be carrying their official passport on them period." Official translation will do.

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by tomazbodner

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Yes, period.

 

Thaivisa.com, a popular portal for expats and travellers, put the question directly to Pol Col Thanasak Vongluekiat, superintendent of the Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phetchaburi Immigration office in Hua Hin.

He said that by law, all tourists and expats nationwide are required to carry their original passports with them at all times. There is no exception. Failure to carry your original passport may result in a 2,000-baht fine. A photocopy, stamped or not, or a driver's licence is not an acceptable substitute.

"The reason behind this is that Immigration needs to keep track of overstayers and foreign criminals who may be staying illegally in the country," Thaivisa quoted Pol Col Thanasak as saying.

However, late last week, a senior Immigration Bureau official in Bangkok offered a different interpretation.

Pol Col Voravat Amornvivat told Thaivisa that he wanted to reassure the expat community. "Making all foreigners in Thailand carry their original passports with them would be very difficult," he said. "It's about being reasonable and using common sense."

He said tourists would not have to carry their original passports and expats could use a Thai driving licence if they have one, or a photocopy of their passport as a form of identification.

 

This is from that unmentionable site that quoted Thaivisa.com... So I can't provide the link.

 

So: THE LAW states you MUST carry original passport. However Bangkok police notices this is impractical and accepts other forms of identification.

 

Now please provide your link to exact wording of the law that substantiates "Nobody should be carrying their official passport on them period." Official translation will do.

 

 

Its all fairly moot - Whatever was announced last year or a few years ago is irrelevant. In many cases the Provincial Police Chief changes each year with the yearly re-shuffle.

 

Regardless, their announcements are ‘moot’ because their own officers do not know what the law is, neither is there a clear unambiguous law or any other legal document which highlights whether foreigners need their ‘actual passport’.

 

 

Thus: In most cases a copy is sufficient. But thats not to say your actual Passport will not be requested, in which case its ideal to have it nearby (so you can go with an officer to get it, or have someone bring it to you). 

 

This issue has been debated long and hard on this forum: With Proof, statements, Embassy Advice, Press releases and announcements. There is no singular absolute fixed law or statement which perfectly clarifies the issue. 

 

Ultimately, it's an individual choice to carry your passport or not. 

 

Personally: I never have my passport with me. I have a Pink ID card, I have a Driving Licence. I have a Photo of my Passport ID Page, TM6 and Visa Page on my Phone. 

I do take my passport with me if I’m leaving the province. 

 

I’ve been asked for my passport about twice in the past 20 years or so, but am also aware that a few years ago the Thonglor Police were hassling foreigners to such a degree it made headlines. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Chivas said:

How many times does this need to be said. You dont. TV even went as far as to get official comment from Chief Immigration officer and posted to forum. I have the copy still at hand

You have reasonable time to produce it to any Police Station. Nobody should be carrying their official passport on them period.

 

I can't count the number of times that one Thai gub'ment official contradicted another and ended some poor saps who believed one in trouble with the other.

 

On a practical level, how do you plan to produce your passport in a reasonable time at the police station when they won't let you leave the police station to go get it?  Not all of us has a TGF or wife sitting at home to fetch it for us.  (Edit:  That conundrum isn't accidental.  It's how they supplement their salaries.)

 

To the OP, sad as it is, there's about 1% of the hundreds of square miles in BKK where this kind of stuff happens on a regular basis.  I'd suggest you avoid the area around the Thong Lo police district.  And all of Sukhumvit, aside from the Skywalk.  Sucks, but that's just the way it is, and has been for decades.

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by impulse

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, impulse said:

I can't count the number of times that one Thai gub'ment official contradicted another and ended some poor saps who believed one in trouble with the other.

I couple of close Thai friends, senior Immigration Officers can’t even clarify the rule for me. Its not clear. 

But, his officers have always mentioned, if someone is police and profiles well, a photocopy of photo on the phone of a Passport is enough. As such, IMO, it's always going to come down to the discretion of the individual officer who’s asking. 

 

 

Quote

On a practical level, how do you plan to produce your passport in a reasonable time at the police station when they won't let you leave the police station to go get it?  Not all of us has a TGF or wife sitting at home to fetch it for us.  (Edit:  That conundrum isn't accidental.  It's how they supplement their salaries.)

Personally: Once I used the ‘phone call’ (to one of the friends mentioned above), otherwise, Yes, it involves getting home, or getting the Wife to bring the passport. 

Without any of those situations at hand, its probably going to involve a fine (500B?) for not carrying your passport. This means the police make some money and save face and the hassle of dealing with a ’nothing situation’ goes away.

 

 

Quote

To the OP, sad as it is, there's about 1% of the hundreds of square miles in BKK where this kind of stuff happens on a regular basis.  I'd suggest you avoid the area around the Thong Lo police district.  And all of Sukhumvit between Nana and Emporium.  Sucks, but that's just the way it is, and has been for decades.

Yep, avoid those areas. Op mentioned it happened in On Nut (where there is also a growing population of foreigners). 

Op - You were stopped and asked for ID 16 times in 12 months in the On Nut area ?

If so, thats got to be irritating, each and ever time we go out we’d be wondering if we are going to be hassled by the police instead of wondering if we are going to have to put up with the hardship of a taxi driver refusing the meter or trying to scam us !!! (which incidentally hasn’t happened in the past two weeks !)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by richard_smith237

[Pattaya Spotter]

20 years in Thailand and never stopped by the police and asked to identify...guess I'm just lucky.

[mtls2005]

7 hours ago, freesudani said:

well ive been in thailand for nearly a year and i have been asked for documentation  around 15 times.

 

Been here ~ 15 years. Live in Bangkok/10110 - been asked for ID once: Sep. 19, 2006, ~ 02:00, in taxi at Phaya Thai. But it was the RTA, and they had a tank.

 

That said, I do carry a photcopy of my passport photo page, and current extension of stay. And I do carry my Thai DL (auto version).

 

I too uploaded all elevant docs to Google Drive, but think a paper copy is simpler and perhaps more acceptable?

 

 

[tonray]

8 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

This happens all the time in Bangkok

Lived in Bangkok 5 years...never had it happen or had it happen to anyone I know in Bangkok

[jacko45k]

9 hours ago, freesudani said:

i had my university ID , but they told they only wanna see a driver license or atleast a photo of my passport , i had thousands of photos in my phone so i wasnt able to find it.

Sort them into Albums and make one passport stuff. Copies of passport, entry stamp, Visa stamps, TM6 etc handy. I suspect you are African/ Arab and likely have been subjected to some profiling. 

[MJKT2014]

9 hours ago, freesudani said:

sukhumvit

 

Sukhumvit is the longest road in SE Asia did you know? Covers a number of police districts, so whereabouts exactly? Soi 22 in Bangkok again?

 

9 hours ago, freesudani said:

we are suppose to be in a grace period right.

No grace period for carrying ID that I heard of.

[VocalNeal]

8 hours ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

Driving licence will do the rest even when driving across entire Thailand.

But not if the law requires you to always carry your passport?

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, tonray said:

Lived in Bangkok 5 years...never had it happen or had it happen to anyone I know in Bangkok

 

Pre-COVID, I would see personally observe dozens of foreigners being stopped by the Police, or the Sidewalk Police, walking from Asoke BTS to Nana BTS, during the day. Most were probably littering (cigarettes).

 

 

 

 

[jacko45k]

Just now, VocalNeal said:

But not if the law requires you to always carry your passport?

Oh we had that discussion already..... 

[mtls2005]

Just now, VocalNeal said:

But not if the law requires you to always carry your passport?

 

We've been told by senior policemen many, many, many, mant times that one does not need to carry the original passport, that a copy is fine. Yes, we may be asked to produce the original in a reasonable timeframe.

 

But maybe not every policeman got that memo? 

[mr mr]

4 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Pre-COVID, I would see personally observe dozens of foreigners being stopped by the Police, or the Sidewalk Police, walking from Asoke BTS to Nana BTS, during the day. Most were probably littering (cigarettes).

so odds are most of those you saw being stopped were rightfully stopped. 

[tonray]

5 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Pre-COVID, I would see personally observe dozens of foreigners being stopped by the Police, or the Sidewalk Police, walking from Asoke BTS to Nana BTS, during the day. Most were probably littering (cigarettes).

 

 

 

 

Nana...555