Thailand's ID Obsession

[orchidfan]

I think Oz still has no national ID card...voted out in a few referendums....

But Hong Kong....perfect.  one (with a  smart chip) card does everything...

Tax, bank,( incl loans) Driver's license, airport etc .NEVER,  ever have to show a passport. Who wants to carry that into a Wanchai bar??

One late night, accidentally (drunk) walked smack into a copper on a crosswalk. We both fell over. Asked for my HKID card,  then apologized for knocking me over!

Wouldn't happen here !!

[upu2]

8 hours ago, Neeranam said:

What if you don't have one? 

Then how would you get to Singapore to start with?

[Neeranam]

19 minutes ago, upu2 said:

Then how would you get to Singapore to start with?

I mean Singaporeans, do they have to show a passport? 

 

[OswaldBastable]

On 3/8/2021 at 11:19 AM, Moonlover said:

The UK is one of the very few countries that do not have a national ID card (although the idea was flirted with for a while) But none the less, there are many things that you would not be able to do there without some form of identification.

just came from  there, only ever needed ID when stopped by traffic police or boarding an aircraft. Bank never bothered after opening an account,(they always wanted a signature to compare) nor anywhere else.  I never carried any photoID of any kind.

 

Only country I was ever asked for ID while moving around was Israel.

USA, Canada, UK, EU, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia ....... nope, just getting on and off the planes.

Edited March 11, 2021 by OswaldBastable

[PatOngo]

On 3/8/2021 at 11:40 AM, Neeranam said:

What is the obsession with ID cards?

Third World mentality!

[micmichd]

9 hours ago, tingtongfarang said:

I got stopped in germany with the paper licence still current, police asked where the photo is?

i replied uk licence does'nt have a photo, He then asked he should know its my licence?

I replied oh thats really simple, He aksed how?

I replied its got my name on it... wow he was jumping up and down almost frothing at the mouth.

Don't try to argue with narrow-minded Germans. 

I was refused an extension of stay by one once, simply because he opened my passport on the wrong page. 

[upu2]

2 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I mean Singaporeans, do they have to show a passport? 

 

No but they have an ID card which is what they would need

[mikeymike100]

On 3/8/2021 at 2:05 PM, NancyL said:

Some grocery stores in the U.S. require everyone to show I.D. to buy alcohol, no matter their age.

Thats just to prove you are of legal age to purchase alcohol!

[EricTh]

I don't know why Thai think that passport are better ID than a Thai driving licence.

I am almost always asked for  a passport even when I show my Thai driving licence.

For god's sake, foreign passports can be faked but not the Thai driving licence which is issued by local authority.

I shake my head everytime they refused my DL, my Thai isn't good enough to argue with them the rational.

You need our residence certificate and passport to apply for a Thai driving licence so that is good enough. The passport number is also printed on the DL.

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, EricTh said:

For god's sake, foreign passports can be faked but not the Thai driving licence which is issued by local authority.

I shake my head every time they refused my DL, my Thai isn't good enough to argue with them the rational.

You need our residence certificate and passport to apply for a Thai driving licence so that is good enough. The passport number is also printed on the DL.

Thai DL can also be faked quite easily. Thai IDs are also forged and I've actually been acused of using one as they don't believe/have never known a farang can/to get one. 

I've used my Work Permit and Yellow housebook for proof of address. 

 

[tomazbodner]

On 3/8/2021 at 10:40 AM, Neeranam said:

Everywhere I go, I am asked for my passport or ID. The banks, hotels, hospitals, provincial office, etc.

I've lived in Thailand most of my life but can't remember anywhere in Scotland asking me for ID or passport.

 

What is the obsession with ID cards? does your home country do the same?

I'd like to see which bank accepts you to open bank account without any ID... or withdraw money from account without ID... I mean, unless you're holding up a gun and pointing it at the bank teller...

[Neeranam]

39 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I'd like to see which bank accepts you to open bank account without any ID... or withdraw money from account without ID... I mean, unless you're holding up a gun and pointing it at the bank teller...

Well they certainly didn't ask for a passport. When I was a teenager, I never had any ID, unless the asked to see my birth certificate, but I doubt that. This was 40 years ago.

[Neeranam]

23 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

 Headed over to the local Amphur next week to have my Pink ID card address changed to match the DL's.  Talked with an IO when I did my 90 day report and they told me it should be no problem.  Lets hope so, even though the address on the Pink ID card is the one that is on my yellow house book for my house in the north and not the one where I currently live that is on the DL's..

 Just leave it. It doesn't matter if the address is not the same.

Why are you asking Immigration Officers about this? The Pink ID has nothing to do with them.

 

[Fairynuff]

On 3/11/2021 at 12:30 PM, ThailandRyan said:

My Pink non immigrant ID card as well as my yellow book are all in Thai script.  Makes it easy when I use the card for ID at the bank.  My Thai DL's have both my name in Thai and English, unsure why they did that.  Headed over to the local Amphur next week to have my Pink ID card address changed to match the DL's.  Talked with an IO when I did my 90 day report and they told me it should be no problem.  Lets hope so, even though the address on the Pink ID card is the one that is on my yellow house book for my house in the north and not the one where I currently live that is on the DL's..

My bank won’t accept my pink card because my passport was used to open the account. They offered to change it if I wanted but couldn’t be bothered. For most other things I use my pink card.

[fakser]

On 3/8/2021 at 5:40 AM, Neeranam said:

Everywhere I go, I am asked for my passport or ID. The banks, hotels, hospitals, provincial office, etc.

I've lived in Thailand most of my life but can't remember anywhere in Scotland asking me for ID or passport.

 

What is the obsession with ID cards? does your home country do the same?

I found a very simple solution. Scanned the ID page of my passport, reduced it with Photoshop to 10*6 cm, laminated it and put in my wallet. My passport rests peacefully in my condo.

Never was refused service with this copy of my passport.

I also use my driving permit (have 2, one for car and one for motorbike) as ID card.

 

[Puccini]

On 3/11/2021 at 6:30 AM, ThailandRyan said:

My Pink non immigrant ID card as well as my yellow book are all in Thai script.  Makes it easy when I use the card for ID at the bank.  My Thai DL's have both my name in Thai and English, unsure why they did that.  Headed over to the local Amphur next week to have my Pink ID card address changed to match the DL's.  Talked with an IO when I did my 90 day report and they told me it should be no problem.  Lets hope so, even though the address on the Pink ID card is the one that is on my yellow house book for my house in the north and not the one where I currently live that is on the DL's..

I wonder if the district office will give you a new ID card with an address that is different from the one in the house registration book and I look forward to reading about the outcome of your visit to the office next week.

[Puccini]

On 3/11/2021 at 4:06 PM, tomazbodner said:

I'd like to see which bank accepts you to open bank account without any ID... or withdraw money from account without ID... I mean, unless you're holding up a gun and pointing it at the bank teller...

I believe Neeranam mentioned Scotland. In the whole UK, a bank account can be opened without a passport or other government-issued ID. A utility bill addressed to me was insisted upon by the bank when I applied for an account even though I had shown my valid Italian passport.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, Puccini said:

I believe Neeranam mentioned Scotland. In the whole UK, a bank account can be opened without a passport or other government-issued ID. A utility bill addressed to me was insisted upon by the bank when I applied for an account even though I had shown my valid Italian passport.

 

Which UK banks can be opened without a Government issued ID ?

 

To open a UK bank account you will need two documents

- A document to prove your identity. 

- Another (Separate) document to prove your UK address. 

 

The Proof of ID required can be Passport, Driving licence, EU card and EEA national identity card, UK biometric residence permit.

 

[Damrongsak]

On 3/8/2021 at 2:05 AM, NancyL said:

Some grocery stores in the U.S. require everyone to show I.D. to buy alcohol, no matter their age.

The place I usually buy beer doesn't, though I've politely asked them to do it.  It's a matter of courtesy.  They used to ask my wife until she was about 45.  555

 

 

[Puccini]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Which UK banks can be opened without a Government issued ID ?

 

To open a UK bank account you will need two documents

- A document to prove your identity. 

- Another (Separate) document to prove your UK address. 

 

The Proof of ID required can be Passport, Driving licence, EU card and EEA national identity card, UK biometric residence permit.

 

In my case it was the Nationwide about 15 years sgo, but come to think of it the requirement of a utility bill in my name was probably in addition to the passport, which I had already presented.

[OJAS]

On 3/8/2021 at 11:33 AM, KhunBENQ said:

And Thailand does not. The "pink card" is of limited value.

Thai script only, no relation to your original data except birthday.

Plus lacking in a key piece of information as far as we foreigners are concerned: namely the date when our current permission to stay expires.

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by OJAS

[richard_smith237]

23 hours ago, OJAS said:

On 3/8/2021 at 7:33 AM, KhunBENQ said:

And Thailand does not. The "pink card" is of limited value.

Thai script only, no relation to your original data except birthday.

Plus lacking in a key piece of information as far as we foreigners are concerned: namely the date when our current permission to stay expires.

 

If I’m not mistaken regular police in Thailand are not authorised to investigate our Immigration status.

Only Immigration Officers can ask of our Immigration Status. At a check point they would have to be accompanied by a commissioned officer. 

 

Thus: The only time we ‘should’ be forced to provide our immigration status is when an Immigration officers enquires, otherwise the we (as foreigners) are only legally obliged to present a ‘government issued’ photo identification - the Pink ID meets this purpose.