Thai ID card

[DrJoy]

On 7/27/2022 at 4:12 PM, scorecard said:

Thank you. Your card is exactly the same format as my card. 

 

There is no mention of PR on the card.

 

Earlier a posted mentioned having/seeing a pink card which had PR printed on the card.

 

I'm hoping that poster would please share a scan or photo of the card so we can see an example of a pink card which specifically mentions PR.

 

Also a copy of the back of the card.

 

Then I will revisit the amphur office in Chiang Mai and request my card be reissued with PR printed on the card. 

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, DrJoy said:

 

Your pink card also no mention of PR.

hopefully a member who has a pink card with PR printed on it will share so we can all see it and use it as an example to approach the amphur office.

 

Actually I'm wondering about the use of the letters PR.

 

We all call it PR however the correct words are 'Certificate of Residence'. 

 

On the other hand I did once speak to a snr. Immigration General about the waiving of return date during the height of the Covid- 19 situation. He spoke perfect English.

 

I started talking about 'Certificate of Residence', he quickly referred to it as PR..... .

 

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by scorecard

[Shannoblic]

Please let me dispel any suggestion of ‘free’ medical care with or without ‘yellow book’ or ‘pink ID’ card.  This posting is about personal experience THIS week so is factual and accurate.

 

Earlier this week I was rushed to hospital at 0530 with severe chest pains and out of control blood pressure.

On arrival at the nearest hospital – a Thai Municipal Hospital – I was put on a trolley and taken to a sort of ‘triage’ room.  Over the next couple of hours I had a covid test, an ECG, an X-Ray, blood test, pain injection, several blood pressure/pulse readings and was connected to a heart monitor.

 

When the doctor had all the results it was strongly advised I stay in hospital at least overnight.  They did not have a private room available so I was put on a medical ward.

 

In the afternoon I was given an antibiotic drip and several tablet medications.

 

The following morning I was again given an antibiotic drip and several tablet medications.

 

Fortunately, my condition improved and I was allowed to be discharged later that day – may I add with several packs of medications to control my condition.

 

Anyway now to the main point – before discharge we had to pay the bill.  Someone from the Accounts Office came to see us [my wife had stayed] and presented the bill.  We asked directly if a ‘yellow book’ or ‘pink ID’ would have affected the bill in any way.  The definite answer was ‘NO’ – they have no relevance except possibly proof of address.

 

So there you have it – a direct answer from a Thai Municipal Hospital within the last 24 hours.

By the way – the bill for all that diagnostics, treatment, drugs, overnight accommodation with food [which looked good but I was a little out of it and not hungry], hospital clothing, drugs to take home etc. was 3,959 Baht.

[FriendlyFarang]

17 hours ago, scorecard said:

Your pink card also no mention of PR.

hopefully a member who has a pink card with PR printed on it will share so we can all see it and use it as an example to approach the amphur office.

There are no pink ID cards with "PR" printed on it, the previous poster just made this up.

[scorecard]

15 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

There are no pink ID cards with "PR" printed on it, the previous poster just made this up.

That's what I was thinking.

[ivor bigun]

I am registered with a pink card at Chonburi heart hospital ,all i can say is my bills have always been far far cheaper than at a private hospital.

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

I am registered with a pink card at Chonburi heart hospital ,all i can say is my bills have always been far far cheaper than at a private hospital.

Yes but that is true for just about anyone getting service in a government hospital - most charge everyone the same price (except for a handful of exceptions) - if register with pink card or passport makes no difference.  

[BigStar]

33 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Yes but that is true for just about anyone getting service in a government hospital - most charge everyone the same price (except for a handful of exceptions) - if register with pink card or passport makes no difference.  

But the exceptions are of interest. Those may the hospitals adding foreigner surcharges. Some reports have said they may be waved if one is registered with the pink card. If so, would that be a good thing? Yes, for most posters here anyway.

 

Above, we had a case of an emergency visit to a gov't hsp. When asked the hsp said registering with the card would have made no difference. But in that hsp there was obviously no surcharge.

 

By the way – the bill for all that diagnostics, treatment, drugs, overnight accommodation with food [which looked good but I was a little out of it and not hungry], hospital clothing, drugs to take home etc. was 3,959 Baht.

 

So we need some recent examples whether foreigners registered w/ the pink card at hsps w/ the surcharge were still charged the Thai price. @ivor bigun could do that at Sirikit next time he goes. Yet policies may vary per hospital and even per clinic. TIT.

 

In the meantime, just in case, including an addition of the surcharge in the future, I registered at my local gov't hsps using the pink card. No harm in doing so and possibly some good someday. This, for any small issue that may come up when I don't want to journey to my registered hsp under Thai SS.

 

These facile generalities made by forum "experts" aren't very helpful. The only useful point, repeated a dozen times, is that the pink card alone, in the absence of being a member of Thai SS, doesn't grant anyone free health care. Obviously the OP was misinformed. Rumors abound--some hopeful, some dire. 

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Back in 2019 the government allowed hospitals under the Ministry of Public Health to implement a three-tiered pricing scheme, but did not require that they do so.

 

The baseline tier was for Thai citizens and citizens of neighboring countries (mostly migrant workers). Foreigners with work permits and those with some other specific types of non-immigrant status could be charged a surcharge. All other foreigners with non-immigrant status, including retirees and tourists, could be charged a yet higher surcharge.  I believe the key is immigration status and not the type of documentation presented. A passport should provide the necessary info, but the pink card or yellow tabien baan perhaps not.

 

I have not been able to find how permanent residents fit into these classifications as the two surcharge tiers as presented by the media appear to apply only to foreigners with non-immigrant status. I have not seen the full text of the government announcement, so the answer for those here on non-quota immigrant status (PR) may be there somewhere,

 

I don't know the extent to which this pricing scheme has been implemented.

[007 RED]

What I’m about to share with follow forum members is based upon my practical experience and not some hearsay from a friend of a friend.

 

As a couple of members have muted in earlier posts, expats who have a pink card and are legally married to a Thai who is a, or a retired, civil servant can obtain a discount on treatment and medication at their nominated government hospitals.

 

In my case I’ve been married for the past 15 years to a wonderful Thai woman who was (now retired) a civil servant.

 

Shortly after our marriage my good lady was informed by her finance department when she informed them about her change of status (single to married) that she could apparently have me registered against her Social Security number.  It appears that as I was on an extension of permission to stay based upon retirement not working in Thailand, I was eligible to ‘piggyback’ onto benefit which were provided by her SS provisions.

 

At the time she was informed that it was possible to have me register with the Ministry of Finance using my passport number.  However, she was strongly advised that it would be far better for me to obtain a pink card as the 13 digit ID number on the card can more easily be linked into the various ministries computer systems.

 

Based upon that advise we initially obtained the yellow book from our local district office (which was obtained with minimal difficulties).  Once the yellow book had been issued I was able to obtain the infamous pink card which my wife subsequently took to her finance office together with a copy of my passport.  A few weeks latter she was informed that I had been registered against her SS ID and with the Ministry of Finance and that I should contact the admin department of the government hospital that I was registered with and give them my pink card so that they can enter my pink card ID number onto their system which will then link into the Ministry of Finance.

 

Some 3 years ago during a routine eye check-up for glasses it was discovered that I had intraocular hypertension in both eyes and I was advised by the optician to see an ophthalmic consultant.  As a result, my good lady made an appointment for me to see an ophthalmic consultant at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok (government hospital) where I was registered.  The consultant confirmed that the fluid pressure in both eyes was high and if not controlled would lead to glaucoma and potential blindness.  The treatment was simple, eye drops in both eyes’ morning and evening plus check ups every 4 months to make sure that the pressure in both eyes was within acceptable limits.

 

The actual cost of each check up is 750 THB plus 3,500 THB for 4 months’ supply of 2 types of eye drops.  Total cost = 4,250 THB.  However, when I present the invoice to the cashier and hand over my pink card the amount I actually have to pay is reduced to approximately 700 THB.  There appears to be a small discount against the medical service part of the bill and the medication appears to be ‘free’.

 

I note that the cashier swipes my card in a card reader on her desk and always gives me a receipt showing the actual amount and the discounted payment amount.  I note that my pink card ID number is always shown on the receipt.

 

More recently I found it necessary to have cataract operation on both eyes.  The same ophthalmic consultant I have been using at Ramathibodi Hospital advised that the cost would be between 35,000 and 40,000 THB per eye for single vision lens, which I was perfectly happy to self-fund. 

 

The ops were done under local anaesthetic, so I was able to go home shortly after the ops.  To my great surprise, I was only required to pay 10,000 THB for each eye op on presenting my pink card to the cashier.  It appears that that I qualified for a very substantial discount.

 

So, in my case (being married to a Thai civil servant, now retired) and having the pink card has proved a tremendous benefit in more ways than one. 

 

As mentioned at the beginning it may well have been possible for my wife to initially register me using my passport number but having, and using the pink card expedites a discount payment and negates the need to carry my passport with me whenever I go to the hospital.

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, 007 RED said:

What I’m about to share with follow forum members is based upon my practical experience and not some hearsay from a friend of a friend.

 

As a couple of members have muted in earlier posts, expats who have a pink card and are legally married to a Thai who is a, or a retired, civil servant can obtain a discount on treatment and medication at their nominated government hospitals.

 

In my case I’ve been married for the past 15 years to a wonderful Thai woman who was (now retired) a civil servant.

 

Shortly after our marriage my good lady was informed by her finance department when she informed them about her change of status (single to married) that she could apparently have me registered against her Social Security number.  It appears that as I was on an extension of permission to stay based upon retirement not working in Thailand, I was eligible to ‘piggyback’ onto benefit which were provided by her SS provisions.

 

At the time she was informed that it was possible to have me register with the Ministry of Finance using my passport number.  However, she was strongly advised that it would be far better for me to obtain a pink card as the 13 digit ID number on the card can more easily be linked into the various ministries computer systems.

 

Based upon that advise we initially obtained the yellow book from our local district office (which was obtained with minimal difficulties).  Once the yellow book had been issued I was able to obtain the infamous pink card which my wife subsequently took to her finance office together with a copy of my passport.  A few weeks latter she was informed that I had been registered against her SS ID and with the Ministry of Finance and that I should contact the admin department of the government hospital that I was registered with and give them my pink card so that they can enter my pink card ID number onto their system which will then link into the Ministry of Finance.

 

Some 3 years ago during a routine eye check-up for glasses it was discovered that I had intraocular hypertension in both eyes and I was advised by the optician to see an ophthalmic consultant.  As a result, my good lady made an appointment for me to see an ophthalmic consultant at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok (government hospital) where I was registered.  The consultant confirmed that the fluid pressure in both eyes was high and if not controlled would lead to glaucoma and potential blindness.  The treatment was simple, eye drops in both eyes’ morning and evening plus check ups every 4 months to make sure that the pressure in both eyes was within acceptable limits.

 

The actual cost of each check up is 750 THB plus 3,500 THB for 4 months’ supply of 2 types of eye drops.  Total cost = 4,250 THB.  However, when I present the invoice to the cashier and hand over my pink card the amount I actually have to pay is reduced to approximately 700 THB.  There appears to be a small discount against the medical service part of the bill and the medication appears to be ‘free’.

 

I note that the cashier swipes my card in a card reader on her desk and always gives me a receipt showing the actual amount and the discounted payment amount.  I note that my pink card ID number is always shown on the receipt.

 

More recently I found it necessary to have cataract operation on both eyes.  The same ophthalmic consultant I have been using at Ramathibodi Hospital advised that the cost would be between 35,000 and 40,000 THB per eye for single vision lens, which I was perfectly happy to self-fund. 

 

The ops were done under local anaesthetic, so I was able to go home shortly after the ops.  To my great surprise, I was only required to pay 10,000 THB for each eye op on presenting my pink card to the cashier.  It appears that that I qualified for a very substantial discount.

 

So, in my case (being married to a Thai civil servant, now retired) and having the pink card has proved a tremendous benefit in more ways than one. 

 

As mentioned at the beginning it may well have been possible for my wife to initially register me using my passport number but having, and using the pink card expedites a discount payment and negates the need to carry my passport with me whenever I go to the hospital.

That's really good to hear and I know of one other who is fortunately married to a civil servant and hence benefits from her SS.   That aside your own treatment illustrates clearly the service from government hospitals is very good with no need to pay for the 10x costs that no doubt you would have incurred should you have gone to a private hospital.

[Neeranam]

On 7/26/2022 at 12:24 PM, richard_smith237 said:

(Pink ID being an extension of the Yellow house registration book in this case & not 100% free, but significantly cheaper than paying the going rate as a foreigner for medical / health care services). 

You are still a foreigner after getting a non-Thai ID card. 

[Neeranam]

8 hours ago, 007 RED said:

I note that the cashier swipes my card in a card reader on her desk and always gives me a receipt showing the actual amount and the discounted payment amount.  I note that my pink card ID number is always shown on the receipt.

I thought the pink card had no electronic thingy. 

[Neeranam]

I believe some foreigners have got free treatment at some hospitals as the pink card is known as a card for migrant workers, who have social security. The staff are confused. 

Look on the back and get your good wife to translate, it says you can't leave your province without documentation allowing it. 

 

[ThailandRyan]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I believe some foreigners have got free treatment at some hospitals as the pink card is known as a card for migrant workers, who have social security. The staff are confused. 

Look on the back and get your good wife to translate, it says you can't leave your province without documentation allowing it. 

 

Which is your passport, just like a migrant worker has. No other documentation needed.

[Peterw42]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

 

Look on the back and get your good wife to translate, it says you can't leave your province without documentation allowing it. 

 

You know (better than others) that that statement applies to migrant workers/stateless people only. who often dont have a passport and the conditions of their work permit/stay in Thailand is subject to travel restrictions.

[Peterw42]

21 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Which is your passport, just like a migrant worker has. No other documentation needed.

I think you will find lots of migrant workers and stateless people dont actually have passports.

An example of this was the kids in the cave, although they were born and raised in Thailand, several of them only had pink IDs. When they left the country to appear on TV shows etc, Thai passports where hastily arranged.

[FriendlyFarang]

14 hours ago, 007 RED said:

I note that the cashier swipes my card in a card reader on her desk

The pink ID card has no magnetic strip and no chip, so nothing a card reader could read.

[FriendlyFarang]

5 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I think you will find lots of migrant workers and stateless people dont actually have passports.

An example of this was the kids in the cave, although they were born and raised in Thailand, several of them only had pink IDs. When they left the country to appear on TV shows etc, Thai passports where hastily arranged.

Migrant workers have passports, or they couldn't be migrant workers.

Stateless people don't, yes.

 

If they had pink ID cards they weren't stateless. Stateless people have white ID cards.

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

The pink ID card has no magnetic strip and no chip, so nothing a card reader could read.

You are wrong.l

What is the black strip at the top this image of a pink ID card?

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

You are wrong.l

What is the black strip at the top this image of a pink ID card?

Correct it is used to scan the information into the computer they are using so as to be useful. My card which is now 9 years old and expiring soon, means I need an updated one, has the magnetic strip on it also.  When I picked up my Makro Card, Home Pro Card and Powerbuy Card they scanned the pink ID and the information was used to put that information onto those cards as well.

[Peterw42]

48 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Migrant workers have passports, or they couldn't be migrant workers.

Stateless people don't, yes.

 

If they had pink ID cards they weren't stateless. Stateless people have white ID cards.

Stateless people get pink ID cards, there is no white ID card. Its the main reason the pink card even exists.

A huge percentage of migrant workers enter the country through unofficial channels, they are not all presenting passports and applying for WPs. Thailand needs the migrant workers, and turns a blind eye to them entering, but likes to get them to register via pink cards (and control there movements). 

I used to live at Samut Sahkon, the gigantic seafood processing plants staffed bu migrant workers, you can see them arriving (undocumented) by the truckload. Every 6 months there would be an amnesty, big signs/desks would go up in the local markets inviting unregistered/no passport workers to come and get a pink ID. If you visit certain land borders, you can see migrant workers coming and going using just their pink IDs.

 

There are literally millions of people in Thailand who exist in a grey area, they are not Thai, they are not citizens or passport holders of other countries, but they where born here, live here, go to school here, work here etc. eg: the cave kids, otherwise undocumented workers. Pink ID holders

 

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by Peterw42

[KhaoNiaw]

36 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Thailand needs the migrant workers, and turns a blind eye to them entering, but likes to get them to register via pink cards. 

Nowadays the amnesties are to get them into the MOU system. They can get a work permit and their visa will last for 2 years if the employer plays ball. I don't think they have amnesties that just give a pink card to illegal workers. 

[Peterw42]

14 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Nowadays the amnesties are to get them into the MOU system. They can get a work permit and their visa will last for 2 years if the employer plays ball. I don't think they have amnesties that just give a pink card to illegal workers. 

Thats probably the case if they have a passport, but a huge percentage still arrive completely undocumented. It was a huge issue when covid hit and the borders were closed, un-official arrivals were still coming in unchecked, and bringing covid. The big Samut Sahkon outbreak/cluster came from these arrivals.

[007 RED]

11 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I thought the pink card had no electronic thingy. 

4 hours ago, FriendlyFarang said:

The pink ID card has no magnetic strip and no chip, so nothing a card reader could read.

If you are referring to an electronic chip, then your 100% correct.  However, if you have a pink card and look at the reverse (back) side you will see a black strip running horizontally across the top of the card.  This is a magnetic strip which is embedded within the plastic of the card and can be, and in the case of the pink card is, programmed with binary data which can be read by drawing the magnetic strip through card reader.

 

FYI... I have a simple card reader (purchased from Shoppe 1,000 THB) which is connected to my computer. 

A simple programme confirms that the information held on the magnetic strip of my pink card comprises my 13 digit ID number plus the character and 8 numbers engraved in the white block in the bottom left of the reverse of the card.

 

If you look at the reverse side of your bank cards (credit and debit) and even the new Thai QR driving licence they also have the same magnetic strip embedded in them.  Because it it very easy to read and subsequently clone the data held on theses magnetic strips their use by many organisations (banks etc) have been made redundant and replaced by the electronic chip which offers far better security feature.

 

FYI... the card reader used by the cashier at the hospital looks like the one below.  It appears to be a multi function device that can read cards with chip or magnetic strip.  The device also produces a printed receipt slip similar to the one you will get when you use your credit/debit card in store.  The receipt slip has my pink ID number on it.

[FARANG KIWI]

Yeah, like not sure what this is then!!

 

[Neeranam]

On 7/30/2022 at 7:55 AM, Peterw42 said:

Stateless people get pink ID cards, there is no white ID card. Its the main reason the pink card even exists.

Which begs the question as to why so many foreigners want to get one. I even know a couple who flash it around as if it is something to be proud of. 

Are you sure there are no white ones anymore?

 

Maybe this is a faded pink one?

https://www.facebook.com/BORA86/posts/117142723005152

Edited July 31, 2022 by Neeranam

[Neeranam]

It's high time the Thai govt. created a proper ID for foreign westerners, rather than use the pink non-Thai ID meant for migrant workers. 

[VocalNeal]

7 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

It's high time the Thai govt. created a proper ID for foreign westerners, rather than use the pink non-Thai ID meant for migrant workers. 

Foreign is foreign. No mater where you come from or why you are here. ????

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Foreign is foreign. No mater where you come from or why you are here. ????

No, the migrant workers can get Social Security with this card, other foreigners can't.  Also, can use it as official ID, like when getting a Covid vaccine, Westerners can't. 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by Neeranam