Do you carry your passport with you?

[Hummin]

Do you carry your passport with you when walking outside? 

 

 

[KhunLA]

Only time I don't carry my passport is when myself and Sniffy (dog) are out and about by ourselves.  Will have wallet (DL & pink ID) & phone.  Usually only in our Amphur.

 

If with wife, usually means shopping or going out for a munch, so I'll have my bag with me, which wallet & phone will occupy the appropriate pockets, along with everything else I think I may need; PP, yellow book, bank book, money stash, knife, reading glasses, toothpick, tissue, pen, water PPM pen ????

 

All things important, I prefer not to lose, or may need.  If wife not in house, then bag comes with me, as never left in the house unattended.

[Caldera]

I have my Thai DL in my wallet, plus pictures of my passport (data page and relevant stamps) on my phone. My passport stays at home unless I need it (e.g. for a bank or immigration). When I'm traveling within Thailand for more than a day trip, I take it along.

 

I'm pretty sure the law doesn't actually say you have to carry it at all times, but something like you need to be able to produce it on demand. I wouldn't change my habit in any case, as it has worked well for me for 17+ years!

[transam]

In my wallet I have, driver licences, pink I.D. card, copy of passport I.D. page and valid visa info..

No passport, my wallet is not big enough...

[KhunBENQ]

Walking outside of course not. In the neighborhood nothing.

When driving on 2 or 4 wheels I have copies and pink card, driving license.

Also have a sheet with personal data/address and contacts/phone numbers of wife and daughter. All in Thai.

When doing overnight/multi day trips/ hotel stay I have passport with me and lock it away after arrival.

 

[Hummin]

I thought a minister did go out and said nobody should worry about going out without a passport on them after several incidents in Pattaya with the police? 

 

I have useally a copy with my insurance on my bike, and on my phone while travelling, but going out for a dinner and a few drinks,  I often go out without anything except money. Maybe my thai driving license in my pocket sometimes.

 

However Im quite sober, so not getting dead drunk.

[Trippy]

I have a Thai dl, is there any reason to get a pink card?

And do you have to have a Thai wife to get it?

[Orinoco]

No.

But long way out the province and over night  yes. 

 

[1FinickyOne]

17 minutes ago, transam said:

my wallet is not big enough.

That line does not work well with the ladies

[jvs]

9 minutes ago, Trippy said:

I have a Thai dl, is there any reason to get a pink card?

And do you have to have a Thai wife to get it?

Yes and no.

[richard_smith237]

Your second question is debatable... 

 

As I understand it, it is not required to carry a passport by Law... 

'It is required to carry government issued photo ID or be able to present such within a reasonable time frame’ (and no, I don’t have a link to that before someone asks).

 

There have also been numerous flip-flop announcements telling us (foreigners) that we don’t need to, do need to, don’t need to carry our passports !!! 

 

------

 

The reality is the risk of loss and inconvenience of replacement is such that it is simply not worth carrying the passport... 

But... I do carry Photos on my Phone (of arrival Stamp / Visa / ID Page) and also carry a Pink ID and Thai Driving licence. 

 

 

The Police have stopped my taxi a few times and asked for my Passport. 

Twice I said no...  they seemed to lose interest and waved the taxi on (these were just two policemen on a motorcycle in the back-streets - it looked very dodgy).

Another was at Asoke, they wanted me to get out of the taxi for a search etc... I said no, they were insistent, I got annoyed and called a mate (in the RTP) who spoke with them and I was waved along. 

 

I figured all three were ‘shake down attempts’... try and spot weakness, do a search, try and find anything (nothing illegal on me anyway), try and push an on the spot fine for no passport etc.. or making something up... Try and get me to pee in a cup (Asoke stop) etc, I wanted no part in any of their games, faux seriousness, bravado etc...  I saw them for what they are, low powered corrupt opportunists who are trying it on wherever they can to extort some money from unsuspecting tourists. 

[The Fugitive]

Always carry my 'man bag' everywhere. Contains my passport, birth cerificate, medical card etc. In fact, far too much.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Do you carry your passport with you when walking outside? 

The only legal requirement is to carry photo ID produced by an official source.

DL from any country fulfils that requirement.

 

As for walking around outside, I don't carry anything but my phone (Strava recording). Gated village and the police are only allowed inside for security checks 3x/day, as my woman is the one employing them, I doubt I'd ever have a problem.

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Your second question is debatable... 

 

As I understand it, it is not required to carry a passport by Law... 

'It is required to carry government issued photo ID or be able to present such within a reasonable time frame’ (and no, I don’t have a link to that before someone asks).

 

There have also been numerous flip-flop announcements telling us (foreigners) that we don’t need to, do need to, don’t need to carry our passports !!! 

 

------

 

The reality is the risk of loss and inconvenience of replacement is such that it is simply not worth carrying the passport... 

But... I do carry Photos on my Phone (of arrival Stamp / Visa / ID Page) and also carry a Pink ID and Thai Driving licence. 

 

 

The Police have stopped my taxi a few times and asked for my Passport. 

Twice I said no...  they seemed to lose interest and waved the taxi on (these were just two policemen on a motorcycle in the back-streets - it looked very dodgy).

Another was at Asoke, they wanted me to get out of the taxi for a search etc... I said no, they were insistent, I got annoyed and called a mate (in the RTP) who spoke with them and I was waved along. 

 

I figured all three were ‘shake down attempts’... try and spot weakness, do a search, try and find anything (nothing illegal on me anyway), try and push an on the spot fine for no passport etc.. or making something up... Try and get me to pee in a cup (Asoke stop) etc, I wanted no part in any of their games, faux seriousness, bravado etc...  I saw them for what they are, low powered corrupt opportunists who are trying it on wherever they can to extort some money from unsuspecting tourists. 

Wow, never experienced any of that in 20 years. Just the 5 last few years I had thai DL, but never asked to provide any id yet except stopped in speed controll or normal check ups which only requires a DL. 

[Caldera]

30 minutes ago, Trippy said:

I have a Thai dl, is there any reason to get a pink card?

And do you have to have a Thai wife to get it?

The pink ID card offers very little in terms of tangible benefits, so in my opinion, it currently isn't worth the hassle.

 

As a form of ID, there aren't many cases where the pink ID card can - but a Thai DL cannot - be used. Unlike the real Thai ID card for Thais, quite crucially the pink ID card doesn't have a chip, so it cannot be used for NDID (or anywhere else where electronic ID verification is required), which would be a game changer for foreigners residing in Thailand.

 

Neither the pink ID card nor a Thai DL allows an official to establish a foreigner's current immigration status, so they're equally useless in that regard.

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The only legal requirement is to carry photo ID produced by an official source.

DL from any country fulfils that requirement.

You mean Thai official Id right? 

[DrJack54]

This same question been done over and over. Rubbish topic.

Last one Nov 2022. 

7 pages of useless posts.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1278841-should-i-carry-passport-with-me-all-the-time/

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You mean Thai official Id right? 

That's not what the law says.

As far as I can see any photo ID from almost any official source (inside or outside the country) would fulfil the requirements. Thailand didn't make my passport ..............

[The Fugitive]

24 minutes ago, Trippy said:

I have a Thai dl, is there any reason to get a pink card?

And do you have to have a Thai wife to get it?

My amphur requires two conditions to be fulfilled before they will entertain issuing a yellow book/pink ID card;

 

1) Resident minimum 12 months

2) Married. 

 

I don't have a Thai driving licence because I choose not to drive/ride. However, it would be useful ID if not carrying passport.

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Wow, never experienced any of that in 20 years. Just the 5 last few years I had thai DL, but never asked to provide any id yet except stopped in speed controll or normal check ups which only requires a DL. 

The normal official check points (usually about 1 per month), its usually a DUI check-point... 

The BiB are not interested, see a foreigner and wave us through. 

Once at one of these check-points I was asked what was in my bag....  Reasonable question at the time, it was about 2am and I had a sports back (I’d been playing football, then showered at the sports ground and went straight out)....  they were not interested after I told them it was a dirty football kit... 

 

BUT... the occasions I was stopped by two pillion BiB on a bike seemed very dodgy, I suspected they were fake police... The problem here is, even though I was firm and just said no.. they then started talking to the Taxi driver - iF they were fake BiB it could then turn into a direct robbery. Fortunately it did not, but I was ready to say... OK, drive to the Police station and then you can ask me questions.

 

The Asoke one was a typical ‘Tourist trap’ where the BiB in a group of about 6-10 try and overwhelm you... There was no reason for them to tell me to get out of the taxi whatsoever. It was 7pm, I was on my way out. They just saw a westerner in the taxi and thought they had a chance to get some money - its that simple and that obvious. 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

This same question been done over and over. Rubbish topic.

Last one Nov 2022. 

7 pages of useless posts.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1278841-should-i-carry-passport-with-me-all-the-time/

Thats ‘should you’ not ‘do you’.....  There is a subtle difference even with the significant overlap...

 

This is also a poll so we can see what the majority does... 

 

[Myran]

Did you seriously create a poll with the question, "Do you carry your passport?", without including the answer, "Yes, I carry my passport"?

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, Caldera said:

The pink ID card offers very little in terms of tangible benefits, so in my opinion, it curremtly isn't worth the hassle.

 

As a form of ID, there aren't many cases where the pink ID card can be - but a Thai DL cannot be - used. Unlike the real Thai ID card for Thais, quite crucially the pink ID card doesn't have a chip, so it cannot be used for NDID (or anywhere else where electronic ID verification is required), which would be a game changer for foreigners residing in Thailand.

 

Neither the pink ID card nor a Thai DL allows an official to establish a foreigner's current immigration status, so they're equally useless in that regard.

There is no legal requirement to be able to provide our immigration status unless asked to by an Immigration officer - Thus at a standard Police Stop the request for a Passport is an ID request nothing more - hence the ‘government issued photo ID’ will suffice. 

 

When the BiB ask for a passport, this is just because ‘Passport’ is the term / language they use when they really mean identification....  

 

Thus: The ‘immigration status’ point is somewhat of a distraction to the discussion.

 

 

As far as carrying the Pink iD and / or Driving Licence... thats carried in a wallet anyway (for those who hold it)... Carrying a passport incurs the risk of loss, hence the Pink ID / Driving Licence is invaluable in lieu of risking carrying your passport. 

Another good alternative is a laminated copy of the passport. 

 

Honest police officers will accept the Driving Licence, Pink ID or Photos on your Phone... IF they don’t then that is those who are going to try and extort you... You can stand up the those charlatans if you want, I have in the past, they generally give in once they know they are not getting anywhere. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hummin]

5 minutes ago, Myran said:

Did you seriously create a poll with the question, "Do you carry your passport?", without including the answer, "Yes, I carry my passport"?

Obviously I did, but for my excuse, I did it on the phone. Maybe a admin can fix it? 

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

Always carry my 'man bag' everywhere. Contains my passport, birth cerificate, medical card etc. In fact, far too much.

Come on... just call it what it is...  a Fanny Pack....        

... But...  they could be on your tail at any time, you never know when you have to escape and evade...  

[Caldera]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thus: The ‘immigration status’ point is somewhat of a distraction to the discussion.

Not at all, there are different kinds of checks by different kinds of police, for different purposes. That's why I made that distinction.

 

Note that it isn't my opinion that you should carry your passport at all times. It's sufficient that you're able to produce it on demand, as I had written earlier. 

[worgeordie]

No I never carry my passport when out and about , only when travel

outside provence ,I keep it in the safe , no way do I want to lose it ,

or put it in washer ,which a few have reported doing on here......????

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

or put it in washer ,which a few have reported doing on here......????

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

Guilty !!!....    

 

The repose of the lady at the British Embassy....  ‘oh, why is it always boys who do this ?’ !!!! 

 

But yes, I carry mine when travelling out of the province...  but it stays locked in my bag (or safe).

... I never carry it out and about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[4MyEgo]

Only when travelling domestically on holidays, apart from that, Thai drivers/riders licenses, pink ID.

 

I have a photo of my passport page, extension stamp and 90 day expiry on my mobile, which I carry with me all the time, as I do the above in my wallet.

 

[ukrules]

Never