Passport needed for travel around Thailand?

[ChomDo]

Hey, I have a simple question but I find the topic to be quite confusing at times.

So I'm driving to Ko Samui from Bangkok with my own car and staying on the island for about a month. I can't think of any reason why I would need to carry a passport with me but what's the truth about this? Sometimes foreigners are requested to show a passport but is that basically just some scam to bust overstayers or what? If I'm travelling inside Thailand I should not require a passport or am I wrong?

Either I'll take it anyway or take a copy with me, but I really wouldn't want to carry it with me everywhere I go or have to show it to anyone. Obviously I have never carried one with me in Bangkok either and I've lived here for 15 years but wondering if the rules are different in tourist spots? 

[Upnotover]

Wherever you are staying will need it to register you with immigration, TM30.  So take it.

[KhunBENQ]

29 minutes ago, ChomDo said:

Either I'll take it anyway or take a copy with me, but I really wouldn't want to carry it with me everywhere I go or have to show it to anyone.

Copy of the relevant pages carrying is useful.

No need/too much risk to carry passport with you anytime.

 

But separate this from the need to be able to produce the original passport e.g. at hotel check-in, bank counter and most unlikely immigration police (at least be able to get it from nearby condo/hotel whatever).

On multiday/overnight trips I always take the passport with me and lock away after arrival.

Never would I leave for a month without having my passport. No luck at the bank, no chance to flee

Do you have a Thai driving license or other photo ID?

Edited March 23, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[Salerno]

30 minutes ago, ChomDo said:

If I'm travelling inside Thailand I should not require a passport or am I wrong?

You're wrong.

[Tropicalevo]

23 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Wherever you are staying will need it to register you with immigration, TM30.  So take it.

Or paper copies of the details page as well as the immigration stamp when you last entered Thailand.

Both needed for TM 30 reporting and Samui IO do random checks for them.

[ChomDo]

4 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Or paper copies of the details page as well as the immigration stamp when you last entered Thailand.

Both needed for TM 30 reporting and Samui IO do random checks for them.

That's one of the things I thought of when hearing that there's some immi police checkups going on in Phuket to try and bust overstayers. So I wonder what would happen if you're requested to show a passport and you don't have one? Sad to hear they're harassing tourists in Samui too. Really would prefer to just carry my Thai DL as I always do. Maybe I'll take the passport anyway just in case of hotels requiring it and then keep it locked up in the room.

[richard_smith237]

42 minutes ago, ChomDo said:

If I'm travelling inside Thailand I should not require a passport or am I wrong?

Theoretically doable - but difficulties could arise when hotel / accommodation wants to register you or you need to do something offial, or urgently need to travel internationally etc etc...

 

Whenever travelling outside of province I always take my Passport with me. 

That doesn't mean I carry it around with me, it stays locked in my bag, nevertheless, it comes with me. 

 

While remaining in Bangkok, the Passport remains locked in my Safe. 

 

As another poster mentioned: Also carry photocopies (or on your phone) of your Passport ID page, entry stamps, Visa etc

 

--------

 

There is no need to potentially make things very difficult for yourself by not travelling with your passport. 

 

[bkk6060]

In an emergency, you might need it.

I have taken several trips recently within a few hours of where I live and stayed in hotels just presenting my Thai drivers license, never had an issue.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, ChomDo said:

I'm travelling inside Thailand I should not require a passport or am I wrong?

How long have you lived in Thailand. A member here for 9 years.

Why do you need to ask this?

[KhunLA]

Besides it being the law (it is), why would you not take it ?

 

Where would you leave it, as can't be safer than on your person.  

 

Much better to have and not need vs the other.

Edited March 23, 2023 by KhunLA

[connda]

Take pictures of your photo page, your visa stamp, and your TM30 (I'm assuming you carry a phone).
Leave your passport in a safe place (at home) unless you specifically need it (banking, immigration, etc).
I will take it with me if traveling outside of about 100 km radius from home and plan to be away for more than a day.  Other than that?  It stays in a drawer in my bedroom. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by connda

[Upnotover]

3 minutes ago, connda said:

Take pictures of your photo page, your visa stamp, and your TM30 (I'm assuming you carry a phone).
Leave your passport in a safe place (at home) unless you specifically need it (banking, immigration, etc).
I will take it with me if traveling outside of about 100 km radius from home and plan to be away for more than a day.  Other than that?  It stays in a drawer in my bedroom. 

So, in conclusion he ought to take it along then.

[biervoormij]

24 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Besides it being the law (it is), why would you not take it ?

 

Where would you leave it, as can't be safer than on your person.  

 

Much better to have and not need vs the other.

I never take it when I go to the beach. It is much safer in my hotel room than in the waves.

[ChomDo]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

How long have you lived in Thailand. A member here for 9 years.

Why do you need to ask this?

15 years but things seem to have changed a lot. Some hotels don't care and others might not let you check in without it. Also, the weird stuff I'm hearing from Phuket made me wonder how can people actually go anywhere without a passport if they might be asked for it while sitting on the beach...just in case they can find had a few days overstay.

I was going to take it all along but I don't intend to keep it with me so just wanted to hear some opinions on how others who live here long-term do it while travelling.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, ChomDo said:

I was going to take it all along but I don't intend to keep it with me so just wanted to hear some opinions on how others who live here long-term do it while travelling.

Would be completely foolish move not to take your passport.

 

I don't even understand some of the posts in this thread from folk suggesting otherwise. 

 

 

[DUNROAMIN]

No  passport no hotel, unless you stay at 1 star flea ridden resort, they dont ask.

[Tropposurfer]

You MUST carry your passport with you at all times. It is a requirement of the I.O. by-Laws.

Having said that ...

It appears as a retired person with a (near new) personally owned car (with the papers of ownership in the car when stopped for any reason), a drivers license, these forms of ID seem to suffice for Police.

 

I can't speak to being stopped by any I.O. officers as in all the years I have lived here or before as a tourist I was never stopped by any I.O. personnel.

 

Many of us carry colour, quality photocopies of ID page and current visa page instead and this has always been satisfactory for Police. I always give them my drivers license too as well as a matter of course.

 

I carry these copies, laminated for local island movement but when I/we go off island I always carry my passport (thats by road and of course absolutely when flying).

 

Having the additional stuff like a Thai drivers License etc might suffice in some places and not in others and if you get stopped and don't have a level of ID the officers ask for you could find yourself sitting in a police station.

[StayinThailand2much]

Can I use a copy of ID page/entry stamp + my old passport when checking in at hotels?

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Theoretically doable - but difficulties could arise when hotel / accommodation wants to register you or you need to do something offial, or urgently need to travel internationally etc etc...

 

Traveling around Thailand is always dangerous on the road so one never knows if one is going to end up in hospital.

 

Strictly speaking, one should carry it when outside one's own property.

I used a money belt, so never worried about losing it.

[thaibeachlovers]

10 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Can I use a copy of ID page/entry stamp + my old passport when checking in at hotels?

Your old passport will not have a valid visa. Why else do you think you have to carry it?

Of course you may be lucky- do you feel lucky?

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Having the additional stuff like a Thai drivers License etc might suffice in some places and not in others and if you get stopped and don't have a level of ID the officers ask for you could find yourself sitting in a police station.

As always, it depends on the individual officer. Up to them to accept less that a passport, or not. Do you feel lucky?

[smutcakes]

If i was going for a month i would probably take it, purely in the case of an emergency and needed to fly out the country quickly.

 

In terms of needing it for nonsense like TM30, no one is doing that, i doubt any hotel is doing that.... I normally just use drivers license and never had a hotel even blink.

 

You dont need a passport to check into hotels and never had a hotel even question it.

 

 

[Alidiver]

It's the law that you should always carry your passport with you.

Prior to the 2014 coup, the then P.M. stated that it was acceptable to carry a copy of your passport but it never made it into the gazette.

[brianthainess]

19 hours ago, ChomDo said:

Maybe I'll take the passport anyway just in case of hotels requiring it and then keep it locked up in the room.

Or locked in your car, can be safer than a hotel room.

16 hours ago, ChomDo said:

how can people actually go anywhere without a passport if they might be asked for it while sitting on the beach...just in case they can find had a few days overstay.

Most people take their phones even to the beach. 

[IvorBiggun2]

2,000 Baht fine for not producing your passport when requested. You then have to way up the price of a replacement if you lose it.

[brianthainess]

I always take mine if going anywhere overnight, even though I have a pink card excepted by all hotels I have stayed, I will even take my bank book 'in case' on a longer trip. Emergences happen, you could need a new ATM card, Hospital, Flights etc. etc.. 

[rose33]

By law, a foreigner in Thailand must carry passport on their person at all times.

 

In practice, when checking into hotels and am asked for "passport", I just hand over Thai driver licence and that has always been enuf.

 

 

 

 

[IvorBiggun2]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

Emergences happen, you could need a new ATM card, Hospital, Flights etc. etc.. 

Have you suffered from anxiety for a long time?

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, rose33 said:

In practice, when checking into hotels and am asked for "passport", I just hand over Thai driver licence and that has always been enuf

What do you hand over in a hospital or bank 

[brianthainess]

6 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Have you suffered from anxiety for a long time?

No 'coz i'm prepared, not stupid. and tend to not make snide remarks. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by brianthainess