As told by a local vendor:

2 farang were checked near BigC, they didn't carry their passport. The police (?) wanted 5000, after some bargaining settled for 3000 per person. 

The vendor found it too much.

15 minutes ago, Lorry said:

As told by a local vendor:

2 farang were checked near BigC, they didn't carry their passport. The police (?) wanted 5000, after some bargaining settled for 3000 per person. 

The vendor found it too much.

Hogwash..... made up story

real cops or?

9 minutes ago, d4dang said:

real cops or?

Good question. I don't know. 

I know only what I posted.  I posted it because it's an area where many foreigners live, and not everybody is carrying his passport when going to BigC.

 

Fake.

27 minutes ago, SuperSaiyan said:

Fake.

Cops or Quote?

I have a copy of my passport in my wallet.

In the headline the poster wrote he says at Big C. He then says near Big C. There's a difference. I'm guessing this is a troll from someone who didn't even see what happened himself but was 'told' by a vendor.

 

Nothing to see here, folks.... Move on.

20 minutes ago, rwill said:

I have a copy of my passport in my wallet.

I just carry my pink ID card.

Lived on Suk 81 for 4 years. Went to the Big-C too many times to count.

Not once, ever, did I see police anywhere near Big-C, Century, or BTS station asking anyone for ID.

50 minutes ago, rwill said:

I have a copy of my passport in my wallet.

Was informed by 3 armed and uniformed Immigration Officers, who had stopped me in the street, that carrying a copy of the passport was not acceptable (as it could be faked), that all foreigners must carry their passports on them when away from home, and I was only 9km away in my local town, I proffered along with the photocopy my Pink Card and Driving License they were waved away with the comment means nothing to us.

Wrong place wrong time, I think they'd just been checking a hotel for foreign residents and failed to find one, so homed in on me.

41 minutes ago, Albaby said:

I just carry my pink ID card.

I Just wear clean underpants..

All nonsense; it is not a lagal rquirement to carry your Passport.   Should this happen it would be advisable to insist that you be taken to the Police Station where the so called 'Cops' operate from.  Carrying a Photcopy of your Passport is a good idea but again, is not a legal requirement !

I've no reason to doubt the veracity or accuracy of the OP's warning.  These threads crop up occasionally, though usually it was the cops around Asoke.  I actually witnessed some shake downs around Asoke years ago where people were stopped on the sidewalk and others were pulled out of taxis at red lights for ID checks.  Got so prevalent one time that one top cop came out and stated that carrying a copy of your passport was acceptable, followed by another who said it had to be the original.

 

Given the stories about cracking down on foreign workers and increasing security in light of the new visa free policy, it wouldn't surprise me if some local cops were either being over-zealous or downright crooked at the end of the month when rent is due.  And that's assuming they were real cops.  Also had a recent story about fake cops holding a lady for ransom... 

 

 

 

I have a picture of my passport and visa on my phone just in case.

Wanted to pay two leccy bills in Big C late last month. Could not unless I showed passport or pink ID.

1 hour ago, trainman34014 said:

All nonsense; it is not a lagal rquirement to carry your Passport.   Should this happen it would be advisable to insist that you be taken to the Police Station where the so called 'Cops' operate from.  Carrying a Photcopy of your Passport is a good idea but again, is not a legal requirement !

It is a legal requirement for all foreigners to carry a photo id document that is currently accepted in Thailand.

Same rule for Thais.

21 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Wanted to pay two leccy bills in Big C late last month. Could not unless I showed passport or pink ID.

pay online like we do, 

Around Tong Lor was famous even years ago for getting pulled, I used to hear alsorts of stories, 

5 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Around Tong Lor was famous even years ago for getting pulled, I used to hear alsorts of stories, 

I witnessed a few myself.  Even stopping taxis at red lights and pulling the foreigners out for ID checks.  But that was all pre-Covid.  Maybe they've started it up again now that the pickings are getting richer.  More short time tourists who wouldn't know to ask for a ride to the cop shop to straighten it out.

 

15 hours ago, Lorry said:

The police (?) wanted 5000, after some bargaining settled for 3000 per person. 

Why would you pay them? the legal fine is about 1k TTBOMK.

If you can "Bargain'' them down, then of course its a scam.

4 hours ago, timendres said:

Lived on Suk 81 for 4 years. Went to the Big-C too many times to count.

Not once, ever, did I see police anywhere near Big-C, Century, or BTS station asking anyone for ID.

That's exactly the reason why I posted it.

 

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Wanted to pay two leccy bills in Big C late last month. Could not unless I showed passport or pink ID.

This is becoming quite common. Pay bills, or even into your own bank account - asked for passport...

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

In the headline the poster wrote he says at Big C. He then says near Big C. There's a difference. I'm guessing this is a troll from someone who didn't even see what happened himself but was 'told' by a vendor.

 

Nothing to see here, folks.... Move on.

Sorry for my English.

 

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/296174/at-a-shop-or-in-a-shop

"At the shop" tells the listener you are in or close enough to the shop to be considered on the premises.

"In the shop" is more specific and tells the listener you are within the walls of the shop.

So,"in" would not have been correct.

The difference between "at" and "near" seems to depend on the definition of "premises".

Maybe you visit the place and draw a map of the premises (to scale,  please). In the meantime,  I will ask that vendor where exactly (inches, please!) this happened.

Then we can discuss whether "at" or "near" was the correct preposition 

 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

pay online like we do, 

Too complicated for me to do that. Bar codes and those square dotted things give me the jips.

27 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Sorry for my English.

 

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/296174/at-a-shop-or-in-a-shop

"At the shop" tells the listener you are in or close enough to the shop to be considered on the premises.

"In the shop" is more specific and tells the listener you are within the walls of the shop.

So,"in" would not have been correct.

The difference between "at" and "near" seems to depend on the definition of "premises".

Maybe you visit the place and draw a map of the premises (to scale,  please). In the meantime,  I will ask that vendor where exactly (inches, please!) this happened.

Then we can discuss whether "at" or "near" was the correct preposition 

 

You still reported something that is hearsay, wherever what you didn't witness did or did not happen.

28 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You still reported something that is hearsay, wherever what you didn't witness did or did not happen.

Correct.

BTW I heard Thailand has a new government - hearsay, I didn't witness it.

I also heard if you murder someone you might end up in prison - hearsay, has never happened to me.

Don't get me talking about the moon landing...or the discovery of America 

On Nut has become an expat ghetto. So many foreigners and especially Russians are living there because it's cheap and convenient. I'm not surprised some unscrupulous police may target foreigners to get some easy money.

Just now, Lorry said:

Correct.

BTW I heard Thailand has a new government - hearsay, I didn't witness it.

I also heard if you murder someone you might end up in prison - hearsay, has never happened to me.

Don't get me talking about the moon landing...

Sorry, your misunderstanding of English strikes again. The new Thai government is a FACT. Murderers DO end up in prison, FACT. They are not hearsay, which my dictionary describes as rumour. Neither of the two examples you give me are rumours. Fact and hearsay are very different things, which clearly you fail to understand. Just drop it before you dig another hole. You said two different things in the headline and opening post. Just accept it instead of sending me sarcastic posts.