Pink I.D Card & Yellow Book

[scorecard]

55 minutes ago, Isan Farang said:

 

It may depend on location, my last recent DL renewal in Ubon required a residence letter, previousl one they accepted copy of yellow book. They told me the rules had changed.

On 10/29/2024 at 6:24 PM, Liquorice said:

Amphoes may also differ by what they name the holder of the book and others named in it.

 

I have a number of translations from House books.
The most common status name is the "head of household" or "householder" for the holder of the book.

For other status, 'resident' is the most common term used.

'House master' also commonly used. And, as already said it doesn't need to be the owner of the house. 

[jayboy]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Correction: some five star hotels in Bangkok and Hua Hin that you may have stayed at have accepted you pink ID.

 

Ok that's correct.Do you or anyone else know whether there are 5 star hotels which still don't accept the Pink card?

[transam]

Just now, jayboy said:

 

Ok that's correct.Do you or anyone else know whether there are 5 star hotels which still don't accept the Pink card?

I thought the Pink ID card was not valid outside the issuing area.....

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, transam said:

I thought the Pink ID card was not valid outside the issuing area.....

 

In practice it is accepted everywhere notwithstanding the stipulation on the back of the card one shouldn't leave the issuing area.There's background to this which has been covered elsewhere on this forum.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

 

Ok that's correct.Do you or anyone else know whether there are 5 star hotels which still don't accept the Pink card?

 

Simply pointing out that your experience, like the many, many different and varied experiences of others in Thailand, including mine, aren't empirical.

[NanLaew]

1 minute ago, jayboy said:

 

In practice it is accepted everywhere notwithstanding the stipulation on the back of the card one shouldn't leave the issuing area.There's background to this which has been covered elsewhere on this forum.

 

Yes, some have said in other threads that it was accepted by their bank without much clarification.

 

My experience, with an Udon Thani-issued PID, it wasn't accepted at the Pattaya branch of Bangkok Bank where I was doing a transaction on my personal account held at that branch. It had to be my passport.

 

With regard to applying for finance in my name, both the YB and PID were copied, but this was purely a belt-and-braces approach for proof of address in addition to my Thai DL. They love their copies here, and that is empirical!

[transam]

19 minutes ago, jayboy said:

 

In practice it is accepted everywhere notwithstanding the stipulation on the back of the card one shouldn't leave the issuing area.There's background to this which has been covered elsewhere on this forum.

The card does say it is not proof of who you are......

[jayboy]

58 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Yes, some have said in other threads that it was accepted by their bank without much clarification.

 

My experience, with an Udon Thani-issued PID, it wasn't accepted at the Pattaya branch of Bangkok Bank where I was doing a transaction on my personal account held at that branch. It had to be my passport.

 

With regard to applying for finance in my name, both the YB and PID were copied, but this was purely a belt-and-braces approach for proof of address in addition to my Thai DL. They love their copies here, and that is empirical!

 

I was only referring to Pink card acceptance by 5 star hotels.I still am (mildly) interested in knowing whether there are 5 star hotels which do not accept it and insist on passport.

[jayboy]

49 minutes ago, transam said:

The card does say it is not proof of who you are......

 

Yes it does have that rather odd statement.But so what?

[oldcpu]

On 10/29/2024 at 1:14 PM, jayboy said:

 

It's not needed.You will never be asked for it.It can however be useful eg upscale hotel check ins.The only occasion I'm aware of  when it was definitely something to have was the initial Government COVID shot programme.But you may have had access to that anyway under social security cover. In short. better to have it than not have it, but it doesn't really matter if you don't.

 

I agree nominally its not needed.  In my case it has come in handy.

 

My Thai wife pressured me to get the yellow book & pink ID. Her Thai family (brothers/sister) thought it a bit funny, as they believed the pink-ID was nominally more for migrants from Myanmar or Laos (or other bordering countries) who are filling low paying jobs that the Thai nominally don't want to do.   I do NOT know if that is true.  They did laugh at the pink-ID.

 

I do recall getting both the yellow book and pink-ID was a pain to get .... and took some time sitting in various government offices in Phuket.  However my wife was insistent (and a happy wife is a happy life). 🙂 

 

While the pink-ID is not needed, I can not deny it has come in handy on rare occasion.

 

Aside from trivial discounts at national parks, the biggest (and not insignificant) use for the Pink-ID/Yellow book was when I was asked for a Thai tax ID by the Canadian bank where I have a large (for me) trading account.  The Canadian institution wanted my Thai Tax ID Number (TIN) else they advised they would freeze my account (or force me to with draw  everything from that account).  

 

Also, another Canadian institution wanted my Thai TIN before they would allow me to open an account with them.  I had important financial reasons to open that account.

 

Although I reside in Thailand for >180-days, since I haven't brought foreign income into Thailand since last year, the Thai Revenue Department (RD) wouldn't give me a Thai Tax ID Number (TIN).

 

The Thai RD noted my pink-ID/yellow-book # could be my Thai TIN only after they activated it.  They saw no need to activate it yet.

 

So I passed to the Canadian financial institutions my Thai TIN, advising the Canadian financial institutions that the TIN was not yet active. They accepted that.

 

That was a major benefit - but I concede most likely won't encounter that need.

 

I also needed to buy some Thai government bonds as proof of part of my investment in Thailand for an LTR visa.  The Thai bank advised they would only allow me to buy the bonds if I provided a Thai tax ID.   Again, my pink-ID/yellow book number was accepted as a TIN (even thou not yet activated).

 

So the Yellow Book/ID can come in handy at times.

 

I do concede , it was a pain to get,  and I suspect the vast majority of expats will have no need for such. 

Edited 13 hours ago by oldcpu

[4MyEgo]

15 hours ago, Isan Farang said:

 

It may depend on location, my last recent DL renewal in Ubon required a residence letter, previousl one they accepted copy of yellow book. They told me the rules had changed.

 

They either had no idea, wanted to make life difficult for you, or the rules did change, personally I would have challenged it as immigration is a 3 hour round trip for me, and if they changed the rules on me, I would probably do as most of Thailand does, drive without one and if pulled over, ooops, forgot it in my other car and slip the cop 200 baht 🙂

 

Thailand, the land of constant rule changes.

[NickyLouie]

12 hours ago, jayboy said:

 

I was only referring to Pink card acceptance by 5 star hotels.I still am (mildly) interested in knowing whether there are 5 star hotels which do not accept it and insist on passport.

 

Yes often as they want to see your visa.

 

Pink card is accepted as ID in place of passport all the time but hotels are obligated to know your visa status.

[transam]

12 hours ago, jayboy said:

 

Yes it does have that rather odd statement.But so what?

Because it also says cannot be used outside the issuing area, which is why you cannot use it as ID proof outside that area....😉

[jayboy]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Because it also says cannot be used outside the issuing area, which is why you cannot use it as ID proof outside that area....😉

 

When the sun finally explodes and destroys the universe we know, we will finally hear no more from those who agonize about the Pink Card and wonder why it can be used throughout Thailand notwithstanding the weird restrictive wording on the back.