I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

Absurd.

Can't imagine that the owners/management know about such a 'rule'.

Maybe they were packed with clients inside, right ?

LaoPo

I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

Yeah, always pay cash as I do and you'll never need your stroke medicine at checkout. Besides, you'll sleep much better at night.

The new upscale hi-so Pattaya seems to have attracted even more criminals than before, surprise. So maybe the shop got tired of all those fake and stolen credit cards and now wants to verify identity as a bit of protection. In the States, if you present a check, the merchant may well ask for two forms of ID, usually credit card and driver's license.

No big deal; get over it.

I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

Yeah, always pay cash as I do and you'll never need your stroke medicine at checkout. Besides, you'll sleep much better at night.

The new upscale hi-so Pattaya seems to have attracted even more criminals than before, surprise. So maybe the shop got tired of all those fake and stolen credit cards and now wants to verify identity as a bit of protection. In the States, if you present a check, the merchant may well ask for two forms of ID, usually credit card and driver's license.

No big deal; get over it.

It could be to help prevent counterfiters from unloading thier fake thai notes. Guess they could have fake passports also!!!

I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

Yeah, always pay cash as I do and you'll never need your stroke medicine at checkout. Besides, you'll sleep much better at night.

The new upscale hi-so Pattaya seems to have attracted even more criminals than before, surprise. So maybe the shop got tired of all those fake and stolen credit cards and now wants to verify identity as a bit of protection. In the States, if you present a check, the merchant may well ask for two forms of ID, usually credit card and driver's license.

No big deal; get over it.

I missed the part where the OP mentioned that he was using a credit card.

Paying with Cash, not a credit card.

Paying with Cash, not a credit card.

First time I have heard of this one for paying with cash.

If it happened to me then I would take my business elsewhere.

We could have some fun with this place. What's the name of it?

Paying with Cash, not a credit card.

First time I have heard of this one for paying with cash.

If it happened to me then I would take my business elsewhere.

Very strange...no reason for it if paying cash!!! I could understand if was with credit card...security for both card owner and shop but cash...no reason I can see. I would have refused and taken my trade elsewhere...could be some type of identity theft scam by some bad staff members

Sounds to me like just staff stupidity. If its an upscale place, lots of credit card sales so they might have just not bothered to THINK that there no identity issue with a cash sale.

Those inscrutable farangs buying up all our upscale rags, what's next, our football teams and land?

just not bothered to THINK that there no identity issue with a cash sale.

Jingthing...pls don't tell me I'm living in a country where people are this dense...no identity issue with a cash sale..."I'm lovin it"

Maybe they are worried the bills are counterfeit.

Paying with Cash, not a credit card.

using thai baht notes or dollars sterling etc

Maybe they prefer credit sales because of some scam of charging more to use cards? If so, not so dumb.

I was using Thai Baht....OH YES, I forgot to tell you that I have a nice Xerox machine in my room and I print money before going out to the shopping mall.

I refused to buy anything and left the shop after being told to hand over the passport if I desired to buy something.

It might be a Visa sting operation that is connected to immigration?? NO, that cannot be the case. I think it might be an attempt to obtain contact information for marketing campaigns down the road....that is my best guess at this point.

..and what information would they find in a passport? hair color, name and city of birth? "To: Joe Smith w/ brown hair and 179cm tall, London" - guess it would be useful information for someone...

Go elsewhere to shop ( after you point out the error of their ways )

I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

If you were buying with a credit card id say its a step i the right direction to help combat fraud,.if for a cash purchase, refuse and buy elsewhere if you have a problem with it,.

I was enjoying my Sunday XMAS shopping at the Royal Garden until I was told to show my Passport in order to buy merchandise at one of the new upscale clothing shops on the first level. I thought that I had a stroke and was suddenly living in a Seinfeld episode.

I guess the new upscale, HI Society Pattaya includes new, special treatment and practices?? NO SOUP/SUIT FOR YOU!!!!

Any thoughts?

If you were asked for passport id for a cash purchase id say the staff ( robots ) werent programmed properly, and were actually told to get id for c card purchases,.

Whatever next? Will we be asked for passports in restaurants and upmarket bars?

Lets go the whole hog, sign in a Pattaya beer bar:-

NO PASSPORT, NO MONEY

NO BAR FINE, NO HONEY

..and what information would they find in a passport? hair color, name and city of birth? "To: Joe Smith w/ brown hair and 179cm tall, London" - guess it would be useful information for someone...

That's a good question. I've never thought about it before, but now I'm trying to remember what personal info is attached to my passport applicaton, does this make having my number of any value to others, and are there ways for scumbags to access it? I think not, but seems there is so much data floating around cyberspace and always someone that can get hold of it for malicious or felonious purposes. Anyone know?

I have been asked for passport before when purchasing expensive goods. The reason was to get me the form required to get a VAT refund at the airport.

Maybe they just tried to save you some money but failed to explain this to you.

Sounds to me like just staff stupidity. If its an upscale place, lots of credit card sales so they might have just not bothered to THINK that there no identity issue with a cash sale.

Those inscrutable farangs buying up all our upscale rags, what's next, our football teams and land?

I have been asked for passport before when purchasing expensive goods. The reason was to get me the form required to get a VAT refund at the airport.

Maybe they just tried to save you some money but failed to explain this to you.

That is exactly my thoughts as well. Sounds like a typical case of miscommunication.

TH