Warning - Police Ripoff On Beach Road

[adiosadios]

I just avoid the few places where the police usually stops MC´s, or atleast keep an eye out when approaching them.....watch on what side of the road they are pulling ppl over etc...

The trick isn´t to have a passport and driving license - it´s to avoid getting pulled over.

still sucks though

It sure sucks doesn't it? Fancy the police wanting to check your documents. Whatever next huh?

Don't have a problem with them checking my documents as I always have them with me, what sucks is the thought that having found your docs in order they then look for any other excuse to extract a little tea money.

Wear a red shirt. This is tarksin country!!!!!

[retiredusn]

(yes i broke the law, it was my mistake that i don't know i had to have a drivers license for these small 125cc motobikes)

i'm a real bad farang, bring brought lots of money into this country ... anyway, at least i was happy, they not jailed me, as i speak out very loud, something "really bad" when i was leaving the police fine counter

Yes, it was your fault. What would happen in your home country if a tourist got stopped and didn't have a license?

As for your second point.......do you think because you are have some money you are exempt from the law?

Stop complaining.....it's pathetic.

Thank You,,,,I agree all the way!!!Pathetic!!!!

[norwayeagle]

Short comment with overview.Pattaya is "burned out".Take it,or leave.

I am thinking the same way really!

Good to hear you followed my view.Pattaya has been running on high speed since the Vietnam war or so,and now we see a "reaction".Nothing wrong about that,it's just the reaction of the "happenings".

[spacemand]

happend today in broad daylight, 15 Policemen stop every motorbike (also the small ones) on beach road in Pattaya and check for your security ... since most people get used to helmets they need a new source of income, so the ask you for Drivers License (international or thai) and Passport, both in original - for sure 95% are not caring these documents while enjoy a day on the beach

the result is lots, lots of angry tourists - every one (incl. me) got a THB 400.- fine (or more)

this is official ripoff in broad daylight - i guess they have to prop-up the city budget, since they lost already 25% of tourists ...

i'm a was a frequent visitor to thailand, like many others, i'm really pi**ed off

i know TIT ... but Lalaland has to wake up

Why is it a rip off? Its the law?

I am staying in Sisaket and so far in a month I have seen 3 situations like the one you describe, first time my GF was asked if I was with her and after providing docs on our motobikes which she hasn't because its a new one he asked if we had a license neither of us did and we were told to get one soon.

2nd time was not waved over.

3rd time with the GF on the back of her bike with no plate (again its new) we were not waved over

Both for the 2nd and 3rd time most people were stopped. I guess things work a little different up here

If I had been fined on either of those occasions I would have paid and kept my shit in order for the next time.

[nolifer]

I just avoid the few places where the police usually stops MC´s, or atleast keep an eye out when approaching them.....watch on what side of the road they are pulling ppl over etc...

The trick isn´t to have a passport and driving license - it´s to avoid getting pulled over.

still sucks though

It sure sucks doesn't it? Fancy the police wanting to check your documents. Whatever next huh?

Don't have a problem with them checking my documents as I always have them with me, what sucks is the thought that having found your docs in order they then look for any other excuse to extract a little tea money.

Exactly my point also, thats why it´s better to "play the game" by their rules....

Same goes when/if involved in an accident....bail out if possible...no matter what, it´s going to cost you something....at best u only loose time - if lucky.

[Basil B]

If I was in my own country and I didn't have my licence/insurance then the police give you a producer in which your given time to take it to a police station of your choice and there is no fine.

If you are talking about the UK what you are saying is somewhat out of date, nowadays when they stop you they already know if your vehicle is MOT'ed, Taxed, and who is insured to drive it, they will ask you for you licence or details which they can check you driver status, they will ask for documentation of information to verify you are the person you say you are and if they are not satisfied they can take you in to verify your identity.

[Thongkorn]

Are you saying you would have preferred to be taken back to the station and processed formally for breaking the law ?

What an attitude, lets go after people who where loud shirts in built up area , or book them for being in possession of an offensive wife, how about standing on the cracks in the pavement , were does it stop, when Thailand is empty.

[Maestro]

the OP says original passport. Is this really the case? I always thought a copy of passport was adequate, as long as I have my original Thai DL with me.

...read the OP.

He said "so the ask you for Drivers License (international or thai) and Passport, both in original"...

The OP, fox2night, says that he was fined for driving a motorcycle without a driving licence. It’s not just that he did not have the driving licence with him; he had non licence at all:

...yes i broke the law, it was my mistake that i don't know i had to have a drivers license for these small 125cc motobikes...

If anybody has an official receipt for a fine for not carrying the original passport with him I would very much like to see it. Scan it an post it here. Every receipt for a fine should indicate what section of what law was contravened, and I want to see what law is cited for a fine for not being able to produce the original passport immediately when requested.

--

Maestro

[Tokay]

The got me too.

I have my original International Drivers License, but a copy of my passport. That wasn't good enough.

My friend got a ticket for not having his helmet snapped under his chin the other night on Soi Khopai. Another friend got a ticket for putting his feet on the back foot rests and not on the front ones. Was the first I'd heard about that one, but they are now ticketing for it.

They police here are out of control.

[Tokay]

If anybody has an official receipt for a fine for not carrying the original passport with him I would very much like to see it. Scan it an post it here. Every receipt for a fine should indicate what section of what law was contravened, and I want to see what law is cited for a fine for not being able to produce the original passport immediately when requested.

--

Maestro

I refuse to carry my original passport around town so I'm sure to get another ticket. It's only a matter of time. I will keep that one and scan it for you.

[salty]

I do not drive anything in Thailand and I carry a laminated copy of my passport with me all the time. I have never been stopped and asked for ID. Apart from the danger of carrying around your actual passport, I would worry about showing it to a cop and he possibly refusing to give it back to you unless he received a "donation" from you.

[wackysleet]

If I was in my own country and I didn't have my licence/insurance then the police give you a producer in which your given time to take it to a police station of your choice and there is no fine.

If you are talking about the UK what you are saying is somewhat out of date, nowadays when they stop you they already know if your vehicle is MOT'ed, Taxed, and who is insured to drive it, they will ask you for you licence or details which they can check you driver status, they will ask for documentation of information to verify you are the person you say you are and if they are not satisfied they can take you in to verify your identity.

I agree things have changed in the U.K. with anpr and yes they Could take you in but I think a lot of that would depend on the person and their attitude and most people are likely to have something on them and I don't believe it's the law that you have to carry your d/licence or I.D.

[JSixpack]

This is misinformation; 'JSixpack'.

No it isn't.

Visitors to Thailand must carry their passport at all times by law.

They aren't so required by law. In all the discussions about this, nobody has ever been able to produce that law or a link to it. You can't either. It's an urban myth around here, though.

But they must HAVE a passport, yes.

Only if the passport is being renewed (at your embassy) will a photocopy of the visa page and photopage suffice legally and this must be annotated and stamped by the embassy/consulate.

A copy or a Thai driver's license or both suffice unless you're caught in a police scam. But police can scam you for most anything, and they do.

In an immigration check, you POSSIBLY may be fined (accounts differ on this!) and POSSIBLY held until you can produce your original passport. However, even if you DO have the original on you, they can haul you to the station and hold you for checking that original! (As in the Nigerian roundup.) So, why bother?

You might get away with alternative ID or a photocopy if stopped by Thai Police but they would be within their rights to jail you until you produced your passport.

No, they wouldn't, though they do a lot of things not within their rights. Immigration police would, though. Still, you wouldn't charged with a crime. Cf. Qbar raid, in which Immigration was involved. BTW, one witness says that a photocopy sufficed in the Qbar raid, though another says the original was needed. However, none was charged with a crime and jailed, though some (never been perfectly clear WHO) paid a B1000 fine. Hardly big money in any case.

And so? How often does that happen? Much more likely you'll be fined B2000 for littering even if you didn't litter.

If you require confirmation of these facts, seek a second opinion at your embassy or your local Thai cop-shop!

Yawn. Cops have been quoted. Embassies, too--on both sides of the question. Why don't YOU just give us the confirmation by quoting THE LAW or even just the regulation? (A link will suffice.)

Note BTW that violating a regulation isn't the same as violating a law.

Edited September 11, 2009 by JSixpack

[syd barrett]

This is misinformation; 'JSixpack'.

No it isn't.

If you require confirmation of these facts, seek a second opinion at your embassy or your local Thai cop-shop!

Yawn. Cops have been quoted. Embassies, too--on both sides of the question. Why don't YOU just give us the confirmation by quoting THE LAW or even just the regulation? (A link will suffice.)

Note BTW that violating a regulation isn't the same as violating a law.

Your persistent indefatigability by rubbishing the 'carry passport at all times law' is unhelpful for all.

There are dozens of internet sites that cite the Thai law. Google them!

I quote from one:

In response to a well-publicised police raid on a Bangkok Bar that is frequented by expatriates we have received a number of enquiries on carrying identification (ID) and what is acceptable to the Thai authorities.

Under Thai law every foreigner is required to carry ID at all times when visiting Thailand. ID is defined as a valid passport. This confirms you have entered the country legally and your stay is in accordance with your entry visa.

If you do not wish to carry your passport with you, the Police have advised that a true certified copy of your passport (the bio data and relevant visa page) could serve as appropriate identification. The Embassy is able to provide this service for you.

Link: Link to quote

Finally, it is not upto me to provide the obscure Thai scripted law, but for YOU to prove otherwise: After all: Ignorantia legis neminem excusat

[Maestro]

I refuse to carry my original passport around town so I'm sure to get another ticket. It's only a matter of time. I will keep that one and scan it for you.

Thank you. I am genuinely interested in seeing it. It will be a unique oddity, I think, and after scanning it you should have it framed and hang it on the wall of your living-room.

--

Maestro

[Guderian]

I guess it's largely the luck of the draw. I've lived here for 5 years, and have never once been asked for my passport by the cops. I always carry a colour photocopy of the relevant pages with me, which 99% of people on other Pattaya forums seem to feel is adequate. Up to you, but carrying your passport is a major risk; regardless of the legality, it's simply not necessary in 99% of situations. If some hungry cop fines you 200 or 400 Baht for not carrying it, then consider yourself unlucky in the extreme, but view it in the context of losing your original passport and how much replacing THAT would cost. A lot more than the fine, for sure, never mind the wasted time and inconvenience of having to go to Bangkok...

[philliphn]

In the United States. If you don't have your drivers license, or insurance papers. When you are stopped by the police. You also will recieve a fine. This fine will be a lot more than 400 Baht.

I don't think that this is a fair complaint and their are many that are!

Edited September 11, 2009 by philliphn

[barryofthailand]

I guess it's largely the luck of the draw. I've lived here for 5 years, and have never once been asked for my passport by the cops. I always carry a colour photocopy of the relevant pages with me, which 99% of people on other Pattaya forums seem to feel is adequate. Up to you, but carrying your passport is a major risk; regardless of the legality, it's simply not necessary in 99% of situations. If some hungry cop fines you 200 or 400 Baht for not carrying it, then consider yourself unlucky in the extreme, but view it in the context of losing your original passport and how much replacing THAT would cost. A lot more than the fine, for sure, never mind the wasted time and inconvenience of having to go to Bangkok...

If you live in Thailand, and have a Thai drivers lisence, then no need to carry a copy of your passport, as your drivers license has your passport number on it. You can even check into a hotel anywhere in Thailand with your drivers license.

Barry

[3zie]

I don't see what's the problem here. Shouldn't you always carry your drivers license and pasport when driving a car or motorbike. In my country you would be fined much more than 400Baht

[JSixpack]

There are dozens of internet sites that cite the Thai law. Google them!

I quote from one:

In response to a well-publicised police raid on a Bangkok Bar that is frequented by expatriates we have received a number of enquiries on carrying identification (ID) and what is acceptable to the Thai authorities.

Under Thai law every foreigner is required to carry ID at all times when visiting Thailand. ID is defined as a valid passport. This confirms you have entered the country legally and your stay is in accordance with your entry visa.

If you do not wish to carry your passport with you, the Police have advised that a true certified copy of your passport (the bio data and relevant visa page) could serve as appropriate identification. The Embassy is able to provide this service for you.

Link: Link to quote

Finally, it is not upto me to provide the obscure Thai scripted law, but for YOU to prove otherwise: After all: Ignorantia legis neminem excusat

Well, but you said it was the law--you KNOW--and I didn't, so you should cite the law that you know. I can't cite the law because nobody else can either: it's not there. Police have been quoted here who also say it isn't the law. Here's a credible member who reads and speaks Thai who says,

"I researched this a while ago and found that there is no requirement that you must carry your passport on your person. The requirement is that, if required by the immigration police, you must be able to demonstrate that you are legally permitted to be here. That means, if your passport is at home, you are able to get it and take it to the immigration police and show them the relevant visa. If you are PR, you need to be able to show them your PR book. The whole thing about being required to carry your passport with you at all times is a myth. I can post the relevant laws if anyone is interested."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Requirement-...823#entry148823

What you gave isn't a link to the law but rather to what Lonely Planet says is the law. The "well-publicised raid" was the Q Bar raid, in which one witness says photocopies were sufficient (others dispute that). Some were taken to the station and fined, but it's never been clear exactly who. Nobody credible here ever said, "My copy of my passport that included my current visa and stamps wasn't accepted." Or, "I had a Thai license AND a copy." Go read the Q Bar raid thread yourself. The patrons were all subjected to drug tests, too. It was most unusual. After Stickman came out on the side of "photocopies not sufficient," everyone, such as LP, and yourself, started parroting it.

Now, even if their copies (with stamps) were truly not sufficient, why weren't the Q Bar victims subjected to court action rather than just fined? Because at most they violated a regulation, not a law. You'd break the law if you didn't HAVE a passport.

Besides, as I noted, you can be hauled off and held "for checking" even if you are carrying the original of your passport, as in the Nigerian roundup.

Now, in a police scam, the law doesn't really matter anyway, so I don't see why you've got your panties in a wad. But even a scam in which you're taken to the station, fined B1000, and held until the original of your passport is produced, it's better than carrying around your passport all the time and risking its loss IMO. I speak as one who HAS been pickpocketed here. No, I'm not going to carry it in a ziplock bag inside my pants, around my neck, blah, blah.

Edited September 12, 2009 by JSixpack

[kevkev1888]

Around and around and around and around and around

[syd barrett]

I don't see why you've got your panties in a wad.

But even a scam in which you're taken to the station, fined B1000, and held until the original of your passport is produced, it's better than carrying around your passport all the time and risking its loss IMO.

I speak as one who HAS been pickpocketed here. No, I'm not going to carry it in a ziplock bag inside my pants, around my neck, blah, blah.

Let me assure you that my 'Panties are not in a wad'. They are in the laundry.

Why not do as I do, and thousands of other wise ex-pats in Thailand; and carry an annotated and officially embassy-stamped photocopy of your vital passport pages at all times?

There is absolutely no need for your doomed perpetual crusade of passionate legal argument and denial, followed by peevish, vitriolic rebuffs and glib asides.

Thank you: 'JSixpack'.