Would You Like An Official Immigration Id Card?

[Jingthing]

I would like immigration to offer as an OPTION for a reasonable fee to offer an official Thai I.D. card showing --

photo

passport number

name, date of birth, address

date of permission to stay expiration

Yes I know many expats have driver's licenses.

However, these don't show you have permission to stay from immigration. Also some of us don't drive and don't want to bother with getting a driver's license.

I see the flaw of course. If you ruin your permission to stay be exiting Thailand and coming back without a reentry permit, the date of permission to stay will be wrong. Easy fix, make it a minor crime to use the card if you don't actually have that stay still valid.

Do you like this idea? If not, why not? Because you already have a driver's license? Isn't that kind of self centered considering the idea is that the card is NOT REQUIRED.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Good idea, perhaps too good.

In the absence of such a card issued by Thai Immigration, I take my passport, scan the data page and the page with my current extension, reduce down to business card size, and off to a photo shop to have it laminated. Cary that along with my driver's license and other cards. Handy when I can't remember my passport number, for example, never had to show it to a Thai official so don't know if it'd be a substitute for a real passport or not.

???

Mac

[electau]

Yes there is a need for a card for foreigners in Thailand that can be used for ID purposes.

You should not have to carry your passport with you at all times, your passport and visa information is on the immigration database. Thais are not required to carry their passport at all times when in for example Australia or NZ.So why in Thailand. The problem is that immigration law and legislation has never kept up with modern technology.

　

Edited July 28, 2010 by electau

[sarahsbloke]

Yes there is a need for a card for foreigners in Thailand that can be used for ID purposes.

You should not have to carry your passport with you at all times, your passport and visa information is on the immigration database. Thais are not required to carry their passport at all times when in for example Australia or NZ.So why in Thailand. The problem is that immigration law and legislation has never kept up with modern technology.

foreigners are not required to carry their passports in Thailand

The rules say everyone must carry ID documents

Thais must carry their ID cards

Foreigners must carry some form of ID, so the rules are more relaxed for foreigners already.

The easiest card for everyone to use is ........ Thai driving licence.

[electau]

Yes there is a need for a card for foreigners in Thailand that can be used for ID purposes.

You should not have to carry your passport with you at all times, your passport and visa information is on the immigration database. Thais are not required to carry their passport at all times when in for example Australia or NZ.So why in Thailand. The problem is that immigration law and legislation has never kept up with modern technology.

foreigners are not required to carry their passports in Thailand

The rules say everyone must carry ID documents

Thais must carry their ID cards

Foreigners must carry some form of ID, so the rules are more relaxed for foreigners already.

The easiest card for everyone to use is ........ Thai driving licence.

Not everyone can obtain a Thai drivers licence

They are refering to a photo ID. A current foreign eg Australian drivers licence could be acceptable for ID purposes. I have used the same document in Thailand on a couple of occasions and had no problems. My wife never carries her ID card with her she only carries it if she needs to use it or travelling between provinces.

[electau]

Look at the range of photo ID documents currently available.

Passport

Drivers licence

IDP (International Drivers Permit)

Goverment Employee ID card.

And there may be more.

What photo ID cards are accepted by Thai authorities?

[lopburi3]

Not all Thai drivers license photos are current - mine is 40 years old and some might think I do not look exactly the same.

[Jingthing]

To repeat, driver's licenses are ID indeed but they do NOT show you are legal to be in the country. Your passport does show your immigration status, but most people understandably do NOT carry around their passport with them. Another flaw I see with the immigration card idea is that if they set up the infrastructure to issue these, and they decided on a fee that had a profit built into it, what's to stop them from making the card a REQUIREMENT? Answer -- nothing. While this wouldn't bother me as I really want such a card, I realize not everyone would feel the need for the card and wouldn't be happy about any extra expense.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Jingthing

[Explorer]

foreigners are not required to carry their passports in Thailand

/snip

Sorry i must have missed out on the new ruling, can you link the official source of this latest info please.

Thanks

[lopburi3]

Can you provide a source that says you have to carry passport (other than some person saying so?). The requirement is photo ID AFAIK.

Believe this could be part of the extension of stay process as they take your fingerprints/photo produce an ID card for the same time period. Very simple and almost no additional cost to produce.

[Explorer]

Can you provide a source that says you have to carry passport (other than some person saying so?). The requirement is photo ID AFAIK.

Believe this could be part of the extension of stay process as they take your fingerprints/photo produce an ID card for the same time period. Very simple and almost no additional cost to produce.

meaning i can carry my country ID card and my country driving license (valid for driving in Thailand) when traveling around Thailand and leave the passport at home? And this won't have any problems if the police or immigration stop me?

That's cool lopburi3, thanks for the info

[Lumumba]

I see my passport one in year at the immigration department when my lawyer/agent show up with it for the years' extension exercise. He does the 90 day reporting and every other other thing as he has for the past 10 years.If I need any document or copies of anything , the messenger brings them to the office.

Last 2 weekends, I went to mukdahan, the only I had with me was Thai DL, a CC and a VISA electron. I ran over a dog and got my radiator busted, the car was towed the last 19 kms, and repaired all I was asked was my policy number and Thai DL.

I also met several check points and had to ask directions from several cops, being black and obviously foreign , no one ever asks me for my passport, as I look like I should have one.

[Cuchulainn]

Well then, if anyone or anyone's friend/wife is connected, why not officially ask for or petition a special 'Alien' ID card? How could we go about this?

[Lumumba]

Too many aliens going in and out, thats a lot of cards.

[samran]

Jingers,

go lobby for one then instead of asking for one on a web board.

They already issue them to Burmese, Lao and Cambodian migrant workers (who also get ID numbers). Shouldn't be hard with the right conectoins to get one of these up and running.

Of course, you'll have to convince them to issue multi year stays first for non-migrant workers.

Off you go then....

Edited July 29, 2010 by samran

[lopburi3]

Can you provide a source that says you have to carry passport (other than some person saying so?). The requirement is photo ID AFAIK.

Believe this could be part of the extension of stay process as they take your fingerprints/photo produce an ID card for the same time period. Very simple and almost no additional cost to produce.

meaning i can carry my country ID card and my country driving license (valid for driving in Thailand) when traveling around Thailand and leave the passport at home? And this won't have any problems if the police or immigration stop me?

That's cool lopburi3, thanks for the info

You do need to be able to produce a passport if an immigration police officer asks for it so if you travel out of immediate area I would highly advise having it with you. But in town there should not be any need.

[techno]

I went to a seminar organised by the Interior Ministry at the which the Superintendent for Immigration for Chiang Mai was in attendence. The Prime Minister had appointed the the Interior Ministry to organise a series of Seminars to get the views of ex-pats on many subjects including the following:<BR>1) rights to own land<BR>2) 90 day reporting requirements<BR>3) money requirements for extention of stay in Thailand both by marriage and retirement<BR>4) many other issues involving ex-pats<BR>The Interior Ministry will be preparing a report for the consideration of The Prime Minister and the Cabinet<BR>One of the questions raised at the seminar was the issue of a Immigration ID card so that instead of filling in all the forms every 90 days an alien could swipe the card at Immigration for reporting purposes on the said requirement date. Only a person who has changed address would have to go through the normal 90 day reporting requirements<BR>Do not know if any changes will be implemented in the future but its under consideration <BR><BR><BR><BR>

[Jingthing]

Well then, if anyone or anyone's friend/wife is connected, why not officially ask for or petition a special 'Alien' ID card? How could we go about this?

Word is some people from immigration read this site. We don't have the power to LOBBY here.

Here is something we CAN do, right here on thaivisa. If this thread is kept going with generally supportive comments, such as, Yes immigration people I see the benefits of having this card, that may increase the chances the idea will potentially receive consideration.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Too many aliens going in and out, thats a lot of cards.

Well then that's lots of potential alien ID card FEES then, isn't it. Ka-ching $$$$$, ka-ching $$$$$, get those presses rolling.

[apetley]

Sort of a 'Not Quite Elite Card'.

Personally like the idea of an official card from Immigration for those with work permits or extensions of stay.

[MichaelBKK]

There's a photo shop in Wave Place (BTS Chidlom) that will make a reduced size copy of your passport photo & signature pages, and laminate it. I carry this with me always, and have successfully used it to board a domestic flight when my passport was at an embassy waiting for a visa. I learned about this from other people who have used it in the same way.

[TAWP]

I don't agree with the point that the ID would be stating the expiration date of permission of stay. I'd rather the card is used as a real photo ID, but for foreigners, and not just an lazy short-cut for not having to carry passport. And the police can still find out if you have permission to stay based on your supposed ID number, if they link your PP to it in their system.

[Jingthing]

There's a photo shop in Wave Place (BTS Chidlom) that will make a reduced size copy of your passport photo & signature pages, and laminate it. I carry this with me always, and have successfully used it to board a domestic flight when my passport was at an embassy waiting for a visa. I learned about this from other people who have used it in the same way.

Yes I do that and I know many many expats do the same (make a laminated thingie). However, I would never expect such an amateur effort to be generally accepted though I am surprised domestic airlines accepted it. Of course I am suggesting something 100 percent official that would be accepted most everywhere as proof of identity AND proof of legality of stay. If anything the fact that expats are finding the need to kludge it points out the very real NEED for official immigration ID's.

Another note, it is not entirely true that foreigners can't lobby. There are some connected foreigners who have good relations with powerful people at immigration. Maybe this read will catch their attention, you never know.

Edited July 29, 2010 by Jingthing

[spiderleghead]

Yes there is a need for a card for foreigners in Thailand that can be used for ID purposes.

You should not have to carry your passport with you at all times, your passport and visa information is on the immigration database. Thais are not required to carry their passport at all times when in for example Australia or NZ.So why in Thailand. The problem is that immigration law and legislation has never kept up with modern technology.

foreigners are not required to carry their passports in Thailand

The rules say everyone must carry ID documents

Thais must carry their ID cards

Foreigners must carry some form of ID, so the rules are more relaxed for foreigners already.

The easiest card for everyone to use is ........ Thai driving licence.

Not everyone can obtain a Thai drivers licence

They are refering to a photo ID. A current foreign eg Australian drivers licence could be acceptable for ID purposes. I have used the same document in Thailand on a couple of occasions and had no problems. My wife never carries her ID card with her she only carries it if she needs to use it or travelling between provinces.

it is easy to get a thai driving liscence, just turn up at 7 in the morning with either your work permit or other stay in thailand documents, take the test (so easy a dingo with no legs could do it) then pay the couple of hundred baht for the license then walk away away with your license. i for one do not want to complicate the already almost impossible to understand thai system that happens to roll on from one year to the next without anyone ever having a clear idea of what keeps it going.

the easier the better for me.

[kiwikoppy]

I agree with the card, as we also have something similar in the netherland. An immigration card / residence permit.

They can add the last date of stay on it, and when you exit thailand you have to hand it in to immigration / or have a valid re-entry permit in your passport.

I dont agree with someones comment that you should not be forced to carry your passport at all times.

As in The netherlands you are forced as well. everyone should have a form of ID.

This option is nice, however the thai government is not really foreign workers friendly so it will never be realized.

[kiwikoppy]

Can you provide a source that says you have to carry passport (other than some person saying so?). The requirement is photo ID AFAIK.

Believe this could be part of the extension of stay process as they take your fingerprints/photo produce an ID card for the same time period. Very simple and almost no additional cost to produce.

meaning i can carry my country ID card and my country driving license (valid for driving in Thailand) when traveling around Thailand and leave the passport at home? And this won't have any problems if the police or immigration stop me?

That's cool lopburi3, thanks for the info

You do need to be able to produce a passport if an immigration police officer asks for it so if you travel out of immediate area I would highly advise having it with you. But in town there should not be any need.

yes, even a thai drivers license is not an ID when requested by the Thai Police, as it does not state your immigration status.

However a thai drivers license is accepted in almost every case.

Any other photo id's like ID's from your home country / DL from your home country / international drivers licese => are all not considered ID's in Thailand.

Same that your Thai DL is not considered an ID in Europe.

The ID of the card is good, but besides that, everything is the same here as in europe, so we dont have much to complain.

[bramds]

I was stopped by the police while riding a motorbike in Buriram.

My passport was in Bangkok.

Showed the officer my ID from Belgium and he made no problems out of it and let me go without a fine or a "tip".

As long as you have an offical ID card, you shouldn't have any problem.

[Jingthing]

Again, yes you can always try different kinds of IDs, and the passport is the gold standard (but very risky to go around with), but looking for something BETTER.

[surayu]

All the Immi's should do is just to organize a lucky drawn between them, then send the winner to the west to see how the immigration's process should work, come back and start doing copies of what he had seen like if there is no tomorrow, they did a superb job with all the softwares/T-shirts/everything else around which supposed to have some sort of copirights, so why not to apply the same principle with this? alternatevily they can just link us to our credit/debit cards and withdraw by theyrselfs all the appropriates fines we will incur, no need for a receipt or explanation as we all have complete trust in them

[jazzbo]

If it was in fact a really good idea, the folks at Thai Immigration would have, of course, already thought of it themselves.

Edited July 29, 2010 by jazzbo