8 Farangs Fined For Not Carrying Passport

[sriracha john]

I would be interested to know what stop/search powers the Thai police have.  I have been stopped 3 times now, twice in a taxi and once walking.  Each time they just told me to empty my pockets and patted me down (no smutty comments, thank you  ).  They did not ask for ID and I got the impression they were looking for drugs (I was near Mystique).  They were all very polite and said thank you when finished.  However there is no way the police could search you under the same circumstances in the UK.  They need much more specific grounds (except in very specific circumstances).  Do the Thai police have the right to stop and search without any grounds at all?

With regards to ID, my understanding is that you must produce ID, upon demand from a police officer.  The Thais have to carry their IDs by law.  The police officer has to believe that this is a legitimate ID, hence why they probably wouldnt accept a British library card with your picture on, or something like that.  Therefore you need a passport, or Thai driving licence.  Something that they would recognise as official.  If you are polite and they are not trying to make examples of people then a photocopy should suffice.  I dont believe the police can demand to see your passport as such, but can demand ID, and only accept your passport as official ID.  Immigration of course can demand to see it for their purposes.

I dont know how true this is, it is just what I have picked up from reading various sites, but seems to fit.  However TIT and as we all know, rules can be bent, reinterpreted or rewritten very easily.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From the thailawforum (We are a group of individuals, law professors and foreign and Thai lawyers, consultants who are interested in providing an unbiased source of information regarding law, business, and social issues that concern Thailand):

"At present the police have the sole authority to initiate and undertake criminal investigations and to carry out interrogations. They also enjoy extensive authority to make searches or arrests without warrants."

[Tywais]

I dont believe the police can demand to see your passport as such, but can demand ID, and only accept your passport as official ID.  Immigration of course can demand to see it for their purposes.

Don't forget that the immigration officials are the police also.

[Mig15]

All the gold has gone of the front of mine. The small “Napoleon,” brand notebooks have a plastic cover that is just the right size for a passport.

[Mig15]

In seven years here never been stopped, searched or had anything to do with the police apart from one fag end fine in 1996.

[SiamOne]

In seven years here never been stopped, searched or had anything to do with the police apart from one fag end fine in 1996. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

was the fag a katoey or just a gay?

[bkkmadness]

I would be interested to know what stop/search powers the Thai police have. I have been stopped 3 times now, twice in a taxi and once walking. Each time they just told me to empty my pockets and patted me down (no smutty comments, thank you tongue.gif ). They did not ask for ID and I got the impression they were looking for drugs (I was near Mystique). They were all very polite and said thank you when finished. However there is no way the police could search you under the same circumstances in the UK. They need much more specific grounds (except in very specific circumstances). Do the Thai police have the right to stop and search without any grounds at all?

I think your wrong there, since the criminal justice bill in the UK police have had the right to stop and search, I've been pulled myself for a stop and search in the UK for no reason.

Edited September 27, 2005 by bkkmadness

[meemiathai]

Do ordinary people really prefer the police not have the right to searh people as they like?

For me, as long as they are polite, I think of it as a protection rather than a nuisance.

[bartender100]

Sorry if people found the title confusing,but I naturally thought,that when the police fined the farangs for not having ID,that they would be looking only for passports.Tourist would only have passports to show(or not)

I concede, work permit's or Thia driving license would probably be ok too.

I emailed Stickman and he stuck by the story,but would not name the bar,although he knows it.

[Firefan]

Tourist could also be having an International Driving Permit. Since most are only valid for 1 year it makes more sense to carry that (risk of theft/wear and tear) than ones passport.

That said the law still states that one need to carry ones passport.

Cheers!

[dannishgung]

My Dutch friend just lost his passport a few days ago at some night entertainment spots. He went to apply his new passport and according to the consular staff since in Thailand now all the foriegners need to show passports to get into clubs, discos, the people that came in to re-issue the passport have more than tripled. A German friend who used to work in Consular also said that now so many tourists lose pssport in night establishments. They get many times lost passports than few yearss ago and now everyday virtually a line in the embassy for passport lost and re-issue process.

Thailand is quickly doing everything to drive away tourists. With tousim price increasing, society getting more dangerous, serious polical problems in the south, ect many of my friends who regularly visit Thailand have stopped coming to Tailand. They now seem to enjoy long stay at more diversified destinations like Costa del Sol, Mallorca, Cancun, Fortaleza, Rio, Salvador(Bahia), and Malaysia ect.

Other people are doing and improving every fields to promote tourism and protect the tourists but only Thailand is doing everything to hassel and drive away tourism. I think if all these tourist unfriendly policy keep going, there is no doubt that regular visitors will avoid the hassel of coming back because there are so many nice and tourist friendly destination to choose from.

Edited September 27, 2005 by dannishgung

[ovenman]

I think if all these tourist unfriendly policy keep going, there is no doubt that regular visitors will avoid the hassel of coming back because there are so many nice and tourist friendly destination to choose from.

Probably, but for as long as the Thai powers-that-be have some ready-made excuse at which they can deflect the blame (tsunami, bird flu, SARS, increased fuel/air ticket costs, unrest in Deep South, etc.), they will never consider their own policies as having any potential damping effect on tourism numbers.

[britmaveric]

Wont deter me from me not carrying a passport - if IDL not good enough we can go back to where my passport is. Enuf said.

[opothai]

was there a report very rcently about thailand being the forgery capitol of the world for passports.

so obviously making falangs carry thier passport at all times ready for the pick pockets seem to be the answer

[sriracha john]

Wont deter me from me not carrying a passport - if IDL not good enough we can go back to where my passport is. Enuf said.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unless the check is like the infamous Q Bar passport raid... in which case there is no "we can go back to where it is"... it was either you have the passport on your person (passport copies, IDL, Thai DL, et al NOT acceptable) or you got busted.

Edited September 27, 2005 by sriracha john

[britmaveric]

I'm sure a few bht handed over would make em forget at any rate!!

[wrestler7902002]

I find it very hard to believe that the Men in Brown are asking to see IDs from farangs in bars.

Let's say that a farang is 60 years old--you know, with wrinkles, balding hair with many streaks of silver, Hawaiian tropical shirt, etc.

Can't the MIB notice that the farang is obviously over 20 years of age? I would understand if the farang were maybe in their twenties, but 55, 60, or 80 years old.

Give me a break!

Either they have very bad eyesight or maybe they need a little donation for the local Police Athletic League.

[sriracha john]

I find it very hard to believe that the Men in Brown are asking to see IDs from farangs in bars.

Let's say that a farang is 60 years old--you know, with wrinkles, balding hair with many streaks of silver, Hawaiian tropical shirt, etc.

Can't the MIB notice that the farang is obviously over 20 years of age? I would understand if the farang were maybe in their twenties, but 55, 60, or 80 years old.

Give me a break!

Either they have very bad eyesight or maybe they need a little donation for the local Police Athletic League.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They aren't asking for "ID" for proof the person is over 20... they are asking for "passports" to prove the person is legally here.

[JimsKnight]

this should be in the 'things that should shock you but don't' thread in Hkk.

Yet another scam by BiB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If its true then are the boys in brown fearful of terrorists in their midst and need to check details? plus maybve wanting their tea money thrown in??

[SiamOne]

I think all this whingeing about carrying your passports is stupid. It is the law, and you come to Thailand and should respect it.

However, whilst the law has not been enforced much, for some reason it is being done now. Maybe terrorism, who knows.

Carrying a copy is usually a way out, and often acceptable to the police.

I have to carry my ID at all times, so it is not just against farang.

boring eh?

[ovenman]

I think all this whingeing about carrying your passports is stupid. It is the law, and you come to Thailand and should respect it.

Indeed. I've noticed that Thai people themselves generally treat their laws with the utmost respect, especially whilst driving.

[Scott]

This is not new, but like a lot of laws, it's enforcement is hit-or-miss most of the time. A few years back, I lived in an area not far from Silom area. One evening the immigration police showed up and stopped nearly everyone and checked passports (for Thai people, they checked ID's). Those without their passport were put in a van and taken to Suan Phlu detention center. There was no "tea money" to be taken. The officers were good about letting people in the very near vicinity go to their hotel/guest house and produce a passport, but anyone who needed to go further than they could see got a trip to Suan Phlu.

I think they let people go who had copies of passport or a Thai Driver's License. There was a big officer around watching at the time.

Fortunately, they had checked my building and one of the officers recognized me, as I was standing there in my shorts, T-shirt and flipflops with 100 B.

They then checked the hotels and guest houses in the area.

So this is nothing new, but it still catches people by surprise when they enforce the law.

[taxexile]

I think all this whingeing about carrying your passports is stupid. It is the law, and you come to Thailand and should respect it.

the law it may be , but the way many of these "lesser laws" are selectively enforced is reminiscent of life in a communist police state in the 60's or of a sleazy third world dictatorship.

it does nothing to further the reputation of thailand as a civilised and friendly destination when tourists are pulled off the street and taken for processing to the immigration centre when a friendly warning would be enough to ensure compliance with a law that is hardly publicised extensively.

likewise those litter police who laze around all day waiting for some unsuspecting foriegner to drop a molecule of litter before chasing them on mountain bikes and extracting money and then laughing and joking about their victims.

funny how thais (who naturally never ,ever would dream of littering their environment ) never seem to get fined.

things like these just make thailand look like a mickey mouse republic with a grudge against tourists in the eyes of visitors.

[Maejo Man]

There must be a aweful lot of seedy looking characters out there with all these "so called" requests to produce passports.

In the twenty years of living in Thailand I have been stopped literally hundreds of times by road blocks staffed by either highway patrol, Thai army or local police, and never once have I been asked for my passport. They have always been courteous to the degree, and only on the odd occasion in remote areas have I been actually asked for my driving licence or car papers.

As far as entertainment areas go, I have boozed in the best of them from Chonburi to Chiangrai and never once been asked for anything other than "a drink for me?" Maybe age has it's advantages after all

I have never carried a passport in all that time, unless I was on my way to the airport for an overseas trip, and IF ever asked in the future, I'm sure politeness will win every time.

[Abandon]

I think all this whingeing about carrying your passports is stupid. It is the law, and you come to Thailand and should respect it.

Indeed. I've noticed that Thai people themselves generally treat their laws with the utmost respect, especially whilst driving.

A Ukranian friend of mine was a monk for 5 years, without problems. 2 days afte he disrobed he was stopped and did not have a passport. They demanded 3000 baht, which he did not give. He could speak pretty good Thai. Eventually, after nearly 8 hours, they let him go from the bus station without paying anything.

I really am now thinking I won't go back to Thailand again - with the pathetic internet, petty rules, blatant racism, and corruption - time to find a new home methinks.