Passport On Your Person?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I always carry my passport. For the same reason, after 18 years of marriage, I always kept my rucksack under the bed (one never knows when one might want to get away and scoot off somewhere else).

+ Like!

The good thing about Thai spouses though is that if you get thrown out, you will find all of your clothes and personal belongings outside on the doorstep. That's really convenient because all you need to do is scoop the lot into the truck and off you go.

[geoffphuket]

Only the original will do. But in many cases the Thai drivers License will be accepted, as will a copy of your passport.

If they suspect you are an illegal alien, they can detain you till you can proof that you are legally staying in the country.

Do you have a link to an official Thai document that actually states foreigners carry their passports at all times? My understanding is that everyone - Thais included, must carry some form of identification, be it a driving licence, I.D card OR passport.

[Mario2008]

My understanding is that Thai people must be able to produce their ID-card within a reasonable time, (in about 1 hour). There are some treads on this.

For foreigners, this also goes. But there is of cours also the immigration act. That gives the police the authorithy to detain a person who they suspect is a foreigner and is illegally in the country till his status can be determined.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/post-a84562-Immigration-Act-EN.pdf.html

[geoffphuket]

My understanding is that Thai people must be able to produce their ID-card within a reasonable time, (in about 1 hour). There are some treads on this.

For foreigners, this also goes. But there is of cours also the immigration act. That gives the police the authorithy to detain a person who they suspect is a foreigner and is illegally in the country till his status can be determined.

http://www.thaivisa....Act-EN.pdf.html

Interesting reading, but it hasn't answered my original question - I still haven't seen any document that actually states foreingners carry their passport at all times.

[Paagai]

Same as others - Passport and Work Permit in safe, copies and DL in wallet. Except if going somewhere it may be needed (Travel outside CM, or business meetings/government offices/bank etc).

Having seen some of the IDs my Tai Yai acquaintances get away with, I can't take it too seriously. Few of them have proper ID, just a variety of half IDs, medical cards, rent receipts for their room, various NGO ID's, receipt for WP application, UNHCR card, etc etc. In certain parts of town they get stopped regularly and it seems to work for them most of the time, though not always

The Police even asked a friend to sing the Thai national anthem once - to prove he was Thai

Edited June 3, 2011 by Paagai

[Mario2008]

As said, there isn't such regulation. But the immigration act gives the police certain powers and you can be detained till you can produce a proper passport. That doesn't mean it is an offence to not carry the passport, but it can be an inconvinience.

[higgy88]

For me, the biggest problem with carrying my passport with me is that I think that most, if not all, of the Thai police officers believe that it is within their power and authority to confiscate and hold on to my passport. I believe this is usually done, for all practical purposes, until some sort of ransom is paid, and I have heard this to be particularly true if you are involved in a traffic accident. Since I do not believe that they have this authority, I will not give them my passport unless I am reasonably assured that they will give it back. So far, in my many years of living here, I have not had to test this, and hope I never do.

Since I do not believe that the Thai police have the authority to keep my passport, I just decided to do a google search on it. While many countries do engage in this practice, including the USA, I didn't find any definitive yes or no answers. For those interested, here is a very good paper written by a US law school on this subject. The link is a pdf file.

http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1138&context=annlsurvey

Since law papers are usually rather tedious reading, I would just like to quote excepts from the introduction and conclusion.

INTRODUCTION

In the United States of America, the Department of Homeland Security

(“DHS”) confiscates a foreign national’s passport when he or she is

detained pursuant to the initiation of removal proceedings. This is done

for practical reasons—to prevent flight and facilitate return of the foreign

national to his or her country of origin if ordered deported. If the foreign

national is not ordered to be removed from the United States, his or her

passport will be returned by the DHS.

Because “international law is part of United States law, and therefore

must be ascertained and administered by the courts of justice of

appropriate jurisdiction,” one would think that the practical reasons for

administratively confiscating and impounding a foreign national’s

passport would comport with general principles of customary

international law. However, this may not be so.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, we conclude

that the United States government’s impounding of a foreign passport

violates general principles of customary international law because the

United States government’s act of impounding a foreign passport is an

encroachment upon the personal jurisdiction of the issuing State.

Unfortunately, the insert link and insert quotation doesn't seem to be working right now. Oh well!

[dave2]

my passports safely locked away

but i carry a copy of my

latest non im O visa

latest entry stamp and tm 6 form

photo and family details pages of my passport

and my thai drivers licence .... allways 24/7

dave2

ps ... the only times ive ever been asked for it was by immigration / the army / police on visa runs ( ohhhh happy days .. ohhh )and a road very close to the myanmar border between chiang dao .. fang and mae sai years ago

[elektrified]

It is advisable to carry the passport if you are going anywhere near a place where the police are looking for illegal aliens. I have had my passport checked on the bus from Tak to Mae Sot on several occasions. Presumably up near Mae Sai is another area where you might be checked.

You absolutely should carry your passport up by Mae Sot, Mae Sai, etc., etc. The police usually board the buses (sometimes 2 or 3 times up there) and demand to see your passport. They demand to see the ID of Thais also.