Thai Travel Article In Australia

[harrry]

http://www.smh.com.a...1123-29xc5.html

A quick trip to madness

Date December 3, 2012

Watch out ... police reports don't come for free in Thailand. Photo: Alamy

If I'd known what lay ahead, I might've thrown a rock at the head of the teenager who ran off with the bag containing my passport, driver's licence, credit card and cash. But I wasn't to know then that losing your identity in Thailand starts a downward spiral that could end in temporary insanity, if you let it

[AdamBangkok]

Taking a bag with your passport, driver's licence, credit card and cash to a Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan?!

I think the guys downward spiral into insanity had begun some time before he had his belongings stolen.

[besth]

I don't know who the article's writer is, but he isn't very clever for sure.

Bad luck being having his bag stolen. Stupid to carry everything inside. Extremely badly worked out after that. Unfortunately there are plenty of people who are robbed in Thailand and most of them manage to sort things out a lot better. It still leaves a very bitter taste but it doesn't have to be a drama.

One piece of information someone gave to me a few years ago is that, in any country, if you lose your passport (stolen or lost), take a picture to the police station and ask them to staple and stamp it to the report. It may not be easy to convince them and it has no legal value, but it apparently can work in circumstances like the flight the writer of the article was not allowed to board.

Another point I would question is that the writer of the article got a new passport on arrival to Bangkok. Maybe the Australian Embassy does it, but most other countries would not issue a passport in this case, just a temporary travel document authorizing the bearer to travel back to his/her country. This would never be questioned by Thai customs. Even if it was a new passport, the police report is self explanatory and although I do not have a lot of faith in the Immigration Officers competence to deal with many things, this is something they all must see quite a few times a week, I don't believe they would give the writer a hard time over that.

IMO the article is a lot of BS, made up for whatever reason, be it insurance claim, 15 minutes of fame or anything else.

[Theoutsider]

i took all my money to a full moon party

[tinfoilhat]

This is just whining pure and simple.

[SeaVisionBurma]

This story doesn't add up.

Before my trip, I call my embassy where I'm told it will take a minimum of five working days to replace my passport......

.....I arrive the next day in Bangkok to find my new passport ready - the nice smiling man behind the counter tells me it never takes five days

I'm not buying that in a million years. At what point did this idiot author prepare all of the documentation required to replace a stolen passport? (passport forms, photographs which have been witnessed, police report for the stolen passport)

That part of the story alone is obviously fictitious...

[h90]

I don't know who the article's writer is, but he isn't very clever for sure.

Bad luck being having his bag stolen. Stupid to carry everything inside. Extremely badly worked out after that. Unfortunately there are plenty of people who are robbed in Thailand and most of them manage to sort things out a lot better. It still leaves a very bitter taste but it doesn't have to be a drama.

One piece of information someone gave to me a few years ago is that, in any country, if you lose your passport (stolen or lost), take a picture to the police station and ask them to staple and stamp it to the report. It may not be easy to convince them and it has no legal value, but it apparently can work in circumstances like the flight the writer of the article was not allowed to board.

Another point I would question is that the writer of the article got a new passport on arrival to Bangkok. Maybe the Australian Embassy does it, but most other countries would not issue a passport in this case, just a temporary travel document authorizing the bearer to travel back to his/her country. This would never be questioned by Thai customs. Even if it was a new passport, the police report is self explanatory and although I do not have a lot of faith in the Immigration Officers competence to deal with many things, this is something they all must see quite a few times a week, I don't believe they would give the writer a hard time over that.

IMO the article is a lot of BS, made up for whatever reason, be it insurance claim, 15 minutes of fame or anything else.

A couple of years ago my parents got robbed in Peru and got a temporary travel document from the local police station (which didn't help much) and a passport from the Austrian embassy in Peru. It had a time limit (6 month??) and they could use it to travel a other country on their way back. But they were elderly people and spoke the Austrian dialect and they might had a other document like the Austrian driving license with them (can't recall it, but I guess it was the driving license).

The got a Passport within 30 min while they had a chat with the ambassador (who get assigned to which country....that chat was also pretty interesting).

[h90]

This story doesn't add up.

Before my trip, I call my embassy where I'm told it will take a minimum of five working days to replace my passport......

.....I arrive the next day in Bangkok to find my new passport ready - the nice smiling man behind the counter tells me it never takes five days

I'm not buying that in a million years. At what point did this idiot author prepare all of the documentation required to replace a stolen passport? (passport forms, photographs which have been witnessed, police report for the stolen passport)

That part of the story alone is obviously fictitious...

I don't know for the Australian embassy and I don't know how it is know but a couple of years the embassy could do it.

You only need to think the Australians PMs husband or body guards passport got lost. I guess in 30 min he has a new one.

[kevvy]

when he ran off , did you just watch him run or try and do something ..if you yelled out most people even Thai's will help you

[simple1]

This story doesn't add up.

Before my trip, I call my embassy where I'm told it will take a minimum of five working days to replace my passport......

.....I arrive the next day in Bangkok to find my new passport ready - the nice smiling man behind the counter tells me it never takes five days

I'm not buying that in a million years. At what point did this idiot author prepare all of the documentation required to replace a stolen passport? (passport forms, photographs which have been witnessed, police report for the stolen passport)

That part of the story alone is obviously fictitious...

I don't know for the Australian embassy and I don't know how it is know but a couple of years the embassy could do it.

You only need to think the Australians PMs husband or body guards passport got lost. I guess in 30 min he has a new one.

My Australian passport was stolen & I had to obtain an emergency passport from the embassy in K.L. The process as stated in post #6 is correct. Replacement emergency passport takes 24 hours.

For a full passport takes 10 working days, if applied for in Thailand, but you must have originals of ID documentation such as full birth certificate, drivers license etc (similar to the 100 point system for opening a bank account in Australia), witnessed signed photo by an Australian citizen as well as the guarantor statement that has to be signed within the passport application form. Consular staff will not witness the photo or application as it is a legal requirement that the witness has known you for a minimum of 12 months.

[h90]

This story doesn't add up.

Before my trip, I call my embassy where I'm told it will take a minimum of five working days to replace my passport......

.....I arrive the next day in Bangkok to find my new passport ready - the nice smiling man behind the counter tells me it never takes five days

I'm not buying that in a million years. At what point did this idiot author prepare all of the documentation required to replace a stolen passport? (passport forms, photographs which have been witnessed, police report for the stolen passport)

That part of the story alone is obviously fictitious...

I don't know for the Australian embassy and I don't know how it is know but a couple of years the embassy could do it.

You only need to think the Australians PMs husband or body guards passport got lost. I guess in 30 min he has a new one.

My Australian passport was stolen & I had to obtain an emergency passport from the embassy in K.L. The process as stated in post #6 is correct. Replacement emergency passport takes 24 hours.

For a full passport takes 10 working days, if applied for in Thailand, but you must have originals of ID documentation such as full birth certificate, drivers license etc (similar to the 100 point system for opening a bank account in Australia), witnessed signed photo by an Australian citizen as well as the guarantor statement that has to be signed within the passport application form. Consular staff will not witness the photo or application as it is a legal requirement that the witness has known you for a minimum of 12 months.

That is difficult....what is if there is no witness that knows you for a minimum of 12 month in Thailand? There must be some exceptions or there would be already 100s of Australians roaming the streets.....

Or is there a other travel document? I am not Australian so it does not concern me, but I can't believe that there is no simple way for emergencies....

[simple1]

@h90: Re your post #11. As I said an emergency passport can be provided, but is only valid for 7 months and has a few pages for visa stamps, so it's of limited use as most countries require passport valid for 6 months. For full passport processing I had to courier the application and photo to Australia for signatures. As I live in Thailand I had the original ID documentation to hand, otherwise you would be obligated to have originals sent to you by family/ friend by the likes of DHL etc or if not possible return home

EDIT: Also required to request new O visa with retirement extension from Thai immigration as did not have evidence of re entry permit. This only took an hour as I had relevant seasoned funds in Thai bank account.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Moving to Travel Forum

[mr78]

People like this should at all times keep within 20 meters of their mummy, and definitely not be allowed to travel anywhere without mummy or atleast a legal guardian. Clearly the Australian customs are to blame for this, they should have known better than to let this cry baby board a plane.

[h90]

@h90: Re your post #11. As I said an emergency passport can be provided, but is only valid for 7 months and has a few pages for visa stamps, so it's of limited use as most countries require passport valid for 6 months. For full passport processing I had to courier the application and photo to Australia for signatures. As I live in Thailand I had the original ID documentation to hand, otherwise you would be obligated to have originals sent to you by family/ friend by the likes of DHL etc or if not possible return home

EDIT: Also required to request new O visa with retirement extension from Thai immigration as did not have evidence of re entry permit. This only took an hour as I had relevant seasoned funds in Thai bank account.

Ahh I didn't understand that the emergency passport can be provided, everything clear now :-)