Holding an alien passport illegal, how do I prove it?

[NoshowJones]

CornishCarlos, some hotels will not accept copies of you passport, I could name one very well known one in Bangkok. Geeez, some people right enough.

[cornishcarlos]

CornishCarlos, some hotels will not accept copies of you passport, I could name one very well known one in Bangkok. Geeez, some people right enough.

Then stay at one of the 1000s that don't

Edited November 13, 2013 by cornishcarlos

[fabphil]

are u for real....jesus mate get a life...

[MegaRanter]

Paranoid.

I will give you my passport if you ask, but I expect to have it back if I ask.

I cant ride motorized bikes, so can't rent one,except if it comes with a driver.

I rented a hotel in mukdahan on Monday with my TDL, used my TDL for my son's BC last Friday.

In other unrelated matters.

The only fun I am having in MUK at the moment is watching 5 day old Alex suck on her momma tits. And no body here wants to have anything to do with removing his foreskin.

[430xc]

The three times I have been in Kanchanaburi, it was next to impossible to rent a motorbike without giving the rental business my passport. I tried going to at least 4 different places and they ALL said that every rental business holds on to farang passports and were very happy to show me a stack of passports they had.

I once got around this by finally finding a farang owned motorbike rental business and leaving a substantial deposit. Another time, we left my Thai fiancee's passport which is not as much of a problem as leaving mine.

Renting a real motorcycle in Chiang Mai presented the same experience with regard to having to give up a passport. Sometimes, it feels like the rental businesses have you over a barrel.

Seems to me that when you really want/need to rent a motorbike in this situation, a large deposit may be the best solution.

[NoshowJones]

CornishCarlos, some hotels will not accept copies of you passport, I could name one very well known one in Bangkok. Geeez, some people right enough.

Then stay at one of the 1000s that don't

I do.

[Pikey]

Let me pose this hypothetical question:

Supposing you were the owner of a nice motorbike and you wanted to sell it. Let's say the bike was a 2 year old Kawasaki ER6-n and you valued it at 200,000THB. You advertise it on our beloved Thai Visa classifieds and the phone rings within 10 minutes. You arrange to meet a fellow farang who is keen on the bike. Guy shows up, likes the bike and wants a test ride. What do you say? "sure, here's the keys, go for it"? Err, what about collateral? What do you have to stop him clearing off with your 200,000THB bike?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight to a guy they have never met before. OK so what do you ask for? His first born son? Nah, he's back in Farangland. His wife? Nah, you don't want her sitting around. I know, a full value cash deposit. The guy says, "bloody hell, I don't have it on me". OK then, what about your passport - after all, if you clear off or stuff my bike up, you can't leave the country without it.

Think about it. What would you do and what are the alternatives to ensure your asset is covered?

And yes, I am a farang bike rental operator.

Cheers,

Pikey.

[Hardie]

It would be almost impossible to rent a hotel room in many countries withouit leaving your passport. The obvious answer to all this discussion is to swipe your credit card instead. Maybe one day, the rest of the world will catch up to this modern practice.

[Fullstop]

Just give them "The bird" ... and move on to the next rental place. Plenty of them.

[robblok]

Just don't hand the passport to anyone that asks for it.

It is for official use only.

Police,immigration,etc.

Not motorcycle rental operators and suchlike.

For those a copy should suffice.

Are hotels official? I tried to use my Thai driving license to book in to a hotel, and it was refused. They insisted on my passport.

I get in some hotels with the driving license and not in others.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Fullstop]

What do you have to stop him clearing off with your 200,000THB bike?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight

And yes, I am a farang bike rental operator.

I don't care "what you want" It's illegal to hold my passport. Pure and simple. Get insurance for your "valuable business assets". Unless you follow the same dodgy business practices as your Thai competitors.

Edited November 14, 2013 by Fullstop

[CharlieH]

Let me pose this hypothetical question:

Supposing you were the owner of a nice motorbike and you wanted to sell it. Let's say the bike was a 2 year old Kawasaki ER6-n and you valued it at 200,000THB. You advertise it on our beloved Thai Visa classifieds and the phone rings within 10 minutes. You arrange to meet a fellow farang who is keen on the bike. Guy shows up, likes the bike and wants a test ride. What do you say? "sure, here's the keys, go for it"? Err, what about collateral? What do you have to stop him clearing off with your 200,000THB bike?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight to a guy they have never met before. OK so what do you ask for? His first born son? Nah, he's back in Farangland. His wife? Nah, you don't want her sitting around. I know, a full value cash deposit. The guy says, "bloody hell, I don't have it on me". OK then, what about your passport - after all, if you clear off or stuff my bike up, you can't leave the country without it.

Think about it. What would you do and what are the alternatives to ensure your asset is covered?

And yes, I am a farang bike rental operator.

Cheers,

Pikey.

This scenario is flawed, firstly it is highly unlikely that someone on holiday is going to want to buy your bike !

Anyone interested in buying it, is going to be resident, probably arrive in another vehicle and you have other seperate and normal actions to take for that.

This OP and most of this thread is aimed at rental, people here for a short period etc, if that is your business then you shoukd have adequate insurance against ALL possibilies or you shoukdnt be in business or moan about it when it goes wrong because you were too cheap or chose to take a gamble.

The passport "angle" is just a form of ransom, many fall for and others exploit .

Ask for a reasonable deposit against damage by all means, if they dont have it, they dont rent it, simple!

If theft or total loss is your concern then we are back to the insurance you SHOULD have.

Retaining a passport is cowardice and unprofessional, car hire firms dont do it, why should bikes be any different.

[Fullstop]

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight

As soon as that 'single' brain cell of yours sub divides into two ... Get "Insurance"

[misterme]

Let me pose this hypothetical question:

Supposing you were the owner of a nice motorbike and you wanted to sell it. Let's say the bike was a 2 year old Kawasaki ER6-n and you valued it at 200,000THB. You advertise it on our beloved Thai Visa classifieds and the phone rings within 10 minutes. You arrange to meet a fellow farang who is keen on the bike. Guy shows up, likes the bike and wants a test ride. What do you say? "sure, here's the keys, go for it"? Err, what about collateral? What do you have to stop him clearing off with your 200,000THB bike?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight to a guy they have never met before. OK so what do you ask for? His first born son? Nah, he's back in Farangland. His wife? Nah, you don't want her sitting around. I know, a full value cash deposit. The guy says, "bloody hell, I don't have it on me". OK then, what about your passport - after all, if you clear off or stuff my bike up, you can't leave the country without it.

Think about it. What would you do and what are the alternatives to ensure your asset is covered?

And yes, I am a farang bike rental operator.

Cheers,

Pikey.

This scenario is flawed, firstly it is highly unlikely that someone on holiday is going to want to buy your bike !

Anyone interested in buying it, is going to be resident, probably arrive in another vehicle and you have other seperate and normal actions to take for that.

This OP and most of this thread is aimed at rental, people here for a short period etc, if that is your business then you shoukd have adequate insurance against ALL possibilies or you shoukdnt be in business or moan about it when it goes wrong because you were too cheap or chose to take a gamble.

The passport "angle" is just a form of ransom, many fall for and others exploit .

Ask for a reasonable deposit against damage by all means, if they dont have it, they dont rent it, simple!

If theft or total loss is your concern then we are back to the insurance you SHOULD have.

Retaining a passport is cowardice and unprofessional, car hire firms dont do it, why should bikes be any different.

Why is this an issue?

I have no problem renting a bike and leaving my passport. What is the risk?

When i return the bike, I get the passport back.

I have also rented bikes and taken passports for the deposit. No one declined to leave their passport. I never extorted money from them.

I think this thread is a paranoia campaign. I repeat. Why is this even an issue?

[BShifty]

Noticed a sign at a motorcycle rental in Ao Nang last week only requiring a photocopy of your passport.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tuky]

Why is this an issue?

I have no problem renting a bike and leaving my passport. What is the risk?

When i return the bike, I get the passport back.

I have also rented bikes and taken passports for the deposit. No one declined to leave their passport. I never extorted money from them.

I think this thread is a paranoia campaign. I repeat. Why is this even an issue?

The issue is that the (your) passport does not belong to you, it belongs to the Government that issued it.

In the case of Australia

https://www.passports.gov.au/web/requirements/security.aspx

Passport security

Your passport is an important document. You will certainly need it to identify yourself on entering or leaving most countries. You may also need it for other purposes when overseas, such as checking into hotels and camping sites, buying airline tickets and cashing traveller's cheques.

~

Do not tamper with, or alter your passport in any way. It is an offence under the Australian Passports Act 2005.

Your passport remains the property of the Australian Government.

Your passport must not be sold or given away.

Nor should it be used as security for a private debt.

You must keep your passport in a safe place.

The Australian Government has no arrangement whereby it gives formal authority to travel industry representatives such as cruise companies or hotels to hold Australian passports.

~

If you are asked by a cruise company or hotel to hand over your passport for the duration of your travel, you may wish to approach their management to explore whether the company can make other options available to you, such as providing a copy or scan of your passport, in lieu of physically holding the passport.

[HeijoshinCool]

Let me pose this hypothetical question:

Supposing you were the owner of a nice motorbike and you wanted to sell it. Let's say the bike was a 2 year old Kawasaki ER6-n and you valued it at 200,000THB. You advertise it on our beloved Thai Visa classifieds and the phone rings within 10 minutes. You arrange to meet a fellow farang who is keen on the bike. Guy shows up, likes the bike and wants a test ride. What do you say? "sure, here's the keys, go for it"? Err, what about collateral? What do you have to stop him clearing off with your 200,000THB bike?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight to a guy they have never met before. OK so what do you ask for? His first born son? Nah, he's back in Farangland. His wife? Nah, you don't want her sitting around. I know, a full value cash deposit. The guy says, "bloody hell, I don't have it on me". OK then, what about your passport - after all, if you clear off or stuff my bike up, you can't leave the country without it.

Think about it. What would you do and what are the alternatives to ensure your asset is covered?

And yes, I am a farang bike rental operator.

Cheers,

Pikey.

This scenario is flawed, firstly it is highly unlikely that someone on holiday is going to want to buy your bike !

Anyone interested in buying it, is going to be resident, probably arrive in another vehicle and you have other seperate and normal actions to take for that.

This OP and most of this thread is aimed at rental, people here for a short period etc, if that is your business then you shoukd have adequate insurance against ALL possibilies or you shoukdnt be in business or moan about it when it goes wrong because you were too cheap or chose to take a gamble.

The passport "angle" is just a form of ransom, many fall for and others exploit .

Ask for a reasonable deposit against damage by all means, if they dont have it, they dont rent it, simple!

If theft or total loss is your concern then we are back to the insurance you SHOULD have.

Retaining a passport is cowardice and unprofessional, car hire firms dont do it, why should bikes be any different.

Why is this an issue?

I have no problem renting a bike and leaving my passport. What is the risk?

When i return the bike, I get the passport back.

I have also rented bikes and taken passports for the deposit. No one declined to leave their passport. I never extorted money from them.

I think this thread is a paranoia campaign. I repeat. Why is this even an issue?

Glad it's worked out for you personally. Unfortunately, there are lots of other people in the world who are not so honest as you.

For many others, it hasn't worked out. Lots of cases where the passport was lost, stolen, or, the biggie, held for ransom in lieu of paying high fees for preexisting damage, sort of like the jet ski scams. 10k baht for scuffs, and such.

Just last week, a friend of a friend finally got his passport back, after it was held for six months. He was nearby (i.e., not involved) when a bike accident occurred, and since he was the only foreigner in sight, he got accused. The motorbike shop handed over the passport to the cops, who held it until he finally agreed to pay the victim's mother a large sum of money.

[CharlieH]

Let me pose this hypothetical question:

Supposing you were the owner of a nice motorbike and you wanted to sell it. Let's say the bike was a 2 year old Kawasaki ER6-n and you valued it at 200,000THB. You advertise it on our beloved Thai Visa classifieds and the phone rings within 10 minutes. You arrange to meet a fellow farang who is keen on the bike. Guy shows up, likes the bike and wants a test ride. What do you say? "sure, here's the keys, go for it"? Err, what about collateral? What do you have to stop him clearing off with your 200,000THB bike?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is going to want some form of security before letting a substantial asset out of their sight to a guy they have never met before. OK so what do you ask for? His first born son? Nah, he's back in Farangland. His wife? Nah, you don't want her sitting around. I know, a full value cash deposit. The guy says, "bloody hell, I don't have it on me". OK then, what about your passport - after all, if you clear off or stuff my bike up, you can't leave the country without it.

Think about it. What would you do and what are the alternatives to ensure your asset is covered?

And yes, I am a farang bike rental operator.

Cheers,

Pikey.

This scenario is flawed, firstly it is highly unlikely that someone on holiday is going to want to buy your bike !

Anyone interested in buying it, is going to be resident, probably arrive in another vehicle and you have other seperate and normal actions to take for that.

This OP and most of this thread is aimed at rental, people here for a short period etc, if that is your business then you shoukd have adequate insurance against ALL possibilies or you shoukdnt be in business or moan about it when it goes wrong because you were too cheap or chose to take a gamble.

The passport "angle" is just a form of ransom, many fall for and others exploit .

Ask for a reasonable deposit against damage by all means, if they dont have it, they dont rent it, simple!

If theft or total loss is your concern then we are back to the insurance you SHOULD have.

Retaining a passport is cowardice and unprofessional, car hire firms dont do it, why should bikes be any different.

Why is this an issue?

I have no problem renting a bike and leaving my passport. What is the risk?

When i return the bike, I get the passport back.

I have also rented bikes and taken passports for the deposit. No one declined to leave their passport. I never extorted money from them.

I think this thread is a paranoia campaign. I repeat. Why is this even an issue?

Because not everyone is trustworthy or honest, shock horror, really ?, in Thailand ? you sure ?

Especially when it comes to tourists !.............sadly

Get the wrong dealer in the wrong place and lets see how long you "dont" see it as an issue when your plane departs in say 24hrs and you have no passport and your weighing up 10k or your passport back ? for the minor scratch that was there when you took the bike but is now "deeper" according to the guy thats got your passport held to ransom.

Edited November 15, 2013 by CharlieH

[kiwiinasia]

Try offering up your first born, this might replace a passport.

[HeijoshinCool]

Just don't hand the passport to anyone that asks for it.

It is for official use only.

Police,immigration,etc.

Not motorcycle rental operators and suchlike.

For those a copy should suffice.

Are hotels official? I tried to use my Thai driving license to book in to a hotel, and it was refused. They insisted on my passport.

I get in some hotels with the driving license and not in others.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Yeah, and we all know what kind of hotels they are, Robblok.

[Fullstop]

Nor should it be used as security for a private debt.

Playing Devils's advocate for a second ... It says "should not" ... not "Can not". Bit of a fuzzy grey area.

[willyumiii]

I have given my U.S. ( California ) driver's licence as a deposit rather than my passport when renting a bike before.

They seemed to be happy with any document that they knew I would want to get back.

If they insist on your passport, rent a bike from someone more reasonable.

[Fullstop]

Any place that "demands" a passport probably has no insurance... is dodgy ... a cowboy outfit ... and should be avoided. Keep walking to the next one. Sorted.

[donniereadit]

Report it stolen and list the address and party.