New Boss, New Crackdown for Pattaya Bars

[homsiam]

Many of the policeboss can sitt only fore 5year beacuse of the coruption.Then they be mowed to other districts.So they cant take the bribe.Thats what i heard

[Merryman88]

I've never experienced corruption in Thailand, I've Heard about it but never experienced it !!!!!! unless the 200 Baht I paid for not wearing my motor cycle helmet was ? I thought that was my Beer money contribution

I also carry my passport but in 6 years have never been asked for it been swimming with it even,

Lovely place Thailand they will always think of something new to extract money from your bank account to theirs or Banking as one member calls it

I love getting stopped for a motor bike check Current tax O.K - Helmet O.K you can see their faces dropping as they go through the checklist - Motor cycle licence O.K that's about it - Look at the man in Brown and smile you can see his thinking, its O.K we'll get you next time, they always look surprised when you flash your MC licence perhaps because most Thais don't even know they exist. Never mind come the revolution

[pacovl46]

I like the new Police Chief more and more ....

Finally, they started to work, and not just collecting money.

It's all for show! "Hey, look at me. What a tough guy I am." Then they will tell them that tea money just went up because after all the new guy is so tough - get it?

[petercool]

Contrary to what I posted earlier, after further checking it does seem that the current law expects Foreigners to carry their actual passports or - if they have one - a Thai ID card. While it does depend on circumstances, copies are not valid.

[Amras]

Contrary to what I posted earlier, after further checking it does seem that the current law expects Foreigners to carry their actual passports or - if they have one - a Thai ID card. While it does depend on circumstances, copies are not valid.

Two different rules. One is a valid recognised form of Photo ID (doens't specifically state passports) (which would include a locally issued drivers license). The other regulation is the Immigration act which states that you must be able to prove you are lawfully in the country. So there are two different rules. For most tourists though, the only recognised photo ID is their passport.

The translation of possession of passport is either 'be able to show' or ' have on person', I believe (from what others have said), that it depends on how it is interpreted.

[Emster23]

These crackdowns always crack me up.

[petercool]

Contrary to what I posted earlier, after further checking it does seem that the current law expects Foreigners to carry their actual passports or - if they have one - a Thai ID card. While it does depend on circumstances, copies are not valid.

Two different rules. One is a valid recognised form of Photo ID (doens't specifically state passports) (which would include a locally issued drivers license). The other regulation is the Immigration act which states that you must be able to prove you are lawfully in the country. So there are two different rules. For most tourists though, the only recognised photo ID is their passport.

The translation of possession of passport is either 'be able to show' or ' have on person', I believe (from what others have said), that it depends on how it is interpreted.

Ok. Thanks. That implies at the very least the latest visa possession which would only be in the passport.

[HeavyDrinker]

Same old, same old, expect a few weeks of strictly enforced closing times and maybe the odd impromptu outright mass closure while he puffs his chest out, then it'll be business as usual in a few weeks...

As for photocopies of passports, I took mine to my local Police Station where one of the big-ish fish signed the back along with a photocopy of his own credentials.

[Rimmer]

Some off topic posts removed,

The discussion is about the New Boss not about passports

[HerbalEd]

all wrong !

New boss has to come 1 time in person ,to make sure the payments will

come to him and not to the old boss.

He did not see any naked gogo's dancing,nor one yaba tablet on the floor ,and no guns in a kareoke-bar.

That's perhaps wy he did not like what he saw !

Oh ... so that's the way it works. I wouldn't know.

[penwithcris]

I have lived in Thailand for years and have never once been asked by the police for my passport which I never carry with me anyway.

I think the reason being that I dress and act respectably and never stagger around late at night in an inebriated state. In other words I try to remain 'under the radar' and not drawing attention to myself

[wolfmanjack]

4 Foreign Nationals are arrested for no passport.

In other countries you're usually given time to produce your passport. A passport is something you prefer to keep in a safe place rather than take out for an evening of bar hopping. Thailand still hasn't come to grips with that concept and like to punish those that don't have it on them at all times. I eventually relented and insisted on carrying it with me at all times because even a photo copy of the first two pages will not suffice to the local constabulary, so I knew what the consequences would be. Many world travelers are caught off guard when they're asked to produce on the spot or be incarcerated because Thailand is unique in that respect.

I've heard stories of guys walking out to the street vendor in their shorts and T-shirt for a bowl of soup and busted for not having their passport within steps of their front door. It's ridiculous but to play it safe always have your passport with you.

My passport was not a very pleasant looking document what with being soaked with sweat, beer, and all the wear and tear from carrying it constantly but I avoided a lot of grief on several occasions just by having it with me and it was always a pleasure to see the Boys-in-Brown go "OH Shit" when I was able to produce.

So it may seem stupid to some but I recommend ALWAYS carrying your passport with you when in Thailand because there are many Boys-in-Brown banking (and when I say banking I mean from your account to theirs) on the fact that you're NOT carrying.

Cheers

In 14 years i have only been asked for my passport by the BIB (except at immigration) once. I produced my small card from the USA embassy with my passport number on it and they accepted that instead of my actual passport. Then again I do not hang out in pattaya.

[Basil B]

Bars not pay tea whiskey money, will be shut down...

[Ulic]

Simply sounds like the new guy is re-negotiating the envelope thickness of certain bars he is not happy with.

The only thing they are concerned about are the thickness of the envelopes not the times the bars close.

[Rimmer]

Off topic posts removed also an off topic discussion of Pattaya all in bold fonts

[cup-O-coffee]

How stupid is this article?

What is the time for closure?

So then, walk down the street and if all is dark, then all is well.

If you walk down the street and you see lights and people and such, have a f#ucking clue!

Why even bother to walk into an establishment after the time which you know is past, and dick around with moot questions and such, and allow scumbag photojournalists to be leashed to your crotch and report such stupid material?

Why not tell the photographers to go home, and simply walk in the back door and collect your few thousand bahts and then walk out and shut the f#ck up?

If you are not going to apply a standard, then it really and truly makes you out to be a lunatic to progress one millimeter further when you see lights and people and not shut the whole joint down. Cherry picking makes you out to be an utter ass.

Another flame off and another beggared mind! All the best, my petals.

[lee b]

Can anyone name one country where the police never take back handers? I doubt it if they tell the truth

Nope, you got me on that one....

[Jonmarleesco]

Then perhaps he had better find out which of his officers the bars are paying - or not, since that might involve less effort. Rumour has it that at least one ex-police politico knows all about these things.

[Halion]

I like the new Police Chief more and more ....

Finally, they started to work, and not just collecting money.

Very encouraging to see the police behaving like law enforcement authorities. Doing what they are being trained, and paid to do. Enforcing the laws of the land, and protecting society from the vermin. Perhaps they can start enforcing the no smoking laws, while they are at it, so those of us who do not smoke do not have to endure lung cancer!

Brilliant, truly brilliant. You are living in a country with zero compliance to EH$S or Enviro regulations with a elevated pollution index of sub 10 micron hydrocarbon emissions,minimal food processing standards and all you can do is bleat about the risks from second hand smoke. Pathetic.

[Benmart]

Seems there are a lot of crime fighting experts with advanced degrees in fortune telling. Perhaps a personal inventory is in order for those critics who seem to see all, know all, tell all.

[brewsterbudgen]

Can anyone name one country where the police never take back handers? I doubt it if they tell the truth

Oh. I thought it was a problem unique to Thailand!

[keith7777]

Yes indeed it is a good idea to carry your passport with you at all times so that some well trained pickpocket jerk can take it off of you, mine has been taken off me twice and I never got either of them back. I know where it happened once and who did it but trying to get it back with the kind of denial you get from the taker and no one who will come to your aid is the "impossible task or dream as the case may be". You are very lucky not to have lost yours. My guess is that you do not hang around bars a lot or you hide it in an internal pocket where it cannot be easily taken from you.

[keith7777]

Yes indeed it is a good idea to carry your passport with you at all times so that some well trained pickpocket jerk can take it off of you, mine has been taken off me twice and I never got either of them back. I know where it happened once and who did it but trying to get it back with the kind of denial you get from the taker and no one who will come to your aid is the "impossible task or dream as the case may be". You are very lucky not to have lost yours. My guess is that you do not hang around bars a lot or you hide it in an internal pocket where it cannot be easily taken from you.

This post was in response to Tim Tang and Merryman88 like I say I am glad you two are so lucky. I have never been asked for my passport by a police man even though I have been stopped many times on my bike and given a ticket for not having DL with me or not stopping correctly at a signal light. Mostly the policemen I have interacted with were really good guys and I have no problems with them, the law is the law. I wish the new chief well.

[Keesters]

the job of maintaining law & order has begun

So it was NOT done by the previous police chief! When are charges going to be brought against him and all his subordinates for failing to carry out their duties?

[Loles]

The new broom sweeps well.

But you never know, it's can be a message also: AO TANG !

[IAMSOBAD]

When will he stop the taxi Mafia...Baht bus Mafia and jet ski scams?

NEVER!!!!!!!!!

[EyesWideOpen]

the job of maintaining law & order has begun

So it was NOT done by the previous police chief! When are charges going to be brought against him and all his subordinates for failing to carry out their duties?

Haha I was thinking the exact same thing. I look forward to a future news story

where the former police of Pattaya is brought up on charges for dereliction of

duty by failing to enforce the law in exchange for backhanders... Now I am wondering if that same situation exists in Banglamung . :-)

[timbus8]

You are saying that a photo copy of your passport is not enough to satisfy the Thai police? You have to risk carrying the original with you whenever you leave your home? I do not drive in Mexico but I have carried a copy of my passport & resident paper for over three years & have never been asked to produce papers. I will do whatever the law of the land says but I do not feel comfortable carrying my original passport even in a protected case.

[TimTang]

You are saying that a photo copy of your passport is not enough to satisfy the Thai police? You have to risk carrying the original with you whenever you leave your home? I do not drive in Mexico but I have carried a copy of my passport & resident paper for over three years & have never been asked to produce papers. I will do whatever the law of the land says but I do not feel comfortable carrying my original passport even in a protected case.

In Mexico it's probably OK to present a photo copy but I've witnessed it first hand that it won't work in Thailand. I'm not saying that it won't work everywhere but if you're unfortunate to be in a bar that's being raided the chances are slim that it will work. It's true you could go for years without ever being asked to produce your passport so 99% of the time you're at no risk what so ever. If you avoid Hi-So bars that are frequented by foreigners it's unlikely that you'll ever be present during a raid. Those were the only situations where having a passport saved my ass. Those seem to be the areas where they purposely hit knowing that people generally leave their passports in a safe place rather than bring it with them. It's unfair but the laws in Thailand stipulate that you have to be able to produce your passport when asked, and photo copies will not suffice (there's no 24 hour period that others have said). If you treasure your passport and feel insecure carrying with you then it's probably worth a couple hundred to a couple thousand baht for your peace of mind.

[timbus8]

Thank you Tim Tang. This information is very helpful to me. I appreciate all the feedback from the people who have first hand experience.