Police introduce system to reduce passport fraud in Phuket

[NamKangMan]

With a copy off the passport they still can report to guy / girl to the police and immigration. So it is utter BS that they need the reel passport.

And if by then the renter sold the bike for Baht 5000 and took off for Kuala Lumpur or Bali, how is reporting it to the police or immigrations going to accomplish anything? I doubt very much that Interpol will prioritize tracking down some numbnuts who didn't return a motorbike rental and the stolen bike could be broken up for spare parts before it's tracked down.

"And if by then the renter sold the bike for Baht 5000 and took off for Kuala Lumpur or Bali" - and they can't sell the bike and report their passport lost and get a new one, on their way to Kuala Lumpur or Bali????

[evadgib]

@MadMitch #12

The reason a passport is kept is to ensure that the bike is returned, though I do accept that a very small number of rental shops may use the passport as a means of extortion.

"No beach or Mountains" was a common clause in contracts a few years ago, with punters being presented with digital 'evidence' at the point of return. THB 1k typically went to the photographer (fruitgrower/beach peddlar with a phone cam who had been primed to collate & forward)while the remainder (THB 49k for jeeps & 15-20k for bikes) went to the extortionists. I haven't heard of the practice for a while..

HTH

Edited March 14, 2014 by evadgib

[thepool]

I met a young Aussie a couple of days ago. He had hired a bike and crashed it.

Now his travel insurance company is refusing to pay his hospital bills.

He is being asked to pay 40,000 for the damage caused to the bike but does not have the money.

His passport is being "held" .

The Australian embassy advised that he have family send funds.

All self inflicted pain !

[NamKangMan]

I met a young Aussie a couple of days ago. He had hired a bike and crashed it.

Now his travel insurance company is refusing to pay his hospital bills.

He is being asked to pay 40,000 for the damage caused to the bike but does not have the money.

His passport is being "held" .

The Australian embassy advised that he have family send funds.

All self inflicted pain !

You can buy a new bike for 50,000 baht.

I'm surprised they didn't demand 60,000 baht.

[FritsSikkink]

With a copy off the passport they still can report to guy / girl to the police and immigration. So it is utter BS that they need the reel passport.

And if by then the renter sold the bike for Baht 5000 and took off for Kuala Lumpur or Bali, how is reporting it to the police or immigrations going to accomplish anything? I doubt very much that Interpol will prioritize tracking down some numbnuts who didn't return a motorbike rental and the stolen bike could be broken up for spare parts before it's tracked down.

1) It is illegal to hold somebody's passport

2) How many renters would do that?

3) The next time they come to Thailand they would be arrested

[FireMedic]

Police introduce system to reduce passport fraud in Phuket:

Anyone caught with a forged passport will have a mandatory 30 year sentence at Bang Kwang. Anyone caught forging passports will be Hanged the following day. Anyone caught taking a passport as collateral with be Caned in public according to Singaporean methods.

Problem solved.