ONCB Raid Pub in Walking Street Pattaya

[brewsterbudgen]

Anyone care to comment on the OP?

No? Oh well, guess I'll just have to talk to myself.

Why do you think Pongsapat was involved in a seemingly low level raid on an entertainment venue in Walking Street? Well Wit, it could be because he wants to impress the junta that he is on the ball. Or it was a raid with another purpose that fell flat - perhaps something big like a tip that a major drug kingpin was there.

No Wit, you got it wrong. He was there to check foreigners' passports ... oh!

What is to comment on? It was a drugs raid. Nothing unusual.

[tagranados]

I see the point about making sure it's not a pic of someone else's visa stamp. I hadn't thought of that. But, my local friends are only warning me about not carrying my passport because of the possibility that it is taken and I need to pay money to get it back. That's all they say on that. I don't understand it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[chrisinth]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I see the point about making sure it's not a pic of someone else's visa stamp. I hadn't thought of that. But, my local friends are only warning me about not carrying my passport because of the possibility that it is taken and I need to pay money to get it back. That's all they say on that. I don't understand it.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

It is a controversial subject, as to whether a tourist/ex-pat should be expected to carry their actual passport, especially on a night out. After Thailand received a bloody nose after the missing 777 with the two passengers travelling on stolen passports from Thailand, I half expected to see changes to the rules, to reduce the possibility of these documents being lost/stolen, under the logic of prevention is better than cure.

Personally, I always carry a reduced laminated image (business card size) showing the detail page of the passport with the current extension of stay on the reverse side. Never had problems with this. However, if I am travelling out of province, I always have my passport with me so that it is available at short notice but never carry it out with me.

But as has been mentioned earlier, at the end of the day it will be up to the individual official's interpretation of what is expected.

Rock and hard place.......................

[Asiantravel]

But having your passport on your person is a requirement in many countries if you are a tourist. There are many places I'd never be caught out without it on my person. Just don't need the potential extra hassles by the police.

I have to disagree, the requirement is to be able to produce it upon request. It does not say anywhere one has to have it on them.

If say police stop you on the beach, where will you keep it?

If asked to show passport, theoretically , if you do not have it with you, police would accompany you to your hotel room for you to produce it or give you so many hours to present it for inspection

" If asked to show passport, theoretically , if you do not have it with you, police would accompany you to your hotel room for you to produce it or give you so many hours to present it for inspection "

Is this 100% correct? I had always feared a Catch-22 situation where they would take you to the police station without releasing you until you could produce your passport. That would mean sending someone i can trust to open my safe.

If what you're saying is true it's not so bad after all?

[Asiantravel]

Presumably the foreigners without ID/passports were mostly Lao, Cambodian or from Myanmar? If they were tourists or expats and were taken to the police station, once their passport was produced they were on their way. Inconvenient but hardly the end of the world.

Never met any Cambodian or women from Myanmar there, but the women I know from Laos always have their passporta with them and ao do many of the Thai women who have passports.

Yes, but that could be because the kind of accommodation they could afford may not be so secure compared to accommodation we foreigners live in that have much better security?

[tagranados]

As we all are probably aware, Thailand has bend downgraded due to the problems with people being trafficked. Stolen passports have long been a tool of traffickers and is the main reason I never carry mine. I would rather be inconvenienced to go home and get it then to have it fall into the wrong hands. I'll take that argument up with the police any day. The second link should be pretty useful if it comes to that. I was asked for my passport at the North Pattaya Bus Station just after the curfew went into affect. I had no problem when I showed them my passport card and copy of the visa (actually, I carry a full copy of my passport, not just the visa page).

http://www.irinnews.org/report/78321/niger-nigeria-porous-border-aids-human-trafficking

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/10/thailand-trade-fake-passports-crime-gangs-world

[OMGImInPattaya]

As we all are probably aware, Thailand has bend downgraded due to the problems with people being trafficked. Stolen passports have long been a tool of traffickers and is the main reason I never carry mine. I would rather be inconvenienced to go home and get it then to have it fall into the wrong hands. I'll take that argument up with the police any day. The second link should be pretty useful if it comes to that. I was asked for my passport at the North Pattaya Bus Station just after the curfew went into affect. I had no problem when I showed them my passport card and copy of the visa (actually, I carry a full copy of my passport, not just the visa page).

http://www.irinnews.org/report/78321/niger-nigeria-porous-border-aids-human-trafficking

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/10/thailand-trade-fake-passports-crime-gangs-world

I wouldn't worry about it, especially if, as your avatar implies, you're a relatively clean-up person from an advanced Western or Asian country. If you are a party animal who goes out nitely to the clubs and discos, you might want to consider carrying your passport at those times, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. I've lived in Thailand for a decade and a half and have never been stopped in any public or private place by anyone in authority and asked to produce my passport.

[WitawatWatawit]

Anyone care to comment on the OP?

No? Oh well, guess I'll just have to talk to myself.

Why do you think Pongsapat was involved in a seemingly low level raid on an entertainment venue in Walking Street? Well Wit, it could be because he wants to impress the junta that he is on the ball. Or it was a raid with another purpose that fell flat - perhaps something big like a tip that a major drug kingpin was there.

No Wit, you got it wrong. He was there to check foreigners' passports ... oh!

What is to comment on? It was a drugs raid. Nothing unusual.

Which is exactly my point - nothing unusual. At least on the surface. So, once again, why was Pongsapat there? He has nothing to prove as he is nearing the end of his career and has no political options (not that he cares anymore after the Bkk gov poll). It could be just a simple showing of the flag to boost morale of the troops.

[Pdaz]

If all those arrested without a passport were African I can only congratulate the Royal Thai Police.

[tagranados]

If all those arrested without a passport were African I can only congratulate the Royal Thai Police.

Why for? Your statement doesn't make sense to me. Can you please explain it?

[Pralaad]

But having your passport on your person is a requirement in many countries if you are a tourist. There are many places I'd never be caught out without it on my person. Just don't need the potential extra hassles by the police.

I have to disagree, the requirement is to be able to produce it upon request. It does not say anywhere one has to have it on them.

If say police stop you on the beach, where will you keep it?

If asked to show passport, theoretically , if you do not have it with you, police would accompany you to your hotel room for you to produce it or give you so many hours to present it for inspection

" If asked to show passport, theoretically , if you do not have it with you, police would accompany you to your hotel room for you to produce it or give you so many hours to present it for inspection "

Is this 100% correct? I had always feared a Catch-22 situation where they would take you to the police station without releasing you until you could produce your passport. That would mean sending someone i can trust to open my safe.

If what you're saying is true it's not so bad after all?

There is nothing 100% correct in Thailand

All down to police mood and i guess the aim of asking to see passport.

I am certain if genuine check up they would be accommodating, but if the reason is extortion, not much you can do there

[CWMcMurray]

A copy or thai driving license is easy to carry, and its the law

A Thai driving license was not enough this night.

A guy who was there made a report on Pattaya Addicts and wrote:

" They wanted to see the visa stamp and the passport I'd page.

" If you had a copy of both you were ok. If not you went to the station.

" They did accept pictures on a phone of the current I'd and stamp.

I don't ever carry my passport around with me, but never thought of taking a picture of passport and current visa stamp...

That's easy to do and will this from now on...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Suradit69]

Foreigners without passports, well I certainly wouldn't carry mine around on a night out in Pattaya.

"...I certainly wouldn't carry mine around on a night out in Pattaya."

Thus you would fit the description "foreigner without passport."

Since the police certainly have the right, all the more so under martial law, to see proper identification and/or evidence that you are legally present in the country, I doubt that "a night out in Pattaya" (or I expected to get too wasted to look after my passport) would gain much traction as a defense.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Suradit69

[AdamRich]

I see the point about making sure it's not a pic of someone else's visa stamp. I hadn't thought of that. But, my local friends are only warning me about not carrying my passport because of the possibility that it is taken and I need to pay money to get it back. That's all they say on that. I don't understand it.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

I think the part they want to see is the white paper with your name on it that has the visa stamp, not the page in Your passport that has the stamp. At least that white paper is always what hotels copy.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Rimmer]

One inflammatory post removed