Thailand mulls ID wristbands, curfews for tourists

[sabaii69]

I'm all for it! They could put a bar code on it so they won't take so much of my time taking my motorbike fine money. Good for the jet ski and car rent people too. Cut down on time spent as you're going to get screwed anyway; relax. It sound absurd but it could work at the airport; kinda like paying your overstay fee. Zzzzzzzzzaaaaaappp, finished. See ya later farang

[canuckamuck]

Actually it makes sense. It is obvious the tourist areas are run by the criminals and that the lawmen have decided the money is too good to do the right thing. What is left to do but tag the tourists for easy paperwork before they are sent home in a bag.

[Carrerakiss]

It is quite interesting though just what Thais, or at least some of them, actually think about farang tourists and what they want.

It seems the hotels the Tourism Minister spoke to have some idea how farang tourists think, but the minister herself seems to be living in a place that resembles Thailand some 50 years ago.

Maybe, just maybe, she wants the best for tourists and thinks she is giving them the reassurance that they, the tourists, want. So just how out of touch with her customers is she?

[DennisF]

...and of course Thailand also already has the logistic infrastructure to produce, catalogue, track and recycle tens of millions of these electronic tracking devices from all its border posts so that there will be no embarrassing mistakes, no cases of confused identity, no lost GPS tracking bands, and the cost of all this will be handled in a transparent and efficient manner with no nepotism in awarding the contracts, no tea money and no bureaucratic waste; and ....oh look, a pretty butterfly ....

+1

This idea really has to be a jest.....

The good general said he was going to remove ministers who proved unable to do the job... we are waiting...

[Carrerakiss]

Who comes up with these ideas surely a better way of keeping tourists safe is to have police out and about patrolling instead of setting up checkpoints

This will make tourists stand out and make them targets for every scammer for miles around

And the buddy system where you are paired with a local . hmmmm are none of these robberies assaults, rapes committed by local Thai people then ?

How many times do you have to be told that no Thai person would do such a thing before it sinks into your thick skull!!!!

[Bullie]

Wristband is already in place. It's called a passport, and all aliens are supposed to carry it around with them at all times.

[tx22cb]

What an embarrassment - fire the Minister stat.

And might as well issue tourists with stun guns on arrival.

But seriously, have a Tourist Hotline with English speakers who have the power to take immediate remedial action.

[hobz]

I think it's a great idea to put wristbands on tourists. New triple pricing schemes can now be used. For example taxi will now cost 10 baht for a thai. 20 for an expat without wristband. And 500 for a wristband carrying tourist.

All welcome the new triple pricing!!

[Emster23]

What they need to do is make Thailand like a drive through free range wildlife preserve. Tourists inside protective vehicles and not allowed out. This brought to mind:

All I wanted was some mango pie!!

[stevepompey]

I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life.

Put the tourists in a ghetto with a star. Remind you of a regime who forced people to identify themselves?

Now the UK Government should step in a refuse entry to Thais. And those there - out. An EU sanction maybe.

No mention about enforcing laws and locking up criminals - I am disgusted with the country I enjoyed coming to in 2002.

[sweatalot]

If tourists entering Thailand and get a wristband they will understand fully that they are entering a dangerous country with considerable likelihood to be murdered. But they can rest assured, the wristband will help to identify their dead body - of course it annot protect against murderers, so they understand the priorities in this countrie.

BTW My house is for sale

[The Usual Suspect]

If this program is implemented fully it will be the "kiss of death" to tourism in Thailand. The only other item they could add to make it worse is restricting tourists to certain areas like "ghettos", for their own safety of course. Perhaps Thailand could consult with China about their Tibetan Tourist program......It's starting to sound quite similar.

[AGareth2]

but the minister herself seems to be living in a place that resembles Thailand some 50 years ago.

it was a great place in the 60's

[Bluespunk]

"Thailand's image as a tourist paradise has been badly damaged by the brutal murders of British holidaymakers David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23 earlier this month."

Wrong.

It has been damaged by the incompetence of the investigation, the initial unwillingness to blame Thais, the harassing and beating of migrant labourers to force a confession, the publishing of pictures of the victims in the press, the crass concern over tourist numbers rather than catching the foul scum behind these murders and now this latest piece of insanity about wristbands.

The murders, as terrible as they were, could conceivably happen elsewhere, the utter travesty of an investigation that followed them is another matter. That is what has damaged Thailand's image as paradise.

You reap what you sow.

Edited September 30, 2014 by Bluespunk

[hiller]

I have been here long enough to remember, 2000 - 2001, when they tried to get a law enacted that all farangs, (not foreigners), would have to wear WHITE HELMENTS when riding motorcycles/bikes..

[hobz]

Who comes up with these ideas surely a better way of keeping tourists safe is to have police out and about patrolling instead of setting up checkpoints

This will make tourists stand out and make them targets for every scammer for miles around

And the buddy system where you are paired with a local . hmmmm are none of these robberies assaults, rapes committed by local Thai people then ?

You're assuming that there's even a few competent and honest cops in Thailand. Maybe I'm pessimistic, but I'd bet not even 1 out of 100 cops are competent and honest.

[Fatherfluffybottom]

A ridiculous idea!

Its probably an easier route to tag the local mafia players or people who have been arrested for previous crimes, not the holiday maker!!

[Maestro]

In Switzerland, dogs have by law an RFID chip with ID information implanted under the skin. For cats, it is optional. Somebody should tell the tourism ministress of Thailand about this technology. If location information is needed, you want something else, of course, a wrist or ankle bracelet with a SIM, GPS antenna, Internet connection and an app to transmit the data. This should go a long way to increase tourism in Thailand, combined with visa-exempt entry for six months for everybody and a 50,000 Baht cash bonus on arrival.

[hiller]

I suggest that they get ID numbers or barcodes tattooed on the wrists, and give us all a coloured armband based on our nationality. Perhaps put us in a barbed wire fenced off area for our own protection as well.

Has worked well in North Korea.

[johnmcc6]

How stupid. If they want to kill tourism this is a sure way to do it. Talk about 1984! Surley this will never get off the ground.

[sabaitoo]

Danish Tourist raped by Thai man in Pattaya..oh well ..if the tourist had worn an ID ???

http://scandasia.com/danish-tourist-raped-by-thai-man-in-pattaya-area/

[crazygreg44]

Matter of fact, If go out in the evening carrying the room key on me, I would never carry any identification on me that will reveal my resort/room/hotel. Simply because if I get mugged, it would add insult to injury - the mugger not only steals my wallet but also can break into my room and take away everything else. Why would I want to maximise the risks ?

Is it so difficult to outline the negative towards the positive aspects of an Identification Wristband ? If only Mister Tourism Minister had encountered some brainstorming with a few people on this topic, would have soon realized how far flung his idea is. "Ok, here's your wristband, welcome in Thailand, you are safe, and when you get murdered, it helps identifying you quickly. Thank you for coming !"

[draftvader]

This half-cocked idea has spread already. By the morning this is going to be in the press across Europe, they really don't need to be invited to run stuff like this.....normally it doesn't fall in their laps like this. Expect arrivals to drop to a deadline instantly.

Somebody has already hinted but are we sure this isn't "Thailand will enforce wristbands for all tourists - Visit Malaysia"?

[PhilipCook]

Although yes, it sounds like what is done to criminals in the US with ankle gear to monitor their movement while on probation, I smell a business opportunity that could be as fashionable as having a Hard Rock Cafe tshirt from various countries. Announcing Thai Dog Tags for tourists, for a nominal fee....but imagine, you have this piece of "jewelry" to show that got tagged in Thailand.

[jimbeam1]

There is a saying, "put brain in gear before opening mouth"

Yes but to do that, first you must locate brain. Difficult very difficult.

[Scully]

As well as the wristband, at arrivals immigration will stamp your forehead with your departure date.

[Manbing]

Sheer genius. I remember one country had the bright idea of tattooing ID numbers onto the arms of groups of people for the same reasons, ID.

I forget what happened in that situation, but I am guessing the current raft of ideas are going so be welcomed by international tourists sick of not have enough authoritarianism in their lives.

[fakser]

"Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said she had approached hotels over the idea of handing out wristbands to help identify tourists that get lost or into trouble."

Or make them stand out even more as a target as well as letting assailants know where they are staying and their passport details.

Absolute genius.

Same as your hotel card key is encrypted tha wrist band will probably be. It will be more like a dog's chip...

[soihok]

Buddy system, nice one. This is in use for mitigating the risk of accidents in Construction, engineering, oil/gas etc.

However, it could lead to a beautiful friendship if the book buddy system were to be extended to Thai applicants wishing to be the buddy of a tourist - nudge, nudge, wink, wink say no more?

[jimbeam1]

In Switzerland, dogs have by law an RFID chip with ID information implanted under the skin. For cats, it is optional. Somebody should tell the tourism ministress of Thailand about this technology. If location information is needed, you want something else, of course, a wrist or ankle bracelet with a SIM, GPS antenna, Internet connection and an app to transmit the data. This should go a long way to increase tourism in Thailand, combined with visa-exempt entry for six months for everybody and a 50,000 Baht cash bonus on arrival.

Could also extend to free wifi. Win, win.

jb1