Immigration checking passports in beach restaurant?

[nzexpat]

Which "Police computer" are you referring to ?

<deleted>

[MaeJoMTB]

Which "Police computer" are you referring to ?

<deleted>

There is only one Thai police computer system.

Immigration are part of the Thai police and use the same computer system.

[nzexpat]

Glad you are so well informed and wrong !

[ratcatcher]

Most problems with police, immigration officers or for that matter the military asking for identification, can be avoided by adopting a polite, co-operative attitude. Carrying a decent copy of your passport and visa/extension etc is a requirement.

If you are capable of speaking some Thai, this is always appreciated. They are only doing their job and hold the upper hand.

The moment you start to show that you are offended and you become belligerent and make a scene, then things start to go pear shaped.

It's all about attitude & co-operation, and I don't mean crawling in front of them.

Edited June 10, 2015 by ratcatcher

[Mansell]

In May last year after martial law I was riding from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. I was stopped at a police roadblock and removed my helmet. A cop approached me and pulled out his phone and started to take my picture. When I looked over my shoulder another cop was standing behind me smiling for the picture. They asked me if I spoke Thai and where I was going. I said No, and Chiang Mai. The cop smiled and said Okay, you can go. And that was it. I have ridden all over the country and have never been stopped before on the bike....they just wave me through, which I appreciate. By the by, don't ride in Cambodia as the are really horrible and dangerous drivers. Ride safely.

[nzexpat]

Just out of interest ............

When in May 2014 did this occur ?

The date ?

[Mansell]

I believe martial law started on the Thursday, or at least the curfew. And I left Chiang Rai on the Monday or Tuesday. Why do you ask?

[NancyL]

There have been several incidents in Chiang Mai where foreigners suspected of working illegally have been "rounded up" in the past year by Immigration and detained until they could show their passport and valid visa status. It didn't really matter if they had a work permit or not for lounging around the internet cafe taking care of their "digital nomad business" -- as long as they could prove they were in the country on some sort of legal visa they were just OK.

But they were held at the local immigration office (and fed) until someone could turn up with their passport.

[ToYoungToRetire]

I carried around a photocopy of my US State ID, Passport and International Drivers License all on one paper. Passport always stayed in the hotel safe, didnt want to lose it.

Edited June 10, 2015 by ToYoungToRetire

[delboy]

My driving licence does show my passport number, but I've had 3 new passports since it was issued. When I got my first new passport I went to the office to inform them, but they said there was no need to tell them.

[laislica]

I think according the law, (I know this is the law in most European countries) as a foreigner you must carry your passport, or other document issued by Thai govt. showing your identity, with you at all times (not when swimming of course or diving). I think the officers are a bit liberal on the enforcement of this law thankfully.

In fact the majority of European Countries do not require you to carry your passport or I.D. This applies to the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Norway where it is not law for anyone to carry a passport and they have no National I.D. card. The following countries issue I.D.s but there is a no need to carry rule (no need photocopy either): Switzerland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Italy, Ireland, France, Finland and Austria.

However, one of the exceptions is Germany where you can get locked up for up to 12hours if you cannot produce an I.D. Perhaps this is a left over from World War II. Most other countries accept any form of identification, even a book club membership card in some countries.

In Thailand you do not need to carry your passport at all times but a photocopy of main and visa page is accepted by order of the Government. You may have to produce the passport at the police station later if requested but unlikely. I have been here since 1982 and never had a problem. In my case talking Thai and showing my driving license is enough, they have never asked to see my passport.

+1

I think that you may add Spain to the list of countries issuing their citizens with ID cards.

For sure, i can confirm that a Thai residing in Spain will need to apply for a "Foreigners ID Card" and when "armed" with that can come and go as they please for the next five years. For a Thai wife there are loots of hoops to jump thriugh and it takes about 6 months to complete.

For other Member state people residing in Spain they will be issued with an Identification number and a small credit card sized ID card.

Even if you didnt have that simple ID card with you, knowing your number would be enough - it´s all on their national database.

[wooloomooloo]

My understanding has always been that it's technically a requirement that you do have your passport on you at all times, but they may accept a photocopy (this has come up here on ThaiVisa time and time again.)

That said if you're traveling overland any distance you should always have it on you (which you probably would anway.) Police checks on between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai always ask for ID, although I noticed on my trip this year as much as I had it out they never actually checked, where years past they'd check the stamps, ask me where I was going etc..

Nobody has ever quoted the law or police order requiring anyone to carry a passport. So unless someone does post that, your understanding does not have any basis in fact other than as a way to provide proof of identity.

Tell them you know your rights. Good luck with that.

[coulson]

I think according the law, (I know this is the law in most European countries) as a foreigner you must carry your passport, or other document issued by Thai govt. showing your identity, with you at all times (not when swimming of course or diving). I think the officers are a bit liberal on the enforcement of this law thankfully.

In fact the majority of European Countries do not require you to carry your passport or I.D. This applies to the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Norway where it is not law for anyone to carry a passport and they have no National I.D. card. The following countries issue I.D.s but there is a no need to carry rule (no need photocopy either): Switzerland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Italy, Ireland, France, Finland and Austria.

However, one of the exceptions is Germany where you can get locked up for up to 12hours if you cannot produce an I.D. Perhaps this is a left over from World War II. Most other countries accept any form of identification, even a book club membership card in some countries.

In Thailand you do not need to carry your passport at all times but a photocopy of main and visa page is accepted by order of the Government. You may have to produce the passport at the police station later if requested but unlikely. I have been here since 1982 and never had a problem. In my case talking Thai and showing my driving license is enough, they have never asked to see my passport.

+1

I think that you may add Spain to the list of countries issuing their citizens with ID cards.

For sure, i can confirm that a Thai residing in Spain will need to apply for a "Foreigners ID Card" and when "armed" with that can come and go as they please for the next five years. For a Thai wife there are loots of hoops to jump thriugh and it takes about 6 months to complete.

For other Member state people residing in Spain they will be issued with an Identification number and a small credit card sized ID card.

Even if you didnt have that simple ID card with you, knowing your number would be enough - it´s all on their national database.

Fantastic, thanks for that heads up......

I can't wait for the next piece of irrelevant information about being approached in maybe ,Ukraine? as an Israeli tourist? with a Mexican wife? and something isn't in order, but guess what???..........having a copy of your passport does not harm your situation, it can only help!

[Maestro]

My understanding has always been that it's technically a requirement that you do have your passport on you at all times, but they may accept a photocopy (this has come up here on ThaiVisa time and time again.)

That said if you're traveling overland any distance you should always have it on you (which you probably would anway.) Police checks on between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai always ask for ID, although I noticed on my trip this year as much as I had it out they never actually checked, where years past they'd check the stamps, ask me where I was going etc..

Nobody has ever quoted the law or police order requiring anyone to carry a passport. So unless someone does post that, your understanding does not have any basis in fact other than as a way to provide proof of identity.

There is no such law, but there is a clause in the Immigration Act stipulating the penalty -- a fine or imprisonment or both -- for being in Thailand without a valid permission to stay. Unlike with most other crimes, eg murder, with an illegal stay in Thailand you are not considered innocent until proven guilty; it is for you to prove that you are innocent and the evidence for that happens to be in your passport. If you are unable or unwilling to show this evidence to a police officer when requested to do so you will be treated fairly and given an opportunity to present it to a judge in a court of law.

If a police officer merely needs to verify your identity it is up to him to decide, presumably based on guidelines issued to him by his superiors, what document other than a passport is acceptable for this purpose.

[Asheron]

I used to carry a copy of the front page of my passport year one here, now for 4.5 years I have not, just drivers license, in Isaan, so far have never been asked for passport just license and maybe money in traffic stops. I keep a 100 Baht note with my license that is all they get if they hassle me for money.

Or I get my pen out and ask them for their names, phone numbers and I.D.

Just what makes you think that you have any right to ask them for their phone number ?

Same right anyone else has when it comes to asking any questions. I can for instance ask what's your number but i can't demand to know it. Capish?

[Tomtomtom69]

Thought I'd posted a response already, anywho.......

I have friends in TWL, they have reported this happening before. The last time I heard of it was a year ago. In a similar manner, they came into a beach restaurant / bar and asked all foreigners for ID and took photo's of everyone. In one case, Thai drivers license was enough (better carry a photocopy of your visa/ passport anyway) & it was all rather friendly. After finishing up, went on their way with no issues.

Few stories went around that it was maybe related to an incident up the Coast, but why speculate! Pathio district is quite a wealthy Thai community, compared to elsewhere, and it is relatively unspoiled. I don't think it's much more than keeping tabs on who's around town and showing a presence!

Still, it's not a good sign if a community that I thought attracted only very few foreigners to it's shores (until I stayed there for a night last week on my way from Phuket to Bangkok) when I discovered a number of older Germans and one Chinese family who stayed there as guests at the same time as I did, as well as at least one other younger westerner attracts police/immigration attention. So while it is hardly Pattaya or Phuket, there were far more foreigners there than I expected to see.

My stay was short, nice and uneventful. However, it is a bit concerning to have police come up to you and ask for ID for no apparent reason and besides, who carries their passport to the beach?

Having said that, as someone who has travelled more kms on Thai highways in a shorter span of time than most Thais and foreigners alike, random police stops do occur and occasionally they ask me for ID. In all cases, I present my Thai drivers licence (which is generally more likely to be requested than a passport anyway, given that a passport does not prove ability to drive) but my friendly demeanor and fluent Thai speaking ability almost always alleviates any concerns the police may have had. It's almost always about what you tell them or don't tell them, that in addition to perhaps curiousity or what you're carrying in your vehicle that attracts attention or not. In one case I got stopped at a makeshift checkpoint that I have noticed only operates at night near my place. Had I made a left turn rather than gone straight (both ways are about equidistant) I could have avoided getting stopped in the first place as they were only stopping traffic going straight (Thai logic?) When asked where I had traveled from that day, with Cambodia the answer they searched my vehicle and asked to see my driver's licence, which they may not have done had I not given them that much information. Of course since I was actually coming from Cambodia (my car at the time wasn't allowed to enter Cambodia anyway nor can any car at that border) I had my passport on me but it was not requested and wouldn't have likely made any difference anyway.

In all cases when the police have ever requested a passport, it was never from me directly but from my travelling companions. In one case this was a Vietnamese friend, in another a Sri Lankan friend who was assumed to be Indo-Burmese (as the stop was made at the last checkpoint just before entering Mae Sot, near the Burmese border) but even there, the army officer wanted to see a passport to confirm my friend's nationality as not being Burmese. He did not however, check his visa status.

[Tomtomtom69]

My understanding has always been that it's technically a requirement that you do have your passport on you at all times, but they may accept a photocopy (this has come up here on ThaiVisa time and time again.)

That said if you're traveling overland any distance you should always have it on you (which you probably would anway.) Police checks on between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai always ask for ID, although I noticed on my trip this year as much as I had it out they never actually checked, where years past they'd check the stamps, ask me where I was going etc..

Nobody has ever quoted the law or police order requiring anyone to carry a passport. So unless someone does post that, your understanding does not have any basis in fact other than as a way to provide proof of identity.

There is no such law, but there is a clause in the Immigration Act stipulating the penalty -- a fine or imprisonment or both -- for being in Thailand without a valid permission to stay. Unlike with most other crimes, eg murder, with an illegal stay in Thailand you are not considered innocent until proven guilty; it is for you to prove that you are innocent and the evidence for that happens to be in your passport. If you are unable or unwilling to show this evidence to a police officer when requested to do so you will be treated fairly and given an opportunity to present it to a judge in a court of law.

If a police officer merely needs to verify your identity it is up to him to decide, presumably based on guidelines issued to him by his superiors, what document other than a passport is acceptable for this purpose.

You are right, but in might be good if the police or other authorities in Thailand actually started to get into the 21st century and use computers. Since I thought all information related to a foreigner's stay in Thailand should be recorded on the immigration computer system, it should also be very easy using just a name, nationality and passport number to bring up this information and ascertain that a foreigner's stay in the country is legal.

Look at what Australia did. They eliminated visa stickers for most foreigners. Now if you want one you have to pay for it, but they aren't routinely given out anymore. But it is very straightforward for immigration there to look up someone's visa status and entitlements just by keying in some basic information into their immigration computers. Simply requesting to look at a passport would yield nothing because there is no physical evidence of the foreigner's visa or stay entitlements, other than a stamp, which indicates when they arrived in the country. Hong Kong even went further and stopped stamping passports altogether, though they do stamp a separate piece of paper.

A lot of hassle on both sides could be eliminated if the authorities here could stop living in 1980 and use what really isn't even the latest technology anyway. How hard can it be?

[robblok]

Same for France, ID's required. It could be: Identity Card, Passport, Driving Licence, Student Card, etc.

I think according the law, (I know this is the law in most European countries) as a foreigner you must carry your passport, or other document issued by Thai govt. showing your identity, with you at all times (not when swimming of course or diving). I think the officers are a bit liberal on the enforcement of this law thankfully.

In fact the majority of European Countries do not require you to carry your passport or I.D. This applies to the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Norway where it is not law for anyone to carry a passport and they have no National I.D. card. The following countries issue I.D.s but there is a no need to carry rule (no need photocopy either): Switzerland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Italy, Ireland, France, Finland and Austria.

However, one of the exceptions is Germany where you can get locked up for up to 12hours if you cannot produce an I.D. Perhaps this is a left over from World War II. Most other countries accept any form of identification, even a book club membership card in some countries.

In Thailand you do not need to carry your passport at all times but a photocopy of main and visa page is accepted by order of the Government. You may have to produce the passport at the police station later if requested but unlikely. I have been here since 1982 and never had a problem. In my case talking Thai and showing my driving license is enough, they have never asked to see my passport.

The Finnish law states that anyone above the age of 15 must be able to reliably identify themselves to authorities. A reliable identification can be also carried out by investigative procedures. In practice, this means that everyone has to carry either passport, national ID or driving license at all times. If you do not have one on you, the "investigative procedures" means you are taken in (holding cell) until you are identified. No one really wants to go that way, so everyone keeps some sort of ID on them at all times.

Dutch people need ID too.. and not just a book card. Could be a passport or an ID card.. not officially a drivers license. So its not so strange that they ask some form of identification here.

I always have my Thai drivers license with me and phone that has pictures of my passport and stamps.

[Asheron]

Thought I'd posted a response already, anywho.......

I have friends in TWL, they have reported this happening before. The last time I heard of it was a year ago. In a similar manner, they came into a beach restaurant / bar and asked all foreigners for ID and took photo's of everyone. In one case, Thai drivers license was enough (better carry a photocopy of your visa/ passport anyway) & it was all rather friendly. After finishing up, went on their way with no issues.

Few stories went around that it was maybe related to an incident up the Coast, but why speculate! Pathio district is quite a wealthy Thai community, compared to elsewhere, and it is relatively unspoiled. I don't think it's much more than keeping tabs on who's around town and showing a presence!

Still, it's not a good sign if a community that I thought attracted only very few foreigners to it's shores (until I stayed there for a night last week on my way from Phuket to Bangkok) when I discovered a number of older Germans and one Chinese family who stayed there as guests at the same time as I did, as well as at least one other younger westerner attracts police/immigration attention. So while it is hardly Pattaya or Phuket, there were far more foreigners there than I expected to see.

My stay was short, nice and uneventful. However, it is a bit concerning to have police come up to you and ask for ID for no apparent reason and besides, who carries their passport to the beach?

Having said that, as someone who has travelled more kms on Thai highways in a shorter span of time than most Thais and foreigners alike, random police stops do occur and occasionally they ask me for ID. In all cases, I present my Thai drivers licence (which is generally more likely to be requested than a passport anyway, given that a passport does not prove ability to drive) but my friendly demeanor and fluent Thai speaking ability almost always alleviates any concerns the police may have had. It's almost always about what you tell them or don't tell them, that in addition to perhaps curiousity or what you're carrying in your vehicle that attracts attention or not. In one case I got stopped at a makeshift checkpoint that I have noticed only operates at night near my place. Had I made a left turn rather than gone straight (both ways are about equidistant) I could have avoided getting stopped in the first place as they were only stopping traffic going straight (Thai logic?) When asked where I had traveled from that day, with Cambodia the answer they searched my vehicle and asked to see my driver's licence, which they may not have done had I not given them that much information. Of course since I was actually coming from Cambodia (my car at the time wasn't allowed to enter Cambodia anyway nor can any car at that border) I had my passport on me but it was not requested and wouldn't have likely made any difference anyway.

In all cases when the police have ever requested a passport, it was never from me directly but from my travelling companions. In one case this was a Vietnamese friend, in another a Sri Lankan friend who was assumed to be Indo-Burmese (as the stop was made at the last checkpoint just before entering Mae Sot, near the Burmese border) but even there, the army officer wanted to see a passport to confirm my friend's nationality as not being Burmese. He did not however, check his visa status.

First, stop talking thai to cops. This will help in two ways, you understand what they say but they "can't" communicate with you which tends to almost always result in "move along".

Second, i would be very surprised if cops do not need a warrant in Thailand to search your vehicle. Of course it's another thing if you willingly let them search your vehicle.

Third, always take up your smartphone and start filming with something like bambuser so the recording is stored online.

[Asheron]

I think according the law, (I know this is the law in most European countries) as a foreigner you must carry your passport, or other document issued by Thai govt. showing your identity, with you at all times (not when swimming of course or diving). I think the officers are a bit liberal on the enforcement of this law thankfully.

In fact the majority of European Countries do not require you to carry your passport or I.D. This applies to the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Norway where it is not law for anyone to carry a passport and they have no National I.D. card. The following countries issue I.D.s but there is a no need to carry rule (no need photocopy either): Switzerland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Italy, Ireland, France, Finland and Austria.

However, one of the exceptions is Germany where you can get locked up for up to 12hours if you cannot produce an I.D. Perhaps this is a left over from World War II. Most other countries accept any form of identification, even a book club membership card in some countries.

In Thailand you do not need to carry your passport at all times but a photocopy of main and visa page is accepted by order of the Government. You may have to produce the passport at the police station later if requested but unlikely. I have been here since 1982 and never had a problem. In my case talking Thai and showing my driving license is enough, they have never asked to see my passport.

I can confirm that in Sweden you do not have to carry nor present your ID except in one circumstance and that is worded like this in "§14 Polislagen" (police law): "finns det särskild anledning anta att han är efterspanad eller efterlyst" which roughly means if a police officer has good reason to suspect that a person is "sought after by the law" then he/she have to present an ID to the police officer. Of course driving a vehicle is entirely another thing as you always have to present your drivers license if you drive but not a single passenger has to ID themself to the police (excluding the above §14 in "Polislagen").

[baboon]

I am told there is a fair amount of grassing by rival business owners on that beach. Which restaurant was it?

[Tomtomtom69]

I think according the law, (I know this is the law in most European countries) as a foreigner you must carry your passport, or other document issued by Thai govt. showing your identity, with you at all times (not when swimming of course or diving). I think the officers are a bit liberal on the enforcement of this law thankfully.

In fact the majority of European Countries do not require you to carry your passport or I.D. This applies to the UK, Denmark, Ireland, Norway where it is not law for anyone to carry a passport and they have no National I.D. card. The following countries issue I.D.s but there is a no need to carry rule (no need photocopy either): Switzerland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Italy, Ireland, France, Finland and Austria.

However, one of the exceptions is Germany where you can get locked up for up to 12hours if you cannot produce an I.D. Perhaps this is a left over from World War II. Most other countries accept any form of identification, even a book club membership card in some countries.

In Thailand you do not need to carry your passport at all times but a photocopy of main and visa page is accepted by order of the Government. You may have to produce the passport at the police station later if requested but unlikely. I have been here since 1982 and never had a problem. In my case talking Thai and showing my driving license is enough, they have never asked to see my passport.

Estrada, I can confirm that in many European countries, including Switzerland, both nationals and foreigners MUST carry a legal form of ID with them. In Switzerland, there was a case of a Sri Lankan man who could not produce his passport when requested a year or two ago when stopped by the police in Zurich and was subsequently detained. Even Swiss citizens are supposed to carry valid ID with them and no a gym membership is not a valid form of ID. A Swiss citizen ID card is however. I can't speak for the UK or every EU country, which as you state, don't all issue their own citizen ID cards anyway not to mention that the UK is an exception on many such matters because it isn't even part of the Schengen zone.

In Europe it's even interesting how they treat resident citizens vs. non-resident citizens. Despite being an integrated customs and freedom of movement zone, nationals, EU foreigners and non-EU foreigners must all register (certainly in Switzerland as well as most other European countries) with their local authorities to register their address. In the case of Swiss citizens, this is, amongst other reasons done so the authorities can keep track of people for reasons of tax obligation and presumably, for younger folks so they can get drafted as part of the national service requirements. Banks are now requiring such evidence of Swiss citizens who claim they reside in Switzerland but in fact reside abroad, who in many cases must give up their bank accounts because Swiss banks are increasingly no longer allowed to serve their customers abroad, particularly those who reside outside of Europe.

So, unless you have some concrete evidence of what you're saying is true, in regards to Switzerland, Holland, France and most other European countries, what you claim is hearsay.

Oh, and another example for you to prove you are wrong: in Greece my dad's former Thai students were stopped by the police and were asked for their passports. Of course they had them with them, but if they hadn't they may have been in trouble. Of course, you could say that they were targeted specifically because Thais are not commonly seen in Greece - neither my dad nor mom were asked for their ID cards at that time. Then again, maybe it's the same thing that happened in Chumphon - racial profiling. Westerners in a country with only a very tiny minority of similar looking people specifically targeted for an inspection based on them "not looking local" but with no real sinister motive intended.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thought I'd posted a response already, anywho.......

I have friends in TWL, they have reported this happening before. The last time I heard of it was a year ago. In a similar manner, they came into a beach restaurant / bar and asked all foreigners for ID and took photo's of everyone. In one case, Thai drivers license was enough (better carry a photocopy of your visa/ passport anyway) & it was all rather friendly. After finishing up, went on their way with no issues.

Few stories went around that it was maybe related to an incident up the Coast, but why speculate! Pathio district is quite a wealthy Thai community, compared to elsewhere, and it is relatively unspoiled. I don't think it's much more than keeping tabs on who's around town and showing a presence!

Still, it's not a good sign if a community that I thought attracted only very few foreigners to it's shores (until I stayed there for a night last week on my way from Phuket to Bangkok) when I discovered a number of older Germans and one Chinese family who stayed there as guests at the same time as I did, as well as at least one other younger westerner attracts police/immigration attention. So while it is hardly Pattaya or Phuket, there were far more foreigners there than I expected to see.

My stay was short, nice and uneventful. However, it is a bit concerning to have police come up to you and ask for ID for no apparent reason and besides, who carries their passport to the beach?

Having said that, as someone who has travelled more kms on Thai highways in a shorter span of time than most Thais and foreigners alike, random police stops do occur and occasionally they ask me for ID. In all cases, I present my Thai drivers licence (which is generally more likely to be requested than a passport anyway, given that a passport does not prove ability to drive) but my friendly demeanor and fluent Thai speaking ability almost always alleviates any concerns the police may have had. It's almost always about what you tell them or don't tell them, that in addition to perhaps curiousity or what you're carrying in your vehicle that attracts attention or not. In one case I got stopped at a makeshift checkpoint that I have noticed only operates at night near my place. Had I made a left turn rather than gone straight (both ways are about equidistant) I could have avoided getting stopped in the first place as they were only stopping traffic going straight (Thai logic?) When asked where I had traveled from that day, with Cambodia the answer they searched my vehicle and asked to see my driver's licence, which they may not have done had I not given them that much information. Of course since I was actually coming from Cambodia (my car at the time wasn't allowed to enter Cambodia anyway nor can any car at that border) I had my passport on me but it was not requested and wouldn't have likely made any difference anyway.

In all cases when the police have ever requested a passport, it was never from me directly but from my travelling companions. In one case this was a Vietnamese friend, in another a Sri Lankan friend who was assumed to be Indo-Burmese (as the stop was made at the last checkpoint just before entering Mae Sot, near the Burmese border) but even there, the army officer wanted to see a passport to confirm my friend's nationality as not being Burmese. He did not however, check his visa status.

First, stop talking thai to cops. This will help in two ways, you understand what they say but they "can't" communicate with you which tends to almost always result in "move along".

Second, i would be very surprised if cops do not need a warrant in Thailand to search your vehicle. Of course it's another thing if you willingly let them search your vehicle.

Third, always take up your smartphone and start filming with something like bambuser so the recording is stored online.

Well, if I was offended or whatever I would have raised this at the first opportunity but Thai cops are usually very friendly and polite and I have never had a bad incident with them. Unlike you though I can speak fluent Thai (including reading and writing) so there are never any communication issues. Since I speak Thai with every single Thai person in Thailand no matter who they are or where I meet them, the police are not going to be an exception. Not being able to communicate can make things worse, not better.

Any searches ever made of my vehicle (except 1) have never been very thorough though. That one I just described happened late at night, maybe it was 11pm or something because before that time there is no checkpoint at that particular intersection anyway so it was dark and I was able to move on with just a couple of mins. In most cases, I am not even stopped at all.

I also have a dashcam now too BTW.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Tomtomtom69

[smedly]

There was a news report the last few days about some fake police/immigration or similar visiting farangs in their homes and asking for personal details etc, are you sure these guys were in fact genuine officials, just a heads up