SURVEY: Do you believe the police have the right to hold a person's passport?

[reggaebkk]

I believe that people who don't vote and never voted in their life are not subject to any law in their country of origin because they have never been made to agree to that mega-scam... so, in my country of origin, I think police has no right to keep my passport and no right at all actually.

Now if I am in a country that is not my country of origin, I guess I have to follow their law and police can do what they want to me.

[gk10002000]

I have always been told it is a violation of international law to hold a persons passport that only the goverment that you got the passport from has the right to take it. Please corect me if I am wrong.

A nice idea but no, countries can do almost what they want. In the old days, one had to leave the passport at the hotel desk and would collect it when you checked out (and paid).

[Naam]

They are breaking international law by doing so.

if a crime was committed authorities in any country will hold the passport of the perpetrator. an international law concerning passports does not exist. period!

[farcanell]

I believe that people who don't vote and never voted in their life are not subject to any law in their country of origin because they have never been made to agree to that mega-scam... so, in my country of origin, I think police has no right to keep my passport and no right at all actually.

Now if I am in a country that is not my country of origin, I guess I have to follow their law and police can do what they want to me.

I'm just going to go ahead and assume your writing this late at night, and are already in your cups... Because to assume otherwise can only logically mean I have to assume your mentally challenged.

If you choose not to participate in voting in your home country, then you are simply agreeing to go along with whatever the prevailing community trend of the day is, (whilst perhaps breaking the law, as voting in some countries is a legal requirement) so by extension, you AGREE with any "mega scams" that are going on

Living in a country or community is by privilege, and in doing so, you have certain duties put upon you, like the duty to follow local law and custom, or become incarcerated or cast out from that community.

I think it's amazing that with this attitude, your country actually gave you a passport, but then, perhaps their ulterior motive was to get you to leave the country.

As to your last statement... Well... Enjoy the Bangkok Hilton, if you ever end up there, if you believe that another countries officials can do whatever they want with you.

Personally, as an Australian, I would fight strongly against our authorities having the right to do whatever they wanted to do, with any persons, being legally within Australia... To do otherwise is to accept corruption and anarchy (lawlessness... Don't be afraid of that word) and by extension, an infringement of my rights.

But then, I underpin my rights by voting and, in the main, by adhering to the law

As to passport confiscation... Simple.... Don't carry it and it can't be lost or confiscated... Carry a copy of relevant pages only, to show to people with a right to see them..... Job done

[lineofentry]

'Your' passport is the property of your government. The question should be directed to them.

[davidstipek]

As I stated before, If they want to confiscate your Passport:

1. Tell them it is not yours, It belong to your Issuing Country and they need to request from your Embassy or Consulant.

2. Take there picture as proof of who wanted to take it.

3. Give them a copy.

**** Legally they cannot leave you without you issued Passport, while you are outside your Country of Origin. ***

What is going to happen if you go back to retrieve... At this point they say "I don't have it... Never had it!" Are you going to say "A Thai would never do this?" Your only proof of who took and when is getting a Picture. At this point they may change agenda...

Edited February 12, 2016 by davidstipek

[davidstipek]

They are breaking international law by doing so.

if a crime was committed authorities in any country will hold the passport of the perpetrator. an international law concerning passports does not exist. period!

What Mindset are you in? Or can you not read... Or the only other option is you do not possess a Foreign Passport! As it is written inside, who is true owner of this issued Passport. To request possession of it they must submit request to Embassy or Consulate of Issuing Country in Question. This is stated bluntly in International Law in regards to how a Host Country is required to respond in regards to!

If not followed to the Letter, Host Country would have the possibility of being opened to a Defamation Law Suit, or possible repercussions in how Host Country will be treated in future by the Country of Passport's Origin. As end result who's Ass would be in Ringer at this point?

Edited February 12, 2016 by davidstipek

[fekman]

In the Police State, we don't own our passports, the govt does. We have the right to use them. I suppose they would need an agreement with our govt for that. Unless this govt has an agreement with ours, the answer would be no.

[fekman]

Go to embassy, report it lost. Get a new one. Don't ever say stolen, as you will be required to fulfill another step of getting a police report.

[jerojero]

Moot question. Police can do anything because there's no real oversight or accountability within the ranks. Unfortunate that Royal is associated with an organization supposedly to serve the people, but often does not.

[bill1369]

I believe no one has the right to withold or even refuse to issue a passport. It is a certificate of identity that says you are a citizen of a country. Whether some other country accepts it is up to them. I feel I have the right to go where I like when I like within the law.

they should be able to stop at the border but they should not be able to hold or refuse a passport.

I've no clue what the Thai law says or what cops do. But, in the US, it is usually already settled beforehand that an accused must surrender his/her passport to the court when s/he is considered a flight risk and is petitioning for bail.

So, seems logical any country which deems the accused a flight risk could ask for a surrender of passport as a condition of bail. And note: this is a 'voluntary surrender' - I surrender, I get bail; I don't surrender, I go to the slammer.

Of course, there are many gray areas here - like the cops asking to hold on to passport until their tea money has been satisfied.

[PaPiPuPePo]

Seems like some folks don't understand the difference between law enforcement and the judiciary.....a court order and a cop's whim are not the same thing.

[khaowong1]

The question is too vague. Hard to answer. A minor traffic violation, driving a motorcycle without a helmet, no, of course not. A violent crime, robbing, raping, pillaging, sure you bet.