Walking Street Sweep Nets 30 Foreigners Without Proper Papers in Pattaya

[snoop1130]

Walking Street Sweep Nets 30 Foreigners Without Proper Papers in Pattaya
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Police checks the identification document of foreign tourists at a club on Pattaya Walking Street early Friday morning.

PATTAYA —- More than 100 officers raided nightclubs along Pattaya’s famed Walking Street early Friday morning and took dozens of foreigners in for interrogation because they were not holding passports.

Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau and soldiers from the 14th Military Base went into five venues in the infamous nightlife and red-light area in what was billed as a crackdown on transnational crime, which ended up finding at least 30 foreigners without their passports.

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1455879034

-- Khaosod English 2016-02-19

[AZBill]

Good! If they don't have a passport you got to wonder why!

[RIJoe]

Back to the dead horse....

[chiang mai]

Perhaps their passport was safe at home, where every good passport should be.

And before any one goes there, there is no law that says passports must be carried on the person at all times, they must instead be easily accessible within reasonable timescales, aka, in a hotel safe within 24 hours etc.

Edited February 19, 2016 by chiang mai

[kandi]

Who takes their passport into a night club, in Pattaya?!

[Cuchulainn]

This old chestnut again!!! Ken I zee your papers, bitte? Ist everyzing in order?

[Bluespunk]

"All of them were taken in for criminal record checks and were reportedly released after they were able to show their passports to police."

Take your passport with you on a night out on walking street?

I wouldn't.

[BaldPlumber]

Good! If they don't have a passport you got to wonder why!

Perhaps because they didn't want to risk it being lost or stolen.

Perhaps because they were from countries where it is not necessary to be in permanent possession of ID and they aren't aware of the rules here.

Your implication that they were all up to no good is frankly, ridiculous.

[ukrules]

Good! If they don't have a passport you got to wonder why!

I keep my passport safely at home all the time.

[Asiantravel]

so when was this assurance revoked?

" Deputy Commander Voravat confirmed that foreign tourists and expats do not need to carry their passports with them at all times."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747736-no-need-to-worry-says-bangkok-immigration-commander/

[Grumpy Old Man]

I never carry my UK passport / Visa . . . I only carry my Thai driving license on which my ID number is also my UK passport number. To carry your passport at a place like Walking Street in Pattaya is just asking for problems !

[andre47]

so when was this assurance revoked?

" Deputy Commander Voravat confirmed that foreign tourists and expats do not need to carry their passports with them at all times."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747736-no-need-to-worry-says-bangkok-immigration-commander/

"Deputy Commander Voravat also said that for expats living here, a Thai driving license or photocopy of your passport can be used as a form of identification."

I think that everybody must be able to proof his identity in some kind. I have a copy of my passport and visa all the time. Just a photo on my smartphone.

Edited February 19, 2016 by andre47

[robblok]

I have a Thai drivers license and I have a copy of my passport with all relevant visa's on my phone and a hard copy in my wallet. Should be enough.. otherwise tough luck loosing a passport is far more of a problem.

[Prbkk]

Perhaps their passport was safe at home, where every good passport should be.

And before any one goes there, there is no law that says passports must be carried on the person at all times, they must instead be easily accessible within reasonable timescales, aka, in a hotel safe within 24 hours etc.

Quite. And did not the RTP say just that after the incidents at Asoke?

[Asiantravel]

so when was this assurance revoked?

" Deputy Commander Voravat confirmed that foreign tourists and expats do not need to carry their passports with them at all times."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747736-no-need-to-worry-says-bangkok-immigration-commander/

"Deputy Commander Voravat also said that for expats living here, a Thai driving license or photocopy of your passport can be used as a form of identification."

I think that everybody must be able to proof his identity in some kind. I have a copy of my passport and visa all the time. Just a photo on my smartphone.

yes I also carry my Thai drivers license at all times.

But in the Pattaya section someone has started a thread today saying the " road was blocked and are checking all drivers paperwork. Also asking farangs for passports. ".

when a police officer stops a motorist the first thing they usually ask for is a drivers license which shows the passport number. I would also reckon that 90% of farangs in Thailand driving a car would have a Thai drivers license. So why were they also asking for passports?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/896379-bib-clampdown-cars-pattaya/

Edited February 19, 2016 by Asiantravel

[Briggsy]

What a crock.

Welcome to Thailand. Please all tourists, come to our overpriced strip of bars and then get pulled down the police station on some pathetic archaic law which even the cops can't agree on.

Remind me why I haven't bothered with Walking Street for the last ten years. Is it the overpricing, the violence, the overcrowding, the lack of fire exits, the stiletto-wielding transvestites or the ridiculous hassle from the police. I can't decide which it is.

[terryp]

Nothing ever changes for the better... thats the real sad part of this place

[jacky54]

well at least they were not playing bridge

[andre47]

so when was this assurance revoked?

" Deputy Commander Voravat confirmed that foreign tourists and expats do not need to carry their passports with them at all times."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747736-no-need-to-worry-says-bangkok-immigration-commander/

"Deputy Commander Voravat also said that for expats living here, a Thai driving license or photocopy of your passport can be used as a form of identification."

I think that everybody must be able to proof his identity in some kind. I have a copy of my passport and visa all the time. Just a photo on my smartphone.

yes I also carry my Thai drivers license at all times.

But in the Pattaya section someone has started a thread today saying the " road was blocked and are checking all drivers paperwork. Also asking farangs for passports. ".

when a police officer stops a motorist the first thing they usually ask for is a drivers license which shows the passport number. I would also reckon that 90% of farangs in Thailand driving a car would have a Thai drivers license. So why were they also asking for passports?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/896379-bib-clampdown-cars-pattaya/

So why were they also asking for passports?

Maybe because the driver license don't have any information about your right to stay in the kingdom. (Visa)

[Asiantravel]

so when was this assurance revoked?

" Deputy Commander Voravat confirmed that foreign tourists and expats do not need to carry their passports with them at all times."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747736-no-need-to-worry-says-bangkok-immigration-commander/

"Deputy Commander Voravat also said that for expats living here, a Thai driving license or photocopy of your passport can be used as a form of identification."

I think that everybody must be able to proof his identity in some kind. I have a copy of my passport and visa all the time. Just a photo on my smartphone.

yes I also carry my Thai drivers license at all times.

But in the Pattaya section someone has started a thread today saying the " road was blocked and are checking all drivers paperwork. Also asking farangs for passports. ".

when a police officer stops a motorist the first thing they usually ask for is a drivers license which shows the passport number. I would also reckon that 90% of farangs in Thailand driving a car would have a Thai drivers license. So why were they also asking for passports?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/896379-bib-clampdown-cars-pattaya/

So why were they also asking for passports?

Maybe because the driver license don't have any information about your right to stay in the kingdom. (Visa)

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

[andre47]

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

Why do you make a drama from carrying a copy of your passport? Is it so difficult?

[Bluespunk]

Deleted. Misread post I was responding to.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Bluespunk

[Bluespunk]

Who takes their passport into a night club, in Pattaya?!

Someone who doesn't want a passport.

[NCC1701A]

I'm going tattoo my passport number on my wrist with a small American flag so they know which camp to put me in.

[Asiantravel]

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

Why do you make a drama from carrying a copy of your passport? Is it so difficult?

and whyare you so anxious to defend the glaring inconsistency of Thai rules and regulations which change like the weather ?

[TheCruncher]

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

Why do you make a drama from carrying a copy of your passport? Is it so difficult?

Nobody's making a drama of it, but if you carry a copy of your passport, they may say you need to have the original one on you.

We all know that ALL law enforcers in Thailand make up their own new laws as they go.

I'm sure you noticed already that they say in the article " finding at least 30 foreigners without their passports." and not " copy of their passports".

Edited February 19, 2016 by TheCruncher

[andre47]

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

Why do you make a drama from carrying a copy of your passport? Is it so difficult?

and whyare you so anxious to defend the glaring inconsistency of Thai rules and regulations which change like the weather ?

I don't think that it is a rule if some immigration officer say something. The law is the rule. I don't know any country where it is not mandatory that you must be able to identify yourself.

[andre47]

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

Why do you make a drama from carrying a copy of your passport? Is it so difficult?

Nobody's making a drama of it, but if you carry a copy of your passport, they may say you need to have the original one on you.

We all know that ALL law enforcers in Thailand make up their own new laws as they go

If they have a reason they will demand to see the original passport. But don't worry, they will follow you to your home.

[Thian]

And again this proves that Pattaya is not a part of Thailand, they have their own laws there. Just like taxi's don't have a metre which is national law.

And where i come from a driverslicense is also an ID, i can also change money in BKK and use that as ID.

Making a copy of my passport/visa is fine but i have never seen a copyshop in BKK. Why are they not on Swampy airport?

[TheCruncher]

but when Deputy Commander Voravat said expats living here a Thai driving licensecan be used as identification or ( i.e not AND ) photocopy of your passport he knew that didn't he?so why say it?

Why do you make a drama from carrying a copy of your passport? Is it so difficult?

and whyare you so anxious to defend the glaring inconsistency of Thai rules and regulations which change like the weather ?

I don't think that it is a rule if some immigration officer say something. The law is the rule. I don't know any country where it is not mandatory that you must be able to identify yourself.

Someone with a Thai drivers license CAN identify himself, even more than someone showing a passport, because the driver license show more identity details than the passport. e.g.: His address in Thailand.