Walking Street Sweep Nets 30 Foreigners Without Proper Papers in Pattaya

[LukKrueng]

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.

Your drivers license doesn't have your visa stamp. Which shows if you are here legally or not. That's what they are looking for.

But a visa stamp has nothing to do with identifying oneself.

A visa stamp is about legitimating, 2 different things.

True, but in such operations they are not looking only for your identification, but actually for your valid permit of staying here. When you are stopped at a vehicle check point they want to see your driving license and car/bike papers - in such places they won't worry about permit to stay normally.

[mancub]

Am wondering exactly which checks that Pattaya police can perform regarding criminal records that border immigration cannot .

(considering it was billed as an exercise to combat "trans-national crime ")

[ajarnmarc]

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

, that's what they really want...complete control, to keep us at our homes or resorts.

[rebelplatoon]

Hope every reasonable tourist can resist the urge to bring passports and credit cards into a nightclub.

Ministry of silly laws at work here.

[topt]

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.[/size]

"

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."[/size]

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.[/size]

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/

What happens if you have a five year Thai Drivers Lic. and you renew your passport. Which happened to me. New passport doesn't match anymore. Also your can have a Thai Drivers Lic. but still be on overstay, on your passport.

Go and renew your licences at the Licensing office - just need copies of various pages from your passport, pay the fee and wait to have pictures taken. Did mine recently. Girl up the top of the stairs understood what I wanted to do and filled the relevant forms in.

Edit - replying to bark but quotes messed up

Edited February 20, 2016 by topt

[wombat]

(in US$)...................... 714 baht to get in the door.

i do wonder what would happen if there was a cover charge?........newbie westerners would accept it as normal,same in there own country.

[balford]

It is not MY passport to carry - it remains the property of the Australian government and it remains safely locked away until I need it to travel.

Bob A.

Relaxed in Lampang

[Suradit69]

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

Apparently a lot of people had some sort of acceptable ID if they only netted 30.

[PattayaAl]

As I said in other post, there were no 100 officers but around 20, all tourist police , not a single immigration officer .

This was raid targeting foreigners only and I am guessing aimed more at the club to make monthly donations to tourist police rather than anything else .

None of us were detained , in tourist police head quarters, we were not detained.

People just wondered around , and many just wondered off, few were scared trying to make deals to pay 3000-5000 to have someone take them to their hotel to get passport.

Same club keeps getting raided by the same tourist police, not immigration or real police, this should tell you something.

[rtco]

Live with it people. If that's the way it is then so be it.

[PattayaAl]

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

Apparently a lot of people had some sort of acceptable ID if they only netted 30.

Club was empty. There were only about 30 foreigners and 30 or so girls

[useronthenet]

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.

Wrong ! You are obliged to carry original ID at all times. For foreigners, the only ID that is recognized in Thailand is the Passport.

[NextStationBangkok]

Probably aimed at reduce number of tourist, due to cracks in the Suvarnabhumi Runway issues ?

May be they could not handle many planes landing and Airport is congested?

"The airline industry has called on the Thai government to address problems at the country's main airport in Bangkok."

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35613792

[MyFriend You]

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

I have an expired tourist passport I carry with me whenever I go out - works every time, I used to carry a Copy, always got the remark "No Copy, Passaport please" so I carry my old expired passport.

[SoFarAndNear]

WOW.... police are fighting "transnational crime" by checking passports on the streets..... good job...

[Suradit69]

As I said in other post, there were no 100 officers but around 20, all tourist police , not a single immigration officer .

This was raid targeting foreigners only and I am guessing aimed more at the club to make monthly donations to tourist police rather than anything else .

None of us were detained , in tourist police head quarters, we were not detained.

People just wondered around , and many just wondered off, few were scared trying to make deals to pay 3000-5000 to have someone take them to their hotel to get passport.

Same club keeps getting raided by the same tourist police, not immigration or real police, this should tell you something.

"Same club keeps getting raided by the same tourist police, not immigration or real police, this should tell you something. "

"Volunteer " police may not be real, but Tourist police are real.

[huangnon]

Hope every reasonable tourist can resist the urge to bring passports and credit cards into a nightclub.

Ministry of silly laws at work here.

Yep. Fresh from the daring raid on that SPECTRE-like criminal organization known as the local Bridge Club.. Keystone's finest.

[gandalf12]

I carry my Thai driving license and also keep a photo of my visa etc on my phone. If I lost my passport I lose my job and I can afford that for some stupid idea

[PattayaAl]

"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.

They did not have their passports with them , but were released after being able to show their passports to the police. Were they accompanied by a Police Officer when returning to their hotel to retrieve their passports? If so what a waste of manpower. Who paid the baht bus fare?

No. Only 3 out of 30 had someone bring the passport. The rest as I keep saying just wondered off as we were not detained or locked up and some like myself just let go without any checks.

There were no taxi available either , so people had to walk at least 1 km to get back to civilisation.

1 guy offered 5000 for someone to take him to his hotel, initially refused , but 10 mins later , he was no longer there, so you do the maths

[SoFarAndNear]

People just wondered around , and many just wondered off, few were scared trying to make deals to pay 3000-5000 to have someone take them to their hotel to get passport.

Yeah...this is what is was all about, extorting foreigners. Just 10-20 victims who were willed to pay 3-5k and this is called crackdown against "transnational crime"....

[PattayaAl]

As I said in other post, there were no 100 officers but around 20, all tourist police , not a single immigration officer .

This was raid targeting foreigners only and I am guessing aimed more at the club to make monthly donations to tourist police rather than anything else .

None of us were detained , in tourist police head quarters, we were not detained.

People just wondered around , and many just wondered off, few were scared trying to make deals to pay 3000-5000 to have someone take them to their hotel to get passport.

Same club keeps getting raided by the same tourist police, not immigration or real police, this should tell you something.

"Same club keeps getting raided by the same tourist police, not immigration or real police, this should tell you something. "

"Volunteer " police may not be real, but Tourist police are real.

May be in your internet world they are, in real world they are not and have no jurisdiction over immigration matters.

Their sole role is to provide services to tourists and nothing else.

[Psychic]

The next operation should be going to round up everyone out of the water on Pattaya Beach to see how many are not in possession of a passport.

Yes, and if they can produce a passport then it should be easy to nail them under the

"Leaving home without underwear" law.

I often wondered why Thai people went swimming in jeans?

[arrowsdawdle]

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

Only two legitimate reasons not to carry a passport....all the threats to confiscate and hold passports, which is a violation of national sovereignty...and the precedent of previous official statements that it is not necessary to carry one's passport at all times.

[baboon]

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.

"I don't think that it is a rule if some immigration officer say something. The law is the rule."

Aye, you make sure you tell them that right after they have refused your visa extention Just Because. I'm sure they would be very interested.

[craigt3365]

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.

It depends on what they were looking for. Or trying to accomplish. Sometimes, these are just money makers. Fines paid on the spot. Lately, it's been more focused on visa stamps. Are you on overstay or not. Which can only be proven by looking at your original passport. Some will accept a copy, some won't. Depends on the position of the sun, the moon, the officers attitude, etc, etc, etc.

[PattayaAl]

People just wondered around , and many just wondered off, few were scared trying to make deals to pay 3000-5000 to have someone take them to their hotel to get passport.

Yeah...this is what is was all about, extorting foreigners. Just 10-20 victims who were willed to pay 3-5k and this is called crackdown against "transnational crime"....

I believe it was about getting one particular club to pay up donations.

808 was empty, ibar was packed , yet they only raided 808 and not a single real cop, ONLY tourist police and 2 soldiers who left 2 mins after music was turned off

[ratcatcher]

It is not MY passport to carry - it remains the property of the Australian government and it remains safely locked away until I need it to travel.

Bob A.

Relaxed in Lampang

A very sensible decision Bob, and like most sensible resident farangs, to avoid any hassles, you probably carry a reduced size copy of said passport while the real passport relaxes in a safe place.

[brewsterbudgen]

Walking street, No prostitution in Thailand.

How is that relevant? Most acts of prostitution takes place in hotels, of which there are only a few in Walking Street.

Presumably this was an Immigration police initiative?

[HerbalEd]

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

You have to wonder why ... but many of here know.

First of all: They're not legally required to do so as long as they have proper Id with a photo (e.g., drivers license). And this has been publicly stated by the head of Thai immigration ... I think. Or was it head of police?

Second: Many tourists prefer to keep their passports hidden in their hotel, condo, etc. safe, or somewhere else that's secure.

[Balance]

One of the more frustrating things about the functioning of this government is that rules come and go depending on which way the wind is blowing and which city you are in. Last year, it was announced in Chiang Mai that you did not have to carry your passport with you at all times. It seems to be different in Pattaya.

As much control is centralized in Bangkok, it would seem that a rules about things like immigration could be made and then promulgated to the Provinces, no?

Some suggested clarifications:

When, exactly do you have to have your original passport on your person?

Will photocopies of the face page, your last visa page, and 90-day slip suffice in other times

Is Thai Driver License ever enough identification?