Walking Street Sweep Nets 30 Foreigners Without Proper Papers in Pattaya

[Don Mega]

Having a British passport and living in Chiang Mai would mean 2 trips to Bangkok to replace it if my passport got lost, damaged or stolen.

I carry my Thai driving license and a copy of my passport. I prefer to take my chances that this will suffice because the consequences of anything happening to my original passport are too high. It`s not rocket science to understand that most foreigners are afraid to carry their passports for the same reasons, but on the other hand most tourists will not hold Thai driving licenses and the police are within their rights to demand a show of passports.

You would have enjoyed 4 overnight bus rides then. You need your passport to get on a plane here. Thais need their national ID card.

I have flown many domestic flights with only my Thai drivers licence as ID.

[bazza40]

I have a Permanent Drivers Licence, and have had it almost 20 years. It was my Thai ID number, which was assigned by the government. I also have copies of My police registration book, the house registration and my permanent resident id book, and I have been questioned by young police, because they did not think a farang could get a PR. I ask for the Police Col. and he straightened it out.

The young police probably questioned you because they were never shown a Permanent Resident book during their training. They are more accustomed to passports and visas.

Edited February 20, 2016 by bazza40

[lkv]

I think people need to bear in mind that sometime in the not so distant future Thailand is likely to have a massive authoritarian clampdown and an almost total suspension of tourism.

That would be awesome. no rude russians, no smelly brits, no BKK Thais and no skint chinese.

Pattaya would be bliss.

Alas it wont be happening anytime soon.

...and what makes you think you'd be immune?

Iam not a tourist...... or are you now moving the goal posts to now include all foreigners ?

I get it, you're on retirement so they tolerate you.

Good on you, mine will come in about 25-30 years, so it's good to know that there will be a time when I will not belong to the wrong age group.

But by the way things are looking like, the chances of me being in Thailand when hitting that age are slim.

[Alwyn]

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

Probably because they were keeping then safe in their hotel or house? Take your passport out and get it stolen and you're in a whole World of pain (and not a small amount of expense too)

[Don Mega]

That would be awesome. no rude russians, no smelly brits, no BKK Thais and no skint chinese.

Pattaya would be bliss.

Alas it wont be happening anytime soon.

...and what makes you think you'd be immune?

Iam not a tourist...... or are you now moving the goal posts to now include all foreigners ?

I get it, you're on retirement so they tolerate you.

Good on you, mine will come in about 25-30 years, so it's good to know that there will be a time when I will not belong to the wrong age group.

But by the way things are looking like, the chances of me being in Thailand when hitting that age are slim.

Nope not retired.

[dcnx]

Carry a copy, it's not worth the risk losing your passport in the #1 country for passport theft and forgery.

[Ianatlarge]

Stupidity. "transnational crime" hahaha. You mean like smuggling drugs across borders? I wonder what the cops know about that?

[watso63]

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?

Because some people actually care about rights and freedoms -- and the assumption that any individual (whether they "look Thai" or not) should be considered innocent unless given cause to think otherwise. Stopping someone walking down the street or in any public area and asking for ID is too close to a police state, where you always have to prove that you are innocent and not the other way around.

A stolen passport can be worth $1,000s of dollars on the black market, and as a general rule I don't walk around with anything more than a hundred dollars (unless I am task driven and buying something in cash that day). I would not walk around every day with several grand in my pocket -- it is just foolish. The vast majority of tourists are going to arrive, stick their passport in the safe. The fact that you detain an individual for hours on end just because they were assumed guilty on sight, and now they have to prove they are innocent - is not really treating anyone with respect.

If you want to control illegal activities - then actually focus you attentions on that area put feet on the ground policing areas were it goes on - looking for actual criminal activity and not just rounding up a bunch of tourists to catch a few fish. If you want to stop illegal working, then punish people hiring illegals for work with sever fines and prison.... take away the demand and the supply disappears.

Nice to hear from someone with a bit of common sense at last.???

[lkv]

Nope not retired.

Ya well when they stopped me for "passport check" and "body check" (that they gave up after me throwing them a very irritated look) -in the middle of Bkk in broad daylight (3 PM) -twice within 50 meters - before I showed them my passport I don't believe they had a crystal ball to tell what sort of visa I am on. They were still looking at me like I'm some sort of a criminal. The good news is I was also looking at them like some sort of idiots.

Lol.

It sounds funny but it's not funny.

Thanks to one of the previous posters for the Thonglo police picture ( here or on the other thread), funny enough it happened in an area covered exactly by Thonglo police station. Next time I'm just going to start recording them and taking pictures. Just wanna see the look on their face.

[brewsterbudgen]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Raids on illegally operating bars and gogos happen regularly.

What a waist of resources why not check all the hookers on walking street for their passports or ids

You will find many girls from other countries

Maybe you're new to Pattaya but raids for illegally working girls are very common.

[cumgranosalum]

I think people need to bear in mind that sometime in the not so distant future Thailand is likely to have a massive authoritarian clampdown and an almost total suspension of tourism.

That would be awesome. no rude russians, no smelly brits, no BKK Thais and no skint chinese.

Pattaya would be bliss.

Alas it wont be happening anytime soon.

...and what makes you think you'd be immune?

Iam not a tourist...... or are you now moving the goal posts to now include all foreigners ?

Perha-s in wasn't that clear, but I said "a massive authoritarian clampdown" AND an almost total suspension of tourism = 2 things the former applies to you.

It would appear you don't understand what future events I'm referring to?

[cumgranosalum]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Raids on illegally operating bars and gogos happen regularly.

What a waist of resources why not check all the hookers on walking street for their passports or ids

You will find many girls from other countries

Maybe you're new to Pattaya but raids for illegally working girls are very common.

Is rthat who they were checking? Does it say that?

[swerver]

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 ?

You hit the nail on the head - "inconsistency".

This comes down to:

Thais have no half tones in their register of vision....

They exclude compromise and pursue the logic of their ideas to its absurd ends, without seeing the incongruity of their opposed conclusions.

Their convictions are by instinct, their activities intuitional....

LOL in LOS

[chowny77]

To be honest carrying your passport around with you 24/7 is a ball-ache. Thai immigration should now start issuing a credit card sized ID for foreign nations that are accepted for extensions, such as retirement, marriage, dependent or work. IT should be similar to the Thai driving license, with a bar code that can be hand scanned by the police and photo of yourself with the relevant information. Even 13 yrs ago back in the UK I used to donated blood and all I had to do was hand over the card and they bar-coded it and viola all my details were there. Why are these guys so far behind in important things and yet they all need or have the latest bloody apple phone. Blows the mind!

[PattayaAl]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Non were arrested, just got a free baht bus ride to Beverly Hills and nice walk back

[brewsterbudgen]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Raids on illegally operating bars and gogos happen regularly.

What a waist of resources why not check all the hookers on walking street for their passports or ids

You will find many girls from other countries

Maybe you're new to Pattaya but raids for illegally working girls are very common.

Is rthat who they were checking? Does it say that?

No. I was replying to the comment about other illegal activity which they tried to relate to this incident.

[Don Mega]

That would be awesome. no rude russians, no smelly brits, no BKK Thais and no skint chinese.

Pattaya would be bliss.

Alas it wont be happening anytime soon.

...and what makes you think you'd be immune?

Iam not a tourist...... or are you now moving the goal posts to now include all foreigners ?

Perha-s in wasn't that clear, but I said "a massive authoritarian clampdown" AND an almost total suspension of tourism = 2 things the former applies to you.

It would appear you don't understand what future events I'm referring to?

I have an idea as to what you are hinting at but until that time comes nobody really knows what will happen afterwards. If it means my employement will cease well then I will happily take the sizable redundancy payout and go home.

[lamyai3]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Non were arrested, just got a free baht bus ride to Beverly Hills and nice walk back

Thanks for your first hand comments here, far more useful than pages of speculation or the original vaguely worded news article.

Can you confirm if anyone rounded up actually had photocopies of their passports and visa page with them? And if so was this deemed acceptable ID?

[MUSK]

Good to see police checkng passports' will keep these so called ISIS on their toes

[DrTuner]

Good to see police checkng passports' will keep these so called ISIS on their toes

Yeah. Daesh terrorist surely hang out in walking street while planning their hit.

[EyesWideOpen]

Wow the Pattaya police must be really hard up for money

if they are reviving the old moldy chestnut of farangs

not carrying their passports while out clubbing. I would

have thought after the police had their fine name

besmirched by the passport shakedowns at Asoke,

they would have given up on this insane practice.

Nobody in their right mind would go to walking street,

famed for its ladyboy pickpockets, with their passport

in hand......

[Prbkk]

Wow the Pattaya police must be really hard up for money

if they are reviving the old moldy chestnut of farangs

not carrying their passports while out clubbing. I would

have thought after the police had their fine name

besmirched by the passport shakedowns at Asoke,

they would have given up on this insane practice.

Nobody in their right mind would go to walking street,

famed for its ladyboy pickpockets, with their passport

in hand......

Wasn't Pattaya the source of the 2 stolen passports that ended up being used by the 2 Iranian guys who were on MH370? Seems to be some kind of black market business there.

[EyesWideOpen]

Wow the Pattaya police must be really hard up for money

if they are reviving the old moldy chestnut of farangs

not carrying their passports while out clubbing. I would

have thought after the police had their fine name

besmirched by the passport shakedowns at Asoke,

they would have given up on this insane practice.

Nobody in their right mind would go to walking street,

famed for its ladyboy pickpockets, with their passport

in hand......

Wasn't Pattaya the source of the 2 stolen passports that ended up being used by the 2 Iranian guys who were on MH370? Seems to be some kind of black market business there.

Phuket.....

[gigman]

I'm sick and tired of having Thai misinformation to the subject who and when tourists or expats should carry their passports ...

Maybe those post should more useful having them on other world forums then maybe ...just said maybe those lawless country officials could get their message that their methods just stupid and world war II gone long time ago and SS and gestapo methods are no good to advertise tourism .

Why they just check ID's outside on the streets ....??? (if they must do it)..

I did traveling around world and never has been checked for my ID by the police even in most suspected places for contraband or similar...

I hope some of those idiots who do not know how to to honor own regulations about this matter will have opportunity to read our opinions......(if they able to read anyway..)

[CoreanoOzzie]

Why are you lot moaning? Actually I am not surprised but whatever. If you are a tourist, then you should be carrying your passport with you at all times, how else would you enter a nightclub or bar to prove your age or to identify you if sh!t hits the fan? If you are an immigrant (yes, you are an immigrant if you are white) here, then you most likely have a Thai driver's licence. Simple stuff really, it is not rocket science.

Edited February 20, 2016 by CoreanoOzzie

[allanos]

Most of the denizens of Thai Visa Forum enjoy moaning, CoreanoOzzie.

If it is not about the present subject, then they will simply find something else.

Why spoil their pleasure?

[PattayaAl]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Non were arrested, just got a free baht bus ride to Beverly Hills and nice walk back

Thanks for your first hand comments here, far more useful than pages of speculation or the original vaguely worded news article.

Can you confirm if anyone rounded up actually had photocopies of their passports and visa page with them? And if so was this deemed acceptable ID?

Here is more detailed report of what took place.

Tourist police came in and asked all Thai girls to the right of the club and all foreigners to the left.

Club was pretty empty.

They first asked for foreigner to show passports and those who did not have passport was asked to go into a corner.

All of us ended up in the corner.

They then asked if anyone had copies or photo's in the phone.

Some did. They then wanted to see visa/stamp copy or photo.

Again no one had any, so we were hurdled onto a baht bus and off to Tourist Police station.

There, they first stated we had to wait for inspector to come and if anyone would call friends to bring passports.

About 10 mins later, it just turned into some kind of a party, people smoking and wondering around.

30 mins later, half of the people were gone, ie just walked off.

They would have accepted a copy or a photo in the phone of facepage and visa/stamp page. NO need for original.

I will say again, i do not believe this was a raid to get the foreigners, i believe this was raid to get club to catch up with donations.

Tourist police have no experience, knowledge or jurisdiction over immigration matters.

If they wanted to confirm people's identity, face page would have been enough.

Visa page, i doubt they could even read or confirm if it was a real or a fake.

I have been through a proper raid and immigration was present. People were locked in the rooms and even after seeing the visa pages, they still ran checks.

In proper raids, any ID is accepted and then they run the checks through computer.

For this kinds of raids, just a copy or photo was sufficient.

Hope it helps and clears it up a little

[PattayaAl]

Why are you lot moaning? Actually I am not surprised but whatever. If you are a tourist, then you should be carrying your passport with you at all times, how else would you enter a nightclub or bar to prove your age or to identify you if sh!t hits the fan? If you are an immigrant (yes, you are an immigrant if you are white) here, then you most likely have a Thai driver's licence. Simple stuff really, it is not rocket science.

a perfect example of someone speaking out of backside with no knowledge or comprehension at all, i am even wondering if you have been to Thailand yet at all.

To start with, one does not need to prove their identity when entering a club in Pattaya

Secondly, foreigners living in Thailand are NOT referred to as immigrants, no matter what the color is.

We are referred to as either expats or aliens.

Thirdly, Thai driving license does NOT have visa status and they wanted to see visa or a stamp page

[casualobserver]

Great news story about arresting 30 foreigners for not having passports while turning a blind eye to the rest of the illegal activity on the same street!

Non were arrested, just got a free baht bus ride to Beverly Hills and nice walk back

Thanks for your first hand comments here, far more useful than pages of speculation or the original vaguely worded news article.

Can you confirm if anyone rounded up actually had photocopies of their passports and visa page with them? And if so was this deemed acceptable ID?

Here is more detailed report of what took place.

Tourist police came in and asked all Thai girls to the right of the club and all foreigners to the left.

Club was pretty empty.

They first asked for foreigner to show passports and those who did not have passport was asked to go into a corner.

All of us ended up in the corner.

They then asked if anyone had copies or photo's in the phone.

Some did. They then wanted to see visa/stamp copy or photo.

Again no one had any, so we were hurdled onto a baht bus and off to Tourist Police station.

There, they first stated we had to wait for inspector to come and if anyone would call friends to bring passports.

About 10 mins later, it just turned into some kind of a party, people smoking and wondering around.

30 mins later, half of the people were gone, ie just walked off.

They would have accepted a copy or a photo in the phone of facepage and visa/stamp page. NO need for original.

I will say again, i do not believe this was a raid to get the foreigners, i believe this was raid to get club to catch up with donations.

Tourist police have no experience, knowledge or jurisdiction over immigration matters.

If they wanted to confirm people's identity, face page would have been enough.

Visa page, i doubt they could even read or confirm if it was a real or a fake.

I have been through a proper raid and immigration was present. People were locked in the rooms and even after seeing the visa pages, they still ran checks.

In proper raids, any ID is accepted and then they run the checks through computer.

For this kinds of raids, just a copy or photo was sufficient.

Hope it helps and clears it up a little

Seems pretty reasonable, of course you'll always get the "they dont want us here" brigade, photocopies in wallet here on out... simple

[PattayaAl]

Seems pretty reasonable, of course you'll always get the "they dont want us here" brigade, photocopies in wallet here on out... simple

Just a photo in your phone i think would be enough, as paper can get wet or smudged, unless you laminate it.

But then in case of a real raid, i doubt copy would be sufficient as photoshoping anything is just too easy