Driving licence as ID

[Grusa]

I have been living here for nearly ten years, and when traveling around Thailand I always use my Thai driving licence as ID, rather than my passport. The ID number on the licence was until recently my passport number, however when i renewed my passport, the number changed, so they no longer match!

Is it necessary to renew my drivers licence because of the change of passport number?

Is it acceptable to continue using the DL as ID with the old number?

With all the current controversy over carrying ID ( I always carry a photocopy passport) this could be an important issue.

[ubonjoe]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

[GordonP]

Your passport number is listed in your green/blue motorbike/car registration books as well.

[Srikcir]

"Last night, 18th February, one hundred police officers and tourist police officers raided and roped off the Zoe in Yellow entertainment complex, refusing to let tourists go, testing urine for drugs and arresting tourists without a passport on them."

Proceed at your own risk.

[mankondang]

"Last night, 18th February, one hundred police officers and tourist police officers raided and roped off the Zoe in Yellow entertainment complex, refusing to let tourists go, testing urine for drugs and arresting tourists without a passport on them."

Proceed at your own risk.

Good advice. Thank you and ubonjoe. I was always under the impression my DL together with a copy of my PP was suffice. Why the large army/police crackdown in both Chiang Mai and Pataya recently had me thinking.

[Grusa]

Your passport number is listed in your green/blue motorbike/car registration books as well.

So are you saying these and the driving licence need to be changed? Or, are the various departments of government sufficiently joined up to make connections between old and new passport numbers? Seems a bit unlikely, IMHO.

What are the potential consequences of getting this wrong?

[Grusa]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

[stevenl]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

In which case they are violating the law.

[Don Mega]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

In which case they are violating the law.

Which law would that be ?

[Qman]

To OP,

Yes you should update your car and/or motorbike driver's licenses. You will need a resident letter (also a good time to change this if out of date), original passport and licenses plus copies of all the above. I also took the old passport and letter from embassy stating the new passport was a replacement which I used at immigration to transfer stamps into the new passport. No testing was involved, just an administrative event to change the numbers and get new photo. Since they return passport and old licenses you should have copies of everything with you as they typically do not make copies there. The process was easy and worth it to avoid any issues later if the documents do not agree.

[Autonuaq]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

fully correct as the law also tell you.

a passport is a document in which your country ask for safe passage and help.

The Visa is the ground on which one is allowed to stay and have safe and free passage.

the nationality tell that you 'will' get 'help from the country if needed because the country protects the barrier of the passport.

Also tell that you can be deported if needed.

You are a guest in the country and the passport helps you to have a safe passage and help when needed.

your are a guest who is tolerated as long as you have a value ot the country and its people.

Keep this in mind and things are easier to understand. also about 98% of the questions are answered about passport, visa, work permit/

[Autonuaq]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

In which case they are violating the law.

Which law would that be ?

answer to your question as I understand the question is the law violated is the immigration law. the same immigration law many people made so many topics and many people around have so many problems with. the law in which also the TM30 and TM28 documents are to be used for.

[Liquorice]

Your passport number is listed in your green/blue motorbike/car registration books as well.

So are you saying these and the driving licence need to be changed? Or, are the various departments of government sufficiently joined up to make connections between old and new passport numbers? Seems a bit unlikely, IMHO.

What are the potential consequences of getting this wrong?

A foreigner was recently involved in a road traffic accident in my area and pronounced DOA at the hospital.

He had no ID on his person or in the car.

He never updated his new address or new Passport number to the DLT, so a track on his vehicle plate proved fruitless.

The local Police asked the local foreigners for help to name the man and his address.

It took a week to ID him and 10 days to find a relative.

(His Thai wife died 8 weeks earlier from Cancer).

When they finally contacted his daughter, she requested they hold his computer which had lots of family photos on it.

The house had already been ransacked by his Thai family, who had already read the news reports (but never contacted the Police)

Those are the potential consequences.

[aronp1]

"Last night, 18th February, one hundred police officers and tourist police officers raided and roped off the Zoe in Yellow entertainment complex, refusing to let tourists go, testing urine for drugs and arresting tourists without a passport on them."

Proceed at your own risk.

The law inforcers breaking the law themselves.

[Asiantravel]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

In which case they are violating the law.

Which law would that be ?

the immigration police are now imposing penalties on hotels, guesthouses etc if they don't take a photocopy of your passport and visa when you check-in and then submit the T 30 within a Short time frame to report you are staying with them.

[ubonjoe]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

Why do you refuse to use your passport?

[Chongalulu]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

Why do you refuse to use your passport?

Possibly because like me it then necessitates an inconvenient visit to immigration with TM 30 after getting home. All the hotels I've recently used check my wife and I in using just her ID card,thus no record of me having been away

[ubonjoe]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

Why do you refuse to use your passport?

Possibly because like me it then necessitates an inconvenient visit to immigration with TM 30 after getting home. All the hotels I've recently used check my wife and I in using just her ID card,thus no record of me having been away

I have checked into several hotels that required my passport and never been asked by immigration for a TM30 because of it.

[sunnyjim5]

Likewise I have made several trips within Thailand during the last couple of years. I check in to hotels using my passport, which in my experience the reception staff always ask for even if I am with my wife.

I have never had an issue with immigration or been asked for a TM30

[bark]

Your passport number is listed in your green/blue motorbike/car registration books as well.

I also bought a year year after I Bought the old , so now the snow is in June not December.

[jphasia]

You can have the passport number changed on your drivers license.

I don't recommend traveling to anywhere without having your passport with you,. In the area where you live is not a problem. If you ever had a situation where they wanted to see your passport they could detain you until it could be shown. A drivers license and/or a copy of your passport would not be enough.

j

I am not saying that I travel without my passport. I simply refuse to use it to check into a hotel - never a problem, my DL is accepted, or often nothing at all!

Why do you refuse to use your passport?

Possibly because like me it then necessitates an inconvenient visit to immigration with TM 30 after getting home. All the hotels I've recently used check my wife and I in using just her ID card,thus no record of me having been away

Probably hotels are not fully following the regulations and maybe depend on the location of the hotel, tourist area or not...i am not sure.

What i know is that my wife and I have a small hotel (well 35 rooms) in Phuket (Patong beach) for the last 5 years. We never reported anything to the immigration and accepted DL or whatever as proof of ID for foreigners until last year (2015) when we received the visit of the immigration who explained us that not reporting foreigners staying will be suject to penalties of 8,000 THB / foreigner not reported!

They provided us a sort of database with a web link, a username and password. We must enter the passport infos + visa info + copy of the passport + copy of the immigration form (the one that you must keep in your passport). In case of control by immigration, any foreigner not reported in their database will be fine 8,000THB / foreigner to the hotel. I think we have 24 hours to update. So now, for us, it is simple: no passport, no check in.

I also updated for myself my DL licence with new passport number when i got a new passport. It is not a big deal and I am not sure it is useful, even the DL office told me that it was not really required...but who knows. Anyway I am carrying my passport with me all time more especially if i travel within the country.