Metropolitan police chief tells foreigners to carry passports or copies at all times

[lkv]

@FredNL

Did your passport copy include the visa sticker copy and stamp on the back of it out of interest?

And were you walking on the street or driving a car?

Edited March 19, 2016 by lkv

[darhut]

Or a photocopy. You need to change that headline.

If you remember, some time last year, the General in charge of the Imm. police publically stated that a photo-copy is ok.

So you agree the "headline" needs to be changed then?

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm......curiouser and curiouser

[diehard60]

Try getting that done in the rural areas or even in the northeast. No way. Most of the cops are too scared to even try to ask for them. Because their English is so poor.

[ToS2014]

wonder if this applies to the Chinese? After all, they are the big spenders who the tourism industry is targeting Keep turning the screws and all you will have left are the...well never mind.

[Rorri]

Or a photocopy. You need to change that headline.

Yes if he said or a photocopy its big news, I never have my passport with me but always a copy and a better one on the phone.

Never been asked for my passport, simply show my Thai licence, which, for most of us, has our passport number and photo.

[Rorri]

Like I said before there is more to this, I believe there is and has been a credible terrorist threat in Bangkok or major tourist areas in Thailand, basing this on two things, the leaked memo in Phuket and gut feel, if there is a threat they would be better telling people than trying to hide it.

OMG.... Do you really think a terrorist will have "TERRORIST" stamped on his passport. Or maybe you believe the police have a list of ALL terrorists and by chance, might just find them in one of thousand of entertainment venues, man, some people who comment have far fetched ideas. This who thing is simply because Thai police have no idea how do do anything in a logical/ sensible way, this type of action simply puts tourist,s NOT terrorists, off from coming to Thailand.

[NongKhaiKid]

Will it matter much what the police chief has said about photocopies if someone comes up against a cop insistent that the original must be carried and a monetary penalty of some description has to be paid ?

[Rorri]

Yeah something else to moan about,don't forget every Thai has to have his or her id.card with them always!

Moan, oh dear, and do you really believe ALL Thais carry their ID card, ALL the time... no, they don't. Do you ever hear that the Indonesian police, in Bali, raid venues simply to check passports, or the malaysian police, or Vietnam police etc... NO. Here we have a toy police force run by unintelligent adult kids.

[JAG]

You know you are in the 3rd world when you are required to carry ID papers with you all the time for random stop and search!

Nazi Germany wasn't Third World

Nor are Belgium Bosnia, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey, Malaysia.........

But you have to carry ID at all times.

[NoshowJones]

Motorbike license does the same thing, right?

Right!

Wrong,does it have your visa,visa extension,ect.

Right! If police suspect anything illegal, your passport no is on your licence as is your address.

Anyone in authority can check your passport details on computer, but wait, this is Thailand.

But wait again, they will have it on record with lots a sheets of paper, as I said, this is Thailand.

[Rorri]

The BiB should announce that any foreigners enrolled in criminal activities should turn themselves in as soon as possible. What a pile of X. The longer I live here the more unwanted the feeling becomes.

Better idea, criminals/terrorists should register at immigration on entry, with a copy of their itinerary , this would save the police from losing face and make their job easier, they wouldn't need to think so much.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Rorri

[Rorri]

Motorbike license does the same thing, right?

Right!

Wrong,does it have your visa,visa extension,ect.

That's not a police matter, if they want they can take your passport number then contact immigration. Proof of id is not on your "extension." They only check your details page of your passport, if they were to check visa entry stamps/extensions, etc, they'd be checking all night at a venue. Logic seems to miss some people.

[MRH1959]

Only question, do they check 'everybody' for their ID's, or just those suspected as being foreign.

I would hope that everybody is checked that they are carrying their ID/passport. Never know, a wanted person may be found.

[chicowoodduck]

Say what they want, no way in hell I will carry my passport unless I'm on the way to or from the airport......if I loose that puppy it will be a nightmare......big time....???

[JAG]

Only question, do they check 'everybody' for their ID's, or just those suspected as being foreign.

I would hope that everybody is checked that they are carrying their ID/passport. Never know, a wanted person may be found.

The cynic might say that the hope is that those caught not carrying ID might feel a desire to make a contribution to defray the expenses incurred in sorting out the problem.

Edited March 20, 2016 by JAG

[Yann55]

Quote 1 : Police have called on foreigners to carry their passports with them at all times

Quote 2 : in order to ensure that foreigners were carrying either their original passport or a photocopy with them.
Quote 3 : no one was found to be breaking the rules.

I'm sure that every foreigner reading this article will be impressed with its remarkable coherence and logic and thinking :

We will be happy to avoid breaking the rules, once we know what the g*****m rules are, and providing they don't change every 5 minutes !

Edited March 20, 2016 by Yann55

[brewsterbudgen]

Only question, do they check 'everybody' for their ID's, or just those suspected as being foreign.

I would hope that everybody is checked that they are carrying their ID/passport. Never know, a wanted person may be found.

If this is linked to the new overstay crackdown, which the timing suggests is likely, they will only be checking foreigners' passports.

[Yann55]

The BiB should announce that any foreigners enrolled in criminal activities should turn themselves in as soon as possible. What a pile of X. The longer I live here the more unwanted the feeling becomes.

Better idea, criminals/terrorists should register at immigration on entry, with a copy of their itinerary , this would save the police from losing face and make their job easier, they wouldn't need to think so much.

But ... but ... if I'm not mistaken, there is no line on the TM (arrival card) for visitors to write their profession, so even an honest terrorist, perfectly willing to write 'terrorist' on said line, can't do it. Tsk tsk, how annoying.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Yann55

[brewsterbudgen]

It's utter BS.. If your Asian they won't be stopped because they will think they are Thai.. It's Bordering on Racism as only white Skinned Foreigners are being stopped

I can assure you that black and brown skinned people are being checked too.

[Guest]

It's utter BS.. If your Asian they won't be stopped because they will think they are Thai.. It's Bordering on Racism as only white Skinned Foreigners are being stopped

I can assure you that black and brown skinned people are being checked too.

Yes, in a moment of irony ... the Farang searches are just part of a side show .. to make it seem fair .. the real target is migrant workers ...

[gandalf12]

Why don't they try issuing Thai ID cards to long-stay expats, i.e., those who are married or retired and have 5 years 'in-country' without returning to their home countries. Me? Married to a Thai, and this is 'home', whether jingoistic compassionate Thailand accepts it or not. Haven't been back to my home country for 8 years, and no plans on the horizon to return.

Well, no big deal. I don't frequent BKK tourist spots or Chiang Mai nightclubs. I'll probably just add a copy of my Tabien Baan (Yellow Book) to the passport copies I carry on my person and in the car, and then I've just renewed my Thai DL which has all that info on it anyway. So? Whatever.

I'm surprised tourists don't get a clue that they aren't really welcome here and to vote with their feet. But they don't, so again...whatever.

They should but I have always said that. You have a family here give us unlimited stay and the freedom to come and go as we want. I think they wont do that as it would look as if they have given us something and that appears to go totally against the grain

[Khon Kaen Dave]

What about,instead of visiting ferang entertainment areas,focusing on Thai criminals that might be up to 'dark business' Oh i forgot,you've done that,and been paid already,and anyway,no Thai would do that.

[hugh2121]

“This operation also helps to boost confidence between tourists and the security forces”, he added.
Yeah Right. Seems like a good reason to go elsewhere for the next trip.

It's those damn foreigners committing all the crime again.

[paulinbkk111]

Basically this place is turning into China.

[BKKdreaming]

can the head of BKK Police put out a statement in Thai on his letterhead that a copy is OK,

then we can show this to whoever is asking to see the original ,

This could be so easy if that was really the plan , but there are probably other reasons

And I still think an "official" copy you can get at immigration on arrival is even better

[ratcatcher]

Say what they want, no way in hell I will carry my passport unless I'm on the way to or from the airport......if I loose that puppy it will be a nightmare......big time....???

A wise decision given the fact that you also have the option of carrying a laminated copy of your passport face page and visa page on your person.

But I am sure you've already figured that out in order to avoid future problems..

[DrTuner]

How about branding the permission to stay with a hot iron on the foreheads of the tourists stupid enough to enter? Would be more convenient and show who's da Mastah around here.

[fishhooks]

This would have to be "ThaiVisa" record thread........Approaching 12 pages already, re a subject that is brought to life every so-often and which all Farang should be well aware of!

[Jay1]

An earlier poster said he got taken to the police station for not having his original passport with him and got told to pay 5000 baht. In the end his wife came with his passport.

Now if I was in this situation, I think I would probably say no to the 5000 baht fine. I would offer to go to my hotel with the officer, have a hotel staff member accompany us to the room to show my passport.

What do you think would happen if you refused the 5000 baht "fine" and also said you wanted to call your embassy?

I wonder how far it would go

Edit: I miss out a word

Edited March 20, 2016 by Jay1