Immigration Police at the Grand Palace

[cnjoew]

I went on Xmas day with girlfriend.  Temples aren't really my thing but I'd just done a half-marathon nearby around Rama 8 Bridge area, and she wanted to pay respects, so why not.

 

I'd seen the security everywhere around Sanam Luang already but wasn't expecting any immigration police, just army and normal police.  They had electronic gate things at the perimeter, no different to anything you might see in a shopping mall and it's a high profile attraction with a high profile person inside, so it's to be expected.  Then they asked me for ID to enter, I genuinely didn't have any, no copy, and phone battery was dead.  I thought they'd umm and ahh for a moment or two and wave me through as is often the case.  So I was more than a little surprised to be directed to a desk with 3-4 immigration police seated around it.   Let's just say that my current visa status might not be to their liking, so by this point I'm fearing the worst.

 

About 15 minutes later, after which time the immigration official boss guy has tried and failed to find me on the database 3 times (use your imagination), I'm allowed to walk out of there, but out, not inside.

 

I'm really not sure why.  I was lucky right?  Maybe because it was Christmas day and he was feeling generous towards farang, maybe because it was at the Grand Palace and I was wearing a black top with a condolence to the King on, rather than pissed in some nightclub at 3am where the outcome would possibly have been different.  Maybe it's because I spoke basic Thai and was polite and said the right things.  Maybe it's because I gave an address on the other side of BKK and/or he couldn't be ar*** with the hassle.

 

The thread is just to remind other people going there that they'll need ID to enter.  Hope it helps people avoid inconvenience.  I'm assuming that they're there everyday anyway, and at every entrance, although it could have been at one entrance only/a one-off.  Some other people can probably confirm.