Always Carry Passport With You?

[DoubleTrouble]

Whoever heard of that law in any country? You loose it, your embassy screws you, you don't carry it, the men in uniform nail ya? Wheres the logic? Remember, the passport serves only as a travel document, not as a document to confirm your identity. I know this topic has been posted here before.....but still, makes me curious what people think......

[tuky]

Keep em happy, carry a copy.

Although I must start myself

[qwertyuiop]

I do not see what the issue is.

ID cards are common in many countries and citizens are required to produce them on demand by the poilce. I understand that Thais are obliged to carry their id card. Why should it be different for visitors. Passport /ID card what is the fuss.

I see nothing wrong in a visitor to a country having to prove he/she is there legally.

As to the embassy 'screwing you' if you lose the passport. How?

My experience is that they will provide you with another one in quick time- no big deal.

Heck thousands or at least hundreds were 'lost' in Thailand this last year as many owners tried to 'lose' the illegal/fake entry stamps in their passport. It did not seem to cause their owners any problems. Perhaps it should have done.

None issue to me

And finally judging by the recent poll on this board one is rarely if ever asked for the passport

[DoubleTrouble]

I do not see what the issue is.

ID cards are common in many countries and citizens are required to produce them on demand by the poilce. I understand that Thais are obliged to carry their id card. Why should it be different for visitors. Passport /ID card what is the fuss.

I see nothing wrong in a visitor to a country having to prove he/she is there legally.

As to the embassy 'screwing you' if you lose the passport. How?

My experience is that they will provide you with another one in quick time- no big deal.

Heck thousands or at least hundreds were 'lost' in Thailand this last year as many owners tried to 'lose' the illegal/fake entry stamps in their passport. It did not seem to cause their owners any problems. Perhaps it should have done.

None issue to me

And finally judging by the recent poll on this board one is rarely if ever asked for the passport

Agree to 90% of what you are saying, disagree that a passport should still be carried at all times, especially in a country where the embassies are fully aware that these "seem" to get lost here often. And agree, the embassies have never had a problem with issuing a new one as long as you have proper documentation. I am sure there is a solution to this......maybe some form of a temp photo ID for visitors. The only point I am trying to make is whats the probability of one still not losing it, if they are sitting 5 days a week in Nana?

[Noodles]

I read in the Bangkok post a while ago that Thailand is a major

player in counterfeit passports. I think two men were arrested

leaving Don Muang airport with 600 odd passports.

I'm not going to carry my original but just photocopy it, reduce

the size and then laminate it.

If da offica ain't happy with that.... tough.

[stumonster]

my mate gets a scan of the front page of his passport and a scan of the page with his visa stamp in it then has them reduced to a size a little bigger than a credit card and then laminated. ( one scan on either side ). with the result you can still read the writing and it contains a photo.

he has not had a problem handing this to police yet though also he has not been picked up by the police in nana or soi cowboy only stopped in pattaya and having to produce ID.

[kasi]

Loosing your passport is such a king sized pain in the hindquarter that carrying it around is not an option for me. I also keep a photo copy of it seperately from where its locked up.( its not unknown for hotel/guesthouses security boxes to be cleaned out)

That said I did have my passport stolen years ago in Spain. Getting a new one from the US embassy took about three days, not really a big deal. Spent the time wandering the Prado. After that though I'd always get a raised eyebrow when officials saw my passport was issued in Madrid.

I keep it simple by just carrying a drivers license, my ATM and less than 1500 baht and at least half of my wits.

[KevinN]

I have been ask to see my passport, I don't carry mine sice it was ruined by water during songkhran 4 years ago on my way to get a visa renewal,I do carry my thai drivers license,it works everywhere,banks ,police, credit card purchases and even for getting traffic tickets for no seat belt or helmet.

[brownsugar]

i'm just curious, in what circumstances anyone here has had to identify themselves. when i was in LOS , the cops seemed to mind their own business. I also did a fair bit of driving in the country, did get pulled over at any checkpoint, i went through about 10 (my girl reckons the cops could not be bothered trying to speak english with foreigners)

that said , the security dude/bouncer at scudo pub in bangkok, insisted on seeing my passport as ID , he did not accept my national id though it has my birthdate on it ???????????

[gisele]

Whoever heard of that law in any country? You loose it, your embassy screws you, you don't carry it, the men in uniform nail ya? Wheres the logic? Remember, the passport serves only as a travel document, not as a document to confirm your identity. I know this topic has been posted here before.....but still, makes me curious what people think......

Here in China, in the years I have lived here, I have heard of many instances when the police have asked to see a passport from foreigners either in bars or tourist type places such as Tian An Men, for no clear reason at the time. Generally, ex-pats don't carry their passports all the time, tourists usually do.

The police might be nice that day and be satisfied with a copy, being super polite with a big smile always helps, but then again, if they demand to see the actual document, it would be quite a hassle. I guess it would depend on the severity of the situation and why they require to see your papers.

[bina]

Just to give y'all some perspective on things:

here in the land of war (israel) you legally must have your id on you at all times over the age of 16. for foreign workers you must have a worker card w/photo since the 'wonderful' manpower componies take the passports of foreign labourers away from them even it its illegal to do so... the thai workers shrug and say, if problem, never mind, the thai embassy will take care of them.

here, to get on a bus in the main terminal the security people ask for i.d., if you are not white and israeli looking (ie: arab looking dark even morroccan jews, thai and filipino workers, et al, and anyone looking scruffy with lots of bags on him-- women are hassled less, although my 15 yr old was stopped 4 times by soldiers for security checks when w/beduin girlfriend in jerusalem ("mom, say to the soldier that i'm a kibbutznik, etc)...

my car is a broken down heap and i get stopped for road blocks all the time and my thai worker always has to show his card and i have to smile, joke and show my i.d. and driver's liscense. i just see the police and i pull over or they might shoot thinking i'm 'one of them...'

for others, passports are a good id, student cards etc are not enough, and BTW,the black market for passports is very active...

[wcr]

Stumonsters mate has done right!

I have been into a photocopy shop, got them to reduce my photopage and current visa page, put them back to back and laminate them. The size of a credit card now, I carry it in my wallet. Opened a bank account last week with it, and showed it to the police when reporting a crime.

Much easier then having a folded up photocopy, and only cost me 22 Baht.

[qwertyuiop]

If da offica ain't happy with that.... tough.

Tough for who ? You i would think.

Yes i think that carrying a reduced laminated copy is a great idea and am sure it would suffice. Personally I carry neither that nor the original, but I do keep on me my thai drivers licence which has both photo and address but if the officer were to insist on seeing my passport I think it would be my problem not his.

Having said that i repeat that imo the chances of being asked to produce it are negligible.

[qwertyuiop]

That said I did have my passport stolen years ago in Spain. Getting a new one from the US embassy took about three days

So there is at least one thing that the Brits can do more efficiently than the Yanks.

I had my UK passport stolen several years ago in France and I was the recipient of a new one in less than an afternoon and they even kept the embassy open a little while after closing time in order to ensure that I had it that day.

i was quite impressed

[medicinebox]

Whats the consiquences of not having it on your person?

I mean, they know you have one. Cant they just follow you home where you can show them?

Is their purpose to stop you just so they might be able to do you? Or is it to verify a valid point? i.e. your description fits that of someone involved in a recently reported incident.

[unbiasbob]

Whoever heard of that law in any country? You loose it, your embassy screws you, you don't carry it, the men in uniform nail ya? Wheres the logic? Remember, the passport serves only as a travel document, not as a document to confirm your identity. I know this topic has been posted here before.....but still, makes me curious what people think......

no need to carry it

[unbiasbob]

I had it handy in cuba once though after getting stopped by a cop for a traffic violation. wait actually that was twice. they saw I was American and let me slide both times. that wouldnt work here though

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Whoever heard of that law in any country? You loose it, your embassy screws you, you don't carry it, the men in uniform nail ya? Wheres the logic?  Remember, the passport serves only as a travel document, not as a document to confirm your identity.  I know this topic has been posted here before.....but still, makes me curious what people think......

no need to carry it

You'd best research that a bit more Bob.