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to carry your passport or not?


PhilAnders

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In over 20 years of visiting and living in LOS I have never ever carried my passport on me or even a copy of it and I have never needed it. :content:

 

Was stopped by MIB on a small road and they asked to see my passport. when driving have it mostly in gf's bag, so showed him.

 

Then he looked around in the car, made sure we both where attached with seat belts and said: "do wear seat belt" or something similar. Yeah :angel:

 

When I otherwise walk around, drive motorbike I don't carry passport.

 

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In over 20 years of visiting and living in LOS I have never ever carried my passport on me or even a copy of it and I have never needed it. :content:

 

 

Agreed. 28 years and almost 170 stamps into Thailand with multiple visas for other countries inside my pp that would take ages to renew if I lost 'em, I have NEVER carried my pp in Thailand and NEVER will. NEVER had a problem ever either.

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The absolute truth is you have to carry it to identify yourself and to prove that you are in the country legally.

The police told me that they will usually accept a photocopy of the relevant data.

 

J2

 

Could you please point me in the direction of the law that states that Non-Thais have to carry a passport or have you spent to long on TV and buy into this shite!

 

I sit here now and will be sitting here in ten years time waiting for you to show me a legal requirement to carry my passport!

 

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/thailand

But you won't accept that I know.

 

 

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/do...gration_Act.pdf

 

Section 58 : Any alien who has no lawful document for entering the Kingdom under Section 12 (1); or

has no Residence Certificate under this Act; and also has no identification in accordance with the Law on

Alien registration' date=' is considered to have entered into the Kingdom in violation to this Act.

 

Section 59 :The Director General, or the competent official deputized by Director General, shall have the

authority to arrest and suppress any person violating this Act. They shall also have the authority to issue

a subpoena, warrant of arrest or search, make arrest , search , or detain. They shall also have the

authority to conduct inquiry into the offense against the provisions of this Act in the same manner as the

inquiry official under the Criminal Procedure Code.

[/i']

Too vague? You'd fight a conviction in court?

 

Other than that I can only cite personal experience where I have been told by local police that the law requires me to carry my passport and been asked for it on numerous occasions when driving in border regions. but you won't accept that either.

 

Wasn't there multiple fines for this issued after a police raid on Q Bar at the end of Suk Soi 11 a couple of years back after a police raid?

 

So your advice is to not carry it and deal with the consequences when they arise?

 

 

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You didn't quote Section 12 (1) of the Immigration Act

 

Section 12 : Aliens which fall into any of the following categories are excluded from entering into the kingdom :

 

1. Having no genuine and valid passport or document used in lieu of passport ; or having a genuine and valid passport or document used in lieu of a passport without Visaing by the Royal Thai Embassies or Consulates in Foreign countries ; or from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , excepting if a visa is not required for certain types of aliens in special instances. Visaing and visa

 

The section I highlighted is important, the immigration act clearly states "Document in lieu of passport" if a document can be used in lieu then it is not a legal requirement to carry your passport.

 

Of course what defines a document in lieu is very much debatable and is open to various (mis)interpretations and abuse, as others have stated there are times when your passport is with a third country embassy for visa applications and you are issued with a letter of receipt, are foreign embassys causing visa applicants to break the immigration laws of Thailand?

 

Personaly I carry a laminated copy of my passport, details on one side latest visa on the other as well as goverment issued ID (Driving Licence, employment ID cards etc), when in BKK I leave my passport at home but if travelling to another province I will take my passport with me and put it in the safe of the hotel I am staying in.

 

I reiterate what I said, there is NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT to carry your original passport.

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I think that Mekong's logic is the same as mine

 

While the law says "Identification" it does not say passport - however as the only proof of identification they accept is a passport - then many make the false assumption that the law says carry a passport.

 

It doesn't - and if it went to court and Mekong and I only had Tourist visa's and no Thai ID - then I am sure we'd loose BUT IT DOESN'T SAY CARRY A PASSPORT

 

Irony?

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I wouldn't interpret the above quotes as meaning you must carry your passport on your person.

 

There must have been almost as many threads on this subject as the knocking shop that won't be mentioned. I recall reading what Drogon said above more than once, and many folks have heard what you heard from the BiB. Heard of QBar stories and similar, so I agree the best advice is to err on the safe side.

 

Personally, I have the picture and visa pages of my passport photocopied as I check into my hotel. Then I forget to carry it around with me 75% of the time. I've never been asked for ID.

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Nor would anyone else who spends most of their time in Bangkok.

I live out here near the Lao and Myanmar borders and am stopped while driving on an average of once a month. This is not an exaggeration but a statement of fact.

I am always asked for my passport. Why would they ask for it if I'm not required to carry it?

 

Because the relevant law cannot be found on the internet doesn't mean it doesn't exist, how many countries have their criminal law published on line?

Would this be a defence when it's read out to you in court? "I couldn't find it on the internet"?

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I wouldn't give advice to any expat, but for a tourist, like me, who doesn't speak a lick of Thai, I would advise to carry at least a copy in Bangers, or the real thing if it makes him feel more comfortable (I couldn't imagine doing this for a few weeks - the thing would be worn out).

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I've worn out three passports inside their expiry date. For an expensive document they are a piece of crap.

At the risk of accusations of "gayness" I currently carry a shoulder bag specifically for my passport.

I carry this every time I leave home because the local police, who have absolutely nothing to gain by lying to me, tell me I'm required by law to do so.

I'm more inclined to believe them than some keyboard warrior who says it's not so because he can't find it on the internet.

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