Old Hippie Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 I recall checking the Airline computer system a few years ago, for visa info on LOS, and the Thai state dept. stated they would refuse entry to anyone "...exhibiting a hippie like appearance..." They stated this as ragged clothes, bells on shoes and a few other things I can't recall. Half of Kosan Rd. would have been refused, so I guess it wasn't really enforced... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 Ha ha, you never know when they will start a "crackdown" mate! Better get rid of those bells off your shoes now!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 So am I correct in assuming that I'm an idiot for carrying around my real passport? [i'm an idiot for several other reasons so don't worry about hurting my feelings] i just want to know what the norm is: photocopy, Drivers license??? Excellent advice about the 'end of the month' I will take care from now on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayjann Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 my first ever night in LOS,bangkok and it was around 03;00 and i was lost,looking for my hotel. stopped by 2 policemen on a motorbike and being a total newbie and without a word of thai,i let myself go through the shakedown, i was also forced to accept the genital area search,but said nothing. showed them my passport and they wanted to see my wallet. i had the address of my hotel on a card and took it out to show them. one of them looked through the wallet while the other searched me and then they told me where the hotel was and let me go. in the morning i discovered all my ATM and credit cards were missing from the wallet. i have no proof who took them,but they were there when i gave the wallet to the cop,but not there in the morning. wasted a day,having to ring home and cancel the cards and arrange for money to be sent to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iuytrede Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 I had a almost identical experience about 6 months ago at Ekkamai Bus Station. Thai friends told me afterwards that it was stupid to let the cops go through all my stuff (including pockets and travel bag). I should have insisted that they don't put their fingers in there (risk of drug planting), but I take everything out and show it to them, including the empty pockets. As they were 4 people acting simultaneouslty (like one going through my bag, the other at the same time going through my credit cards), I really can't figure out how I should have done that. But my friends told me the cops would accept that. BTW I didn't lose anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 Over the years, I've alternately heard that it is and is not the law for foreigners to carry ID on them, like Thais have to. I do know it USED not to be the law; the question is always has the law changed or not. When it was for sure NOT the law, many police did not realize it, and certainly were not going to believe some foreigner telling THEM what the law was. Been in Thailand since the '80's, except for a short break stateside, and I have never been hassled like that, and have never carried ID on me (don't want criminals to know where I live if the ID gets lifted). I have heard that many folks will carry a photocopy of their passport picture and visa pages, explaining to any officer in question that the real passport is at Immigration or at some embassy awaiting a visa for that country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 many years ago a cop told me that it was actually illegal to carry pocket knifes around, but that generally cops would not make an issue out of that. not long after i was searched (also on sukhumvit), they found my pocketknife, and handed it back to me smiling with some comment that they could do something, but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogpatrol Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 Just last night a friend relayed a story to me about one of his Australian friends (described as clean cut & long time BKK resident, for what that is worth) who has been searched twice by police in the last week. Both times were on Sukhumvit Road, and exactly as described above. From what I was told, he carries a copy of his work permit with him at all times, and was released each time after the cops had a look at it. Why they were searching him and what, if anything, they were looking for, remains a mystery. froggo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2002 Report Share Posted October 3, 2002 [color:blue]"I had a almost identical experience about 6 months ago at Ekkamai Bus Station. "color=blue>As I am sometimes catching the bus to Pattaya from there, I would like to know: - Was this at day-time or at night-time? - Were you the only one searched? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene1944 Posted October 4, 2002 Report Share Posted October 4, 2002 About a year ago, I saw two cops on a motor bike pull a taxicab over to the curb around noon time. They ordered the pasengers (two middle aged Indians in the cab) out and had them empty their pockets on the top of the cab. They looked through everything, had their turn their pockets out and then let them go. I thought it strange at the time but haven't seen anything like it again. There was nothing except the turbans that made the Indians distinguishable. I thought I was about to witness a drug bust or something major. The Indians did not seem perturbed as they got back in the cab and their cabbie drove on. The cops did not seem to be overly excited about the stop/check either. I don't know if the taxi driver left the meter on during the stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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