Police tighten surveillance on foreigners

[reader]

From Pattaya News

Pattaya law enforcement and immigration have increased patrols on foreigners who may have overstayed in the city and are up to no good, following recent cases of nightclub busts involving foreigners on overstay.

Police and immigration officers inspected several nightclubs and gogos on Pattaya Walking Street in South Pattaya at 10 PM on Friday, November 4th, in search of foreign tourists who might have overstayed their visas.

The officers randomly asked to look at tourists’IDs and passports to ensure that they were not overstaying. Police also stressed to tourists that it was important to carry an ID with a copy of a passport stamp at all times. Thai nationals were checked to ensure they were over the legal age to go into nightclubs and bars.

No tourists had been arrested for overstaying yesterday, according to police.

[Travellerdave]

I always carry a copy of the Id page of my passport whilst in Thailand, as I believe carrying the actual document risks losing it or having it stolen. Typically I’m wearing lightweight shorts and shirt without deep pockets in which paper deteriorates in hot tropical conditions. The passeport stays in my room safe together with other key items;- insurance details, 2nd debit card, flight details, drivers licence etc etc. I’ve only been asked to show my passport twice by the police twice in 20 years when in boy bars subject to raids. The copy was accepted on those occasions.

 

[bkkmfj2648]

8 minutes ago, Travellerdave said:

I always carry a copy of the Id page of my passport whilst in Thailand, as I believe carrying the actual document risks losing it or having it stolen.

I agree with you.  I went a step further - I want to a lamination shop (photo copy store) in Pattaya and they took my passport and copied both the ID page as well as the VISA stamp page.  So, the end result is a laminated ID card with my passport photo ID on one side and my VISA stamp on the other side.  I had 2 of them made (one as a backup) and I walk around with one of these and the actual passport stays in my room safe.  They made it into the side of a credit card - so it fits perfectly into your pocket and/or wallet without having to bend it.

[bkkmfj2648]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:39 PM, bkkmfj2648 said:

I agree with you.  I went a step further - I want to a lamination shop (photo copy store) in Pattaya and they took my passport and copied both the ID page as well as the VISA stamp page.  So, the end result is a laminated ID card with my passport photo ID on one side and my VISA stamp on the other side.  I had 2 of them made (one as a backup) and I walk around with one of these and the actual passport stays in my room safe.  They made it into the side of a credit card - so it fits perfectly into your pocket and/or wallet without having to bend it.

I wanted to give an update on this lamination service.  I just completed the renewal of my 1 year retirement visa and I again returned to this lamination print shop in Pattaya - where they created for me an ID Card - where on the front is the ID portion of my passport and on the back is the updated retirement visa stamp.  Very cheap - I believe that I paid 150 baht for 2 laminated ID cards.  I upload their business card (below) - the shop can be easily found on South Pattaya road shortly after the Friendship Supermarket walking in the direction of Sukhumvit Road - on the same side of the road.

Have I ever had to use this ID card for a police check in Thailand = NO.  But I feel comfortable with it in my pocket (they size it down so it can fit in your wallet - credit card size) instead of having to carry my passport with me.  Ironically, I had to use it once in the metro system in Budapest for the renewal of my monthly transit card - as they recognized it as an actual ID card instead of my Hungarian retirement ID card.  How strange.  So, it can have a use outside of Thailand.

[Travelingguy]

You can also put your paper copy in a ziplock plastic bag to protect it from the elements.