No passport, no stay in HH?

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hhfarang
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by hhfarang »

Why not stay in a condo where a passport is not required? It is only the hotels that demand a passport.
I don't think that's legal. No matter where you stay the landlord has to register your presence to immigration and they should ask for your passport to do that.
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PeteC
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by PeteC »

They don't seem to bother HHF if the reservation is under someone else name, even if you end up guaranteeing and paying for the room with your credit card. We've done it frequently lately with the wife making the bookings; Hua Hin, Pattaya for the fireworks and most recently Pattaya again at a different place. All were big names places, not dives, so it seems they are interpreting things differently. Pete :cheers:
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by Morgan33 »

hhfarang wrote:
Why not stay in a condo where a passport is not required? It is only the hotels that demand a passport.
I don't think that's legal. No matter where you stay the landlord has to register your presence to immigration and they should ask for your passport to do that.
and you must wear a helmet when driving a motorbike in Thailand too!
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by nickswift »

i checked into a place with thai license 4 days ago
GLCQuantum
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by GLCQuantum »

The only place you need a passport for in Thailand is Border Immigration. FACT
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by margaretcarnes »

GLCQuantum wrote:The only place you need a passport for in Thailand is Border Immigration. FACT

Errr- sorry but is that strictly true? I thought that any tourist anywhere is legally required to carry their passport. Not that we do of course for obvious reasons, but surely there have been cases in Thailand of farang being arrested on the technicality?
And along the same lines why do citizens of EU member states have to carry their passports when crossing borders even though the passports aren't stamped anymore?
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Korkenzieher
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by Korkenzieher »

Margaret - most European citizens are obliged to carry personal ID at all times. For most countries, this is a separate item to a passport. I think it is only Denmark and the UK which do not have some form of ID card. Technically that means you have to carry your passport at all times if you are Danish or British.

That said, it is rarely applied with any rigor. In Germany, I have been asked for papers twice in 12 years - once during a Christmas time drinking and driving sweep and once when I had forgotten my monthly travel pass and I got hit by a ticket inspection on the way to work. Even though it isn't considered photo ID in the UK, the Germans will always accept your (new style) driving licence because it has a photo on it. Needless to say, there was no issue either time, though I was asked to present myself at a police station with my papers within a week in the driving case.

In Thailand 'Papers' is usually translated to 'this is where you get to pay your on the spot bribe, errm I mean 'fine'. Oddly this is also true in Germany, except that you usually get a receipt for the much larger amount (€40 or so).

Other than that, it is pretty difficult to check into a hotel anywhere in Europe without some form of ID, except in the UK.
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by lomuamart »

Well, in 13 years I've only been asked for my passport in HH once.
I asked if it was necessary and on being told that they'd like to see it, I produced it it 5 minutes later.
Definitely, every alien needs to carry ID with them at all times. That's the law in Thailand. Whether the ID is a passport, a copy of relevant pages or maybe a Thai driving license, it dosn't matter.
That's a law, simple as that.
The Thais normally don't step outside of their home without their ID.
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by Korkenzieher »

Agree. In my experience Thais always carry their ID. I'm not against carrying some covering material - usually a colour printout of a scan of the ID page in my passport and my driving licence. In Thailand, this doesn't show the visa page, but then I've never been asked except at a hotel, when they can see the real one, or at a check point where they are usually more interested in a couple of copies of the King's portrait.
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by barrys »

I had a credit-card sized copy made of my passport - photo page on side, visa on the other.
Never had any problems presenting that.
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by chelsea »

I have always been asked for a passport when booking in a hotel in Thailand, do not think that you can getaway without showing it.
I am pretty sure it is the same here in Australia with non residents. If any disaster was to happen at least they have records of where you are staying.
There was a post on here I think some time ago saying that all hotels etc had to forward guest information on a daily basis to the authorities, so I would imagine that they are only following guidelines laid out for them.
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by Pleng »

chelsea wrote: If any disaster was to happen at least they have records of where you are staying.

Because all the details jotted down in these hotel guestbooks is logged in a central database that the government can readily access?
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by somtumtiger »

Bring a copy of your passport, at the very least, and Thai ID, work ID etc.
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by TingTongJohn »

As far as I know according to Thai law anyone non Thai(Thai National)must carry their original passport at all times and if stopped can be detained till said document is produced. A copy is not a valid paper and you still can be detained till it has been procured. Yes I have heard recently that there is a big push that only the passport not a copy will be excepted when checking in through out Thailand. True I do not know. Go ahead prove me wrong I do not mind if these are not the facts. Also just an FYI. I for the most part only carry a photocopy of the latest stamp and such from my passport. I just have my wife check in with her Thai passport :-)....
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Re: No passport, no stay in HH?

Post by Takiap »

In all the years I've been here, I've never been asked to show my passport other that at hotels and border crossings, and just as well really, because I never carry it about with me. Even when we go away, I don't take it since my wife books into the hotels.


So, this reporting system has a few very obvious weak links.....

1) A fugitive, if married to a Thai, doesn't have to show when staying at hotels.
2) A doubt many fugitives living in Thailand are actually living in hotels, and how many Thai landlords are going to comply with this reporting requirement?


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