if you Attend a Govt Sponsored Event and you arent legal

[Nyezhov]

I went to the Winter Fair today at the Dusit Palace Grounds.

 

Before entering, I was asked to show my passport (the phone copy was OK) to a desk manned by Immigration. They ran my number via computer. I was not asked to show my photo of my Visa, I assume because they knew it was valid. They also recorded my passport number in a log. They asked me no questions.

 

I further assume that if someone showed up on an overstay, they would have a problem.

 

I was also photographed holding up my ID (I had my passport card with me). Everyone had to do that though.

 

The Immigration guys/gals were very friendly and very professional. I was my usual jolly self, so it was very non confrontational.

 

It could be because the event was at the Palace Grounds, I dont know, but it would be easy for them to catch folks who attend events like that who arent Kosher.

[manarak]

I would make the wild guess that you could have entered using your driving license.

[Nyezhov]

13 minutes ago, manarak said:

I would make the wild guess that you could have entered using your driving license.

I would make a wild guess that I was asked SPECIFICALLY for my passport.

[ocddave]

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

I would make a wild guess that I was asked SPECIFICALLY for my passport.

 

Its very common for Thai’s to use the work ‘Passport’ with foreigner’s when they really mean ID. 

 

manarak’s ‘wild guess’ isn’t really all that wild... 

 

Just because this is your thread it doesn’t mean you aren’t guilting of falling into an assumption.

Our DL also has our passport number & may well have sufficed, we’ll never know unless another member was permitted access without passport ID. 

[Prissana Pescud]

2 hours ago, ocddave said:

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

What you say is very good advice. Just don't get compacent is my tiny piece of advice.

[Nyezhov]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Its very common for Thai’s to use the work ‘Passport’ with foreigner’s when they really mean ID. 

 

manarak’s ‘wild guess’ isn’t really all that wild... 

 

Just because this is your thread it doesn’t mean you aren’t guilting of falling into an assumption.

Our DL also has our passport number & may well have sufficed, we’ll never know unless another member was permitted access without passport ID. 

Sigh. 

 

The first request was at the metal detectors. They used the term "Identification".

 

Then it was specifically "passport". That was at the immigration table.

 

Your assumption as to what "is common" for Thais is thus incorrect.

5 hours ago, ocddave said:

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

 

They didnt care in the slightest that I had a copy on my phone instead of the original. They had the computer there to compare my real life mug to my mugshots. Which surprised me a bit since all the experts here claim how primitive they are. Again, this was Immi though.

 

Of course I can only "assume" that they have a data system similar to what  USDHS has at border crossings. On the other hand, when they type my number into the computer and then two of them apparently compare my  picture on my phone to whats on the screen (I assume that because they were looking at my phone first, then the screen, then the phone, and when they handed my phone back my picture was enlarged) and then tell me that there is no need to rummage for a pic of my visa, I guess my assumption is that they have a sophisticated data system is warranted. 

 

Perhaps we can have someone here on Overstay with just a Thai DL test it out.

 

I use Columbia or Royal Robbins converts myself because I too like the zippered pockets.  I have never been one to carry my passport 24/7 except in the waaaaaay old days before phones and then in only places like Russia or Venezuela (I always used copies in Thailand) , and I was glad to see  that assumedly, that LE is catching up with the data times.

[ocddave]

6 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

What you say is very good advice. Just don't get compacent is my tiny piece of advice.

Believe me I guard that Passport sleeve like it was gold, its whereabouts are constantly on my mind. 

[jackdd]

I think that they were mainly looking for known "terrorists" or similar and also wanted to track who exactly attended the event in case something bad happens.

Maybe they didn't even check your visa status and even if you had been on overstay you would not have had a problem, but this is of course just an assumption.

 

4 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Then it was specifically "passport". That was at the immigration table.

 

Your assumption as to what "is common" for Thais is thus incorrect.

Actually his assumption is totally right, and this is not even limited to Thais. Usually when authorities in a country ask a foreigner for an identification document they ask for "passport", but in many cases another form of identification document is accepted.

[Nyezhov]

21 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I think that they were mainly looking for known "terrorists" or similar and also wanted to track who exactly attended the event in case something bad happens.

Maybe they didn't even check your visa status and even if you had been on overstay you would not have had a problem, but this is of course just an assumption.

I assume you are correct about terrorism, however, the photo of everyone who entered holding up their ID assured the latter point.

 

I can only assume that they had my visa up on their little computer.

 

The test is this: the fair runs for another few weeks. Anybody on overstay want to go with me so we can see what is what?

[scorecard]

And If all your documents (many documents mentioned) are in one bag be careful you don't lose the bag. Replacement of all of these items would be time consuming and painful and not free,

 

Also, have you got always accessible scanned copies, can't be lost in a computer malfunction, lose your phone, etc?

[MyFriend You]

Nyezhov  You seem to have locked on to the "assuming crowd" on the TV forum.  only one page and I have counted 13 usages of the word assume, assumption and variants thereof - so I 'assume' you have hit the motherlode of assumpters.

[Nanaplaza666]

19 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

I would make a wild guess that I was asked SPECIFICALLY for my passport.

I would make a wild geuss and say that if anybody was not legal they would have turned around and walked away when seeing the immigration checking passports but i dont really see the whole importance of this post 

[Nyezhov]

14 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

I would make a wild geuss and say that if anybody was not legal they would have turned around and walked away when seeing the immigration checking passports but i dont really see the whole importance of this post 

I would make a wilder guess that unless they knew beforehand passports were being checked (unlike me) they would have innocently gone through the metal detector into a herd of cops before being asked for their passport. Like me.

 

Only then to turn around and flee. That looks great.

 

Hence the importance of this post. Now folks know. I assume.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Nyezhov

[Nyezhov]

 

1 hour ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Nyezhov  You seem to have locked on to the "assuming crowd" on the TV forum.  only one page and I have counted 13 usages of the word assume, assumption and variants thereof - so I 'assume' you have hit the motherlode of assumpters.

I assume your assumption is correct.

[MyFriend You]

11 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

 

I assume your assumption is correct.

  as brother Jimmy Buffet says  "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane"

[ocddave]

 

[monkeycu]

19 hours ago, ocddave said:

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

Are you hoping to get paid for telling us what you wear  ????

[roo860]

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

I hope you have more than one pair of North Face 'convertible' pants, do these compliment your 'open top' pith helmet?.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Katia]

I've entered Grand Palace with DL before.  Possibly more than once (can't remember, but as I don't carry my passport, probably).

 

But, I'll also have to "assume" as things could have changed since then, different cops might make a difference, etc.

 

Yes, usually people will ask for "passport" for ID because they assume foreigner probably = tourist and you won't have any sort of Thai-issued ID.  Usually I would say "Is my driver's license okay?" and usually, it was (especially since it had my passport number on it).

[from the home of CC]

20 hours ago, ocddave said:

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

most apt handle I've seen on T.V.

[Nyezhov]

47 minutes ago, roo860 said:

I hope you have more than one pair of North Face 'convertible' pants, do these compliment your 'open top' pith helmet?.

I almost bought one of those Solar Powered fan caps the other day.

 

Off topic, but the lightweight convertible pants are a godsend. I prefer the Columbia fishing pants (and their shirts) because they are a bit more lightweight. Having the zip off legs is great (except for those who are forced to stare at my white chicken legs, I look like Baba Yaga's hut) and they have plenty of zippered pockets to deter sneaky fingers.

[Nyezhov]

36 minutes ago, Katia said:

I've entered Grand Palace with DL before.  Possibly more than once (can't remember, but as I don't carry my passport, probably).

Ive entered the Grand Palace with just baht ????

 

. But the important thing here is the fact that they insisted on a passport, and ran it through a computer.

 

Funny how when you try to be helpful and say, hey folks, here is what happened, all the experts come out just to argue. Im not into netwars to satisfy ego needs, Im just trying to tell folks that the old days are apparently coming to an end.

 

With all the cynicism about BIBs and Brown envelopes, wait till some cop refuses one and locks some schnoook up. Then watch the whinging.

[thequietman]

20 hours ago, ocddave said:

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

I am assuming you drink Martini, shaken but not stirred! ????

[ocddave]

6 minutes ago, thequietman said:

I am assuming you drink Martini, shaken but not stirred! ????

Nope, haven't drank an alcoholic beverage since I got here in 2016, but I'm partial to less hoppy microbrews in the states ????

[Spidey]

21 hours ago, ocddave said:

I carry my Passport, Thai Car/Motorcycle Drivers License's, and my Pink Card with me wherever I go, so not too worried. I am guessing I am more legal, especially on the road, or while travelling, then most Thai's, let alone other Farang's. I use a BellRoy Passport sleeve/wallet, it keeps everything together, and I wear Prana, or North Face convertible pants all the time, so everything is securely in a hard to steal from pocket.

Well, you certainly live up to your forum name!

 

I never carry my passport with me. Never been a problem. I certainly wouldn't compromise my sartorial elegance to protect my belongings from pickpockets. Never had anyone attempt to pick my pocket in Thailand, although others have tried in other countries. They'd be wasting their time anyway, I only carry a handkerchief and my keys for most of the time, my wallet lives in my wife's hand bag.

 

Lose the paranoia, lose the convertible pants and chill.

[Lacessit]

I don't attend government-sponsored events. I'm not a masochist.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

Ive entered the Grand Palace with just baht ????

 

. But the important thing here is the fact that they insisted on a passport, and ran it through a computer.

 

Funny how when you try to be helpful and say, hey folks, here is what happened, all the experts come out just to argue. Im not into netwars to satisfy ego needs, Im just trying to tell folks that the old days are apparently coming to an end.

 

With all the cynicism about BIBs and Brown envelopes, wait till some cop refuses one and locks some schnoook up. Then watch the whinging.

 

Yep... its clear that you are telling us that Thailand has changed / is changing... but you are doing so based on one event...

 

We're not arguing, but we (I) am implying that one persons story doesn't indicate a nationwide shift in Immigration policy to man the desks at events and man the streets against over-stayers... 

 

Thank-you for passing along your experience....

 

....until there are more similar 'reports' of encounters with immigration checks in every day life and when attending events, Thailand has not quite yet morphed into the Orwellian 1984'esque dystopia your opening post hints at. 

 

For what its worth - Immigration can check our records on computer (for flight arrivals) and we each have an immigration record which is very easy for Immigration to Cross check against the records on the servers at Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi. 

 

 

 

[Nyezhov]

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

We're not arguing, but we (I) am implying that one persons story doesn't indicate a nationwide shift in Immigration policy to man the desks at events and man the streets against over-stayers... 

 

Thank-you for passing along your experience....

 

....until there are more similar 'reports' of encounters with immigration checks in every day life and when attending events, Thailand has not quite yet morphed into the Orwellian 1984'esque dystopia your opening post hints at. 

No one is quite saying its Orwellian, especially me. You can assume what you want. Nor have I encountered Immigration checks at any time or at any place other than this one. Nor does my post stand for the proposition that there is a "nationwide change" in Immigration policy, which change is already blatantly obvious.

 

It was offered to inform folks of my experience, and to emphasize that in light of the Operation Xray etc and the governments stated policy of tossing out "illegals", that their handy dandy computer system is being used on a portable basis. You can make of that incident what you choose and draw the lesson that you choose, and make that lesson fit your personal comfort zone or weltanshauung. 

 

Perhaps the next time I encounter something interesting regarding Immigration, I best keep to to myself so as to not to upset folks, or just to cause an argument for the sake of argument. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

No one is quite saying its Orwellian, especially me. You can assume what you want. Nor have I encountered Immigration checks at any time or at any place other than this one. Nor does my post stand for the proposition that there is a "nationwide change" in Immigration policy, which change is already blatantly obvious.

 

It was offered to inform folks of my experience, and to emphasize that in light of the Operation Xray etc and the governments stated policy of tossing out "illegals", that their handy dandy computer system is being used on a portable basis. You can make of that incident what you choose and draw the lesson that you choose, and make that lesson fit your personal comfort zone or weltanshauung. 

 

Perhaps the next time I encounter something interesting regarding Immigration, I best keep to to myself so as to not to upset folks, or just to cause an argument for the sake of argument. 

 

 

 

It maybe better for the blood pressure if you are going to get upset with the follow on discussion and comments... 

 

Nevertheless....  its definitely a post worth noting, just to see if similar 'portable' checks pop up elsewhere...