Passport Control: Phuket police confirm will hold passports as they see fit

[kjhbigv]

Have they sought permission from the British Government (for example) to do this?

The passport is property of "Her Majesty's Government" in the UK.

It does not belong to the passport holder.

[klauskunkel]

“However, it is standard procedure to retain the passports of any foreigners facing any criminal charge, but after the matter has been settled in court and damages have been paid, we have no reason to hold the foreigner’s passport.”

Here are some more reasons to hold passports:

1. you are too lazy to return them.

2. you forgot you had them.

3. you misfiled them.

4. you haven't sold them yet.

[gandalf12]

Utterly BS as usual but TIT!

Only a court can confiscate a passport from a person as a measure stopping a person from leaving a country. They can look at it photocopy it to establish true identity......

If we look into "small print" - a passport is not even a property of the person it is issued to. Mine says something like property of the kingdom of ....... and i am purely a holder of the privilege to be issued one.....

Clearly the BIB is here taking a "god" role and stretching their legal rights again, but that is no surprise.

If me I would never have waited 3 weeks, same day as told this BS i would have involved the embassy. as they are not allowed to confiscate it without a court order.

they where most likely fishing for a brown envelope.

A passport is the property of the issuing country. It would reasonably be held by police in the case of an extreme crime such as murder but for a bump in the car no.

[SiSePuede419]

If your passport is kept by the police, it is essentially "stolen".

Mai bpen Rai.

Eat the cost. Apply for a new one. Move on with your life.

Y'all could learn a little something about life from your Thai friends, 555

Have a nice day!

[Jonathon]

Surely this is outside their powers? The answer is not to carry your passport, just a copy of the relevant pages.

[sabaii69]

If your passport is kept by the police, it is essentially "stolen".

Mai bpen Rai.

Eat the cost. Apply for a new one. Move on with your life.

Y'all could learn a little something about life from your Thai friends, 555

Have a nice day!

You should report the theft to the police

[andres]

"private negotiations for damages arising from a minor car accident" is that really a criminal act?

[Bangkok Barry]

Thailand doesn't give a rat's fart about international law and what a foreign passport or government may state. It will do whatever it wants, and with impunity because no embassy is going to kick up a fuss and make a diplomatic incident out of it, and any Thai lawyer who gets involved is not going to back a foreigner against the police.

That's just the way it is. Same as in the bigger picture China and Russia can do whatever they want and the most that happens is other governments issue a statement saying that they strongly condemn.

[SiSePuede419]

"You should report the theft to the police"

OK, who stole your passport?

You did.

((Silence))

Ackward!

555

[tomross46]

My holding the passport, the police are sure that you will not try to leave country. This is done by law enforcement through the world. Would you rather spend the time in jail, or turn over your passport?

[mcfish]

Stay out of trouble, never rent anything.. No problem.. Surely it's not rocket science

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[Jonmarleesco]

'“A passport is the most important document that police can obtain as evidence when a foreigner is suspected or involved in a crime in the Kingdom ...' It is? For crimes involving travel documents, perhaps. Otherwise, that claim smacks of BS!

'“However, it is standard procedure to retain the passports of any foreigners facing any criminal charge ...' And Thais? Because RTP have lost more than a few of those, often with serious charges pending.

When all is said and done, I doubt the Thai police have the authority to withhold the passport of the citizen of another country, especially as it is that country's property.

[NickJ]

Local BIB and Immigration are diffrent franchises.....They only work together when they have to.Its the same with the Labor departments and Immigration as well. One giant snake with multiple heads......Local cop keeps passport and Im a tourist. I know what I would do.........Embassy. One way return home document......later.

[4u2mad]

They seem to think: if you wear brown- you are god.

Actually, something else brown springs to mind.....

[Assurancetourix]

555 ! Living in Issan since ten years; never a policeman asked me or stopped me to see my passport which belongs to my government ; it's written on the last page .

I cycle about 15,000 km a year everywhere in Issan and northern provinces and have never my passport in my pocket .( unless I want to cycle on the roads border to Myanmar where there are army check-points) .

Don't need it .

[Nobb]

Phuket police confirm that they are nothing but mafia monkey and racist against tourist. hardy no thai has his or her card with the if in any kind of unlawful act but they are allowed to walk away. Even if they have no drivers licenses or insurance. I will post this on facebook but will not respond to it.

[farcanell]

Every Australian in Phuket should have the local Aussi consulate number in their phones memory.... She is also a practicing lawyer, easy to talk too, and well versed in dealing with local police authorities.

[Sydebolle]

Is Kathu Police Chief Col Chaiwat Uykam aware of the bull...t he is stuttering to the world? He is - best case scenario - executive but not legislative; I for one would like to know what the law says. They might look at driving licenses but not even keep those. Had an incident this week with the BiB near Pattaya where he wanted to not only see my driving license but also my passport which I do not have on me.

Big story; asked for the relevant reading of the law - which he could not produce, then he wanted to fine me for not carrying my passport and hence not being able to identify myself. I then told him, that the license was issued based on tons of papers by immigration, embassy and DOMV in my home country hence more than identified - he had to let me go after I threatened to take a picture of him with my phone.

[kingalfred]

The police have NO right to take passport. And Mr Kent at Uk hole in Witthayu road in bkk better make it clear to thailand

[farcanell]

Every Australian in Phuket should have the local Aussi consulate number in their phones memory.... She is also a practicing lawyer, easy to talk too, and well versed in dealing with local police authorities.

LMAO!

[Thaidream]

No other country in the World that I know of will have the police hold a person's passport. In the US a person's passport can only be held once a person is indicted for a crime and a judge orders it surrendered as part of a bail hearing. In civil matters, I have never heard of a passport being seized. Taking a person's passport is their only recognized form of identification. Just because a complaint is made against someone, does not mean that person has done anything wrong. I don't know what the Thai law is but I would doubt that the police have that power. It appears Phuket continues to apply their own version of both the Immigration law and general Thai law. Phuket is a place I shall never visit again-ever. Too much abuse of power and a general feeling of lawlessness.

[teacher0826]

I just had to throw in my 2-cents worth, As one member stated,"I live here because I love to laugh everyday". The BIB need to aware of UN Regulations about withholding the passport of any tourist with a valid entry into that country and that country being a member of the UN. If they hold the passport they MUST make a charge with-in 24 hours of notification. Also, FYI, Hotels are NOT allowed to hold or keep your passport, they can make a copy, but are not allowed to hold for the duration of your stay.

https://info.undp.org/global/documents/hr/Guide-to-the-Issuance-of-UN-Travel-Documents.pdf

[lvr181]

If Thailand is a signatory nation to the U.N., does the U.N. have "conventions" in place about the status of passports, their ownership and the holders of passports?

[Maggusoil]

Involved in an accident. I dragged the other victims off to the hospital and disappeared. The police came round to our place. The girlfriend knowing where my passport was, made a big show of looking for it for half an hour.

When I eventually had to front up to the police station, and they asked for my passport, I told them I only carried copies of it and my visa. The were happy with my copies and they did take my driver's licence and held onto that for about 4 weeks while we sorted things out.

Do not hand over your passport to anyone but your embassy for official purposes, or the Thai Immigration when getting your visa.

[canthai55]

In Canada the passport does not belong to the individual, it belongs to the Canadian Government. Don't know about other countries

[seedy]

one Troll / Flaming post removed

[Thaidream]

The problem with dealing with the police is that most people do not understand what the police can and cannot do legally. The police actually should not even ask to see a person's passport during a routine situation or ask to search you or look in your pockets. When this has happened, I ask to be immediately taken to the police station and be searched or provide identification to an Officer with a witness and also provided an opportunity to call a lawyer. They have never taken me to a station as they know they have no legal right to do any of this. Since there is no probable cause -their powers are limited..

[SiSePuede419]

"then he wanted to fine me for not carrying my passport and hence not being able to identify myself."

You already had an ID (drivers license).

I suspect he wanted to see your immigration status, if you are there legally with a valid visa.

Should have gave him a 1000B and said "Does this look like me?"

555

[Fairynuff]

The problem with dealing with the police is that most people do not understand what the police can and cannot do legally. The police actually should not even ask to see a person's passport during a routine situation or ask to search you or look in your pockets. When this has happened, I ask to be immediately taken to the police station and be searched or provide identification to an Officer with a witness and also provided an opportunity to call a lawyer. They have never taken me to a station as they know they have no legal right to do any of this. Since there is no probable cause -their powers are limited..

In theory.

[tonyjimmac]

Passports remain the property of the government of the issuing country. In the case of the UK that technically means the document is the property of HER BRITANNIC MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH the second. That little nuggest should scare the proverbial out of any Thai cop. As I understand it technically within the Kingdom insulting anybody's royalty is by implication seen as an insult to His Majesty.