Hua Hin police check: driving without licence and passport

[StevePIraq]

Today is the first time when riding my bike I have been stopped by the police and asked for my driving license and passport which was checked for a valid visa, this was then followed by a stream of questions to which all of my answers were recorded.
Where have I been
Where am I going
My residential address
When did I arrive in Thailand and so on.

This was on Hua Hin 65 heading towards the Hilton, there were about 15 Expats, no Thais, most off their bikes with helmets off standing at the side of the road presumably as they did not have driving licenses or passports on them.

Take care, it is required to carry both if driving a vehicle.

[Big Boy]

They'll be drinking a lot of tea tonight.

[hhinner]

Yeah. "Tea".

[HHTel]

As long as you have a valid driving licence be it Thai, International or a licence from your own country and a PHOTOCOPY of your passport including the visa page, then you are quite legal. If you have that and are still getting pressure, then insist on going to the police station.
I have done that more than once and it's surprising how quickly they back down and wave you on.
If you have a cam then video it as many are these days.

[Spitfire]

These rules vary from province to province as much as the weather does.

Local hill-billy Thai cops doing as they see fit for today......yeeehaaaaa! Today the fine will be ......?

[StevePIraq]

Why think Tea Money, why not comply with the requirements and then you are in compliance, it is simple and exactly as expats would expect in their own country. The police are doing nothing wrong except making people comply with the law, which is correct.

If I end up having an accident with someone who does not have a valid license and insurance I will be the loser.

[Khundon1975]

^Very true HHTel if you carry those, then when stopped, the BIB can do nothing.
I can never understand why, when foreigners who know the Thai laws regarding carrying ID but ignore them, moan about being fined.

[Khundon1975]

These rules vary from province to province as much as the weather does.

Local hill-billy Thai cops doing as they see fit for today......yeeehaaaaa! Today the fine will be ......?

Spitfire

No they don't, the rules are the same all over Thailand.

Only how and when the rules are enforced, change.

[Spitfire]

Things that should not need to be covered.

[Khundon1975]

Spitfire

Before you removed your post asking "if I have experience of the rules in other parts of Thailand"
I was going to say yes I have.
FIL was, until recently, a high ranking officer in Thai police and he told me years ago, that foreigners
were required, by law, to carry either a Thai driving licence, or international driving licence and a copy of passport showing their visa.

[JamesWest]

yes DL and copy passport. however we all remember the flap last year about having to carry passport and then it was retracted.

we let hope the other Farangs were first time tourists and are on social media right now warning everyone about being stopped by the police in Thailand and how frightened they were about possibly being arrested for nothing.

and you expats living here. photos and any info goes up on twitter #huahin #thailand.

twitter:

#TAT #THAILAND #HUAHIN #VACATION #BOMBING #CENTARA #HILTON

"if you don't hear from me. being stopped by Thai police in Hua Hin. not sure why."

"being detained by Thai police now for not carrying passport. not sure why. vacation ruined. never again"

"my wife was scared when the Thai police stopped us for no reason. not a good feeling or vacation"

"against the law for police to stop people without probable cause in my country. shame on you Thailand."

"Thailand is like a police state since bombing. No longer the place for vacation."

"wow. watching Thai police stopping a family of tourists in Hua hin. wonder what they did?"

"wow. just saw Thai police check point only stopping white people. can they do that here?"

Any and all videos go up on youtube.

[lomuamart]

Through all those dark days, I never carried my passport.

[Dannie Boy]

I got stopped on the Klong road driving in my car last Friday and asked for my licence, but no mention of passport (I carry a copy in my wallet) and was then waved on.

[hhinner]

^^ That was a proper traffic check, where almost everyone was being checked. This one seems calculated to upset tourists by apparently specifically targeting them. Great PR!

[Khundon1975]

JamesWest wrote

"against the law for police to stop people without probable cause in my country. shame on you Thailand."


I don't know what country you are from but that statement is incorrect in most countries.
In the UK, you can be stopped at a police check, your car checked for defects, your right to drive (licence, insurance and Mot) checked etc.
No probable cause needed. I suspect that applies in most countries, don't you.

All your crap about posting on social media! If you don't like the rules, go home.