CityNews – Expats and tourists will not have to carry their passports on them at all times, it was reported today, following earlier reports that laws requiring foreigners to do so will soon be strictly enforced.
Police Colonel Voravat Amornvivat, a senior official at the Immigration Bureau’s headquarters in Bangkok, told Thaivisa.com that he wanted to reassure the expat community.
Tourists will not have to carry their original passports and expats can use a Thai driving licence or photocopy of their passport as a form of identification, he was quoted as saying.
“Making all foreigners in Thailand carry their original passports with them would be very difficult,” he said. “It’s about being reasonable and using common sense.”
The latest news comes amid often conflicting reports as immigration authorities crack down on visa overstayers and those who make regular ‘visa runs’.