Royal Thai police spokesmen say that tourists do not need to carry passports

Royal Thai police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri has said that tourists do not need to carry their passports on them at all times. The comment as made after various media outlets suggested that tourists were being asked for their passports randomly by the police and to put an end to years of ex-pat speculation relating to foreigners been required to have their passports on them at all times.

He went on to say that the RTP would be conducting an investigation published by the Sydney Morning Herald that police had stopped foreigners on the Sukhumvit Road and conducted searches and extorted bribes from foreigners. There have now been three reports in to the stop and searches. Pol Maj Gen Apichat Thi-amart, the chief of the Tourist Police Division said that he ordered an investigation into the matter after the British Ambassador to Thailand had a meeting with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri confirmed that if tourists were asked to produce their passports they would be able to provide them at a later time if necessary.

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