Carry Your Passport in Thailand? A Copy Is Usually Enough
Carry a copy of your passport photo page, not the original; police may ask to check your passport, and a copy is usually enough. If you have no passport on you, you could be asked to produce it within 24 hours. Section 37 of the Immigration Act lists the duties of a foreigner on a temporary stay.
On this page
Carry a copy of your passport photo page and keep the original somewhere safe: police may ask to check your passport, and a copy is usually enough. If you have nothing on you, you could be asked to produce it within 24 hours at a police station. That comes from UK government advice, so treat it as a custom, not a Thai rule.
What the law asks of you
Section 37 of the Immigration Act sets the duties of a foreigner permitted to stay temporarily, and carrying the passport is not on the list. The duties are below.
| Duty | Rule |
|---|---|
| Work | Do not work unless permitted under the alien work law |
| Address | Stay at the notified place, and report a move within 24 hours |
| Police notice | Notify the local police within twenty-four hours of moving to a new residence |
| Travel | Notify the police within forty-eight hours when you stay over twenty-four hours in a province |
| Ninety days | Notify the immigration officer in writing every ninety days |
Failing the work rule, section 37(1), carries up to 1 year in prison or a fine up to THB 10,000, or both. Failing section 37(2), (3), (4) or (5) carries a fine up to THB 5,000 plus up to THB 200 a day until compliance.
Never leave it as a deposit
Do not hand your passport over as a guarantee, for example to motorcycle or jet-ski rental businesses. Companies may hold on to passports against claimed damage.
At a hotel, the notice to immigration within 24 hours is the manager’s job, not yours. Let the desk copy the details and ask for the passport back before you leave the counter; TM30 explains the filing.
If it is lost or stolen
Report it to the local police as soon as possible, and ask for a statement about the loss or a crime report. Your embassy comes next; the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, for one, asks for a police report with an emergency passport application.
Once you hold the replacement, visit a Thai immigration office to have your entry and exit stamps and Thai visa transferred into it. If the old passport turns up, do not use it, because UK government advice says you are denied entry on a passport reported lost or stolen.
The tourist police take reports from foreign visitors; see the tourist police guide for the hotline and the app.
Not confirmed: Whether another Thai instrument sets a duty to carry the passport, with its own fine, is unconfirmed, and no fine for not carrying it is quoted here. Carry a copy of the photo page.
Common questions
Do I have to carry my passport in Thailand?
Section 37 of the Immigration Act lists the duties of a foreigner on a temporary stay. Police may ask to check your passport.
Is a copy of my passport accepted?
Usually, a copy of the photo page of your passport will be sufficient. That is UK government advice, not a Thai rule.
What if police ask and I do not have it with me?
You could be asked to produce it within 24 hours at a police station.
Can a rental shop keep my passport as a deposit?
Do not hand your passport over as a guarantee, for example to motorcycle or jet-ski rental businesses. Companies may hold on to passports against claimed damage.
What do I do if my passport is lost or stolen?
Report it to the local police as soon as possible. Ask the police for a statement about the loss or a crime report.
What is the penalty for not reporting every ninety days?
Failing section 37(2) to (5) carries a fine up to THB 5,000 plus up to THB 200 a day until compliance.
Read next
Sources and reader comments
Official sources:
- GOV.UK (FCDO) Thailand travel advice: Safety and security (crime, laws, personal ID) (opens in a new tab)
- Immigration Act B.E. 2522, consolidated Thai text with English translation and amendment footnotes (Phuket Immigration Office copy; last footnote 2018) (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Reporting a crime abroad and getting help (opens in a new tab)
- Phitsanulok Immigration: procedure for notifying foreigner residence (TM.30) for premises, posted 24 Dec 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- Australian Embassy Bangkok: Australian Passports, Emergency Passport Applications (info sheet) (opens in a new tab)
General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.
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Comments (4)
ChicoGuerrera
Get good quality pictures of your passport biodata, entry/exit stamp and (if applicable) visa page(s). Keep them on your phone. Leave your passport in the safe. You only really need it to change money or buy a SIM card.
itsafinedey
There is a police booth in Thonglor where the police check for passports and shake you down if you don't have it. Always carry a photocopy of both photo and visa.
View all 4 comments
OkSmile
A picture on your phone is sufficient for a random police/immigration request. But you will need the actual passport to exchange money or buy a sim or rabbit/mrt card.
not5150
If you're going to the beach, I highly recommend leaving your passport in the hotel safe/room (take a pic of your passport face page and entry stamp and put it in a folder called TRAVEL DOCS). If you insist on carrying your passport into the water, double ziplock bag it and have it tied onto you. I've seen and have witnessed several horror stories of people having their backpack stolen while they swam or the passport/phone bag floats away because it wasn't attached securely.