Thailand is a fairly vast country with numerous cities, towns, and islands scattered across different parts. Fortunately, you can ease your movement around the country by taking advantage of the efficient air transportation system of Thailand. However, you may want to know if it is compulsory to carry your passport with you before a domestic flight.
Based on the experience of various previous travellers, you can’t fly domestically in Thailand without a passport. This applies to both locals and foreigners in Thailand. You need to be careful as you may encounter certain challenges when traveling without a passport in the Land of Smile, especially if you are a foreigner.
When you are flying domestically in Thailand, the airport officials will check your passport to identify your name same as boarding pass or not. Hence, you can travel domestically anywhere you want without having a passport. However, in some cases, they may decide to check your passport; thus, failure to have a passport may deny you access to the airplane. Therefore, you must understand that traveling without a passport is a big risk that may affect you.
What you need for identification in Thailand airports and other places
If you are a local that wants to travel domestically in Thailand, you don’t need to hold a passport to do so. Generally, you are only expected to carry a Thai national ID card or another form of government-issued identification when traveling anywhere in the country.
According to Bangkok Air, some of the documents you can use for identification in Thailand as a Thai include:
- Thai National ID card – this is only available for an individual that is at least 7 years old.
- Birth certificate – only acceptable for a person under the age of 7
- ID card for persons with disabilities
- Official certificate for monks
However, if you don’t have any of these documents, a passport can be used as an alternative for identification.
For a foreigner who would like to travel domestically in Thailand, the following items can be used as travel documents:
- Passport
- Alien Card (non-Thai ID card) issued according to the Alien Registration Act B.E. 2493.
- Emergency travel certificate or passport
- United Nations (UN) laissez-passers
Why you can travel domestically without a passport in Thailand
As we have shown above, you don’t need to hold a passport before you can travel domestically in Thailand. You just have to possess other forms of identifications that have been highlighted in this article. This simple rule applies to both foreigners and locals that may want to travel within the country.
Having noted the importance of having travel documents, you can travel in Thailand without a passport or other travel documents. Although a check is possible at the airport before boarding an airplane for a domestic flight, this is not done in many situations. In other words, you can get on a plane without anyone checking your passport or any other identification documents. You only need to show your flight tickets to get on board.
As a result of this, you can travel domestically in Thailand without any issues if you don’t have your passport. However, you must note that it is a risk that may make you miss your flight in some situations. Even in rare cases, you may need to pay a fine for trying to fly domestically in Thailand without a passport.
Foreigners should always keep their passports within reach
Are you a foreigner in Thailand? It is essential to always have your passport with you wherever you are going. Even though you may not need a passport to fly domestically, you may need the document for other things.
In general, Thai police are known for stopping and questioning tourists and expats in this Southeast Asian country. Since there is a law that supports this action, police officers often do this stop and search regularly in most places across the country. This is common in Bangkok, Phuket, and other big cities in Thailand.
It is noteworthy that the police are doing this for some reasons, which include:
- Lots of illegal immigrants are working and living in Thailand. It has been estimated that about 5 million individuals are living in Thailand illegally. Therefore, the police conduct searches to find offenders and penalize them accordingly.
- Some foreigners have been caught in the past for committing different crimes. So, to safeguard the people of Thailand, the police and other law enforcement agents have been authorized to check the passport of foreigners in the country.
Therefore, you should not keep your passport and other travel documents inside a safety lock. Make sure you have them with you whenever you are going anywhere in Thailand.
You must take note of the fact that photocopies of your passport are not acceptable. This means you must always carry your original passport with you when you are in Thailand. Additionally, a foreign driver’s license, alien ID card, etc. cannot be used as a substitute for your passport when you are being searched by the police in Thailand.
As a consequence of this, you don’t have to wait until you want to fly domestically before having your passport with you. In an interview with an Immigration superintendent, Bangkok Post notes that it is compulsory to always take it along with you whether you are visiting a tourist center, going to a conference, or shopping at the market.
If you are apprehended for trying to fly domestically or live in Thailand without a passport or other legal travel documents, you can face the following punishments:
- Detained or taken to your accommodation to verify whether you have a passport and other traveling documents or not. Because you don’t carry the passport with you, you may be fined 2,000 Thai baht.
- If you do not have a passport or other traveling documents, you may be deported from Thailand.
In a nutshell, you must understand that the application of laws in Thailand is weak. Therefore, many of these fines may not apply. Nevertheless, you should be on the safer side by always carrying a passport with you when you want to fly domestically.