Pattaya officials told seven visiting ambassadors that tourists need not carry their passports at all times, but should have a copy or be prepared to wait to have their identifies verified.
Mayor Anan Charoenchasri, his top deputies, police officials and the heads of major eastern tourism and hospitality associations met April 4 with the delegation led by H.E. Raushan Yesbulatova, ambassador to Kazakhstan. She was accompanied by counterparts from Bahrain, Bhutan, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Slovak Republic and Timor.
The visit was intended as a study trip about tourism and to create good relations between the embassies and Pattaya City Hall.
But the Omani and Nigerian envoys turned the discussion to prior arrests of their citizens for being unable to show identification or immigration documents.
Pattaya Tourist Police Division commander Pol. Maj. Piyapong Ensarn said that while the letter of the law states tourists must be in possession of their passports at all times, officers, in practice, will accept a photocopy. If a visitor cannot provide the original or copy, they can give their full name and country of origin to an officer, who will need to verify it with the tourist’s home embassy.
Deputy Mayor Apichart Virapal advised the ambassadors to tell their citizens to avoid any problems by carrying at least a copy of their passport while on holiday in Pattaya.
