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Phuket Red Carding Tourists


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A new initiative called the “Red Card” system has been launched in Phuket, Thailand, to crack down on bad behaviour or law-breaking by foreigners. The initiative was announced by Praphansak Prasansuk, a senior Immigration officer, at a press conference attended by a horde of high-ranking officials yesterday.

Under the system, foreign visitors who engage in activities that are deemed inappropriate or illegal will be given a yellow card. They will also be issued with a warning and their embassy will be notified.

“Should they commit a second offence during the same period of stay, their permission to remain in the kingdom will be revoked and they will be deported”, according to a report in The Phuket News.

“If they attempt to visit Thailand on another occasion, they will not be given permission to remain, based on having broken the law during their previous stay.”

The red card system is part of a larger initiative aimed at promoting better behaviour among tourists. At the press conference, officials referred to a rise in bad behaviour among tourists in recent years, with incidents such as dangerous driving, riding a motorbike without a helmet, and not having the correct driving licence on the rise.

https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/phuket-news/phuket-authorities-introduce-red-card-system-for-foreigners-who-break-the-law/

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3 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

A new initiative called the “Red Card” system has been launched in Phuket, Thailand, to crack down on bad behaviour or law-breaking by foreigners. The initiative was announced by Praphansak Prasansuk, a senior Immigration officer, at a press conference attended by a horde of high-ranking officials yesterday.

Under the system, foreign visitors who engage in activities that are deemed inappropriate or illegal will be given a yellow card. They will also be issued with a warning and their embassy will be notified.

“Should they commit a second offence during the same period of stay, their permission to remain in the kingdom will be revoked and they will be deported”, according to a report in The Phuket News.

“If they attempt to visit Thailand on another occasion, they will not be given permission to remain, based on having broken the law during their previous stay.”

The red card system is part of a larger initiative aimed at promoting better behaviour among tourists. At the press conference, officials referred to a rise in bad behaviour among tourists in recent years, with incidents such as dangerous driving, riding a motorbike without a helmet, and not having the correct driving licence on the rise.

https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/phuket-news/phuket-authorities-introduce-red-card-system-for-foreigners-who-break-the-law/

So if foreigner behaves in the same manner as a Thai, he gets a colored card.  Sounds like they been watching to much soccer.

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8 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

officials referred to a rise in bad behaviour among tourists in recent years, with incidents such as dangerous driving, riding a motorbike without a helmet, and not having the correct driving licence on the rise.

Gotta say I agree with this red card thingy and wish they would do something similar in Pattaya. There are way too many falangs driving like idiots (yes, I know some Thais do too) and they don't have a motorcycle license, do not have driver insurance, and some are obviously drunk. Many are also unaware that their travel insurance will not cover them if they have an accident and end up in hospital. The baht bus and Bolt are much better options IMO.

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I see this initiative as neutral. At the time of "legends" (let's say the end of the last century), Thailand was perceived by farang tourists as a country of great freedom . However, more and more farangs came and a minority pushing too far started spreading disorder. So it became necessary to set the pressure on some people to stop disturbing Thai people and other tourists. Since people from some countries are too much protected by their embassy to be sentenced in Thailand, it may be wiser to use this yellow and red card system before offenses become too serious. Riding a motorbike without being insured or without the ad hoc driver's license may look like a minor offense, but who would be responsible in case of an accident with serious injuries ? 
I could also explain how I was scared by drunk English people in Koh Phi Phi. The island was full of drunk Russian people but they would stay quiet while some British tourists used it to offense other tourists. This system may be a solution to calm down potentially dangerous people. 

Hopefully, they won't use it to struggle stronger against p4p or protect Thai scammers. 

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6 hours ago, Pulci Gorgon said:

Riding a motorbike without being insured or without the ad hoc driver's license may look like a minor offense, but who would be responsible in case of an accident with serious injuries ? 

Perhaps the motorbike rental shop should be held accountable.  No license; no rental.

If you live in Thailand and own a motorbike it is best to obtain a Thai driver's license.  If you don't spend too much time in Thailand and still want to rent a bike then make sure you have the proper International driver's license.

On 3/3/2023 at 9:17 AM, Soju said:

The baht bus and Bolt are much better options IMO.

Agreed.  At least one LBR member has died in a motorbike accident.

That said I have a bike but rarely take it out of my low traffic neighborhood.

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13 hours ago, Pdoggg said:

Perhaps the motorbike rental shop should be held accountable.  No license; no rental.

If you live in Thailand and own a motorbike it is best to obtain a Thai driver's license.  If you don't spend too much time in Thailand and still want to rent a bike then make sure you have the proper International driver's license.

 

I don't know about other countries in Europe, but there has been changes in International driver licenses in mine. When I obtained my international driver license, they hadn't stamped themot and motorbike categories in the booklet. They explained me that I had never passed a driver license for these type of driving but I had these categories in my domestic driver license by law. So I am allowed to ride a motorbike in the Schengen Area but not in Asia. If I want my stamps, I need to go to a driving school and get my driver license for these categories. 

I'm not sure a Thai motorbike rental shop would be able to understand all these administrative subtleties country by country. And in the end, the main problem would consist in being protected by an insurance. I don't know if my usual travel insurance would cover me, but I am sure they won't protect me if my driver license is not valid. Thai law could impose rental shops to sell an insurance included in the rental or insurance companies to propose tourists Thai contracts. But the problem would remain the same if the driver is not qualified to ride a motorbike. 

This has nothing to do with bad attitudes (overspeeding, careless driving or taking drugs in Thailand), but renting a motorbike belongs to the freedom we used to have in the past and that is no longer possible due too many tourists. (I have the same kind of problem in Vietnam without yellow or red card). 

 

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5 hours ago, Pulci Gorgon said:

I don't know about other countries in Europe, but there has been changes in International driver licenses in mine. When I obtained my international driver license, they hadn't stamped themot and motorbike categories in the booklet. They explained me that I had never passed a driver license for these type of driving but I had these categories in my domestic driver license by law. So I am allowed to ride a motorbike in the Schengen Area but not in Asia. If I want my stamps, I need to go to a driving school and get my driver license for these categories. 

Same here. Never had a license for motorbike alas it shows in my IDL I am not allowed to drive motorbike. I've driven bikes all my life including Thailand  but I won't be taking any chances in Thailand anymore, as insurance wouldn't be valid should anything happen.

However,if you had your drivers license for car before 1977 you got the bike license included.  Which means that an 80 year old lady can jump on a hog legally. You spot any oldtimer in Thailand riding , he got his license for 'free' with the car license and most likely never rode a bike in the west. Scary.

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I think we're slowly drifting off topic. The problem isn't the old ladies driving with old driver licenses but the fact that what could be done in the last century is no longer possible. Tourists wouldn't care but that was not really a problem. Since too many tourists come from all kind of countries, what was nothing became serious troubles and offenses to against Thai nature and other tourists. Therefore, the Thai administration needs to regulate, fine and even ban troublemakers. 

 

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