Thai national ID

[Bob]

I've heard some people say the Thai national ID is all in thai and that's simply not true. I'm attaching a copy of the ID of a friend of mine from Udon Thani (with appropriate date crossed out) and one can see that, absent somebody having a fake ID, there's no excuse not knowing the age.

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Yes, that's the new version. Most boys still have the old one, without any English on it.

[Smiles]

The ID cards obviously use a photo as primary indicator, so how often do they need to be renewed?

Cheers ...

[Bob]

Theoretically, every 6+ years (can't the Canadians read the date of issue and date of "expiry" on the ID?).
Practically? They last about as long as a cell phone (i.e., until they lose it - then they have to go back to their home town and get another). :blackeye:

strange - my bf got a new ID card just last week in Bangkok and it is all in Thai. I just asked to see it again, and there isn't one english word on it - similarly the date of birth uses the Thai calendar. So, just because the ID card you are shown doesn't have English, please don't assume it is a fake!

It seems to be correct that they expire after around 6 years - the date of issue was 2 Feb 2550 (ie 2007) and it expires on 9 May 2556.

[neddy3]

Maybe the new style ID cards are being introduced on a province-by-province basis.

If so, this could explain a new card in the old style.

[Bob]

The ID card posted above came from Udon Thani province. My Chiangmai friend has one issued from his home province of Chiangrai and it also is the same style as the above. Strange that they would issue different "national" ID cards elsewhere but it appears that's the case? Only in Thailand.....

If this is the new micro-chipped ID that's been talked about in the media, there is a severe shortage of cards in at least Bangkok and Pattaya so temporary paper slips are being issued to extend the validity of the old all-in-Thai ones. The article in Pattaya said the monthly allocation of new cards available there was only enough for one day's issuances. Something about the new cards supposed to have 64k memory/storage, but only have 32k, so the supplier has to start all over again. Did the supplier think nobody would notice???

If this is the new micro-chipped ID that's been talked about in the media, there is a severe shortage of cards in at least Bangkok and Pattaya so temporary paper slips are being issued to extend the validity of the old all-in-Thai ones.

BKK GWM has it (partially) right. If you look at the example in the first post it has a chip on it and is one of the new style cards.
My b/f, Pattaya born, had to renew his ID card as his old one had been stolen. He applied for one of the new chip IDs. He was told there were not enough blanks provided to Pattaya for all the applications they receive and was told that he would have to do with a renewed old style ID (in lieu of his stolen ID) until such time as he needed to get another renewal.

[Smiles]

" ... (can't the Canadians read the date of issue and date of "expiry" on the ID?) ... "

Coulda let me go quietly into an obscure embarrassment ... but oh no ...
You have NEEDS Bob, and I can't help ya.

Cheers ...