Pink ID Card for Foreigners

A “Pink ID Card” is an ID Card that was initially issued to stateless people to restrict their movement within the Kingdom of Thailand. The Registration Act of 2008 allows them to be issued to anybody who qualifies.

Process Overview:

To apply for a Pink ID card, you need a Thai ID number, and you must have your name present in either a Yellow House Registration book or a Blue House Registration book. If your name is currently in a Yellow (Foreigners) or Blue House Registration (Permanent Residents), the next step is for you to go to the District Office and bring all original documents and a copy of the following.

Required Documents:

1. Passport
   – A true copy of your passport, certified by your Embassy in Bangkok.
   – A translation of the aforementioned passport into Thai language, certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
   
2. Visa (any type of visa with a validity period exceeding six months)
   
3. Work permit (if any)
   
4. House registration (ta bian ban)
   
5. Marriage certificate (if any)
   
6. Two books of Permanent Residency Permit (if you are the holder of a PRP in Thailand)
   
7. Recent photographs (1.5-2 inches in size): 4 photos
   
8. Proof of your residence in Thailand
   1. If you are the owner of a condo unit: (1) Unit Title Deed  (1 original, 1 copy), (2) purchase agreement AND (3) official unit Sale and Purchase Agreement (issued by Land Office);
   2. If you are renting a condo unit or a house: your landlord must appear personally when the application is submitted.
      
9. Two Thai witnesses who know you well to provide statements to the officials (must appear personally when the application is submitted, and bring their original ID cards)

The Benefits of Having a Pink ID Card

It can be used as a form of identification while flying domestically in the kingdom of Thailand, to check into (some) hotels, and to open bank accounts at some banks (some bank branches will only accept a passport). Furthermore, it is easy to carry a form of identification and provide the holder with special discounts when visiting national parks and other tourist attractions where prices for foreigners are considerably higher than the prices for Thai nationals.

In conclusion, the Pink ID Card may be an easy form of identification to obtain, but as of right now, it does not provide the holder with any substantial benefits. In the future, the card may grant the holder certain rights that non-holders do not possess, but as of now, those benefits are limited to those mentioned above.