Recently on a trip to Thailand, I was shocked by the police traps around the island of Phuket, stopping all foreigners on motorbikes and checking if they have an international driver’s permit. I say shocked because in almost 12 years of regular trips to Thailand, I had never been questioned or stopped or otherwise harassed for having only a US driver’s license when renting a scooter. But times change, alas, and while rental companies will gladly provide you with a bike or a car with just a valid foreign driver’s license, local police has figured out a risk-free way to earn some major cash off of hapless tourists (predominantly Russian ones, I must add).
An international driver’s permit is fairly straightforward to get – if you are in the US, you need to visit your local AAA office, bring a passport photo, pay $20 and it’s yours (providing you have a valid US license, of course). I presume it is equally easy to get one in other countries, too. Some countries, such as Taiwan, won’t even let you hire a mode of transport without one – a more ethical way as far as I’m concerned, as it doesn’t set you up for a minor run-in with the cops as in Thailand.
Now, this experience also reminded me of one very important thing to have in your possession while backpacking: a second, preferably expired, ID card. It could be an expired driver’s license, a student ID or a work ID card with your photo that looks legit.
These can be absolutely essential whenever you are asked to leave your ID as a collateral somewhere, or you are stopped by anyone who looks like a policeman, but you are not sure. If they turn out to be real cops, you can always show them the real identification without much trouble, and if they threaten to hold it, you have little to lose. Chances are, a third-world cop is not going to study your ID for its expiration date as long as it looks legit.
I also like having several copies of my passport, for similar purpose – showing them to anyone who claims authority in the streets, at hotels or other legitimate situations where your passport is required. Always try to show the copy first and only get the real document out if it is absolutely mandatory. You can always claim your real passport is at the hotel or at an embassy where you applied for a visa.
Another extremely useful thing to bring with you is an expired credit or debit card that is unusable without a PIN number or altogether. Credit cards are often asked for at bicycle or motorbike rental places as a collateral, and chances are, just like with an old driver’s license, nobody will figure out it’s expired, but in case of any issue later on, whether real or imaginary, you have more leverage in a situation than they would want you to have. Of course, if whatever happened to the equipment you rented was actually your fault, then the right thing to do is to pay up, but there are lots of variables usually involved in such situations that would necessitate you having some additional negotiating power.
Remember – there are many situations around the world where you can be set up for some kind of a scam or a money extortion. Be vigilant and be prepared.
Now, the Thai cops were real, alas, and the fine for not having the international driver’s permit was 500 Bhat (around 17 USD) and 30 minutes of lost holiday time.