Deaw

He's being used to protect the tourist trade, and will be paid well for his troubles.

you are 100% sure about this......how?

Man, I wish we could get a final ruling on this......the Pattaya police seemed content with my USA license yesterday, I do know that for sure.

Your mileage may vary depending on what city/province you are in, how much bribe money the cops need to make their quota that day, whether they can read/understand English, etc......as usual, TIT!

going back to the states for 3 or 4 months on friday, when I come back I will see about getting a local license, but since I am not a resident here in any way, shape or form I don't know how that's even possible? Man, things are much easier on Koh Phangan - wear your helmet, never get pulled over; simple. I think Samui is the same way as well.....

OK, so it happened again today.

Cruising down 2nd road in Pattaya on my rented 'cycle, not far from the Central Mall; must've been about 30 cops there, with the orange cones and some barricades, flashing red lights, etc.....pulling over EVERY motorcycle, farang and Thai alike. This was at 5pm.

I got waved over by 2 guys .... helmet on; check. One says "license, please", and I hand him my N.Y. state drivers license. While he is looking it over, I say "I am a tourist here, I don't live in Thailand". Then I point to the "M.C." next to the Operator code and tell them "M.C., that means motorcycle".

The older of the 2 says "OK" and they stand aside and let me pass. Total time wasted; 30 seconds.

Total bribe and/or fine paid, and total number of laws broken; None.

Seems like the Jomtien Police were 100% wrong last week and simply robbing tourists. Shocking.

Seems like the Pattaya police and anyone who says all you need to drive in Thailand [as long as you are not a full-time resident] is a valid license from wherever you come from had it right.

Some of us remember Samui 10 years ago, before all the Western amenities

Yeah, go ahead, fly to a third-world country, looking for first-world standards. That's really experiencing SEA...

man, you were really on your self-righteous "know more than all you other posters" horse today, eh Sateev?

You don't know me from a hole in the wall but rip my words in 2 different threads, way cool....for your information I actually first saw Samui 14 year ago, my first time there was in late 1998. At that time I was a backpacker and seriously poor; 35 years old, my first trip to Asia, staying in 300 baht a night dumps {Coconut bungalows, Lamai beach} and even worse 3 dollar a night guest houses in Vietnam and Cambo. I made some great financial moves between 2004 and now, allowing me to live the lifestyle I choose, anywhere I choose. If I don't like Snooky, it's because I have been there and didn't like it, OK? I told the guy my honest opinion, it's what HE was asking for!

Jeesh, you seem agitated that some other people are living a better life than you or can pick where we want to live and don't have to stay up in Issan rubbing 2 satangs together just to get by......some of us [believe it or not] even have more travel experience than you do in SE Asia. As I say, I have been coming here since '98 and have been to every country in this region many times over; you seem to have a problem that I have planned for this part of my life better than you have and actually want some mod cons heading into my old age! Somehow that is a bad thing or not cool in your mind, I don't get that.

Get a clue man, some of us want to live in Asia just part of the year and actually be comfortable, this "It's only the real Thailand if you are poor and have to live here year 'round" BS has gotten old already.

Has Samui gone downhill to such an extent that it's reasonable to ask that question?

Go to Samui.....or better yet, try living on Koh Phangan for a year or 2; I just spent the past 6 high seasons there and loved it, it's far superior to Samui, less expensive and no Russkies.

No Russians? ha ! when were you last there? (not that there is any problems with the Russians I have meet... nice people some of them, I could say the same about people from other countries too.... some of them!!! )

Also to say better than Samui, well that depends on what part of Samui you are referring too....

Prices on KP are generally higher than Samui too, (except perhaps in Chawang)

I too have lived on KP and visit there at least once a month... it's easy to see the difference.... even at 7-11 things are a few baht more!

As I say, I just spent the last 6 high seasons there. There is ONE Russian restaurant in Ban Tai, the town I live in; none that I could see anywhere else on the island. How many does Samui have by now?

I'd also say the hotels in Samui are more expensive, no? Most of the places on Phangan are budget, backpacker-style places, between about 500 and 1000 baht.

Dunno for sure, I have rarely visited Samui since I discovered Phangan in the spring of 2006 except to get on and off an airplane and maybe meet up with friends. Seems more expensive to me over there, but then again I am used to the prices in Ban Tai; my awesome 3-room bungalow is only 15K a month, I eat Thai food with a watermelon shake for 70 baht all in, breakfast is less.....don't drink alcohol so don't care about that, gas is cheap, non-western food is cheap, electric I would imagine is pretty much the same? we also don't have any McDonalds or KFC or Home Pro/Tesco, so nowhere to tempt you to spend more cash.

Must be possible... my little bro went from London to Singapore by land

Not same-same......once you get across that little channel you have it's relatively easy, albeit quite far, to get to Spore.....the OP's friend has to cross the largest ocean in the world.

an estimated GBP £8000 return for both of my parents (£4000 each if I'm not mistaken) and take approximately 25 days.

Perhaps your friends fear of flying might wane once the costs of travelling on a ship is considered.

LOL......good thing I don't have that fear, I could never go anywhere.

I am thinking Vancouver to Shanghai would be your best bet, by boat if you can find one, and then train from there?

Better him than me.....

Has Samui gone downhill to such an extent that it's reasonable to ask that question?

hahaha, good question!

Trust me, the difference is 180 degrees! Essentially, Snooky is a craphole of epic proportions and Samui is a nice place; easy enough?

Seriously, I have been there and I have been to Samui, which I don't even like, but it's a million times better than Snooky. Cost-wise; well, lodging is surely cheaper in Cambo, but then again you get what you pay for. You'd be absolutely bored to death at Snooky also; Victory hill is 2 small roads with maybe 10 bars total and a few restaurants, maybe 20 or 30 skanky hookers hanging around. If you are thinking mini Pattaya, sure; if you want to compare it to pattaya like a year after it was first discovered by westerners.

Like beggars constantly bothering you, even when you are reading or sleeping on the beach?

Like tuk-tuk drivers and other touts constantly bothering you, even after you have said NO to 5 or 10 others in a 1-mile stretch?

Like no infrastructure, crappy roads, lack of A/C and hardly any nightlife?

Go to Snooky!

Like 1st world living standards with none of the hassles above?

Go to Samui.....or better yet, try living on Koh Phangan for a year or 2; I just spent the past 6 high seasons there and loved it, it's far superior to Samui, less expensive and no Russkies.

Daew,

After 3 months of being here you need a Thai drivers license. That is the time frame they set. So Nomad Joe was wrong and kid and me were right. You were in the wrong.

I do wonder how they check how long you been in country ect. But by your own admittance you are wrong.

Read the topic !

He left the country after a three month stretch and reentered on another tourist visa ! Tourist !

Yes, and I should have made this much more clear right from the start; I basically live in 2 places, the northeast USA and various locations in Thailand.

Because I am self-employed and semi-retired [day trader] I can live anywhere with a broadband connection, and hopefully a TV which gets Bloomberg and CNBC.

So, I travel a LOT! I was in Nepal all of November and into December.....home for Christmas and New Year... Thailand {Koh Phangan} for Jan, Feb and March...... back home for about a month, paid my taxes like a good boy.....Laos for May and back in the Kingdom for June and July......now Pattaya for about 8 weeks all told and then scooting back to NY state at the end of the month until November when it gets cold again; I only came to this rathole city at all because I need some medical procedures done and we have no hospitals on Phangan island and it's much cheaper than in America.

This is typical for every year since 2002, and I have built up a ton of frequent flier miles.

I'm not sure what anyone is trying to "catch" me on, like I am some kind of a bull sh***er or something......I do spend a lot of time in Thailand, generally 1/2 or more of every year, but I am not a resident! No real home, I don't even rent the same places, probably 5 different bungalows or hotels in the past 6 high seasons.

It's also the main reason I get a Type 'O', non-immigrant visa, with multiple entries; it only costs me 180 bucks for a full year from the embassy in NYC and I can come and go whenever I please, with 90 days allowed at a stretch. Perfect for what I like to do.

see, I am in the same boat.....all these people telling me I MUST get a local drivers license or telling me I was crazy for not having one on me yesterday seem to believe I live here full-time; I don't. yes, I DO come here more than you, but I am rarely in the country for more than 90 or 100 days before going to the states [where I AM a resident] and then I come back, generally about half of every year. I hate winters, plain and simple.

here longer this year, clear into July, but same deal; I am not a resident, just a tourist.

Thats not what you say on another posting there you claim to stay here between 5 & 8 mths so maybe you are being economical with the truth to suit your argument.

Never once was ''economical with the truth'', IE, lying, to suit my argument. I said right from the start I am here for usually 6 or 7 months per year; never said that was in a row! Bottom line is I am not a resident and never have been; sometimes here 3 months, then home for a month.....sometimes 6, then home for 3.... sometimes I come here around New years, but I must go right back home to pay my taxes in March; then I will come back in April for 2 or 3 months because it's still cold as heck in the states.

Always in flux....I am a semi-retired and can keep any hours I want, and live anywhere I want to at any given time.

For the people in this thread screaming "what you did was illegal, plain and simple" {driving with no license}, I say to them;

Ever Jaywalked?

Ever paid a hooker for her time?

Ever drank a beer in a bar after hours?

Ever smoked weed or done some some other illicit drug here? Maybe drove over the DWI alcohol limit once or 3 times?

Drove your 'cycle or car but accidentally left your license at home?

Ever gone faster than the posted speed limit?

You broke the law!

He let you go because some a**hole farang had just made a complaint and got him in trouble/made him lose face!! lol

Funny, according to super-intelligent poster Johnniey *I* was the only one who lost face yesterday

Exactly how is still a mystery......if he or anyone else could have seen how angry that little runt was for losing that 15 bucks they'd know who lost face; and it surely wasn't me.

I am not eligible for a Thai licence, as I am not a resident and wouldn't be able to provide any evidence that would say I am... I am a (frequent) tourists who enters on 30 day stamps, or tourist visa's...

see, I am in the same boat.....all these people telling me I MUST get a local drivers license or telling me I was crazy for not having one on me yesterday seem to believe I live here full-time; I don't. yes, I DO come here more than you, but I am rarely in the country for more than 90 or 100 days before going to the states [where I AM a resident] and then I come back, generally about half of every year. I hate winters, plain and simple.

here longer this year, clear into July, but same deal; I am not a resident, just a tourist.

Man, with all these differing opinions I am more confused than ever now about the legality of all this. But I will still be looking into getting a local drivers license upon my return in high season, probably on Samui.

NomadJoe was talking about tourists in California.

No, here.....and many people agreed with him; seems like a US license [or whatever country you come from] works fine in Thailand as long as you remain a tourist and don't become a resident. Seems implausible to me as well, but he seems to know his stuff and others backed him up.

What I don't understand is why on earth don't you have a Thai licence?

2 reasons; 1, being perfectly honest here, I never assumed for a minute I could even get one! I don't speak Thai and I don't live here, I spend about 6 months in 2 three-month stretches every year; who would ever guess someone could get a license in a country where you don't speak the language and don't even live? I would never think for a second I could go to Mexico for 6 months a year, walk into a DMV with no spanish skills, and get a license; it sounds absurd to me but when I come back next year I will surely look into it. I go home for 3 months at the end of July.

Second.....again, in high season my home base is Koh Phangan. If you have never been there, it's absolutely nothing like Phuket or Pattaya or Bangkok; it's pretty much lawless and the police presence outside of the full moon party week is very minimal. Not once in 6 years of staying there has anyone asked me for a license, and not once have any of my Expat friends or myself even brought up the subject, it's just not something we need there.

In Pattaya now for a month getting some medical stuff done at BPH and rented a 'cycle.....apparently the rules here are more strict and I get that now and will look into getting a license next time I return.

Well, first off, you are a criminal. That's right a criminal. You didn't inadvertently break the law, but you intentionally broke the law, because you don't think the law applies to you with your very important NY drivers license.

I still don't understand why you think you do not have to comply with the lcoial licensing laws? What makes you so special?

If you read NomadJoe's posts......and he seems to be very knowledgeable about motorcycling laws in Thailand.....I didn't break any law at all; my NY license works fine in Thailand because I don't live here, I am a tourist.

Today the guy asked for 500.....sounded a bit high, but OK, here you go.....now where the heck is my receipt? Was I really so out of line to ask the guy for proof that I paid him? What if I got stopped down the road a mile or 2 and someone else asked me for 500 more?

for anyone waking up and seeing this thread and not seeing every post, this was one of my main points; if I had just gotten a simple "paid" receipt from the cop I would have been on my way, over and done with.

He couldn't produce one.....so whose to say I pay him, get pulled over again a mile later, and have to pay the next guy too because I have no receipt [which is good for the full day of your offense]. Where does it all end?

Has any parnoid person told you he is gonna get you yet ?

not sure what parnoid means, has anyone ever told you to learn English?

Either that or you're just some wise guy wrongly thinking you are making a witty comment which actually makes no sense in relation to this post.

Short version; a corrupt cop tried to steal from me today and I complained to his superiors - does that make it easier for your brain to process?

Deaw, if your English is that good, you may know from the context that he meant "paranoid or paranoia". Is it really necessary to point people on their possible lack of proper English or is this a native English speaker forum?

I apologized to that poster, and agree I misread his post - 100% my fault.

For some reason I read it as him calling ME paranoid, I didn't quite get what he was saying.

Been reading here for well over a year, but as you can see less than 100 posts; I've seen people jump down other posters throats for no good reason at all and thought that was happening to me but I was wrong, the poster in question was just saying someone here may tell me the cop would come and find me for making a fuss.

Deaw, that 30 minutes out of your day was certainly not wasted. You just did your little bit to make corrupt idiot cops have a harder time, and also taught quite a few TV readers what to do if in the same situation.

If many more did as you did, scammers wouldn't be quite so blasen about what they try. Sometimes we make it too easy to be a target.

I agree of course, which is why I held my ground!

My faith in humanity is restored the longer I read my own thread, thanks......guys like you and Nomad understand my point; by the time I realized I was being scammed by that clown I stood my ground and he caved; and lost 500 baht from his pocket, which I assure you he did NOT deserve. The earlier posters were all ripping on ME, as if I did something wrong by trying to expose a crooked cop....I especially had a good laugh at the guy who said I am naive and would never last in Thailand; funny, I've been coming here for 14 years and have lived here off and on the past 10 and seem to be doing just fine, and if the same thing happened today I would do the exact same thing.

It's those keyboard heroes and know-it-alls who make this place unappealing and it's the main reason most of my friends don't even bother reading here, but most of the people in this thread seem to "get it" and make me realize I did the proper thing indeed. Thanks again.

A couple things I forgot to mention.

OP you said you spoke Thai the officer: "Song roy" or whatever. This was the wrong thing to do when handing him a license from home. It indicates you may be a resident. Hand him the DL, if he tries to do you, ask why. Point out it's still valid (as in dates) and has a motorcycle endorsement, and that you are a tourist.

Also, may have been mentioned, but you can use your rental contract as evidence of residence.

OK, understood. I tried to give him song loi, 200 baht, based on what I had paid in Pattaya last month. I totally expected him to take the 200 and that would be that, either bribe or legal [in Pattaya it was legal]. Then he took me into his office and showed me his book with the 500 baht line in there.

so basically, act like a tourist, don't use any Thai, do everything legal, no bribes offered.....good stuff to know for the last 2 weeks of my visit.

Driving without a license is stupid - you deserve a lot more sever punishment.

He had a license, just not the correct one. But I agree, the punishment should be more severe if you don't have one. Pointless really though with the corruption issue.

So if you stopped me in California driving on a Uzbeki licence you would say 'no problemo, it's a license, just not a legal one in this country but that Ok I'll let you go'?

That's what I don't get about the guy above who said he got stopped in NY state with a Thai license and it was no problem. I have been pulled over many times in my 49 years and couldn't even imagine what would happen if I handed him a license from Yemen or Brazil or something. I think they would have a chuckle and throw it back at me and say "nice try, now where is a valid license issued in the USA"?

If a tourist becomes a resident, which can happen through various ways such as obtains a WP, gets a Thai bank account, enrolls children in school, etc, then they need a Thai DL.

It seems there is a fine line between Tourist and Resident, and I don't think I have ever come close to being a resident! sure, I do come here a lot, but I have never had a home, a car, a motorbike [always rent], a job, a work permit, etc.....I move around a lot, and on Phangan Island I have had 5 different residences [ 2 were hotels] in 6 years. I am in Pattaya right now having some medical stuff done at BPH before I head home, and staying in a hotel close to Jomtien.

I think I would be considered a tourist by anyone's definition.....now, how do I go about convincing the non-english-speaking copper who pulls me over that this is so?

One question, in case this happens again and you are right on and all the haters above are wrong; if the copper who pulls me over doesn't speak any english [or pretends not to] how do I get my point across that my license IS indeed valid?

BTW, I go home on 7/29 for 3 months so this won't be an issue for a while, but when I return it's good to know these facts; thanks a lot for coming into this thread with your biker knowledge.

I like this story. I am glad you complained. The only issue I have with this is that you handed the cop 500B which you knew was a bribe, not an official fine, and then asked for a receipt knowing full well you weren't going to get one. You initiated the wrong doing by trying to bribe him, which would be jail time in your home country. Of course that doesn't make what he did acceptable. Not in the least. But sadly still the norm here.

Again, just to clarify......I did try to pay him off first, 200 baht; he said no. So when he showed me the fine in his little log book which said 500, I dutifully paid that. At that point, I didn't think it was a bribe, I thought that was the legal price and I even said "In pattaya that fine is only 200 baht" but he didn't understand me and kept pointing to the book. Then he put the cash in his pocket......it may have registered in my mind that it was a bribe at THAT point, but I was already committed to getting my receipt for what I thought was a valid fee. When I asked for one and didn't get it, THEN I knew it was a pay off; to him.

Don't worry about Johnniey and his nonsense, I haven't. Anyone who says "stupid" that many times about someone they have never even met isn't someone even worth arguing with. But I must admit seeing you prove him wrong on all his foolish little bullet points has made my night

Hopefully after the OP responds we will find out if he has a motorcycle license.

Still reading here Joe, and thanks for the input. Your post is eye-opening to say the least; I DO have an MC license, but it's from NY state, it just has a little "MC" notice on it that proves I passed my tests.

This part - "A photo DL is an international license in Thailand" wow, I just learned something right here [and surely so did a bunch of others above who thought they knew all].

Just to be sure you understand......the guy waved me over but didn't really say a word because he knew hardly any English.......been coming here since '98 so I knew the drill anyway, and opened up my seat and gave him my paperwork on the bike rental, and handed him my license which was in my wallet. I had a helmet on, so no issue there. My NY state license is valid, says "MC" on it, and I am not a resident here, just a tourist [granted, I do stay a long time, but I have no residence and I go back to the states for 1/2 of every year]. He really didn't say anything, just some grunting and Thai I didn't understand, and then he pointed to the little police book he had; it had prices on it for every infraction and next to "no license - invalid license" it said 500 baht and he pointed to that.

Are you telling me he had no right to give me a ticket of any kind? I won't push the issue any further, I just wanna know.....thank you.