dennis123

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

Some of us are still desperately trying to recapture our misspent youth. 555

Oh my, lots of drugs and alcohol in my youth, no shortage, but definitely catching on for the lack of sex in my youth ????

5 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Sounds like you are either suicidal or have a substance abuse problem. Perhaps some treatment might be in order?

I only go out once every 2-3 weeks, and hardly ever drink at home. But when I go out I always take some valium for my general anxiety, and sometimes add some tramadol for a nice smooth drunk ???? and when I go out I do it good, till the late hours most of the time.

19 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Not challenging the sentence or the felony....but man...the corruption in Thailand is plainly disgusting....

 

OP should share his experience with the international media and the Top Level anti corruption authorities just to have a smile on all the legal Muppet show, beind a screen of plagued corruption all over. But do it only once/if you leave the corrupt LOS...

Who knows but no intention to leave now or in the future.

18 minutes ago, Spidey said:

IME always a cut rate. Have had a 400 baht fine reduced to 100 baht, 400 reduced to 300 and 400 reduced to 250. All with no ticket.

 

Never been stopped for drink driving but know 2 friends who have. Both 10k at the roadside, no ticket. I believe the standard fine, if it goes to court is 20k plus all the hassle and add ons that the OP has described. 

 

Also, I don't think that the OP's journey is over yet. If the court still has possession of his passport, that too can take weeks of hassle and more add ons to have it returned. I know of one person who had to engage a lawyer to get his passport returned.

 

My advice; If you are stopped for any reason, admit your guilt, whether guilty or not, prostrate yourself, apologising profusely, then start friendly, sensible negotiations.

 

 

My passport was already returned at the police station before going to court.

1 hour ago, Spidey said:

Sounds like he was coming on to you. Just showing an interest. Would you have worried if some random guy asked you the same questions in a club? You've made a friend for life. Don't sweat the petty things.

 

I have several acquaintances who are Thai police. Some really good guys when you get to know them socially.

Perhaps but I was little skeptical about this one, the other one not so much, got the other one on Line, probably gonna grab a drink with him tomorrow.

Maybe you didn't notice but I mentioned officer 1 & officer 2 in the opening post. Officer 2 was the relax dude, the other was highly skeptical and demanded all those additional bribes as you can read in the other thread. Good cop, bad cop.

Can't imagine what Pattaya Klang and Pattaya  Tai will look like as the only way around is Sukhumvit or all the small roads behind Rompol market if coming from Jomtien, and how can they lock the INS on Thappraya and leave Thappraya open. Locking people up in Pratamnak?

Never mind: They can exit on the flyover or drive straight into Pattaya 2nd road, not sure how that will improve traffic for the rest of the city, let's see. I'm coming from east on the motorbike taxi ????

About Japanese POW camps, guess it depends how long you're stuck there... I just heard from someone that they sometimes arrest 100 illegally working Cambodians and that there's no room to sit or lie down, only to stand, try that for a week in the scouring heat in April, like a freaking sauna 24/7.

There were more than 140,000 white prisoners in Japanese POW camps. Of these, one in three died from starvation, work, punishments or from diseases for which there were no medicines to treat.

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I hope the guy when he drives loaded again (and they all do) just kills himself and not some innocent person.

 

No, I won't

9 minutes ago, grollies said:

Yep, next time I go on the piss, smoke a spot of weed and pop a pill or two, get in the car to drive home and get arrested I must remember this essential info. LOL

Lol, I'm sure people will think twice when they know what's waiting for them in case they get arrested. If the judge doesn't like you for some reason they could also deport you right away. Risky business. Thank god I'm so likeable ????????????

3 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Why does the car need a passport ?

It's a requirement to enter Laos, if you travel to Cambodia you don't need it.

8 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

Your car has a passport (common for temp import) and a blue book (Thailand registration) ...

 

How does that work ?

Every car comes with a blue registration book, assuming you bought the car and it's paid off.

You can request a car passport at the Land & Transport office, costs only 30 baht and takes 24-48 hours usually, in some situations they are willing to make an exception, like last time when I realized it last minute that it's only valid for 1 year, and they got it done in a few hours for which I tipped them generously. I think he would've done it without the tip as well though. All the other workers laughed when I tipped him and they gave me a sticker for free ????

11 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

I have no reason to doubt the report in person from a German mate who was locked up at the station at Friday night.

30k(!) was the bail requested. Fortunately he could call friends to bring the cash, no negotiating tried. Released until Monday. Passport withhold.

On Monday at the court he was fined 20k, bail returned.

30k might be exceptional but that was the number he told.

20k is usual/the rule.

Perhaps 20k because he got out on bail? I think that might have something to do with it. For me the bail thing was more complicated as I didn't have my passport with me, and now I'm glad I didn't go out on bail.

2 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

"Lesson learned? Always take a taxi from now on." - Got no sympathy for a dumbass who breaks the law by drink driving and has bribed the cops many, many times before. Now you only learned your lesson after not being able to bribe your way out?

Only once, all the rest is just for speeding tickets, no driver license, not wearing the seat belt, no helmet when I used to drive a motorbike rather innocent stuff, with a small 500 baht bribe to prevent having to go to the police station and wait in line, plus the back & forth.

Just now, KittenKong said:

Pleading guilty here normally results in the sentence being automatically halved. (Or is it doubled if you plead innocent and are found guilty? No matter.) For this reason many people do indeed plead guilty here.

I mentioned earlier in this thread, the guy that plead non-guilty spend 7 days in prison and got deported last Monday.

Just a little disappointed in my boy that got followed to Sunee Plaza, he told the cashier about it and I know this guy for five years, semi-expected he might pay me a visit after not responding to his messages because I didn't have my phone with me. Always got to remind myself, bar friends/workers aren't real friends.

2 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Sweet Jesus. And you're still alive?

 

Personally I would feel much safer had you been deported as next time I'm out driving in the evening you could be coming in the opposite direction. I dont need drunken idiots like you on the road: sober Thais are bad enough.

Lmao, this was a very mild evening, we didn't even go to the club afterward or it would be 3 or 4 liters of whiskey instead of 1.

But don't worry, next time I take a taxi, I don't want to risk getting deported so you can feel fine & cozy ????

ps: Usually we also drop some diazepam or clonazepam and a few tramadol for extra side effect, that wasn't even the case this time. Sober as one can be, definitely not drunk, so yeah alive & well!

8 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Was there a separate fine for driving without a licence?

However, if you get stopped by the police on the street and they want you to pay at the police station the fine for no license is usually 400 baht, and for Thais 200 baht, so in court it's a little more official, eg no dual pricing.

6 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Was there a separate fine for driving without a licence?

I understand numbers very well in Thai and he said pet pan haa only, 8500. I think the guy that helped me a bit said the fine for no license is only about 200 baht, oh and they do deduct 500 baht from the total amount for each day you spend in prison, 2 nights counts as 1 day as I was brought in after midnight.

At Tops here in East they also cook for you but not much of a steak selection.

Anyway, I'm not stressing about reporting to a consul or something and the Thai inmates treated me well by providing water and the occasional cigarette so it was a bit frustrating but nothing trauma like lol, I was happy to speak with this foreign volunteer to get some expectations the next morning, and after that the most annoying thing was that the time goes awful slow. At some point I caught some sleep and woke up expecting it was maybe 5 AM because I hadn't really slept the first night, then I asked someone 'any idea what time it is',  and he said 9 PM, and I was like no <deleted> way, he says yeah don't you hear the music from the bars? They just put it louder as Central Festival closes soon, and I was like oh my god, another 12 hours of sitting and waiting.

1 minute ago, geriatrickid said:

No habeas corpus  demonstrated, nor respect for the judicial procedures supposedly in place.

Also, there was an obligation for the Thais to report the detention of the foreigner to that person's consul. Doesn't matter  why the OP was in trouble, the obligation was to report without delay.

Who would be my consul? After switching phones I lost the number of my lawyer, and I didn't even have my phone with me, only way to reach her is by visiting her office in Pratamnak.

Also interesting to note, there were about 20 Thai and only 4 foreigners locked up. You would expect a lot more foreigners in peak-season, right?

Edit: Maybe those other foreigners did make a deal at the police station for 20,000 baht, as that's what they asked for in the first place. I know of someone that got arrested and spend a night that paid 5000 in court but I didn't know there's a difference between driving a car or a motorbike so when i heard 20k I was like <deleted> you I will just pay in court.

Genuine tourists are a lot easier to intimidate vs someone who's been living here for 6 years ????

1 minute ago, KhunFred said:

Frightening story and one more reason why I will never drive in Thailand, whether car or motorbike. I've never known of anyone arrested for DUI while on public transportation. Hope the Thais are proud of running their lockups like a World War 2 Japanese prison camp.

Yeah they should at least have the decency to provide drinking water, and perhaps a towel or a mat to sleep on, I mean I know Thai prisons are bad but such lack of basic needs.  When I saw how much everyone got fined in court, it all ranged from 1500-8500 and most in the 6000+ baht range so it's not like they can't afford it.