dennis123

Interesting fact I didn't mention, when I got arrested I had a boy from Sunee plaza with me for the night, and he later told me that when he left the police followed him all the way, he was scared of going home so he returned to Sunee.

 

Another interesting fact, one of the police agents that drove me home to pick up my passport was gay and asked me for my phone number and added me on Line, and sends me messages lol, of him going out, drinking with foreigners etc. He also told me, if you have a problem with police next time call me and I come to help you out ???? yeah at what extreme cost this time.

24 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Interesting report, thanks. What happens if, say, you're diabetic or have some other condition that requires medication every 12 hours. Do they let you pick it up from home (presumably for a fee) or are you just left to die? If they won't even give you drinking water then I can't imagine they'll provide free insulin, or whatever else you may need.

The normal procedure is to have people bring it to you, usually, I always take my phone with me when I go out but this time I left my phone at home so I couldn't contact anyone. I also saw people bring food and drinks to other inmates.

 

What is also surprising is that the police doesn't tell you a thing, they just lock you up and that's it, zero information provided, later on I saw that there was a foreign volunteer that spoke with some prisoners and when he was about to leave I grabbed his attention about what was going to happen/procedure and he explained court would be open on Monday and besides a fine no further consequences on first offense.

45 minutes ago, Guderian said:

Interesting report, thanks. What happens if, say, you're diabetic or have some other condition that requires medication every 12 hours. Do they let you pick it up from home (presumably for a fee) or are you just left to die? If they won't even give you drinking water then I can't imagine they'll provide free insulin, or whatever else you may need.

Pretty sure they let you pick it up for a heavy fee yes.

 

Initially, they wanted to let me go on my own for a deposit of 30,000 baht that would be returned to me, like some sort of dubious bail arranged by themselves, so then I said okay where's my car key? I thought my car would be parked there at the police station, didn't realize it would be at Soi Kopai, so they went back to discuss, then asked if I had someone to bring it, and then offered to pick it up together under the idea of we help you, you help us.

 

Still pissed off about this as it started with 2000 baht, and then they needed another 1000 baht for their boss, and another 1000 baht for the one who prepares the papers for the court, and then this 1500 for priority service, definitely got extorted big time by those <deleted>. I could've refused the priority service of course, but not so sure what would happen if I refused to pay 1000 for their boss, and 1000 for filing the papers. You're pretty much at the mercy of a bunch of corrupt cops.

 

When we arrived at my home I changed clothes, grabbed some medicine and water, and then offered them 10k to call it quits, but it was already too late for that and they brushed it off with 'don't worry, tomorrow morning after court you're free', not so long anymore.

 

Got to admit they did search my car for my passport as they showed my car passport later on, my blue registration book was inside as well so guess they just wanted to confirm my identity up front, and I showed them my Dutch driver license so initially, there was no rush to show/get my passport, guess they already put me in the system based on my name/address in the blue book, and same name in car passport and on driver license. In the car passport, they could see that I just arrived from the Laos border so they already knew I wasn't on overstay. I just see a copy passport photo page (not the visa page) + rental contract was also in my car dashboard so they had all the information they needed already but guess they needed a copy visa page for court.

12 minutes ago, dreaming said:

Thanks for the report dennis. Hopefully a place none of us get to see. I cant believe they dont give you water. Sounds like being stuck in there during the hotter months would be very uncomfortable.

 

Do you reckon if you paid the 8500 baht up front you would have got off immediately?

I think 10k would have done the job.

2 hours ago, rhodie said:

Great report thanks mate. How did they test you? Breath, blood or no test, just drinking and guilty.

Breathalyzer test only, I think the outcome was quite accurate.

Oh, when we went to my home to pick up my passport I grabbed a pack of cigarettes and thought that after I paid the 4000 baht tip they would give me a break and not check me when going back inside the cell block, wrong thought, however I did manage to sneak in a strip of Clonazepam and shared it with some of my fellow prisoners that were all too happy with it ???? the police guys did give me a break downstairs the prison block to smoke some cigarettes and have some chit-chat before going back inside.

 

One experience richer after six years in Thailand!

 

One last thing: 2 nights in a police prison block or about 30 hours literally feels like a week.

Just got arrested on the 22nd, normally I manage to bribe my way out of the situation but not this time, had a few drinks too much and thought 5000 baht was enough, but the official fine for DUI with a car is 8500 baht, while at a motorbike it's 4500, strange dual pricing. Did some bargaining at the police station and this guy that earlier pretended to be arrested as well already said 5000 wasn't going to get me anywhere, but as I had no faith in him anymore I felt he was just pushing up the price.

 

Well I was wrong as soon I found myself in the prison block, and as it was a Saturday night I had to stay there till Monday morning as the court ain't open on Sundays.

 

Not here to complain though, my own fault, just stating some facts:

 

- No smoking allowed inside

- No drinking water supplied

- No food provided

 

Thankfully some Thai prisoners gave me water, and once every few hours they gave one other foreigner a cigarette that he shared with someone from India and me.

 

No beds, no mats to sleep on, no blankets, just a tiled floor, and that's it.

 

Don't lie to the judge

 

There was another guy from my country that denied he was driving under influence, because he was standing still with his motorbike (yeah right, who buys that crap) so the judge just let him rot in the cell for six more days, on his 7th day he was sent to immigration to be deported (no overstay, first time visitor to Thailand).

 

At some times you can order food from the guards, but some guards apparently bulk from money as they rather play video games and are busy on their phones so waving around with money is no solution. The only solution is to wait 8 hours for the new guards to come that do like to make some extra money so that you can order some food and drinks.

 

Sleeping wasn't possible and it was hot in the cell, lying on the floor, no pillow either obviously so everyone went shirtless and used their shirt as a pillow. I might've been able to sleep a bit if it wasn't for this crazy foreigner that was locked up solitarily and kept on yelling, screaming and talking to himself. He was walking around naked in his small cell, the only cell that was locked, and at some point, he took a piss, and 10 minutes later he laid down in his own piss as he probably got tired of himself ???? 

 

I didn't have my passport with me and had no one to visit me and pick up my passport at home to bring it with me so police officers made me the generous offer to join them in their police truck to pick up my passport for the modest fee of 4000 baht, and then came up with some other bullshit that they could give me priority in court for another 1500 baht.

 

But the court doesn't work like that, it's like a speed trial that works in three phases:

 

1) A quick document check, signing some papers

2) A speed-trial (no translator available so police officers suggested I just answered Yes to each question which I did, especially because of this other foreigner that denied the charges and got locked for a week + deportation)

3) Paying the fine

 

As for the priority service, yes I was second in line at step one & two, but I still had to wait for the other 25-30 people in court to complete phase 1 & 2 before I was able to pay the fine so this priority service was worthless. We entered the courthouse around 10AM I think and I left at 4PM, actually was able to buy some cigarettes from a guard inside the courthouse and was allowed to smoke at the toilet, so that was at least something, while the guards there smoked in the hallway at a spot with an air filter or something.

 

To enter the courthouse you need to pay 200 baht, and to leave court you also need to pay an exit fee of 200 baht, quite surprised by that but that's just pocket change at that point.

 

Then I had to pick up my car, vague instructions that my car was at Soi Kopai, but where at Soi Kopai??? Yeah Soi 9, but there is Soi 9, Soi 9/1, 9/2 and 9/3 I later found out, so back to the police station on beach road soi 9, where they wrote down the exact address and then back to Soi Kopai again. The correct address is Soi Kopai 9/3 in case you end up in the same situation, at the end of the soi is where they store all the motorbikes and cars.

 

Another 500 baht to release my car and that's the end of the story.

 

Because it's my first registered offense I had no risk of deportation, second offense is immediate deportation, well immediate, probably after spending a week in the Pattaya police cells and a few days at the IDC I suppose to get everything arranged.

 

Lesson learned? Always take a taxi from now on.

 

Actually my intention was to take a taxi that night but this damn motorbike taxi didn't know where Soi Khao Ta Lo or Pattaya East was and drove me straight to Jomtien where my car was parked, annoyed as I was I said okay <deleted> it, here you have your money, I drive home myself, big mistake. I could've provided instructions but we were with the three of us on the motorbike and I was pretty damn drunk so I didn't pay attention to where we were going.

 

Still surprised they don't provide free water + basic food but so be it, another guy said it's because of the weekend, the guards don't care, while from Mo-Fr they do bring in some water and the occasional food.

 

Long story short: it's my own fault of course but the atmosphere in prison is quite good, no intimidation like you would expect in a real prison, everyone was friendly and helpful, except for this one crazy foreigner that kept everyone awake so in the 2 nights I slept maybe 3 or 4 hours altogether. The toilet/shower is an open air toilet without door so you shouldn't be shy, no towels or soap provided of course so just a quick shower, put boxer short back on while wet, just sit, relax, wait to dry, it's hot enough in there, and then put the rest of your clothes on.

 

Altogether quite barbaric really with no food, drinks, no privacy to take a dump or shower but hey, This is Thailand ????

 

So be warned, and don't mess with the judge as he will mess you back!!!