Thai road safety: Green light given for police to spend half a billion baht on radar guns

[Chris Lawrence]

The deflection of past ghost from government help to slip in such bizarre and overpriced equipment. All I can think of is that the training is almighty expensive. ChrisY1 is about right for overseas police radar units. The other units would be fixed ones in police cars, where they can go and park for a day and bring the car and photos back to the office.

[Ossy]

12 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

In a former life, while serving at MoD in the UK, when I pointed out that an item of equipment the Army was seeking to obtain was available from the US at half the cost, I was told that it didn't figure on the list of approved sources and  was None EU, despite being from another NATO member,  and therefore could not be purchased.  That was  EU and Civil Service BS at its most profound.  Something similar may be going on here.  

I don't think so Pilotman. Look no further than utter ignorance - although hard to believe this level of overspend could be down to a maths error - or a back-hander of the highest order. Are the guns coming from china, by any chance? It totally stinks and just slaps another sad coat on the painting of Thai bureaucracy . . . ughh!

[Ossy]

42 minutes ago, sambum said:

"why the hell doesn't someone with anything resembling a brain, do something before it's too late and another half billion bahts goes down the pan?"

 

Do you seriously expect an answer to that question?

 

I suspect that all Government departments have an annual budget, and if they do not spend it all, their budget for the following year is reduced. A bit off topic, but the same thing applies to many unnecessary and crazy schemes undertaken by the City councils in the UK, For example in my old home town the Council installed roundabouts needlessly - one literally within a few yards of another one, lights at roundabouts which worked perfectly well without them, and has actually made traffic delays worse.

Yes, I know all about spending 'up to budget' (or what's in the kitty) in the UK and it will happen most places, I'm sure. It's just the timing, with so much flack zipping the junta's way, lately, for alleged this, that and t'other, and the obscene scale of the figure. There's just one thought, though, that's entered my distrusting grey matter: could the figures, both global and per item, quoted in the clip, be the result of careless calculator fingering on the part of the reporter. Mmm, just a thought. No, having had 5 seconds to think about it, it's neither the reporter's fault nor the Ministry needing to blow a budgetary billion . . . like I said in my post, it's either stupidity or corruption and, probably, the latter.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Ossy
punctuation

[Ceruhe]

Another of those "When you are just toooooooo goddamn unwilling to treat the problem at the root" things...

 

The purchase price for the unit (each!) in question already raises enough eyebrows considering what it's supposed to do. But hey, why let something really suspicious get in the way of some headline, eh?

[Happyman58]

Its great they are trying to do something about speeding. But i can see 2 problems here First showing the police how to use them and second getting the police to use them  That might have to get off there arse and write a ticket out. There is so much money to be made on Thai Roads because Thai drivers are just bloody awful Might slow them down

[worgeordie]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

In a former life, while serving at MoD in the UK, when I pointed out that an item of equipment the Army was seeking to obtain was available from the US at half the cost, I was told that it didn't figure on the list of approved sources and  was None EU, despite being from another NATO member,  and therefore could not be purchased.  That was  EU and Civil Service BS at its most profound.  Something similar may be going on here.  

I think the approved sources,in this case will be some Thai middle man,with no experience in radar speed guns,just put in

place to facilitate the deal,and make sure everyone is happy,if you know what i mean.

regards worgeordie

[newnative]

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding.  In over 7 years of living here I have never, ever, not even once, seen anybody pulled over for speeding.  Never.  No matter how fast they were going.  No matter where I have been in the country.   Hugely overpriced, all the bigwigs will make yet another fortune on useless items, and the devices will either quietly disappear, to be resold, to make yet more money, or will be placed on some back shelf to gather dust.  Really breathtaking in the audacity. 

[ChouDoufu]

5 hours ago, irwinfc said:

... start with motorcycle riders who cross red lights, ride on the footpath, don't wear safety helmets, ride against traffic, etc; drivers who beat the red light, ignore street/road signs (no U-turn, no overtaking, no parking, etc),.....

yes, and those are the police.

[tryasimight]

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Just wondering if radar detectors are illegal in this country, because I knew years ago when the radars were in, we would outsmart the cops with radar detectors, i.e. they would beep beep beep when a radar was in sight, providing us enough time to slow down.

 

Gotta look into this, because Thailand is fast becoming another Australia, not that there is anything wrong with wanting to reduce speeding motorists, but I do like my 20 kmph above the speed limit on open roads.

Might not do you much good as it's highly likely the guns will be laser based technology and not radar.

[tryasimight]

3 hours ago, Graemej100 said:

I welcome anything that might stop speeding drivers. The problem for the police is that these handheld devices have to be calibrated regularly by whoever does calibrations of this sort. If it is not done regularly, and proven with documentation that it has been done, then the results are worthless.  

Calibration is done by the operator with a tuning fork. Not at all difficult to do.

[tryasimight]

2 hours ago, Ossy said:

This has to be the Heist of the Century: the RTP are being ripped off to the tune of about 3,000%, that is to say that a top quality gun, for traffic use is on sale in the US for 22,000 baht, as below

https://www.opticsplanet.com/s/handheld+radar+guns

 

Now, call me a cynic, call me a Thai junta methodology hater, call me just a grumbling old fart; but this little beauty of a news item must surely come home to bite someone on the arse. And, with the PM making such a good impression on DT and the latter pushing for Thailand to import more stuff from the US, what better time and manner to achieve this, than for the RTP to place a bleeding great order for 849 - note the care, here, to avoid the trap of ordering 850 and finishing up with a spare one (which will, almost certainly be needed on day 1, when the first of many 'lost' guns are reported) - radar guns, amounting to around 18.6M bahts and not the 'over 0.5B baht', as TV Voiced. The stated price is an unbelievable 30 times higher than the 'good shoppers' price.

Now, if (A) there is any 'good shopping' done by the Thai PTB and if (B) the extortionate import duty could be waived on this relationship polishing deal with the US, why the hell doesn't someone with anything resembling a brain, do something before it's too late and another half billion bahts goes down the pan?

What does the latest iPhone cost in the US compared to say in Australia?

The price on a website isn't always the price you pay in another country.

[tryasimight]

38 minutes ago, newnative said:

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding.  In over 7 years of living here I have never, ever, not even once, seen anybody pulled over for speeding.  Never.  No matter how fast they were going.  No matter where I have been in the country.   Hugely overpriced, all the bigwigs will make yet another fortune on useless items, and the devices will either quietly disappear, to be resold, to make yet more money, or will be placed on some back shelf to gather dust.  Really breathtaking in the audacity. 

You need to get out more....I have seen dozen of people stopped on the highway between Prasat and Korat.

[wakeupplease]

10 hours ago, james.d said:

Wow, 675,000 THB, that is the price of some new small cars

Just look on line and find the costs of a UK police radar gun

 

These must be special and come with a free operator for the first 6 months at that price

 

More corruption in the bib I guess

 

Any chance they are from china?

[Cheops]

So now you can get a fine for driving a few km/h too fast, but it's ok to tailgate with 2m between the cars at 120km/h with the complete family in the back of the pick up truck, while being passed over by a motorcycle with a couple of kids without helmet, preferrable in the dark.

[Cheops]

53 minutes ago, newnative said:

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding.  In over 7 years of living here I have never, ever, not even once, seen anybody pulled over for speeding.  Never.  No matter how fast they were going.  No matter where I have been in the country.   Hugely overpriced, all the bigwigs will make yet another fortune on useless items, and the devices will either quietly disappear, to be resold, to make yet more money, or will be placed on some back shelf to gather dust.  Really breathtaking in the audacity. 

On the tollways in Bangkok there are several places where they do speed checks and they stop the speedster at the next tollbooth.

 

But the fact is that even if you get a fine it will be like 1000 baht or less, which is not enough to keep people from speeding again. If they make it 10k baht people will stop speeding. The people who can afford to drive a car don't care about a 1k baht or less fine. The only annoyance I hear from people who got fined is when the police took their license and they lost time to get it back.

 

You only can change their behavior when you really hurt them in their wallet and at the same time start educating people as young as possible. 

[Happyman58]

55 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

You need to get out more....I have seen dozen of people stopped on the highway between Prasat and Korat.

They just checking to see if car is registered and they have a license  Not for speeding. Funny part is when they have no license they still can drive car away No problem

[Happyman58]

50 minutes ago, Cheops said:

So now you can get a fine for driving a few km/h too fast, but it's ok to tailgate with 2m between the cars at 120km/h with the complete family in the back of the pick up truck, while being passed over by a motorcycle with a couple of kids without helmet, preferrable in the dark.

Or ride down the wrong side of road with no lights or helmets

[Chaiwallah]

New buses for Bangkok?

[tryasimight]

9 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

They just checking to see if car is registered and they have a license  Not for speeding. Funny part is when they have no license they still can drive car away No problem

Trust me...it is for speeding, The road block was about a kilometre after the speed gun. Most people get waved through but the cop checks on his iPad and flags certain drivers over.

Agree that a lot of check points are for rego and license checks. I got done 200 baht in Lamduan for not having a license even though my Aussie license should have been good enough as at the moment I am in and out on 30 day visa waiver entries i.e. officially a tourist. Cop said the fine was valid for 7 days and off I drove.

 

Keep my IDP in the car now as well as my passport. A cop near Chong Chom asked for the PP but I didn't have it with me at the time. No problem,just a reminder that I am supposed to carry it at all times (regardless of what people quote on the forum to the contrary). 

Edited October 20, 2017 by tryasimight

[John Richards]

12 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Not to mention seriously boost the income of the cops using them.

I welcome anything that can reduce accidents here and speeding is an issue.

A far bigger issue as we all know though, is the "get out of my way" attitude of masses of drivers here. Safety will improve when their awful driving is targeted and punished.

So you don't want them to do anything as they will embezzle the money and finish with a request for them to do more - you appear to be confused!

[Happyman58]

1 minute ago, tryasimight said:

Trust me...it is for speeding, The road block was about a kilometre after the speed gun. Most people get waved through but the cop checks on his iPad and flags certain drivers over.

Agree that a lot of check points are for rego and license checks. I got done 200 baht in Lamduan for not having a license even though my Aussie license should have been good enough as at the moment I am in and out on 30 day visa waiver entries i.e. officially a tourist.

i dont think aussie license would carry here Even international license might not be good enough here not sure Did you pay the cop 200? did u watch where he put money if you did?

[tryasimight]

1 minute ago, Happyman58 said:

i dont think aussie license would carry here Even international license might not be good enough here not sure Did you pay the cop 200? did u watch where he put money if you did?

Yes I paid and got a receipt. I don't think it was a tea money setup as there looked to be a very senior bloke sitting  at the table.

A foreign license , as long as it is in English, is supposed to be good for 3 months.

Again at Chong Chom one cop asked if he could take a photo of the IDP.....I don't think he had seen one before.

[John Richards]

10 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

in the states you ask the cop to use the reference generator and show that the gun is calibrated. if he can't, you still might get a ticket, but it will be thrown out in traffic court.

 

i had a radar detector in my car for years, worked great, especially on open highways.

 

 

Called radar jammers in the UK as they scramble the signal from the radar gun - however you're now looking at 12 months in prison for using one!! 

[jmacken306]

11 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

in the states you ask the cop to use the reference generator and show that the gun is calibrated. if he can't, you still might get a ticket, but it will be thrown out in traffic court.

 

i had a radar detector in my car for years, worked great, especially on open highways.

 

 

I would like to know how they intend to catch them, Speeder is in a car, Cops are on a little scooter! Never saw a cop on the open highway or road, just in town holding up traffic with their little "Check Point Charlies"  AND never saw anyone OH! may a couple cars pull over for a ambulance with the red lights flashing!! 

[Alan1275L]

   If this is about saving lives vs making a profit buying overpriced radar guns, then Strongly Enforce Helmet Laws. 

   Many lives can be saved enforcing helmet laws and save money on this purchase. 

[Hank Gunn]

3 hours ago, John Richards said:

Called radar jammers in the UK as they scramble the signal from the radar gun - however you're now looking at 12 months in prison for using one!! 

Nope. Radar detectors simply "detect" radar waves (radio waves broadcast at a specific frequency from the radar gun) and then set off an alarm. Radar detectors don't jam/scramble the signal back to the radar gun. They typically detect the radar waves and give you only about a second or two warning, so if you're speeding, you have to slam on your brakes pretty quickly. 

 

Having said that, I believe some states in the US started making them illegal. But that would simply be a ticket and not 12 months in prison.

[newnative]

4 hours ago, tryasimight said:

You need to get out more....I have seen dozen of people stopped on the highway between Prasat and Korat.

I get out plenty and stand by my post.  I think it's the cops who need to get out more.

[wakeupplease]

14 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

The English conman was the only one that went to jail for that in the UK.

 

Not even an investigation in Thailand, nothing.

 

Laughable.

Well said

 

where have you been missed you.

[wakeupplease]

6 hours ago, Cheops said:

On the tollways in Bangkok there are several places where they do speed checks and they stop the speedster at the next tollbooth.

 

But the fact is that even if you get a fine it will be like 1000 baht or less, which is not enough to keep people from speeding again. If they make it 10k baht people will stop speeding. The people who can afford to drive a car don't care about a 1k baht or less fine. The only annoyance I hear from people who got fined is when the police took their license and they lost time to get it back.

 

You only can change their behavior when you really hurt them in their wallet and at the same time start educating people as young as possible. 

I have seen it most days in one spot same time every day (morning 9am till 11am) Monday to Friday, never caught me.

[pattayadgw]

They have got to be joking.... 675,000 baht for a radar gun????  Do they honestly think people are going to believe that price, just google buy 'hand held radar guns' and take a look at the prices.  Just another money spinner rip off.... 'the rich get richer the poor get the picture'.....