SURVEY: Do Foreigners get a fair shake from the police and legal system?

[Scott]

There have been several high profile cases of foreigners' involvement with police and the judicial system.  Which of the following statements bests expresses your belief on how foreigners are treated by the police and the judicial system.  

[NCC1701A]

just yesterday I was waiting for a traffic light in Hua Hin when a Farang pulled up next to me on a scooter not wearing a helmet. I was the only one at the intersection wearing a helmet. Cop jumped out of his traffic box and flagged the Farang down ignoring about 5 or 6 Thais without helmets.

 

 

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Is justice dependent on finances? could be a better measurement in a survey .

[Samui Bodoh]

Honestly, I have no contact with the police or the legal system, other than the rare traffic stop where I am waived through because I am wearing a helmet.

 

At least for me, we live in different worlds.

[gamini]

always been treated nicely by the police and treated fairly by the justice system during my 35 years living in Thailand.

[stropper]

i have always found the police fair in all dealings with them, 1, wife [accidentely poisened all the soi <deleted> barking dogs], was fights at the station, fair result, speeding, 50%discount as with traffic infrigments, they are always  happy to see me and i can say i enjoy there company, but i am australian, not a whinging pommie, maybe thats the difference!

[rkidlad]

I avoid the police completely. I don’t drive or ride here. Don’t think I’ve ever as much said anything to a police officer here and that’s the way I like it. Simply don’t trust them and for good reason. 

 

Oh, tell a lie. A police officer alone once stopped the taxi I was in down the back roads of sukumvit. He was alone and asked me to get out. I told the girl I was with to keep watching. He patted me down and could feel my wallet and phone in my pockets. He then grunted as if to say “go away”. I told him to keep up the good work and left. He was definitely up to no good.

[mikebell]

Had no problems until a year ago.  Then a bent cop decided I was in the wrong when two under-age, licenceless, speeding tear-aways smashed into my stationery car doing 90kph.  Despite arriving ten minutes after the crash, it was the farangs fault.  Thannachart, my 3rd class Insurance company for which I paid first class money, were only too willing to pay them compensation/medical/new bike.

The cop has never interviewed the two boys; threatened to confiscate my passport; threatened me with visa difficulties; took gold off my wife.  I reckon I paid out 80K for a lying, cheating scumbag cop.  So yes - most cops are biased against farangs; ask any bar-owner in Pattaya.

[Coconut007]

My answer: LOL

 

When I was in Ko Phangan there was "police" patrol, next to a place where I had lunch, catching farangs and collecting beer money for not having international driving license (they had motorbike licence from their countries)

 

At the same time I saw 4 motorbikes driven by what I though ~ 10 years old Thai kids - non of them had any issue, fully licensed I guess

[mikebell]

10 minutes ago, stropper said:

i am australian, not a whinging pommie,

And it shows.  Dog poisoning; fighting; no wonder the cops are always pleased to see you.

'i enjoy there company, ' a perfect match-up.

[jaywalker]

Cop gave my wife a 10,000 baht ticket when a speeding motorcyclist, in the wrong lane, with no insurance and no license ran into her truck.

 

Know why? The cop told her "You have farang name. All farangs have big money".

 

I was in Bangkok, and she was in Pattaya when it happened to boot! A hundred miles away, and all it took was her having a Caucasian name.

[observer90210]

Nothing to do with liking or not farangs.....it only all about who has the money in Thailand !!

[tso310]

I suspect those of us in the small towns and villages may have more positive views and experiences regarding the BIB. The only place my wife had a problem regarding her farang name was getting her Thai driving license. 'We do Thai people first' she was told. Probably expecting some money which she never got. All done in a few hours.

[F4UCorsair]

A fair shake.....or shake down?

 

Seriously, in my not too many dealings with Thai police, they have always been cordial, and fair.

[heybuz]

i have only experienced thai courts once i may add in suing my ex, i found in my case that i was treated fairly far as thai law goes. the only compliant i have is the interference of the local police chiefs wifes interference in the case as a mediator, somebody with no experience and extremely biased against me.all in all though not bad could have been worse. my interpreter said he would not interpret all that was said as i might construe it as racist

 

[sawadee1947]

For what a survey? Do you think anything would change this way or another? And who should read it? Absolutely nonsense

[pkspeaker]

I voted for farangs get more lenient treatment..

 

But the ? is too vague.. on some issueslike when a farang and thai het in traffic accident they may take the locals side, they're usually gonna be asking the farang to cover it.. but in more serious offenses but notthe most serious offenses the farangs can buy their way out where many locals don't have the coins and gotta do the time.. they also wanna get the farangs outa the kook because they tend to compain about the conditions more..

 

my experiences with the thai police have always been pleasent.. tried to help, no shakedowns..

[hangdonger]

a few options missing really.

 

I have basically found hem to be incompetent and corrupt, normally both.

 

End of the day it's all about money and connections as to how you are treated within the legal system.

 

Traffic accidents Somchai will always get the benefit, even if he is pissed, unlicensed and driving dangerously.  

[seajae]

seen it both ways so while some may get hard done by others are not, been pulled over for not wearing a seat belt and let go, one other time I got off with just a100baht donation, depends on the cops really

 

[WHYWHY]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

just yesterday I was waiting for a traffic light in Hua Hin when a Farang pulled up next to me on a scooter not wearing a helmet. I was the only one at the intersection wearing a helmet. Cop jumped out of his traffic box and flagged the Farang down ignoring about 5 or 6 Thais without helmets.

 

 

 

 

See they pick on one only not a local

[jacko45k]

They get a much better shake.......     down!

[01322521959]

Had an accident on my bike about 3 years ago. Coming up the highway from Bang San in the outside lane doing a steady 110-120, a young kid in front of me all over the shop, I changed down and tried to get past him and moving to the inside lane, he came across without looking, hit me flew in the air, I carried on through, maybe due to my heavier bike. I pulled up and was surrounded, police came, I was to blame as I undertook, my right rear indicator was hanging off. 

Cut a long story short, kid had no license etc. I ended up having to give him, police and bike pound 13000 total.

NO! we are not treated fairly IMHO

[MaeJoMTB]

9 minutes ago, 01322521959 said:

Had an accident on my bike about 3 years ago. Coming up the highway from Bang San in the outside lane doing a steady 110-120, a young kid in front of me all over the shop, I changed down and tried to get past him and moving to the inside lane, he came across without looking, hit me flew in the air, I carried on through, maybe due to my heavier bike. I pulled up and was surrounded, police came, I was to blame as I undertook, my right rear indicator was hanging off. 

Cut a long story short, kid had no license etc. I ended up having to give him, police and bike pound 13000 total.

NO! we are not treated fairly IMHO

Yes, you were to blame, you should have stayed well back from him, but foolishly attempted to pass.

Also,

This is a feudal society, the wealthy (those with documents) are expected to take care of the poor (those without).

[roo860]

just yesterday I was waiting for a traffic light in Hua Hin when a Farang pulled up next to me on a scooter not wearing a helmet. I was the only one at the intersection wearing a helmet. Cop jumped out of his traffic box and flagged the Farang down ignoring about 5 or 6 Thais without helmets.
 
 
 
 

The foreigner should have known better, serves him right.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[AlexRich]

3 hours ago, stropper said:

i have always found the police fair in all dealings with them, 1, wife [accidentely poisened all the soi <deleted> barking dogs], was fights at the station, fair result, speeding, 50%discount as with traffic infrigments, they are always  happy to see me and i can say i enjoy there company, but i am australian, not a whinging pommie, maybe thats the difference!

Come back to us all for an update when you are the only (innocent) foreigner in a major accident involving Thais, that’s if they give access to the internet in jail or if you can afford it after paying through the nose to extricate yourself from the situation. You’re an Australian ... but not a very bright one!

[nausea]

KhoTao.

[Myran]

Bad poll. Where is the option for "Farangs and Thais are generally treated the same"?

 

During my years here I haven't had any problems with the police. I drove my motorcycle daily in Bangkok, up North and around Hua Hin/Cha-am and have never been treated poorly. I've been stopped plenty of times, but only to have my license and once in a while green book checked. I've never been asked to pay any money and have never been accused of anything I didn't do. The reason for this might be that I don't run red lights, don't turn left when I'm not supposed to and don't drive faster than I should (a little tip for you farangs who seem to get pulled over every other week).

 

My friend had an accident with his car in Isaan earlier in the year when a bike with two Thai guys cut in front of him and got hit. They were trying to squeeze him for money, but a police witnessed what happened and took my friend's side throughout all of it, making sure he didn't have to pay any sort of "compensation" or the like.

[evadgib]

3 hours ago, jaywalker said:

Cop gave my wife a 10,000 baht ticket when a speeding motorcyclist, in the wrong lane, with no insurance and no license ran into her truck.

 

Know why? The cop told her "You have farang name. All farangs have big money".

 

I was in Bangkok, and she was in Pattaya when it happened to boot! A hundred miles away, and all it took was her having a Caucasian name.

Did she respond with a Caucasian phrase ending in 'off'? 

[DrTuner]

Sure, but many of the laws are moronic and only enforced when a farang breaks them. All of government and law enforcement needs to be replaced, preferably by non-Thais.

[Acemaker]

4 hours ago, stropper said:

i have always found the police fair in all dealings with them, 1, wife [accidentely poisened all the soi <deleted> barking dogs], was fights at the station, fair result, speeding, 50%discount as with traffic infrigments, they are always  happy to see me and i can say i enjoy there company, but i am australian, not a whinging pommie, maybe thats the difference!

Let me ask you a question, do you know the name of the convict Ship your Ancestors sailed on? just asking, you seem to have inherited all of their qualities.