Fined For Littering

[kevc]

An English couple I met today in Bangkok have just been fined 1000 Baht for dropping a cigarette on Sukhumvit Road which I find quite amazing seeing as they have taken away all the rubbish bins, but on the other hand what easy pickings, just follow a Farang with a can of Coke.

[jbowman1993]

An English couple I met today in Bangkok have just been fined 1000 Baht for dropping a cigarette on Sukhumvit Road which I find quite amazing seeing as they have taken away all the rubbish bins, but on the other hand what easy pickings, just follow a Farang with a can of Coke.

Should be "follow a farang with a can of coke who is to ###### lazy to properly dispose of his trash". If you look long enough, you can find places to put your trash. Most people are just too lazy. Fine the crap out of them.

[alexth]

It's interesting, I've been fined once for the same thing, only that the fine was 2000 baht, we were like 7 or 8 persons smoking in fron of Seacon Square, unfortunately I was the only farang. I got a "discount" and ended up paying 200 baht after showing them my student ID card, they suddenly become very friendly and I felt really bad for what I did, never did it again since than. Of course it will be harder now without the rubbish bins, but what can one do? TiT

[PREM-R]

About a year ago I had some friends over from UK and one of them dropped a cigarette butt outside Banjasiri Park, between Emporium and Soi 22. Uniformed guy on a mountain bike caught up with him and took him back to a kiosk at the park where he was asked to pay 2,000 baht for his 'crime', I went and spoke with the 'officers' and got it down to 200 baht. I posted the incident on TV and judging by the resposes, it seems that this has been happening for some time.

[elkangorito]

1000 Baht = about $30 Australian...that's bloody cheap. You drop a matchstick in Australia & it's an 'on-the-spot' fine of about $300. This fine may have increased by now.

Littering is a bad thing to do anyway.

[sceadugenga]

Are they still doing this? My mate got busted on the corner of Soi 11 about 3 years ago. He was newcomer and was terrified, especially when I said he was prepared to go to jail rather than pay this blatant rip off. Finally beat them down to 500B, smiles all round. They had a little card table "office" set up around in Soi 11. I know a bloke who got them to settle for iced teas from the 7/11 all round. Must be a nice earner I suppose.

[alexth]

Don't know about that, but I think I still have the receipt for my fine, not sure if they can be running a scam with that one too, but I think it was pretty legal

[Acquiesce]

Yes it is ofcourse legal to fine someone for littering.

I always make sure i drop my cigarette butts down the drain, someone told me i should not do this as it's classed as polluting a waterway and the fine is even more excesive, not sure about that though as if thats the case you could be fined for flushing a dump down the toilet.

[marshbags]

DON,T drop litter

Don,t get fined

Simple in it

No excuses, put it out and take it with you until you find a disposal area.

( ALL your litter )

marshbags

P.S.

Don,t even think about putting it in the drink you,ve just finished, go to a toilet and swill it down the U know what after all t. paper ect. is of a similar consistency,and make sure it goes down and doesn,t float .................please.

Edited January 24, 2007 by marshbags

[elkangorito]

Yes it is ofcourse legal to fine someone for littering.

I always make sure i drop my cigarette butts down the drain, someone told me i should not do this as it's classed as polluting a waterway and the fine is even more excesive, not sure about that though as if thats the case you could be fined for flushing a dump down the toilet.

Recently in Australia, there was a large awareness campaign to inform people about the amount of pollution cigarette butts cause from being flushed down the drains. And yes, dropping something down a drain is still illegal pollution.

[alexth]

Yes it is ofcourse legal to fine someone for littering.

I always make sure i drop my cigarette butts down the drain, someone told me i should not do this as it's classed as polluting a waterway and the fine is even more excesive, not sure about that though as if thats the case you could be fined for flushing a dump down the toilet.

What waterway?

[Sing_Sling]

I don't see a problem with fines for littering . . . try it here in Singapore . . . 2000baht? Try a minimum of SGD$500 and a few days in an orange jumpsuit cleaning the streets.

Police state? Hardly.

I was in KL last week . . . walked to the shops from the hotel and stepped in chewing gum. Can't say I miss the crap all over the streets.

[sceadugenga]

Don't know about that, but I think I still have the receipt for my fine, not sure if they can be running a scam with that one too, but I think it was pretty legal

Sure, my mate got a receipt as well. Had to be a genuine one, it came out of a little book with lots of Thai writing in it. Could have been receipt book for late return of library books for all we knew.

[astral]

Racist it may be, but all countries need to tidy up their act.

[Acquiesce]

Sure, my mate got a receipt as well. Had to be a genuine one, it came out of a little book with lots of Thai writing in it. Could have been receipt book for late return of library books for all we knew.

Learn to read and write the language of the country that you live in and then you would not be illiterate people here.

[OneeyedJohn]

Yeah its a horrible way to get fined, BUT get into the habit as we do on the golf course. Twist the butt so the lighted part drops and burns out, then give the remains to the caddy who has a plastic bottle to contain your crap.

Someone told me fag butts are not bio-degradable, and if u look at my garden you would believe it

[KireB]

Littering should be fined with 10,000 baht!

It shows a lot of disrespect to the country we are in.

Thailand is one of the most proper and clean countries in the world.

Thais don't litter, so let us take an example of them!

[Briggsy]

I remember this law coming in in 2000, I think. The cops have been targetting foreigners since it came in. I'm pretty sure it's a Bangkok bye-law so it only applies in Bangkok. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. The police follow foreigners, particularly those who are smoking, and wait for the inevitable opportunity to bust them. They used to have little leaflets in 3 languages, Thai, Japanese and English stating the 2000 Baht fine. Never heard of any Thais getting busted but seen plenty of locals littering.

[tijnebijn]

Common,I really think it's stupido to smoke in the open......On the other hand,if you do'nt know it,silly the cops give it to farangs.I wonder if they give it to thais the same way.Here in Chiangmai it's no problem,as far I know......

[sceadugenga]

Sure, my mate got a receipt as well. Had to be a genuine one, it came out of a little book with lots of Thai writing in it. Could have been receipt book for late return of library books for all we knew.

Learn to read and write the language of the country that you live in and then you would not be illiterate people here.

Thank you for your well meant advice Acquiesce, I'm working on it, I can spell diesel now.

[farangsay]

Littering should be fined with 10,000 baht!

It shows a lot of disrespect to the country we are in.

Thailand is one of the most proper and clean countries in the world.

Thais don't litter, so let us take an example of them!

There are many cultures where those who are

obviously "sanity challenged" are treated with

respect and deference because they are thought

to be "touched by the Gods".

So I will be nice.

A 10k baht fine for littering is a bad idea for

2 reasons.

The punishment should bear some relation to

the crime. Already 2k would be a serious problem

for the average Thai so it is already quite onerous.

The Thai police service are valiantly trying to clean

up their act. The temptation of a 10k fine which

could be negotiated down to 5k would be overwhelming

to some of the lower paid officers.

Now while I have noticed the good effects of the

current policy in areas of Bangkok I still see

garbage strewn in countless other areas with no

other farang in sight (and no it wasn't me).

If Thais don't litter it must have been mice.

I actually had a peek at your profile to see

if you were in Thailand. You don't give much

info (your right and perogative) but your

"now time" suggests you are.

Can only assume that you are in another

Thailand than me in an alternative universe.

Sure sounds nice where you are.

Have a nice day now ya hear !

[simon43]

Thais don't litter, so let us take an example of them!

[\quote]

I'm sorry, but was that statement meant to be a joke??

Thais litter much more than tourists. Why do you think this beautiful country is awash with plastic bags and other non-biodegradable trash all over the place? I'd have thought that it was common knowledge that the majority of guilty litterers are Thais.

I really wish HM the King would speak out on this issue. That would solve the trash problem overnight......

Simon

[tijnebijn]

Absolutely right on this one,you proberly do not stay a very long time in thailand,or are nor well traveled.

cause there is so much littering,never saw Koh Samet??or even Koh mak was e few years ago so clean,now in the morning full trash.Don't think comes from farangs.....

[tuky]

I don't see a problem with fines for littering . . . try it here in Singapore . . . 2000baht? Try a minimum of SGD$500 and a few days in an orange jumpsuit cleaning the streets.

Police state? Hardly.

I was in KL last week . . . walked to the shops from the hotel and stepped in chewing gum. Can't say I miss the crap all over the streets.

The difference is that Singapore have the bins to put it in.

How do you really enforce a law if you do not provide an alternative?

[britmaveric]

Not enforced much, but best to keep things clean.

[chuchok]

Littering should be fined with 10,000 baht!

It shows a lot of disrespect to the country we are in.

Thailand is one of the most proper and clean countries in the world.

Thais don't litter, so let us take an example of them!

You have to be taking the piss.It did make me giggle though...

[mrbojangles]

If you litter in the UK and are CAUGHT, you pay a fine (on the spot nowaday's i think). So why not the same in Thailand? The concept is right but unfortunately it's probably just the Farangs who happen to get targetted caught !!

[slackula]

About 4 years ago I got caught for dropping a cigarette butt on the road in front of Benjasiri Park. The police demanded a 2,000 baht fine. When I told him I didn't have any money on me he gave me the options of either picking up butts for 20 minutes or going to the station.

I picked up butts for 20 minutes. It was quite fun actually, me and him wandering around the park chatting, he would spot a butt and point it out, I'd pick it up and we'd carry on.

[jdinasia]

Don't know about that, but I think I still have the receipt for my fine, not sure if they can be running a scam with that one too, but I think it was pretty legal

Seacon is not one ot the legit 'clean zones' ... 500 baht and a recpt should be the max there.

[petedk]

Absolutely right on this one,you proberly do not stay a very long time in thailand,or are nor well traveled.

cause there is so much littering,never saw Koh Samet??or even Koh mak was e few years ago so clean,now in the morning full trash.Don't think comes from farangs.....

Just been to Koh Samet this weekend and was surprised at how filthy it was. What do they do with all the money that foreigners pay (400 Baht each) to get onto the island?

Incidentally I often go to my friends condo at Ban Ampur near Pattaya. This small beach has hardly any foreigners there at all but is probably the dirtiest beach I have ever seen. The plastic bags and polystyrene boxes are everywhere and several centimers thick at the end of the day.

Anyway back to the original posting. Yes, I believe the tourist police only target foreigners. I have seen them following smokers at a distance just waiting for them to throw away the cigarette ends. I have also seen them watch Thais drop litter and NOT do anything about it.

It's not only littering but also spitting that is illegal but again only foreigners are targetted.

I agree that littering is a crime and should be punished but I think everyone should be punished if caught and not with "2 tier pricing"