Phuket police target rental operators over riders’ licences

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

People and businesses renting motorbikes to tourists will now be held accountable for making sure the tourist has the appropriate driving licence. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot
 

PHUKET: Police this week confirmed they are ramping up efforts targeting vehicle rental operators for renting out motorbikes to tourists who do not have the appropriate licence as a key strategy to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on Phuket’s roads.

 

As usual, any person – including tourists – found operating a car or motorbike without the correct licence will be fined, explained Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen.

 

However, under the campaign the person or business who rented out the vehicle to the unlicensed tourist will also be fined B2,000 per instance, he told The Phuket News.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-police-target-rental-operators-over-riders-licences-66922.php#H1LFwymEtf3YRlOw.97

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-04-28

 

 

 

So; they are now 'ramping up' something that should have been done 40 years ago !

My guess is about 90% of tourists renting motorbikes do not have a proper license. 

And perhaps 70% have never ridden a motor bike in their life. 

Totally agree with this but I would guess the percentage of rental operators with a permit to rent bikes will be lower than the percentage of riders with the correct licence!

A step in the right direction.....

 

Though 2k baht will not create enough fear...Try 20k baht..

These operators would quickly go out of business if they had to ask for a scooter licence, so they will not do it, just risk the later, possible, fine.

This will probably kill the business (if enforced ??) as most tourists don't have a motorcycle licence.

2,000 THB? Oh boy, that'll scare them! 

the law of averages say that many many more thais will be fined by this, that is if they get stopped ?.  im sure the school kids in pattaya have not got licences

23 minutes ago, cookieqw said:

the law of averages say that many many more thais will be fined by this, that is if they get stopped ?.  im sure the school kids in pattaya have not got licences

Doubt the school kids in Pattaya ride on Phuket's roads.

So does this mean the fine for the farang without a license gets increased, last time I saw a farang arguing with a cop (school hours) outside a school in Phuket over a 300 baht fine for not wearing a helmet, and as I walked past I said mate just pay it and be done with it because you would pay 30 times that amount back in your country, with him giving me his middle finger, so I responded with a blink and the words, sick of you cheap Charlie's coming here and moaning and groaning about loose change, I think he got a little more hotter because he was waiving his hands and yellinging in Italian, so I said, yeh yeh, spagetti bolognese.

 

 I know, should have minded my own business, but it was worth it  

7 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

So does this mean the fine for the farang without a license gets increased, last time I saw a farang arguing with a cop (school hours) outside a school in Phuket over a 300 baht fine for not wearing a helmet, and as I walked past I said mate just pay it and be done with it because you would pay 30 times that amount back in your country, with him giving me his middle finger, so I responded with a blink and the words, sick of you cheap Charlie's coming here and moaning and groaning about loose change, I think he got a little more hotter because he was waiving his hands and yellinging in Italian, so I said, yeh yeh, spagetti bolognese.

 

 I know, should have minded my own business, but it was worth it  

Far less to do with farang, more with Chinese.

Should not be limited to Phuket should be all over Thailand,

12 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

My guess is about 90% of tourists renting motorbikes do not have a proper license. 

And perhaps 70% have never ridden a motor bike in their life. 

So true,A lot of European tourist that rent bikes have no idea how to control even a small bike and they opt for a 1000 cc and larger then see how fast they can kill themselfs. Its the Darwin theory at work here.

The only problem from my perspective is being a correctly licensed rider I will be targeted for stops in the hope of extorting me and wasting my time. 

12 hours ago, stevenl said:

Doubt the school kids in Pattaya ride on Phuket's roads.

Even though the article mentions Phuket, it seems to be a nation wide problem, of which Pattaya is a part of.

10 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

So does this mean the fine for the farang without a license gets increased, last time I saw a farang arguing with a cop (school hours) outside a school in Phuket over a 300 baht fine for not wearing a helmet, and as I walked past I said mate just pay it and be done with it because you would pay 30 times that amount back in your country, with him giving me his middle finger, so I responded with a blink and the words, sick of you cheap Charlie's coming here and moaning and groaning about loose change, I think he got a little more hotter because he was waiving his hands and yellinging in Italian, so I said, yeh yeh, spagetti bolognese.

 

 I know, should have minded my own business, but it was worth it  

I agree. Minding my own business prevents me from confrontation and resentment.

A step in the right direction but will only result in guys getting their Thai GF to rent the bike or hand over a car license and say its a bike license etc.

44 minutes ago, Benmart said:

I agree. Minding my own business prevents me from confrontation and resentment.

Couldn't help, myself as he was making such a clown of himself and potentially giving us farangs a bad rap !

 

Like I said, it was worth it, spagetti bagging and all....

14 hours ago, cookieqw said:

the law of averages say that many many more thais will be fined by this, that is if they get stopped ?.  im sure the school kids in pattaya have not got licences

are you saying that kids in pattaya go to school on rented motorbikes? strange.

11 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

So does this mean the fine for the farang without a license gets increased, last time I saw a farang arguing with a cop (school hours) outside a school in Phuket over a 300 baht fine for not wearing a helmet, and as I walked past I said mate just pay it and be done with it because you would pay 30 times that amount back in your country, with him giving me his middle finger, so I responded with a blink and the words, sick of you cheap Charlie's coming here and moaning and groaning about loose change, I think he got a little more hotter because he was waiving his hands and yellinging in Italian, so I said, yeh yeh, spagetti bolognese.

 

 I know, should have minded my own business, but it was worth it  

If he was italian, the fine in his country would have been 81 Eur, or 10 times then one in thailand not 30. So you can see how he was irritated at your comment, plus the spelling of spaghetti.

7 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

If he was italian, the fine in his country would have been 81 Eur, or 10 times then one in thailand not 30. So you can see how he was irritated at your comment, plus the spelling of spaghetti.

Italian is spelt with a capital I

 

and than has an a in it as opposed to an e

 

10 times, 20 times, 30 times, who gives rats, its more expensive that cheese isn't it, go figure that out !

1 hour ago, rosst said:

The only problem from my perspective is being a correctly licensed rider I will be targeted for stops in the hope of extorting me and wasting my time. 

I hear you, it's a bit annoying to be stopped but usually if you have your licence and registration it's a matter of 1 minute really. During this time, enjoy the pissed off looks of those who have to pay, and life will look good.

Besides, this is about fining the rental operators, which I think is good and long overdue.

4 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Italian is spelt with a capital I

 

and than has an a in it as opposed to an e

 

10 time, 20 time, 30 times, who gives rats, its more expensive that cheese isn't it, go figure that !

I guess I forgot to add a smiley at the end of my comment... have a good day.

11 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

So does this mean the fine for the farang without a license gets increased, last time I saw a farang arguing with a cop (school hours) outside a school in Phuket over a 300 baht fine for not wearing a helmet, and as I walked past I said mate just pay it and be done with it because you would pay 30 times that amount back in your country, with him giving me his middle finger, so I responded with a blink and the words, sick of you cheap Charlie's coming here and moaning and groaning about loose change, I think he got a little more hotter because he was waiving his hands and yellinging in Italian, so I said, yeh yeh, spagetti bolognese.

 

 I know, should have minded my own business, but it was worth it  

The Italian bloke was obviously an idiot, plus I believe the correct fine for no helmet is 1000bht...

4 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

I guess I forgot to add a smiley at the end of my comment... have a good day.

" " " "

30 minutes ago, transam said:

The Italian bloke was obviously an idiot, plus I believe the correct fine for no helmet is 1000bht...

In all fairness, that was a decade ago, cost have obviously risen, but with little impact as the death rates are still at number 1-2 in the world

7 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

In all fairness, that was a decade ago, cost have obviously risen, but with little impact as the death rates are still at number 1-2 in the world

They increased the fine for  no helmet a couple of years back because of the slaughter but as of now I have never heard of anyone being fined that amount...

1 hour ago, Benmart said:

Even though the article mentions Phuket, it seems to be a nation wide problem, of which Pattaya is a part of.

Hmm, I don't recall any police action towards rental operators anywhere else but Phuket.

The average Thai motorbike rental agency wouldn't know what a foreign motorbike license looks like if it bit them in the bum.