Alcohol test not standard for drivers in serious Phuket accidents

[webfact]

Alcohol test not standard for drivers in serious Phuket accidents

The Phuket News

 

A bottle of Hong Thong Thai whiskey was found in the cab of the pickup truck at the scene. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: Tha Chatchai Police today confirmed that they do not test drivers involved in serious accidents for alcohol or other substances as standard procedure.

 

Instead, they decide whether or not the person is alert and sober enough to have been operating the vehicle.

 

The news came today (May 9) as Capt Akkara Sivilai of the Tha Chatchai Police confirmed to The Phuket News that Nitthaya Keawkwan, 24, was not charged for drunk driving as she was not tested.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/alcohol-test-not-standard-for-drivers-in-serious-phuket-accidents-67047.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-05-09

[keith101]

this is just ridiculously bad 

[Darcula]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Instead, they decide whether or not the person is alert and sober enough to have been operating the vehicle.

 

The much more reliable brown envelope test, yes.

 

[colinneil]

Alcohol tests not standard !! Why?

Maybe they look at the vehicle and driver then judge whether he has got lots of money before deciding to do a breath test or not.

[z42]

A police captain with all the smarts of a plank of wood. But it seems that the money extraction test trumps everything else.

 

How could it even be possible to reform an outfit as atrocious as the RTP is. 

The nonsense i read here everyday just gets more absurd and unbelievable. Frightening really

[madmitch]

11 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Alcohol tests not standard !! Why?

Maybe they look at the vehicle and driver then judge whether he has got lots of money before deciding to do a breath test or not.

But it a Hong Thong box in the back, not JW Black! That doesn't indicate hi-so!

[nikmar]

Surely, common sense would dictate that....oh!

[Just1Voice]

In an alternate universe, they fired every Thai cop in the country.  Every one of them.  Then they brought in professional cops from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore to set up new recruitment.  Anyone caught trying to bribe their way in was immediately sent to prison for 5 years, with no parole options. Same for anyone caught trying to cheat on the entrance and completion tests.  They set up oversight committees to monitor all police work and actions.  Any cop caught taking a bribe or payoff was automatically sentenced to 10 years in prison, no parole options. Police were actually taught what the laws were, and expected to enforce them.  Not doing so results in a 5 year, no parole option, prison term.  

 

Like I said at the beginning, in an alternate universe.

 

[smedly]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Instead, they decide whether or not the person is alert and sober enough to have been operating the vehicle.

This is after being involved in an accident ………….. seriously !!

 

So here we have  Thailand with worst road safety record on the planet and drunk driving already known to be a major contributor to the carnage and someone makes a statement like this

 

dear oh dear 

[Get Real]

That´s completely understandable. Of course they do not need to do an alcohol test on Thai people driving.
They know very well that nobody would be irresponsible enough to drive drunk.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Get Real

[Lupatria]

Standard answer when a breathalyzer test is required: "Do you know who I drank with?" 

[oldlakey]

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

this is just ridiculously bad 

Yes it just adds to the slaughter

[Juan B Tong]

The unofficial standard test for drunk driving...

[Somchai Logic]

28 minutes ago, Juan B Tong said:

The unofficial standard test for drunk driving...

I thought it was "Official" 

[connda]

No doubt the decision to test or not to test is highly dependent on the social status of the driver. 

[Oziex1]

Give them a break they get serious for several days around Songkran and new years eve. Well they talk about getting serious.

[Unsane]

I am going to act all surprised for the next few seconds.  There!  All back to normal now.

[observer90210]

9 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

In an alternate universe, they fired every Thai cop in the country.  Every one of them.  Then they brought in professional cops from Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore to set up new recruitment.  Anyone caught trying to bribe their way in was immediately sent to prison for 5 years, with no parole options. Same for anyone caught trying to cheat on the entrance and completion tests.  They set up oversight committees to monitor all police work and actions.  Any cop caught taking a bribe or payoff was automatically sentenced to 10 years in prison, no parole options. Police were actually taught what the laws were, and expected to enforce them.  Not doing so results in a 5 year, no parole option, prison term.  

 

Like I said at the beginning, in an alternate universe.

 

And if I may humbly add, in the alternative dreamland, the monthly starting salary of the Thai beat cop was 3 times it's actual amount, but to finance this, taxpayers had to pay 20% monthly revenue tax on their income and expats were also heavily taxed on their assets and their leased properties.  And then thank god, suddenly I woke up !

[Redline]

Please can we grow up now!  Lazy an incompetent 

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Instead, they decide whether or not the person is alert and sober enough to have been operating the vehicle.

What a load of BS!

[a977]

Can not afford decent bottle whisky, cannot afford fine for DUI but can afford near new ute and then have to pay registration and insurance, what a load of crap this RTP are, as previous writer suggested sack the lot bring in highly competent officers to run the police, the government coffers would be overflowing  

[KKr]

Where I come from they are far ahead on road safety.
they have the same system. walk straight on a line,
smell test and slurred speech test.
already implemented in 1960,
Lately, in 1970-ties,  they added some electronics to be able to rightfully accuse people that do not fail test number 1. 

but most of the time, the person failing the first test is still drunk..
;-)

Edited May 10, 2018 by KKr
correcting spellchecker

[NamKangMan]

 

Well, look at the positive side, to some degree.

 

Whilst the drunk driver escapes justice, at least the innocent driver gets their car fixed, because the insurance company will not cover the offending driver if he is drunk, and that means the innocent driver is left with the bill, unless insured themselves.

 

Now, that said, with so many drunk drivers on Phuket, due to no proper public transport, if they were to breath test BOTH parties at an accident, chances are BOTH will be intoxicated and NO ONE gets their car fixed by the insurance company. 

 

Perhaps this is a good thing, provided no one is killed or maimed, but unfortunately, they are.