Pattaya police get tough on licences: Fines for tourists AND rental companies AND confiscation of vehicle

[scubascuba3]

Tourists are the worse bike riders so I'm ok with the new rules. Often i see falang in holiday mode going too fast without the skill required

[Thaidream]

The police could care less what the law is-  it is what they say it is at the time they stop you- try and argue if you must- but at the end of the day- you pay and go on your way.  

[tropo]

9 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Tourists are the worse bike riders so I'm ok with the new rules. Often i see falang in holiday mode going too fast without the skill required

... in contrast to Thai riders that go really fast as they have the requisite skills? Really? Did that apply when you were a tourist here too? 

 

Some have skills, some don't, but irrespective of skills, it's the stupidity that gets them killed.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, Franko666 said:

Well I fave 2 foreign licences and they are both written in English so I guess that's foreign enough. And yes the IDP is foreign too, couldn't get one in Thai, however I reckon if a rental company doesn't have someone to recognise valid driving licences they are in the wrong business.

Some of the people who rent out bikes in Thailand are quite small time. If the law doesn't require them to confirm licences, to the extent of whether it includes a motorcycle, and to turn away business if not, why would they?  They get people to sign a contract instead.  They aren't even obligated to provide insurance, beyond the basic obligatory government one. You can't expect too much in Thailand. If anything they are a nation of scofflaws and have little respect for law enforcement.

[scubascuba3]

 

 

 

... in contrast to Thai riders that go really fast as they have the requisite skills? Really?

 

In any country you get crazy drivers and Thailand has it's fair share, mainly young riders going too fast, but often they've been riding for many years already so have a fair amount of skill although go too fast.

Tourist falang on the other hand show they haven't got the experience and still go too fast.

As for me, I'd been riding in the UK for 20 years so i don't feel i need to race everywhere

 

[tropo]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

In any country you get crazy drivers and Thailand has it's fair share, mainly young riders going too fast, but often they've been riding for many years already so have a fair amount of skill although go too fast.

Tourist falang on the other hand show they haven't got the experience and still go too fast.

As for me, I'd been riding in the UK for 20 years so i don't feel i need to race everywhere

 

6

A lot of tourists have been riding bikes for many years before they came to Thailand. All they need to learn is that Thai people don't usually obey traffic rules, so stay alert at all times, especially at traffic lights.

[scubascuba3]

A lot of tourists have been riding bikes for many years before they came to Thailand. All they need to learn is that Thai people don't usually obey traffic rules, so stay alert at all times, especially at traffic lights.

No what they need to learn is how Thais ride, look and learn

[tropo]

17 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

22 minutes ago, tropo said:

A lot of tourists have been riding bikes for many years before they came to Thailand. All they need to learn is that Thai people don't usually obey traffic rules, so stay alert at all times, especially at traffic lights.

No what they need to learn is how Thais ride, look and learn

No? You don't agree that one must stay alert at all times, especially at traffic lights?

 

So you're suggesting I need to ride the wrong way up streets, crash red lights, overtake on blind corners, always ride too fast for the local environment, ride without helmets, ride 3 or 4 up and/or carrying babies in one hand, always use cell phones when riding (preferably texting), use umbrellas when it's raining, tailgate whenever possible and generally take no care at all? LOLOL.

[scubascuba3]

No? You don't agree that one must stay alert at all times, especially at traffic lights?
 
So you're suggesting I need to ride the wrong way up streets, crash red lights, overtake on blind corners, always ride too fast for the local environment, ride without helmets, ride 3 or 4 up and/or carrying babies in one hand, always use cell phones when riding (preferably texting), use umbrellas when it's raining, tailgate whenever possible and generally take no care at all? LOLOL.

After a couple of weeks of riding you should have learnt how Thais ride such as at junctions, traffic lights wait until the red light jumpers pass through, the riders coming up the inside lane against the flow. Once you know what they do its fine you just look for it. You just have to accept the police don't enforce the law so you need to be ready for it

This is a very good article on how Thais ride.

http://www.chiangmailocator.com/wiki-traffic-rules-in-thailand-and-how-to-avoid-traffic-accidents-p169

[Bartmam]

This is an opportunity for the BIB to request money from the bike rental companies to ignore the rules. Then they can get paid twice. Once by the rental company and then by the tourist.

[tropo]

31 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

After a couple of weeks of riding you should have learnt how Thais ride such as at junctions, traffic lights wait until the red light jumpers pass through, the riders coming up the inside lane against the flow. Once you know what they do its fine you just look for it. You just have to accept the police don't enforce the law so you need to be ready for it

This is a very good article on how Thais ride.

http://www.chiangmailocator.com/wiki-traffic-rules-in-thailand-and-how-to-avoid-traffic-accidents-p169

I don't personally have much to learn about how Thais ride as I've at it for over 12 years... but perhaps other's may find it useful.

[torrzent]

Vietnam is way more dangerous on a mini-hog...go there for the advanced crazy course carnage with no helmet up Highway 1, then come back and enjoy the peaceful thai style roads.

[oldlakey]

On 5/9/2018 at 9:46 PM, richard_smith237 said:

This is disgusting.... 'if Tourists' - 1000baht fines & Confiscation of the Bike... 

 

So what about Thai's riding without a license? This is nothing more than the police creating an easy target, a money maker... Its clumsy, its xenophobic, it stinks... 

 

 

IF the announcement was that if anyone is caught driving without a licence they would face a 1000baht (or more would be better) and confiscation of the bike....  it would be much better... but as it is, unbalanced penalty stinks... 

 

If you dont like the terms and conditions you know what to do dont you

Action against Thais without a license is in the pipeline

Look on the bright side it just might save a few lives

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, torrzent said:

Vietnam is way more dangerous on a mini-hog...go there for the advanced crazy course carnage with no helmet up Highway 1, then come back and enjoy the peaceful thai style roads.

Why isn't the road fatality rate in Vietnam higher than Thailand then ?

[torrzent]

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why isn't the road fatality rate in Vietnam higher than Thailand then ?

It is higher but it is communist and government controlled stats...they can state it is as safe or dangerous as they want.

[oldlakey]

13 hours ago, Sakeopete said:

Thai's  are not stupid they know the highway code and they are skilled drivers. The problem is they also know there is no police enforcement of the highway code and fellow Thai's seldom get upset when they do selfish or dangerous maneuvers.

I wonder what the death toll would be if just a few of them were not skilled drivers

[Franko666]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Some of the people who rent out bikes in Thailand are quite small time. If the law doesn't require them to confirm licences, to the extent of whether it includes a motorcycle, and to turn away business if not, why would they?  They get people to sign a contract instead.  They aren't even obligated to provide insurance, beyond the basic obligatory government one. You can't expect too much in Thailand. If anything they are a nation of scofflaws and have little respect for law enforcement.

I gave up m/bike riding nearly 2 years ago, I dont have a death wish. People from first world Countries have no excuse, they know the story, they are educated and are at least semi literate and just because they are in a third world Country doesn't mean they have to dumb down. Forget the dodgey 100 THB guy,  go proffessional or better still forget m/bikes altogether. If you dont expect much then you dont get much.

[Megasin1]

On ‎09‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 2:45 PM, Thaiwrath said:

Does ANY Thai know the highway code ?  I don't think so.

Does Thailand even have a highway code?

[Megasin1]

• yep, they can say what they want about foreign motorcycle riders, however the death rates tell a completely different story, I was once told it was 9 motorcyclists a day in Bangkok alone, never mind, any foreigner that rides a motorcycle in Thailand must be stark raving bonkers anyway as I am not stark raving bonkers, this can be consigned to file 13, good luck to all the bonkers ones out there...

[bristolgeoff]

International driving license then no problems.but they are many who don't have a license farang and thai.tea money going up now.get a Thai license. If u can

[bristolgeoff]

i have sat on the corner where the pic is taken.i have a correct license so i,am ok.but the amount of thai and farang that get a ticket and must pay str away is huge.a helmet is just a excuse to give a ticket.license is easy as a earner for them.just sit and watch it happen  if you want to go away from the area go up and park up at soi 8 .i have drank a few hrs in those bars and watch like all the other statues watching.

[Damrongsak]

5 hours ago, torrzent said:

Vietnam is way more dangerous on a mini-hog...go there for the advanced crazy course carnage with no helmet up Highway 1, then come back and enjoy the peaceful thai style roads.

Then you could ride without a helmet, just a Vietnam Veteran ball cap. 

 

Would my Thai lifetime motorcycle license still be acceptable if I came as a tourist?  The local address on it is over 40 years out of date.  I wonder if I can update from the old paper license without some sort of non-tourist visa.

[peperobi]

Good move, I hope the police will extend it nationwide and not only by the tourists, that will help to reduce the road carnage and improve the country image.

[scubascuba3]

• yep, they can say what they want about foreign motorcycle riders, however the death rates tell a completely different story, I was once told it was 9 motorcyclists a day in Bangkok alone, never mind, any foreigner that rides a motorcycle in Thailand must be stark raving bonkers anyway as I am not stark raving bonkers, this can be consigned to file 13, good luck to all the bonkers ones out there...

Traffic looks a lot worse than it is when on a bike, for example in Pattaya, Soi Diana,Lengkee, Buakhao junction looks like a very difficult junction to navigate but its easy, you just need to understand how it works.

I'm happy riding my motorbike and bicycle. Safer than walking on some roads where pavements are uneven and dangerous or even the roads that have no pavements

[5633572526]

On 5/9/2018 at 8:46 PM, richard_smith237 said:

This is disgusting.... 'if Tourists' - 1000baht fines & Confiscation of the Bike... 

 

So what about Thai's riding without a license? This is nothing more than the police creating an easy target, a money maker... Its clumsy, its xenophobic, it stinks... 

 

 

IF the announcement was that if anyone is caught driving without a licence they would face a 1000baht (or more would be better) and confiscation of the bike....  it would be much better... but as it is, unbalanced penalty stinks... 

 

I am for anything that gets any number of idiots on motorbikes off the road. I understand this targets tourists but bike rental companies must also take more responsibility. While living in Phuket I was sitting at my usual morning coffee spot and watched a Chinese couple try to turn left and drive through a plate glass window of the shop across the street from me. In another incident I helped pull a bike off a tourist who was trapped underneath because he forgot to put his feet down when he stopped. 

[essox essox]

2 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

I am for anything that gets any number of idiots on motorbikes off the road. I understand this targets tourists but bike rental companies must also take more responsibility. While living in Phuket I was sitting at my usual morning coffee spot and watched a Chinese couple try to turn left and drive through a plate glass window of the shop across the street from me. In another incident I helped pull a bike off a tourist who was trapped underneath because he forgot to put his feet down when he stopped. 

IF the announcement was that if anyone is caught driving without a licence they would face a 1000baht .....it is not only an announcement IT IS THE LAW that ALL drivers must have a licence

[essox essox]

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Traffic looks a lot worse than it is when on a bike, for example in Pattaya, Soi Diana,Lengkee, Buakhao junction looks like a very difficult junction to navigate but its easy, you just need to understand how it works.

I'm happy riding my motorbike and bicycle. Safer than walking on some roads where pavements are uneven and dangerous or even the roads that have no pavements

you should see how many bikes there are in Hanoi & H C M cities

[Somchai Logic]

Once again...

Whilst the British may be the "Masters of Understatement".

These A$$Clown$ are in a league of their own for being the "Masters of Deflection" - FF$ 

[bkk6060]

11 hours ago, Franko666 said:

I gave up m/bike riding nearly 2 years ago, I dont have a death wish. People from first world Countries have no excuse, they know the story, they are educated and are at least semi literate and just because they are in a third world Country doesn't mean they have to dumb down. Forget the dodgey 100 THB guy,  go proffessional or better still forget m/bikes altogether. If you dont expect much then you dont get much.

Having a motorbike is a lot of fun and gives one so much more freedom.  Of course, I have everything and am legal.

If one is stupid, not safe and reckless then it can be a problem.

I enjoy it very much in fact just bought and upgraded bike.

 

[scubascuba3]

you should see how many bikes there are in Hanoi & H C M cities

Yes i remember, on one road in Hanoi i couldn't even cross the road so went back to the hotel