Traffic Tickets

[jm49er1]

in the last 3 weeks i have made two trips from Pattaya to Udon Thani - on both return trips, i have been waved over by police and advised that i had stayed in the fast lane too long without pulling over - the first time this was near khorat and today it happened about 20 kms north of Khon Kean - the first time the "officer" asked for 500 baht but settled for 300 baht to settle the case on the side of the road - todays "officer" wanted 200 baht - Has this happened to you? Certainly not a lot of money but it bothers me to pay for something i did not do

[mijan24]

in the last 3 weeks i have made two trips from Pattaya to Udon Thani - on both return trips, i have been waved over by police and advised that i had stayed in the fast lane too long without pulling over - the first time this was near khorat and today it happened about 20 kms north of Khon Kean - the first time the "officer" asked for 500 baht but settled for 300 baht to settle the case on the side of the road - todays "officer" wanted 200 baht - Has this happened to you? Certainly not a lot of money but it bothers me to pay for something i did not do

Yes last weekend outside lane says speedster by all accounts - you are allowed to pass but do not stay out there or be prepared to pay.

Edited February 1, 2007 by mijan24

[Goshawk]

in the last 3 weeks i have made two trips from Pattaya to Udon Thani - on both return trips, i have been waved over by police and advised that i had stayed in the fast lane too long without pulling over - the first time this was near khorat and today it happened about 20 kms north of Khon Kean - the first time the "officer" asked for 500 baht but settled for 300 baht to settle the case on the side of the road - todays "officer" wanted 200 baht - Has this happened to you? Certainly not a lot of money but it bothers me to pay for something i did not do

Way of life my friend... Thats how the boys in brown behave here. They don't have a great salary so they top up any which way they can. I was in BKK last week and stupidly misread the signs for prepay & cash only barriers at the tollways, i only had baht..

Had to reverse back a mere 12ft and nip into the next cash only pay booth. Cop wanted 500 baht for my 'no good driving', wife sweet talked him down to 200...

don't argue with 'em, just pay up and go on your way... then chuckle about it later

[george]

Just smile and pay. I consider it a "road tax".

[Thaicoon]

Got fined 100 baht for speeding, i was doing 140 kms,also in the fast lane, on the road from Khon Kaen to Korat, so quite good i thought, touch wood the cops have been fine with me, i did get stopped in Buriram on the bike one day, for no helmet, the cops pulled us over, parked the bike by all the others they had stopped, i thought s h i t, long walk to the cop shop, had a chat and a bit of a joke, he asked me why i was not wearing a helmet, i told him could not get my size in thailand , they both laughed and told me to go to the shop down the road and get 2 chaings, so i got 3 and we all had a drink on the roadside, and i rode home, a couple of days later the 2 cops came around the house for a drink, brilliant, imagine this in the uk.

But sometimes they do like a backhander, my nephew is joining the force next year, the family have to put up 50,000 baht to get him in.

Edited February 1, 2007 by Thaicoon

[Dave the Dude]

Hi

As george says smile,pay and laugh about it. Her Thai-ness was pulled up for driving in 'fast' lane when other one was clear, near Buriram Airport (picking me up from UK), she played the 'soppy,sweet lady' card and was let off. Different situation for us ferang man though

regards

Dave the Dude

[MarcoH]

Hi There

Fine for Farang in Ubon Ring road was 100 and distance traveled, so called wrong side the road was less than 500meters.

in the last 3 weeks i have made two trips from Pattaya to Udon Thani - on both return trips, i have been waved over by police and advised that i had stayed in the fast lane too long without pulling over - the first time this was near khorat and today it happened about 20 kms north of Khon Kean - the first time the "officer" asked for 500 baht but settled for 300 baht to settle the case on the side of the road - todays "officer" wanted 200 baht - Has this happened to you? Certainly not a lot of money but it bothers me to pay for something i did not do

[Cuban]

There is a Thai driving/road law that states after overtaking on the right hand side of the slower vehicle you should return to the left hand carriageway.

Also there is a law about speeding, generally 90kph (60 in cities) to 140kph on the freeways, depending on what you are driving.

The fact that these laws are enforced in little bubbles of policing on the roads around their favorite shady tree parking spot or at the bottom or a nice long hill should not pitch you against the Thai Highway Police.

Think about it for while, you get to drive the wrong way along pretty much any road (how many km to the next U turn), through red traffic signals, on highways at the speed you want to, and you can chat on the phone for hours. The cost is a small fine that the police will either write up or assign to their Baht collection.

The alternative on offer in many countries is strict enforcement of traffic laws with heavy fines and totting up points to take your licence away. Do you really want the Thai police to do that?

I used to think that I would not pay these "fines" out of principle, however in years of driving here I now find them (police) reasonable in most situations (one execption in BKK) and include a few hundred Baht in the costs of driving anywhere, just in case I'm stopped.

If they book you properly the fine at the police station will be about 400 Baht. A typical Thai driver will be "fined" about 100 Baht on the road side depending on the car, if you pay about 200 Baht for a fair cop you are doing about right. Do you really want to pay the fine in person at the police station? Honestly?

Having followed one of the BILs driving along Highway 2 about a month ago, I was bored stupid, he is a variation of one of the branches of police and does not speed in his nice pickup. Mine bumbles along happily at 140 when I consider it safe to do so.

I have considered that police lay some of their "traps" just after sections of road where the lefthand carriageway of a highway is pock marked and in poor condition.

Many Thai drivers will flash on coming traffic to alert them of police ahead.

During the day a nice long section of road will look tempting, but keep an eye on those nice shade giving trees.

These little tell tails should keep you alert on a long drive and awake on roads that you so familar with you can drive them asleep.

I've been pulled over for the wrong lane while driving a brand new car, less than 100km on the clock, the cop just wanted to see my licence. He didn't even mention my serious speeding. On another occasion at a check point one night they pointed out I had a blown headlight, I was expecting a fine, in the end I just said I would get it repaired the next day, and I was on my way.

Like many services in Thailand, you should haggle to get a good price, the Thai Highway Police are one of the finest money can buy.

The fact that they treat drink driving this way as well as obvious unsafe cars, poorly lit and over loaded trucks is maybe the price we/they pay for having flexible policing.

If police fined EVERY person riding a motorbike without a helmet EVERY time they were seen people would buy helmets, I'm unsure they would wear them.

I saw a GATSO camera being demostrated on TV (Thai) a few weeks ago. That would be something to worry about. All credit to this Dutch group.

[lambada]

My missus was pulled over for not wearing a helmet in the local town outside KK and started arguing with the police. Meantime I'm telling her to shut up and pay the 80 baht or what ever. The police were cracking up laughing at us. Mainly at me. In the end she went to see some relative to get her money back.

[PhilHarries]

Used to happen all the time when I was driving in LOS. Going through red lights, driving in the right hand lane, speeding, no seat belt blah blah blah. As george says just treat it as a local tax. Very often I just didn't stop, make the BiB's agitated but they never came after me either physically or by radio. I think driving a vehicle with Nong Khai plates around the Pattaya area helped in that respect.

Consider the UK alternative. You get photographed doind the slightest misdemeanor. You get a letter demanding money and your license. Points get added to your license and when you get sufficient they rmove your right to drive (legally) for a period of time.

[Boo]

My husband (thai) is very strict on this on the road between Khon Kaen & Korat (his mum lives about half way in between) his brother also follows the rule & I never understood all this zig zagging back & forward if there was no one behind you until he told me of the fine & then pointed out people being pulled over for not moving into the slow lane after overtaking. So I don't think this is a farang thing, maybe the amount of the fine but as another poster pointed out, it is traffic law, so after all the complaints about the BiB, they, at least on this stretch of road, seem to be enforcing the law

[Tarragona]

I got stopped once and the officer was after 200 baht. I knew I had nothing smaller than a 500 note in my wallet so I wasn't going to open that. I had a couple of 20s in a pocket and we scrabbled around in the door pockets and glove compartment for coins until the guy said something to the effect of "Just gimme that" and went away with, I think, a grand total of 63 baht, a lot of it in small coins.

[Cuban]

I had a couple of 20s in a pocket and we scrabbled around in the door pockets and glove compartment for coins until the guy said something to the effect of "Just gimme that" and went away with, I think, a grand total of 63 baht, a lot of it in small coins.

A farang without any money is unlikely, in particular when driving, you need a second wallet that is not bulging with 1,000 Baht notes. Taxi drivers and police never have change. Keep a few 100s with your driving licence. No probs.

[jm49er1]

A farang without any money is unlikely, in particular when driving, you need a second wallet that is not bulging with 1,000 Baht notes. Taxi drivers and police never have change. Keep a few 100s with your driving licence. No probs.

Good advice - after the first incident i put all of my larger bills in a pants pocket and left just 260 baht in my wallet - you certainly do not want to in a position to ask him if he can make change for a 1000 baht bill

[MarcoH]

I had a couple of 20s in a pocket and we scrabbled around in the door pockets and glove compartment for coins until the guy said something to the effect of "Just gimme that" and went away with, I think, a grand total of 63 baht, a lot of it in small coins.

A farang without any money is unlikely, in particular when driving, you need a second wallet that is not bulging with 1,000 Baht notes. Taxi drivers and police never have change. Keep a few 100s with your driving licence. No probs.

Hi Guys

2nd Wallet is must and we have been using that last 6yrs,, i have one trik what is working so far in every corner here i have 200 + thai driving licence in "police" wallet and credit card and i do show that to them saying that i dont use cash as i have card and so far it has done the tricks as cops ion the road dont take cards Yet!

and ofcouse it helps when one talk even few words in thai, or in isan lao, you should see surpriced in they eye's when one speack lao to them,, get easy almost every time.

Other issue is that they stop cars, but in the Ubon one can drive with out worry with the big bike and they dont stop,,,speeding or driving in the right side the road...