My experiences with Thai Police

[SussexExpat]

21 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

He ignores you but spoke English to your wife?

 

 

No. Spoke Thai to my wife.

 

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, Berkshire said:

It's pretty clear you just made that up.  No such place in Thailand...and you know it.  You do realize that there's a difference between driving through a checkpoint, and actually being stopped at said checkpoint. 

 

Its pretty clear to me that you don't know the South.  Take a drive through Yala and the new tell me there is no such place, every single car is stopped and asked to lower their window, every single car has its number and driver photographed, I can assure you it's more than just driving through, but then you wouldn't know because you don't drive around here, do you?

[Berkshire]

24 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Its pretty clear to me that you don't know the South.  Take a drive through Yala and the new tell me there is no such place, every single car is stopped and asked to lower their window, every single car has its number and driver photographed, I can assure you it's more than just driving through, but then you wouldn't know because you don't drive around here, do you?

You got me there.  No, I don't drive in the south.  I've never been to the south and don't care to visit.  But you should have mentioned that in your original post.  The rest of Thailand is nothing like that.  So you're talking about an exception to the rule. 

[Kieran00001]

2 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

You got me there.  No, I don't drive in the south.  I've never been to the south and don't care to visit.  But you should have mentioned that in your original post.  The rest of Thailand is nothing like that.  So you're talking about an exception to the rule. 

 

The south is pretty good actually despite all the tanks and razor wire.  Drive in the Golden Triangle area and you face similar roadblocks looking for drug smugglers, as you do on the 323 heading North from Kanchanaburi up to Mae Hong Song, there is no rule from which there are exceptions, the country is varied and those who do get out a lot know this.  And that was all I said in my original post, the OP must not get out much, and I stand by that comment.

 

[Berkshire]

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

The south is pretty good actually despite all the tanks and razor wire.  Drive in the Golden Triangle area and you face similar roadblocks looking for drug smugglers, as you do on the 323 heading North from Kanchanaburi up to Mae Hong Song, there is no rule from which there are exceptions, the country is varied and those who do get out a lot know this.  And that was all I said in my original post, the OP must not get out much, and I stand by that comment.

 

I've driven to the north frequently, including Mae Hong Song, Chiang Rai, Mae Sai, and the Golden Triangle.  Yes, there are checkpoints and I've been through dozens, if not hundreds.  In Chiang Mai as well.  But I rarely get stopped, waved through every time.  That's what I'm talking about.  But I get your point.       

[tropo]

On 6/25/2018 at 4:56 PM, bontang said:

Thai Police are Ok as long you have all you credentials in order, ,Driving License, Car/Truck Rego, & be polite,                      If you respect them they will always respect you,  

Yeah, like the time they brought out their laminated sheet with fake fines on it, 2.5x the actual pay-at-the-station price. They were EXTREMELY polite and VERY friendly. I respectfully paid them a negotiated amount in cash which they respectfully received and we politely parted company. They must have been a bit disappointed that this particular CUSTOMER knew the actual fine prices. They prefer newbies who have just arrived for a 2-week vacation.

 

I must say, the police in Pattaya are polite and friendly at most times. That has never been the problem.

[CLW]

Yeah, like the time they brought out their laminated sheet with fake fines on it, 2.5x the actual pay-at-the-station price. They were EXTREMELY polite and VERY friendly. I respectfully paid them a negotiated amount in cash which they respectfully received and we politely parted company. They must have been a bit disappointed that this particular CUSTOMER knew the actual fine prices. They prefer newbies who have just arrived for a 2-week vacation.
 
I must say, the police in Pattaya are polite and friendly at most times. That has never been the problem.

You are not obliged to pay on the spot. Especially foreigners should know this as in their home country it is not common as well.
And if some pay the inflated prices instead of going to the police station because they are lazy it's their fault not the police.
Most stories I would say are hearsay and BS.

[Jdiddy]

On 6/25/2018 at 6:09 PM, Grumpy Old Man said:

On average I have been stopped at a check point once a day for the last six months

 

Thats dedication

 

If that was my TGF she'd owe 72,000baht in fines

 

If that was me i'd be deported or shot for seeing how many runners i could do

 

[elektrified]

I've only been stopped twice in 12 years in Chiang Mai. Have had to stop at checkpoints in the Golden Triangle and in Pattani as well - but all cars have to stop.

[The manic]

1 hour ago, elektrified said:

I've only been stopped twice in 12 years in Chiang Mai. Have had to stop at checkpoints in the Golden Triangle and in Pattani as well - but all cars have to stop.

No they do not. The police and army vehicles are not stopped

[tropo]

10 hours ago, CLW said:

You are not obliged to pay on the spot. Especially foreigners should know this as in their home country it is not common as well.
And if some pay the inflated prices instead of going to the police station because they are lazy it's their fault not the police.
Most stories I would say are hearsay and BS.

(maybe your stories are mostly hearsay and BS, but mine aren't. They genuinely have a special police box near the new Terminal 21 where they scam foreign CUSTOMERS by using a laminated card with highly inflated fines. They rush you into the police box to pay cash and stamp your hand like you're just been into a disco).

 

 As usual, there's always some hero who comes along with advice without knowing all the details.

 

You know why a lot of foreigners pay on the spot? It's about convenience. If it's after 10 pm, you have no payment option at the station until the next morning after 10 am AND it's up to the discretion of the cop to take your keys and have your bike impounded if you cannot pay.

 

Regarding the pay-on-the-spot option... that can be negotiated.  I would never pay more than the prescribed "real" fine. The pay-on-the-spot option is quick, so that's a bonus. 

 

Of course, some people would rather suffer a lot of inconvenience in order to take a stand against corruption, such as:

 

1. Travelling to and from the police station from wherever you were ticketed. Of course, that will cost you transport money if you're any distance away.

2. A long wait in a queue at the police station, which is common if they have roadside checks and a lot of people have gone down there to pay.

3. The possibility of losing your home country license if you've given that to the officer to ensure payment at the police station. 

4. The possibility of having your bike impounded if it is late and you can't pay and they don't accept your license.

 

I'm not here on any crusade to stamp out police corruption. I'll take the most convenient way out in every case. 

[CLW]

(maybe your stories are mostly hearsay and BS, but mine aren't. They genuinely have a special police box near the new Terminal 21 where they scam foreign CUSTOMERS by using a laminated card with highly inflated fines. They rush you into the police box to pay cash and stamp your hand like you're just been into a disco).
 
 As usual, there's always some hero who comes along with advice without knowing all the details.
 
You know why a lot of foreigners pay on the spot? It's about convenience. If it's after 10 pm, you have no payment option at the station until the next morning after 10 am AND it's up to the discretion of the cop to take your keys and have your bike impounded if you cannot pay.
 
Regarding the pay-on-the-spot option... that can be negotiated.  I would never pay more than the prescribed "real" fine. The pay-on-the-spot option is quick, so that's a bonus. 
 
Of course, some people would rather suffer a lot of inconvenience in order to take a stand against corruption, such as:
 
1. Travelling to and from the police station from wherever you were ticketed. Of course, that will cost you transport money if you're any distance away.
2. A long wait in a queue at the police station, which is common if they have roadside checks and a lot of people have gone down there to pay.
3. The possibility of losing your home country license if you've given that to the officer to ensure payment at the police station. 
4. The possibility of having your bike impounded if it is late and you can't pay and they don't accept your license.
 
I'm not here on any crusade to stamp out police corruption. I'll take the most convenient way out in every case. 

Maybe this is Pattaya and the rules are different there.
Same as with taxis that are required to use meter but trying to get a metered taxi....You know...

I would say the impounding of your vehicle is only possible if you're DUI. Other than that I would wish them a nice day and drive off.
What should happen to your licence at the police station? They keep it there until you pay the fine. Same as with Thais or foreigners with a Thai DL.
It is noted on the receipt that they keep your licence, this is your proof.

[elektrified]

On 6/28/2018 at 9:49 AM, Berkshire said:

It's pretty clear you just made that up.  No such place in Thailand...and you know it.  You do realize that there's a difference between driving through a checkpoint, and actually being stopped at said checkpoint. 

Huh? Are you serious? Haven't you ever driven through Pattani, even the South of Songkhla and even up by the Northern border before???

[WinnieTheKhwai]

What's with all the people from Bangkok, Pattaya and Pattani on the Chiang Mai forum?

 

Slow news day overthere?

[Vacuum]

On 6/27/2018 at 5:53 AM, piewarmer said:

funny how they stop bikes around the moat for license and helmet checks but ignore people running the red pedestrian crossing lights 50m away.

Well, they let the pedestrian/s pass if there's a red light. Then they continue driving, nobody wait for the light to turn green (why should they?) do you think they should be fined for this?

[simoh1490]

3 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

What's with all the people from Bangkok, Pattaya and Pattani on the Chiang Mai forum?

 

Slow news day overthere?

Virtual members, virtually never been to Chiang Mai.

[tropo]

11 hours ago, CLW said:

Maybe this is Pattaya and the rules are different there.
Same as with taxis that are required to use meter but trying to get a metered taxi....You know...

I would say the impounding of your vehicle is only possible if you're DUI. Other than that I would wish them a nice day and drive off.
What should happen to your licence at the police station? They keep it there until you pay the fine. Same as with Thais or foreigners with a Thai DL.
It is noted on the receipt that they keep your licence, this is your proof.

Definitely, Pattaya is a different place with its own set of practices, due to the huge number of tourists there. It's your comment that my story could be "hearsay and bs" that got me going. If a report is beyond your personal belief, then you just throw it out as bs. To be honest, until I ventured upon the particular scam I mentioned in my post above earlier this year, I too may not have not believed it.

 

They do impound the vehicles (I'm referring to motorcycles which they take away pickup trucks) if they take your keys and you cannot pay before they leave the area. If there is no valid license for them to hold, they take your keys.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Regarding the possible loss of license - it is a very real possibility. Police even lose passports. Before you call bs on that - it's a story my lawyer told me and a reason she gave me never to give my passport to a police officer. The advice was to show a copy, and if they insist on seeing the original, tell them it's at your lawyer's office.                                                                        

[CLW]

Definitely, Pattaya is a different place with its own set of practices, due to the huge number of tourists there. It's your comment that my story could be "hearsay and bs" that got me going. If a report is beyond your personal belief, then you just throw it out as bs. To be honest, until I ventured upon the particular scam I mentioned in my post above earlier this year, I too may not have not believed it.
 
They do impound the vehicles (I'm referring to motorcycles which they take away pickup trucks) if they take your keys and you cannot pay before they leave the area. If there is no valid license for them to hold, they take your keys.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Regarding the possible loss of license - it is a very real possibility. Police even lose passports. Before you call bs on that - it's a story my lawyer told me and a reason she gave me never to give my passport to a police officer. The advice was to show a copy, and if they insist on seeing the original, tell them it's at your lawyer's office.                                                                        

I believe you that they impound vehicles.
But I have the suspicion this is not conform to the law.
Maybe you could ask your lawyer about this.
Would be interested to hear about his opinion. Thanks

[tropo]

10 minutes ago, CLW said:

I believe you that they impound vehicles.
But I have the suspicion this is not conform to the law.
Maybe you could ask your lawyer about this.
Would be interested to hear about his opinion. Thanks

When you see police stops in Pattaya, you always see dozens of motorcycles parked at the side. These are the bikes from which they have taken the keys. At the end of the day, if the owners haven't returned, they will take them away. I think it's more to do with safety than anything else. They don't want to be responsible for the bikes being stolen. They usually conduct these type of stops during office hours, so people do have a chance to get to the station in time to pay.

Edited June 29, 2018 by tropo

[Trujillo]

Has anyone in CM or anywhere here every received a moving violation or see it happen? 

[NancyL]

Last weekend we were in Bangkok and watched the police set up a motorcycle check point for a couple hours on lower Sukhimvit, across from our hotel lobby where we were enjoying cocktails and watching the show outside.  Amazingly, there was no "pay on the spot" option for offenders and the police were keeping the motorscooters.  The hotel staff claimed they were targeting mostly foreigners, and somehow seemed to know the difference between Koreans, Chinese, Malaysians and Thais. The hotel staff let out a big whoop when a Thai was caught from time-to-time.  OK,  we had to take their word if the victim was Thai or not, most of the people stopped looked alike to us.

 

We told them that police checkpoints on Sunday afternoons were unheard of in Chiang Mai and expressed amazement that there was no option to pay on the spot and keep going.   

[amexpat]

2 hours ago, Trujillo said:

Has anyone in CM or anywhere here every received a moving violation or see it happen? 

Yes. I was a passenger in a car stopped for speeding. The cop asked for something like 500. The driver gave him 200. 

[NancyL]

I've been in situations in Chiang Mai where I'm helping to get a foreigner into hospital, usually Suan Prung psychiatric hospital, when they don't want to go, but clearly need to and the local police have been called in.  I've been very impressed with how gentle and caring the police are in these situations when they literally have to handcuff and carry a large foreigner, who often is resisting.  In the U.S. their first instinct would be to use a taser, instead of gently talking and being calm with someone who is out-of-control.  

 

Also, I've seen police  help to get ill foreigners (perhaps who have collapsed on the street or been in an accident) into Suan Dok and then go to the person's guesthouse to make sure their belongings are secured and return later to the hospital to see how the person is doing, out of genuine concern, not because they expect a gift.

[rumak]

14 minutes ago, NancyL said:

I've been in situations in Chiang Mai where I'm helping to get a foreigner into hospital, usually Suan Prung psychiatric hospital, when they don't want to go, but clearly need to and the local police have been called in.  I've been very impressed with how gentle and caring the police are in these situations when they literally have to handcuff and carry a large foreigner, who often is resisting.  In the U.S. their first instinct would be to use a taser, instead of gently talking and being calm with someone who is out-of-control.  

 

Also, I've seen police  help to get ill foreigners (perhaps who have collapsed on the street or been in an accident) into Suan Dok and then go to the person's guesthouse to make sure their belongings are secured and return later to the hospital to see how the person is doing, out of genuine concern, not because they expect a gift.

i believe it.  almost always the case from my many years of living here.  I have, however, seen many foreigners yelling, being belligerent, etc  in banks and even at the True service center at gat suan keow.

Very little excitement in this post.  Maybe we can start one that says :  My experiences with other foreigners here in Chiangmai.

[bkk6060]

It is the flakes, loud moths, complainers, and those who do not have their paperwork in order that have problems with the Cops.

I have had the same experiences as the OP.  Never a problem.

[Lacessit]

I've been fined by the police a few times, and I have to admit I was in the wrong. The only time I got pissed off was when I had all the paperwork, but the registration sticker had not arrived from Bangkok.

I do think it's really good when the police smile at you. Try getting a smile out of an Australian or American cop.

The funniest fine I had was near Phan. 11 am, was nailed for an out-of-date registration. GF had not kept track. 1000 baht fine.

Those cops at the checkpoint had it disassembled and were off about 90 seconds after I handed over 1000 baht and got the receipt. Presumably off to a long lunch.

[leonardjones625]

I was riding pillion on a bike, which got in an accident near Nimman. I was hurt and the police told me they were gonna help me, but it turns out they charged me with drunk driving instead and made me pay for the damage instead of finding the real culprit.

 

Super professional....

[elektrified]

18 hours ago, Trujillo said:

Has anyone in CM or anywhere here every received a moving violation or see it happen? 

My wife has (illegal u-turn).

[Boksida]

18 hours ago, Trujillo said:

Has anyone in CM or anywhere here every received a moving violation or see it happen? 

Over a long period of time, I have been caught for speeding 30-50 times. This was always on highways and not in the city however. Usually fixed with 100 baht in the hand or 400 if an official receipt was written out. The only ones I remember in cities were for being in the wrong lane. I had to buy a bottle of whisky once for an infamous "drunk police stop" (the cops all seemed to be alcoholics) between Udon and Khon Kaen. This gave me immunity for a month though, which was fine as I was doing the round trip on a daily basis.

 

The police have always been courteous and, in most cases, jovial. I don't have a problem with that.

 

The cameras are now really screwing me up as it is all impersonal with no escape but a radar detector gives warning for a lot of them.

[NancyL]

22 hours ago, Trujillo said:

Has anyone in CM or anywhere here every received a moving violation or see it happen? 

A few months ago people from many Rotary clubs all over northern Thailand were driving to a meeting in Phitsanulok.  There were four people from our club, an English speaking club, in a car and we stopped at a PTT roadside "rest area" to find it crawling carloads of Rotarians from all over the region, all getting petrol, buying kanoms and socializing with Rotarians from other clubs.

 

We parked next to a big Mercedes containing four guys from Fang, all seemed to be local Fang business people, wearing their club's Rotary shirts.  They left the rest area well ahead of us.

 

About 20 km down the road, we saw their car pulled over, all four guys standing outside the car and the car being searched by the police.  We saw them later at the meeting and learned they'd been going about twice the speed limit and the cops decided to search their car for meth because, after all, they're from Fang, a hotbed of meth smuggling and what better cover than four middle-aged Thai Rotarians in an expensive Mercedes to run drugs?  Needless to say, the driver got a ticket for speeding, but no drugs were found.

 

Some of the other Rotarians reported they had to show IDs at some of the police stops, but we used the gambit that another poster had mentioned. When we encountered a checkpoint, the driver lowered the window and in his most cheerful English said "good morning officer, lovely day isn't it?"  and once the cop peered in, seeing four older white people all dressed alike, he just waved us through.