It's Highway Robbery! Thais scream in protest at new fines calling them an excuse for more police corruption

[Sydebolle]

Well, alternatively drive around sober with a valid driving license - like in most other countries of the civilized world. What‘s the fuss ............ 

[moe666]

On 8/22/2018 at 3:49 PM, darksidedog said:

And therein lies the big problem. Thais are more concerned with the amount of money they are already being fleeced of by the cops, than they are about the amount of death on the roads. It says to me that while the carnage on the roads is a terrible issue, that needs to be addressed, your average citizen here thinks that the police are a bigger problem. And that is with current fine levels. Trying to defend his officers as "honest and upright" is just laughable, as from the reaction to the new fine levels, it is obvious that the entire population clearly believes that totally the opposite is true.

Believe the opposite is true, no they know the opposite is true they experience it every day. From the cops to the school teachers any government office they have to do business with. Farangs always have complain about corruption but they do not know the half of it

[lamyai3]

20 hours ago, Crustyhk said:

An expat or tourist in Thailand riding a scooter with a reciprocal licence or IDP but not having an endorsement on that licence for a motorcycle will be in trouble when pulled over. I can already hear the standard line of "50,000 baht fine or pay 25,000 now. ATM over there"

I bet the vast majority of foreigners in Thailand are riding on car licences. 

Most likely. The UK for instance is a car culture with a small percentage of motorcyclists (it's always been so, the inclement weather makes bikes much less appealing) so an endorsement to ride motorcycles isn't likely to be there on most people's licence.

 

Notwithstanding, passing a UK driving test requires a far higher level of skill and road sense than anything over here, and up until a few years ago cops generally viewed the UK car licence with respect. Shakedowns on this have started to become much more common in recent years, but so far the fines have been in the few hundred baht range, so I can certainly see a corrupt police force rubbing their hands together over this. 

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Well, alternatively drive around sober with a valid driving license - like in most other countries of the civilized world. What‘s the fuss ............ 

Please stop making radical outrageous suggestions. 

 

This is not appreciated by SomchaI, he just want to carry on, same as ever, just like his father does. 

 

[a977]

As said numerous time in this post If you have licence and not break law where's the problem???  As for corruption with the new ticket system whereby you can go to bank and pay fine, the only way I can see corruption coming into the equation is if you offer the police money, so really not corruption merely accessory to bribe the police by offender now that puts a whole new slant on things 

[phrisco17]

On ‎8‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 6:06 PM, Sir Dude said:

Despite the authorities being right on this and on the one they tried to do before about no people in the back of pickups etc...the locals have shown their complete contempt again for safety and their willingness to accept the awful road situation and it's human casualties and results. In both case the authorities have made a swift 180 in fear of upsetting people who are completely unqualified to give a sensible answer on almost anything. Until the local population start to collectively give a sh%t about anything then it will remain lost.

 

[travelling wilbury]

On 8/22/2018 at 12:12 PM, Vacuum said:

Well, just get a license then!

 

 

Long process!  It normally takes 1-2 days, compare that to other countries....

Just got one 1 day (or 2000thb) the anoying bit was the long video you had to watch complete waste of time as EVERYONE was playing with their phones talking or sleeping  

[Vacuum]

27 minutes ago, travelling wilbury said:

Just got one 1 day (or 2000thb) the anoying bit was the long video you had to watch complete waste of time as EVERYONE was playing with their phones talking or sleeping  

Why did you have to pay 2000 baht?

 

Edit; regarding the video, I wouldn't have cleared the test without watching it. It had some strange questions.

[travelling wilbury]

19 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Why did you have to pay 2000 baht?

WATCH THE LONG VIDEO  OR   BUY THE LICENCE

I decided to see if you could learn to drive from the video  as this was the only form of training available and yes if you warched it it did cover almost all driving tuition (except being thai ) and had any of the 30 other people actually watched it they could have learned something at least . But when a young kid (16/17 ) arrives for his test alone in a brand new ranger  fails as he cannot do anything correctly then drives out onto a major road forcing an artic to swerve across 2 lanes to avoid him it says it all

And when the police do catch a driver with no licence  after the beer money is paid the driver  is free to drive on with a free pass for 7 days  what about seize his truck till he produces a licence with his name on it   or crush the truck   arghh   problem  not his truck the banks  then it has to be seizure 

[jvs]

1 minute ago, travelling wilbury said:

WATCH THE LONG VIDEO  OR   BUY THE LICENCE

The long video is under two hours,where i am there is no more buying of the DP and people are told to close their phone or come back another day.Things are changing.!!

[lucjoker]

On 8/23/2018 at 11:03 AM, jvs said:

Were their nearly 30 000 traffic deaths in 'Western countries?'

for your information:road accidents 4%,same as aids....( so not the big concern)

 

Cancer (19%) is the leading cause of death in Thailand, followed by Ischemic (12%) heart disease and stroke (10%). Ischemic heart disease and stroke are related illnesses that result from arterial blockages curtailing blood supply to the brain. Obesity, smoking, and atherosclerosis are often seen as the culprit in heart diseases. The problem of foreign fastfood chains entering the Thai market has also increased obesity among the population. The use of palm and coconut oil in cooking street food is another concern which many patronize in Thailand.

Other Leading Causes Of Death

Lower Respiratory Infections (9%) include acute bronchitis and lung abscess while Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (4%) includes emphysema, refractory asthma, and bronchiectasis. These two conditions are two other illnesses that hit the population at a high level. Other major causes of deaths in Thailand are HIV at 4%, Diabetes at 4%, Road Injuries at 4%, Chronic Kidney Disease at 2%, and Cirrhosis at 2%.

[lucjoker]

On 8/23/2018 at 12:30 PM, chang1 said:

"and we are still alive !" If that was true we would not have needed licenses and rules. Our roads carry far more traffic now and are getting safer. Partly due to safer vehicles and better medical treatment. Drink is one of the biggest causes of deaths on the roads. What makes you think it is OK to put me and my family in danger just because you can't be bothered to walk home? I am all for freedom but not at other people's expense. Smoke all you want, get fat, don't wear a helmet, don't get insurance and stay away from cameras - makes no difference to me. If you get attacked and no-one comes or you need hospital treatment for your cancer and diabetes just don't expect any help. Your freedom is not free, so if you won't take care of yourself or others safety, expect others to protect themselves from you. Stopping you driving while pissed would be a good start. This is not just about me it is also about my family who are stuck in Thailand with people Who think they can endanger them whenever they want. I want the freedom of driving down the road without worrying about whether other drivers are fit to be on the road. I can dream.

I do also get your point and feel Thailand is getting more like Spain all the time and therefore more boring. This is caused more by modernisation higher wages and the 2 week holiday makers though. Safer roads are an essential sacrifice that I don't mind.

 

i drove 16 years among drunk drivers .......if you drive defensive ,you will avoid 10 accidents a day. They do drive dangerous ,not only the drunks ,because they dont give a shit about their life ,nor their children .No law will change this.They are less careful than a street dog.  So if you know this and adapt your driving to this ......no problem.

If you drive as if you are in europe.....you have an accident every 10 min.and no driving licence is going to help solve this problem.

In europe we have obedient ,scared drivers  .If they see a police vehicle ....their foot goes to the brake ( even not speeding).....because we were brainwashed from the lower school. Fear for police , priest, dokter......and so we became sheep.

A big difference with the immigrants , they were not brainwashed , are not scared of nobody.They are like Thais, not giving a shit of what you think or like .

That's why we have big problems with them , it is not only the religie .

And yes , they have free hospitals, don't pay  for insurance.....our stupid laws take care of them and we allow this ...as good sheep do .

 

[thaikahuna]

So this is attacking the poor? If you can afford a motor vehicle part of being said owner is the ability to pay for, maintain, keep a proper license, adequately insure and when cited for a traffic infraction, PAY THE FINE! 

 

In this case, methinks the cart is before the horse. The government MUST enforce all traffic safety laws equally. (I stand a better chance of seeing hell freeze.)

 

There needs to be a mandated driver education course for all drivers regardless of age. The renewal process needs to be revamped. The biggest joke is the peripheral vision check where they ask you what color. Who gives a damn what color so long as you can see it? (Yes, I know, hell is not freezing in the near or distant future.

 

 

[Slickrick]

It's about time they did this.

[travelling wilbury]

"want the freedom of driving down the road without worrying about whether otherdrivers are fit to be on the road. Ican dream."

 

you may as well dream forever ...until people in thailand   learn to drive  (on the right side would be a good start)  no one will ever be safe 

and why does any one think vehicles built here  are safe ?  No crash testing (until they have been  sold ) poor build quality   thinner low grade steel  and altered designs (copy of foreign models)

have you seen the way thai built vehicles fold up on impact with a large wasp ? And after the owners modifications  ......how can a 1 tonne truck be safe with 15 tonne springs and 18 tonne load  still has 1 tonne axle  brakes and chassis 

[travelling wilbury]

On 8/24/2018 at 8:00 AM, jvs said:

The long video is under two hours,where i am there is no more buying of the DP and people are told to close their phone or come back another day.Things are changing.!!

Not last.month  in phetcharburi licence center m8 

[travelling wilbury]

My daughter (court judge) reminded me that no insurance is binding or valid without a licence