Police out in force ticketing anything and everything..

[Thaidream]

18 minutes ago, jossthaifarang said:

Upon finding a traffic violation, the police officer may give a verbal warning or issue a written order to the driver to report to the police station. In the event of the driver is nowhere to be found, a written order shall be left on the vehicle at a conspicuous place.

 

In issuing a written order to a driver to report to a police station, the police officer may temporarily seize the driving license by issuing a driving license replacement, which shall be valid for driving for a period not exceeding seven days.]

Since when did the police actually follow the law.   Brigsy is right- I have been driving in Thailand for almost 50 years and you have 7 days to get to the station to pay the fine.  If stopped in the interim- 99.9% of the time you will not get a ticket.

 

However, it has been my experience in Bangkok if stopped again- they might not be interested in giving you an actual ticket but will expect a 'donation' to allow you to continue.

 

I have been stopped in Bangkok once in a single day 4 times for the same offense- driving a new car with red plates after darkness.  It is technically against the law.  No tickets issued- the usual  donation to the police.  On the final stop- I told him I was on the way home and already stopped 3 times.  He wanted to know the name of the last cop who stopped me- said I had no idea- and let me go.

 

The Asoke-Sukhumvit intersection is famous for traffic stops as the whole corridor on the street manned by the Thonglor Police like to stop people for passports; piss tests; and the famous- 'Can I check your pocket for drugs'/ A prior poster had mentioned they have been out around Thonglor stopping people looking for vaping equipment.

 

Pattaya is another area where they like to sit at intersections and stop drivers making a left hand turn on red. Even when you follow the law and stop and then turn- they will stop every car and state you did not stop.   Arguing with them is a waste of time.

 

These checkpoints are worthless and a waste of the public's time as well as contributing to added traffic congestion.  They are technically against the current  National Police Chief's  ruling of no checkpoints unless applied for in advance and for a specific reason.

 

Complain- go ahead- it's like complaining to the Godfather about the Mafia. As we say in New York- Forget about it!!

[The Deerhunter]

20 hours ago, BestB said:

Pattaya also out at unusual times ticketing people.

 

maybe their budget has run out so emergency top up needed .

In my country the police have a contract with ministry of transport to do x million breath tests a year.  Paid in advance.  March is a very dangerous time to drink drive.  They suddenly realize that they need to do another 1/2 million breath tests and they star blocking the road at 7am which is a quite time in police work to catch up on their numbers before end of month/financial year.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, jossthaifarang said:

 

Land Traffic Act, BE 2522 (1979) - Thai Laws

Section 140

 

[Upon finding a traffic violation, the police officer may give a verbal warning or issue a written order to the driver to report to the police station. In the event of the driver is nowhere to be found, a written order shall be left on the vehicle at a conspicuous place.

 

In issuing a written order to a driver to report to a police station, the police officer may temporarily seize the driving license by issuing a driving license replacement, which shall be valid for driving for a period not exceeding seven days.]

7 days might be the official law. But it seems nobody cares. I had papers like that for many month and was never fined when they stopped me. And when I finally visited the police station, which I should have visited months ago, I paid the normal fine and they didn't even mention that I was late. TiT

[samsensam]

6 hours ago, siamcrut said:

Where I live, I do see Thais using their smartphone while riding a scooter, no one cares.

 

...and i see drivers using their phones all the time; taxi and bus drivers included, common sense suggests there are enough real law breakers out there so target them as a deterrent and leave the sensible (innocent) people alone. but then i am farang and i dont understand thailand. too right and thank goodness.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, digger70 said:

So you are saying that one can stuff up for seven days after one gets a ticket,,,, Don't believe a word you say,,,,

This is Thailand, the country where everyone makes up there own rules, If you can't beat them, join them.

You've heard the saying, "when in Rome", be like me, just do likewise if you think you can get away with it, but not to the detriment of ordinary people.

[Nyezhov]

I don't know about the smart phones, but I love the motorcycle riders in the rain with the umbrellas. I saw one the other day with the umbrella pointing forward because the rain was blowing inhis face. Riding dirty, riding blind

Edited September 21, 2018 by Nyezhov

[natway09]

Hi Transam

The % has been in place for many years, some say as high as 50%.

I am madly trying to get a job on the Sukhumvit / Soi 3/4 intersection. I could make a fortune.

But the BIB don't seem to even come out of their air conditioned box these days

[Aussieroaming]

What about the phone log?

[CH1961]

8 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

a metre taller and 

Fairy tale I guess ... no, I'm sure the BIB was not under 130 centimeter ?

[Ks45672]

58 minutes ago, CH1961 said:

Fairy tale I guess ... no, I'm sure the BIB was not under 130 centimeter ?

Maybe hes a giraffe ???

 

Seems more than a bit hilarious to think a gang of  police officers  with guns and badges would be intimidated by a farang who is taller or heavier ? 

[Beats56]

Wife's sister was with her boyfriend and got pulled over and was given  a breath analyzer test. He was over the limit and was given a 10 thousand bt ticket and told to go to police station the next day and pay the fine. Now I have no problem with the crack down  on drinking and driving. I think is long overdue here. But the kicker is after he was given the ticket he was allowed drive away.

Now that is stinken thinking  on the police.

 

[Ks45672]

13 minutes ago, Beats56 said:

Wife's sister was with her boyfriend and got pulled over and was given  a breath analyzer test. He was over the limit and was given a 10 thousand bt ticket and told to go to police station the next day and pay the fine. Now I have no problem with the crack down  on drinking and driving. I think is long overdue here. But the kicker is after he was given the ticket he was allowed drive away.

Now that is stinken thinking  on the police.

 

I know a Thai guy from work who was stopped  on new years eve drunk driving his pickup 

 

Fined 1k and let drive on because he said, sorry, he was just going from one work party to another 

 

The cop wrote on his ticket he had already paid so if he was stopped again  he would not have to pay twice on the same night..... 

 

The mind boggles..... 

[metisdead]

A post containing profane language has been removed. 

[dallen52]

20 hours ago, BobbyL said:

It is that time of the month again at Asoke junction I see. 

Pattaya corner of Second and Klang police box.

They are actually running a trap and several cops stand on various points of the intersection, while one leans through the police box window and turns the lights control key to red.

 

Predominantly bikes being picked off going down Second. 

But interestingly yesterday, all nationalities were fair game.

 

Amazing how a flick of the key sends the lights to red so fast.

[dallen52]

6 hours ago, Beats56 said:

Wife's sister was with her boyfriend and got pulled over and was given  a breath analyzer test. He was over the limit and was given a 10 thousand bt ticket and told to go to police station the next day and pay the fine. Now I have no problem with the crack down  on drinking and driving. I think is long overdue here. But the kicker is after he was given the ticket he was allowed drive away.

Now that is stinken thinking  on the police.

 

Ah well,  elections coming up, so need to boost the funds.

[dallen52]

18 hours ago, alant said:

I was told 3 days, clarification anyone?

Partner was caught in pattaya speeding. 

But was told, "ok you pay today, cannot be booked again today ".

In other words you have made a contribution. 

[thesetat2013]

On 9/20/2018 at 6:42 PM, BestB said:

Pattaya also out at unusual times ticketing people.

 

maybe their budget has run out so emergency top up needed .

agreed.. recently I got ticketed for running a yellow light... i was told, and have video of them saying that red and yellow are the same and must pay 1000 baht fine... i argued the law because i know it and had it in thai and English.. but to no avail they still took my license and kept it until the fine was paid... 

I

The next day I showed video the the head of traffic police... and although he was polite and kind and smiling. He said traffic law was flexible this way? i guess that is another way of saying they can do anything they want to collect fines

[elgenon]

Spend any time in a taxi, even a private one, the driver is on his/her phone.

[theoldgit]

23 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

More recently automatic fines are also issued for minor traffic infractions caught on camera such as crossing an unbroken white line (i.e. coming off a bridge and crossing the unbroken white line into the next lane)...  No one is certain as to whether or not this fine is linked to your Cars Registration and come tax renewal you will have to pay the fine. 

I received one of those fines a couple of weeks ago, or rather my wife did as we changed the car registration to her name last year. She's still registered at her parents house near Udon Thani and a letter came address to her there with a 500 Baht fine for crossing a white line, her dad paid it at the Post Office.
We have noticed Bangkoks finest at the Vehicle office collecting fines, but when we renewed the tax yesterday there was no problem, so assumingly it's joined up.

[richard_smith237]

17 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

What about the phone log?

 

That would show a record of sent or receive calls etc... but doesn't really help if the BiB is simply suggesting you were looking at your phone (reading facebook etc)... 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, elgenon said:

Spend any time in a taxi, even a private one, the driver is on his/her phone.

Yes...  On a couple of previous occasions I've actually stopped the taxi and got out after the driver refused to remove turn off the movie on his phone which was positioned on the Instrument Dash.

 

The indignant sense of entitlement of some of these guys is astonishing... "Watching a movie while driving is dangerous, please turn it off"..."Mai-pen rai".... "stop the movie or I'll get out"..."OK - bye" (Paraphrasing). 

 

 

[Aussieroaming]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

That would show a record of sent or receive calls etc... but doesn't really help if the BiB is simply suggesting you were looking at your phone (reading facebook etc)... 

Good point, looks like a new App logging all active programs on a device would be applicable. However it is hard to beat somebody who is out to scam you, as this case seems to show. A ludicrous charge for your wife when you see numpties riding down the road on their scooters with no helmet, travelling the wrong way and texting at all times of day and night. The hypocrisy of the police does my head in, especially when they do exactly these things as well.

[dallen52]

On 9/22/2018 at 3:35 AM, dallen52 said:

Pattaya corner of Second and Klang police box.

They are actually running a trap and several cops stand on various points of the intersection, while one leans through the police box window and turns the lights control key to red.

 

Predominantly bikes being picked off going down Second. 

But interestingly yesterday, all nationalities were fair game.

 

Amazing how a flick of the key sends the lights to red so fast.

Could be a daily blog this.lol.

 

On beach road all yesterday and today too I am advised,  in force closure from the police station down.

They were actually pulling blocks of vehicles in at one time and doing them for what ever.. traffic cones at the side of road. 

 

Police walks on the crossing to assist pedestrian crossings. (That's nice).

Stops the traffic.

Blue yellow taxi just sails strait through. 

Nothing said, no action.

 

Obviously paid his contributions up to date.

[dallen52]

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

That would show a record of sent or receive calls etc... but doesn't really help if the BiB is simply suggesting you were looking at your phone (reading facebook etc)... 

Or only raising revenue. 

[Vacuum]

On 9/22/2018 at 12:41 AM, thesetat2013 said:

recently I got ticketed for running a yellow light.

Why did you, to save 2 minutes waiting for the next green?

[dallen52]

35 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Why did you, to save 2 minutes waiting for the next green?

The universal yellow light is a warning that the driver should prepare to stop.

Not go faster.

The driver should approach lights and intersection in a manner that would permit stopping if so required. 

Drivers should drive according to road and traffic conditions, maintaining a safe distance at all times.

Makes sense to me.

 

Same Red means stop..

 

 

Oh, Except for Thailand. 

[elgenon]

I asked a cop about the lights in Cali and he said it's OK to go into an intersection as long as the light is not red.

The red light in the other direction does not become green until after the cross traffic red disappears.

Anyway this is how it's supposed to work.

And, yes, you are not supposed to speed up to cross during the yellow.

[HAKAPALITA]

Cant beat Ozz Cops. Motorway shuts down for Accient. Bike Cops ride down tailback bookin phone users telling folks they will be late.. .!.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Michael Stribling]

On 9/21/2018 at 9:31 AM, 4MyEgo said:

Police road check ahead, officer directs me to the side of the road, you speeding, no, I am using speed control which was set at 75km in an 80km hour speed zone, oh ok then, you then travelling in the wrong lane, right lane for overtaking, you should be in the left lane, couldn't argue with this cop as I knew it was all about the money. He asked me for 400 baht, I said, I will pay in the tent, he said you can pay me, I said no, I will pay in the tent and got out of the car, being about a metre taller and about 40kg heavier than him, he didn't argue.

 

The guy at the tent smiled at me and said where you from, I said Timbuktoo, near Ulladulla, he just smiled while I gave him my license and issued me with the ticket, 400 baht please, so little I said to him as I pulled out 20k baht from my right pocket, the officer outside wanted me to pay him, but I said no, with a smile, maybe he want to put it in his pocket with the cop issuing me with the ticket all of a sudden having a serious look on his face.

 

Chicken feed really, not going to get upset over it, corruption is rip in Thailand and you have to throw your principals out the window for such a small amount, I do believe in KARMA, who knows maybe someone will mow this guy over one day ? 

 

 

This is possibly the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of in the Kingdom. Insisting on entering a roadside police tent with no witnesses and willingly pulling out 20k, in front of the police. 

I’m sure Somchai and crew are still staring at each other wondering if that was real. 

You may not know this but you likely avoided suicide given the loss of face and money involved. 

[4MyEgo]

18 minutes ago, Michael Stribling said:

This is possibly the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of in the Kingdom. Insisting on entering a roadside police tent with no witnesses and willingly pulling out 20k, in front of the police. 

I’m sure Somchai and crew are still staring at each other wondering if that was real. 

You may not know this but you likely avoided suicide given the loss of face and money involved. 

Judging by the likes you have, your a newbie to TVF and possibly the Kingdom, cops, people don't scare me, did they attempt to do what you said is possible, no, thanks for nothing, enjoy the Kingdom, oh and most soi dogs have tails between their legs, just in case your wondering.