New Year anti-drunk driving campaign begins

By Jitraporn Senwong 
The Nation

 

 

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has started the New Year campaign to arrest drunk drivers and impound their vehicles during the “Seven Dangerous Days”, which run until January 2.

 

 

On Thursday, the campaign's first day, 4,443 traffic violators were prosecuted and 64 motorcycles and 25 automobiles were seized. Owners can retrieve their vehicles after the holidays.

 

Some 95 motorcyclists and 34 drivers of car/public transport vehicles had their driver's licences confiscated, said NCPO deputy spokeswoman Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong at a press conference in Bangkok on Friday.

 

 

NCPO has implemented the vehicle seizing measure for four consecutive New Years now. 

 

Sirichan said the number of wrongdoers and seized vehicles were on the rise. She said that during New Year 2016, a total of 3,046 vehicles (including 2,477 motorcycles) were seized and 30,152 law-violating motorists were prosecuted.

 

During New Year 2017, a total of 4,354 vehicles (including 3,118 motorcycles) were seized and 66,783 law-violating motorists were prosecuted.

 

During the New Year 2018, a total of 6,326 vehicles (including 4,823 motorcycles) were seized and 245,356 law-violating motorists were prosecuted.

 

A huge number of holidaymakers usually take to the roads during the New Year period. Many are intoxicated and the road toll spikes alarmingly.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361291

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-28

Along the Beach road in Ban Phe the police were grabbing foreigners on motorbikes for not having Thai Driving licences today! 500baht a pop! Collecting money for the annual police piss up


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1 minute ago, markaoffy said:

grabbing foreigners on motorbikes for not having Thai Driving licences today! 500baht a pop!

Yes, and?

imagine how well they would do if the other 99% of the check points got off their bums and actually did testing rather than play on their phones.

Yes, and?

Doesn’t have to be “further information “ Sarcasm suits you


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2 minutes ago, markaoffy said:

Doesn’t have to be “further information “ Sarcasm suits you


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Sarcasm has nothing to do with this. It's about tourists/foreigners who think think they can drive without a license whilst the're visiting Thailand. Why do you have issues with this? Would they drive bikes in their home country without a license? I don't think so.

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

On Thursday, the campaign's first day, 4,443 traffic violators were prosecuted and 64 motorcycles and 25 automobiles were seized. Owners can retrieve their vehicles after the holidays.

Don’t return them, those who have their vehicles seized have proven they are not fit to own them. 

21 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Sarcasm has nothing to do with this. It's about tourists/foreigners who think think they can drive without a license whilst the're visiting Thailand. Why do you have issues with this? Would they drive bikes in their home country without a license? I don't think so.

Maybe...just maybe...because we have seen it many times and they EXCLUSIVELY pull out foreigners!

Because if they would do the same for the Thais, they probably would not get a break all day!

53 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Sarcasm has nothing to do with this. It's about tourists/foreigners who think think they can drive without a license whilst the're visiting Thailand. Why do you have issues with this? Would they drive bikes in their home country without a license? I don't think so.

I agree. There is also tourists and expats who feel there is nothing wrong with dui. Funny how people can go to another country and be totally irresponsible and then brag about it. My New Years wish is that all the foreigners caught drinking and driving receive lifetime bans here.

Edited December 28, 20187 yr by from the home of CC

Went on my 25km bike ride through countryside. Seen 7 of these set up in low low traffic areas. Most they accomplish is overtime for police, and government officials. 10 and more just sitting there collecting their New Year overtime gift. Really accomplishing nothing. Last night flew home from Bangkok. Police road block with at least 50 officers. Very little traffic. A few working , the rest collecting overtime.

44 dead in the first of the dangerous days,what can i say?

This isn't an "anti-drunken driving campaign" this is arresting drunk drivers. A campaign against drink driving should have started weeks ago with wall to wall hard hitting adverts on billboards and tv! When will this nation ever learn.

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Maybe...just maybe...because we have seen it many times and they EXCLUSIVELY pull out foreigners!
Because if they would do the same for the Thais, they probably would not get a break all day!

Exactly ! Today it was foreigners only at a check point ! And they had the standard forms for driving without Thai licence ! It was prelude and simply a money making exercise ! Screw the place


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Ministry of silly noises being very busy

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53 minutes ago, markaoffy said:

Exactly ! Today it was foreigners only at a check point ! And they had the standard forms for driving without Thai licence ! It was prelude and simply a money making exercise ! Screw the place


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Some here were obviously without the ability to see the point you were making about selective apprehension of foreigners as a revenue earner while the abundance of unlicensed Thai drivers were allow to slip through the net so as not to spoil their fun time holidays. That left the door open for a bit of foreigner bashing.

It is not the foreigners who have made Thailand one of the most dangerous countries in the world to drive. 

It should begin with having usable public transport instead of mafia taxis (which is the case everywhere except Bangkok)

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Sirichan said the number of wrongdoers and seized vehicles were on the rise. She said that during New Year 2016, a total of 3,046 vehicles (including 2,477 motorcycles) were seized and 30,152 law-violating motorists were prosecuted.

 

During New Year 2017, a total of 4,354 vehicles (including 3,118 motorcycles) were seized and 66,783 law-violating motorists were prosecuted.

 

During the New Year 2018, a total of 6,326 vehicles (including 4,823 motorcycles) were seized and 245,356 law-violating motorists were prosecuted.

Great numbers... shows how well the bullshit campaign doesn't work: 30,152 -> 66,783 -> 245,356

I was stopped at a checkpoint in mae on, i had my helmet on and licence, as 4 Thai boys drove straight through with no helmets on, i asked the cop why dont you stop them?, he just laughed and said they got no money to pay the fine!

 

I guess it started a little earlier this year lol.

 

And look at all those police agents smiling on this first photo, hope this censored guy wasn't someone who was actually arrested but just a staged photo op.

5 hours ago, markaoffy said:

Exactly ! Today it was foreigners only at a check point ! And they had the standard forms for driving without Thai licence ! It was prelude and simply a money making exercise ! Screw the place

7

I don't know if you've been sleeping under a rock but this is a daily practice in Pattaya, and not just during the holidays.

 

4 hours ago, AtoZ said:

It should begin with having usable public transport instead of mafia taxis (which is the case everywhere except Bangkok)

I never get overcharged by motorbike taxis except for this one that brought me to the police station with a stop in between a few days ago, and who thought he could charge me 300 baht for that. I gave him 120 baht and told him to <deleted> off.

 

Then he said I go to the police, I say good, because that's where I'm going as well so you can join me. Then he left as the 120 baht was a fair rate in the first place. So yeah, there's some screwing around during the holidays, especially if you don't ask about the price up front.

 

Outside of the holiday season, I have no need to ask for prices anymore, they always charge me the same amount so this mafia taxi thing is a little overrated. Unless you only come here during the holidays and never ask about prices upfront, then I can understand your point.

 

Or go to Phuket, I got charged 200 baht in one of those odd looking taxis for a 300 meter ride lol. Had I known it was so nearby I would've walked of course. Phuket is really terrible, bbq food on the street side sells at 40 baht/stick, I bought 4 sticks and he said 160 baht, and I was like WHAT? I pay 40 baht for that in Pattaya, how can you charge me 4 times the price. Then he calmly explained that he paid the police 10k baht/month to sell there while Pattaya vendors pay 1000-2000 baht/mo to the police so he made a fair enough point and I handed over the cash without further arguing though still slightly pissed off. Thank god I didn't choose to live in Phuket.

Edited December 28, 20187 yr by dennis123

 

The roadside tent stops does not change the driving habits of unskilled road users, 

 

sa wat dee bee mai 

 

be safe park up,

 

 

1 hour ago, leeneeds said:

 

The roadside tent stops does not change the driving habits of unskilled road users, 

 

sa wat dee bee mai 

 

be safe park up,

 

 

Stay home 'holidays at home'. Great concept, reduces costs too.

44 dead in the first of the dangerous days,what can i say?

Daily average is around 60.

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14 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Sarcasm has nothing to do with this. It's about tourists/foreigners who think think they can drive without a license whilst the're visiting Thailand. Why do you have issues with this? Would they drive bikes in their home country without a license? I don't think so.

The car and bike rental company where we send the farang tourist to, will not rent if you dont have a license and a International Permit, they have been fined, I know because I took two farang to get a car and the guy in the office told me

15 hours ago, markaoffy said:

Along the Beach road in Ban Phe the police were grabbing foreigners on motorbikes for not having Thai Driving licences today! 500baht a pop! Collecting money for the annual police piss up


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Maybe if the Farangs had the Thai licences they wouldn't have lost 500 Bt....But of course as usual...it's the naughty police that were in the wrong.

Back in your country, do police not care if you have a valid licence or not?

15 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Sarcasm has nothing to do with this. It's about tourists/foreigners who think think they can drive without a license whilst the're visiting Thailand. Why do you have issues with this? Would they drive bikes in their home country without a license? I don't think so.

Perfectly phrased. Perfectly Articulated. Not too much trouble when they leave a  single red smear along the road. It is the fact that they can take out 3 generations of one family due to the selfish attitude of drinking and drug taking . Selfish Stupid and moronic behavior to operate a vehicle on busy public roads. Take the vehicle. Crush it. Fine them and jail them. 

Maybe i just was lucky but after 12 years driving here with not thai license I never had problem. 

7 minutes ago, dpeti73 said:

Maybe i just was lucky but after 12 years driving here with not thai license I never had problem. 

Never got caught. It is after all illegal to drive without a Thai License over such a period.

 

6 hours ago, dennis123 said:

I don't know if you've been sleeping under a rock but this is a daily practice in Pattaya, and not just during the holidays.

 Since all the advertising about wearing helmets has finally made a difference and most farangs now wear them. Hmm ...How to make up the shortfall in tea money. Get an international licence guys. Minimum cost and hassle to get prior to leaving for the LOS -