Too Many Police Checkpoints in Pattaya

[balo]

1 minute ago, from the home of CC said:

What I find interesting is that some folks never have to pay a bribe (or infrequently) while others do constantly (or so it's stated). Do you guys have an expression on your faces of "I'm a payer" or "you won't get a satang off me" when you pull up.

I think it got more to do with not having a license or wearing a helmet. Or driving drunk and just bribe yourself out. 

 

I see it every day, they are pulled over, not me. 

 

 

[Snow Leopard]

My feeling is that there is a charge for the line up until the election date. Make hay whilst the sunshines.

[marqus12]

The last goal of checkpoints, especially in Thailand, is to increase road safety.
Everyone who has two functioning gray cells knows about it.

Statistics show that they do not fulfill this role despite the fact that Thailand

looks like a police state.

When I watched changes in my country it whose not checkpoints that have improved safety but speed cameras and bailiffs.

Speed cameras and bailiffs have no souls...so they are effective.

[bkk6060]

17 hours ago, Spidey said:

I've been driving around Pattaya for several years and never been pulled up. Always waved through checkpoints. I think it's because I never ride a bike, always in a car. The only time I experienced being stopped was when my wife was riding the bike and I was a passenger on our way to Wat Huay Yai on a Sunday morning.

 

I got off the bike, walked up the road, lit a fag and left my wife to it. I saw her handing the cop some money. When we got to the Wat I asked her what had happened. She told me that the cop had asked for her licence and she told him that she'd left it at home. He asked her for 100 baht and she pleaded poverty and gave him 40 baht,

 

When I pointed out that she always carries her driving licence and why didn't she show it to him, she confessed that her licence covered her for a car but not a bike and it was a lesser fine for not having your licence on you than not having a licence at all. Who says Thais aren't smart?

 

 

So she lied to the cops and contributed to corruption.

And your post seems to be supportive and make light of it.

Seems very shameful to me....

[Spidey]

2 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

So she lied to the cops and contributed to corruption.

And your post seems to be supportive and make light of it.

Seems very shameful to me....

Very supportive. It's the way things are done in Thailand and I have always benefited from it.

 

I have been stopped 3 times in other parts of Thailand, always warranted, and have paid: 100 baht of a 400 baht fine, 250 baht of a 400 baht fine and 300 baht of a 400 baht fine. Corruption is endemic to Thailand, you'll never beat it so why not use it to your advantage?

[darksidedog]

I would like to thank all of the contributors to this thread. I absolutely agree with posters like Balo where drink driving checks are concerned as drunk drivers cause many accidents. I would be happy to see the cops have checks everywhere, IF they were targeting dangerous drivers and bad driving, speeding, lane weaving, jumping red lights etc. Then I would never get stopped.

My reason for posting this thread was that sadly, the overwhelming majority of the stops are ignoring such poor and dangerous behaviour, often going on within sight of where they are busy writing tickets.Yesterday, in an hour I got pulled three times, which was for sure just bad luck, but none of those stops was doing anything for road safety.

Perhaps I should have worded the whole thing differently and addressed the impact the current checkpoints have on safety and reducing carnage, as opposed to the frequency of useless ones. Aside from drink drive checks, I don't think I have ever seen one that was actually nailing bad and reckless driving, but they all make money, right? Even the drink drivers mostly just pay their way out of trouble, and keep doing it. IMHO, the cops are making a fortune, but not helping safety much at all.

[Spidey]

7 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Aside from drink drive checks, I don't think I have ever seen one that was actually nailing bad and reckless driving, but they all make money, right? Even the drink drivers mostly just pay their way out of trouble, and keep doing it. IMHO, the cops are making a fortune, but not helping safety much at all.

We've all got to turn a coin mate, even the RTP. They've got children to feed too. Have a guess at the average salary of the guys that are stopping you.

[losworld]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

With the huge numbers of dui drivers caught this past holiday season don't you think the heat came down on the cops? It's simple, more checkpoints are the result. What I find interesting is that some folks never have to pay a bribe (or infrequently) while others do constantly (or so it's stated). Do you guys have an expression on your faces of "I'm a payer" or "you won't get a satang off me" when you pull up. Do the cops here have an innate ability to pick out the 'payers'  The contrasting stories make you wonder. As far as the checkpoints, anything that keeps a selfish drunk from killing or maiming others is a good thing in my book - even if it's just the perception you might get caught. If they weren't out there people would be complaining they're sleeping somewhere. 

these stops have been ongoing for many months.  they don't stop cars very often either particularly expensive ones.  i was told by a reliable source that the police get bonuses on every ticket up to a maximum of 10000 baht plus who knows how much they are taking on the sly with dui... ever wonder why you never see english speaking tourist police at dui checkpoints anymore? it's all about the cash...

[losworld]

24 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I would like to thank all of the contributors to this thread. I absolutely agree with posters like Balo where drink driving checks are concerned as drunk drivers cause many accidents. I would be happy to see the cops have checks everywhere, IF they were targeting dangerous drivers and bad driving, speeding, lane weaving, jumping red lights etc. Then I would never get stopped.

My reason for posting this thread was that sadly, the overwhelming majority of the stops are ignoring such poor and dangerous behaviour, often going on within sight of where they are busy writing tickets.Yesterday, in an hour I got pulled three times, which was for sure just bad luck, but none of those stops was doing anything for road safety.

Perhaps I should have worded the whole thing differently and addressed the impact the current checkpoints have on safety and reducing carnage, as opposed to the frequency of useless ones. Aside from drink drive checks, I don't think I have ever seen one that was actually nailing bad and reckless driving, but they all make money, right? Even the drink drivers mostly just pay their way out of trouble, and keep doing it. IMHO, the cops are making a fortune, but not helping safety much at all.

those who say its okay if it stops a drunk driver wouldn't be happy if they were being stopped every day of the week to the beach or food store like they do at pratumnak and thepraya.... ridiculous nothing short of harassment

Edited January 9, 2019 by losworld

[johng]

They where also out on Sukhumvit going south towards Sattahip near the new motorway entrance/exit at Bahn Amphur today, I drove by without getting stopped but plenty of "white skins" on bikes and a few cars where stopped.

[Henryford]

I have been stopped dozens of times over 10 years but always having shown my driving licence am on my way with 5 minutes. The only 3 times i got a ticket, and had to pay, was when i did contravene a traffic law, so fair dues.

[glennb6]

i suppose the checkpoints pickup a few illegals, but completely ignore bad driving. a couple unmarked mcy cops cruising around could run up 10s of thousands in fines if they actually targeted the typical idiot driver. might actually make a small difference too.

 

there's a 'flow' to the mcy driving here that certainly doesn't match the letter of the law, but it works so let it be. it's the self-important and oblivious idiots, and the speedracer boneheads that cause and are in the accidents. target them

 

 

[Cricky]

The sad thing is they are not catching the lawbreakers.

Outside Tony’s Gym on 3^rd Road, watch the Thais U-Turn before the checkpoints. Take a look, all No helmets, drug runners, untaxed/uninsured (it appears), un-roadworthy. If we were to take these vehicles off our streets there would be no congestion, the traffic would flow smoothly. Also, it seems every 4^th or 5^th car has defects, they need to be removed, lights broken, panels hanging off the cars, rusty, noisy, smelly.

 

 

Again, the checkpoints would be justified if they were catching the offenders, these guys are laughing at the law enforcement.

[Jumbo1968]

They should be setting up checkpoints at the junction on Pattaya Klang next to Big C. I observe everyday when I go there scooters blatantly jumping the lights, going through on the stop light etc and the riders with no helmets. The Policebox is manned but as the windows are blacked out I have no idea if they are watching.

[catman20]

 

i have a licence, wear a helmet and am taxed and insured, yet have had to part with money more than once of late to be able to go on my way. 

 

Why ?????????

[RickTik]

[BestB]

Can not say i have been bothered by the check points but i normally have my boofhead 45kg pitbull with me and just get waved off.

 

Perhaps you like to rent him? works a charm ????

 

On a more serious note, checkpojnts you are mentioning seem to be aimed at the locals rather than the tourists, as most you have mentioned are on the dark side. 

 

[catman20]

On 1/8/2019 at 11:53 AM, Swiss1960 said:

I am on the streets in and around Pattaya every day, with both bike and car. I have twice had to pay a fine in the last 4 years, both times justified.

When I get stopped - approximately 1 out of 3 checkpoints - I show my pink ID, my 5y drivers licence, I am friendly but not overly so and I am sent off after the briefest of checks and have never once been asked or threatened about giving tea money.

Which begs the question: what are YOU doing wrong, dear OP?



Sent from my SM-A730F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Agree 100% i have the same 

[Spidey]

6 minutes ago, BestB said:

Can not say i have been bothered by the check points but i normally have my boofhead 45kg pitbull with me and just get waved off.

 

Perhaps you like to rent him? works a charm ????

 

On a more serious note, checkpojnts you are mentioning seem to be aimed at the locals rather than the tourists, as most you have mentioned are on the dark side. 

 

Don't need it. I have my Issan wife in the car. Way more vicious than a pitbull, and she doesn't crap in the street.

[BestB]

2 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Don't need it. I have my Issan wife in the car. Way more vicious than a pitbull, and she doesn't crap in the street.

But does she come to bed when called?????

[Spidey]

5 minutes ago, BestB said:

But does she come to bed when called?????

Always there before me, tongue hanging out.

[BestB]

17 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Always there before me, tongue hanging out.

Any chance you want to rent her out?????????

[NoshowJones]

On 1/8/2019 at 1:44 PM, ThreeEyedRaven said:

In answer to the question, yes, way too many. And, No, they are not helping to stop bad driving.

I understand your frustration that every poster so far has ignored your question and focused on lobbing out tea money occasionally, which is a fact of life here.

When I ride on carriageways where motorbikes are banned, I put 300mBt aside in my pocket, I do not agree that bigger bikes, say over 250cc should be banned so I just do it. I have only ever once paid the 300Bt, and that was after been asked for 1000Bt.

[NoshowJones]

On 1/8/2019 at 5:56 PM, n210mp said:

As I understand it the police are looking for many things. Drink drivers, drug users and carriers, no tax, no licences, no insurance etc etc etc .

 

On the railway bye pass near to Soi Khao Noi there is a regular checkpoint and the times I have witnessed many Thai people on Motorbikes and in cars and pickups many many times  being "pulled" and Myself  just waved through is countless.

 

In fact I have never been asked to pull over once since they started this check in that location and I use this road daily.

 

IMHO the BIB are judged  wrong whatever they do and simply cannot win!    

The BiB are just plain stupid, holding checkpoints directly in front of traffic lights and pulling in all the vehicles and causing massive traffic jams, they just do not have the brains to move the checkpoint further on to prevent all the traffic getting stopped at the lights.

[DJ54]

I’ve been stopped quite a few times funny thing before I only had US license stopped maybe twice got my license and a couple times a day in a small town. 

 

All have beeen friendly three had to pay fine or whatever yiu want to call it. All three were justified. 

 

I don’t think I’d want to live in pattaya unless on the outskirts... hate wal to Wall cars

[thailand49]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:28 PM, darksidedog said:

To the above two replies, my bike is now2 years old and I have put 42,000 Km on it, so I probably just clock up too many miles. I have not received a fine in years, and I am completely legal. I have though been stopped three times already so far today, hence my displeasure. On the couple of recent occasions when I was being delayed after showing my documents, a hint was given that a quick donation would send me on my way. I am not complaining about a couple of hundred baht, which I have given, to be able to go, even though it wasn't due.

My post is not about whether or not giving a bung occasionally was right or wrong, or about my driving, which every poster so far seems to be focused on. The question was are there too many of these checkpoints around Pattaya? There are regularly well over a dozen every day. Especially since I can see very little that they are achieving in terms of improving road safety, only generating income. I am hoping that one post will actually address the question.

I like you go everywhere with my bike put in a lot of KM, got everything in order stopped everywhere darkside, brightside, in my opinion not enough but even if they had more I seriously doubt things will get better because their priorities are all wrong. When stopped I usually get the head toe number they can't figure out what I am?  I pull out what is required never have I been asked for a baht but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  There are periods where things kind of go silent and stand there and act stupid it works every time after a while they just say go.

[CNXexpat]

If there is no police on the streets the people complain that they never see police. If there is police, the people complain that there is too many police. I never had a problem that they asked me for money when I did nothing wrong.

[jesimps]

On 1/8/2019 at 12:28 PM, darksidedog said:

To the above two replies, my bike is now2 years old and I have put 42,000 Km on it, so I probably just clock up too many miles. I have not received a fine in years, and I am completely legal. I have though been stopped three times already so far today, hence my displeasure. On the couple of recent occasions when I was being delayed after showing my documents, a hint was given that a quick donation would send me on my way. I am not complaining about a couple of hundred baht, which I have given, to be able to go, even though it wasn't due.

My post is not about whether or not giving a bung occasionally was right or wrong, or about my driving, which every poster so far seems to be focused on. The question was are there too many of these checkpoints around Pattaya? There are regularly well over a dozen every day. Especially since I can see very little that they are achieving in terms of improving road safety, only generating income. I am hoping that one post will actually address the question.

You're spot on in your comment, the checkpoints and tents at the side of the road do nothing to stop dangerous driving habits and are just a way of collecting tea money. You'll get a lot of contrary replies on here from the rosie specs brigade who think the sun shines out of the rear end of all locals and think that their fellow farang are scum. I wish I could tell you the reason for this, I think it has to be Freudian.

[fruitman]

24 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

If there is no police on the streets the people complain that they never see police. If there is police, the people complain that there is too many police. I never had a problem that they asked me for money when I did nothing wrong.

They should drive around and stop the misbehaving drivers or unroadworthy vehicles. Not causing traffic jam but only stop the ones who deserve a ticket.

[Hans Rayong]

I pass these roadblocks one or two times every day in Pattaya. Has never been stopped. Always waved on.