I’m currently down in Phuket on the big bike from Pattaya. Staying in Patong, I got pulled into a checkpoint. The police officer came over to me and asked me for my licence. I provided him with my IDP and any other relevant documents. The police officer who spoke very good english, responded with thanking me for actually being one of the very few to go out and get a proper IDP before riding around. 

 

The gentleman next to me on his rentend honda moove, well, he couldn’t  the say the same. No helmet, no licence. He tried to offer the police a quick transaction of “tea money” but it was rejected. The officer is quoted saying, “these are official fines, pay at police station or government office”

 

Have they being told from higher up no more “tea money” or what is the go. To me, Thai police are nice and courteous, and I have never had a reason to knock them. 

38 minutes ago, HSMAN said:

Have they being told from higher up no more “tea money”

Yep army trying to stop corruption at all levels.

I don't bothered either having a Thai DL no other documents are asked for even though I carry them in vehicles. 

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Yep army trying to stop corruption at all levels.

Maybe on all levels outside of the army, not within ????

 

 

You can definitely see differences in check points. In some bribes are accepted openly, at others they are more reluctant.

Probably for this day they had the order from their boss to not accept bribes.

But i never had the situation the a cop on the street completely denied a bribe, maybe he is afraid that somebody else will see it, so just ask him to move a few meters away because it's so hot here, turn your back to his colleagues and slip him 200THB over

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

But i never had the situation the a cop on the street completely denied a bribe, maybe he is afraid that somebody else will see it, so just ask him to move a few meters away because it's so hot here, turn your back to his colleagues and slip him 200THB over

No word of a lie. There was myself, and the other guy. No other officers. No other people. He also had the proper list of fine prices, with his official fine book. He straight up said “official fine, pay at police or government office”

2 hours ago, jackdd said:

Maybe on all levels outside of the army, not within ????

 

 

You can definitely see differences in check points. In some bribes are accepted openly, at others they are more reluctant.

Probably for this day they had the order from their boss to not accept bribes.

But i never had the situation the a cop on the street completely denied a bribe, maybe he is afraid that somebody else will see it, so just ask him to move a few meters away because it's so hot here, turn your back to his colleagues and slip him 200THB over

Years ago speeding fines 200 baht OK but not nowadays we never paid being stopped at police check points if they want to fine us for whatever we refuse to pay roadside and pay at police station. 

Most of the cops are actually good guys unlike the stories you hear on expat forums. 

 

I was stopped for not wearing a seat belt in CM in 2017 and I had to pay the fine down at the police station, when I showed him a 200 baht note he turned down the offer and said "no no , go station". 

  

 

 

1 minute ago, balo said:

Most of the cops are actually good guys unlike the stories you hear on expat forums. 

 

I was stopped for not wearing a seat belt in CM in 2017 and I had to pay the fine down at the police station, when I showed him a 200 baht note he turned down the offer and said "no no , go station". 

  

 

 

a 200baht note?

????

3 hours ago, HSMAN said:

No word of a lie. There was myself, and the other guy. No other officers. No other people. He also had the proper list of fine prices, with his official fine book. He straight up said “official fine, pay at police or government office”

If they didn't put some of the fines through the official books it would look suspicious.

Cops in Phuket get a lot of scrutiny these days but if they can get away with trousering money they will. Now they have to have an Inspector on the Checkpoints they can't get away with it as often. More likely at the end of the month when they have to ante up. As pointed out when I was editing this they have to put some through the books. They are big on chaining up bites in red/white restricted areas which again requires a visit to the cop shop.

 

People complain about them hitting up tourists but 90% of the time they aren't wearing helmets or have no licences- they are breaking the law so they should be ticketed. Local (Thais) get done on a more selective basis but they do get done as well.

 

Without tempting fate in 15 years here I have never either been fined or hit for tea money in Phuket and I drive almost every day. Mind you I am on a Thai licence and my tax is up to date

19 hours ago, jackdd said:

Maybe on all levels outside of the army, not within ????

 

 

You can definitely see differences in check points. In some bribes are accepted openly, at others they are more reluctant.

Probably for this day they had the order from their boss to not accept bribes.

But i never had the situation the a cop on the street completely denied a bribe, maybe he is afraid that somebody else will see it, so just ask him to move a few meters away because it's so hot here, turn your back to his colleagues and slip him 200THB over

Wow! How so very clever you are. Well done!

Don't offer, they cant reject.

11 minutes ago, Colabamumbai said:

Don't offer, they cant reject.

What does this mean ?

The question would be why the police did not arrest the guy without a license or helmet for trying to bribe a police officer.

a 200baht note?
[emoji44]

Maybe he was trying to pay with one of these !

14 hours ago, papa al said:

a 200baht note?

????

Balo is a very bright boy... ive seen other posts of his, saying he walks so much, i wonder why he needed to drive a car in chiang mai??

1 minute ago, murraynz said:

Balo is a very bright boy... ive seen other posts of his, saying he walks so much, i wonder why he needed to drive a car in chiang mai??

He needed to pick up a batch of 200 baht notes from the print shop.

They haven’t been accepting money here in Pattaya for a few years now.

 

It was a couple of years ago, I just drove 1 metre and put my helmet on, 50 metres down the road was a cop.

 

Anyway I had to give the money to a taxi motorbike guy behind a wall which was given to the cop once I left.

15 hours ago, papa al said:

a 200baht note?

????

Says 100 on the front of the note and 100 on the back = 200Baht note.

19 hours ago, HSMAN said:

No word of a lie. There was myself, and the other guy. No other officers. No other people. He also had the proper list of fine prices, with his official fine book. He straight up said “official fine, pay at police or government office”

Although many years ago, I had the same thing happen in Patong. I had the 200Baht on show but the officer made no attempt to take it. He wrote the fine and even gave me quite clear directions to the police station, as at that time I had no idea where it was.

In five years I have never seen Phuket police take more than the fine amount and hand an official receipt for a traffic violation.  That said, on another incident I saw a well played scam by them to rip off 50k.  I said I would trust them until I was a given a reason not to.  They gave me a reason.  2 months ago mind you.  It's business as usual for these crooks.

15 hours ago, Psimbo said:

Cops in Phuket get a lot of scrutiny these days but if they can get away with trousering money they will. Now they have to have an Inspector on the Checkpoints they can't get away with it as often. More likely at the end of the month when they have to ante up. As pointed out when I was editing this they have to put some through the books. They are big on chaining up bites in red/white restricted areas which again requires a visit to the cop shop.

 

People complain about them hitting up tourists but 90% of the time they aren't wearing helmets or have no licences- they are breaking the law so they should be ticketed. Local (Thais) get done on a more selective basis but they do get done as well.

 

Without tempting fate in 15 years here I have never either been fined or hit for tea money in Phuket and I drive almost every day. Mind you I am on a Thai licence and my tax is up to date

 "They are big on chaining up bites",  can you please explain this? 

Good on them - slightly on-topic, can someone get an IDP from anywhere??  or does it have to be their home country??  I think I got ripped off in Honolulu AAA, it cost me $75 for an IDP.  I see onpline adverts for IDP's, will they be valid??  Mine has just expired.

I was recently involved in a fatal accident where I was at fault. I had a dash cam that did not make  me innocent but clearly showed how it happened. I can only praise all the police involved in  the investigation. they were courteous at all times. and sympathetic to both myself and the others involved. The habit of some posters on Thai visa to portray all police as corrupt is false . Many will have had some bad experiences but in  the ten or so years here I have  only seen friendly and helpful police 

17 hours ago, papa al said:

a 200baht note?

????

yes - counterfait, balo was very lucky to escape that one

 

1 hour ago, TunnelRat69 said:

Good on them - slightly on-topic, can someone get an IDP from anywhere??  or does it have to be their home country??  I think I got ripped off in Honolulu AAA, it cost me $75 for an IDP.  I see onpline adverts for IDP's, will they be valid??  Mine has just expired.

It has to be from your home country (or from the country where your driving license is from), the online adverts are fake

But according to this site it should cost you just 20 USD https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

Been pulled up 6 times in 7 years, never been asked for money or fined, I show my Thai Motor Bike licence, and on my way, always wear a proper helmet, at most police stop just waved through not even stopped, same with my car, stopped at road checks always up country never asked for money or fined, just show my Thai car driver licence and on my way.  why do people get asked for money ??? must be doing something wrong I think. I have lived in Thailand for 11 years now. never asked for money for anything by the police.

22 hours ago, HSMAN said:

No word of a lie. There was myself, and the other guy. No other officers. No other people. He also had the proper list of fine prices, with his official fine book. He straight up said “official fine, pay at police or government office”

Yep me too Licence check "thank you Sir.Perfect" ,and on my way.Maybe they need to show a certain amount of "through the books" fines as well as the under the table payments ,but If I've been doing the correct thing I've never had any problems except once they tried to "fit me up" driving a car in Udon Thani,When after I got irate,I was let go..Everytime I've been fined ,either officially through the books, or provided "tea money" I have been breaking the law.

I was recently involved in a fatal accident where I was at fault. I had a dash cam that did not make  me innocent but clearly showed how it happened. I can only praise all the police involved in  the investigation. they were courteous at all times. and sympathetic to both myself and the others involved. The habit of some posters on Thai visa to portray all police as corrupt is false . Many will have had some bad experiences but in  the ten or so years here I have  only seen friendly and helpful police 

Can you give any info about the incident?

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Only been fined once in 8 years of driving (missing licence plate, had fallen off). Did negotiate fine down, and got a ticket. Never scammed. I do know of 2 people who have bribed their way out of drink driving charges, police sympathetic to farang as who wants to spend the night in jail? But small offences usually done by the book.

9 hours ago, ballpoint said:

He needed to pick up a batch of 200 baht notes from the print shop.

English is not my native language , I now understand I should have said a 200 baht bill, but I have seen "note" been used about money before.