Top cops should shape up or ship out

[Saladin]

Nearly every day in Chiang Mai the police set up a roadside block opposite Maya Shopping Centre to check motor bike riders for not wearing a helmet and/or having a rider's licence. And while the former is laudable, the latter has very little relevance to a rider's competence and therefore does nothing for road safety. This police presence involves no less than eight policemen plus two officers who sit at a desk writing tickets and collecting the loot. Meanwhile, in Nimmanhaemin Road which is Chiang Mai's most popular streets for Chinese tourists, and is only 50 metres away, there is no police presence whatsoever. Shortly after 11PM every night a convoy of up to 50 motorbikes roars down Nimmanhaemin Road at excessive speed. Few riders wear helmets, many don't have lights, some bikes are carrying 3 or even 4 riders, and riders straddle the double lines, with impunity.

 

The root cause of the dangerous roads situation is not the fault of the riders and drivers but rather because the police do not enforce the existing traffic rules. And let us not blame the foot soldiers for they are just doing what they are instructed to do by their superiors. A long overdue Government purge of lethargic, incompetent, and often corrupt top cops is essential if the roads are to be made safe for Thais and foreign tourists alike.

[roo860]

Nearly every day in Chiang Mai the police set up a roadside block opposite Maya Shopping Centre to check motor bike riders for not wearing a helmet and/or having a rider's licence. And while the former is laudable, the latter has very little relevance to a rider's competence and therefore does nothing for road safety. This police presence involves no less than eight policemen plus two officers who sit at a desk writing tickets and collecting the loot. Meanwhile, in Nimmanhaemin Road which is Chiang Mai's most popular streets for Chinese tourists, and is only 50 metres away, there is no police presence whatsoever. Shortly after 11PM every night a convoy of up to 50 motorbikes roars down Nimmanhaemin Road at excessive speed. Few riders wear helmets, many don't have lights, some bikes are carrying 3 or even 4 riders, and riders straddle the double lines, with impunity.
 
The root cause of the dangerous roads situation is not the fault of the riders and drivers but rather because the police do not enforce the existing traffic rules. And let us not blame the foot soldiers for they are just doing what they are instructed to do by their superiors. A long overdue Government purge of lethargic, incompetent, and often corrupt top cops is essential if the roads are to be made safe for Thais and foreign tourists alike.

They've moved it up the road a bit further.

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[Youlike]

Only if the drivers are farang you can expect some action from the police.

[topt]

1 hour ago, Saladin said:

The root cause of the dangerous roads situation is not the fault of the riders and drivers but rather because the police do not enforce the existing traffic rules.

Is this a recent epiphany.........

Are you just venting or do you think you are imparting some new wisdom.........

[Pilotman]

The Junta made some excellent statements about tackling police incompetence and corruption when they first took power and I really thought that they were going to sort out the Brown Jobs once and for all, they even sacked a few top cops.  Since then the Junta has gone quiet and the Police have reverted to type. It will never change because there is no incentive for it to change. They are a disgrace and an embarrassment, but I'm afraid that's what you get in the Third World.    

[5633572526]

In Patong the “check” is from 11:00 to 1:pm every day at the end of Bangla road near the shopping mall. Locals know about it but it catches many tourists on motorbikes without helmets every day. When the box they bring is full of money from fines they pack it in and return the next day.

[sharktooth]

You’ll get used to it after a few years.... unfortunately.

[bkk6060]

15 hours ago, Saladin said:

The root cause of the dangerous roads situation is not the fault of the riders and drivers but rather because the police do not enforce the existing traffic rules.

Another blame the cops for the criminal action of others.  Goes on everyplace in the world usually expressed by someone who has a beef with the cops because they were caught doing something illegal....

 

[connda]

Police roadblocks are revenue generating stations.  Nothing really to do with enforcement.  Only police in patrol cars or patrol motorcycles are capable of seeing gross violations of the law and issue citations - but - Thailand has no patrol vehicles on the roads and they don't issue moving violations.
So you are completely correct.  Roadblocks are not enforcement as they do nothing to stop the real driving stupidity on the roads.  They just pick the lowest fruit - motorcycle riders, fleece them of some of their money for being stupid enough to drive without a helmet or license, and send them on their way.

[NoshowJones]

If that roadside check is manned every day, surely the idiots with no helmets would either wear one or avoid

the place, and as for the stupidity of the police, why don't they use different roadsides for their checkpoints?

 

Another thing, there are regular checkpoints in the town near my village, the police often set them up just before or just after traffic lights at a crossroads causing long tailbacks.

 

How stupid is that, not the foot soldiers fault, but the ones in charge, probably the Maj/Gens 

or Lt/Cols, or some other fancy rank they have paid for.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

In Patong the “check” is from 11:00 to 1:pm every day at the end of Bangla road near the shopping mall. Locals know about it but it catches many tourists on motorbikes without helmets every day. When the box they bring is full of money from fines they pack it in and return the next day.

How many of these tourists have got licences or insurance? I bet the cops just collect the money then let them go on their way.

[chingmai331]

Does anyone here know the monthly wage for the uniformed Royal Thai policeman?

 

[Vacuum]

2 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

In Patong the “check” is from 11:00 to 1:pm every day

No lunch then? Most check points (in other parts of Thailand) are closed down 11:30-12:00.

[Vacuum]

24 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

How many of these tourists have got licences or insurance?

No need for that. There's a new kid on the block named GoFundMe, in case of an accident.

[Pilotman]

My Brother In Law was once a cop on the drugs squad, retired now to his 4 Million Baht house in Bangkok.  He has a car that I could never afford, his wife has a nice Toyota that I can afford.   Go figure.  

[tlandtday]

14 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The Junta made some excellent statements about tackling police incompetence and corruption when they first took power and I really thought that they were going to sort out the Brown Jobs once and for all, they even sacked a few top cops.  Since then the Junta has gone quiet and the Police have reverted to type. It will never change because there is no incentive for it to change. They are a disgrace and an embarrassment, but I'm afraid that's what you get in the Third World.    

very true in fact i believe they have given them the big green light as the checkpoints in the last few months in pattaya have been unheard of... interesting how they have been reduced just prior to the election....

[scorecard]

17 hours ago, roo860 said:

They've moved it up the road a bit further.

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Why aren't their seniors assigning them to more productive duties? E.g. why aren't they assigned to stop vehicles which have just run through red lights?

 

Bottom line: are their seniors even capable of managing their officers?

 

 

[Darkside Gray]

They tried in Pattaya, they put the RTN with the BIB and tried to put an end to corrupted all we ended up with was a Corrupt BIB and a Corrupt member of the RTN.

[emptypockets]

At Lamduan  before 10am and after 12 noon no problem 

[THAIJAMES]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

Why aren't their seniors assigning them to more productive duties? E.g. why aren't they assigned to stop vehicles which have just run through red lights?

 

Bottom line: are their seniors even capable of managing their officers?

 

 

Their seniors are getting a majority cut of all the cash collected.  That cash is needed to pay off the price they paid for purchasing their senior positions.  They can't spend time on more productive duties because those won't generate enough cash for them to keep their positions.

[Ulic]

AS has been shown in many studies it's not the penalty that deters people, it's the knowledge/understanding that they will be caught. So you are spot on. The problem rule breaking crap drivers know there is almost no chance of being caught so the penalties are of no concern, and the lunacy on the roads continues. Traffic cameras and strong enforcement of the traffic laws by police really would modify behavior and fill police coffers in the short term, and lower rates of deaths on the roads in the long term. My guess is, those who really can make a difference, like things just the way they are.

[Saladin]

23 hours ago, topt said:

Is this a recent epiphany.........

Are you just venting or do you think you are imparting some new wisdom.........

My message is not directed at we who are enlightened but rather to those in authority to stop coming up with lame excuses and quick fixes, and take action on the real causes of the mayhem on the roads.

[Saladin]

1 hour ago, THAIJAMES said:

Their seniors are getting a majority cut of all the cash collected.  That cash is needed to pay off the price they paid for purchasing their senior positions.  They can't spend time on more productive duties because those won't generate enough cash for them to keep their positions.

Between 11PM to midnight on any night of the week a few cops positioned in Nimmanhaemin Road with a funnel net could pick up at least 100 traffic violators, which would put at least 20,000 Baht into the piggy bank. Not bad for an hour's work. With sustained policing like this, bike riders and drivers would soon start to get the message.

[THAIJAMES]

18 hours ago, Saladin said:

Between 11PM to midnight on any night of the week a few cops positioned in Nimmanhaemin Road with a funnel net could pick up at least 100 traffic violators, which would put at least 20,000 Baht into the piggy bank. Not bad for an hour's work. With sustained policing like this, bike riders and drivers would soon start to get the message.

I think its a lot more than that.  My brother got caught in that and had to fork out 1000 and didn't get a receipt.  He was scared and didn't want to hassle.   Most foreigners don't know that you can get away with 200.  Also I am not sure if the 200 has increased as the fine for no license is now 1000.  Or at least that is the sign they show foreigners.

[bkk6060]

21 hours ago, Saladin said:

Between 11PM to midnight on any night of the week a few cops positioned in Nimmanhaemin Road with a funnel net could pick up at least 100 traffic violators, which would put at least 20,000 Baht into the piggy bank. Not bad for an hour's work. With sustained policing like this, bike riders and drivers would soon start to get the message.

Why don't you be proactive and go to the police station and present this important information to them?

[THAIJAMES]

13 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Why don't you be proactive and go to the police station and present this important information to them?

Every police senior officer already knows this.  I had a long talk with the checkpoint commander about stopping cars and especially trucks that are heavily polluting the air instead of focusing on persons that forgot their motorcycle license.  And why not go after the rental companies that are renting bikes to people without license.  (of course we all know it is about money)

 

So maybe shift the money extraction to vehicles and people that are actually causing damage to society.

 

According to him they cannot stop vehicles with excess pollution or noise unless they use a machine to measure the exhaust or decibel levels.

 

According to him there is only one such machine to measure car exhaust in all of Chiang Mai, that is owned by the police department.

 

I planned at some time to see the head of traffic control, he is located at the police station near the mae ping river at wararot market.  Basically to ask him why they don't have more sensors checking exhausts around the city.

 

Police heads are definitely open to suggestions (they may not follow them). If we can put pressure on them they can claim that members of the public have been pressuring them and they can ask for funding.  But without anyone saying anything nothing changes.  So I encourage everyone if you have a chance go see one of the police bosses and suggest some changes.

 

You will not get results right away but they will happen eventually.

 

 

 

[boonrawdcnx]

Police roadblocks are revenue generating stations.  Nothing really to do with enforcement.  Only police in patrol cars or patrol motorcycles are capable of seeing gross violations of the law and issue citations - but - Thailand has no patrol vehicles on the roads and they don't issue moving violations.
So you are completely correct.  Roadblocks are not enforcement as they do nothing to stop the real driving stupidity on the roads.  They just pick the lowest fruit - motorcycle riders, fleece them of some of their money for being stupid enough to drive without a helmet or license, and send them on their way.

Yes and the ridiculous point really is - send them on their way without a helmet and without a license !


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