National youth rowing team hit with double fine at police stop

[webfact]

National youth rowing team hit with double fine at police stop

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

A team of rowers on their way to the National Youth games in Buriram were slapped with a police fine for having an illegal trailer transporting two 12.5 meter long boats. 

 

The rowers blamed the police for not supporting young athletes. 

 

Natthaphon Thongraeng,19, told reporters in Buriram at a practice session that a 20 person team of rowers from Nonthaburi were heading to the northeast at the weekend.

 

They were part of a contingent of 400 from Nonthaburi who were taking part in the 35th National Youth Games. 

 

The police claimed their trailer was illegal and fined them 200 baht. 

 

The cops refused to believe they were part of a team of youth rowers despite being shown evidence in the form of an official letter. 

 

When the head of the checkpoint heard about it he also disbelieved them.

 

He increased the fine to 500 baht for the annoyance, claimed the rowers. They showed the traffic ticket as proof.

 

Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before. 

 

He said the police were horrible and should have shown sympathy to them and not behaved in such a heavy handed manner to young athletes taking part in a sporting competition and representing their province.  

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-05-15

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[mercman24]

horrible police, doing their job, and the hoards of thais continue to rock up at Jomtien beach of a weekend, with everyone sat in the back of the pick up trucks., never mind eh !!

[RotMahKid]

What a nonsense, if they caused an accident with that illegal long transport the fine would be much higher and even maybe caused death of people.

[spaceshuttle]

1 minute ago, RotMahKid said:

What a nonsense, if they caused an accident with that illegal long transport the fine would be much higher and even maybe caused death of people.

Exactly.  That's all I need is a three metre scull smashing my skull.  

[quandow]

3 minutes ago, RotMahKid said:

What a nonsense, if they caused an accident with that illegal long transport the fine would be much higher and even maybe caused death of people.

You don't think the police claimed their trailer was illegal just to shake them down for 200 baht? If it were truly illegal it would have cost at least 1,000 baht.

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

horrible police, doing their job, and the hoards of thais continue to rock up at Jomtien beach of a weekend, with everyone sat in the back of the pick up trucks., never mind eh !!

As long as no one is longer than 12.5 metres, no problem.

[ezzra]

I'd much rather  read about the police to e seen unsupportive of a rowing team, than to read that police were called to clear up massive road accident with dead and injured as a result of a 12.5 boat got loose while being illegally towed...

[Justgrazing]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

were slapped with a police fine for having an illegal trailer transporting two 12.5 meter long boats. 

12.5 mtrs .! thats over 40 ft .. something that long would require a specialised trailer .. 

 

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

When the head of the checkpoint heard about it he also disbelieved them.

 

He increased the fine to 500 baht for the annoyance, claimed the rowers. They showed the traffic ticket as proof

Hahaha .. How dare they be so insolent to Plod .. Here have a bigger fine for the cheek .. 

 

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before. 

Yea but they knew the trailer was dodgy so getting pulled and fined should come as no surprise .. 

[ratcatcher]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before. 

An interesting comment.

[Krataiboy]

What a load of rowlocks,

[samsensam]

 

pantomime.

[toenail]

Good that the family is doing their own investigation. We foreigners know it has to do with neglect and no accountability in this country. True!!! Stay away from “adventure activities” in countries that look at life cheaply.

[aussie11950]

Haha. 

Just another excuse. 

 

We have never been stopped before?

Police should support us?

Then they agree its was illegal

Throw the book at them. 

 

[ratcatcher]

1 hour ago, toenail said:

Good that the family is doing their own investigation. We foreigners know it has to do with neglect and no accountability in this country. True!!! Stay away from “adventure activities” in countries that look at life cheaply.

Are you sure you're on the right page? This is about a Thai team towing a rowing boat and rowing with the police about a citation.  The Canadian's death on the Flight of the Gibbon zip line is in another forum.

[Puccini]

8 hours ago, quandow said:

You don't think the police claimed their trailer was illegal just to shake them down for 200 baht? If it were truly illegal it would have cost at least 1,000 baht.

Can you give a link to the list of fines that police officers are allowed to issue, please? I'd be truly grateful and others might appreciate it, too.

[geoffbezoz]

8 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'd much rather  read about the police to e seen unsupportive of a rowing team, than to read that police were called to clear up massive road accident with dead and injured as a result of a 12.5 boat got loose while being illegally towed...

Agree totally.  The excuse they used I think sums up many Thais. " no one had ever stopped them before".   May as well say I have committed so many crimes in the last thirty years and not been found out, so why not let away with it this time ? Amassing Thailand indeed

[tandor]

4 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

What a load of rowlocks,

oar..oar..oar.

[impulse]

10 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

10 hours ago, webfact said:

Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before. 

Yea but they knew the trailer was dodgy so getting pulled and fined should come as no surprise .. 

 

For a country that's trying to increase the market for boats, boating, and other water activities (and with Rama 9 being a huge fan of water sports), they sure don't make it easy. 

 

I got stopped occasionally just for tying my 4 meter kayaks on top of the pickup, in a very sturdy rack.  Most of the times, I passed checkpoints with no problem.  But once in awhile, I'd pay a small fine on the spot.  I considered it a cost of pursuing the hobby.  They are illegal on motorways, which made it pretty difficult to take a weekend jaunt from BKK to the beach.  So mostly I went the the river, which I prefer anyway. 

 

I also had a 4 meter boat on a genuine boat trailer that I ended up selling because I couldn't get the trailer legal.  It had lights, and would have passed inspection in any state in the USA.  So it's not as if it was a dodgy trailer.  But no cops could tell me where or how to go to get it registered. 

 

My heart goes out to these guys, out to pursue some clean and healthy (and government supported) fun.  At the same time, I'd suggest they write off the $16 fine as a cost of pursuing their hobby.  The legal alternative is to hire someone with a long truck to haul it for them, and that's going to cost well upwards of 10,000 baht a day.

 

I do salute them for bringing their plight to the media.  That's the only way it's going to change to make private boating legal and affordable...

 

BTW, hauling a 40' boat around on a trailer is perfectly safe as long as it's a well designed trailer, pulled by an adequately sized pickup truck.  Those boats don't weigh much without 3 x 250 HP motors hanging off them.

 

[Burma Bill]

On 5/15/2019 at 11:24 AM, ezzra said:

I'd much rather  read about the police to e seen unsupportive of a rowing team, than to read that police were called to clear up massive road accident with dead and injured as a result of a 12.5 boat got loose while being illegally towed...

It would also be great to see such police action against grossly overloaded trucks and pick-ups carrying plastic pipes, bamboo poles, steel girders and logs which extend well to the rear of the tailgate without a red warning!

[Geoffggi]

Shock - Horror " Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before" Obviously being Thai they believed rules didn't apply to them - Shame on the police ha ha ha!!!

[grumpy 4680]

        I would like to see the written text to say it was illegal to tow such a trailer, surely if it was properly lit with tail lights, and with a warning flag, then I don't see the problem.

       But when you see pick ups that loaded 3-4 metres high. then I see a problem.

[grumpy 4680]

         Shock - Horror " Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before"

 

        If never stopped before, suggests they believed it to be OK, different cops, different rules.

[geoffbezoz]

Just now, grumpy 4680 said:

         Shock - Horror " Natthaphon admitted they were in the wrong but said no one had ever stopped them before"

 

        If never stopped before, suggests they believed it to be OK, different cops, different rules.

No it just suggests they thought they would just keep getting away with it, same as most other Thais