Do The Police Ever Stop A Driver For Bad Behavior?

[Richb2004v2]

Is there any maneuver or action on the roads for which you will be stopped by the police in Thailand?

It seems that you can drive any way you want, do what ever you want, in any direction, and can ride any concocted vehicle you want, without anyone raising any concern from anyone including the police. What would you have to do to actually warrant the police stopping you and questioning your actions?

What about construction restrictions? Are there any restrictions on what you can build and put on the road? I think the philosophy is ‘if you can build it, and make it move, then you are free to use it on the roads’.

I fail to see the line regarding these rules. Surely there must be some.

Any ideas?

[Austhaied]

That would be too much like hard work for them.. Lazy is the first word that comes to mind.

[astral]

I have been stopped to driving in the right hand of the two left lanes on a dual carriageway.

The Thai policeman said that was "bad behaviour"..................

I pointed out I was overtaking.

After some discussion he let me go.

[Maestro]

Is there any maneuver or action on the roads for which you will be stopped by the police in Thailand?

I believe towards the end of the month you have a much better chance of beings stopped by police for a violation of traffic rules.

First, you must look for a place where the police is deployed. Then you drive in that direction doing something wrong. If you do not succeed, look for another suitable place and repeat the procedure.

--

Maestro

[Austhaied]

Is there any maneuver or action on the roads for which you will be stopped by the police in Thailand?

I believe towards the end of the month you have a much better chance of beings stopped by police for a violation of traffic rules.

First, you must look for a place where the police is deployed. Then you drive in that direction doing something wrong. If you do not succeed, look for another suitable place and repeat the procedure.

--

Maestro

Very true. That's when the "mia-noy" payments are due. Sad but true fact.

[jdinasia]

Many ways to get stopped ....

Basically if you have a licensed vehicle that is operating normally you are OK on that one ... no matter what it looks like

direction of travel etc is all up to the local enforcement ...

But if you want to get stopped I can tell you all the various ways I have been stopped <in bkk 2 times and HH often> but they were all in my first 9 months living in Thailand

[phazey]

the only time i've been stopped (i was a passenger) was travelling at 220Kmh+ down to Rayong - and the guy who was taking me (serious nutter, but the boss at the time) had a scrape with a car whilst we left Bangkok.

200 baht and all was well. apart form my soiled underwear.....

[Jared]

Youll normally only get pulled over if the policeman is short of cash and he'll do you for speeding or something. Ive been in the car several times with the father or brother inlaw when weve been pulled over for speeding when we werent. The police ask for some cash and then let you leave.

[soundman]

If you really want to get stopped by the police, just drive through a police checkpoint, making sure you colide with all the barriers on the way through.......

Got busted big time speeding on the expressway about 5 years ago. clacking along at 180kph & i saw the cop waving me to stop from one of the intermittent police helmets along the way. Pretended not to see him, he radioed it to toll booth. 2000B after haggling for half an hour.

Ouch!!!!

Soundman.

[madjbs]

Soundman, why did you have to pay so much? The official fine is around 500 baht I believe and you wouldn’t have to pay it on the spot but at the police station. I think you were severely ripped off! Unless you didn’t have a license or something as the real fine would be about 4000 baht.

[andook]

The cops always seem much more vigilant during the last week of the month.

[bendix]

I was once stopped immediately after a toll booth - the one near Don Muang. The BiB told me I was stopped for crossing over a lane. I pointed out that I crossed over the lane solely because he pointed at me pulled me over. If I didnt cross the lane, I would have had to stop mid-traffic.

He accepted my point, and I went on my way.

Timing of this curious incident? HRH's Birthday. There must have been a party planned at the police station later that night . . .

Edited March 13, 2007 by bendix

[Crushdepth]

Got busted big time speeding on the expressway about 5 years ago. clacking along at 180kph & i saw the cop waving me to stop from one of the intermittent police helmets along the way. Pretended not to see him, he radioed it to toll booth. 2000B after haggling for half an hour.

You're the first person I've heard of getting a *speeding* ticket here.

[Jai Dee]

Got busted big time speeding on the expressway about 5 years ago. clacking along at 180kph & i saw the cop waving me to stop from one of the intermittent police helmets along the way. Pretended not to see him, he radioed it to toll booth. 2000B after haggling for half an hour.

You're the first person I've heard of getting a *speeding* ticket here.

I've been "done" at the Bang Na - Chonburi elevated tollway before for exceeding 120 km/hr.

My choices: a 200 baht "on-the-spot" donation... or a trip to the local station.

I paid up.

[soundman]

Soundman, why did you have to pay so much? The official fine is around 500 baht I believe and you wouldn’t have to pay it on the spot but at the police station. I think you were severely ripped off! Unless you didn’t have a license or something as the real fine would be about 4000 baht.

The official fine on the Don Muang expressway is 1000B for exceeding the speed limit of 90km per hour. (Its on numerous signs along the edge of the expressway)

The police were rather agitated because I didn't initially stop when flagged at the airport exit. They got me at the next toll booth.

I was also driving at the time with my liscense "back at the house". They were pretty agro. They wanted 5000B & at the time I had only been in the country for about 6 months, so didn'y really know sh!t from shinola.

One section of expressway better to follow the speed restrictions.

Soundman.

[ColPyat]

That would be too much like hard work for them.. Lazy is the first word that comes to mind.

Apart from the usual controls i got stopped riding a motorcycle for making U-turns where i shouldn't have, using flyovers forbidden for bikes, riding on the wrong lane, for riding a highly not so legally tuned up bike (which today would be confiscated straight away ).

[astral]

The official fine on the Don Muang expressway is 1000B for exceeding the speed limit of 90km per hour. (Its on numerous signs along the edge of the expressway)

Oh for the good old days.

Back in 1988 I was driving out to Isaan and I was stopped 3 time in one day for speeding.

The first was in the highway and there was a senior officer present with his receipt book.

So I paid my 200 and was on my way.

The next one was 2 cops in a car. I said I was not speeding, so they took me over to their

car and showed me the radar gun, and took a reading off a passing car to show it worked.

I asked "how much", and was told the standard 200 baht. I did not have change so I offered

a 500 baht note and showed that I only had 1 one hundred bill. The officer reached into my wallet

and took the 100, and returned the 500.

At the third stop I asked how much and was told 200 baht. I asked if I would get a receipt and

was told Yes. I countered with how about 100 and no receipt. That idea was readily accepted,

and has always been my response from that day on.

Happy motoring.

[Richb2004v2]

That would be too much like hard work for them.. Lazy is the first word that comes to mind.

Apart from the usual controls i got stopped riding a motorcycle for making U-turns where i shouldn't have, using flyovers forbidden for bikes, riding on the wrong lane, for riding a highly not so legally tuned up bike (which today would be confiscated straight away ).

I take it you are Thai, and that you are very unlucky.

Surley there is no such thing as 'making a U-turn where you shouldn't'?

The same goes for riding in the wrong lane.

[ColPyat]

That would be too much like hard work for them.. Lazy is the first word that comes to mind.

Apart from the usual controls i got stopped riding a motorcycle for making U-turns where i shouldn't have, using flyovers forbidden for bikes, riding on the wrong lane, for riding a highly not so legally tuned up bike (which today would be confiscated straight away ).

I take it you are Thai, and that you are very unlucky.

Surley there is no such thing as 'making a U-turn where you shouldn't'?

The same goes for riding in the wrong lane.

Nops, i am Farang.

But there are occasionally signs that say that U-turns are not allowed. And there, one shouldn't do one directly in front of a cop.

And regarding lanes - motorcycles are only allowed to use the left lane, unless overtaking, or in preparation of a right turn. I know that, because i have recently made my Thai driving license. Not having a driving license was another reason i had to pay many fines in the past.

[PeaceBlondie]

I'm with the OP on this issue. I commuted in the right lane on a bike, about 20km each way every work day going up to 140 kph indicated, for 1.6 years and never got stopped. I've gone 41,000 km now, and five months occasional use of my pickup, and we've only been stopped the one time I was out of my mind and forgot to wear a helmet (my driver, without a helmet, paid nothing). Countless U-turns against the posted sign, many more times riding the wrong way on the side of the road, weaving in and out, etc. But always wearing a helmet except that one time, always with proper plates and registration, and now I even have a Thai driver's license. I almost want them to stop me so I can show the license, but they never ask.

I think up north here, they wouldn't give a speeding ticket for 180 kph on a bike. It's best I don't get a CBR400......

[Axel]

Sometimes, not too often, I am stopped. Once the friendly BiB claimed that I jumped a red light. I told him it had just changed to yellow. He: "Red". Me: "yellow". Finally, accepted "OK, you stop yellow".

Really funny, made an illegal U-turn at Asoke in Bangkok on Christmasday. Just had not seen the BiB there, although the road ws clear. Absolutely my mistake, both the illegal turn and not seing the man. I greeted with "Merry Christmas" and a big smile. Even gave him my Thai-licence (usually have an IDP on me, not that day) He told me quite rightly that U-turn not allowed and again I wished him "Merry Christmas". Finally he gave me a big smile, retrned my licence and said in English: "Ah, you go party?"

Try this at home, somehow I like them here better.

[Donz]

Cops tend to pull me over in any country, but urprisingly not in Thailand yet, i did say YET.

In Sydney they always pull me over and search my car for drugs. I also been in the car with friends and they made us get out of the car and libe us up against the fence and patted us down. Pigs are pigs