On a journey south recently from Chiang Rai I saw many signs, in Thai that there were speed cameras ahead

especially south of Chiang Rai city and around Phayao.

I couldn't see any cameras, either fixed mounted or hand held.

Is it a bluff or are there really speed detector cameras here?

Anyone been stopped?

I was stopped in a largish traffic police speed sting trap, I was told I was clocked at 110kph (90 limit) I thought I was doing 120 but didn't feel the need o correct the guy. He said that there was a camera futher back along the road, I didn't see it, but it implies that it was a hand held unit with a radio link to the guys pulling the cars over at the top of the hill.

I saw on Thai TV a year or so ago an item talking about installing GATSO cameras on Highway 2.

Changes like these make the 100 Baht speeding tax welcome.

In nearly 10 years of driving in and around Chiang Rai, I've never seen anyone pulled over for speeding. Neither have I ever seen anyone reprimanded for going through a red light - both of which happen minute by minute.

The only cop action has been checks of motorbikes for papers and/or helmets - 95% of whom are pretty young women - no surprise, when you figure the cops are mostly young men and what better way for them to meet a gal than to put her in a vulnerable situation, where she demures and giggles and worries.

...oh, and the cops are full of alacrity when it comes to ticketing older vehicles (never late model cars with parking lights flashing) that are parked questionably within 2 blocks of the main police station. You can even get a parking ticket when parked near baby blue signs with a big white P on them. It would seem they allow parking with those benign colors, but the subjectivity of the cop is paramount - as it is with all offenses in Thailand.

If you ask them, they'll say no parking within 40 meters of a corner, but again, subjectivity rules - so it's up to the whim of the cop on duty and the whether the vehicle looks important of not.