Police cannot confiscate driver’s licences when issuing tickets, starting September 20

[Khun Paul]

4 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Foreigner passports?

No they are not allowed to seize or even confiscate a Foreign Passport un less a serious criminal offence has been committed and the foreigner is in CUSTODY 

[Jean Marie]

I don’t see the issue here. I was pulled up at a check point at a small village in Isaan. I was asked for my licence -Australian-, where I lived (more for the officer to practice his English) and handed my licence back with a curteous « Than you sir, have a nice stay in Thailand ». All smiles. So why this continuous wingeing from some of us farangs.. ? 

[ujayujay]

Who cares. 50% have no DL anyway????

[Pattaya46]

Maybe a naive question, but why would a policeman confiscate your licence ? 

What's the point? and mostly, how would you get it back? 

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Can they take Thai ID cards?

They cannot take anything unless you are stupid enough to let them, unless

of course they pull a gun on you.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, legend49 said:

Come September 20 I can go back out on the roads without being hassled by the tea money brigade?

Yippee! Now I can ride my bigger bike down the highways which says "no motorbikes" without keeping 300Bt handy. ????

Edited August 29, 2019 by possum1931

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

LOL, they can't take your license but they sure can take your money!!!

 

Not unless you are stupid enough to let them.

[Brunovski]

what is the definition of "promptly pay"

[ChrisvS]

5 hours ago, darrenr said:

So what about us foreigners , I have the problem in KoH Chang that if I want to rent a bike they want my passport- No Way , so they want my Australian driver licence which only leaves me with my international licence , try explaining that to the Thai police as they want to see both !

I have lived/am living on Koh Chang and never had my licence confiscated. Show licence and go.

 

[RichardColeman]

18 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

have to promptly pay the fines at the police stations, or they would face a five-fold increase in the penalties within a time frame.

................or immediate five fold increase for farang

[Chazar]

3 hours ago, Guderian said:

They'll probably start confiscating the TM30 receipts from farangs instead, make them go and file another TM30 report at a crowded Immigration office, a far worse punishment than having to go and pay a fine and pick up your licence at a cop shop.

or  checking to see if you have one if  nothing else is wrong

[Chazar]

1 hour ago, Jean Marie said:

I don’t see the issue here. I was pulled up at a check point at a small village in Isaan. I was asked for my licence -Australian-, where I lived (more for the officer to practice his English) and handed my licence back with a curteous « Than you sir, have a nice stay in Thailand ». All smiles. So why this continuous wingeing from some of us farangs.. ? 

so you dont live  here permanently  then?

[Pattaya46]

16 minutes ago, Chazar said:

1 hour ago, Jean Marie said:

.. handed my licence back with a curteous « Than you sir, have a nice stay in Thailand ». All smiles. So why this continuous wingeing from some of us farangs.. ? 

so you dont live  here permanently  then?

What would that change?  I live here permanently and the only difference is that I show them a Thai driving licence, not a foreign one. The result is the same though: The policeman give it back to me with a Thank You. 

[natway09]

So seriously, what have we achieved here assuming the news is correct

47% of motorists do not have a current licence & a staggering 76% of fines are never paid.

Maybe they should spend some time & effort fixing the above first

[jamestip1947]

7 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Take their guns away too! Ridiculous rule.

How can you take their guns off them when  the officer OWNS his gun!!!! Very dangerous . They go to bars and get drunk after work or even when on duty and take their gun with them. Ad that to all the other things the police have to provide for them self like a scooter , uniform, boots ,webbing.. They have to be corrupt just to look after themselves, Who knows how much if anything goes to the common cause as well

[searcher22]

20 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

Does the police also know that they are not allowed to do that from september 20?

I was pulled over and ticketed at a police checkpoint two days ago for not having my yearly sticker posted on the windshield (my fault). When I asked the policeman to give me back my driver's licence, he said "no... new rule only starts September 20." Had to go pick up my licence at the station the following day.

Edited August 29, 2019 by searcher22

[tigerfeet]

8 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Foreigner passports?

It not yours it belongs to the uk it should never leave your possession a copy or thai license will do .only time any foreign police can take it is if your charged with a criminal offence.

[yardrunner]

10 hours ago, bdenner said:

No - Just let em ride off without their helmets. Too stupid to use them anyway, even in the rain!

no they will ride off carrying an umbrella

[Sonhia]

It was clearly stated on TV.com, a week or so ago, that from the 20th August 2019, the new law was to be active!

 

I forget this is Thailand, where goal posts are constantly being moved. Not surprising considering Thai are so fickle by nature...

[TooSweaty]

The police unfortunately make their own rules. 

[Chazar]

Cannot or WILL  NOT  though?

[brianthainess]

12 hours ago, Colabamumbai said:

Don't carry it nor photocopy, none of their business who I am. 

Then pay the fine and have them come to your hotel/house. easy problem solved.  DOH ! But they will make it their business, as it is their business, whatever you may like to think.

[brianthainess]

12 hours ago, darrenr said:

So what about us foreigners , I have the problem in KoH Chang that if I want to rent a bike they want my passport- No Way , so they want my Australian driver licence which only leaves me with my international licence , try explaining that to the Thai police as they want to see both !

They can not keep your passport. buy thai law you must carry your passport at all times. give them a copy or rent from another shop.

[JamJar]

9 hours ago, OffshoreMig said:

I prefer they take my Thai Licence.  Otherwise they take the keys to my bike.

 

You remind me of someone who used to train at the World Gym on Samui. A fellow trainer just picked up his water bottle and drank his water. He did and said nothing. Oh how we ribbed him....in good spirits.

 

The first thing I do is to remove the keys from the ignition. None of that silliness of them trying to grab my keys and hold them to ransom.

 

 

[IvorBiggun2]

11 hours ago, Moti24 said:

And if they don't issue tickets!  What will be the choice of scenarios?

You ask for a ticket. If no ticket is given then you do not pay. Simple innit?

[DaRoadrunner]

So they can no longer take our licence.... but I'm sure money will do just fine.

[Max69xl]

15 hours ago, swifty5x5 said:

thats against the law

There's no law demanding you to carry around a passport 24/7.

It's just a misunderstanding. 

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

16 hours ago, swifty5x5 said:

thats against the law

There's no law demanding you to carry around a passport 24/7.

It's just a misunderstanding. 

 

I 'think' there is a law that requires all people to carry around a 'government issued ID which has a color photograph' - The Thai Driving License fits this purpose.

 

Immigration regulations are that a foreigner must be able to prove their immigration status within a 'reasonable timeframe' (this is obviously flexible, but an hour is reasonable in my book). 

 

Only a Police Lieutenant or higher can ask you for your ID, non-commissioned officers cannot ask you for your ID unless accompanied by a Police Lieutenant or higher. 

 

A Police Lieutenant or higher can ask for your immigration status and passport, if accompanied by an Immigration Officer (which must be produced within a reasonable timeframe). 

 

You cannot be searched on the streets, any searches have to take place back at the station and administered by a Police Lieutenant or higher.

 

 

These are the regulations as I have read and understand them - Even my Thai friends a number of whom are Police and Immigration officers, Colonels etc are unaware of these regulations, so really, the regulations are of very little use anyway.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2019 by richard_smith237

[IvorBiggun2]

11 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Only a Police Lieutenant or higher can ask you for your ID, non-commissioned officers cannot ask you for your ID unless accompanied by a Police Lieutenant or higher. 

So if a traffic cop asks for my D/L I can refuse to show it if there is no officer present? If I don't show it then I get fined.

[30la]

What license do you talk about? A lot of Thai people don't even know how it's made!