On 12/17/2019 at 8:05 AM, wgdanson said:

I wonder which part Shy Coconut was confused at.

And you Sunny Boy.

13 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

The school is located on Suk across from water slides.

Could you be a bit more precise Sukhumvit is a very long road...water slides ?????   Cartoon Network ??

On 12/16/2019 at 5:51 PM, Eindhoven said:

Never let them take your keys.

yeah I just beat the <deleted> out of them and drive off.

42 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yeah I just beat the <deleted> out of them and drive off.

Lame, I get my barfine to start screaming , works wonders when you tell her they taking part of her pay ????

8 hours ago, johng said:

Could you be a bit more precise Sukhumvit is a very long road...water slides ?????   Cartoon Network ??

Take Suk south, pass Cartoon Network, there's a Motorbike Dealership on your left in front of stop lights, the school is directly behind dealership, same building. You'll see driving course. I got the brochure for school from Kawasaki Dealer on Suk. It's called Mityon Driving School owned by the dealership. First day is solid computer test taking, second day riding the course and third day test on computer and practical on the course. A few instructors speak English.

18 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Take Suk south, pass Cartoon Network, there's a Motorbike Dealership on your left in front of stop lights, the school is directly behind dealership

Here maybe ?

https://www.google.com/maps/@12.7603461,100.9042722,3a,47.6y,110.83h,94.74t/data=!3m10!1e1!3m8!1s8uoUyT_WustCZ91ha5jNEA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D8uoUyT_WustCZ91ha5jNEA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D306.49567%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i47

 

On 12/16/2019 at 5:40 PM, sitanonchai said:

... This friend is a regular visitor (once a year) and is now <deleted> off and won't visit again due to discrimination of farangs by the Thai police...

Once a year? Not regular enough.

There is a good reason to stop tourists, firstly if you are wearing a crash helmet that isn't clipped so would easily fall off. They are fining you for risking your life and limb at the expense of medical services. if you aren't correctly insured, and perhaps unable to pay. In the UK you know the police would be on you if driving in flip flops etc. It is known that Thai's will receive minimum medical services, or just die in an accident, their country their choice! You will receive full care and attention, so best to follow the rules, sure they will pick on you if, when you don't follow the basic rules! They are only thinking and trying to help you take care!

3 minutes ago, phetpeter said:

There is a good reason to stop tourists, firstly if you are wearing a crash helmet that isn't clipped so would easily fall off. They are fining you for risking your life and limb at the expense of medical services. if you aren't correctly insured, and perhaps unable to pay. In the UK you know the police would be on you if driving in flip flops etc. It is known that Thai's will receive minimum medical services, or just die in an accident, their country their choice! You will receive full care and attention, so best to follow the rules, sure they will pick on you if, when you don't follow the basic rules! They are only thinking and trying to help you take care!

"When I dream, there is nothing I can't do"

I used to always rent a scooter visiting Thailand but no more due to this <deleted>, must be killing the scooter rental businesses.

7 hours ago, johng said:

Here maybe ?

https://www.google.com/maps/@12.7603461,100.9042722,3a,47.6y,110.83h,94.74t/data=!3m10!1e1!3m8!1s8uoUyT_WustCZ91ha5jNEA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D8uoUyT_WustCZ91ha5jNEA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D306.49567%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!9m2!1b1!2i47

 

That's the one.

On 12/17/2019 at 9:22 PM, sunnyboy2018 said:

The police are criticised when they dont enforce the law and criticized when they do enforce the law. Im tired of farang complaining all the time. Some farang just seem out of their depth with NO idea of the social mores and values in this country and they should never come here. Go to the Maldives or Singapore...anywhere but here!

 

I agree, some foreigners here lack the balance to recognize when they are in the wrong and think they are being targeted. 

 

That said the story is of a group of motorcyclists stopped at the traffic lights, all Thai with the exception of two Westerners. It is only the Westerners who are checked. This seems to me that the BiB have specifically singled out those Westerners when there were others (Thai's) in obvious breach of the law. 

 

This does seem to be a specific targeting of Westerners and its not the first time this has been reported in 'tourist hot spots'.

 

Conversely, in Bangkok, as a foreigner I feel the opposite. In my car and on my motorcycle the BiB show a degree of complete indifference to my presence and even on a couple of occasions when I've made a traffic infraction I've flipped up my helmet (showing my western face) and been waved on, this has also happened in the car. 

Of course, I've also been stopped and had to pay a fine for making a mistake.

 

No specific feeling of being specifically targeted when riding or driving around Bangkok is quite normal. I imagine the feeling is a little different in areas such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket where there seem to be more reports of foreigners being targeted. 

 

 

 

 

Quote

This friend is a regular visitor (once a year) and is now <deleted> off and won't visit again due to discrimination of farangs by the Thai police

Only the year realize it? It's ordinary duty for them. Won't visit again Thailand is the correct choice and also suggest friends not to come here because is becoming no farangs land day by day.

On December 17, 2019 at 9:31 AM, sunnyboy2018 said:

A lot of us have been to many SE Asian countries Vietnam is OK..of course they seek to profit from tourists.

But you certainly don't see the police trying to profit from tourists, as a matter of fact, we are waved thru most checkpoints with a smile. They are smart enough to to not hassle the tourists.

big difference.

Just for the record, Vietnam is a third world scruffy sh**ole who's level of corruption has Thailand green with envy, who's dual pricing through the dollar/dong interchange makes Thais drool with envy, who's traffic issues make Thailand seem efficient, and is run by the evil 'Kaaammmunists.'

 

So understand that if the Vietnamese police fancy nicking you on the road, they bloody well will and you'll pay what they ask you for or disappear for a while.

 

Capisce?

13 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

That's the one.

It's quite a way out of Pattaya city..I think anyone who managed to drive themself there ( in one piece from Pattaya) would not need much more tuition ????

9 hours ago, Traubert said:

Just for the record, Vietnam is a third world scruffy sh**ole who's level of corruption has Thailand green with envy, who's dual pricing through the dollar/dong interchange makes Thais drool with envy, who's traffic issues make Thailand seem efficient, and is run by the evil 'Kaaammmunists.'

 

So understand that if the Vietnamese police fancy nicking you on the road, they bloody well will and you'll pay what they ask you for or disappear for a while.

 

Capisce?

Vietnam is a time travel. in 10-20 years it will be completely different,

and this discouragement to Vietnam obviously has its goals ..

 

Vietnamese policemen are ok ..but maybe they treat Chinese people

as Thai police treat "white" people .. it would not surprise me.

On 12/17/2019 at 9:52 AM, possum1931 said:

What they have to do and what they will do are two different things.

 

I have been travelling to Thailand for longer than most. Mine is not some theoretical hypothesis.

 

Don't give them your keys. They generally don't insist. The one that did got a firm and polite no. He gave up. They don't have any right to take your keys and I have no idea as to why anyone might think that they do.

They don't need to keys to take the bike off to the pound, whilst you are away paying a fine, in order to squeeze some more baht out of you.

 

Also the nonsense of temporarily 'confiscating' your bike, so that you feel more inclined to take the service of the "win-in-cahoots".

 

If you have a lock, lock it, to make sure that they cannot remove it to a pound whilst you go to pay. They are already <deleted> off that you didn't hand over the 1000 baht.

 

Don't make it easy for the scoundrels.

On 12/16/2019 at 10:40 AM, sitanonchai said:

He asked the police officer right away why he was fined and showed his valid int. driver license incl.  motor stamp, tax was paid and the motorcycle was 100 % ok.

The police officer didn't respond to his question and at the police office there was only an older officer on duty with no English skills.

So you don't know why he was fined and that's the basis for your rant?  You should find that out if you want any credibility.

 

Maybe he actually was breaking the law (and certainly he was dumb) so it may well be a fair outcome.

10 hours ago, johng said:

It's quite a way out of Pattaya city..I think anyone who managed to drive themself there ( in one piece from Pattaya) would not need much more tuition ????

They were a help in passing the computer test, you get a chance to practice riding the narrow plank. When you finish the course they give you all the paperwork needed for license at Land office.

 

On 12/20/2019 at 1:41 AM, Traubert said:

Just for the record, Vietnam is a third world scruffy sh**ole who's level of corruption has Thailand green with envy, who's dual pricing through the dollar/dong interchange makes Thais drool with envy, who's traffic issues make Thailand seem efficient, and is run by the evil 'Kaaammmunists.'

 

So understand that if the Vietnamese police fancy nicking you on the road, they bloody well will and you'll pay what they ask you for or disappear for a while.

 

Capisce?

very very rare for police in vietnam to pick on or ask for bribes from foreigners.

Post the ticket on here and some people on here will translate it for you.

 

Your story is pointless without knowing what he supposedly did wrong.

On 12/17/2019 at 7:42 PM, tabarin said:

Just let him visit Vietnam instead, I will recommend it to everyone as a tourist. 

 

Not as an expat (yet) but as tourist, certainly. Cheaper, unique, vibrant and engaging Vietnamese that are not looking for money benefits.

Not yet, give 'em time.

 

It's early days yet.

On 12/17/2019 at 9:22 PM, sunnyboy2018 said:

The police are criticised when they dont enforce the law and criticized when they do enforce the law. Im tired of farang complaining all the time. Some farang just seem out of their depth with NO idea of the social mores and values in this country and they should never come here. Go to the Maldives or Singapore...anywhere but here!

How is it our business to tell people where they should and should never go. We're just guests in Thailand like everyone else if we're foreigners.

 

Unless you're a Thai in which case such remarks are justifiable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inflammatory post reported and removed.

 

Seen traffic police wave on helmetless Thai mbike riders even with very young children ! Often the attitude is "poor locals with not much money "