What’s the actual fine?

[AustinRacing]

An upset relative of wife in NE had her husband pulled over by police and was charged for overloading his truck. The police asked 20k to let it slide. He didn’t have the money so he had to go court today. What would be the legal fine in this case?

[CharlieH]

Hard to say, but the court will usually offer payment terms if not able to pay, roadside cop wont.

[Upnotover]

Interesting you ask here rather than the wife ask her relative.  Are you anticipating a call for help?  20k for sure sounds a lot.

[scubascuba3]

Fine fair enough, overloading is dangerous

[chickenslegs]

Full list of fines under the Land Traffic Act 1979 here:

http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2563/E/195/T_0009.PDF

 

This was published about 2 years ago. It's all in Thai (which I can't read), but there's nothing over 1,000 baht listed.

 

Of course, the offence may come within some different legislation with higher penalties - but 20,000 baht, for overloading alone, seems improbable.

[4MyEgo]

55 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

An upset relative of wife in NE had her husband pulled over by police and was charged for overloading his truck. The police asked 20k to let it slide. He didn’t have the money so he had to go court today. What would be the legal fine in this case?

So an upset relative of your wife had her husband pulled over by the cops and fined 20k baht for overloading his truck.

 

That has got to be a 1st, I see trucks overloaded everyday in the NE and the cops do nothing.

 

Sounds like something is out of place, I hope your wife is not suggesting you to help out ?

[AustinRacing]

32 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

So an upset relative of your wife had her husband pulled over by the cops and fined 20k baht for overloading his truck.

 

That has got to be a 1st, I see trucks overloaded everyday in the NE and the cops do nothing.

 

Sounds like something is out of place, I hope your wife is not suggesting you to help out ?

Oh no not asking us for money. They can afford it. Didn’t have cash readily available and I think he didn’t want to pay the police.  I just found it surprising that 20k was asked. I didn’t think it would’ve been that much. Perhaps more to it than what we know. So farangs are not the only ones being gouged by the BIB. One of my neighbors here is a retired police from that region. His house is worth over 15mil. Makes you wonder the depth of it. 

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

Oh no not asking us for money. They can afford it. Didn’t have cash readily available and I think he didn’t want to pay the police.  I just found it surprising that 20k was asked. I didn’t think it would’ve been that much. Perhaps more to it than what we know. So farangs are not the only ones being gouged by the BIB. One of my neighbors here is a retired police from that region. His house is worth over 15mil. Makes you wonder the depth of it. 

In that case, he should let it go to court, cops here as you would be aware, are corrupt as buggery, my wife was called in, long story, they wanted 30,000 baht, she said see you in court, as she left, they said ok 5,000 final offer, she said 4 and the deal was done.

 

I said why didn't you let it go to court, she said, she didn't have the time, and of course, you don't know what the judge would do, ok, I said, your country, you know what your doing.

 

If it were me, no doubt it would have cost me more in court....LOL, you know, the old principal thing.

[KhunLA]

What kind of truck, and how much was he overweight, and was that the only violation, or simply the one that got him noticed ?

 

We talking pick up truck, or 18 wheeler ?  If a farang & pick up truck, sounds a bit steep, unless full of merchandise to be sold.  More to the story, or just a tea money grab gone south ?

[wprime]

An overloaded vehicle's load fell on my car in Chonburi and police threatened him with a fine that was around 20k unless he accepted civil liability for the damaged. As I understood it, it comes under a different act that targets recklessness by enterprises so the fines are much higher as they're expected to be used against corporations.

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, wprime said:

An overloaded vehicle's load fell on my car in Chonburi and police threatened him with a fine that was around 20k unless he accepted civil liability for the damaged. As I understood it, it comes under a different act that targets recklessness by enterprises so the fines are much higher as they're expected to be used against corporations.

High fines, as they should be.  Anyone dumb enough to overload their truck is definitely dumb enough to kill someone because of it.  20k sound cheap to me.

[AustinRacing]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

What kind of truck, and how much was he overweight, and was that the only violation, or simply the one that got him noticed ?

 

We talking pick up truck, or 18 wheeler ?  If a farang & pick up truck, sounds a bit steep, unless full of merchandise to be sold.  More to the story, or just a tea money grab gone south ?

Not this truck but something like this. Apparently he was loaded with sugar cane by-product and taking it to a farm nearby. They must have done it “Thai style” ie load until cannot fit no more! I tend to agree with you regarding tea money thing. Must’ve been a new cop or one with a large debt. The relative is a local and quite a savvy businessman over there. He must’ve laughed at him. I’ll find out the court outcome soon. 

[KhunLA]

Ah ... the dreaded slow A$$ overloaded sugar cane trucks.  Can think a few citable violations when seeing them.

 

Weight overload

Height overload / beyond manufacturer's structure

Uncovered load

Extend out too far from rear of truck

No warning flag on 'extended load'

No warning light if night time

Load obscuring tail lights and or registration tags

Registration not current and or insured

Driving not licensed, current or wrong license to operate

If safety stop inspection; indicater lights inop, worn tires

 

20k might have been getting off cheap.

[sanuk711]

How did he (cop) know that he was overloaded---you mean not from weight, because he couldn't weigh him---just the goods were sticking over---or what?

 

In Issan the Sugar Cane trucks really overload--to the point of being dangerous , covering their back lights etc. A lot of the roads up here dont have lighting,  The trucks take the back roads a lot when they are overloaded--& sometimes they just pull over for the guy to sleep a little, back roads are small & their all black so sometimes your on them before you realize.

 

 

But...They Still  have to pay the Chang Tax if they want  to drive through the  Issan country roads...............

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by sanuk711

[seajae]

when we were getting top soil for our land  from a mine the wife manages the truck was pulled over by the cops and they said it was overloaded even though it wasnt even a full load, turned out the wifes company doesnt pay the cops that run area any protection money for the trucks to use that road. Unless you grease the palms of the cops they will pull you over, you only need to see all the pickups/trucks overloaded beyond a joke on the highways to see that they are protected because they pay the cops to be able to load illegally and get away with it, in Thailand the cops do as they please and demand whatever they want and the govt turns a blind eye to it all, money rules

[KhunLA]

4 hours ago, seajae said:

when we were getting top soil for our land  from a mine the wife manages the truck was pulled over by the cops and they said it was overloaded even though it wasnt even a full load, turned out the wifes company doesnt pay the cops that run area any protection money for the trucks to use that road. Unless you grease the palms of the cops they will pull you over, you only need to see all the pickups/trucks overloaded beyond a joke on the highways to see that they are protected because they pay the cops to be able to load illegally and get away with it, in Thailand the cops do as they please and demand whatever they want and the govt turns a blind eye to it all, money rules

Actually that's a good thing, weight enforcement,  not the corruption to allow illegal loads.   Same, when orderng top soil, small trucks full, large half full, to keep under the weight limit.  

 

Though sadly too many exceeding due to corruption, and the road was c r a p after a while, needing resurfacing.   Using up Tambon budget which could have been spent elsewhere, where needed.  At the school possible, or water management.   Corruption affects everything.

Edited February 28, 2022 by KhunLA

[bbko]

In the US, commercial drivers with commercial driver's license are fined at a much higher price that the average driver, even if driving a normal car.  They are schooled in the driving laws and should know better.

[wprime]

On 2/24/2022 at 11:26 PM, KhunLA said:

High fines, as they should be.  Anyone dumb enough to overload their truck is definitely dumb enough to kill someone because of it.  20k sound cheap to me.

In the end he only got a 400 baht fine for dangerous driving because he accepted civil liability for the damages so they waived the 20k fine (doubt he could've afforded it anyway).

 

The dangerous driving fine was because he swung across two lanes suddenly which is why his load fell on my car (thankfully had a dash cam of the whole thing).

 

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/24/2022 at 6:13 PM, 4MyEgo said:

So an upset relative of your wife had her husband pulled over by the cops and fined 20k baht for overloading his truck.

"...pulled over by the cops and fined 20k baht for overloading his truck".

No, as the OP explained, that is exactly not what happened.   He has not been fined anything, yet, he's going to court.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

On 2/24/2022 at 6:53 PM, AustinRacing said:

So farangs are not the only ones being gouged by the BIB.

The driver of the illegally overloaded truck wasn't "gouged", he's taking it to court, you said so yourself. 

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"...pulled over by the cops and fined 20k baht for overloading his truck".

No, as the OP explained, that is exactly not what happened.   He has not been fined anything, yet, he's going to court.

You are correct, however you missed the point: "The police asked 20k to let it slide. He didn’t have the money so he had to go court today. What would be the legal fine in this case?"