I got stopped by the police on my scooter

[eisfeld]

29 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I was fined 200 baht for driving on a dual carriageway near Saraburi......... I was told I did not have permission to drive on it?

There are highways in and around BKK where motorbikes are not allowed and you are supposed to ride on the frontage road. It's really hard to tell sometimes where you can and can't ride a bike but there are occasionally signs. Doesn't help that Google Maps will try to make you go on the main lanes. It can help to observe how others are riding. If every motorbike is on the frontage road and noone goes on the main one then maybe try to stay there too. Of course they don't always follow the rules so it can be really tricky.

[carabaothai]

You must go to police station on beach road Pattaya and pay the fine because it's written you don't have driving licence (valid). I think the fine is 200 THB. 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, eisfeld said:

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

I was fined 200 baht for driving on a dual carriageway near Saraburi......... I was told I did not have permission to drive on it?

There are highways in and around BKK where motorbikes are not allowed and you are supposed to ride on the frontage road. It's really hard to tell sometimes where you can and can't ride a bike but there are occasionally signs. Doesn't help that Google Maps will try to make you go on the main lanes. It can help to observe how others are riding. If every motorbike is on the frontage road and noone goes on the main one then maybe try to stay there too. Of course they don't always follow the rules so it can be really tricky.

He wrote ‘driving’....  which I assume means ‘driving a car’... rather than ‘riding a motorcycle’.

 

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Riding my motorcycle I got caught out in the ‘centre’ of vibhavadi rangsit road (cars only) - at the north of BKK the road splits to the ‘central lanes’ and the ‘frontage road’..  I managed not to take the frontage road (actually my access was blocked off by a pickup speeding up the inside - so I decided not to take the left lanes)... at the next exit onto the frontage there was a Policeman who waved me over - I knew exactly what for...  He wasn’t accepting my excuse and clearly wanted money so I gave him 100 baht said thank you and rode off before he could negotiate !

 

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In my car in about 10 years ago...  I was stopped on Petchaburi (2 police officer pseudo check point), they pulled me over, my tax was out of date. I politely argued with them for 5 mins (I was sure it was not out of date), I took a photo and whatsapped the wife (I can’t read Thai), Yep, my Tax was 3 months out of date. I laughed, oops, my mistake, I said I’ll go straight to the DLT and get tax. The BiB wanted to write me a ticket (I can’t remember how much the charge was) or pay 400 baht fine there...  I gave him 100 baht, smiled, said thank you and started to drive off,  he started shouting 300 baht !!... then it dropped to 200 baht.. but I was already moving off....  

 

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The key point in any of these encounters was ’show the licence’ but don’t let them take it. 

On a Motorcycle, don’t let them take the keys - don’t give them any control. Be polite, let them know you are not intimidated, smile, be relaxed, but don’t be a push-over - its just a game. 

 

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The BiB stopped a friend and tried to ’take the key’ the friend firmly grabbed the Police officers wrist (as he tried to take the key)... my friend smiled, said No ! (firmly, but not aggressively)... then took the key and put it in is own pocket with a smile....  Bingo, officer knows this is not his first rodeo !

 

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All of that said - in Bangkok, I’ve been stopped so very few times.....  twice on my motorcycle... 

I can’t remember when I was last stopped in my car - I’d made a mistake and turned left where I shouldn’t (I just said I was lost, asked for directions and the BiB was helpful). 

I think in total I’ve been stopped about 7 or 8 times in 20+ years of driving here....   perhaps had to pay a fine just a 3 or 4 times.... So its not that bad.

 

But, from the so many stories its clear the BiB in Pattaya do target a lot of motorcyclists.

 

 

 

[MrJ2U]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:58 AM, BritManToo said:

No driving licence, 200-400bh fine.

Just think of it as a foreigner tax for driving in Thailand.

If you'd had a d/l he would have just made up another offense.

Easier to just slip him 200 baht inside your passport or licence.

 

Hassle going to the station.

 

200 baht.

[tethys]

6 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Easier to just slip him 200 baht inside your passport or licence.

 

How many percentage of chance you have that it works?

[eisfeld]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

He wrote ‘driving’....  which I assume means ‘driving a car’... rather than ‘riding a motorcycle’.

I think you are reading too much into it. It wouldn't make any sense if he was driving a car.

[Will B Good]

5 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Tut, tut. Should have been in the service road?

An out and out tea money exercise.......I was tootling along, never drive 'fast' (driving 50 years without some much as a scratch (probably die tomorrow)), pulled over.....Papers, licence, passport please......pay now, or go to the police station and pay double.

[Will B Good]

5 hours ago, eisfeld said:

There are highways in and around BKK where motorbikes are not allowed and you are supposed to ride on the frontage road.

Did not know that!!

[VocalNeal]

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

An out and out tea money exercise..

Then just pay the money and be on your way. Easy. 

 

It like the lottery in reverse.

[VocalNeal]

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Did not know that!!

There are signs telling you. Also not allowed on overpasses with no shoulder or semblance of emergency lane.

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

There are signs telling you. Also not allowed on overpasses with no shoulder or semblance of emergency lane.

Who the hell rides a motorbike with no shoulder?

[VocalNeal]

Are you trying to shoulder the blame? 

[Will B Good]

Just now, VocalNeal said:

Are you trying to shoulder the blame? 

That's what's in the hump .....55

[Photoguy21]

23 hours ago, tethys said:

Its not exactly the same thing. You dont have to pass any test to get your IDP. Its just a formality. Your license issued in your country is valid for a life time.

The UK license is not issued for life at all. If you cant be bothered to get your license renewed and get an IDP then don't complain if you get fined. Might sound harsh but it is your responsibility to have the correct documents. I have a Thai driving license and when it near the time to renew it i do what is necessary. I have never driven without a valid license and insurance.

[Will B Good]

I got stopped by the police on my scooter........what were they doing in your scooter?

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

An out and out tea money exercise.......I was tootling along, never drive 'fast' (driving 50 years without some much as a scratch (probably die tomorrow)), pulled over.....Papers, licence, passport please......pay now, or go to the police station and pay double.

So... were you riding or driving ?

 

 

 

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

So... were you riding or driving ?

 

 

 

Defo driving (a car)....but he put heart and soul into that response......... I wasn't going to say anything.

[PremiumLane]

9 hours ago, phutoie2 said:

What insurance?, if he has a scooter, probably just the por ror bor, third party CTPL.

ehh that is the point.... if you have a licence you can get insurance that will cover you. You can get decent enough insurance for a scooter, covers you hitting someone else - I have it through Honda

[MrJ2U]

4 hours ago, tethys said:

How many percentage of chance you have that it works?

It works every time.

 

I'm surprised you didn't know that those police roadblocks aren't geared for safety reasons.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, Will B Good said:

I got stopped by the police on my scooter........what were they doing in your scooter?

...what were they doing in your scooter?...... how could the police get in a scooter ?

[Pooreye]

My last IDP expired 3 years ago.
I had to show my license for the Police at roadside about 5 times in those 3 years, and they never asked for an IDP... 

My home country license clearly shows picturewise it`s valid for big bikes, if that makes the police more friendly I don’t know but I think so! I drive only various bikes here.

And 2 years ago I was hit by a car, the car`s insurance guy come and wrote a report, studied my license and took pic of it too. The bike, they would take care of it he said when I headed for to be patched up a little bit.
Two months later they paid the bike in full, no talk about lack of IDP.
All my encounters with them was in BKK area I may add.

[jvs]

7 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Funny as I DiD get in an accident AND the previous guys ins covered ME!!   true story

 

Ive had 5-6 honda dreams  never put them in my name--had a few run ins with cops and nothing ever said------resell to other farangs with green books----no issues

 

my thai buddy says is cos u=im farang cops let me off....i even asked about getting my green book updated etc after yrs of ownership--would be about 2500 bt-----

 

no real issue for me ive had the honda for years--will just run it into the ground or a guy said he would let me trade it in if I bought another used bike from him......

 

is a 95 dream so any accidents is super cheap to fix and easy access for used parts --paid 9000 for it and already got my $$$ worth out of it......when in rome do as the romans do!

 

 

Yes possible,you were lucky.Many cases where people are not so lucky and then we

will see a go fund me request.

Small  accident will maybe not be a real problem but when people are seriously hurt

or people die you will be in big trouble unless of course you have millions of baht in

your back pocket.

 

 

[Ralf001]

14 hours ago, PremiumLane said:

ehh that is the point.... if you have a licence you can get insurance that will cover you. You can get decent enough insurance for a scooter, covers you hitting someone else - I have it through Honda

You don't need a licence to get insurance.

 

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

You don't need a licence to get insurance.

 

But, will you be covered by insurance without license.

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

But, will you be covered by insurance without license.

Of course not and I never said you would.

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

7 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Of course not and I never said you would.

 

 

That's comical, 

[Ralf001]

22 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

That's comical, 

Comical in that you do not need a licence to get insurance or in that the insurance is not valid if you try to make an accident claim when you do not have a licence ?

[EVENKEEL]

47 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Comical in that you do not need a licence to get insurance or in that the insurance is not valid if you try to make an accident claim when you do not have a licence ?

Comical in that you would bother saying you don't need a license to buy insurance that you can't use because you have no license.

[PremiumLane]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

You don't need a licence to get insurance.

 

no <deleted> Sherlock, but without a licence all you will get is the <deleted>ty Por Ror Bor to pay out. Good luck claiming on any other insurance without a licence, and good luck dealing with the cops when you have a major accident involving others and they find you are illegal on the road. 

[PremiumLane]

For those saying the compulsory Por Ror Bor is insurance so you will be OK. 

Last year I was hit by a car, cops said it was his fault - which it was, he pulled across two lanes to make a shortcut on a uturn, without looking.

 

He had a licence and the only insurance he had was the Por Ror Bor, I have a licence and am fully insured. Sp, I got his Por Ror Bor (40,000), but the cops gave me the option of getting him to pay more out of his own pocket as the accident was his fault and he didn't have any other insurance. So, if it is your fault they will do this to you.