Police Road Blocks/Stops

[MangoKorat]

When I first drove in Thailand over 20 years ago, I was often stopped after going through tolls or when entering a tollway. Then there were the constant road blocks at which, as a foreigner, I was seen as a prime target and duly pulled over on some spurious charge or other.  There were constant reports of the same from others on various forums, chat rooms etc. It was common place and well known.

 

I heard that shortly after the last military coup, the police were stopped from conducting most of their roadside stops/block etc. but they seem to be common again now. However, even though I probably drive more in Thailand now than ever, its been at least 5 years since I've been stopped by the police and I am almost always waved through at road blocks.

 

What's changed?  Is it dashcams and mobile phone cameras they are afraid of?

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by MangoKorat

[cooked]

I believe that the idea was that the police were no longer allowed to organise end of the month tea money checks without approval from higher up. I used to remark on a certain stretch of road when there were no checks. The check points that you do see now seem to be definitely looking for someone or something special, as long as you have your tax and insurance proof you can go on through. 

[KhunLA]

7 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

When I first drove in Thailand over 20 years ago, I was often stopped after going through tolls or when entering a tollway. Then there were the constant road blocks at which, as a foreigner, I was seen as a prime target and duly pulled over on some spurious charge or other.  There were constant reports of the same from others on various forums, chat rooms etc. It was common place and well known.

 

I heard that shortly after the last military coup, the police were stopped from conducting most of their roadside stops/block etc. but they seem to be common again now. However, even though I probably drive more in Thailand now than ever, its been at least 5 years since I've been stopped by the police and I am almost always waved through at road blocks.

 

What's changed?  Is it dashcams and mobile phone cameras they are afraid of?

 

Why do you expect to be stopped now.   Are you driving legally?  Then shouldn't be an issue, that's why you're waved through.

[KhunBENQ]

Towards Khon Kaen and Udon Thani there are road blocks on an arbitrary basis. They have laser speed checking devices before the checkpoints.

So besides the usual tax/overloaded trucks they make good money from speed violations.

1000 Baht is the minimum fine now.

But as most checkpoints are at fixed locations the experienced locals aren't bothered.

[bkk6060]

They are mostly checking for expired tags in the window or people on their phones.  In more remote areas focused on drug traffickers.

Edited October 13, 2023 by bkk6060

[carlyai]

The catch now is to erect 90km/h speed camera signs in ridiculous places, like 4 lane straight highways. 

Maybe time to get a radar camera.

[recom273]

45 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Towards Khon Kaen and Udon Thani there are road blocks on an arbitrary basis. They have laser speed checking devices before the checkpoints.

So besides the usual tax/overloaded trucks they make good money from speed violations.

1000 Baht is the minimum fine now.

But as most checkpoints are at fixed locations the experienced locals aren't bothered.

Correct, the only times I see people getting pulled over are tall sided pickups and tax dodgers.

 

Have you ever been caught in a speed trap? my regular route is returning through Ban Fang, on the Chaiyapum road, the policeman sits there with a striped umbrella with his laser gun. I have been clocked at 110 and never pulled over, not too sure what speed you need to do to be fined. 

[novacova]

5 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Correct, the only times I see people getting pulled over are tall sided pickups and tax dodgers.

….& tourists driving rentals 

[KhunLA]

Cry about no enforcement, leading to high death rate ...

 

... then cry about check points that save lives, go figure ????

[zyphodb]

1 hour ago, carlyai said:

The catch now is to erect 90km/h speed camera signs in ridiculous places, like 4 lane straight highways. 

Maybe time to get a radar camera.

near the bottom of a big hill, on a straight dual carriageway is a favorite 555 

[MangoKorat]

11 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Why do you expect to be stopped now.   Are you driving legally?  Then shouldn't be an issue, that's why you're waved through.

I thought my post was self-explanatory. I've always been driving legally but there was a time when the police seemed to stop foreigners regularly.  I don't 'expect to be stopped now' but something's changed.

[MangoKorat]

Yes, come to think of it, at most of the checkpoints where I've been waved through, they'd pulled over lots of pick ups.

[KhunLA]

41 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

I thought my post was self-explanatory. ...   I don't 'expect to be stopped now' but something's changed.

Yes it was, and understood your post.  Don't understand how you don't know what changed.  Shortly after General in charge took the reins back in 2014 (?), he addressed the situation, which immediately led to what it is today.

 

My post was not directed to you, but the anti TH folk, (apparently don't drive much anyway) and thought that was self explanatory.  PoPo damned when they do, damned when they don't.

[cooked]

20 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Why do you expect to be stopped now.   Are you driving legally?  Then shouldn't be an issue, that's why you're waved through.

Why do you imagine that driving legally would prevent you from being stopped?

[richard_smith237]

18 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Cry about no enforcement, leading to high death rate ...

 

... then cry about check points that save lives, go figure ????

If these check points were so effective at saving lives why aren't the same techniques utilised in developed nations where road safety is significantly greater ?

 

Check points are lazy policing. 

 

I don't think anyone has anything against effective policing... its the 'silly stuff' or 'revenue grabbing' that draws criticism. 

 

When the police at a check-point take 200 or 500 baht from a person not wearing a helmet and they let them continue on their way we know its not about safety. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

On the subject of traffic check-points themselves. 

 

In and around Bangkok at least, there are much less than there used to be. 

 

Never an issue though, I never once felt that 'foreigners' were being specifically targeted...  I have always just been waved through, sometimes asked where I'm going, but thats about it. 

Edited October 13, 2023 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

20 hours ago, KhunLA said:

What's changed?  Is it dashcams and mobile phone cameras they are afraid of?

That could well be it...   dash-cams keeping them honest perhaps so they have to look for other things...  tax being the obvious one...  and DUI....   

... But, if they really cared about DUI they'd be breathalysing every person involved in an accident as a matter of fixed policy and fines would be significantly higher, they' also charge 'fleeing the scene' with a greater penalty than DUI. 

[Skipalongcassidy]

22 hours ago, carlyai said:

The catch now is to erect 90km/h speed camera signs in ridiculous places, like 4 lane straight highways. 

Maybe time to get a radar camera.

or heaven forbid... SLOW DOWN

[supersomchai]

I have noticed at the police checkpoints in pattaya that they

mostly stop tourists and the locals sail through without helmets .

Seen this many times in jomtien and

2nd road.

 

[TimeMachine]

On 10/13/2023 at 3:16 AM, MangoKorat said:

When I first drove in Thailand over 20 years ago, I was often stopped after going through tolls or when entering a tollway. Then there were the constant road blocks at which, as a foreigner, I was seen as a prime target and duly pulled over on some spurious charge or other.  There were constant reports of the same from others on various forums, chat rooms etc. It was common place and well known.

 

I heard that shortly after the last military coup, the police were stopped from conducting most of their roadside stops/block etc. but they seem to be common again now. However, even though I probably drive more in Thailand now than ever, its been at least 5 years since I've been stopped by the police and I am almost always waved through at road blocks.

 

What's changed?  Is it dashcams and mobile phone cameras they are afraid of?

 

Yes. Recording is easy to protect yourself. Record yourself even on the toilet these days. 

[KhunLA]

5 hours ago, cooked said:

Why do you imagine that driving legally would prevent you from being stopped?

Because it has, for about the past 15-20 yrs.  YMMV

[brianthainess]

There are so many cameras around now, they don't need to do road checks so much, speed, red light, crossing a solid white line/ "Do not change lane" even on road checks now they have to have a senior cop there. 

[4MyEgo]

On 10/13/2023 at 12:22 PM, KhunLA said:

Cry about no enforcement, leading to high death rate ...

 

... then cry about check points that save lives, go figure ????

Check points here don't save lives, they are there to raise money for the corrupt cops, if you don't know that, you are naïve, to say the least.

 

When I get pulled over with wife in car, she will get out, serve them a mouth full, walk up to the cops table on the side of the road, throw 200 baht at them and get back in the car.

 

She has told me if I am ever out at night in the big city about an hours drive out, to watch out as they close the highway down in both direction and everyone cops it, if your a farang, they will try you for 20,000 baht for DUI, which you can either try to argue, jail overnight and judge decide your fate in the morning or pay 10,000 baht as one farang who is married to a friend of hers did, and he wasn't drink, albeit they said he was 0.53, over by 0.3, funny thing is he only had 2 drinks, but was scared to argue with them any further as they kept saying ok, you go with this policeman, he take you to jail tonight.

 

Cops here are not cops, they don't care about anyone except themselves and their pockets, time to wake up.

[SiSePuede419]

2 hours ago, TimeMachine said:

Record yourself even on the toilet these days. 

WORST YOUTUBE VLOGGER EVER ????

[SiSePuede419]

10 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

funny thing is he only had 2 drinks,

5555.  Yeah, that's what every DUI says.  How many drinks have you had, sir?  Oh, a couple.  

 

Probably more like eight. ????

Edited October 14, 2023 by SiSePuede419

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Check points here don't save lives, they are there to raise money for the corrupt cops, if you don't know that, you are naïve, to say the least.

 

When I get pulled over with wife in car, she will get out, serve them a mouth full, walk up to the cops table on the side of the road, throw 200 baht at them and get back in the car.

 

She has told me if I am ever out at night in the big city about an hours drive out, to watch out as they close the highway down in both direction and everyone cops it, if your a farang, they will try you for 20,000 baht for DUI, which you can either try to argue, jail overnight and judge decide your fate in the morning or pay 10,000 baht as one farang who is married to a friend of hers did, and he wasn't drink, albeit they said he was 0.53, over by 0.3, funny thing is he only had 2 drinks, but was scared to argue with them any further as they kept saying ok, you go with this policeman, he take you to jail tonight.

 

Cops here are not cops, they don't care about anyone except themselves and their pockets, time to wake up.

Right in front of you and you can't see it.  Daytime ... most wear helmets, night time, most don't.   Evidence enough, and if you can't see that, you're blind, or too jaded to see the reality of things.

 

After getting cited a few times for no helmet or license, then many would eventually comply.  Head now protected, at least a wee bit, and better knowledge of traffic laws after licensed.

Edited October 14, 2023 by KhunLA

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

10 hours ago, cooked said:

Why do you imagine that driving legally would prevent you from being stopped?

Because it has, for about the past 15-20 yrs.  YMMV

Check points stop everyone... i.e.  there's a general checkpoint in the road, you are in a queue of cars and they either wave you through, or pull you to the side for further checks.

 

There are also 'some' check points that have speed checks earlier up the road..   but, most 'checkpoints' are not for that... they are for Tax, licence, drugs, DUI checks etc...  And whether you are 'legal' or not has no influence on whether the Police officers pulls you in for further checks...

 

What does have influence is: 

a) Your tax is clearly within date.

b) The Police officer can see clearly into your vehicle. 

c) The Police officer does not see anything untoward in your behavior etc

d) Presence of a dash-cam can also influence this. 

e) other factors influencing the Police officers profiling.

 

Note: IMO, in over 20 years driving here, being a foreigner in a car actually has a positive influence on this outcome the vast majority of the time, the BiB are simply not interested in foreigners in cars (IMO).....  But, in area's outside of Bangkok with lots of foreigners (Patong / Pattaya) it would appear that the police are more brazen and seem more inclined to pull over foreigners on motorcycles. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Right in front of you and you can't see it.  Daytime ... most wear helmets, night time, most don't.   Evidence enough, and if you can't see that, you're blind, or too jaded to see the reality of things.

 

After getting cited a few times for no helmet or license, then many would eventually comply.  Head now protected, at least a wee bit, and better knowledge of traffic laws after licensed.

The DUI checkpoints and the Helmet check points are of course a good thing, IF they actually work... But they don't....  the Police just take a fine and allow the rider / driver to continue - this is not safety, its just money.

 

We don't see the police riding / driving around and pulling people over for no helmet... we see helmetless riders at traffic lights infront of a police booth and the police do nothing.

 

We see drivers who appear drunk, can't stay in their lanes and drive erratically... Police officers behind them or passing them etc on a motorcycle do nothing. 

We see riders and drivers jump lights in front of the police who do nothing. 

We see polluting busses / trucks belching out smoke and the Police do nothing because they have the 'sticker' which shows they have paid the bribe.

 

Once we get down to the nuts and bolts of it - policing in Thailand has nothing to do with policing and everything to do with supplementing their otherwise meagre income - this behavior is so ingrained, the BiB act with overwhelming entitlement. over, they get paid. 

 

-------------

 

In over 20 years, only one time have I known a moving vehicle to be pulled over by a Policeman (in a car or bike) - we were travelling in from the Suvarnabumi Airport in an AOT minivan.... 

A policeman on a motorcycle pulled the van over - I wanted the driver to exit the motorway at the next junction instead of stopping precariously on the side of the road... he wouldn't.... I was furious them (both policeman and driver) placing my family and I in such a precarious position. 

 

The reason for the stop...  (something I've never heard before) - Minivan taxi's are not permitted in the right most lane of the motorway (complete BS IMO) - the Policeman demanded 200 baht from the driver....  

 

IMO... this was outrageous lack of safety awareness and appeared to be disgusting corruption.

 

 

 

 

 

[MangoKorat]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

We see polluting busses / trucks belching out smoke and the Police do nothing because they have the 'sticker' which shows they have paid the bribe.

Yes and they claimed to be going to do something about that - not too long back. <deleted> (rhymes with hollihocks) as usual.

Edited October 14, 2023 by MangoKorat

[MangoKorat]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

In over 20 years, only one time have I known a moving vehicle to be pulled over by a Policeman (in a car or bike) - we were travelling in from the Suvarnabumi Airport in an AOT minivan.... 

Have to say I was amazed for the same reason.  As a relative 'newbie' I was in a taxi on the highway on my way from Don Mueang to a stag night in Pattaya. My flight arrived a bit late so I asked the taxi driver if he could do whatever to try to make up some time.  We passed a 'highway patrol' car doing around 120kph.  This was pre M7 - on the old road 3 I think and the limit would have been 80/90.  I asked my driver if he'd seen the cops to which he told me "don't worry, highway police only look for trucks, trucks pay more money".

 

Laughable but disgusting really, if they acted like normal cops, there would be more respect for the law and far less deaths on the roads.

Edited October 14, 2023 by MangoKorat