Drinking Driving Lawyer?

[KhaoNiaw]

If you get to the point where a lawyer is useful, you've already been tested and processed. Just smelling beer on your breath wouldn't be grounds for a drink driving charge. How confident are you that you'd pass a breathalyzer? 

[PJ71]

3 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

I'm guessing that many of the replies that say "don't drink and drive" are from poor expats who don't own even a motorcycle, let alone a car.

 

I explicitly said "never intoxicated" I just wanted to know, if I had a beer, and the cop smelt beer on my breath, how to avoid the obvious lengthy inconvenience after.

 

I appreciate the 2 helpful replies thus far, alien & quake, and find those answers helpful.

 

To those of you who wrongly accuse me of driving while drunk, I hope you manage to get a vehicle in the near future.

I've been pulled over a couple of time after a couple beers, on these occasions i told the policeman i was heading straight home and they were happy with that, not too many drama's at all.

 

Drama's will only really come if you get into a wreck, even more so if someone is hurt, or worse.

[TaaSaparot]

Nothing more selfish than Motorists.

[actonion]

 So called Lawyers that  I have had dealings with in Thailand are as bent as  the BIB...

[Robert Paulson]

I’d be willing to bet my life that aggressive speeders / tailgaters cause many more accidents on the road than drunk drivers. Yet we don’t give them nearly as hard a time in terms of societal pressure, probably because most people speed and most people tailgate. Funny how that works. 

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, Robert Paulson said:

I’d be willing to bet my life that aggressive speeders / tailgaters cause many more accidents on the road than drunk drivers. Yet we don’t give them nearly as hard a time in terms of societal pressure, probably because most people speed and most people tailgate. Funny how that works. 

Add those running lights to that.

[Dan O]

21 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

I'm guessing that many of the replies that say "don't drink and drive" are from poor expats who don't own even a motorcycle, let alone a car.

 

I explicitly said "never intoxicated" I just wanted to know, if I had a beer, and the cop smelt beer on my breath, how to avoid the obvious lengthy inconvenience after.

 

I appreciate the 2 helpful replies thus far, alien & quake, and find those answers helpful.

 

To those of you who wrongly accuse me of driving while drunk, I hope you manage to get a vehicle in the near future.

you wrote a couple of beers which is not 1 beer. You think you are capable of telling yourself whether your intoxicated or not after drinking and cant even keep your story straight here in your post. Thats a delusional way to think. Now you try to deflect your issue of driving after drinking when you have other easy options to avoid it by trying to shame others or belittle them. Your problem lies with you not the posters answering you with info you dont want to hear. Tell that excuse to the guy you hit on the road on the way home. He has more to worry about than you if a cop is "smelling 1 beer on your breath" .

[CanadaSam]

On 4/13/2024 at 2:14 PM, KhaoNiaw said:

How confident are you that you'd pass a breathalyzer? 

 

Already ordered one from Lazada, not one of the cheaper models.  Thanks for your input!

[richard_smith237]

On 4/13/2024 at 10:58 AM, CanadaSam said:

I'm guessing that many of the replies that say "don't drink and drive" are from poor expats who don't own even a motorcycle, let alone a car.

 

I explicitly said "never intoxicated" I just wanted to know, if I had a beer, and the cop smelt beer on my breath, how to avoid the obvious lengthy inconvenience after.

 

I appreciate the 2 helpful replies thus far, alien & quake, and find those answers helpful.

 

To those of you who wrongly accuse me of driving while drunk, I hope you manage to get a vehicle in the near future.

 

Ignoring the DUI debate... as you claim when you drive you are not over the limit anyway.... But there is one valid point made - Are you sure ?

 

If you only ever have one or two beers, then you can be fairly sure you are under the limit - but as another poster mentioned, on 'those' TV shows, people always say "but I only had one"... and of course we know they are lying, so as long as you are not lying to yourself, then you should be good to go.

 

First things first: At a check point, the way to behave is to be open and honest - Turn on your interior lights, open your windows, allow them to see you clearly.... this will usually be enough for them to wave you straight through - nothing to see here.

 

BUT... If at a check-point you are stopped and a Policeman does smell beer on your breath they will question you... next you will be breathalysied... You have nothing to worry about as you are 'under' the limit right, cos you haven't had more than 2 beer, right ?

 

No need for lawyers etc...  they'll let you go as you are under the limit.

 

 

The only other concern is if they don't have the breathalyser but the 'wand' thingy (which they used to have) which measures for the presence of alcohol rather than the amount - if that flags, then you'll be breathalysed at the station, but first you'll have a long wait as the BiB think they have caught a shark...  so you'll be hanging around while they play games and demand certain amounts from you, threaten you with jail etc etc... (they want the money of course)... eventually, when they are ready to take you back to the station and breathalyse you officially they'll do so, at which point, you already know are under the limit, cos you only had 2 beers, right ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

On 4/14/2024 at 8:34 AM, Dan O said:

On 4/13/2024 at 10:58 AM, CanadaSam said:

I'm guessing that many of the replies that say "don't drink and drive" are from poor expats who don't own even a motorcycle, let alone a car.

 

I explicitly said "never intoxicated" I just wanted to know, if I had a beer, and the cop smelt beer on my breath, how to avoid the obvious lengthy inconvenience after.

 

I appreciate the 2 helpful replies thus far, alien & quake, and find those answers helpful.

 

To those of you who wrongly accuse me of driving while drunk, I hope you manage to get a vehicle in the near future.

Expand  

you wrote a couple of beers which is not 1 beer. You think you are capable of telling yourself whether your intoxicated or not after drinking and cant even keep your story straight here in your post. Thats a delusional way to think. Now you try to deflect your issue of driving after drinking when you have other easy options to avoid it by trying to shame others or belittle them. Your problem lies with you not the posters answering you with info you dont want to hear. Tell that excuse to the guy you hit on the road on the way home. He has more to worry about than you if a cop is "smelling 1 beer on your breath" .

 

You're over reacting... Plenty of people drive after one or two beers (can size) over an hour or so.... 

 

Personally, I think its much worse when people drive and they clearly have a stinking cold etc... 

 

So, if we're going to be virtuous, be realistic with it...   Driving after 1 or 2 cans of beers does not place anyone over the legal driving limit and it present no impairment.

 

 

I don't think the Op is doing anything wrong driving after 2 beers over course of a couple of hours - nothing at all, his alcohol levels are likely close to zero anyway (but his breath may still have a beer smell on it)....    

 

Sometimes I go out and think about driving... but the 'what if' question sinks in... What if I'm enjoying myself and want a 3rd or a 4th beer - then I have to leave the car... So, just incase, I don't take the car... wife drives anyway when we are together - if going out alone, I never do because I don't want to be in that sitation... But Taxi's are easier in Bangkok than they are in other cities. 

 

As long as the Op has enough self discipline to stop at 2 beers...100% of the time and never go for the 'just one more' train of thought, I don't see that he's doing anything wrong.

 

 

 

[Dan O]

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

You're over reacting... Plenty of people drive after one or two beers (can size) over an hour or so.... 

 

Personally, I think its much worse when people drive and they clearly have a stinking cold etc... 

 

So, if we're going to be virtuous, be realistic with it...   Driving after 1 or 2 cans of beers does not place anyone over the legal driving limit and it present no impairment.

 

 

I don't think the Op is doing anything wrong driving after 2 beers over course of a couple of hours - nothing at all, his alcohol levels are likely close to zero anyway (but his breath may still have a beer smell on it)....    

 

Sometimes I go out and think about driving... but the 'what if' question sinks in... What if I'm enjoying myself and want a 3rd or a 4th beer - then I have to leave the car... So, just incase, I don't take the car... wife drives anyway when we are together - if going out alone, I never do because I don't want to be in that sitation... But Taxi's are easier in Bangkok than they are in other cities. 

 

As long as the Op has enough self discipline to stop at 2 beers...100% of the time and never go for the 'just one more' train of thought, I don't see that he's doing anything wrong.

 

 

 

You are delusional if you think 1 or 2 beers has no affect on you and facts don't support you. Do some research 

[BritManToo]

On 4/12/2024 at 5:34 PM, CanadaSam said:

But I have noticed lately an increase in "road blocks" at night in Pattaya/Jomtien.

In the event that a cop smells beer on my breath, I know I am in for a world of hurt.

Not really comfortable with the paying procedure, wouldn't even know what to offer!

Beware of the courts ....... you can be arrested, held and deported for DUI (unless on a married extension).

[richard_smith237]

On 4/24/2024 at 9:47 AM, BritManToo said:

On 4/12/2024 at 5:34 PM, CanadaSam said:

But I have noticed lately an increase in "road blocks" at night in Pattaya/Jomtien.

In the event that a cop smells beer on my breath, I know I am in for a world of hurt.

Not really comfortable with the paying procedure, wouldn't even know what to offer!

Beware of the courts ....... you can be arrested, held and deported for DUI (unless on a married extension).

 

IF over the DUI limit - the Op seems pretty confident the limit 1 or 2 beers he has will not take him near that legal limit.

 

Thus: his concern is avoiding the time wasting if a beer / alcohol is suspected but he's well below the limit.

 

 

[treetops]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

or the average 80kg Male - 2x Cans of 330ml (5%ABV) beer immediately give a BAC of 0.04%  - Thats half of the USA DUI Limit of 0.08%

 

But if these were half litre cans the level would be 0.05% which is the limit in Thailand.

[still kicking]

I can't really argue with anybody on here. Because I am in the west. Which most of you call the Nanny states. Having said that I feel much safer here than in Thailand. Got tested many times always zero. I do drink some red wine but never drive after. And taking the backstreet after a few drinks is a nono. There is a Booze bus everywhere. And you get tested for drugs as well. No peeing in a bucket just a swipe of your tongue. But Thailand is years behind.

 

[richard_smith237]

13 minutes ago, still kicking said:

I can't really argue with anybody on here. Because I am in the west. Which most of you call the Nanny states. Having said that I feel much safer here than in Thailand. Got tested many times always zero. I do drink some red wine but never drive after. And taking the backstreet after a few drinks is a nono. There is a Booze bus everywhere. And you get tested for drugs as well. No peeing in a bucket just a swipe of your tongue. But Thailand is years behind.

 

A lot of people don't like the 'nanny state' but dealing with the roads alone there is a log of reasons why the roads are safer there and the primary reason is the very 'nanny state' some don't like...       

 

For the most part, road laws are strictly enforced and that keeps people alive - and when it comes to DUI there is little give.

[jacko45k]

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

A serious cold or lack of sleep has a greater impact on ones ability to drive.... 

 

How about a couple of joints?

[AverageAussie]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:34 PM, CanadaSam said:

...Alternatively, some lessons on how and where to offer , and the expected amount would be insightful.

 

Just go to the bar well prepared.

 

 

You should have at least something left over for the cops after paying the check-bin. 

[actonion]

It depends on if the driver  or the police are still wearing face masks.

[Dan O]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Wow.... look at you...  You go for it big boy.... Flex away !!... 

 

Awww.... have you had a beer and are feeling impaired ???.... remember..  don't drive angry !!!  

 

 

No flexing, just fact. No anger either just point out your lack of reading comprehension and the fact that you are all mouth when your wrong. You love to deflect with other info rather than deal with whats been written or stated and then start calling names like a 4 year old when its pointed out. Cry to someone that cares because I don't.

[richard_smith237]

39 minutes ago, Dan O said:

No flexing, just fact. No anger either just point out your lack of reading comprehension and the fact that you are all mouth when your wrong. You love to deflect with other info rather than deal with whats been written or stated and then start calling names like a 4 year old when its pointed out. Cry to someone that cares because I don't.

 

 

I agree with you that risk starts with low alcohol levels and increases rapidly...  however, the risk is negligible up to 0.035% BAC after which point risk factors increase rapidly.

 

Regarding risk factor, having one or two beers over a couple of hours presents less risk than driving with a cold, while on cold / flu medication, driving while tired, driving while angry, studies have shown different music to be distracting, even having noisy kids in the car... the phone to be highly distracting - there are so many factors that elevate the 'risk level' (risk of accident)... 

 

So...  I get and understand the point you made - but its better saved for someone who doesn't understand how the 'other factors' are more significant than one or two beers over a few hours.

 

I'm not defending drink driving - I'm stating that 1 or 2 beers over a couple of hours and remaining well within a legal level is not the horrific crime you claim it to be - your protest of such in this thread is a ridiculous over reaction. 

 

However, had you choose to react in the same manner to someone who drinks 5 beers and drives home - I'd be backing your argument. 

 

 

 

 

[PJ71]

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Regarding risk factor, having one or two beers over a couple of hours presents less risk than driving with a cold, while on cold / flu medication, driving while tired, driving while angry, studies have shown different music to be distracting, even having noisy kids in the car... the phone to be highly distracting - there are so many factors that elevate the 'risk level' (risk of accident)... 

So why is the drink driving limit zero Dicky?

 

If, according to you, 1 or 2 beers over a couple of hours is ok?