Can Foreign Tourists in Pattaya Expect Fair Legal Treatment?

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

There are claims that local police might exhibit a degree of leniency towards Thai nationals, while imposing steeper fines on foreigners. This perception may stem not only from financial assumptions about tourists but also from potential language barriers and cultural misunderstandings.

It largely depends on how much you pay as to the outcome.

[khunPer]

"Some are more equal than others"...

[Wuvu2]

It's a ridiculous question. Fair treatment by the police - where people are treated equally despite being a citizen or foreigner, racial identity, or economic class - doesn't exist anywhere on earth.

 

Police are paid primarily by the wealthy (via taxes) to protect the wealthy (taxpayers). Who besides the rich and powerful even expects to be treated fairly by the police?  

[Homburg]

Everyone in Thailand will receive the legal treatment that they pay for.  Ask Tony, he is no doubt an expert on the subject.

[spidermike007]

10 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Nothing wrong with that, looking after your own people. 

 

If you need legal treatment, most times you've done something wrong. 

I see lots of tourists these days, disrespecting, rude, arrogant attitude. 

 

Deport these people. 

That is just so completely beyond any scope of knowledge or reasonable perception.

 

I just had an incident at a hotel yesterday where I was denied entrance because I didn't have my passport and visa stamp with me. It was the first time in 20 years I've ever been asked for that. I always travel with a color copy of my passport and visa stamp which I had, and I was still refused entry. No refund was offered. Just leave now.

 

I raised my voice just a little bit and the idiot behind the counter threatened to call the police.

 

Would that have been my fault? Would I have deserved deportation at that point?

Was I showing any disrespect? Did I do something wrong? 

 

The police here are often unfair in their treatment of foreigners, they often times will side with a local, and not take all the facts into account. So in my opinion one must always try to avoid interactions with the police here if possible. 

[riverhigh]

As long as the Thai police force is funded by the amount of fines it collects from the general public one can expect some shenanigans. Most of my foreign friends who get traffic  fines see them as cheap road taxes. TIT. 

[ross163103]

If you have a big enough bank account you can expect fair legal treatment, and if REALLY big, more than fair treatment. TIT

[BritScot]

10 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Nothing wrong with that, looking after your own people. 

 

If you need legal treatment, most times you've done something wrong. 

I see lots of tourists these days, disrespecting, rude, arrogant attitude. 

 

Deport these people. 

If that's your take then maybe it's you who should also be deported for your very offensive attitude to foreign tourists which is causing damage to thai tourism!

[What to do now]

I've never had any problems while in Thailand,  It seems most issues arise from overdrinking or someone bringing their entitled attitude over. 

And after being in Thailand traffic I wouldn't dare to ride a motorbike without a helmet. Lol. 

 

[Johno57]

7 hours ago, hunkidori said:

Don't let yourself get in a situation where you end up at the police station. That's where the problems start.

You cannot win if the police are corrupt or conspire with a third party, mainly thai against you ..I know that from experience..the thing about don't get in that situation is unavoidable in many instances, and yes legally you are compromised if you are a foreigner..

[alien365]

18 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Nothing wrong with that, looking after your own people. 

I think you need to up your meds if you think that relating to the laws of a country.

[RT555]

Been coming to Thailand for 35 years and also working in some of the best hotels there.

Just MYOB, don't be stupid, gather some Thai friends along the way and you'll be fine

 

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, MadAtMatrix said:

Stand in front of Soi 9 on Beach Road and count the ratio of foreigners pulled over to Thais pulled over and then decide if the laws are being applied fairly. Same as the intersection of Soi 15 and second road near Pattaya Tai. The latter spot they target those persons of darker complexion from the largest country to the west of Thailand 

That is true, watched it myself. Many locals seem to sail by. 

That said, no real point stopping them, better hit rate with the tourists. 

[thjames88]

20 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

What is fair treatment? If you behave normal nothing is the matter. But no helmet wearing, as an example, is being fined more for foreigners than Thai. No driverslicense same. That is not fair and equal. Same for vaping which is forbidden, but is even done by policeoffers too. Same law, ssme rules but same punishments is not always the same for netizens and foreigners

i think that is the point  its not about beeaking the laws ita about the treatment.    if a thai drives drunk no helmet no license its different than a foreigner.     pay a finbery and on your way

 

but i like one comment where he says   "good on the thais for protecting their own." 

 

foreigners are treated differently and maybe they should be.

[SAFETY FIRST]

6 hours ago, alien365 said:

I think you need to up your meds if you think that relating to the laws of a country.

I received lots of positive reactions, only 4 negative. 

 

Are you a narcissistic person, can't see what's in front of you? Open your eyes 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

14 hours ago, BritScot said:

If that's your take then maybe it's you who should also be deported for your very offensive attitude to foreign tourists which is causing damage to thai tourism!

I received lots of positive reactions, only 4 negative. 

 

 You're the ODD one out here. 

 

Are you always the odd one? 

[SAFETY FIRST]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

That is just so completely beyond any scope of knowledge or reasonable perception.

Mr Spiderman.... 

I received lots of positive reactions, only 4 negative. 

 

You need to broaden your scope 

[actonion]

I had  problem with a Thai neighbour, he called the police to try settle the matter, my Thai wife asked for a Translator  to translate what the Police were talking about, he said he was a Lawyer, & that i should forget about  going to Court over this matter because being a Farang you will never win...I replied  how does it feel to be a Lawyer  in such a Corrupt country.....No answer was his reply

[0ffshore360]

19 hours ago, MadAtMatrix said:

Stand in front of Soi 9 on Beach Road and count the ratio of foreigners pulled over to Thais pulled over and then decide if the laws are being applied fairly. Same as the intersection of Soi 15 and second road near Pattaya Tai. The latter spot they target those persons of darker complexion from the largest country to the west of Thailand 

Given that at checkpoints there is a degree of discretion involved in who gets pulled aside is it not very possible that the RTP have experience in identifying those most likely to be violating law ?

 

[MadAtMatrix]

18 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What?  Many Thais, every day, do get fined and many foreigners are not fined every time.

Do you have proof of this, like tangible proof that you can actually show us. Or is this the personal observation of your seeing eye dog?

[MadAtMatrix]

1 minute ago, 0ffshore360 said:

Given that at checkpoints there is a degree of discretion involved in who gets pulled aside is it not very possible that the RTP have experience in identifying those most likely to be violating law ?

 

Checkpoints are illegal unless there is a commissioned officer physically present at the checkpoint to oversee the enforcement. This one they set up at Soi 15 / second road is the rotund fella and another guy that is a sergeant. 
 

meanwhile 200 meters south in front of the VC hotel there is a no parking zone (red and white painted curbs) where taxis park all day, narrowing and clogging up the road, and they do absolutely nothing. 
 

go watch for yourself and get back to me. 

[0ffshore360]

10 minutes ago, MadAtMatrix said:

Checkpoints are illegal unless there is a commissioned officer physically present at the checkpoint to oversee the enforcement. This one they set up at Soi 15 / second road is the rotund fella and another guy that is a sergeant. 
 

meanwhile 200 meters south in front of the VC hotel there is a no parking zone (red and white painted curbs) where taxis park all day, narrowing and clogging up the road, and they do absolutely nothing. 
 

go watch for yourself and get back to me. 

You seem to be in the know regarding checkpoint legal requirements. Can you provide a link to educate me.

I live a long way North of Pattaya and have little desire to visit .

[Liverpool Lou]

40 minutes ago, MadAtMatrix said:

19 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What?  Many Thais, every day, do get fined and many foreigners are not fined every time.

Do you have proof of this, like tangible proof that you can actually show us. Or is this the personal observation of your seeing eye dog?

Of course I do not have tangible proof anymore than the poster to whom I responded has tangible proof of his claim!   

You cannot, though, really be suggesting, illogically, that Thais do not get ticketed or fined in a country where 99% of the population is Thai, can you, and you're asking for evidence of that?  You're also disputing that many foreigners are not stopped and fined?  Do you have tangible proof that you can actually show us, or is this the personal observation of your 'seeing eye dog' (whatever that is) ?

[alien365]

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I received lots of positive reactions, only 4 negative. 

 

Are you a narcissistic person, can't see what's in front of you? Open your eyes 

 

 

The fact I can see what is going on in front of my eyes is why I'm so surprised by your acceptance of a two tier justice system. Sure some foreigners are causing problems, but the majority of laws broken are by the host population who know the law a lot better than tourists do. 

[suspectdevice]

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

I received lots of positive reactions, only 4 negative. 

 

Are you a narcissistic person, can't see what's in front of you? Open your eyes 

 

 

Counting the positive replies to your drivel makes you the narcissistic one...

[MadAtMatrix]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Of course I do not have tangible proof anymore than the poster to whom I responded has tangible proof of his claim!   

You cannot, though, really be suggesting, illogically, that Thais do not get ticketed or fined in a country where 99% of the population is Thai, can you, and you're asking for evidence of that?  You're also disputing that many foreigners are not stopped and fined?  Do you have tangible proof that you can actually show us, or is this the personal observation of your 'seeing eye dog' (whatever that is) ?

I don’t have video, however I lived right at the intersection of Pratamnak and Thappraya and there was nightly check stops there pre-covid. I used to go stand and observe. I saw a disproportionate number of foreigners being administered breath tests, being escorted off somewhere and being returned to the scene a short time later. I cannot say exactly what happened, but I can speculate what did. 
 

They also tried it on with my buddy, who lived in the same building as me there one night as we came home from having a few drinks. He had 2 beer the whole night as he was driving. They immediately stuck their “flashlight” in his face that has a passive alcohol sensor that detects alcohol in the ambient air, which could have detected any alcohol inside the vehicle, be it me, him, a spilled bottle of hand sanitizer, etc. 
 

he was the ordered from the truck to blow in their roadside breath tester. I know that breath testing device intimately. I was an operator of the same device for 18 years, and was a calibrator of them for 6 years. They use a fuel sensor that “burns” the ethanol emitted from your breath and calculates a reading. There are nowhere near as accurate as a “breathalyzer” (that is the brand name of breath testing device invented by Dr Robert Borkenstein). I was also a qualified technician designated by the Attorney General to operate the breathalyzer and conducted thousands of breath tests. The device they use, the Alco-Sensor IV is to be calibrated every 50 tests (yes, a log is supposed to be written down, and documenting the number of breaths through it) or every two weeks, whichever comes first. Upon re-calibration of this device, I have seen it read higher by at least 18% using a standard gas with ethanol in it at an exact known concentration. 
 

I am also trained as a Standardized Field Sobriety instructor as well as a Drug Recognition Expert recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and was also designated person by the Attorney General to conduct such testing. 
 

I can tell sobriety by physiological symptoms and can also opine on what category of drug (alcohol is a drug) ranging from CNS Depressants, Inhalants, Dissociative Anesthetice, Cannabis, Stimulants, Hallucinogens and Narcotic Analgesics. 
 

I have witnessed the police administering tests with this roadside device and they conduct well over 50 tests per device in two to three hours (you can tell how many tests they do by counting the number of discarded mouthpieces at the checkpoint). When they tried it on with my friend, they used a device that had just been taken from another driver who had blown “over”. It was stuck in his face and he was told to blow. There was no direct observation of him from the time he exited the vehicle to the time he blew. He was told to sit “over there” and wait. How do they know he didn’t drink something in that time span. How do they know he didn’t burp and it was mouth alcohol and not breath alcohol. 
 

I guess what I am saying, policing is a science. And my observations have been opposite of how police enforcement is conducted here. I have watched many foreigners be in fear of the police, and how they are asked to “pay up” to make things go away. 
 

here is a perfect example caught on video just the other day on how foreigners are treated. He was told he was getting a ticket for expired road tax, on a bike he didn’t own (it was a rental) and unless he reads Thai himself, he would not be able to know the exact date it was expired. When he told them he didn’t have cash, the ticket book went away and he was left to drive to his destination. 
 

so yeah, I have stood and observed myself and I know what I have seen. I suggest you go out and watch yourself. 
 

here are my credentials added with some redactions. I know what I am talking about 

 

 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

1 hour ago, alien365 said:

The fact I can see what is going on in front of my eyes is why I'm so surprised by your acceptance of a two tier justice system. Sure some foreigners are causing problems, but the majority of laws broken are by the host population who know the law a lot better than tourists do. 

You're in the minority with your thinking. 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

15 minutes ago, suspectdevice said:

Counting the positive replies to your drivel makes you the narcissistic one...

The positive reactions proves my point. 

 

 

Your comments are not worthy of any thing 

[AdamRich]

Like the time the guy pulled me over saying I did not have on a regulation helmet and gave me a ticket. I said well what about all the people the Thai people driving by with no helmet at all? He said do not worry about them.

[dddave]

23 hours ago, jippytum said:

when you see the preferential treatment given to politicians like Thaksin and other VIP's  it is obvious the law is corrupt. Freedom for the guilty is for sale in Thailand. 

Yah, nothing like the US for instance where the corrupt Mayor of NYC is suddenly having all charges against him dropped because of his support for Trump.