Report Debate Erupts Over Police Chase in Helmet Incident in Bangkok

[geisha]

So the police chiefs should make a public announcement stating that from this day on helmets must be worn by all , including children and tourists . Fine 2000baht payable at station , or /and confiscation of bike. This will save some terrible injuries as we see every day on Thai roads. Just common sense. Just think of how many foreigners have accidents every day.

[pacovl46]

Well, first of all, don’t run from the cops,. Secondly, wear a helmet, then your head won’t bruise when you get kicked off the bike by the cops while trying to flee from them! Duh! 

[Hardcastle P]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Who were they putting at risk by not wearing helmets vs the cops putting everyone at risk with a poorly conducted chase?

 

 

And who pays for the hospital treatment when these idiots have accidents, it us the tax payers .

Its about time the RTP stared enforcing the law, not doing so just increases the problems of lawlessness. 

 

[SS1]

57 minutes ago, PaoloR said:

They were being chased for their failure to stop at a police check - not for their failure to wear a helmet.

Failure to stop when instructed to may have many reasons (carrying drugs, outstanding warrants etc.). It is considered a far more serious crime in law than failure to wear a helmet and warrants more than a ticket.

 

But allegedly, it was not a real checkpoint (as per the article).. just the usual bandits being bandits. 

[baipaibkk]

If you don't follow the police's instructions, a fall is the least of the punishment. He just has to stay still, and everything will be fine. This has nothing to do with the helmet.

[CFCol]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

This would appear to me to be overreach on the part of the cops, they go from no enforcement one day to chasing people down the next and causing an accident, it's pretty idiotic. 

 

The other thing that comes to mind when looking at the replies on this forum, is that there appear to be a lot of older guys who have been sort of out of touch for a while, and perhaps spending too much time at home in their little bubbles, and their hearts seem to be growing smaller and their compassion seems to be disappearing. What is that all about? 

The police did not cause an accident. The driver of the bike caused the accident when he refused to stop. The head injuries to the passenger were caused by them illegal not wearing a helmet. You seem to be on the side of the people breaking the law. What does that say about you.

[Searat7]

I don’t see much of a change in Bangkok. Most (paying) passengers have not been given a helmet to wear. I rode twice this week.  Some financial pain will have to be inflicted to force a change.

[Yellowtail]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Who were they putting at risk by not wearing helmets vs the cops putting everyone at risk with a poorly conducted chase?

 

 

I do not think people should have to wear helmets, but ticketing law people that stop, while letting others just run away seems stupid to me. 

[Hardcastle P]

1 hour ago, Kat Hao said:

It's amazing how many people have an opinion about something that has no affect on their lives.  What do you care whether or not someone wears a helmet?  How are you impacted?  

We care because its us the tax payers has to help pay for treatment when these people have accidents,pay for their welfare if they cannt work again. 

[peter zwart]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The woman's brother revealed that the police intervention led to her head injuries and bruising

And that's exactly why they invented helmets.

[SS1]

11 minutes ago, CFCol said:

The police did not cause an accident. The driver of the bike caused the accident when he refused to stop. The head injuries to the passenger were caused by them illegal not wearing a helmet. You seem to be on the side of the people breaking the law. What does that say about you.

 

It says in the article it was (allegedly) not a real checkpoint.
 

Quote

The incident occurred near MBK Centre, where the traffic police allegedly did not establish a formal checkpoint. Instead, they acted upon spotting the passenger without a helmet, leading to a chase and subsequent fall.

 

[impulse]

Just now, Yellowtail said:

I do not think people should have to wear helmets, but ticketing law people that stop, while letting others just run away seems stupid to me. 

 

I'm recalling a few years back when the cops specified how a checkpoint would look, what resources they'd have in place (including receipts), how they'd be supervised, and how they'd make sure the checkpoints weren't just rogue money grabs.

 

That seemed to all go out the window in the OP story.  It appears that a cop or 2 saw some low hanging fruit and said, "screw the rules".

 

[OneManShow]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

accused of excessive force

Nothing will change, if there is no enforcement. 
 

[Yellowtail]

Just now, impulse said:

 

I'm recalling a few years back when the cops specified how a checkpoint would look, what resources they'd have in place (including receipts), how they'd be supervised, and how they'd make sure the checkpoints weren't just rogue money grabs.

 

That seemed to all go out the window in the OP story.  It appears that a cop or 2 saw some low hanging fruit and said, "screw the rules".

 

So, you think they risked their own life and limb to run down a B100 fine, rather than just waiting for the next helmetless mark? 

[jwl53]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Social media is alight with debate after Patumwan Police were accused of excessive force during an intense law enforcement incident involving a Grab rider and a passenger without helmets.

The cop is not wrong or did he use excessive force, he should be praised

The grab driver is 100% wrong he should have his grab licence revoked (if he has one) given the 4000 baht fine for helmet (passenger) and fined and his drivers licence suspended and fined for failing  to comply to the cops order to stop

[impulse]

6 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

So, you think they risked their own life and limb to run down a B100 fine, rather than just waiting for the next helmetless mark? 

 

From the OP:  The incident occurred near MBK Centre, where the traffic police allegedly did not establish a formal checkpoint. Instead, they acted upon spotting the passenger without a helmet, leading to a chase and subsequent fall.

 

The officer did summon medical aid and apologised, but the family seeks legal action.

 

It sure looks that way.  Probably closer to 1000 baht.

 

 

[Yellowtail]

Just now, impulse said:

 

The incident occurred near MBK Centre, where the traffic police allegedly did not establish a formal checkpoint. Instead, they acted upon spotting the passenger without a helmet, leading to a chase and subsequent fall.

 

It sure looks that way.  Probably closer to 1000 baht.

 

 

Been here over 25 years and never had a 1,000 fine. 

 

Just because there is no checkpoint, do not mean it's legal.

 

Do you think laws should be enforced or not. 

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Been here over 25 years and never had a 1,000 fine. 

 

Just because there is no checkpoint, do not mean it's legal.

 

Do you think laws should be enforced or not. 

 

I think that the police should adhere to their announced policies, including those related to checkpoints.  If they don't, I wouldn't blame citizens for suspecting they're corrupt and up to no good.  They do have a history of that...  Which is why they created the checkpoint policies.

 

 

[OneManShow]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

And exactly how will that improve the quality of your life?

I want to see you when one of those without helmet hit by your car and die. You think their family just let you go ? 🤪😂🤣 

you will be the killer no matter with or without helmet. Why do you think police came up with this conclusion? Because of everyday death of no helmet riders and outing others in trouble. 

[Yellowtail]

Just now, impulse said:

 

I think that the police should adhere to their announced policies, including those related to checkpoints.  If they don't, I wouldn't blame citizens for suspecting they're corrupt and up to no good.  They do have a history of that...  Which is why they created the checkpoint policies.

 

 

What is the policy, that as long as there is no checkpoint, you can do whatever you like? 

 

Do you think laws should be enforced or not?

[Davedub]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

This would appear to me to be overreach on the part of the cops, they go from no enforcement one day to chasing people down the next and causing an accident, it's pretty idiotic. 

 

The other thing that comes to mind when looking at the replies on this forum, is that there appear to be a lot of older guys who have been sort of out of touch for a while, and perhaps spending too much time at home in their little bubbles, and their hearts seem to be growing smaller and their compassion seems to be disappearing. What is that all about? 

 

Thank you Mike - once again, you saved me the bother of posting!

 

The inconsistency of enforcement is absolutely relevant here - these are the sorts of real world details the 'hang them high' brigade always seem to overlook in their acrimonious judgements. 

 

The 'hang them high' brigade have been active on here for years. Borne of a place and time where compassion was seen as weakness I guess.

 

 

[Reddavy]

6 hours ago, thesetat said:

I am curious... What public trust is there for the Thai police? 

None 🤷🏼

[Aussie999]

All those criticising those on the bike, for not wearing a helmet, what if someone died/hospitalised /permanently disabled/etc, because of the police action, shame on you all, how disgusting you all are.

[Yellowtail]

All those criticizing the police, for enforcing helmet laws, what about the countless people that have died/hospitalized /permanently disabled/etc., because they were not wearing a helmet? Shame on you all, how disgusting you all are.

[spidermike007]

43 minutes ago, CFCol said:

The police did not cause an accident. The driver of the bike caused the accident when he refused to stop. The head injuries to the passenger were caused by them illegal not wearing a helmet. You seem to be on the side of the people breaking the law. What does that say about you.

It says I am a rational person, when the law is as inconsistent as it is applied here, and when the RTP are as selective as they tend to be on a daily basis, then there is no deterrent, and the people have no respect for the law. I have very little respect for the RTP, why should I? They haven't done anything to earn it. Respect should always be earned and it should never be freely given, not for any government, not for any law enforcement agency. 

[SOTIRIOS]

This Is Upholding The Law Haphazardly

...'Piecemeal'...

 

[Jiggo]

Grossly unfair, this man is Thai not farang.

[fittobethaied]

"The incident occurred near MBK Centre, where the traffic police allegedly did not establish a formal checkpoint. Instead, they acted upon spotting the passenger without a helmet, leading to a chase and subsequent fall".........

 

So, the real root of this problem is that the public actually believes that the only time that police can act on crime is when they are standing in the street at an established formal checkpoint. The fact that a policeman would give chase to an alleged lawbreaker outside of a formal checkpoint is totally foreign to them, so they just naturally assume that the policeman is at fault because he didn't follow the long-established norm for the way police do their job. It's time the boys in brown got off their lazy entitled butts and did their jobs wherever they see wrongdoing being committed and take a more aggressive approach to policing.  

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, PaoloR said:

They were being chased for their failure to stop at a police check

There was no official police check.

[NorthernRyland]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The incident occurred near MBK Centre, where the traffic police allegedly did not establish a formal checkpoint. Instead, they acted upon spotting the passenger without a helmet, leading to a chase and subsequent fall.

 

 

This an outrage. How will we evade the police unless they establish a formal checkpoint? This is totally unfair they would break the rules like this.