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A confrontation involving a Chon Buri traffic officer and a Rayong police captain has raised concerns about legal adherence among law enforcement. Police Sergeant Saeb from Phanat Nikhom Police Station reported that the Rayong officer, after causing a collision with a foreign motorist, refused to cooperate with standard procedures. This incident unfolded on January 1, evidenced by bodycam footage shared by Saeb.

The altercation began when Saeb encountered the Rayong officer in an argument with a foreign driver after the officer's pickup truck collided with the foreigner’s vehicle. Saeb attempted to assess the situation, asking both drivers for their licenses. The foreign driver complied without issue, but the Rayong officer resisted the request, asserting his police status and diverting blame to the foreign driver.

Accusations were made by the Rayong officer, claiming the foreign motorist was in Thailand illegally. Saeb, however, verified that the foreigner possessed valid documents and wasn’t responsible for the accident. Attempts to diffuse the situation by redirecting both parties to their insurance companies were overshadowed by the Rayong officer’s escalating demands for respect and threats against Saeb.

The situation remained tense as the Rayong officer leveraged his position, allegedly threatening Saeb and refusing standard procedure. Saeb later reported this behavior as obstructive and insulting. While the incident stands unresolved publicly, it underscores concerns about hierarchy and accountability within Thai law enforcement, reported The Thaiger.

Key Takeaways

• A police captain involved in a road accident refused to cooperate and misused his authority.

• Bodycam footage reveals disputed blame on a foreign driver and procedural obstruction.

• The incident has prompted internal reporting but lacks public resolution or consequences.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2026-01-07

 

 

Balls.

Corrupt POS bullying the honest police officer. If anyone is deserving of a full investigation it is the police captain. It is incidents like this that destroy Thailand's image and erode confidence in tourist/foreigner safety. All the singing campaigns and advertising with influencers won't change the damage from this. If Thailand wanted to send a reassuring message to Chinese tourists, now is the time. Deal with the thug.

And it would be nice if the traffic police officer was protected by his superiors and the department.

Thai police are beyond useless. Papers and license do not equal road safety you lazy bums. I would happily comply with all this nonsense if that meant they would actually do their job, but of course that's too much to ask.

Police officers are not subject to the law here, they are above it!

Thank god the on duty cop was honest and did not give in to his corrupt off-duty colleague. Imagine a second if the first responder cop was also corrupt. The falang would have been in real hot soup and sh...

Saeb should be commended and promoted and the other POS sacked from the police force with all other cops forced to watch and listen to that outcome.

1 minute ago, hunkidori said:

Saeb should be commended and promoted and the other POS sacked from the police force with all other cops forced to watch and listen to that outcome.

Sadly I expect he is in a minority!

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

concerns about hierarchy and accountability within Thai law enforcement,

Encapsulates all that's wrong with RTP. There is no proactive enforcement until after an event - check out Pattaya's invisible police force who only appear for the Seven Dangerous Days of Overtime.

Never forget that "some are more equal than others"...

🤬 & they wonder why BIB especially ranked higher up only get respect through "fear" - think always above the law - accident his fault (stated) but still foreigners fault haha 😅

Hope the foreign guy sues him - if for nothing else defamation!!! They love this law in Thailand - use it against him as all proof on video

All of this over a few extra baht he'd have to pay his insurance. How ridiculous.

10 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

All of this over a few extra baht he'd have to pay his insurance. How ridiculous.

Well some shrinking violets may fold - at least this guy had the spine to stand up for himself.

Props to the honest Police officer...

There is also an additional point - years ago, when I was involved in an incident - I was certain it was not my fault - the Police initially sided with the Thai MiniVan driver - I objected.

I was not going to held accountable for any compensation claims that may come my way after fault has been decided - eventually the police decided 50/50 - which I was ok with.

So - there is always more to it than 'just a few baht'...

On 1/8/2026 at 12:37 PM, phil2407 said:

🤬 & they wonder why BIB especially ranked higher up only get respect through "fear" - think always above the law - accident his fault (stated) but still foreigners fault haha 😅

Hope the foreign guy sues him - if for nothing else defamation!!! They love this law in Thailand - use it against him as all proof on video

Agreed; this was full scale harassment and racial discrimination against the western foreigner, for no reason other than...there was a western foreigner who happened to be there at the wrong time.

15 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

eventually the police decided 50/50 - which I was ok with.

So, you were ok with getting ripped off 50%.

I suppose being equal to a Thai in a road accident is a result in Thailand. Probably the only time you will be equal to a Thai. 🙂

On 1/7/2026 at 12:10 PM, snoop1130 said:

Police Sergeant Saeb from Phanat Nikhom Police Station reported that the Rayong officer, after causing a collision with a foreign motorist, refused to cooperate with standard procedures.

A warning to members, don't put off getting a dash cam. It could prevent you from losing your life savings and / or going to prison.

Imagine if Police Sergeant Saeb was on duty and you were involved in a car accident with a Thai who was injured. Cha-Ching for him and the Thai driver / rider. There are plenty of police out there like Sergeant Saeb waiting for an opportunity to extort a farang.

42 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

eventually the police decided 50/50 - which I was ok with.

So, you were ok with getting ripped off 50%.

I suppose being equal to a Thai in a road accident is a result in Thailand. Probably the only time you will be equal to a Thai. 🙂

Why ripped off ?? - it cost me nothing - my insurance covered repairs to my vehicle only.

The other vehicle was un-insured - so my issuance would have had to pay for my damage anyway.

Having been here for decades - this is exactly what would have happened in a Thai on Thai situation - nothing do with being a foreigner.

The same for the story in the Op - entitled policeman in an accident, throws his 'status' around - he'd have done the same to a Thai person - just a bully.

10 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why ripped off ?? - it cost me nothing - my insurance covered repairs to my vehicle only.

No rise in premiums?

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The other vehicle was un-insured - so my issuance would have had to pay for my damage anyway.

Correct.

I don't own a car here. So, enlighten me. Are there such things as "no claim bonuses" and "knock for knock" agreements here?

Surely Thai insurance companies make bad drivers pay more, or refuse them insurance.

14 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Having been here for decades - this is exactly what would have happened in a Thai on Thai situation - nothing do with being a foreigner.

As far as the insurance companies are concerned, surely where the police lay blame and find fault must have an outcome for the insurance company as to who has to fix each or both vehicles?

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The same for the story in the Op - entitled policeman in an accident, throws his 'status' around - he'd have done the same to a Thai person - just a bully.

So if it's the same, and no loss of money through a higher premium, what was the motive of the dodgy police officer????

He wanted the other police officer to find the foreigner at fault so he go his car fixed by the foreigner, or the foreigner's insurance company, but if no money lost, why put on a show????

According to you, there's no rip off, and it's the "same" so why would he carry on????

On 1/7/2026 at 7:10 PM, snoop1130 said:

Accusations were made by the Rayong officer, claiming the foreign motorist was in Thailand illegally.

That's grounds for defamation.

On 1/9/2026 at 9:14 AM, connda said:

That's grounds for defamation.

Unless it's true, of course.

2 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Unless it's true, of course.

Which it isn't.

9 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

Which it isn't.

Well, many Thai's believe foreigners should not be in Thailand at all, visa or no visa. Of course, no Thai close to you would admit that.

Many foreigners believe the Thai's want our money here, but they don't want us here. Of course, the more money you give them, the more they are happy to have you in Thailand.

😂😂

On 1/9/2026 at 11:41 AM, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/9/2026 at 11:26 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Why ripped off ?? - it cost me nothing - my insurance covered repairs to my vehicle only.

No rise in premiums?

Not a rise - the premiums usually drop as the car ages... So it might not have 'dropped' as much as it would otherwise have (guestimate - 1000 baht difference) - I regularly change insurance companies anyway - as each year a different company might have better premiums (a good broker sorts all that out and gives me the info)

On 1/9/2026 at 11:41 AM, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/9/2026 at 11:26 AM, richard_smith237 said:

The other vehicle was un-insured - so my issuance would have had to pay for my damage anyway.

Correct.

I don't own a car here. So, enlighten me. Are there such things as "no claim bonuses" and "knock for knock" agreements here?

Surely Thai insurance companies make bad drivers pay more, or refuse them insurance.

Not really... I've never seen such thing as a no-claims bonus here that drops insurance quite in the same way it does in the UK (i.e. with a 60% no claims bonus / discount) - but we may get a 10% discount etc...

Insurance works differently here - I'm kind of glad it does.

On 1/9/2026 at 11:45 AM, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/9/2026 at 11:26 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Having been here for decades - this is exactly what would have happened in a Thai on Thai situation - nothing do with being a foreigner.

As far as the insurance companies are concerned, surely where the police lay blame and find fault must have an outcome for the insurance company as to who has to fix each or both vehicles?

In a perfect world yes - in reality the Police simply take the path of least resistance when making a decision.. usually, if one car is uninsured, they'll just pin it on the other car - Thai's for the most part are acceptant of such decisions and its become 'almost' cultural.

If both cars are insured and blame is uncertain, then 50/50 is the most common outcome.

Dash-cam footage is changing things - and blame is easier for the Police to ascertain.

On 1/9/2026 at 11:45 AM, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/9/2026 at 11:26 AM, richard_smith237 said:

The same for the story in the Op - entitled policeman in an accident, throws his 'status' around - he'd have done the same to a Thai person - just a bully.

So if it's the same, and no loss of money through a higher premium, what was the motive of the dodgy police officer????

Nothing more than taking the easiest route - if they think blaming one driver over the other will be easier in an accident which is 50/50 or then they will do that - in many cases the BiB often don't understand the traffic laws and may also just make an on the spot decision until challenged.

Nothing nefarious - they just want to be on their way problem solved as quickly as possible.

On 1/9/2026 at 11:45 AM, KhunHeineken said:

He wanted the other police officer to find the foreigner at fault so he go his car fixed by the foreigner, or the foreigner's insurance company, but if no money lost, why put on a show????

According to you, there's no rip off, and it's the "same" so why would he carry on????

"The Path of least Resistance" - the BiB just want the issue to be resolved as simply and quickly as possible - they don't care who fault is assigned to so long it saves them work.

Only when we 'contest' a decision might they actually have to do some real work - watch dash-cams etc.

Wife had an accident last year. Other car driver was at fault, but refused to accept.

We had dash-cam footage. She showed the Police. Police told the wife to sit in the car and relax.

Insurance people arrived - Police just said other guys fault. Documents signed. Done and dusted - quickly.

Its never quite black and white, there are no hard and fast rules. The Police are just human. Many are lazy and want to get on with things. IF they think A is to blame, they will blame him. If A has no insurance, then they may try and blame B - if both have no insurance or both have insurance and there is no clear / transparent fault - they will go for 50/50... or use some obscure traffic rule to make a decision.

In my experience being a foreigner does not impact any of the proceedings - being 'apparently weather' in the better car with full insurance against a crappy little car with no insurance, might.

On 1/14/2026 at 6:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

In a perfect world yes - in reality the Police simply take the path of least resistance when making a decision.. usually, if one car is uninsured, they'll just pin it on the other car - Thai's for the most part are acceptant of such decisions and its become 'almost' cultural.

If both cars are insured and blame is uncertain, then 50/50 is the most common outcome.

Dash-cam footage is changing things - and blame is easier for the Police to ascertain.

I did encourage members to get dash cams.

Property damage (cars etc) is one thing, but surely where injuries and death are involved, the stakes get raised.

On 1/14/2026 at 6:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

"The Path of least Resistance" - the BiB just want the issue to be resolved as simply and quickly as possible - they don't care who fault is assigned to so long it saves them work.

That didn't happen in this case though, did it?

On 1/14/2026 at 6:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Wife had an accident last year. Other car driver was at fault, but refused to accept.

We had dash-cam footage. She showed the Police. Police told the wife to sit in the car and relax.

Insurance people arrived - Police just said other guys fault. Documents signed. Done and dusted - quickly.

No tell me what would have happened without the dash cam footage.

On 1/14/2026 at 6:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Its never quite black and white, there are no hard and fast rules. The Police are just human. Many are lazy and want to get on with things. IF they think A is to blame, they will blame him. If A has no insurance, then they may try and blame B - if both have no insurance or both have insurance and there is no clear / transparent fault - they will go for 50/50... or use some obscure traffic rule to make a decision.

In my experience being a foreigner does not impact any of the proceedings - being 'apparently weather' in the better car with full insurance against a crappy little car with no insurance, might.

I'm not a newbie.

I think you will find most foreigners have insurance. The same can't be said for the Thai's. So on that basis, the foreigner will be blamed, whilst not at fault, simply because they are insured. You have said this yourself.

Amazing Thailand. 🙂

On 1/14/2026 at 6:08 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Not a rise - the premiums usually drop as the car ages... So it might not have 'dropped' as much as it would otherwise have (guestimate - 1000 baht difference) - I regularly change insurance companies anyway - as each year a different company might have better premiums (a good broker sorts all that out and gives me the info)

Interesting.

So, someone can have five at fault accidents in one year, clearly making them a bad driver, and costing the insurance company money, but because their car is one year older, their premiums become cheaper. Is this for real????

On 1/14/2026 at 6:08 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Not really... I've never seen such thing as a no-claims bonus here that drops insurance quite in the same way it does in the UK (i.e. with a 60% no claims bonus / discount) - but we may get a 10% discount etc...

Insurance works differently here - I'm kind of glad it does.

I'm happy to learn.

So, if a no claim bonus doesn't exist here, surely they must up the price on people that keep having accidents, or refuse to insure them.

5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/14/2026 at 9:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

In a perfect world yes - in reality the Police simply take the path of least resistance when making a decision.. usually, if one car is uninsured, they'll just pin it on the other car - Thai's for the most part are acceptant of such decisions and its become 'almost' cultural.

If both cars are insured and blame is uncertain, then 50/50 is the most common outcome.

Dash-cam footage is changing things - and blame is easier for the Police to ascertain.

I did encourage members to get dash cams.

Property damage (cars etc) is one thing, but surely where injuries and death are involved, the stakes get raised.

Perhaps the most significant reason to have a dash-cam... as you put it - the risk of raised stakes when accidents are more severe and there are injuries.

5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/14/2026 at 9:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

"The Path of least Resistance" - the BiB just want the issue to be resolved as simply and quickly as possible - they don't care who fault is assigned to so long it saves them work.

That didn't happen in this case though, did it?

It didn't happen with me either, nor others I know - but, its still the 'go to' reaction from the BiB - just make a simple and quick decision and hope the parties involved accept it.

If the decision is contested - they are forced to put more effort into doing their job - thats all.

5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/14/2026 at 9:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Wife had an accident last year. Other car driver was at fault, but refused to accept.

We had dash-cam footage. She showed the Police. Police told the wife to sit in the car and relax.

Insurance people arrived - Police just said other guys fault. Documents signed. Done and dusted - quickly.

No tell me what would have happened without the dash cam footage.

I think, given that the other car changed lanes and cut her off - the end result would have been the same without a dash-cam as the BiB tend to place fault with whomever was 'making the traffic manoeuvre' i.e. changing lanes.

When the BiB wanted to blame me for my accident years ago - the officer initially blamed me as 'I was making the traffic manoeuvre' by turning right - I had to push back and highlight that in attempting an illegal overtake the van driver who hit me was 'also' making a traffic manoeuvre !

5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/14/2026 at 9:18 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Its never quite black and white, there are no hard and fast rules. The Police are just human. Many are lazy and want to get on with things. IF they think A is to blame, they will blame him. If A has no insurance, then they may try and blame B - if both have no insurance or both have insurance and there is no clear / transparent fault - they will go for 50/50... or use some obscure traffic rule to make a decision.

In my experience being a foreigner does not impact any of the proceedings - being 'apparently weather' in the better car with full insurance against a crappy little car with no insurance, might.

I'm not a newbie.

I think you will find most foreigners have insurance. The same can't be said for the Thai's. So on that basis, the foreigner will be blamed, whilst not at fault, simply because they are insured. You have said this yourself.

Amazing Thailand. 🙂

Thats not quite what I implied - its not about foreigner being at fault - its simply the 'path of least resistance' will be attempted first - and that is usually someone with insurance, IF they then object, things have to be done properly. Having a dash-cam can help with this.

5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/14/2026 at 9:08 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Not a rise - the premiums usually drop as the car ages... So it might not have 'dropped' as much as it would otherwise have (guestimate - 1000 baht difference) - I regularly change insurance companies anyway - as each year a different company might have better premiums (a good broker sorts all that out and gives me the info)

Interesting.

So, someone can have five at fault accidents in one year, clearly making them a bad driver, and costing the insurance company money, but because their car is one year older, their premiums become cheaper. Is this for real????

Valid point - a good while back, I did have insurance premiums increase because I had made a claim that year (for a windscreen replacement - it was an expensive car) - I simply changed insurance companies and received a premium based on the value of the car.

So, a company 'might' try and recover costs by increasing the premium, but a potential policy holder can shop around and they are not asked if about accidents etc - they are simply given quotes based on age / value of the car,

5 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

On 1/14/2026 at 9:08 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Not really... I've never seen such thing as a no-claims bonus here that drops insurance quite in the same way it does in the UK (i.e. with a 60% no claims bonus / discount) - but we may get a 10% discount etc...

Insurance works differently here - I'm kind of glad it does.

I'm happy to learn.

So, if a no claim bonus doesn't exist here, surely they must up the price on people that keep having accidents, or refuse to insure them.

I think the price 'on average' covers this... i.e. a young driver will have the same insurance premium as an older driver (usually) - they tend not to evaluate the risk of the driver in the same way they do in the West.

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Valid point - a good while back, I did have insurance premiums increase because I had made a claim that year (for a windscreen replacement - it was an expensive car) - I simply changed insurance companies and received a premium based on the value of the car.

So, a company 'might' try and recover costs by increasing the premium, but a potential policy holder can shop around and they are not asked if about accidents etc - they are simply given quotes based on age / value of the car,

So, when applying for insurance, is there no question on the form similar to , "Have you made any insurance claims in the last 3 years" for example? Is that correct?

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I think the price 'on average' covers this... i.e. a young driver will have the same insurance premium as an older driver (usually) - they tend not to evaluate the risk of the driver in the same way they do in the West.

So good drivers pick up the bill for bad drivers. Given many drive whilst intoxicated in Thailand, it hardly seems a fair system.