Warning For Speeders

[torrenova]

TRY BUYING A RADAR DETECTER

I have never seen a radar thing when I;ve been stopped. They just stop you and say you were going too fast. Admittedly that is going up north but then there are no speed signs so they might be right

[p_brownstone]

I am obviously in the minority here but I find little to admire in people who so excessively exceed the speed limit – particularly with children or a pregnant wife in the car!

The limits are there for a reason, your own and other road users safety being the main one.

Patrick

[skippybangkok]

I am obviously in the minority here but I find little to admire in people who so excessively exceed the speed limit – particularly with children or a pregnant wife in the car!

The limits are there for a reason, your own and other road users safety being the main one.

Patrick

In countries like Australia, I believe the real reason is $$$$ for the government coffers. There is a law of diminishing returns, in terms of more enforcement, and the amount of lives you can save. For revenue generation how ever, the returns do not diminish with more enforcement, and grow with the amount of units out there.

I have driven on roads in Oz where ur in the middle of no where, and there is a car parked on the side of the road with 2 heads sitting in it. Cops will also wait in the best spots they can i.e. just before the bottom of a long hill where you might just slip 5 km/h over the limit on decent.

[p_brownstone]

In countries like Australia, I believe the real reason is $$$$ for the government coffers. There is a law of diminishing returns, in terms of more enforcement, and the amount of lives you can save. For revenue generation how ever, the returns do not diminish with more enforcement, and grow with the amount of units out there.

I have driven on roads in Oz where ur in the middle of no where, and there is a car parked on the side of the road with 2 heads sitting in it. Cops will also wait in the best spots they can i.e. just before the bottom of a long hill where you might just slip 5 km/h over the limit on decent.

There is certainly some truth in what you say. I was for some time (many years ago) a Police Cadet in U.K. and towards the end of the month the Sergeant would check our Car Teams records of arrests etc. and any team under the norm was given the Radar Speed Trap gear and told where to set it up in order to catch the required number of “felons”.

In Thailand there is similar pressure on Police to reach a certain target of fines and / or bribes.

That said, anyone travelling at over 140 kph on any road in Thailand is simple courting disaster in an attempt to prove how macho they are. Most roads here are in pretty atrocious condition to begin with, and in addition obstacles can appear on an apparently clear road without warning. As an example how many times have you seen dogs wandering across the main roads here, or passed large chunks ripped from a trucks’ “re-treaded” tyre in the middle of the road? Hit either of those at 140 kph – or, possibly worse, try to avoid it at that speed, and you will be in serious trouble.

Anyone speeding so excessively here is just recklessly stupid, and to do it with children or a pregnant woman in the car is totally irresponsible.

Patrick

[siamesekitty]

I drive at 130-140 kph on the expressway when the traffic (or lack of it) allows. Not being "macho" but just late.

*edit: Oh yeah, and stupid too

Edited January 18, 2008 by siamesekitty

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Changing the topic slightly (sorry).

My first traffic fine in Thailand was for trying to push into a queue of traffic. I had made a genuine mistake (G/F was late in giving directions) I was not driving agressivly and I was indicating my intention, but still had my licence taken away and a baht 400 fine.

Like no-one ever pushes into a line of traffic in Thailand

Never ... ever ... ever

[PETERTHEEATER]

Speed limit on highways is 120 km/h and sometimes they are pretty strict about that, they won't allow even 123. On important occasions they'd set a real roadblock with mobile ticket office and ask for licenses and give out receipts, but most of the time they just want 100-200 baht and if you can successfully pick up a hooker at Nana, you should be able to negotiate your way out just as easily.

If you know the road well enough you'll learn where and when they set the traps.

I disagree. The national speed limit is 90kph unless posted otherwise. Some - and I emphasise some - highways are posted at 120kph maximum, e.g. the BKK East Ring Road and the expressway to Pattaya although the state it was in on my last trip down the latter with all the road work 50kph would seem safer.

[Greenside]

of the 14 times i got done last month, atleast 8 were over 170km/h.......

Are you serious? With the unpredictability of the average Thai driver?

If you're still alive, please take it slower for everybody else's sake. Please.

[Gearhead13]

I think for thai cops, their dictionary defines speeding with the following examples: "driving luxury cars, spoilers, foreignors, swagger pose, rightfully turning in a turning lane, entering the intersection at the yellow light.....". Might as well add "picking your nose, scratching your head, breathing, existing........................................................................

............"

I was doing 130 kph and saw some coppers hiding behind the wall of the slip road on the tollway, so new I had been clocked. when I got to the tollway entrance I was told to pull over and told to go and see some coppers outside there office area.

they with held my Thai license and told me I would have to drive to the police station to collect it the next day. they would not take any money off me, I tried to give them 500 and they said no.

anyway, a couple of days later I collected my licences or tried to, I was told to come back in 15 days time to collect it. I had a 500 baht fine and 30 points on the license. we start with 60 points, so thats not good.

I wont be speeding anymore, at least trying not to.

mind yourselves, maybe they are getting strict now. or could it be because of the upcomming elections? Ive never heard of anyone getting points over here. bad luck for me.....