Are We Happy With Corrupt Traffic Police?

[2long]

I'll start by saying I'm happy to have them as they are, even though it isn't fair on many road users.

[tgeezer]

Happy to have it this way. Reading up the rules if you are caught breaking the law,they should lift your licence and it clearly states that you can not then move the car, except as directed by the policeman, so I guess this impractical law has made curruption inevitable, we are paying them not to do their duty! I have been stopped only once for doing more than 90 on the tollway to Rangsit; a fair 'cop'.

[nidge]

Neither option is applicable for me. I hate the traffic police in my area. I have been stopped twice for driving through a green light because they said it was red, for speeding when i wasn't, (although i was overtaken by another car that was not stopped), i could go on all day.

If I break the law when driving then i am happy to pay a bribe, but getting stopped for no reason?

Thai police are my only major gripe with Thailand, if they were honest it would bring the country even closer to paradise.

[Gary A]

I didn't vote either. I would like to see some enforcement of traffic laws. Vehicles at night with no lights, kids riding motorcycles going down the wrong side of the road, also cars and trucks on the wrong side of the road. People passing on curves hoping Buddha will protect them. Actually speeding is probably the least dangerous of the many bad driving habits here and that seems to be the only one they use for their tea money. I don't like to drive at night if I can possibly avoid it. Between the drunks and other idiots it's a wonder more people don't die on the roads.

[mikethevigoman]

I'll start by saying I'm happy to have them as they are, even though it isn't fair on many road users.

If ive broken the law id rather be stopped here than back home, id be banned by now for sure, i had 4 speeding tickets in one day, same cop on the first and last one, gave me a discount for being a regualr customer !

[Moonfruit]

I didn't vote either. I would like to see some enforcement of traffic laws. Vehicles at night with no lights, kids riding motorcycles going down the wrong side of the road, also cars and trucks on the wrong side of the road. People passing on curves hoping Buddha will protect them. Actually speeding is probably the least dangerous of the many bad driving habits here and that seems to be the only one they use for their tea money. I don't like to drive at night if I can possibly avoid it. Between the drunks and other idiots it's a wonder more people don't die on the roads.

I do trust that last sentence was rather tongue in cheek!

I voted yes. Getting stopped is a rarity,a nd ill be perfectly honest and say that i speed everywhere. I use flyovers in Bangkok when riding my motorbike and a couple hundred baht every few weeks for the priveledge doesnt bother me.

The only time i get stopped in my car is when i have been speeding, and they dont need to show me printed evidence that i was doing 150kph on the highway when it is visually obvious.

[nidge]

I forgot to add, on my reasons to severely dislike Thai cops, i once got stopped for running a red light on a sunday morning with no other traffic around. On my mountain bike!!! And no, the idiot didn't get any money out of me.

[yorkman]

I didn't vote either. I would like to see some enforcement of traffic laws. Vehicles at night with no lights, kids riding motorcycles going down the wrong side of the road, also cars and trucks on the wrong side of the road. People passing on curves hoping Buddha will protect them. Actually speeding is probably the least dangerous of the many bad driving habits here and that seems to be the only one they use for their tea money. I don't like to drive at night if I can possibly avoid it. Between the drunks and other idiots it's a wonder more people don't die on the roads.

I agree entirely with Gary, not enough options for voting.

I see, just an average from recollection, 1 person, usually a young man, with his brains bashed out because of contact with the road surface, a month.

A family in grief and they will never really get over it, treated by the Thai Police and the gawping passers by as a day to day incident.

Hmmm a duff poll IMHO. I would like to see some enforcement too, helmets, wrong side of the road etc etc

[skyblues]

come on lets be honest here...we all break the law whether it be traffic, sex or otherise we all do it and we do it because as long as we dont take the the p_ss then a little tea money will be okay and it is a little tea money...if your asked to pay over 2k for something then you have done something wrong...

A lillte story which i watched i was sitting ther having a beer when the boys in browns stopped a farang in patong for not weraing a helmet which everyone whos has been to Phuket will no that before dark its a no no to not have the supid thing on..any way they stopped him and from what i can gather he didnt have any dough..so they made him run round the car park till they said stop then go nd get a helmet..then they let him go...

Now for me ill take that all day long....................at worst a pan tea money...i am doing wrong

[MarcoH]

I'll start by saying I'm happy to have them as they are, even though it isn't fair on many road users.

If ive broken the law id rather be stopped here than back home, id be banned by now for sure, i had 4 speeding tickets in one day, same cop on the first and last one, gave me a discount for being a regualr customer !

They are absolutely fantastic at least in my area,, i had similar incident few yrs back but not in same day,, 3 different morning's

1st morning i got stopped driven only 135kmh to the radar and paid 100THB and next morning i got stopped same time, same place & Same copper, paid same 100 and 3rd morning again same place and so fort,, this time he just laughed and asked from me if I’m going to do this every morning where i replied, yes most of the time,, as i was taken my wife to University,,,and did not have to pay anything after that,,,frankly he did ask me to slow down at least where is they check point so they don’t have to stop me every morning,, so i took his advice and slow down during that period and have not been stopped ever since,, he dos wave for me every time he saw our car,,,I LOVE SMILING COPPERS.

[Amethyst]

What can we do to help if the police are corrupted? The best thing to do is to play by the book. And if you think that you are not at fault or didnt break the rules then fight for your rights.

[Tony Clifton]

I don't break rules when driving. You don't need to break a rule for them to stop you and ask for money. I once took off on one of them asking for money, or I simply keep driving as they wave frantically, scumbags.

It's quite sad that tens of thousands die every year because of the total incompetence and complacency of the corrupt Thai police. force

[Amethyst]

I don't break rules when driving. You don't need to break a rule for them to stop you and ask for money

I got stop lots of times for not breaking any rules too but i like to stop and give them a hard time when they stop me in the end they salute me lol

[PeaceBlondie]

I cannot imagine moving back to my country and riding a bike or even a car all the time. I'm spoiled here. Never been stopped for the 9,894 times I've been speeding, often at 115 kph or above. I was stopped once for no helmet (good for them!). and was stopped once for driver license check (no problem).

Back home, speeding tickets and other driving infractions are primarily a revenue-producing gimmick for the police and the insurance companies. Speed does not always kill. My best student died because he fell off his bike when he was stopped at an intersection. I won't argue against laws for helmets and seat belts, but I'm very good about observing those laws (except that one time they got me!).

[Amethyst]

Buying a car is very cheap in Thailand.Road Tax is far too cheap. Back home you pay thousands of dollars just for the Road Tax. So a 100 baht tea money is not a problem i wouldn't complaint on.

[Petesear]

if the police are prepared to break the law then what respect can you have for them and what they are supposed to stand for?? to think that it's ok to pay a little tea money now and then is daft. the reason the roads are so dangerous here is because the police do a very bad job, people just don't care.

[Tony Clifton]

Sure you can drive as you like here and fines are cheap, but so is your life.

[torrenova]

I've been stopped a few times for speeding and paid Bt100 each time though I've been asked for Bt400 or Bt500 before. OK, I don't mind that as some of the speed limits and ridiculous. Actually, I never know the speed limits.

Stopped for license checks, ok, no problem.

Stopped for nothing. That pisses me off. And the copper couldn't even tell me what I was supposed to have done. What would have happened if he had really given me a ticket and when I go to the cop shop they say just pay ?

[maccaroni man]

I avoid driving in bkk as I feel like a traffic cop magnet, other than that i am quite happy to take care of any traffic fine on the spot, typically if i am with my wife we do not get anything more than a warning. imo that is much better than in my home country.

[2long]

Sorry guys, but this was a 'yes/no' poll. Other options would've been too easy and too complicated at the same time.

Another poll regarding law enforcement will be on in no time.

[hhfarang]

Buying a car is very cheap in Thailand.Road Tax is far too cheap. Back home you pay thousands of dollars just for the Road Tax. So a 100 baht tea money is not a problem i wouldn't complaint on.

Wow, I don't know where "Back Home" is but since you quoted "thousands of dollars" it may be the U.S. and if so I have to disagree strongly with your assertions about car prices and tax amounts. I paid the equivilent of $4000 U.S. more here for a Honda CRV that they cost in the States, plus if in the U.S. you were paying thousands of dollars for road tax, someone was ripping you off. Even in the worst states I've heard about it may be in the low hundreds of dollars, in some other states it's less than $20 per year.

[wilko]

above is a fine example of how NOT to write a poll question

[2long]

25 to 24 so far, in favour of N.

Close, innit?