Arrested For Minor Motorbike Accident, Tested Over The Limit For Drink Driving

[mikethevigoman]

I think id have offered 3000 and got my ass outta there,a night in the cells for 4k ? not worth it in my opinion, please repeat after me." I AM A FARANG , THEY WANT MY MONEY,THEY KNOW ILL PAY, AND I HAVE NO RIGHTS ! ".seems to work for me,. ,

[mark lamai]

a few years ago i got done for drunk driving in sukhumvit.

no bribe accepted.

night in Lumphini cells.

bail 40,000 baht (police can set bail at anything they like)

no have.

lady sits by cells with bag full of money, you pay her 10K and she posts bail.

court fine ( i was 0.8 about) was 3000 baht.

not finished, you break law of Thailand.

take me to immigration detention centre.

a long day and another 7K approx, get out.

scam scam scam,

about 20K in total.

in a real legal system the fine would be the total cost to the offender.

there are other apalling parts to this story i won't bother you with.

there is no mystery as to why after 15 years of visiting , living in thailand that i have absolutely no __________ (fill in the blanks at will)

shortly i will post a recent disgrace that happened to me in Samui in the samui forum

[lambous]

I forgot to mention that an ununiformed lady in the police station flirtingly told me that she was looking for a foreign bf at one point. Not sure what her job was in there but she kept insisitng that everything will be ok, just 200 or 300 baht. etc etc Further proves how you cannot take these clowns seriously.

[Saiyan]

I forgot to mention that an ununiformed lady in the police station flirtingly told me that she was looking for a foreign bf at one point. Not sure what her job was in there but she kept insisitng that everything will be ok, just 200 or 300 baht. etc etc Further proves how you cannot take these clowns seriously.

Now that would have been an even bigger mistake than the one you had already made.

[sriracha john]

When drunk your reactions are slower and you are less able to take avoiding action in case of an emergency - like avoiding a motorcycle turning in front of you. Therefore the accident is your fault. You also broke the law by not wearing a helmet or having a valid driving licence.

You got off very lightly indeed and you should now try to make amends to the Thai person/people you injured. I would expect a teacher to show a more responsible attitude.

The motorcycle turned into me, not in front of me. After the crash, my vehicle was situated in front of his to prove that this was the case. I don't know whether he was drunk or not, he wasn't tested in my presence, I'm not sure whether he was tested at all. He wasn't wearing a helmet and I do not know if he was carrying a licence. As for making amends to the Thai person who was injured. They got 600 baht already. There was nothing more than a small cut on her ankle, there was no damage to either vehicle. They tried to profit out of the situation rather than be compensated. I don't make a habit of drink driving, I don't even own my own vehicle. I rode my friends bike home because we both agreed that it would be safer due to his level of intoxication. I also agree with the PP about comparing laws and consequences in other countries. We are in Thailand where the law is not enforced consistantly. I doubt that you would be deported from most western countires for a 1st time DUI offence. Sorry for not making it clear but the whole main point of my OP, was to find out whether I came out of the the situation well compared to others in this country. From the feedback received so far, it seems that I have which makes me feel a little bit better about what happenned.

Brief C.V. re membership.

Registered on T.Visa since April 2004 and made 304 posts....advanced member.

Obviously you should know better going by the above.

By your own admission you had a few beers ?????

Why drive when you have had x amount of beers when you must know full well it impairs your judgement ect. ect.

I would hope this would be a learning experience regarding what can happen and add that it could have been far worse scenario and human life could have been a casualty.

Thank god it wasn,t, but please take it on board and get a taxi, should you have a drink or three, they are very cheap and this in turn keeps you out of harms reach of all of us.

I would assume you are aware of Thai culture and it,s laws and although they favour the locals, you come from a country where drink laws are strictly enforced for a multitude of reasons and we are all educated in respect of the proven consequences of drink driving.

No excuses.

You,ve got some cheek posting this and expecting members to respond favourably towards you.

I reckon you were very lucky indeed to get off with a 4k penalty.

You could have been facing charges relating to serious injury and death in other potential accidents, through drink impairment.

Your insurance, should you have had any would have been invalid and you could have been facing bills well in access of a million baht as a starter figure to cover medical expenses ect. ect. ect and much, much more in other claims.

As for the cost in human terms, who knows.

Drinking and driving is totally inexcusable for everybody and there has to be zero tolerance as far as farang are concerned among ourselves and no one should think otherwise.

Stick to the taxis for all our sakes

marshbags and at no brainers like you yourself have been on this occasion

I suspect also, you are being economical with the truth relating to the incident, or possibly cannot remember due to !!!!!!

Not a lecture, more of a polite bollocking and a few home truths

All excellent points, marshbags.

Has anyone on the forum had a family member/friend killed by a drunk driver?

Sriracha has tuk-tuk's with a maximum fare of 40 baht anywhere in town. For the want of saving 2 greens, he's driving around Sriracha recklessly and drunk.

If anyone knows of a teaching job elsewhere for him, please help him and us out ASAP.

Edited February 13, 2008 by sriracha john

[DavidS]

I saw the original post, did not bother to dignify it with a response, but really this is beyond the limit.

You claim to be a teacher? Of What?

You drink and drive, have an accident and then want an opinion regarding what happened after? Then the thread degenerates into a bigoted Thai bashing spiel?

Please do the world a favour. Cease and desist.

I drink. I make no apologies about it. I DO NOT DRIVE!

Taxis are cheap and plentiful. Use them!

[lambous]

You're going on as if I get drunk and drive around regularly. I already highlighted the fact that I don't have a vehicle and didn't intend to drive that night. I already admitted that I was wrong for doing it. Why don't you go down to the local bars and tell all the locals that they shouldn't drive home after a few drinks because a tuk tuk costs only 40 baht to anywhere in town and see what kind of response you get....

[sriracha john]

All that is necessary to kill someone via drunk driving is doing it once.

Seriously, in light of your logic-failure, denials, anger, rationalizations, and in particularly in light of your role as a shaper of young minds, you might be interested in this forum:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=98

In a brief time, you've displayed most of the classic symptoms.

Best of luck to you.

[howtoescape]

Thing is even if he had a helmet, wasnt drinking, had an international licence and if the accident wasnt his fault, it would still have been his fault in the eyes of the Thais and he would have ended up paying something.

On what basis do you make such a statement? I know western people who have been involved in accidents where the fault was clearly with the Thai and this statement is not the case.

I know of 2 very recent cases where this happenned wasnt big bucks involved but they still had to cough up. The statement i wrote was exagerated, but if the 2 cases i am aware of both ended up this way it is going to influence my thinking.

[ProThaiExpat]

Excellent argument for learning Thai. I can imagine how much it would have cost you if you couldn't speak Thai!!! Congratulations, you did well under the circumstances.

Edited February 14, 2008 by ProThaiExpat

[lambous]

All that is necessary to kill someone via drunk driving is doing it once.

Seriously, in light of your logic-failure, denials, anger, rationalizations, and in particularly in light of your role as a shaper of young minds, you might be interested in this forum:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=98

In a brief time, you've displayed most of the classic symptoms.

Best of luck to you.

I'm suprised at your great sense of humour considering you've never made a mistake or broken the law and spend most of your life on an internet forum.

[sriracha john]

You're right only in the sense that I've never been found guilty of drunk driving involving injuring someone else.

If you're in the wrong and seek absolution here, you won't find it... not until you realize the problem is yours and not Thailand's, and certainly not Sriracha's.

I urge you to take the first step in that process.

Edited February 14, 2008 by sriracha john

[lambous]

My OP simply asked whether I got off lightly or came out of it worse than one usually would in a similar situation in Thailand. I didn't come here to seek a lecture or counselling from you.

[sriracha john]

at the time I didn't feel I was in the wrong or over the limit

They tried to profit out of the situation rather than be compensated

Further proves how you cannot take these clowns seriously.

I wanted real reactions to what REALLY happenned.

You asked.... and received it.

[lambous]

yes smarty pants..I stated the facts about what happenned during the whole process. I asked whether things went OK for me considering the circumstances or not, don't you get it? I didn't ask for you or anyone else to tell me that I shouldn't drink and drive or drink less etc. I wasn't seeking advice. I was seeking an opinion on whether things could have turned out better or worse.

[sriracha john]

You got off extremely light... you were extremely lucky... we can all hope that the extremely fortunate sequence of events will perhaps provide the impetus for you to seek help for your problem, instead of blaming your surroundings.

[swindonabroad]

I understand that the OP is asking about the 'fairness'of treatment.

The problem with this is who cares? I was personally knocked off my motorbike in the uk by a driver over the limit. Broken hip, ankle and wrist and I consider myself lucky.

If you drink and then get into/onto a car/bike then you accept whatver punishment you get.

In my opinion you were very very lucky.

[lambous]

"You got off extremely light... you were extremely lucky... we can all hope that the extremely fortunate sequence of events will perhaps provide the impetus for you to seek help for your problem, instead of blaming your surroundings."

I admitted I was wrong and that It was a one off occurance, like I said I don't even own a vehicle. I don't see any sense in your post.

Edited February 14, 2008 by lambous

[eddie11]

Our Chef,Thai, coming to work got hit by a bike doing the same thing as in the OP.

He has a licence,insurance and was wearing a helmet.

Breath tested at the cop shop,still drunk from night before, 5000baht fine,so not an unusual ending.

Even though the other bloke was making an illegal turn,because he was over the limit it was his fault.

Remember when driving in Thailand( drunk or sober) always expect them to do stupid things and you should be ok.

Life is cheap here,theirs and yours.

[Boksida]

Where I live, the police set up checkpoints in the city almost every night for random breath testing. I don't personally know anyone who has been caught on a motorbike, perhaps because evasion is easier. The car drivers have all had a similar experience: a night in the police station cells and a 4,000 baht fine the next day. If the fine can not be paid alternatives are offered such as jail time and/or community service. All the drivers I know have been Thais. Some have negotiated to pay the fine without the night in the cells.

I can't really see where discrimination comes in to it.

[taxexile]

you post on a forum , as a teacher , that you were involved in an road accident , whilst drunk , driving without a licence , not wearing a crash helmet and making a failed attempt to bribe a police officer and then have the gall to complain that the readers of your whining postings criticise you.

you know very well that you got off lightly.

for some inexplicable reason you seem to think that you were hard done by and another victim of the "lets screw the falang syndrome "

its you , the teacher , who have lessons to learn.

[lambous]

Where I live, the police set up checkpoints in the city almost every night for random breath testing. I don't personally know anyone who has been caught on a motorbike, perhaps because evasion is easier. The car drivers have all had a similar experience: a night in the police station cells and a 4,000 baht fine the next day. If the fine can not be paid alternatives are offered such as jail time and/or community service. All the drivers I know have been Thais. Some have negotiated to pay the fine without the night in the cells.

I can't really see where discrimination comes in to it.

This is an example of the kind of constructive response I was seeking, In the west there are consistant consequences sufferred for breaking a particular law but this isn't the case in Thailand so therefore I thought it would be interesting to see how my punishment faired in comparison to others.

"you post on a forum , as a teacher , that you were involved in an road accident , whilst drunk , driving without a licence , not wearing a crash helmet and making a failed attempt to bribe a police officer and then have the gall to complain that the readers of your whining postings criticise you.

you know very well that you got off lightly.

for some inexplicable reason you seem to think that you were hard done by and another victim of the "lets screw the falang syndrome "

its you , the teacher , who have lessons to learn."

Use your common sense, this is Thailand. The majortiy of people in this country will pay off the police because it's cheaper to do so in this situation rather than go through the extra hassle and expense of doing things properly. I'm not saying this is the right thing to do but both parties come of this situation satisfied. You know very well that if two Thai people had a minor accident, without any damage being caused or anyone being hurt, it is more than likely that the police would not have been called in the first place. Nothing is done by the book here. You only have to read the Bangkok Post to see that the prime minister came out and said "I don't like to travel more than 120 KPH, sometimes I wake up and notice my driver going faster than this and tell him to slow down." Now tell me how many roads in Thailand have a speed limit of 120 KPH or over? Another example, at my school students don't fail no matter how poorly they do in exams. I was interested to see the police officer's reaction when I asked him "Why aren't you down at the disco booking everyone who is driving home drunk right now?" His response as I mentioned earlier, "If you don't crash, then no problem." Even my boss (Thai) didn't get angry at me, she did her best to help me out. The only people having a go at me are the farangs on this forum. Like I said earlier, why don't you go down to the disco at night and tell all the Thais riding home drunk that they are endangering people's lives? I'm sure you will get a big smile followed by "mai pen rai, I drive SLOWLY SLOWLY"

[stickman]

Thailand has a strange effect on Westerners and many do things in Thailand they would not do at home. Drink driving carries a major social stigma in the West these days and I wonder if you would have ridden while under the limit back home?

I know it is not you - many Westerners with vehicles drive while totally wasted here. I just can't understand why anyone would do that when the cost of ALL forms of public transport is so ridiculously cheap.

[Etrigan]

I forgot to mention that an ununiformed lady in the police station flirtingly told me that she was looking for a foreign bf at one point. Not sure what her job was in there but she kept insisitng that everything will be ok, just 200 or 300 baht. etc etc Further proves how you cannot take these clowns seriously.

Who the hel_l exactly are you?

You come here (without even knowing anything about your destination), intentionally break the law, injure innocent people, refuse to accept responsibility for your criminal actions, then insult people in this country who have nothing to do with your pathetic case.

You are in Thailand, if you really believe the locals are "clowns", what the hel_l are you doing here?

You are a disgrace, fuc_k off somewhere else. You really ought to be ashamed of yourself.

[backflip]

You were drunk, you tried to pass on the right, you caused an accident, you turned down a reasonable offer from the person you ran into, and then you tried to bribe a cop. You sound like a heck of a guy, and the reason that farangs are disliked.

[tartempion]

I hope to leave Sriracha as soon as I can find a new job.

Good. Thank you. Bye.

Yes, very good. Sriracha is a shithole. Was offered the job while being abroad and had never heard of the place. Big mistake moving here. I'm not gonna take any comments seriously that are made by anyone who choses to add "Sriracha" to a name that they use on a forum. I can't see how living in Sriracha is something to be proud of and I can't see how your comment made a positive contribution to this thread.

You're right. Sriracha is terrible. No one should move here.

That's right.

Therefore I don't move to Sriracha.

I also hope you will stay there and not come to infest the little vuillage I live in, altough I infest it myself with my presence.

To The OP: I see these Thais drive like idiots every day. I got grey hairs avoiding accidents every 10kms I drive.

Good you want to move out of Sriracha, but beware: they drive like there is no future all over the place

[thaihome]

...

In the west there are consistant consequences sufferred for breaking a particular law but this isn't the case in Thailand so therefore I thought it would be interesting to see how my punishment faired in comparison to others.

...

Why is it that people think they can move to the developing world, take full advantage of all the differences, and then when they go too far and f*cjk up, they whine about how unfair it is?

OP asked how his "punishment" compares to others; that has been more than answered, he got off easy...

I think what put everyone off what his typical attitude that is so prevalent in the western world today that everyone else is to blame for his problems and he is a victim. If he were to take the time to actually reflect on the situation, he would find it was entirely his fault and he should be prepared to accept that.

TH

[lambous]

"You come here (without even knowing anything about your destination), intentionally break the law, injure innocent people, refuse to accept responsibility for your criminal actions, then insult people in this country who have nothing to do with your pathetic case."

Lets see how much detailed information you can find out about Sriracha on the internet.

"You are in Thailand, if you really believe the locals are "clowns", what the hel_l are you doing here?"

Would you take any officers seriously if they were negotiating bribes or flirting with you and then shake your hand after the whole process had been completed?

It seems as though some people don't wish to look at both sides of the story. I was breath tested in his presence but he wasn't tested in mine. The same applied to producing a driver's licence.

[Scott]

My hope is that you have learned a valuable lesson. About a 1 1/2 years ago, I left a pub after an evening of drinking and had a nice big head-on collision with a parked truck, which did about 200,000 baht damage to vehicles alone. I was absolutely blitzed--I have often wondered if I wasn't drugged because I never get that drunk--I get sick and throw up first. But, I wasn't at a usual entertainment place where it was likely.

I spent the night and the next day in the hospital and a few days later had to report to the police station. A thai friend came along to negotiate. The policeman who had called me in was strict but nice. The driver of the truck was a very nice older (maybe late 40's early 50's) Issan man, who was as quiet and polite as I'd ever seen--he could have been a poster boy for "visit Thailand". My insurance agent was there as were some other people whom I didn't know.

My night in the hospital and the excruciating pain I was in had given me plenty of time alone to think. No matter how I tried to rationalize it, I was at fault--and I tried to rationalize it. The truck shouldn't have been just sitting in the road etc. etc.

There was some talking, most of which I didn't understand. The police officer in charge then booted everyone out of the room except myself and my friend who was interpreting. The policeman asked what would happen in my own country. I answer quite honestly--told him basically I would be so far back in jail that they would have to pump daylight in to me.

He then said "here's what we're going to do. We aren't going to mention anything about drinking because if we do the insurance won't pay for the accident. You were injured and we didn't give you a breathalzyer before sending you to the hospital, so that's done." You're going to pay 200 baht for causing an accident and 200 baht for not having a driver's license." I waited and waited for the rest, but there was nothing.

He then called in a junior policeman to take my passport and write the two tickets. The insurance man was out there who then asked what "really happened". This one I didn't tell the truth to.

I can't believe how lucky I was, but a lot had to do with having the 'right attitude', which is unusual, but I had little choice because I was completely at fault. So, I didn't argue, didn't put up a fuss.

Meanwhile the nice truck driver from Isan, who could have made a right royal mess of things, had never said a word to anyone. He waied very politely after the insurance man told him to get his truck fixed.

Since that night, I have never, ever had a drink and driven a vehicle. Nope, not even a glass of beer or wine. If any alcohol passes these lips, it's a taxi for me.

So, OP, you like me, got off pretty well. Neither of us is either waiting for a Royal Pardon, a prisoner-exchange program or for our deportation hearing.

Best to you.

[lambous]

Glad to hear that you things worked out the way they did for you. That incident might have saved you from something worse occuring in the future because of the lessons learned.