Radar Crackdown On Expressway Speeders

[MrSnrang]

The legal limit of 80 kph is just ridiculous. Do they honestly expect people to follow that?

[RickFarang]

as long as they use that screaming yellow Honda City for the radar set-up on the Bang-na Trad Highway no worries...

Have to agree.

When I complained about this a few years ago, the response was that I could unsubscribe from the service. It was my choice to remain a subscriber, though their using insignificant stuff to drive traffic to their sites sometimes makes me feel weary.

Its the operator's choice to run the site they way they want, and your choice to subscribe or not.

[billrose]

And this is the speed trap they are using

[BlueSmurf]

As if this would make any difference. As soon as you have a license plate from let's say a province in Izan, the North of the south, the police will try to intimidate you right away near Don Muang and demand money from you even if you commit no offense. I have caught these criminal policemen on mobile camera several times. I refuse to pay, I often simply drive off even if they stop me.

GREAT to hear the rants and raves with the lastest off the hip as fast as you think it up anouncement from those who matter here in the land of Smiles!!! So use the site to let rip don't hold back call a spade a spade!! Sorry hope that was'nt un P.C!

So now to the point . A couple of years ago a friend decided to drive to Bangkok with his soon to be wife from the north. THE IDEA WAS TO SAVE MONEY IE not paying to fly...well after being stopped i think 3 times by the police on the way down and donating to the police we help you fund( pay up and you can go) it was beginning to look like false economy. Having finished business in Bangkok getting his paperwork ready to get married he was about to join the superhighway for the return journey. At the toll he pulled into the correct lane. Was spotted by the local friendly policeman who at that time had just pulled a thai driver over but bless him he saw a friendly farang face so came over for a bit of interrnational diplomacy.

The story went something like this.Policeman.You crossed lanes your fine will be 1000 baht ( can't remember the exact amount) you can pay in the police station tomorrow. Or you can pay me 500baht and go home now! Well another night in Bangkok plus a 1000 baht? He payed up. But he did tell the friendly policeman why he had come to Bangkok and that his wife sitting next to him was 6 months pregnant.The policemans needs were greater it would seem. So lets see those video's on the net. WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE ONES OF THE POLICE DRINKING WHISKEY OUTSIDE THE BARS IN PATTAYA WITH ALL THOSE RUSSIAN HOOKERS DANCING AT THE WINDOWS UPSTAIRS..All vids. could be posted on youtube with links posted here..Would be fun and get rid of some of that pent up frustration hey?

Morale to the story? YES A FAIR COP IS A FAIR COP! BUT HEY A UNFAIR COP IS NOT A FAIR COP!!(ENGLISH PHRASE

lOVE IT HERE IN THAILAND. NEVER A DULL DAY.......

[Seneque]

The CRACKDOWN of the week ....

[fishhooks]

Regardless of all the "pro & con" comments here, something needs to be done!

The taxi's are probably the most frightening, followed closely by the buses.

The speeds that the taxi's get up to between the CBD and airport are ridiculous. 140 to 150 seems the norm.

I keep looking across to the BTS still under construction and wonder if I will still be alive to use it when completed!

Also quite common on long haul buses if you are seated close to the driver to note that the speedo is often not connected at all.

[BlueSmurf]

Regardless of all the "pro & con" comments here, something needs to be done!

The taxi's are probably the most frightening, followed closely by the buses.

The speeds that the taxi's get up to between the CBD and airport are ridiculous. 140 to 150 seems the norm.

I keep looking across to the BTS still under construction and wonder if I will still be alive to use it when completed!

Also quite common on long haul buses if you are seated close to the driver to note that the speedo is often not connected at all.

SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?

Because the 2 or 3 speed camera's won't work! Yes you are a braver man than me Gungadin risking those buses, taxis yes I use and tried asking them to go slower as my plane does'nt arrive for another 3 hours but to no avail.

MAYBE AFTER THE OIL RUNS OUT AND WE HAVE TO RIDE AROUND ON BUFFALOWS THINGS WILL GET BETTER. But for now old on "as its a fast ride and it could be your LAST RIDE"!!

[NanLaew]

I invested in a radar detector and have no had a problem since.

Did you pay extra for the Thai model with bs-band?

But I reckon the MIB in the northeast are really on the ball; they have a radar trap south of Kohn Kaen around 4 am. For those guys, you need the bs-band model (with nite-mode filter)

[KeiranSays]

80 Km per hour on a highway is and will always be st*pid in my opinon. I mean.....

The National speed limits for the UK are:

• Motorways and dual carriage ways: 112kph / 70mph
  
• Unrestricted single carriageway roads: 96kph / 60mph
  
• In built up areas e.g. towns and villages: 48kph / 30mph
  
• In some residential areas: 35kph / 20mph
  

at Nov 2007.....

To back up why 80kph is st*pid.....Read this storey.....http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/13/1362.asp

UK: Exceeding Speed Limit Rarely Causes Accidents (Nov 2006)

A new UK Department for Transport report shows fewer than 5 percent of road accidents are caused by cars exceeding the speed limit.

For the past decade, UK road safety policy has focused on legal compliance with posted speed limits as the most effective means of reducing the number of automobile accidents. Department for Transport statistics released today, however, show that fewer than five percent of accidents last year were caused by a motorist driving faster than the limit.

"Exceeding speed limit was attributed to 3 percent of cars involved in accidents, while going too fast for conditions was attributed to 7 per cent." (page 11)

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign, points out that this means "around 95 percent of road crashes have absolutely nothing to do with speeding." Smith takes issue with the department's use of speed camera ticketing to achieve legal compliance, which last year resulted in two million citations worth £120 million (US $225 million) in revenue. "Nationally we're giving (motorists) the wrong safety information and forcing them to concentrate on the wrong safety factors."

According to today's report, the most common factors contributing to road accidents, in order, are:

• 
  
• Failed to look properly
  
• Failed to judge other persons path/speed
  
• Careless, reckless or in a hurry
  
• Poor turn/maneuver
  
• Loss of control
  
• Going too fast for conditions (but under the posted limit)
  
• Pedestrian failed to look properly
  
• Following too close
  
• Sudden braking
  

The department began collecting contributory factor data on road accidents on January 1, 2005. The new information covers 147,509 incidents from slight to severe to fatal. This is the first time that complete contributory factor data on UK accidents has been made available to the public.

Read the full report in a 921k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: Contributory factors to road accidents (Department for Transport, 9/28/2006)

[lapamita]

i have amny problems with thais

but traffic........................

3 accidents payed by thaidrivers during 10 yr.

1 stone fly on the highway and broke the automaticgearbox, first insurance payed it

1 time i was stopped not paying tax with legal fine papper

maybe every 3 month i will be stopped for driving to quickly,,, yes of course i was driving to quickly its 200thb under the table

but i was NEVER stopped by a thaipoliceman only because i am farang or just to press money out!

like i drive here i would loose my drivinglicence in europe just in a day or two with more fine than in 10 years here just in a few days

[skooldaze]

-----------------

They don't stop you cuz you're farang. I've NEVER been stopped at the booths EVER. If you're driving a truck you'll get pulled over, but not a sedan (saloon) or an SUV. The cops will pull anybody over in a truck cuz they think they are poor and are therefore not important and therefore are more able to elicit bribes from them. But it has nothing to do with you being farang. i've driven here for 6 years and have gone through multiple cop checkpoints and never ever ever have I been stopped.

You taking something you shouldn't be?

HMMM. Forgot to smoke my morning doobie.

I wrote in haste. The point I was making is that cops are loathe to pull people over in nice cars, because they might be someone important, and hence, that drive could possible get them in hot water.

They figure that anybody driving a pickup or a beat-up car has scraped together the cash and is therefore not well-connected and, hence, can be messed with. I drive through checkpoints all the time when they only pull over pickups (new or old it doesn't matter).

I've been pulled over three times here, all for doing something illegal. Like an illegal u-turn or turning left against a red light where there was a sign that read "no turn on red light" in Thai. They'll nab you for legitimate stuff.

And also, it seems to me that they are loathe pick out a farang for the most part at their checkpoints because they don't want to deal with the communication problem of trying to explain exactly why they are being pulled over in broken English.

'nuff said.

[skippybangkok]

-----------------

They don't stop you cuz you're farang. I've NEVER been stopped at the booths EVER. If you're driving a truck you'll get pulled over, but not a sedan (saloon) or an SUV. The cops will pull anybody over in a truck cuz they think they are poor and are therefore not important and therefore are more able to elicit bribes from them.

AGREED.

not poor, but "Less Connected". Some one driving a big car may have big friends. Used to have a RRover, many years, rarely stopped, and when they did stop me, they were clearly nervous (seriously, on cop was acually shaking) . If they haggled too long, would tell them to write a fine, or give my licence back as they were wasting my time ( by this point 95% gave the licence back.)

When I got fed up of repairing the RR ( as frequent as a clock ticks) , sold it, and bought a Camry ( turn the key and it works !! - a new experience when ur used to a RR ). Any way, its clear that I get stopped more, and the cops are more tenacious at asking for cash.

SIZE DOES COUNT

Edited May 5, 2008 by skippybangkok

[astral]

UK: Exceeding Speed Limit Rarely Causes Accidents (Nov 2006)

A new UK Department for Transport report shows fewer than 5 percent of road accidents are caused by cars exceeding the speed limit.

For the past decade, UK road safety policy has focused on legal compliance with posted speed limits as the most effective means of reducing the number of automobile accidents. Department for Transport statistics released today, however, show that fewer than five percent of accidents last year were caused by a motorist driving faster than the limit.

Speed in itself may not cause the accident, but I feel sure it does add to the level of damage

and risk of fatality.

The walls on the elevated roads can only stand a certain level of impact.

Exceed that and you are airborne.........

See http://www.car-accidents.com/country-car-a...ents-crash.html

for some photos

[KeiranSays]

Hi again ok.....

Did anyone notice here as fellow driver in the mad house that when drivers in thailand have to drive slow they beocme inpatient and there is more accidents.

When it rains here, everyone gets up outta the office or house, goes to their car and starts driving or thats how its seems.

Whens its raining, the roads clog up in bangkok and everyone forgets what little they might have known about driven. They also have to slow down and they get irritable, driving erratically through gaps in the traffic to gain a few meters of road off their destination.

Its these quick sudden burst of speed that cause most accidents i have driven past in Bangkok, you can see from where the involved vehicles are sat in the road. Some dude though "ok great i will zip in there" and then bang, they take someones front right wing out and all because oif that sudden burst of power they needed to get to their choosen gap, completely forgetting about "breaking distance" if a third vehicle gets involvled in the equation.

Most other crashes i here about in Thailand are truckers, who mostly drink too much redbull, and drive longer than is leagally allowed or medically recommended and then do much higher speeds that the speed limit to get their job done so they can get a new job underway and earn more cash to pay off the corrupt cops.....

Further more....Driving slowly causes more accidents. As well as having a top speed limit, they also need a minimum speed limit!

[ianh68h]

Last year there were 29,548 speeding offences prosecuted. More than 5,000 of these were by women and almost 61,000 were caught on radar checks.

Ok, is it just me or does someone see something odd in these numbers?

- 31,452 speeding offences were not prosecuted. Does this mean the offenders were let off with a stern admonishment and/or the tea money fund was blessed with donations?

- "More than 5,000 of these were by women" What does this mean? If it's "more than" it could be 20,000 etc. If it was only 5,000 or so, does that mean that the balance was attributable to katoeys, hermaphrodites, males, dogs, or what?

- If women only comprimised approx. 17% of prosecutions but represented 35% of drivers, does this mean that women can be considered safer drivers? (I'll leave that to the misogynists to debate)

I wish the english language press would put more effort into writing coherent stories. It would take the mystery out of these news stories.

More than 5000 in this context I'd say means anything between 5000 and 5500. However, if they give a precise total they should give precise subtotals too.

[AussieFarang]

Let the wife drive. Only 100 baht and a 50% discount from me.

[thaimate]

they got the guy in front of me yesterday ,on the tollway you should have seen his face when he realized that if only he had waited a moment he could have got the farang in the next car

[sweetchariot]

Can someone elaborate on how the points system works please. I read somewhere that this only applies if your license was issued in Bangkok? Also how many points do you start with, and what happens when they are all gone?

Thanks.

[BlueSmurf]

Can someone elaborate on how the points system works please. I read somewhere that this only applies if your license was issued in Bangkok? Also how many points do you start with, and what happens when they are all gone?

Thanks.

The points system works like this. You start with no points but if you give the nice policeman some cash (up to him how much) then he POINTS you in the right direction to go on your way! A very simple system. Sorry could't resist that one..

Never heard of a points system, but hey I live up north...Would love to know how the hel_l they would keep track of that if indeed it exists...We have a thai licence driving u here the same as down south. Same size as a thai I.D. so no where to write them on as in Blighty. Like to know how many points a thai has to have before they have to buy a new licence up here for 800 baht? Don't you just love Thailand?

[gwynt]

I get stopped every time at the toll gate when the police are active simply because I'm farang. They tell me I was caught speeding on radar and ask for 500 - 2000 baht. They got me once. After that I drive 80 and when I'm asked for money I calmly say no I was driving 80 (my gf says this is thai also). They smile and let me go. It's a total scam. My gf says they need the money for their families. So do I.

Had a same happen to me going from Udon to Loei, he told my g/f I was doing 170km/hr I just refused to payand said to lock me up. By the way was driveing our ford ranger, it won't even reach 170.

[samran]

I get stopped every time at the toll gate when the police are active simply because I'm farang. They tell me I was caught speeding on radar and ask for 500 - 2000 baht. They got me once. After that I drive 80 and when I'm asked for money I calmly say no I was driving 80 (my gf says this is thai also). They smile and let me go. It's a total scam. My gf says they need the money for their families. So do I.

"they need the money for their families..." EVER HEARD SOMETHING ELSE HERE !???? Maybe they forgot to mention that they also need the money for the booze that night, and next night, and next..... Mother fuc_kers, that's what they are !!

Indeed, it's ONLY because we are farang, mobile trees with GOLDEN leaves ! When is the government going to do something about this ?? i guess NEVER as they teach their people how to handle with farangs, jesus ! Sometimes i wonder why we, ALL of the farangs, don't just leave this country, only to see what they gonna do without all our golden eggs !

Every time you pay a bribe to a policeman in Thailand you have to understand that it does not all go into his pocket – only a very small part of it stays with him.

In order to get the job of stopping motorists, rather than risking his life chasing armed criminals for example, the police private has to hand over the majority of his take to the Sergeant who gave him the easy job – that’s the fat guy sleeping in the car under the shade. In return for THAT easy job the Sergeant has to hand over so much money per day to his Lieutenant, who in turn hands over most of it to his Captain in the hope that one day he, the Captain, will recommend the Lieutenant for promotion, the Captain passes it on again to his superior in thanks for his promotion or possibly in thanks for not being posted to the South of Thailand - whatever. And so it goes all the way up the line, with Officers and even Government Officials at every stage taking a slice and passing the remainder onward and upward – all in return for favours given or expected from the level above.

I am not excusing the practice, it’s corruption pure and simple, however it helps to understand the “system”, if only to control ones blood pressure.

Patrick

great post, and the absolute truth. It is a insitutional problem with the police force here. IMHO, many police don't like the system, but if you are on 5000 baht per month, there is little option.

As for getting stopped cause you are a farang. I just don't know about that one. I've lived here since 2001. I've been stopped twice. Both times, my fault. I decided to pay the offical fine as the cop shop was around the corner. I've driven from Nong Khai all the way to Hat Yai in the past 6 months, and wasn't stopped.

Maybe I'm doing something which wards off evil coppers?

[tominbkk]

These are the main routes I travel regularly. Let me know if there are other spots that you have seen these B*******!!!! I don't think they ever move around or try being sneaky. A friend mentioned that sometimes they on the LAST ON-Ramp to the Elevated Expressway to Chonburi though I have never seen them here nor ever been stopped at the collection both.

Ditto on what you wrote.....Going back into town on Bangna Trad elevated right where you say, usually weekdays from 15:00-18:00 or thereabouts. Going out of town they are usually there in the earlier afternoon.

Sometimes they are at the intersection going out of town where you either go up on the elevated or down to the regular Bangna Trad highway (don't know exactly how to call that, so just look out around that area).

They are also on the Ramintra/Rama 9 expressway, going towards Ramintra, just after the exit down to Kaset/Nawamin, I got caught by them once there (usually noonish-3 p.m. on weekdays).

Lately I've noticed more cars coming in the opposite direction flashing their lights to warn about the radar, like people do in the states.

[Tingnongnoi]

As for getting stopped cause you are a farang. I just don't know about that one. I've lived here since 2001. I've been stopped twice. Both times, my fault. I decided to pay the offical fine as the cop shop was around the corner. I've driven from Nong Khai all the way to Hat Yai in the past 6 months, and wasn't stopped.

Maybe I'm doing something which wards off evil coppers?

me too, I have driven well over 60,000 k's in Thailand and only ever been stopped when I had done something wrong and gone past the radar gun on the rama 9 section ramp just past Ramkhamhaeng must be over 100 times now and been stopped once, when I was actually going well over 80 k's and 2 other times when I explained that they must have got the wrong car as I was only doing 60 and both times they apologised and let me go with a smile.

[F1 Visa Runner]

500 B is a great deal for being on the thai autobahn.

But the even greater deal is when first caught. You can not be caught for any further traffic offense the next 7 days.

Only show em your bill and you ll go free!

[isaanbrit]

stop annoying us with piddling announcements such as this

No thanks Mr Pascal, some of us are interested by this kind of thing. Please keep the announcements coming.

Now I now, I'll slow down on the motorway - THIS IS HELPFUL

If it annoys you, why do you read it?

[Nick100]

Yup can confirm the stop nr the international exit for Don Muang as I've been nailed there. My bro and I were driving to Muang Keauw Golf course early one morning about 4 weeks ago, clear traffic doing around 180kph.

I swore blind we'd just gone past a cop with a hand held radar. Told my bro this, he poo-pood it and sure enough there were a couple of guys with reg numbers written down (ours included) that our little brown uniformed zapper had radioed ahead at the rangsit toll.

Obviously neither of us spoke thai in any way shape or form (ahem) and we thought the 500baht fine was a just punishment, especially given that 180kph would probably have resulted in a court appearance and possible loss of licence where we come from. Yes these guys are probly supplementing income, but that's not exactly a new phenomenon here is it?

Just be thankful Thailand has not yet introduced the GATSO camera.

By the way you can buy various detectors and jammers which befuddle many hand held radars. Just need to establish what band radar these hand helds are operating on and buy the requisite jammer... Not sure of the legalities though.

That or fit your car with flipper-plates.

[Jalla]

What can i say, just love my Whistler detector

Orders anyone?

[skippybangkok]

500 B is a great deal for being on the thai autobahn.

But the even greater deal is when first caught. You can not be caught for any further traffic offense the next 7 days.

Only show em your bill and you ll go free!

There is one quirk, to my understanding you are the not allowed to drive with out your license, which you should pick up in 7 days. !! Practice & the Law are not always the same.

[stingray]

More rules and more laws every year more and more, like in Europe. Anyway if have to drive only 80 kph, why should use the toll way on Bang Na trat Highway and pay additional 55 Baht or 75 Baht for it.? Use the road below, don't pay any money and don't get caught. If everybody would do this, they could use the Toll way for parking space, great!

[tweezer]

They don't stop you cuz you're farang.

Oh Yes They Do!!!!!!

I frequently drive the Don Muang Tollway... almost daily in fact. The cops are out there with the radar every day from about 10:00 to 12:00, and then from about 13:00 to 16:00. I know that they are there are those times, so I never drive over 80 on the approach to the Don Muang tollbooth.

One day, I stopped at the booth to pay my 20 baht. One of the BIBs was standing there, right at the tollbooth. With my window down, I heard his radio go off... loud and clear... with one of his excited cohorts yelling "Farang! Farang! Farang!". The cop at the booth immediately stepped down and escorted me over to the side of the road.

I refused to give him my license, and explained to him... in thai and in a very irate tone... that I'd heard the call on his radio, and that I was not speeding and never do on that road as I know they are there. He gave me one of those stupid, shoulder-shrugging chuckles as if to say, "ha ha, yea, you got us!" And I went on my way.

These radar checks are just another excuse for Thailand's biggest street gang to line their pockets with your 'road tax.' Absolutely typical here. Just don't speed in the areas others have metioned in this thread...

Happy Motoring!

--T.