To Protect And Threaten?

[sweetchariot]

I have met plenty of cops who WOULD NOT take a bribe or spot fine as I like to think of it. They take your lisence & write you a ticket Every police station is allowed to keep a large percentage of the revenue from traffic tickets up to a stipulated monthly maximum. Therefore, until that maximum is reached, officers will be instructed to issue tickets. - tell you to wait 7 days & then go pay the fine. I think you'll find that you must pay the fine within 7 days.

btw - 1000 baht is well over the top for a loud pipe. They must have 2 fee schedules in Pattaya Beach. One for Thai & one for falang. The law stipulates a fine of not less than 400 Baht and not more than 1000 Baht for many traffic offences. You may well be right that in Pattaya Thais receive the minimum fine and farangs the maximum, I don't know. Alternatively, from my own experience, I have found the fine is always 400 unless the copper takes a dislike to you.

You can curse the cops all you want - but it will be them picking your broken body up after a crash - or you've had your house burgled. I try & smile & be pleasant - even when I'm being shaken down. Actually it will be one of the voluntary rescue services that recover your corpse such as Pok Tek Tung.

TIT

What utter <deleted>. I always thought you were quite intelligent until I read this. As you stated in your 2nd paragraph, you don't know, so why comment?

[Haydn]

I was hit by a speeding motorbike on 3rd Road and had a broken arm . The motorbike rider was caught by the Motor bike taxi men. A police sh.thouse ( well they are the same colour). Came along and ordered me to pay for the damage to the motorbike and the torn clothing of the Motor bike driverI was then ordered to report to the police station as although as witnessed by the Motor cycle taxi men I was standing on the double yellow lines in the center of the road it was my fault that the accident happened. My lowyer told me to pay up and never argue with the police even when you are in the right as we are guests in this country and they are the bosses. I reported to the police station -- the motor bike was a stolen one, the id card the dirver had given to the police officer was false and I lost out to the tune of 5000bt plus a hospiatl bill. It is time the Police and us read the constitution of Thailand and insisted that the courts and police keep to it. It is an offence for the police to take tea money and they should all go to jail for it.

[scotsman]

In the uk if you get a traffic ticket you can refuse to pay the fine if you think its unjust and take your chances in a court of law.

If it was unjust yes but this guy had broken a law no matter how small and would lose in any court without a hotshot lawyer.

It just proves the legal system in the UK wastes too much time and money on trivial offences thus clogging up the system for when serious criminal cases needs court time, so IMO the Thai legal system is superior in this case if ticketing offences cant make it that far down the line.

There are too many laws in all our over policed countries.

So the answer to my question is a big NO there is no chance of justice in Thailand for this type of offense to do with traffic offenses just as I thought. I know this man was probably in the wrong for having the motor bike modified,but its all the other people who get fined for doing nothing wrong that has no chance to any justice. You say this proves the Legal system in the uk is faulty and wastes time & money but is that not what a good Legal system should do if your to get any justice, or would you prefer the Thai system guilty all the time. The Thai Legal System is not Superior its full of corruption as is the Police force so all its citizens do not get any justice. We are at the very bottom of that list for justice & we all know it but can we do anything about it? NO so we just have to make the best of it. Be as polite as you can to all police and pay up is all we can do thats life in this country we have selected to live in. May be in time the Thai people will change it.

Regards

Scotsman

[Briggsy]

I have met plenty of cops who WOULD NOT take a bribe or spot fine as I like to think of it. They take your lisence & write you a ticket Every police station is allowed to keep a large percentage of the revenue from traffic tickets up to a stipulated monthly maximum. Therefore, until that maximum is reached, officers will be instructed to issue tickets. - tell you to wait 7 days & then go pay the fine. I think you'll find that you must pay the fine within 7 days.

btw - 1000 baht is well over the top for a loud pipe. They must have 2 fee schedules in Pattaya Beach. One for Thai & one for falang. The law stipulates a fine of not less than 400 Baht and not more than 1000 Baht for many traffic offences. You may well be right that in Pattaya Thais receive the minimum fine and farangs the maximum, I don't know. Alternatively, from my own experience, I have found the fine is always 400 unless the copper takes a dislike to you.

You can curse the cops all you want - but it will be them picking your broken body up after a crash - or you've had your house burgled. I try & smile & be pleasant - even when I'm being shaken down. Actually it will be one of the voluntary rescue services that recover your corpse such as Pok Tek Tung.

TIT

What utter <deleted>. I always thought you were quite intelligent until I read this. As you stated in your 2nd paragraph, you don't know, so why comment?

Perhaps you would be kind enough to specify which part of my post is "utter <deleted>". I think you'll find everything I have written here is perfectly accurate. Did you not realise there are 2 posters here, as shown by the 2 colours.

Edited July 12, 2008 by Briggsy

[egg6447]

heng , i,m amazed you,ve had ten years driving without a tea money request. may i be so bold as to ask what you drive?.. and to enforce what other brits say ref the uk police. yes you can argue/reason with them and if your not happy with there attitude, take there number and make a police complaint. although ive done this at least twice its died a death on the grounds the policeman has taken a step back and decided i could be right after all.

[poshthai]

6years for me and never had to pay tea money or a fine.Have been stopped a couple of times and they have tried but i act mai khao jai and thye let me go lol.

[boiledegg]

You say this proves the Legal system in the uk is faulty and wastes time & money but is that not what a good Legal system should do if your to get any justice

Read what is written, I said for minor cases like this, and i dont wish to be taxed to pay for court cases like this, as youre Scottish im presuming youre a Labour voter which is why you agree with high taxes for pointless exercises.

or would you prefer the Thai system guilty all the time.

In cases where the person admits his guilt such as this one then the UK and Thai systems dont vary too much should everything be done by the book, its a case of pay the fine and be done with it.

The Thai Legal System is not Superior its full of corruption.

Agreed but if it has 1 aspect that saves time, money and uses a bit of common sense should it be disregarded just because it is corrupt system?

We are at the very bottom of that list for justice & we all know it but can we do anything about it?

If youve money and/or influence youre near the top of that list whether youre black, white, yellow or brown.

[cobra]

... I try & smile & be pleasant - even when I'm being shaken down.

Yes indeed, words to live by.

Besides a shake down here and there, the only other perk BIB's get is a sense of power,

play to that perception and it'll work in your favor, smile, keep your mouth shut, wai like your life depended on it, it's just that kind of display that's core to face,

Showing disrespect, arguing in public in plain view of the locals with a cop is the worst thing you can do in any country, it's particular not in your best interest here. You'll just make a bad situation worse.

Edited July 12, 2008 by cobra

[Heng]

heng , i,m amazed you,ve had ten years driving without a tea money request. may i be so bold as to ask what you drive?..

I've heard the generalizations before, but I think they are either dated or at best only occasionally true that cops are "afraid" of pulling people over who may be important or wealthy, mostly because there are so many people nowadays who fit into the latter group, and the cops very well know that plenty of people with "nice" cars aren't wealthy or connected at all. My main cars are a 9 year old Toyota minivan and a less old Camry. Nondescript. No issues as well with the 'nicer' cars in my household either. No one pulled over for no reason, but yeah, more than a few fines paid for legitimate moving violations.

I'm not saying I've never seen the police paid off because of a traffic stop, but I've never seen it as a request on the part of the policeman. It's always been "instigated" by whoever was driving with no money specific conversation at all. Like... "I'm in a bit of a rush, ...." "Of course, drive safely!" And no, I've yet to be asked for tea money once... the one time 10 years ago, was me paying the on the spot fine by *my own choice* with a "yeah, I have to get to the train station..." "okay, talk later..." or something like that.

[scotsman]

You say this proves the Legal system in the uk is faulty and wastes time & money but is that not what a good Legal system should do if your to get any justice

Read what is written, I said for minor cases like this, and i dont wish to be taxed to pay for court cases like this, as youre Scottish im presuming youre a Labour voter which is why you agree with high taxes for pointless exercises.

or would you prefer the Thai system guilty all the time.

In cases where the person admits his guilt such as this one then the UK and Thai systems dont vary too much should everything be done by the book, its a case of pay the fine and be done with it.

The Thai Legal System is not Superior its full of corruption.

Agreed but if it has 1 aspect that saves time, money and uses a bit of common sense should it be disregarded just because it is corrupt system?

We are at the very bottom of that list for justice & we all know it but can we do anything about it?

If youve money and/or influence youre near the top of that list whether youre black, white, yellow or brown.

If any justice system is to be fair to anyone it must have the right for you to defend ones rights, if we just say that everyone is guilty of any minor offense and pay up then its not a free country. If you go down that road just to save money then you lose that freedom & Rights I for one don't want to go down that road. In LOS there is no form of any justice unless as you say you can buy your way out or have people high up to help you out, what kind of justice is that. I know that from living here we are subjected to the unjust, corrupt, police force and many of us here have no other choice but to PAY UP & SHUT UP. As I said in my last post Its up to the Thai people to change there system but until then LOS is not a Free & Just Country for all and I will just have to live with that if I want to keep on living here but I don't have to agree with it.

Regards

Scotsman

[sotsira]

I've visited many countries in my life, and the one thing that i've noticed is civilised well run countries that are first world category have efficient well run police forces.

Third world countries have corrupt power hungry fascists that call themselves policemen, maybe that's why their are 1st & 3rd world countries in the first place. If the police can't police the country efficiently what chance does the country have to prosper when there is corruption going on.

The first priority that the police should have is to stop corruption at all levels but when they participate in it then the country has no chance in prospering.

Thailand is run by the police and military they have all the power and call the shots and they are the only power that can make a change for the better.

Edited July 13, 2008 by sotsira

[crudy21]

Look upon it as your community charge/council tax, small price to pay for living/holidaying in amazing Pattaya!

[sotsira]

If any justice system is to be fair to anyone it must have the right for you to defend ones rights, if we just say that everyone is guilty of any minor offense and pay up then its not a free country. If you go down that road just to save money then you lose that freedom & Rights I for one don't want to go down that road. In LOS there is no form of any justice unless as you say you can buy your way out or have people high up to help you out, what kind of justice is that. I know that from living here we are subjected to the unjust, corrupt, police force and many of us here have no other choice but to PAY UP & SHUT UP. As I said in my last post Its up to the Thai people to change there system but until then LOS is not a Free & Just Country for all and I will just have to live with that if I want to keep on living here but I don't have to agree with it.

Regards

Scotsman

It certainly isn't a free country for the farangs!

Edited July 13, 2008 by sotsira