Thai Traffic Cop In Good Deed Shock Horror!

[aussiebebe]

An all-too-frequent topic of conversation during my stay in the kingdom has been how corrupt, underpaid and annoying the local constabulary is. Whether the police are doling out fines to motorcyclists for simply existing, causing ten-mile-long tail-backs as they ‘direct’ traffic, or bringing whole intersections to a stand-still as their fear of ghosts delays them from clearing a bus/car smash – there is always something to complain about, smile at or take pity on.

It seems though, that cops actually have quite a western sense of social justice.

On Thursday I joined the U-turn queue on my way to the local Food Land. No sooner had I done so, but I was punished for being more than an inch away from the truck in front by a local driver who cut in.. Such queues are much slower than they should be because of all the drivers who cut in at the last moment, which irritates all the law-abiding motorists who wait patiently in line.

Almost at the turn, I saw a cop on the near-side and was thinking ‘if only he’d see that….’ when yet another driver cut in front of me. To my delight, the cop pulled-over and ticketed the offending driver. Awesome!

[Dave the Dude]

Well done Aussiebebe

It makes a refreshing change to read a positive story,especially about the BiB

Dave

[GENeIsUS]

Awesome is correct.

I have had three confrontations with the locat po-lice. 200Baht, 400Baht, and 400Baht. The wife and I rarely discuss these uniformed -expletive deleted- people, though I have learned some fantastic new descriptive terms in the Thai language. Antecedents, future lives. etc. etc.

Have a nice day.

[PeaceBlondie]

As usual, I have lived in some alternate universe, also called Thailand, all these 5.4 years. Never noticed a corrupt or inefficient cop. But they were even nice to me in Houston. Here, I paid for not wearing a helmet once, and for parking in a marked area during rush hour. That is all I can think of. They staff the drink-driving checkpoints and always wave me through. Same with all the other helmet checkpoints. When I went to the station to pay my parking fine, they were very nice to me.

[toptuan]

Last month, I tried giving a cop 200 Baht for doing a police report for me regarding a stolen credit card number. He refused to take it. I'm still in shock.

[GayGordon]

Last month, I tried giving a cop 200 Baht for doing a police report for me regarding a stolen credit card number. He refused to take it. I'm still in shock.

How odd,.perhaps he thought as it was only 200 baht you needed it more than he did ! ( only joking )

[Tim207]

As usual, I have lived in some alternate universe, also called Thailand, all these 5.4 years. Never noticed a corrupt or inefficient cop. But they were even nice to me in Houston. Here, I paid for not wearing a helmet once, and for parking in a marked area during rush hour. That is all I can think of. They staff the drink-driving checkpoints and always wave me through. Same with all the other helmet checkpoints. When I went to the station to pay my parking fine, they were very nice to me.

I have also had fair treatment by the police. I have gotten my share of tickets, but then I am always breaking the law when I do. They even helped me find my motorbike once when I was, well, I had trouble remembering where I left it. They found it, brought it to me and even made sure I put on my helmet before they let me go home. Debateable whether they were doing me any favor by allowing me to drive but they didn't lock me up.

I have had a few other experiences where they have gone over and above anything that could be expected to help me. These have always been local cops outside of tourist areas though so that could be a big part of the discrepency.

[billd766]

I live in a small village and the local BiB are in the town. The last time I rode my scooter without a helmet the cop waited until I came out of the 7/11 and asked me nicely to put my helmet on. I did and he said thank you. No fines or backhanders and i usually buy him a coffee when I see him around town.

ALL of the BiB where I live are nice guys.

[PeaceBlondie]

Hey, billd, that reminds me of the remote province where I worked. In my second year of being nearly the only farang ajarn in amphur muang, I parked on the red striped lines and went into the photo shop. Policeman walks in to tell me I am parked illegally. He sees it is the farang ajarn, gives me his best wai and smile, and leaves. Love 'em.

[billd766]

Hey, billd, that reminds me of the remote province where I worked. In my second year of being nearly the only farang ajarn in amphur muang, I parked on the red striped lines and went into the photo shop. Policeman walks in to tell me I am parked illegally. He sees it is the farang ajarn, gives me his best wai and smile, and leaves. Love 'em.

One of the nice things about living in the sticks.

Traffic jams are at most a couple of minutes and only then on market days.

I miss being at home but I had the opportunity of a job in New Zealand for a while so I grabbed it while I had the chance.

Back home in December for 3 weeks then back here again.

Today is a bad day for me as it is my wifes birthday but I did have a drink with her while on the phone.

:D

[toptuan]

Last month, I tried giving a cop 200 Baht for doing a police report for me regarding a stolen credit card number. He refused to take it. I'm still in shock.

How odd,.perhaps he thought as it was only 200 baht you needed it more than he did ! ( only joking )

Considering my depressed state of mind over the credit card problem, I think you're right!!

[StreetCowboy]

I go through two or three intersections that are under police control on my way to work, and I think they do a pretty good job of keeping the traffic flowing, and encouraging the drivers to behave. I'm amazed that anyone understands their vague hand-waving, mind. It must be a right dangerous job, standing in the road with Thai drivers weaving in all directions...

SC

[nikster]

I find them very friendly and helpful as well. For example once I got a speeding ticket for going 125KPh on the motorway. 200 Baht, no problems, all smiles, and they let us go with the helpful advice that there were more police checkpoints to come along the road. And if we get caught all we have to do is show the receipt.

A uniquely Thai experience ....

Edited November 30, 2008 by nikster

[groovyc]

I find them very friendly and helpful as well. For example once I got a speeding ticket for going 125KPh on the motorway. 200 Baht, no problems, all smiles, and they let us go with the helpful advice that there were more police checkpoints to come along the road. And if we get caught all we have to do is show the receipt.

A uniquely Thai experience ....

A 200B ticket to the Autobahn....cool.

[LivinLOS]

As usual, I have lived in some alternate universe, also called Thailand, all these 5.4 years. Never noticed a corrupt or inefficient cop.

However you live in CM.. Felt like a breath of fresh (but cool) air comparing my interactions with Thais there, with my interactions with them here on Phuket.

[dave_boo]

As usual, I have lived in some alternate universe, also called Thailand, all these 5.4 years. Never noticed a corrupt or inefficient cop.

However you live in CM.. Felt like a breath of fresh (but cool) air comparing my interactions with Thais there, with my interactions with them here on Phuket.

You're quite right. Up in Nakhon Sawan their either too shy to try and bust my balls or not as 'motivated' as they are in areas with much higher concentrations of foreigners.

As you know from the Iron Butt ride, I've gone quite native in considering traffic rules to be merely suggestions. And yet even displaying a flagrant disregard for regulations that would have had me watching my toenails grow in the West, I have yet to be ticketed by any copper up North. In Bangkok I've had to go to the local station and pay a fine for riding on a fly-over (I didn't know where I was and didn't see the supposed sign so I just kept up with the Thais) and hitting a sting operation on the other side. A couple more times (mostly for not being in the leftmost lane) had to pop out the passport with the 200 THB inside which took care of the problem.

And yet, as mentioned earlier NO problems up north. In fact usually just slowing down and flipping up the visor is enough to get me a wave through at those mai mee tang hai mia noi checkpoints.

[jaithai]

My experience with Bangkok police is this:

While wandering about on lower Sukumvit, near Ploenchit, a motorcycle cop calls me aside and starts questioning me about who I was, what was I doing there, etc.

I thought, "Oh no, a shakedown in progress." When he asked me what I did and I responded that I sold electronics (in my very limited Thai), he asked if I had been to Panthip Plaza.

I told him I hadn't. He indicated for me to get on his motorcycle. I thought, "<deleted>?", but got on the cycle.

Off we went to Panthip where he proudly showed me this amazing collection of electronic sales venues.

Since then, Aut and I have been friends. We've gone out for beers together, I've taken him and his family to dinner and I've been invited to their apartment.

Strange and Wonderous. Not your typical BKK police story.