Helmut Police

[Sarge]

Sarge ...... ugh ... where to start...

OK ... Yes I ride a motorcycle in Thailand .. every day for the last 5 years. Yes we have a car as well (this thread is about motorcycles, but I have NEVER been pulled over in the car, not has my partner). I have not been singled out on the motorcycle ever. I have gotten three tickets in Bangkok all of which I earned

I got one ticket in Pattaya (wrong way on a one-way) and a couple in Hua Hin in my first few months in the country (no helmet on short jaunts).

So, where do I drive? All over the country. A year + living in Phuket and never a ticket (even though I got pulled over at the checkpoints often ....) No other tickets ... no other problems ...

We did get pulled over twice in Laos in 24 hours but that was probably due to having Thai tags.

(between the car and the motorcycles ---- 120k kilometers in 5 years)

so it looks like that your experience is driving a scooter in farang ghettos and being driven by your boyfriend in his car. You may be surprised but if something never happened to you (stopped by dodgy traffic policemen) doesn't mean, it's not there. There are some bad spots (around Korat, near UDT and the outskirts of KK just to name a few) where traffic police set roadblocks from time to time and pull over soft targets, using spurious excuses. Seen drivers being pulled over when stationary at traffic lights. I don't think there is a bias against foreigners as there aren't that many driving a car outside the main tourist areas. It's well known to Thais too, my wife always insisted never to hand over my driving licence as the PC would hold it until he gets the money.

tattoodrob ---- dear ... nobody called you a liar, just that many people do not see it your way...

so relax ... but if you read in this thread apparently many other people do not have these issues. I won't say there are not any corrupt police here, but I wouldn't say that about anywhere else either!

you keep peddling your half truths in this forum, be it motoring or socialist politics. Corruption is endemic in all aspects of life here, traffic police is not better. As a law abiding citizen I don't have problems in paying fines if I commit traffic violation but I should be made to pay at a local station against a ticket and NOT hand over 100฿ to line the policeman's pocket. As foreigner I'm quintuple charged (standard tea money request is 20฿ for Thais), in KK some BIBs had a cheek to ask 200฿ which I negotiate it down to 80฿, which undoubtedly went to his mia noi fund. It doesn't happen often but when it does it pisses me right off.

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[Sarge]

A. i would think he quite likes you to stroke your stomach,was he asking personal questions?..... or have you got the brit belly(look pregnant) then maybe he was inwardly laughing at you while touching you there,otherwise i got no idea.

not quite mate, it's Thai way to ask you for money. First time it happened I thought I had come across a policeman, but later I was explained, by Thais, what that meant.

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[basjke]

Sarge ...... ugh ... where to start...

OK ... Yes I ride a motorcycle in Thailand .. every day for the last 5 years. Yes we have a car as well (this thread is about motorcycles, but I have NEVER been pulled over in the car, not has my partner). I have not been singled out on the motorcycle ever. I have gotten three tickets in Bangkok all of which I earned

I got one ticket in Pattaya (wrong way on a one-way) and a couple in Hua Hin in my first few months in the country (no helmet on short jaunts).

So, where do I drive? All over the country. A year + living in Phuket and never a ticket (even though I got pulled over at the checkpoints often ....) No other tickets ... no other problems ...

We did get pulled over twice in Laos in 24 hours but that was probably due to having Thai tags.

(between the car and the motorcycles ---- 120k kilometers in 5 years)

so it looks like that your experience is driving a scooter in farang ghettos and being driven by your boyfriend in his car. You may be surprised but if something never happened to you (stopped by dodgy traffic policemen) doesn't mean, it's not there. There are some bad spots (around Korat, near UDT and the outskirts of KK just to name a few) where traffic police set roadblocks from time to time and pull over soft targets, using spurious excuses. Seen drivers being pulled over when stationary at traffic lights. I don't think there is a bias against foreigners as there aren't that many driving a car outside the main tourist areas. It's well known to Thais too, my wife always insisted never to hand over my driving licence as the PC would hold it until he gets the money.

tattoodrob ---- dear ... nobody called you a liar, just that many people do not see it your way...

so relax ... but if you read in this thread apparently many other people do not have these issues. I won't say there are not any corrupt police here, but I wouldn't say that about anywhere else either!

you keep peddling your half truths in this forum, be it motoring or socialist politics. It doesn't happen often but when it does it pisses me right off.

Glad that someone more noticed it.Can't make yourself interesting in the news forum anymore that you moved to posting in the pattaya forum.Thought you posted so many times that you were proud that you had nothing to do with Pattaya.

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[jdinasia]

Sarge ...... ugh ... where to start...

OK ... Yes I ride a motorcycle in Thailand .. every day for the last 5 years. Yes we have a car as well (this thread is about motorcycles, but I have NEVER been pulled over in the car, not has my partner). I have not been singled out on the motorcycle ever. I have gotten three tickets in Bangkok all of which I earned

I got one ticket in Pattaya (wrong way on a one-way) and a couple in Hua Hin in my first few months in the country (no helmet on short jaunts).

So, where do I drive? All over the country. A year + living in Phuket and never a ticket (even though I got pulled over at the checkpoints often ....) No other tickets ... no other problems ...

We did get pulled over twice in Laos in 24 hours but that was probably due to having Thai tags.

(between the car and the motorcycles ---- 120k kilometers in 5 years)

so it looks like that your experience is driving a scooter in farang ghettos and being driven by your boyfriend in his car. You may be surprised but if something never happened to you (stopped by dodgy traffic policemen) doesn't mean, it's not there. There are some bad spots (around Korat, near UDT and the outskirts of KK just to name a few) where traffic police set roadblocks from time to time and pull over soft targets, using spurious excuses. Seen drivers being pulled over when stationary at traffic lights. I don't think there is a bias against foreigners as there aren't that many driving a car outside the main tourist areas. It's well known to Thais too, my wife always insisted never to hand over my driving licence as the PC would hold it until he gets the money.

tattoodrob ---- dear ... nobody called you a liar, just that many people do not see it your way...

so relax ... but if you read in this thread apparently many other people do not have these issues. I won't say there are not any corrupt police here, but I wouldn't say that about anywhere else either!

you keep peddling your half truths in this forum, be it motoring or socialist politics. Corruption is endemic in all aspects of life here, traffic police is not better. As a law abiding citizen I don't have problems in paying fines if I commit traffic violation but I should be made to pay at a local station against a ticket and NOT hand over 100฿ to line the policeman's pocket. As foreigner I'm quintuple charged (standard tea money request is 20฿ for Thais), in KK some BIBs had a cheek to ask 200฿ which I negotiate it down to 80฿, which undoubtedly went to his mia noi fund. It doesn't happen often but when it does it pisses me right off.

1) Stop using perjorative expressions about me

2) I live in Bangkok on the outer edge ... not in a "farang ghetto"

3) I drive and ride all over the country

4) Learn to read, I not only do not deny police corruption exists I state it exists everywhere.

5) The thread is acually about riding in Pattaya (not driving in Korat)

7) There would be no way a police officer could know if it is a Thai or a farang driving our car ... we don't get stopped. We have driven all over the country.

8) I do not 'peddle half-truths'. You have seen others in this thread saying the same things I say. Experiences differ in Thailand. which is why it is possible for one tattooed farang guy NOT wearing a brain bucket to have a completely different experience than another tattooed guy that stopped not wearing a brain bucket after seeing his first low speed accident where the bike rider was not wearing one.

9) Don't cry about corruption when you admit to participating in it.

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[Sarge]

Sarge ...... ugh ... where to start...

OK ... Yes I ride a motorcycle in Thailand .. every day for the last 5 years. Yes we have a car as well (this thread is about motorcycles, but I have NEVER been pulled over in the car, not has my partner). I have not been singled out on the motorcycle ever. I have gotten three tickets in Bangkok all of which I earned

I got one ticket in Pattaya (wrong way on a one-way) and a couple in Hua Hin in my first few months in the country (no helmet on short jaunts).

So, where do I drive? All over the country. A year + living in Phuket and never a ticket (even though I got pulled over at the checkpoints often ....) No other tickets ... no other problems ...

We did get pulled over twice in Laos in 24 hours but that was probably due to having Thai tags.

(between the car and the motorcycles ---- 120k kilometers in 5 years)

so it looks like that your experience is driving a scooter in farang ghettos and being driven by your boyfriend in his car. You may be surprised but if something never happened to you (stopped by dodgy traffic policemen) doesn't mean, it's not there. There are some bad spots (around Korat, near UDT and the outskirts of KK just to name a few) where traffic police set roadblocks from time to time and pull over soft targets, using spurious excuses. Seen drivers being pulled over when stationary at traffic lights. I don't think there is a bias against foreigners as there aren't that many driving a car outside the main tourist areas. It's well known to Thais too, my wife always insisted never to hand over my driving licence as the PC would hold it until he gets the money.

tattoodrob ---- dear ... nobody called you a liar, just that many people do not see it your way...

so relax ... but if you read in this thread apparently many other people do not have these issues. I won't say there are not any corrupt police here, but I wouldn't say that about anywhere else either!

you keep peddling your half truths in this forum, be it motoring or socialist politics. Corruption is endemic in all aspects of life here, traffic police is not better. As a law abiding citizen I don't have problems in paying fines if I commit traffic violation but I should be made to pay at a local station against a ticket and NOT hand over 100฿ to line the policeman's pocket. As foreigner I'm quintuple charged (standard tea money request is 20฿ for Thais), in KK some BIBs had a cheek to ask 200฿ which I negotiate it down to 80฿, which undoubtedly went to his mia noi fund. It doesn't happen often but when it does it pisses me right off.

1) Stop using perjorative expressions about me

2) I live in Bangkok on the outer edge ... not in a "farang ghetto"

3) I drive and ride all over the country

4) Learn to read, I not only do not deny police corruption exists I state it exists everywhere.

5) The thread is acually about riding in Pattaya (not driving in Korat)

7) There would be no way a police officer could know if it is a Thai or a farang driving our car ... we don't get stopped. We have driven all over the country.

8) I do not 'peddle half-truths'. You have seen others in this thread saying the same things I say. Experiences differ in Thailand. which is why it is possible for one tattooed farang guy NOT wearing a brain bucket to have a completely different experience than another tattooed guy that stopped not wearing a brain bucket after seeing his first low speed accident where the bike rider was not wearing one.

9) Don't cry about corruption when you admit to participating in it.

care to explain point 9)? This response of your it's further nail on the coffin in terms of your credibility on Thai life and society. It's shows clearly that your views are shaped by life in tourist ghettos, you can't be relied as credible commentator anymore. All your points are either generalisation and stereotypes (see the tattoo remark, which obviously shows what you experience daily), or a slippery attempt to wriggle off the hook (like this is a thread about riding in Pattaya). In response to point 7, yes they can spot who's the driver is; the guy pulled over at traffic light was a foreigner with his family. Several BiBs were like vulture there, circling around stationary cars, looking intently inside to select a soft target and in the end they got it. In some cases they set up roadblocks and bottlenecks where driver has to slow down to 10km speed. You've been here what? 5 years?

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[jdinasia]

Even when I did get ticketed in Hua Hin when I first moved here I paid at the police station instead of paying tea money ... I don't actively support corruption.

If living in a province that has tourism makes all of the people that don't live in Isaan less than you or their experiences less valid then you really do have an issue. I however, have not lived in 'farang ghettos'. I am heavily tattooed ... tattodrob is heavily tattooed, we have different experiences. his seem to self-admittidly be brought on to himself by not wearing a helmet.

No, unless I roll my window down or the police officer is standing close enough to cast a shadow on the car, he will not be able to see who is driving.

I speak read and write Thai and yes I have lived here for 5 years. Is that another issue with you like not living in Korat? Are people that have only lived here 5 years somehow less knowledgable than you?

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[tattoodrob]

come on you 2 kiss and make up now

im the only one that seems to be living in pattaya currently so surely i know best

seriously lets agree to disagree on this one........i believe police are prejudice and over corrupt here,some may think otherwise.

if i saw illegal driving thais getting pulled over everytime they passed a cop then i would have been more legitimate(and wore a hat) but as its obviously a very variable thing then i joined in with the thai way and found out farangs cant do the same. thats my tuppence.good morning

[jdinasia]

tattodrob,

I don't live there ... but I was driving in Pattaya on Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday/Saturday of this week (not riding)

Tropo makes the point in post #26 that he rides exclusively in Pattaya ... always wears a hemet and never gets pulled over. So yes you may be targetted WHEN breaking the law, more often than a Thai breaking the law is, but apparently if you are not breaking the law you are not likely to be pulled over randomly just because you are white

[Sarge]

Even when I did get ticketed in Hua Hin when I first moved here I paid at the police station instead of paying tea money ... I don't actively support corruption.

you may do that if you are in built up areas, harder to do it if happens in the middle of countryside or mountains areas. Some of them are right bastards, wouldn't let go your driving licence until they get the money. Add to that the family and a young baby daughter in the car. Spare these comments (I don't actively support corruption), to your PAD mates.

If living in a province that has tourism makes all of the people that don't live in Isaan less than you or their experiences less valid then you really do have an issue. I however, have not lived in 'farang ghettos'. I am heavily tattooed ... tattodrob is heavily tattooed, we have different experiences. his seem to self-admittidly be brought on to himself by not wearing a helmet.

I can't comment on that one as I'm not tattooed nor do I have friends who are. Interesting to know nevertheless.

No, unless I roll my window down or the police officer is standing close enough to cast a shadow on the car, he will not be able to see who is driving.

Wrong! and I explained in previous post that there are instances when you can be spotted. Don't keep peddling the same half truths

I speak read and write Thai and yes I have lived here for 5 years. Is that another issue with you like not living in Korat? Are people that have only lived here 5 years somehow less knowledgable than you?

of course not but you're the one who goes around criticising people who may different experiences than you. I just called you out.

Now ---- about singling me out in this thread and not the other posters saying the same things, is that because of my political leanings or my sexuality since you have made disparaging remarks about 'pooftahs' and my 'socialist politics' in this thread. Both of which I find offensive not to mention your almost constant use of the term 'pikey' when referring to me. Really ... you must have some reason other than the message about the "Helmut Police" for attacking .... what is it?

now don't get all paranoid, I answered to your remarks as you seemed to contradict everybody who think differently than you. In this thread there are a number of people who disagree with you, I happen to be one of them, as simple as that.

[jdinasia]

1) Hmmmm just earlier you said you learned from your wife NOT to hand a police officer your license.

2) Again you bring what you perceive as my political thoughs into this thread

3) You couldn't read the comments about tattoos earlier so made wrong assumptions .. glad you had them cleared up

4) Again you start with the 'half-truths' crap. We have heavily tinted windows. I can't even tell if G is sitting in the car unless I am close enough to it to cast a shadow on the window

5) You talk about living in farang ghettos (spurious AND wrong) and length of time in Thailand then back away from the comments. Yes I have only lived here 5 years and not split that time between here and any other country and in that time I have lived in more than one place and none of them have been farang ghettos. That being said ... this thread is ABOUT a so-called farang ghetto.

6) I did not criticize people with different experiences in fact I validated their experiences whilst pointing out that other people have had completely different experiences. I am not the only person to point out their experiences in this thread that do not include being singled out because I am white. I didn't say "you are wrong! That never happens!" I said that is not my experience.

BTW ---- I'll be on the motorcycle tmw for several hours ... riding with a small backpack containing a dog, and wearing an open face helmet. I don't expect I will get pulled over because I am white

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[Sarge]

1) Hmmmm just earlier you said you learned from your wife NOT to hand a police officer your license.

2) Again you bring what you perceive as my political thoughs into this thread

3) You couldn't read the comments about tattoos earlier so made wrong assumptions .. glad you had them cleared up

4) Again you start with the 'half-truths' crap. We have heavily tinted windows. I can't even tell if G is sitting in the car unless I am close enough to it to cast a shadow on the window

5) You talk about living in farang ghettos (spurious AND wrong) and length of time in Thailand then back away from the comments. Yes I have only lived here 5 years and not split that time between here and any other country and in that time I have lived in more than one place and none of them have been farang ghettos. That being said ... this thread is ABOUT a so-called farang ghetto.

6) I did not criticize people with different experiences in fact I validated their experiences whilst pointing out that other people have had completely different experiences. I am not the only person to point out their experiences in this thread that do not include being singled out because I am white. I didn't say "you are wrong! That never happens!" I said that is not my experience.

BTW ---- I'll be on the motorcycle tmw for several hours ... riding with a small backpack containing a dog, and wearing an open face helmet. I don't expect I will get pulled over because I am white

1. and what? you don't talk with your boyfriend when you're in the car and similar situation? What are you trying to say here?

2. stop whining, it doesn't sit well for a grown up man

3. No it just shown that you relate experience seen from outside Thai society, even though you want to portray yourself as an expert. This very piece of information is definite confirmation on how ludicrous is your claim.

4. Again peddling half truths and when caught out you try to wriggle off the hook. Yours were general comments about hard is for police to spot drivers, I called you out and explained that there cases where you can be seen. Now you say that YOU have tinted windows, yeah right ..... even so how many people in percentage drive cars with tinted windows?

5. Can't really understand your point here? who's living in the farang ghetto? It can only be you and your mates, so why did you deny it before? You get more and more confused man. Get a grip on life.

6. You do that and quite consistently, you even post icon when replying to people you disagree with. If you dish it out, can you take it? it seems not. The fact is you have been proven wrong here and shown how limited is your vision of Thailand and Thai society.

So you'll be riding a bike for several hours with a dog inside a backpack priceless!

Edited November 16, 2008 by soundman

[tropo]

This is the Pattaya forum discussing how the cops operate in Pattaya. I have no experience with cops anywhere else.

Here's a little story from one of my two ticket encounters with local cops.

About 8am I was riding up Soi 16 on the way to the gym - the wrong way. This is in the heart of the Walking Street area so it doesn't get any more tourist "ghetto" than there.

A cop stopped me and asked for my licence. I didn't have it with me so he ticketed me for 2 offences - (1) driving the wrong way (2) not carrying a licence.

He couldn't keep my licence as I didn't have it with me so he had every right to take my keys until I could prove I'd paid the ticket. He didn't! He let me ride my bike to the police station on Soi 9 to pay it and he asked me to return there to show him the receipt. 650 baht all up.

I thought that was very decent of him.

In Pattaya if you are stopped for a traffic offence the procedure is quite simple.

1. Show your licence (if you have one).

2. Ask for the ticket. (200 baht for no helmet)

3. Pay the ticket at the local police station.

(Note: I stress in point #2 to ASK for your ticket. If he starts making innuendos for an on-the-spot cash payment, just say: "no thanks, please give me a ticket")

The cop will keep your licence and hand it in to the Soi 9 police station, so it's better to wait until the next day to pay so that your licence will be there when you arrive.

If you don't have a licence and are not as lucky as I was in the above story, he will keep your keys at his post and you will have to use public transportation to get to Soi 9 to pay your ticket. When you show the cop your receipt he will return your keys.

[soundman]

Oh why oh why did I even bother to edit those posts. It would have been far easier just to trash or close the topic.

Next time you two, or anybody else for that matter, want to have an argument like that, do it by PM and stop wasting everybody else's (including mine) time.

Now the topic appears to be about helmut police, or traffic cops in pattaya.... which, I believe is of interest to the expats who live there and tourists who decide to drive on the roads during their stay.

[BSJ]

Ok, if your a Sikh you don't have to wear a helmet.... OR if you wear a turban you don't have to wear a helmet? And I will consider changing religion if it helps! But I will only wear cool looking turbans. OK!

Thats Sic....not Sikh!

[barryofthailand]

This is the Pattaya forum discussing how the cops operate in Pattaya. I have no experience with cops anywhere else.

Here's a little story from one of my two ticket encounters with local cops.

About 8am I was riding up Soi 16 on the way to the gym - the wrong way. This is in the heart of the Walking Street area so it doesn't get any more tourist "ghetto" than there.

A cop stopped me and asked for my licence. I didn't have it with me so he ticketed me for 2 offences - (1) driving the wrong way (2) not carrying a licence.

He couldn't keep my licence as I didn't have it with me so he had every right to take my keys until I could prove I'd paid the ticket. He didn't! He let me ride my bike to the police station on Soi 9 to pay it and he asked me to return there to show him the receipt. 650 baht all up.

I thought that was very decent of him.

In Pattaya if you are stopped for a traffic offence the procedure is quite simple.

1. Show your licence (if you have one).

2. Ask for the ticket. (200 baht for no helmet)

3. Pay the ticket at the local police station.

(Note: I stress in point #2 to ASK for your ticket. If he starts making innuendos for an on-the-spot cash payment, just say: "no thanks, please give me a ticket")

The cop will keep your licence and hand it in to the Soi 9 police station, so it's better to wait until the next day to pay so that your licence will be there when you arrive.

If you don't have a licence and are not as lucky as I was in the above story, he will keep your keys at his post and you will have to use public transportation to get to Soi 9 to pay your ticket. When you show the cop your receipt he will return your keys.

All trafic offenses are 500 Baht

Barry

[tropo]

All trafic offenses are 500 Baht

Barry

Nonsense. A no helmet offence is 200 baht. A friend of mine was booked in Pattaya last week.

My other tickets were a while ago, so I can't comment on what they are today but considering that the no-helmet ticket is still the same as it was 3 years ago I see no reason for the others to have gone up to 500.

[tattoodrob]

Ok, if your a Sikh you don't have to wear a helmet.... OR if you wear a turban you don't have to wear a helmet? And I will consider changing religion if it helps! But I will only wear cool looking turbans. OK!

Thats Sic....not Sikh!

you think that looks cool

[tattoodrob]

This is the Pattaya forum discussing how the cops operate in Pattaya. I have no experience with cops anywhere else.

Here's a little story from one of my two ticket encounters with local cops.

About 8am I was riding up Soi 16 on the way to the gym - the wrong way. This is in the heart of the Walking Street area so it doesn't get any more tourist "ghetto" than there.

A cop stopped me and asked for my licence. I didn't have it with me so he ticketed me for 2 offences - (1) driving the wrong way (2) not carrying a licence.

He couldn't keep my licence as I didn't have it with me so he had every right to take my keys until I could prove I'd paid the ticket. He didn't! He let me ride my bike to the police station on Soi 9 to pay it and he asked me to return there to show him the receipt. 650 baht all up.

I thought that was very decent of him.

In Pattaya if you are stopped for a traffic offence the procedure is quite simple.

1. Show your licence (if you have one).

2. Ask for the ticket. (200 baht for no helmet)

3. Pay the ticket at the local police station.

(Note: I stress in point #2 to ASK for your ticket. If he starts making innuendos for an on-the-spot cash payment, just say: "no thanks, please give me a ticket")

The cop will keep your licence and hand it in to the Soi 9 police station, so it's better to wait until the next day to pay so that your licence will be there when you arrive.

If you don't have a licence and are not as lucky as I was in the above story, he will keep your keys at his post and you will have to use public transportation to get to Soi 9 to pay your ticket. When you show the cop your receipt he will return your keys.

and i have seen the cop hanging on the corner there,he likes to wait just around the corner as he knows this is an easy money making spot as the one way sign is not very big and im pretty sure you cant see it till you turned or about to turn so if you come from pratumnak side you will have turned before you even know its illegal....and then there he is amongst the taxi drivers stood/sat there.

hes done me and i explained i didnt know it was one way only(i do now,it was a while ago this happened!) then he pointed out the sign which as i already said is not easy to spot when turning left......you would have to stop before turning,look up and then take action there is or was nothing on the main road to point out that this is no left turn.this is a bit sneaky i think,he could stand on the actual corner and not wait till you turn..........anyway the point is i see taxi drivers turning here to park outside the store there and i seen other thais not get stopped too,but any farang and he springs into action.

dont believe me then ask the taxi guys(ask when hes not there) or hang about over the road there for a few minutes sometimes. \

i have no problem with things when its the same rule for everyone.........its not ,well at least not all the time.

[tropo]

This is the Pattaya forum discussing how the cops operate in Pattaya. I have no experience with cops anywhere else.

Here's a little story from one of my two ticket encounters with local cops.

About 8am I was riding up Soi 16 on the way to the gym - the wrong way. This is in the heart of the Walking Street area so it doesn't get any more tourist "ghetto" than there.

A cop stopped me and asked for my licence. I didn't have it with me so he ticketed me for 2 offences - (1) driving the wrong way (2) not carrying a licence.

He couldn't keep my licence as I didn't have it with me so he had every right to take my keys until I could prove I'd paid the ticket. He didn't! He let me ride my bike to the police station on Soi 9 to pay it and he asked me to return there to show him the receipt. 650 baht all up.

I thought that was very decent of him.

In Pattaya if you are stopped for a traffic offence the procedure is quite simple.

1. Show your licence (if you have one).

2. Ask for the ticket. (200 baht for no helmet)

3. Pay the ticket at the local police station.

(Note: I stress in point #2 to ASK for your ticket. If he starts making innuendos for an on-the-spot cash payment, just say: "no thanks, please give me a ticket")

The cop will keep your licence and hand it in to the Soi 9 police station, so it's better to wait until the next day to pay so that your licence will be there when you arrive.

If you don't have a licence and are not as lucky as I was in the above story, he will keep your keys at his post and you will have to use public transportation to get to Soi 9 to pay your ticket. When you show the cop your receipt he will return your keys.

and i have seen the cop hanging on the corner there,he likes to wait just around the corner as he knows this is an easy money making spot as the one way sign is not very big and im pretty sure you cant see it till you turned or about to turn so if you come from pratumnak side you will have turned before you even know its illegal....and then there he is amongst the taxi drivers stood/sat there.

hes done me and i explained i didnt know it was one way only(i do now,it was a while ago this happened!) then he pointed out the sign which as i already said is not easy to spot when turning left......you would have to stop before turning,look up and then take action there is or was nothing on the main road to point out that this is no left turn.this is a bit sneaky i think,he could stand on the actual corner and not wait till you turn..........anyway the point is i see taxi drivers turning here to park outside the store there and i seen other thais not get stopped too,but any farang and he springs into action.

dont believe me then ask the taxi guys(ask when hes not there) or hang about over the road there for a few minutes sometimes. \

i have no problem with things when its the same rule for everyone.........its not ,well at least not all the time.

I don't understand the point of your reply. I mentioned that I was ticketed by the book, so where does this "easy money making spot" theory come into my little honest cop story?

I knew it was a one-way street (always did) and often go down there late at night to get to the gym because there isn't another alternative besides getting jammed in traffic on the bar loop to the right.

Do you think that only the same cops hang out on the same corners? Why would you assume it's the same cop who did me in January 2007?

They do this on other one-way streets too. Why shouldn't they?

You should know better than to assume that all one-way streets in Pattaya are marked as such. It should be fairly obvious to anyone that this narrow street (Soi 16, Walking Street) much be a one-way. All you have to do then is to decide which way it goes by observing traffic flow. You should take better care.

[DoiSuthep]

I think it is rather cute to see the whole family on a motorcycle

I have mainly seen them in smaller cities and villages. The practice would be suicidal in BKK (in fact any bike-riding is suicidal in BKK, but I still do it More fun than Sudoku to exercise the brain-cells).

When it comes to the safety that most of the cheap helmets can offer, I would say that it is there to save the police scraping up the bits of brain from all over the place that would result from an accident even at moderate speeds.

I wear a helmet so I don't get sunburnt on my head and I don't get fined. I would not want to impose the western values and rules, some of which I wanted to leave behind, on the Thai people.

I rather like the sabai-sabai approach here. I have not seen a single accident yet in Thailand and riding a motorbike in Chiang Mai is a pleasure. The Thai drivers let you in the traffic and I was happy to return their courtesy. No honking, no swearing, no worries

Aaaah, I love living in Thailand!

[imaneggspurt]

And what's with all the unhelmeted sikhs?

Because of the inability to fit a helmet over a turban, sikhs are excempt from the need to wear a helmet in the uk. Presume the law must be the same for thailand

Would be a funny shaped helmet if they made one to go over the turban !

[BeauKarl]

I am heavily tattooed ... tattodrob is heavily tattooed, we have different experiences. his seem to self-admittidly be brought on to himself by not wearing a helmet.

I'm heavily tattooed aswell but never been stopped just because of that. I even had nice compliments about he tattoos by cops, after they stopped me for not wearing a helmet.

My wife got stopped a few months ago and the same cops stopped a pickup with 3 farangs in the back of it. The police said it's illegal to carry passengers in the back. If they did that with every Thai, they would have to work 24/7

[biggles45]

I live on soi Arunothai and its really funny to watch the cops who have been booking people outside carrefour for no helmets because at around 2pm they go down to the primary school on soi arunothai. they then hold up the traffic while all the under-age (-12 year olds) children ride out, 3 or 4 on a bike, none with helmets or insurance. I asked a mother at the school why they let the children illegally ride scooters. she looked at me like I was crazy and said "then they would have to walk"

[tropo]

And what's with all the unhelmeted sikhs?

Because of the inability to fit a helmet over a turban, sikhs are excempt from the need to wear a helmet in the uk. Presume the law must be the same for thailand

Would be a funny shaped helmet if they made one to go over the turban !

Why should they be exempt? They should be making and wearing funny shaped helmets if that is what it takes.