Why Do Police Take Your License

[Simbo]

Last night, I was stopped in one of these road block checks. OK I never had my seat belt on. I was duly given a ticket, but they retained my license. This is so you will pay the fine. They told me where to pay it and my license would be returned. Today, I went and paid the 200b, only to be told, I had to go to a police box near where I was stopped to get my license back. It was far, but I went, only to find it was shut. I returned to where I paid the fine and they phoned someone to man the box for when I came. I went.

It is an offence not to carry your license, so the police, knowingly made me drive without one.

The fine is nothing, and would not deter a farang, but the messing about would, so I'm wearing it now. Makes sense anyway.

[Thaiboxer]

Simbo...I was also a victim of the license confiscation. It happened when I wasn't even moving...I just happened to have my front tires on the zebra crossing and the cop claimed that he stood by the roadside making gestures for me to move back. Funny thing is, I don't recall seeing him so he may have just been BS'ing. He spoke Thai with my wife and she later told me that he was being rude and just wanted to show his authority. My license was taken and sent to the main office downtown for filing supposedly and by the time I had gotten it back, three weeks had passed. Luckily, I didn't need to do much driving during that time since I hadn't started working. The fine was 300 baht and that scumbag gave me 40 points (stating that 60 points for the same offense would result in my having to attend a traffic course) which is the maximum you could get for any offense. I might as well have driven through somebody's lawn and run over some pets for all that trouble

In the end, it doesn't make sense to take away somebody's license as you said because that means you're forcing them to drive without one which is another no-no. It's just better to slip the guy 100 baht and move on. Often these "roadblocks" are just a way for them to collect some beer money.

[Ajarn]

Last night, I was stopped in one of these road block checks. OK I never had my seat belt on. I was duly given a ticket, but they retained my license. This is so you will pay the fine. They told me where to pay it and my license would be returned. Today, I went and paid the 200b, only to be told, I had to go to a police box near where I was stopped to get my license back. It was far, but I went, only to find it was shut. I returned to where I paid the fine and they phoned someone to man the box for when I came. I went.

                                               It is an offence not to carry your license, so the police, knowingly made me drive without one.

   The fine is nothing, and would not deter a farang, but the messing about would, so I'm wearing it now. Makes sense anyway. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know where you are, but around Chiang Mai, the working road checks are up a lot... Just between Chiang Mai and Lampang yesterday, there were 5.. Bewteen Lampang an Phrae, 3 more. Usually it's none in the daytime (this was daytime), and rarely at night... Speed checks, too.

Anyway, most of these places make you pay the same 200 baht there, on the spot. Did you innocently offer to pay the fine here and now to save everyone some convenience? I haven't found myself there often, but when I have, I've always said that, and it's always worked out fine for the minor stuff....

Oh, and I keep a long-expired Oregon DL on my visor for such appropriate occasions

Edited December 31, 2004 by Ajarn

[Thaiboxer]

Ajarn...good idea. I have a book titled "Healthy Living In Thailand And Southeast Asia" which says that many permanent or long-time farang residents will keep some expired licenses (international or in your case a state one) to show the boys in brown or just pretend they speak no Thai. My brother-in-law told me to fold up a 100 baht note and hand it over to the cop with the note underneath the license. Sure beats a 300 baht fine and a trip to the police station.

[Crazy Dave]

i honestly cant remember the last time i had a valid driving license here, i drive my truck my car and my motorbike and do about 2,000km per month, yesterday i drove to pong nam rorn which was about a 600km round trip and i have never had problems, i have some old international driving licenses from the uk and if the worst comes to the worst i just let them keep it, the last time the cop sent a motorbike taxi to catch me to give me my license back cos i handed it over to him and said i would go to the police station in the next few days to pay the fine and just drove off, he hadnt issued the ticket...

[bartender100]

Just be careful with the drink driving,they are getting very hot,no longer can you pass a purple and drive on.Heavy fine and possible deportation.I have heard two stories recently of farangs getting done in the pattaya area.

[Crazy Dave]

bartender, were they deported?obviously not as you stated possible deportation, are you sure you are not being alarmist?

the best way is when they take u to the hospital for the blood test just tell the nurse u r a bleeder and the blood wont stop if they stick a needle in you, they will then refuse to do the blood test, my mate done that earlier in the year after an accident... also i am under the impression that the police deal with this so as it is not a court case ur visa will not be revoked....

[Thaiboxer]

Crazy Dave...A buddy of mine who I once worked with has lived here well over three years and has ridden motorcycles without having any license. On top of this his bikes have been those Japanese street bikes with gobs of horsepower and wide tires...not the little bitty ones that most Thais ride on. He said that every time he got stopped he simply handed over 200 baht and that was the end of it.

However, they can always get nasty and you wouldn't want to end up like those farang you sometimes read about. Getting a license here is a piece of cake and now they're good for five years at a time. I had just renewed my license from the states before we moved here so I used that along with a letter from the US Embassy stating my residence in Bangkok. No driving test, no written test...just a simple color blind chart test. This was also done only the first time I got my license (the one year temporary one). I used to think it was easy where I'm from but over here it's MUCH easier. The whole process only took one hour and costs 105 baht...well worth having for piece of mind in my opinion

[Crazy Dave]

ahhh, but i am color blind, so i never bothered to do the thai test, although i can quite easily see the differance between red green and amber trafic lights, i just cant be bothered to bribe some monkey who earns like 8,000baht per month, i have done without a thai driving license for the last 14 years so i aint really that worried, my truck i didnt have tax insurance or number plates for about 5 years and it was like 100 baht every 2 months in fines to mr piggy. my car is a sports car so the police never pull me up in that, they cant see in the windows and probably think i am a hiso thai as opposed to the real truth a farang scratching a living

[Thaiboxer]

my car is a sports car so the police never pull me up in that, they cant see in the windows and probably think i am a hiso thai as opposed to the real truth a farang scratching a living

Crazy Dave...I agree, they probably do think you're a hiso Thai since they can't see your face through the windows. Even hiso Thais bribe the cops so we're all in the same boat in that sense. You've been pretty lucky to not have had any major trouble in 14 years but then again with the way the law is enforced here there are many more like you (Thai and farang). In so many cases it makes more sense to break the law than to follow it.

Just out of curiosity, do you live in Bangkok? I would think being able to go relatively untouched for 14 years would only be possible in the provinces.

[astral]

I still have a few out of date IDP's and keep these for occasions when the

police might want to "keep" my licence!!

[Crazy Dave]

no, i live in pattaya, although this year i have driven thru bbk about 10 times(hmmm last year)

[tuktukmike]

I agree with some of the posts,

4 times i have been stopped and once when i was leaving don muang airport.

I turned left on to the main road and 50 yards later this cop who was standing in the road pulled me over, i was in a brand new car from Budget.

I wound down the window and he said (you do wrong), what i do wrong was my reply as i know that in 50 yards i could not be speeding.

Again he replied you do wrong, what i do wrong, this went on for a long time and he then asked for my license, he said i would have to collect from police station and pay fine, i had just had a long flight so as you can imagine i was starting to get pissey.

No way i told him, you cannot keep license i do nothing wrong, so he said i must pay him 500bht. I replied pang pang and he looked startled and came back with 200bht. Just so i could get going i paid it and went on my way.

But i wonder how many tourists get ripped off by these scumbags and what it will do for tourism in general.

Now when they stop me for no good reason i always keep spare 100bht notes in the centre consol as this is what they are really after and 100bht seems the going rate.

mike.

[Thaiboxer]

mike...100 baht has been the going rate for Thais for at least two years. When my wife and I visited Thailand for vacation 2 1/2 years ago, my brother-in-law got pulled over for "speeding" and just handed the guy 100 baht underneath his license. When I told him about my work buddy giving the cops 200 baht, he said it was too much as Thais just pay 100. You're right though...foreign tourists are preyed upon by these boneheads and not just for traffic "fines" either but for other stuff. Many farangs get done for throwing cigarette butts when lots of Thais around them are doing likewise...it's almost as if the cops hide the garbage cans making it more likely for people to drop their butts on the ground.

In Bangkok, the more touristy the place is the more likely you'll run into this sort of stuff.

[chingy_]

pay 100 and on your way, no need to make big fuss, either way they will win, and there is nothing we can do about it, try complain and you'll be in more trouble.

[Phil Conners]

Crazy Dave, I hope if you knock me over you have a lot of cash because the hospital bill will not be cheap and your insurance (if you even have one) will not cover when you don't have a valid license.

[qualtrough]

Here is the drill:

1. You are pulled over for a real or imagined offense.

2. Cop tells you that he is confiscating your DLand that you must go to police station (or wherever) to pay fine and retrieve DL.

3. You politely ask if it is possible to pay the fine on the spot.

4. Policeman smiles.

5. You either ask how much or fork over a few hundred Baht. Use your bargaining skills.

6. You get your DL back and you are on your way.

Works every time in BKK. Print and tape this to your visor or keep in your wallet if you have a poor memory.

Note: The above assumes you can speak Thai, but I am sure that sign language or pidgin English would work just as well.

[Neeranam]

I still have a few out of date IDP's and keep these for occasions when the

police might want to "keep" my licence!!

Do countries other than the Uk have short-term DLs?

My UK driving license,which did me for ages before I got a Thai one, doen't expire until my 70th birthday.

[RDN]

.....My UK driving license,which did me for ages before I got a Thai one, doesn't expire until my 70th birthday.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I got stopped for speeding in Pennsylvania many years ago. My UK license had 30-odd years left to run and the poor US traffic cop couldn't believe it. In the end - after the 'walking the white line with arms at the side' test and the 'saying the alphabet' test he let me go. "Too much trouble to process the paperwork" was his excuse. Thankfully.

[mbkudu]

.....My UK driving license,which did me for ages before I got a Thai one, doesn't expire until my 70th birthday.

I got stopped for speeding in Pennsylvania many years ago. My UK license had 30-odd years left to run and the poor US traffic cop couldn't believe it. In the end - after the 'walking the white line with arms at the side' test and the 'saying the alphabet' test he let me go. "Too much trouble to process the paperwork" was his excuse. Thankfully.

RDN, if you'd had even a few beers in you then, you got very lucky. The US and Scandinavia (as I've heard it) are extremely hard core with drunk driving. In the US we have what are called 'designated drivers,' a friend who doesn't drink the whole night and then drives the group home safely. The penalties are not worth the risk.

[RDN]

.....My UK driving license,which did me for ages before I got a Thai one, doesn't expire until my 70th birthday.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I got stopped for speeding in Pennsylvania many years ago. My UK license had 30-odd years left to run and the poor US traffic cop couldn't believe it. In the end - after the 'walking the white line with arms at the side' test and the 'saying the alphabet' test he let me go. "Too much trouble to process the paperwork" was his excuse. Thankfully.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

RDN, if you'd had even a few beers in you then, you got very lucky. The US and Scandinavia (as I've heard it) are extremely hard core with drunk driving. In the US we have what are called 'designated drivers,' a friend who doesn't drink the whole night and then drives the group home safely. The penalties are not worth the risk.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm embarrassed to say that I had indeed been drinking and playing pool all afternoon and evening in "Fran's Pub", New Hope, Pennsylvania. I was driving this rent-a-wreck Ford station wagon that had trouble getting to 55 MPH and vibrated badly. But at 65 MPH the vibration wasn't too bad - so that's why I was speeding . I wasn't too concerned when I saw the police car coming on the opposite side of Interstate 95, as it was a very wide road with a 50 yard wide grass central reservation. But when I saw him do a U-turn across it, I knew I was in for trouble . Bear in mind this was 1984, and we didn't have clever things like speed detectors in our UK police cars then. I even asked him how did he know I was speeding and he just said "Radar". He was extremely polite and certainly made me very grateful after he let me off. In fact, he was probably the most polite policeman I've ever met.

[Thaiboxer]

RDN..mbkudu is right on that one. You were lucky in 1984...things weren't that strict in the states but now it's different. In Florida for example, if you get pulled over for DUI, they can bust you for drunk driving offenses committed in another state thanks to modern computerized record keeping. One of my old bosses was saying how he was busted back in the 80's in New York (state) and how the Florida troopers could easily pull that up. I believe on the second offense in Florida now you lose your license for good...at least in that state.

Even Thai cops now have radar guns although I don't think they've progressed to laser yet...Florida cops are already there. As one other poster mentioned, 100 baht is the way to go provided you don't make the wrong decision as the cop may try to get nasty for you attempting to bribe him. With such low pay and a hazardous job, I doubt most cops will refuse the extra money.

[Ajarn]

For you guys insisting there is a set price, like 100 baht, for traffic offenses, you're dead wrong... Plenty of Thais pay prices less, or more, than that. The law says up to 2,000 baht for most typical minor traffic or vehicle infractions, with each station being authorized to collect any amount up to the maximum, according to published responses from the Phuket police, anyway....

On the street, cops can legally fine you on the spot... I know they're supposed to give you a receipt, but that rarely happens, in my experience, except for some places with speed traps. I've been nicked a few times in such places, and always got a receipt. In those cases, everyone paid the same (200baht) because we were all que'd up at a table and could see everything going on... Now that's the price I expect to pay under those circumstances, but I'm under no illusion that 200 baht is a set price for anything... I must say I don't mind getting nicked in these speed traps, either. They've had it all setup for the scofflaw to pay quickly and cheaply and get back on the road to continue on with your speeding...

And, yes, often the farang does pay more, but that ain't universal here, either. Experiences vary.

[Thaiboxer]

ajarn...That's a good point...traffic "fines" to the local corrupt cops aren't set in stone. Phuket must be a really money maker for these guys...the more farangs in the area the more they'll try to extort from you. Some of our posters carry several expired licenses to hand over to the cops and then never bother to get them again. I suppose that would work if the cop didn't take the time to look at the dates.

[Ajarn]

ajarn...That's a good point...traffic "fines" to the local corrupt cops aren't set in stone. Phuket must be a really money maker for these guys...the more farangs in the area the more they'll try to extort from you. Some of our posters carry several expired licenses to hand over to the cops and then never bother to get them again. I suppose that would work if the cop didn't take the time to look at the dates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, it's interesting to me that, though my Oregon DL expired more than 25 years ago (my California DL expired 10 years ago) , and my IDP expired some 15 years ago, no Thai authority has ever given it a notice... TiT. I like the 'flexibilty' here, especially when compared to the anal strictness of the coppers in the States.

[Crazy Dave]

Crazy Dave, I hope if you knock me over you have a lot of cash because the hospital bill will not be cheap and your insurance (if you even have one) will not cover when you don't have a valid license.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

be careful with what you wish for

also dont forget that most drivers in thailand flee the scene...

[Ajarn]

Crazy Dave, I hope if you knock me over you have a lot of cash because the hospital bill will not be cheap and your insurance (if you even have one) will not cover when you don't have a valid license.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

also dont forget that most drivers in thailand flee the scene...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not backed by any facts, I'll venture to say

[Thaiboxer]

ajarn...I've read that many Thai drivers, particularly those of the large "sip lor" trucks, will often flee the scene as they're not covered by insurance and will most likely be fired if they do get caught. Still, I haven't seen this confirmed by any official/authoritative sources. If they do flee, it wouldn't surprise me as people in the states will sometimes do the same so surely there must be quite a few people over here who flee the scene. Insurance in the states is so expensive now many cannot afford it and therefore something like 40% of all drivers in Miami-Dade County are uninsured. My hometown is probably not too far behind that figure either. When I had to get my own car insurance I didn't insure it for comp/collision as it was an old used minivan. I simply got the state required third party/personal injury plan plus something extra for added security. I have it here in Thailand but since I drive an old steel Toyota tub I don't have to pay through the roof like some folks do. I think it costs less than 4,000 a year.

Luxury tax is still alive and well here...unlike the states cars are still considered a luxury. Where I grew up, you were stuck without a car...no real public transportation in the Fort Lauderdale suburbs and the city bus schedule wasn't great either.

[chingy_]

For you guys insisting there is a set price, like 100 baht, for traffic offenses, you're dead wrong... Plenty of Thais pay prices less, or more, than that. The law says up to 2,000 baht for most typical minor traffic or vehicle infractions, with each station being authorized to collect any amount up to the maximum, according to published responses from the Phuket police, anyway....

you have to understand something, when you ask the cop, "can i pay here" and he say "yes". you don't ask him how much, (wrong wrong) you just slip him a hundred, and he will hurry and send you on your way, i promis you he won't count the money in front of you to see how much it was, but he will focus on the amount you pull out the cash to pay him, they are very good at that.

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

DUI in california, you're history, California is the most strict compare to any state on DUI

[Ajarn]

I sure wasn't trying to suggest people never flee the scene... Sure they do. But not 'most', as was stated, I believe.

It does seem to happen fairly often, based on media reports, among bus and truck drivers involved in injury or death accidents- hey, the stakes go way up at that point, and maybe there might be more of a chance of not going to jail if you can avoid the cops at the scene for the moment.... I'm strictly guessing though, too. Never seen any published figures, either...

I've also never heard of a serious accident being forgotten about just because the driver escaped the scene... Somebody is gonna pay at some point.

In other accidents involving two or more vehicles, how is the driver at fault going to be allowed to 'flee the scene' if the victim driver can help it, without paying compensation? Common sense say that this is most unlikely to occur unless the victim is dead/incapacitated and there are no other witnesses around to possibly intervene in the escape... Though many times the two parties (not the dead/incapacitated ones, obviously) will make their own deal and go their seperate ways before the cops show...

It ain't so easy to escape responsibility for an accident here, it seems to me. The safest and best option a driver has is to stick around and do the right thing, in my view.

Not getting insurance to cover your ass is just stupid. It's so cheap here, and it can keep you out of jail or having to consider fleeing the scene and looking over your shoulder from that day on....

you have to understand something, when you ask the cop, "can i pay here" and he say "yes". you don't ask him how much, (wrong wrong) you just slip him a hundred, and he will hurry and send you on your way, i promis you he won't count the money in front of you to see how much it was, but he will focus on the amount you pull out the cash to pay him, they are very good at that.

And you have to understand that that's not always true. I have tried exactly what you said, and had it returned for more. I wrote about that experience in a thread here last year. I seriously doubt I've been the only one. Be careful of such all-encompassing statements about Thai police behaviours

Edited January 2, 2005 by Ajarn