Thong Lor Police

[smylz]

you do realize that drinking and driving in the west will cost you a hundred thousand baht in legal fees + suspended license + arrest record/getting fired/getting kicked out of school + possible jail/probation time... right? if you think that drinking and driving is not a big issue and that people are preaching you are probably just another retard.

3/4 of the cars on the road after midnight are taxis.... try getting inside of one douchbag.

Im amazed youre so personally touched by it, i mean your aggressive attitude only shows you care, and i appreciate it.

Critising somebody with vulgar language and sarcasim leads me to beleive ive met someone who got caught or something but not let off so lightly, or is it possible that we have all met the most perfcect person on earth?

congratulations on your comments, you deserve an award, something long hard and brass to represent its winner.

to everyone else, i appreciate your "constructive" opinions.

i love these forums, they are like a bees nest sometimes!

[dbrenn]

Hi all,

I am posting here for some advice.

Last night, after a few drinks with friends, I made a bad decision to go about 50 metres the wrong way up the road to get to the previous soi to go home, when I should have gone the right way and waited for a U-turn sign.

As I did this, 2 BiBs drove past me on their bike and ofcourse followed me to stop.

The "P" of the 2 got off the bike accusing me of trying to aim for his bike and kill him. I admitted what I did was wrong, but in no way was I trying to kill him etc.

This is isn't the first time I have had a BiB shakedown, so I was polite, patient and waited for the inevitable "tea" money donation, but he wouldn't accept anything less than me admitting I tried to kill him.

He called his captain and they drove me to Thong Lor police station.

I was taken to a room and accused of being drunk and trying to kill him and they wanted me to sign their statement.

As I had just finished my last beer when they stopped me, I blew into the machine and was over the limit.

I refused (all the time being polite and patient) because it was only a traffic violation and I can't read Thai to know exactly what he is accusing me of.

I know this is the part where everyone will think I deserved what I got, and that is ok if you do, the truth is, I wasn't drunk, but had had my last beer within 20 minutes of the breathalizer machine, a total of 5 beers for the night.

In my country, the police have to take into account a few scientific facts, being sex, weight and time of last drink before they can accurately measure your alcohol intake. I tried to ask them if that was the same case in Thailand because I genuinally don't know. They said no to any questions I asked, it doesnt matter, I have to use the breathalizer.

In the mean time, some friends had come to help me out (1 being a respected thai business woman) to talk about it and translate for me. But we weren't allowed to read the statement and if I wouldn't sign it, she would have to give her ID card and sign the statement to say that she translated it and I understood otherwise they would lock me up until the court date. Again I refused to sign it and told my friend not to sign anything because we don't know what I am admitting to, (though at this point, he said I wasn't trying to kill him, but still couldn't see the statement).

I asked to see the Thai law book and show me how a this road violation was a crime punishable by being put in prison until court and paying 40,000 baht bail money. They said they didn't have a book of law there and if I wanted to see it i would have to go to the internet and look myself.

(I did asked sheepishly if they would let me go now to research it - the respectively declined)

Finally, they did have a law book handy in Thai for my friend to read, and apparently it said what I had done was illegal, which I never denied. Then I asked when the book was published/updated and if their new laws of using the breathalizer machine were stated in that book, and if not, to see the actual law guidelines of how the police were to use the machine (again my point being they should have waited to test me, not straight away).

At that point I had 6 or 7 police around me pressuring me to sign it, telling my friend they won't talk about it anymore, if I dont sign it and/or pay the bail money, I was to be locked up until the court date and then I can argue the law and get my bail money back then, if I win.

We didnt sign anything and so they locked me up. They told me to take off my shoes, belt and possessions, not told anything about how long or anything at all, and sent me to the cell.

A few hours later, my friends came back, and I was released. Apparently, the arresting officer was ok to accept 7000 baht as a sorry for trying to kill him, so they just paid him and now I am posting here.

I am not a crusader for rights over here, I get the basic drift that to live here, the BiB's are just a way of life and we all do our best to avoid them at all costs. Occasionally they are going to do this exact thing and, again, im not trying to change how things are, but I would like to know other peoples opinion on what happened and people who know the Thai law to please tell me if what I did by refusing to sign things was just foolish or the right thing to do at that moment.

A friend of mine was punched by a group of policemen a few weeks back on Petchaburi Rd because he had all the right paperwork/licence etc and also knew his rights, so when they couldn't charge him, they attacked him. My friend took it a lot further and made official complaints (which was followed by deaththreats by the police to him and his gf) but regardless, he got a public appology from those officers and moneys returned.

In my case is it worth pursuing with a complaint? I know I have no evidence of the night except that I was their to experience it.

I am ok to let it go, but again that is what I am asking other TV peoples opinion and to hear other experiences.

Thanks all for listening.

You were drunk driving the wrong way up a one way street, and probably compounded your problems with argumentative misunderstandings. Try doing that in the Western world.

[bikerman]

Hi all,

I am posting here for some advice.

Last night, after a few drinks with friends, I made a bad decision to go about 50 metres the wrong way up the road to get to the previous soi to go home, when I should have gone the right way and waited for a U-turn sign.

As I did this, 2 BiBs drove past me on their bike and ofcourse followed me to stop.

The "P" of the 2 got off the bike accusing me of trying to aim for his bike and kill him. I admitted what I did was wrong, but in no way was I trying to kill him etc.

This is isn't the first time I have had a BiB shakedown, so I was polite, patient and waited for the inevitable "tea" money donation, but he wouldn't accept anything less than me admitting I tried to kill him.

He called his captain and they drove me to Thong Lor police station.

I was taken to a room and accused of being drunk and trying to kill him and they wanted me to sign their statement.

As I had just finished my last beer when they stopped me, I blew into the machine and was over the limit.

I refused (all the time being polite and patient) because it was only a traffic violation and I can't read Thai to know exactly what he is accusing me of.

I know this is the part where everyone will think I deserved what I got, and that is ok if you do, the truth is, I wasn't drunk, but had had my last beer within 20 minutes of the breathalizer machine, a total of 5 beers for the night.

In my country, the police have to take into account a few scientific facts, being sex, weight and time of last drink before they can accurately measure your alcohol intake. I tried to ask them if that was the same case in Thailand because I genuinally don't know. They said no to any questions I asked, it doesnt matter, I have to use the breathalizer.

In the mean time, some friends had come to help me out (1 being a respected thai business woman) to talk about it and translate for me. But we weren't allowed to read the statement and if I wouldn't sign it, she would have to give her ID card and sign the statement to say that she translated it and I understood otherwise they would lock me up until the court date. Again I refused to sign it and told my friend not to sign anything because we don't know what I am admitting to, (though at this point, he said I wasn't trying to kill him, but still couldn't see the statement).

I asked to see the Thai law book and show me how a this road violation was a crime punishable by being put in prison until court and paying 40,000 baht bail money. They said they didn't have a book of law there and if I wanted to see it i would have to go to the internet and look myself.

(I did asked sheepishly if they would let me go now to research it - the respectively declined)

Finally, they did have a law book handy in Thai for my friend to read, and apparently it said what I had done was illegal, which I never denied. Then I asked when the book was published/updated and if their new laws of using the breathalizer machine were stated in that book, and if not, to see the actual law guidelines of how the police were to use the machine (again my point being they should have waited to test me, not straight away).

At that point I had 6 or 7 police around me pressuring me to sign it, telling my friend they won't talk about it anymore, if I dont sign it and/or pay the bail money, I was to be locked up until the court date and then I can argue the law and get my bail money back then, if I win.

We didnt sign anything and so they locked me up. They told me to take off my shoes, belt and possessions, not told anything about how long or anything at all, and sent me to the cell.

A few hours later, my friends came back, and I was released. Apparently, the arresting officer was ok to accept 7000 baht as a sorry for trying to kill him, so they just paid him and now I am posting here.

I am not a crusader for rights over here, I get the basic drift that to live here, the BiB's are just a way of life and we all do our best to avoid them at all costs. Occasionally they are going to do this exact thing and, again, im not trying to change how things are, but I would like to know other peoples opinion on what happened and people who know the Thai law to please tell me if what I did by refusing to sign things was just foolish or the right thing to do at that moment.

A friend of mine was punched by a group of policemen a few weeks back on Petchaburi Rd because he had all the right paperwork/licence etc and also knew his rights, so when they couldn't charge him, they attacked him. My friend took it a lot further and made official complaints (which was followed by deaththreats by the police to him and his gf) but regardless, he got a public appology from those officers and moneys returned.

In my case is it worth pursuing with a complaint? I know I have no evidence of the night except that I was their to experience it.

I am ok to let it go, but again that is what I am asking other TV peoples opinion and to hear other experiences.

Thanks all for listening.

You were drunk driving the wrong way up a one way street, and probably compounded your problems with argumentative misunderstandings. Try doing that in the Western world.

Myself I like to live in Thailand so I try and stick to the rules, drinking driving is a big no no in my books and most of the world. If you intend to have happy life in Thailand then I would suggest you try and keep within the law and not drink and drive up one-way streets the wrong way what if you’d had accident or killed some innocent by passer then you would be in deep s**t up to your preverbal neck then wished you had taken taxi or had someone pick you up.

Many people on TV complain about all aspects of Thailand , BIB, tea money, etc etc….If you would just sit back and think first you would save yourselves many hours of heart ache and posting on TV which most of the time you bring upon yourselves.

If you don’t like the Thai systems well one easy answer……go back to your own country and see how long you last!!!!!!! Some people never grow up just think they Jack the Lad all there lives…idiots .

[emsfeld]

Interesting how Thong Lo's police reputation is/has become so bad. About 8-9 years ago, I was riding on my scooter to a friend's place located in one of Thong Lo's little side sois. Can't recall the number of the Soi any longer, but it was towards the Petchaburi end. Anyway, I was riding along that soi about to take a right turn (indicators on, slowing down etc) where this young Thai kid on his scooter attempted to overtake me on the right hand side. He didnt crash into me, but nevertheless, touched my bike, lost control over his and took a quite terrific dive. That kid was so lucky (didnt wear a helmet of course) to get out of this alive - barely bruised. He stood up apologised and took off. I went to my friend's place, as all of a sudden a few minutes later the security guard of my friend's condo rings our doorbell and asked us out where a bunch of Thai kids were demanding compensation since I had caused the accident (in their minds). Anyway, both sides decided to call the cops (kid was threatening us to better pay up as his uncle works for Thong Lo police, so he claimed), the cop came. Both sides explained what happened. The cop immediately said it was the kid's fault and he (the kid) should be lucky and thankful that no one was harmed. We went to the station, filed a report, and that was end of story. Really cant complain - the cop handled the situation absolutely correctly. I am no longer living in Thailand permanently - it's sad that it has come to this. Have been hearing many such stories lately!

[JohnGotti]

Im amazed youre so personally touched by it

Yeah, I guess having family and close friends killed does touch one personally.

[GraBangkok]

FEED ME

[CarlBkk]

Out of interest what would most likely happen to the OP if it went to the magistrate?

[TopDogger]

Out of interest what would most likely happen to the OP if it went to the magistrate?

Likely a 20'000 baht fine for the drink driving + fines for the other rules that were broken. I'd assume u could also be deported for it as it's a criminal offence...

[smylz]

Out of interest what would most likely happen to the OP if it went to the magistrate?

Likely a 20'000 baht fine for the drink driving + fines for the other rules that were broken. I'd assume u could also be deported for it as it's a criminal offence...

since then, ive been in touch with "friends" and they have said that the most the fine would have been is about B5 to 10k.

i was suprised to hear that, but its a reliable source within the thai legal system - though, i never take anything as gospel until it happens.

[Maizefarmer]

Yes - as a first offence the B5k - B10k figure is pretty in line with what "the beak" hands out to most offenders for anything/everything - go sit in the court on morning and listen through a bunch of shoplifting, driving without license, dope smoking, pick pocketing ect ect .. cases and you'll see they nearly all come out with B5k - B10k fines.

They're run of the mill cases, the judge yawns, the court wants them done and out the way pronto pronto ...........

Second time round - and a few months in the local jail becomes the norm.

Deportation - not likely, for a petty matter - if I recall correctly the punishment has to be over a certain time locked up - its 1 or 2years - dont hold me to the timeframe but thats not far worng. You ain't going to get kicked out for a drink/driving matter - of course trying to kill the arresting officer (!!!!) would quite likely result in deportation (tongue in cheek add on)

[Datsun240Z]

FEED ME

Are the other 124 posts you made the same? If they did, that's alot of input man

[GraBangkok]

FEED ME

Are the other 124 posts you made the same? If they did, that's alot of input man

Are you saying that because I asked if ''you were bangin one out''....the other night?

You remember, when you wanted the ladies to tell you what noises they made when having sex. The thread was closed

How was that for input?