Bangkok Traffic And Thai Police..

[dunder]

Today something funny happened... It might be that it is normal in Bangkok/Thailand.

Anyways.. I went down to silom trying to find the store Fastcorner. I didn't find it but while looking I ran into a police control. - no white, no plate (pointing at the number plate on the bike in front of me).. 400 baht! I showed them my DL and the papers and told them I'll get the plate when registration is finished.. -200 baht now! oh well.. I can spare myself a trip to the police station so I paid the 200. - where are u going? On nut road, I said since I thought of driving to dirt bike instead of being a detective in Silom. - U go Rama IV! So I left and headed for Rama IV.. Bam - in the intersection of Sathorn road/Rama IV (I think) the police came out of his booth and told me to come in. - No number plate!.. I know and I paid 4 minutes ago already. He point at his clip board - 400 baht at police station!.. hmm - u can have 200 here. -nononooo.. 400 baht, police station!!! His friend came up with my DL and frowned his forehead. I gave him 200 and left the room. When I was about to sit on my bike the same officer came out asked - where u go? On nut I screamed through the helmet.

I drive off. Less than a couple of minutes later a new police patrol on Rama IV pull me in to the curb. - No number plate!.. pffffttt. Now I'm starting to become very f...n annoyed. The same procedure with the exakt same question after I had paid. This can't be real.. They must communicate that there is some easy Tea money coming your direction.. Anyways. I ride on and when I turn into Sukhumvit from Rama IV.. there they are! <deleted>.. gaaah.. and of course they waved me in. - motorbike on left side of the road! No number plate 900 baht!! Now Im so extremely pissed and I just want to knock the officer down but I come to my senses and 200 baht later everything is forgiven. -Where u go? the officer asked? Why you ask me? You want to call your friends.. tell them Im coming? He looked at me - and then he starts laughing really hard and wave me off.

These 4 tickets and 15-20 minutes of my life made me think. Do they really communicate the way I'm thinking? (telling their partners in crime to stop me again) Is it better to take the 400 baht ticket to show I already have a ticket and that I'm on my way to the police station to pay it? ( I guess they won't fine me again if this is the case)..maybe I'm wrong. I was stopped in Pattaya last winter and then I had to leave the scooter at the same spot where they caught me - take a taxi to the police station, pay up, get a receipt and then show the officer at the scene that I had paid - before I could get my scooter back. Is it the same way here if I choose to get a "real ticket"?

Right now I actually think the whole scenario is quite funny and obviously it isn't ok to drive without a number plate in Bkk - like someone told me in another thread:)

Peace,

Johan

Edited July 14, 2009 by dunder

[JonnyF]

You've been a bit unlucky getting that many in one afternoon, but to be honest you shouldn't have paid any attention to him telling you where to go next. Once you've paid the fine just go wherever you want to go. I rode my bike in Bangkok while i was awaiting plates and wasn't stopped but it's just luck of the draw really. You can be 100% legal but once they've got the licence in their hand there's not much you can do.

I wasn't aware of police directing people to the next police checkpoint but nothing would surpise me. The joys of riding in Bangkok.

[poldebol]

You've been a bit unlucky getting that many in one afternoon, but to be honest you shouldn't have paid any attention to him telling you where to go next. Once you've paid the fine just go wherever you want to go. I rode my bike in Bangkok while i was awaiting plates and wasn't stopped but it's just luck of the draw really. You can be 100% legal but once they've got the licence in their hand there's not much you can do.

I wasn't aware of police directing people to the next police checkpoint but nothing would surpise me. The joys of riding in Bangkok.

People ask me a dozen times a day: "where you go". My standard answer: "To the disco"

"Where you come fom?" I point to the direction I come from "From there!"

[losworld]

I think the thing to do is just laugh and tell him you are going in one direction then go the opposite. And light a cigarette so the whole lot of them follow you. That is one bizarre story. Unfriggin believable. Kudos for keeping your cool.

Edited July 14, 2009 by losworld

[thaicbr]

I would defo ask at Kawasaki why they can not give you a bloody red plate, with the ZX10 the BIB think that its not legal. I would also ask where the hel_l my white plate is. My mate just got his for an Er6 in 9 days. I think you have had yours about that long haven't you?

[Pushit]

Driving with no number plates.....Doh!!

[lennya12threh]

If theres open road ahead of you just accelerate. If they stop you maybe taking the ticket is better, and then wait the maximum of 7 days before going to pay it. They can technically write you one extra ticket but after two cannot do anything. Ive this happen already. They write a new ticket and take your old one and then I think you need to go pay that one to get the other one back to then get the lisence. Ive had many fun experiences with police men just trying to take money on the spot knowing they cant do anything I just keep talking and saying i cannot. I need to buy supper. One time the sathon guys took my thong law ticket and wrote a new one, so i had to pay two, but i didnt like them so i just went to thong law and told them i lost my ticket and showed my passport so i got the liscnece back. The sathon guys still havent heard from me.

And sometimes they persistant say -pay now- and i will just say no, even with a big wad, and say i want the ticket and it always pisses them off. lol...

And sometimes il be in bang na and the police will say i need to pay at the rama 4 police station, and i know its bs because you always pay at the nearest one because they are always within their zone. they just want to make it seem more convienient to pay on the spot.

i persistantly ask which station and say there is none named -rama 4 police station- and start naming areas near rama 4, saying its so far, and i will pay at udom suk. a couple times they just let me go angrily, because they can see more groups of victems on mocycs coming their way, and know im not playing...

[samran]

at least you have the honesty to admit you were in the wrong! Full credit to you.

Too many posters would have had a whinge about the police, without admiting to their own illegality in the matter.

My experience in 14 years on BKK roads is this. Drive well, and within the rules, and they won't bother you. Just like they don't at home unless you are in the wrong.

I've only had two tickets in my time, both times, I was wrong. A couple of times I've had cops 'try it on' but I knew I had done nothing wrong, and when insisting on a ticket in those cases they simply waved me on.

[neverdie]

I don't understand, how long have you had this bike without plates?

When I bought my bike new, paid for fully, they wouldnt issue a red plate & I got the other plate within the month. I was stopped on a number of occassions & I produced all the paperwork which showed the sale details of the bike & was allowed to leave....NO FINE.

It is however, illegal to ride during the hours of darkness with no plate.

I assume you have payed for everything legitimately, so why are you paying fines by the roadside, I wouldnt be, I'd be taking a written fine to the Police Station with someone who is 100% proficient in thai (not a bg) to talk about this....what a joke.

In the 18 odd years I've been riding in Thailand I have been stopped probably a hundred or slightly more times. I have paid three fines, one for no helmet, one for 3 on the bike & a parking offence ....each and every time I comitted those offences. On a number of other occassions I have been given the options regarding on the spot fine or the written one & I always request the WRITTEN one, every time other than the 3 times I just mentioned, my licence was handed back to me and I was allowed to leave. Must be a reason for that?

I hope you get better luck next time....ohh and please dont tell these extortionist where you are heading next, thats a fatal error. It may also be wise to chose an alternate route for a while, because you have become easy pickings and they are guaranteed to stop you again.

[neverdie]

at least you have the honesty to admit you were in the wrong! Full credit to you.

Too many posters would have had a whinge about the police, without admiting to their own illegality in the matter.

My experience in 14 years on BKK roads is this. Drive well, and within the rules, and they won't bother you. Just like they don't at home unless you are in the wrong.

I've only had two tickets in my time, both times, I was wrong. A couple of times I've had cops 'try it on' but I knew I had done nothing wrong, and when insisting on a ticket in those cases they simply waved me on.

Samran,

I am trying to work out what he has done wrong. Aparently hes just bought a brand new motorcycle and paid cash for it. In that instance they DO NOT issue red plates but the normal plate is ordered. From there you can legally ride the motorcycle for 28 days without a plate DURING THE HOURS OF DAYLIGHT ---> NO OFFENCE!

I figured thats what the OP was doing?? Not to mention the mere act of paying these on the spot fines of 200 baht is the wrong thing to be doing.....one should be accepting a written fine and paying it in the correct manner.

Edited July 14, 2009 by neverdie

[Travelmate]

I demanded a ticket when I got stopped for no plates and for not keeping in the left lane.

Anyhooter, at the Police station I only paid for the penalty for failing to stay in the left lane. No mention of a lack of reg plate on the ticket itself. As all my paperwork were present and in order at the time of being stopped.

Police officer will always point out and ask for handouts. just ask for the ticket in future. Once have ticket, just present it to the next policeman. They will wave you on.

You have been conned easily into handing out money to the officers as you bimble along.

Also better to keep bike off the road until you get your plates.

[coolfusion]

got done meself today no registration..100 baht .. value for money.

P. S. Fastcorner is not on silom , it is on narithiwat , just turn left at chongnonsee junction coming from sathorn and after the second set of lights its on the left you`ll have to look hard as its kinda hidden behind trees ( tesco on the right ) its just before you come onto rama 3.

watch out for the police on this road...if you do meet them its 100 baht.

Edited July 14, 2009 by coolfusion

[samran]

at least you have the honesty to admit you were in the wrong! Full credit to you.

Too many posters would have had a whinge about the police, without admiting to their own illegality in the matter.

My experience in 14 years on BKK roads is this. Drive well, and within the rules, and they won't bother you. Just like they don't at home unless you are in the wrong.

I've only had two tickets in my time, both times, I was wrong. A couple of times I've had cops 'try it on' but I knew I had done nothing wrong, and when insisting on a ticket in those cases they simply waved me on.

Samran,

I am trying to work out what he has done wrong. Aparently hes just bought a brand new motorcycle and paid cash for it. In that instance they DO NOT issue red plates but the normal plate is ordered. From there you can legally ride the motorcycle for 28 days without a plate DURING THE HOURS OF DAYLIGHT ---> NO OFFENCE!

I figured thats what the OP was doing?? Not to mention the mere act of paying these on the spot fines of 200 baht is the wrong thing to be doing.....one should be accepting a written fine and paying it in the correct manner.

Well, going on the OP's post, it sounded like riding with no plates is illegal.

But you give a different take, which, by the sounds of it, means that riding without plates while the registration process is OK. Seems a bit counter-intuative, but I have no experience in this.

But yes, if you didn't gather from my first reply, I don't advocate paying a bribe either - ever, and always insist on a fine (cause they'll wave you on if you do nothing wrong).

[dunder]

I don't understand, how long have you had this bike without plates?

When I bought my bike new, paid for fully, they wouldnt issue a red plate & I got the other plate within the month. I was stopped on a number of occassions & I produced all the paperwork which showed the sale details of the bike & was allowed to leave....NO FINE.

It is however, illegal to ride during the hours of darkness with no plate.

I assume you have payed for everything legitimately, so why are you paying fines by the roadside, I wouldnt be, I'd be taking a written fine to the Police Station with someone who is 100% proficient in thai (not a bg) to talk about this....what a joke.

I'll make it clear now.. I have had it 11 days now, everything paid in full at Kawasaki.. The papers are in order and I have a thai DL for motorbikes. I wasn't 100% sure about the fact that I can ride without a plate even though I thougt it was ok.. They honestly made me believe I had done something wrong:)

[Fishenough]

Stopped three times for the same thing for same reason; but after showing a registration copy and DL was sent on my way.

[losworld]

Driving with no number plates.....Doh!!

When I was in Khon Kaen visiting friends I rented a bike from one of the rental shops near the hotel and it had no plates whatsoever. I asked the owner about this and he said no problem so I rode it around for days and was never stopped.

Interestingly, my friend recently told me there are 12 year old kids driving cars to school in Khon Kaen.

[nakedAIR1300]

My experience in 14 years on BKK roads is this. Drive well, and within the rules, and they won't bother you. Just like they don't at home unless you are in the wrong.

what country are you living in? I remember my first few months of owning a motorbike in Bangkok when i was living in Ladprao on a honda dream. The police once issued me a ticket for having no helmet on... are you crazy? I ALWAYS wear a helmet. I didnt speak thai and didnt know what i was getting a ticket for, anyway paid the money...

since then ive invested my BIB tea money in a larger bike and i dont stop for ANYONE!

they wont bother you my butt

[nakedAIR1300]

got done meself today no registration..100 baht .. value for money.

P. S. Fastcorner is not on silom , it is on narithiwat , just turn left at chongnonsee junction coming from sathorn and after the second set of lights its on the left you`ll have to look hard as its kinda hidden behind trees ( tesco on the right ) its just before you come onto rama 3.

watch out for the police on this road...if you do meet them its 100 baht.

nice one CF ! it happens to the best of us sometimes

[neverdie]

No worries Samran, he hasnt done anything wrong, except maybe he didnt produce the right paperwork and with all the assumption going on with perhaps lack of thai language skills on the op's behalf, the BIB just saw the opportunity for some quick money.

OP dunder, one of the posters suggested you keep the bike off the road until you get the plate, thats GREAT ADVICE, However, according to the information I was provided with, albiet 2 years ago, YOU ARE PERMITTED to ride the bike during daylight hours if you have paid all the registration and plate fees at the dealer when you purchased a NEW BIKE. You should be carrying copies of that documentation when you ride. YOU CAN NOT ride at night time and personally I would try and be off the road a couple of hours before nighttime begins and after daytime starts.

When spoken to by the BIB, be firm with them without being rude. I ALWAYS get off the bike and if I sense anything more than just a typical licence registration check, I take off my helmet and stand front on, I look the officer in the eye & present my paperwork....Dont be a pushover, dont raise ur voice, strike that balance in between. I ooze one thing when talking to these gentleman and its the confidence to say ur not getting a baht out of me & if you want write up a fine. Good luck mate, you have well and truely been screwed over in my opinion.

If I was in your position again, I would take myself down to the nearest head cop shop and ask some questions in regards to when you can ride and when you cant and for how long etc are you permitted to do as such until ur plates arrive? That way you will be given the correct information hopefully, as LAWS can change and may of in the last 2 years, but I doubt it.

Goodluck

[coolfusion]

If I was in your position again, I would take myself down to the nearest head cop shop and ask some questions in regards to when you can ride and when you cant and for how long etc are you permitted to do as such until ur plates arrive? That way you will be given the correct information hopefully, as LAWS can change and may of in the last 2 years, but I doubt it.

Goodluck

hahahaha ... thats a good one

[Datsun240Z]

Do they give you a ticket of payment? I mean if you don't have, the next cop is gonna screw you the same, very simple. I think I'm gonna be a cop, must make hel_l alot of tea money!

[coolfusion]

you mean do they issue you with an illegal receipt for your illegal bribe? err nope...

[neverdie]

If I was in your position again, I would take myself down to the nearest head cop shop and ask some questions in regards to when you can ride and when you cant and for how long etc are you permitted to do as such until ur plates arrive? That way you will be given the correct information hopefully, as LAWS can change and may of in the last 2 years, but I doubt it.

Goodluck

hahahaha ... thats a good one

CF, thats what I did a couple of years ago when I got my little raider, I didnt have a plate and my father organised my bike before that so I didnt know what was going on. I must admit I had a little leverage when I went to visit the BIB, but they told me the story upfront. I only had the bike a day or two when I started getting pulled up, but I knew what the go was and never paid a fine. I even got stopped one nite when I was late in & the BIB were good about it, no fine that time either.

Maybe Ive just been lucky, maybe times are changing too

[BigBikeBKK]

I rode my Ninja 250R around Bangkok and the rest of the country for about 4 weeks before my plate arrived and was stopped a couple of times but never hassled or fined.

Same with my ER6n.

Sorry Dunder but you got scammed big time by the BiB. Seeing a big Swede on a flashy new ZX10R must have had them drooling.

FYI, there are no red plates for motorcycles in Bangkok.

You are allowed to ride without a plate as long as you carry proof of registration and insurance. There is a time limit to this exemption and I am not sure how long it is. I think the all wise Neverdie said 28 days and he is never wrong.

Sounds fair to me. It shouldn't take longer than that to get a new plate anyway.

I also like nakedAIR's advice- Don't Stop!

Ride On!

[liloldspirut]

at least you have the honesty to admit you were in the wrong! Full credit to you.

Too many posters would have had a whinge about the police, without admiting to their own illegality in the matter.

My experience in 14 years on BKK roads is this. Drive well, and within the rules, and they won't bother you. Just like they don't at home unless you are in the wrong.

I've only had two tickets in my time, both times, I was wrong. A couple of times I've had cops 'try it on' but I knew I had done nothing wrong, and when insisting on a ticket in those cases they simply waved me on.

Admitting wrongful action is honerable. We go back to the old saying,'Is there honor among theives'. After driving in various places throughout the world for 40 years, it is only here that I get stopped for going 80 kph on a 90 kph zone twice in less than 2km. We paid the first time and my wife argued with the cop the second time and made him very angry and when I saw the disrespect towards my wife, I asked him for his name and badge number and to take off his mask so that I can take his picture because I do not speak to masked cops and his Buddy's name from the first stop so that I could call my lawyer and discuss the matter. He let us go angrily and we passed 2 more check points without being stopped. I spoke to him in American English. So I believe whole heartly they communicate with each other. I told my wife we will take the ticket and give them as much a hard time as decently as possible. Burn time, for them means less money for the Benz payment.

[coolfusion]

CF, thats what I did a couple of years ago when I got my little raider, I didnt have a plate and my father organised my bike before that so I didnt know what was going on. I must admit I had a little leverage when I went to visit the BIB, but they told me the story upfront. I only had the bike a day or two when I started getting pulled up, but I knew what the go was and never paid a fine. I even got stopped one nite when I was late in & the BIB were good about it, no fine that time either.

Maybe Ive just been lucky, maybe times are changing too

Your right , information is great and i also use it to my advantage every time i get pulled over , however in regard to this matter , it dont really matter what he gets told in the police station , having no registration will still get you the exact same amount of grief when driving in Bangkok. I think it is an offense to drive without a plate of some description , i should know i have none :-) well thats what their little book of offense`s says in terrible english , i inspected it with a magnifying glass today.

Heh i had a good one from the tourist police , i rang them to get backup when i told the police that he was stealing by keeping my license as it belonged to my country and not me...they told me to go and pay the fine , i said ok how much? and received this quote from them " we dont know how much the fine is as it is up to the police officer in the station and depends on his mood maybe 200 maybe 1000 " so this is the information i received by trying to seek the "correct information".

Welcome to Thailand.

CF

[MaiChai]

Allowing a 12 year old to drive is irresponsible. I have had a couple of close calls with these young drivers, and its very clear: THEY ARE NOT MATURE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ACTIONS. Its bad enough teenages on bikes; they are totally irresponsible and a liability to everyone on the road. I am speaking from experience here.

I remember a story some months back about this. A parent allowed her 15 year old kid to drive a car. This kid ran someone over and killed them. As the kid was a minor, the parent ended up in prison.

[ericthai]

at least you have the honesty to admit you were in the wrong! Full credit to you.

Too many posters would have had a whinge about the police, without admiting to their own illegality in the matter.

My experience in 14 years on BKK roads is this. Drive well, and within the rules, and they won't bother you. Just like they don't at home unless you are in the wrong.

I've only had two tickets in my time, both times, I was wrong. A couple of times I've had cops 'try it on' but I knew I had done nothing wrong, and when insisting on a ticket in those cases they simply waved me on.

You must be lucky. many times I have done nothing wrong and they stop me. Telling me I was driving too fast, which I was not. Having things in the back of the truck which you are only allowed to have people no things, they claim. in the right hand lane too long etc etc. anything they can think of to get money from you.

[neverdie]

CF, thats what I did a couple of years ago when I got my little raider, I didnt have a plate and my father organised my bike before that so I didnt know what was going on. I must admit I had a little leverage when I went to visit the BIB, but they told me the story upfront. I only had the bike a day or two when I started getting pulled up, but I knew what the go was and never paid a fine. I even got stopped one nite when I was late in & the BIB were good about it, no fine that time either.

Maybe Ive just been lucky, maybe times are changing too

Your right , information is great and i also use it to my advantage every time i get pulled over , however in regard to this matter , it dont really matter what he gets told in the police station , having no registration will still get you the exact same amount of grief when driving in Bangkok. I think it is an offense to drive without a plate of some description , i should know i have none :-) well thats what their little book of offense`s says in terrible english , i inspected it with a magnifying glass today.

Heh i had a good one from the tourist police , i rang them to get backup when i told the police that he was stealing by keeping my license as it belonged to my country and not me...they told me to go and pay the fine , i said ok how much? and received this quote from them " we dont know how much the fine is as it is up to the police officer in the station and depends on his mood maybe 200 maybe 1000 " so this is the information i received by trying to seek the "correct information".

Welcome to Thailand.

CF

Coolfusion,

If you open your little book and examine it closely you will find an offence for riding without a plate, however, in the OP's situation, he has purchased a new motorcycle and paid for it in full. In that case the dealer CANNOT issue a red numberplate (for motorcycles) but rather orders the correct plate which should be issued within the 28days. So, that means there is an EXEMPTION for the rider of that motorcycle to display the plate for the first 28 days (however, it is also specified in this exemption that the motorcycle can only be ridden during hours of daylight).

This exemption is in place because a motorcycle owner that buys a bike on finance can ride out of the showroom only after paying a few hundred baht for a bike, he has a temporary plate on his bike & he is right to ride from there on & eventually his regular plate will arrrive NO PROBLEMS. However the bike owner that pays cash for his bike, can't ride it because he has to wait for his regular plate to be issued....Doenst make sense does it, hense the exemption.

The only way I can see around this problem & when I get my next new bike, I will probably pay for 90 or 95% of it and do the last 5 or 10 % on finance, that way I can get a red plate & be done with all this crap that people who pay for their bike upfront go thru. Because theres no doubt about it, riding around bkk without a plate on a new bike is sort of like advertising you want to be stopped and lightened of some baht or something.

My advice to the OP, is if he must ride now, he should carry copies of all the documents and stand his ground regarding the bike as having been registered and paid for & that it is okay for him to do so during the daylight hours. He should also get onto his Motorcycle dealer and confirm with them that all the paperwork has been processed & start hounding them to the whereabouts of his plate. Its exactly what I did and I think the dealer got sick of me ringing every second day & I cant remember how long it took for the plate to arrive, but it wasnt 28 days, although I have heard of it taking months.

[Travelmate]

He should also get onto his Motorcycle dealer and confirm with them that all the paperwork has been processed & start hounding them to the whereabouts of his plate. Its exactly what I did and I think the dealer got sick of me ringing every second day & I cant remember how long it took for the plate to arrive, but it wasnt 28 days, although I have heard of it taking months.

Was told 5 working days for plate. But it took 2 weeks to have the plates in my hands.