Police Stopping Taxis Around Asoke Area Last Night?

[petecooper]

Last night about 11pm or so, driving in a cab through the Asoke area, we saw police at several intersections stopping taxis and speaking with the drivers and passengers of some. Then, as we turned into our Soi, our taxi was pulled over by more police - who shone a torch in the window, saw that we were farang, and then got the cab to stop and asked us to get out. We did, they searched us - looked in our pockets and wallets for a couple of minutes, then said we could go. We didn't have to hand over any money (although they could see we had plenty), so I don't think it was anything corrupt or dodgy. What gives? Why are they stopping/searching people and what are they looking for?

[OxfordWill]

Part of life in Bangkok.. itll happen to you again and again.

[neverdie]

They are looking for an opportunity and the chance to nab people for drugs. This is standard type of Police behaviour. All is normal, dont worry be happy.

[petecooper]

Strange thing is I have lived here for four years and this is the first time I have ever come across anything like this, very strange. And I'm out and about several nights a week.

[soundman]

Moved to Bangkok forum.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Strange thing is I have lived here for four years and this is the first time I have ever come across anything like this, very strange. And I'm out and about several nights a week.

You'll have to get out more and more Pete.

[petecooper]

Strange thing is I have lived here for four years and this is the first time I have ever come across anything like this, very strange. And I'm out and about several nights a week.

You'll have to get out more and more Pete.

Don't start, that's the last thing I need!

[bkkjames]

do a quick search on here for this regular happening, no doubt it was in Thong Lo police district.

[phetaroi]

do a quick search on here for this regular happening, no doubt it was in Thong Lo police district.

I do think it may have been more than "the usual". Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m., all the way from Ekkamai to Phrom Pong (and perhaps beyond) there were dozens and dozens (probably well over 100) of policemen lining the street very actively watching traffic. We weren't stopped.

[bkkjames]

do a quick search on here for this regular happening, no doubt it was in Thong Lo police district.

I do think it may have been more than "the usual". Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m., all the way from Ekkamai to Phrom Pong (and perhaps beyond) there were dozens and dozens (probably well over 100) of policemen lining the street very actively watching traffic. We weren't stopped.

what colour hats were they wearing? if they were orange rimmed, just the usual post payday stuff.

[on-on]

do a quick search on here for this regular happening, no doubt it was in Thong Lo police district.

I do think it may have been more than "the usual". Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m., all the way from Ekkamai to Phrom Pong (and perhaps beyond) there were dozens and dozens (probably well over 100) of policemen lining the street very actively watching traffic. We weren't stopped.

I live over here and this has been happening for a couple of months now. Times are tight! Heh.

[Jimjim]

Sounds annoying. Never happened to me once in Bangkok. I only got stopped for running a red light.

[Ayutthaya69]

Sounds annoying. Never happened to me once in Bangkok. I only got stopped for running a red light.

Yes Jim never happen to me in 7 years in Thailand so its deppend what people look like to me i have only 1 leggs and maybe thats why the police dont botter me last time the police stop me and my GF for the hellmet ans after i look me i sais ok go next time dont forget your hellmet lol some police officer verry nice

[gvallee2]

its simple, People are dumb enough to know that they are there and at onnut every single day at the same hours... Yet they still bring drug or forget to put their helmet on.

[heykki]

Definitely looking for drugs etc. They have a roadblock 50m from my condo almost every night! Literally at least 3-5 times per week and stopping everybody and conducting throughout searches. Seems like they are pretty effective..

By the way, this is near Rama 9.

Edited November 3, 2009 by heykki

[thithi]

2nd term of schools started - they need more money to feed and buy some new school stuffs to their kids.

[thaihome]

do a quick search on here for this regular happening, no doubt it was in Thong Lo police district.

I do think it may have been more than "the usual". Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m., all the way from Ekkamai to Phrom Pong (and perhaps beyond) there were dozens and dozens (probably well over 100) of policemen lining the street very actively watching traffic. We weren't stopped.

Are you sure it was not preparations for a Royal motorcade. There was one last Saturday (or week before, hard to remember), that had lower Sukhumvit blocked off. Sounds exactly like you describe.

TH

[Briggsy]

Definitely looking for drugs etc. They have a roadblock 50m from my condo almost every night! Literally at least 3-5 times per week and stopping everybody and conducting throughout searches. Seems like they are pretty effective..

By the way, this is near Rama 9.

It could be reasonably argued that employing hundreds of policemen to randomly search foreign occupants of taxis in the downtown/tourist/red light area at virtually pre-agreed times is neither "pretty effective" nor "pretty smart". It will lead to no reduction of availability of drugs or arrests of serious drug offenders.

What it does do, is provide fantastic opportunities for money to be extorted in return for non-prosecution from a variety of petty offenders such as people not wearing a seat belt, people not carrying a passport, recreational drug users, naive tourists, people dropping litter, people who swear etc.

It also consolidates a culture of vast numbers of low-paid, low-level public sector employees doing fairly pointless work inconveniencing the general public to enrich, in this case, the police officer in charge of Thong Lor Police Station.

I would have no objection whatsoever to these stops being carried out if there were the slightest evidence of a crime having been committed but random searches based only on the fact that you are a foreigner [read: no significant connections and money to extort] and in a taxi [read: easy to stop] are nothing for a police force to crow about.

[stevymac]

my taxi got stopped about 3am near soi cowboy on the corner by asoke station, what made me look dodgy was i was drinkin a big 1 litre bottle of water tryin to sober up wen as we turned the corner there was 2 police men who stopped my taxi, everytime i see police in any country even wen i know ive done nothin wrong i still panic a bit, anyway this caused me to choke on me water, the police guy opened me taxi im fightin for breath all the while he is tryin to empty my pockets, it must of looked like i was tryin to swallow drugs. anyway luckily for me i managed to gulp it down an the guy was pretty decent had all me money an stuff in his hand, he cud easily of pocketed wot he wanted, i mean wot am i gonna do! but the police man give me it all bak an 2 mins later was carryin on me journey home bit embarrased but alive from my near fatal chokin shennanigans!

[heykki]

My scenario isn't under the jurisdiction of Thong Lor Police, but something else. They have been camping here for the last two months. A lot of people are stopped and searched so it MUST be effective in terms of obtaining some money. In all seriousness, though, they did have the biggest ice bust in this area not long ago. I agree with you, Briggsy, but in fact they are not targeting foreigners in a taxi in this case. They stopped me once and as I had no passport or any ID on me, I thought I'd end up paying or searched, ok no problem. What happened was he only asked a couple of regular questions and let me go with no trouble. Been always treated fairly by the police.

[pmarlin]

Last night about 11pm or so, driving in a cab through the Asoke area, we saw police at several intersections stopping taxis and speaking with the drivers and passengers of some. Then, as we turned into our Soi, our taxi was pulled over by more police - who shone a torch in the window, saw that we were farang, and then got the cab to stop and asked us to get out. We did, they searched us - looked in our pockets and wallets for a couple of minutes, then said we could go. We didn't have to hand over any money (although they could see we had plenty), so I don't think it was anything corrupt or dodgy. What gives? Why are they stopping/searching people and what are they looking for?

coming in from the airport last night ,4 Nov, I saw them around the Asoke area, This was around midnight.

[barrella]

Last night about 11pm or so, driving in a cab through the Asoke area, we saw police at several intersections stopping taxis and speaking with the drivers and passengers of some. Then, as we turned into our Soi, our taxi was pulled over by more police - who shone a torch in the window, saw that we were farang, and then got the cab to stop and asked us to get out. We did, they searched us - looked in our pockets and wallets for a couple of minutes, then said we could go. We didn't have to hand over any money (although they could see we had plenty), so I don't think it was anything corrupt or dodgy. What gives? Why are they stopping/searching people and what are they looking for?

coming in from the airport last night ,4 Nov, I saw them around the Asoke area, This was around midnight.

On our way back home every night for about a month we where being stopped.

Same group of police same police guy even. At night they are set stop area's that do not seem to change but they are putting out extra ones over time. After they stopped us for the 20th time the same police guy started making moves towards, "mmm dry throat maybe a little whiskey will make me feel better" so we just take a different route home now.

It's part of living in SEA, get used to it.

[aussiejosh]

Roadblocks and searches are pretty common in bangkok imo, there are probably 4 or 5 in my area now. Every 2 - 3 days there is one on main sukhumvit road between 23 and 33 not sure of the exact location but I have driven through it at night several times.

A friend of mine was arrested outside the PMs house (sukhumvit 23 checkpoint, its permanent) he was caught with a joint on him. Cost him 2,600 baht for his freedom... Its cheap if you are fluent Thai...

They work on <snip>, I'll say that much.

Edited November 5, 2009 by soundman
Removed inflamatory comment.

[Boater]

do a quick search on here for this regular happening, no doubt it was in Thong Lo police district.

I do think it may have been more than "the usual". Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m., all the way from Ekkamai to Phrom Pong (and perhaps beyond) there were dozens and dozens (probably well over 100) of policemen lining the street very actively watching traffic. We weren't stopped.

have seen this many many times, they normally do this if the royal family is passing or a very imortant VIP .... the police can be quit organized when they need to be