Getting A Fine In Chiang Mai

[junki3korean]

The other week While traveling in Chiang Mai I hired a scooter throughout my stay.

Next Morning whilst riding around I got pulled over in Moon Muang Road for not wearing a helmet.

The officer asked me for my drivers licence which I didn`t have at the time.

He didn`t ask for anything else and gave me the fine for 200bt and told me I had 2 weeks to pay it at the police station.

Then sent me of politley. I gave him a polite wai and that was it!

I look at the fine he had issued me and find no details about myself except for my name that I had written and the rego of the scooter.

When I returned the scooter I gave them the fine and they said ''äh! don`t worry about this"

I thought to myself....Geeez this is still Thailand!

Why in Chiang Mai do they not make you pay fines straight away and take the keys from your scooter? comparing from places like Pattaya, Hua Hin, or Phuket??

Why is Chiang Mai different.....even the police approach you in a more generous way!

[rfukata]

'Why in Chiang Mai do they not make you pay fines straight away and take the keys from your scooter? comparing from places like Pattaya, Hua Hin, or Phuket??'

local citizens and public officials realize more the importance (compared to other provinces) of having farrangs in their community.

[PeaceBlondie]

I remember paying 2 fines here in all these years - both deserved.

No helmet, 200 baht, paid cash on spot

Wrong turn in front of policeman - written ticket, took my license, went to cop shop next day, 200 baht paid, receipt

In other words, treated same as Thai citizen. Zero Thai spoken

[junki3korean]

Thank you for your response Kata!

But`I`m still not getting it!

Your saying because your a foreinger you have the privilege of dodging fines in Chiang Mai??? I mean cleary he knew there was chance I wasn`t going to pay that fine....What garantee does he have?? my rego??

Why pull me over in the first place then? Shouldn`t the law be abit stricter?? The police are there every morning working hard

[junki3korean]

In other words, treated same as Thai citizen. Zero Thai spoken

So they dont take the keys from bikes in other provinces if your Thai??

[sk1max]

Thank you for your response Kata!

But`I`m still not getting it!

Your saying because your a foreinger you have the privilege of dodging fines in Chiang Mai??? I mean cleary he knew there was chance I wasn`t going to pay that fine....What garantee does he have?? my rego??

Why pull me over in the first place then? Shouldn`t the law be abit stricter?? The police are there every morning working hard

I think you are worrying a bit too much. The law is the law it can't be any stricter, only the way it's enforced. The helmet deal is a government policy on improved road safety and duly enforced by the police. Just because the officer has limited options doesn't mean he doesn't have any. If, say you chose not to pay the fine and some bright spark did decided to track you down, as happened to a friend who just forgot to pay, someone will be held responsible. And as this is a Buddhist country it would not doubt come back and a bite you when you least expect it. BTW The police station retains 30% of the fines collected for improvements to the station and 'tea money'. So pay the fine when issued a ticket.

[slapout]

Since the police are now getting a portion of all fines via the legal system, the pay on the spot seems to have gone by the wayside, here in CM. The accounting methods/procedure are probably more straight forward as the receipts are divided and disbursed vs some of the sticky finger handling of cash monies under the old hit and miss system. I guess since the police have made themselves seemly honest in this area/department, they expect the offenders to follow their lead.

[PeaceBlondie]

In other words, treated same as Thai citizen. Zero Thai spoken

So they dont take the keys from bikes in other provinces if your Thai??

I haven't been ticketed outside of CMai, so I don't know what they do elsewhere. They treat foreigners here decently.

[junki3korean]

yes....maybe I am worrying too much....

Just find it very odd that I can actually dodge fines in Thailand

I`ve always loved Chiang Mai

[trainman34014]

yes....maybe I am worrying too much....

Just find it very odd that I can actually dodge fines in Thailand

I`ve always loved Chiang Mai

[/qu

Why don't you save yourself all this 'stress', and just WEAR A HELMET!

[junki3korean]

Hi trainman!

Thanks for your concern but I usually do wear a helmet. I lug it around everywhere when I`m traveling Thailand..Its a full face shoei imported from Australia!

But that morning she was locked in my D-Max that I drove down to Chiang Mai....Keys were with my Miss who had gone out

But Thank you!

[tigerbeer]

they don't really care in Chiang Mai. do what you want. they are just there cause they are asked to be there to check on you. otherwise they got better things to do.

[wjmark]

I got a ticket, and paid it. Sure - I didn't have to.

They probably take more specific and enforceable details from local Thais.

Most tourists would pay anyways, and it must be a real hassle 'doing' a foreigner. Cost/benefit...

[purplehaze]

'Why in Chiang Mai do they not make you pay fines straight away and take the keys from your scooter? comparing from places like Pattaya, Hua Hin, or Phuket??'

local citizens and public officials realize more the importance (compared to other provinces) of having farrangs in their community.

Keep on dreaming.

[IanForbes]

One of the strange things about Thailand is fines and how they are applied seems to be up to the discretion of the policeman. Usually, a fine for a farang is 400 baht. A Thai will be charged 200 baht for the same offence. You are Korean and might pass as a Thai and hence were only charged 200 baht. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the system, but that is how it is here. Anyone who complains only needs to relate it to fines for similar offences back home. Riding a motorbike, without a proper helmet, in Canada will get you a fine of over 3000 baht.

[jdinasia]

One of the strange things about Thailand is fines and how they are applied seems to be up to the discretion of the policeman. Usually, a fine for a farang is 400 baht. A Thai will be charged 200 baht for the same offence. You are Korean and might pass as a Thai and hence were only charged 200 baht. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the system, but that is how it is here. Anyone who complains only needs to relate it to fines for similar offences back home. Riding a motorbike, without a proper helmet, in Canada will get you a fine of over 3000 baht.

Are you saying that you have personal experience in Chiang Mai of being charged more than a Thai for the same offense?

[cmdream]

Just learn and follow the driving laws and you will never meet one of Thailands finest :-)

[PeaceBlondie]

I think I paid the Thai price both times.

[IanForbes]

One of the strange things about Thailand is fines and how they are applied seems to be up to the discretion of the policeman. Usually, a fine for a farang is 400 baht. A Thai will be charged 200 baht for the same offence. You are Korean and might pass as a Thai and hence were only charged 200 baht. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to the system, but that is how it is here. Anyone who complains only needs to relate it to fines for similar offences back home. Riding a motorbike, without a proper helmet, in Canada will get you a fine of over 3000 baht.

Are you saying that you have personal experience in Chiang Mai of being charged more than a Thai for the same offense?

Yes, and I am not the only one. I have only had to pay one fine, and was lucky my Thai girlfriend had the 400 baht fine lowered to 200 that the Thais pay for the same offence. I was crossing the moat road onto Loi Kroh road on a motorcycle instead of riding 2 km out of my way in a big circle to get to the same destination.

[kennkate]

So what happens if you fail to go down and Pay the Fine. In my wife's case sweet FA.

I have been with her on two separate occasions and given a ticket to produce he Driving Licence

Never went because she don't have one. Did they follow it up NO.

I told her to go and pay the fine and get a licence She said "I not understand the road signs I no go for Licence" after about a week she said she had lost the ticket.

I was thinking UK here and fully expected the law to send her a letter or come round to the house. Lamphun so maybe rushed off their feet

TIT

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So.. How many fine-dodgers would it take before the police do actually take your keys and demand the fine to be processed right away??? By not paying you're essentially telling them you want to be treated like people in Pattaya. Is that truly the way you want to go for yourself and everyone else?

Go pay the fine!

Edited January 12, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[jdinasia]

Just learn and follow the driving laws and you will never meet one of Thailands finest :-)

Not exactly true in my experience, I have been pulled over in 'sweeps' where they pull over everyone on a motorcycle. I have only had to produce my DL and been sent on my merry way every time.

Other than in Hua Hin I have been lucky and never been asked to pay a fine on the spot where a receipt/citation was not issued. By the time I left HuaHin I knew the local police fairly well and never paid a fine at all.

In Bangkok I earned the three tickets I was issued and paid the same as everyone for them. In Phuket (I lived there for a year) I was never ticketed and only asked to produce a DL 2 or 3 times.

I am not sure about traffic offenses but many laws state a maximum fine and it is at the discretion of the officer how much to charge (for example the no smoking fine states not to exceed 2000 baht in most places)