Highway Robbery In Rayong

[jackr]

I usually stay in the outside lane because it is invariably of better quality, has less motorbikes, and I'm going faster than anyone else. One does pull in if there's a maniac going flat out though.

[Lammbock]

Lets Face the true: The problem is not the amount of 200 Baht. The Problem is that the 200 Baht go directly in the pocket of the Officer and that is a huge problem in Thailand!

Edited March 18, 2010 by Lammbock

[tonywebster]

Reminds me of the time I was travelling along a 2 lane stretch, up ahead on the right hand (fast) lane was a slower moving vehicle. So I pulled out of the left hand lane and into the right lane, with the idea he would move over for me to overtake. Fat chance! - But I was adamant that I would not lower myself to the same moronic driving antics of the natives - I would not undertake!

Instead I followed at a safe distance behind for about a half km. The road started to curve around a slight bend, and then low and behold, up ahead I spot the unmistakable maroon flavoured BiB vehicle - Parked on the fast lane! On a bend!

A lone BiB steps out and waves down the vehicle in front of me. Ha-Ha thats him sorted I thought. But he didnt stop. Kept going right past the BiB, and carried on his merry way.

So mr policeman, aware that he wasnt getting any change from that guy, and more proabably to save face, immediately waves me down.

He directs me to park behind his police car. On the outside fast lane! On a bend!

I have been stopped so many times now, I understand it doesnt matter if you are right or wrong, its tea-money time.

Suffice to say, I am now one of those morons performing undertaking manouvres - albeit only with extreme caution!

A bit of free advice, it's only undertaking if you change lane to do it, in the situation you described, if you had just stayed in your lane and continued past the said vehicle then you would have been fine, it's what I do in the UK with all the half-wits who insist on driving in lane 2 on the motorway's here, just continue on in lane 1. A very good friend of my dad's was a traffic policeman and it was him who told me to do that and it works, I've been pulled twice for it and each time pointed out that I didn't change lane to pass the vehicle on the left and that I was just staying in the correct lane and I happen to pass a vehicle who wasn't.

Brigante7.

Whether you do this or not in the UK you still need to make this manouvere with care, and changing lanes has nothing to do with in all fairness, even undertaking whilst staying in the same lane can still be deemed to be an offence if not done safely. the offence in the UK would be driving without due care and attention or reckless driving if the manoeuvre was considered to be reckless.

I am ex police and have had successful summonses on many occasions for this, The Highway code (which is different from the RTA) states

Highway Code rule 268 advises against undertaking on a motorway: "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake"^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undertaking_%...%29#cite_note-1}. On other roads you can "only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right" (rule 163). On all roads, undertaking is permitted if the vehicles in the lane to the right are queueing and slow moving.^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undertaking_%...%29#cite_note-2} Undertaking in an aggressive or reckless manner could be considered Careless Driving or more seriously Dangerous Driving, both of which are legally enforceable offences.

On another note I always used to refuse to pay the bribe here and insisted on going to the police station to pay, paying bribes does not sit right with me, however since I fund out that even the bribes paid at the station are shared with the police I was left with a dilemma as to whether to save my time and just pay on the spot or continue to go the station.

[JAS21]

Section 34 of the Land Traffic Act, B.E. 2522 (1979) States:

Surely the left hand lane is the INNER lane???????

Ask your wife/GF which is the inside lane....confusing I know....especially now as sometimes my wife uses UK convension and sometimes Thai logic. Actually Thais could be right...Frontage is outside of the Main Road..so inner could be in the Main road so the inner lane to them is the right hand lane. Same problem with light flashing UK after you..Thai after me!

[tuky]

I was driving down highway 36 after turning right from highway 7 a while ago with my father in law.

We got stopped, I am not sure why, however the father in law did the talking, rolled up the money and handed it to the cops in the usual manner.

As I drove off (I dont have a license) he was laughing his head off, I asked him why and he said he rolled up 20 baht and gave it such a manner as to make the cop think it was more.

Score 1 for the Thai folk.

Edited March 18, 2010 by tuky

[ALFREDO]

I get stopped many times for speeding. I drive an Old Ford Pickup, but surely he can do more than the usualy tolerated 100 km\h

And they are always right when they stop me for fast driving, so I pay the 100-200 B. Without problem and for me its more convinient to pay it to the policeman than to park the car, get out of the car, walk to the check point-or make shift check point and wait in the lane until its my turn to pay.

Once in a while I get angry, and react angrylie until the Poiceman said -Falang makes me puat hua, gives me headache, let him drive on.

-last when I was stopped 4! times in 180 km from north of Chayaphum to Korat. (2 times I had to pay)

And when I in hot pursuit, trying to keep up with a Jaguar on the same road got stopped and the Jaguar passed by unstopped-I overwhelmed the Policeman with my anger and he let me drive without paying.

But I never got stopped for driving in the right lane which I avoid as much as possible.

Anyway, I like driving here more than in my homecountry, Austria, where thinks can get very nasty for speeding on the road-also the speeds are in Europe usualy much higher.

So all in all not so bad here.

[basjke]

It is an offense to stay driving in the right hand lane... not using it temporarily for overtaking.

There are way too many drivers who stay in the right hand lane and refuse to move even when flashed.

The police are doing a good job by enforcing this... albeit somewhat biased against pickup trucks at times...

When overtaking I always leave my right indicator on until returning to the left hand lane after overtaking... that way any lurking police cannot claim that I was "driving in the right hand lane".

I have been stopped a few times between Rayong and Pattaya... and using this method and a polite explanation always gets me off the hook.

You have to change bulbs often when leaving the indicator on from Pattaya till your arrival in Rayong.

[ALFREDO]

I get stopped many times for speeding. I drive an Old Ford Pickup, but surely he can do more than the usualy tolerated 100 km\h

And they are always right when they stop me for fast driving, so I pay the 100-200 B. Without problem and for me its more convinient to pay it to the policeman than to park the car, get out of the car, walk to the check point-or make shift check point and wait in the lane until its my turn to pay.

Once in a while I get angry, and react angrylie until the Poiceman said -Falang makes me puat hua, gives me headache, let him drive on.

-last when I was stopped 4! times in 180 km from north of Chayaphum to Korat. (2 times I had to pay)

And when I in hot pursuit, trying to keep up with a Jaguar on the same road got stopped and the Jaguar passed by unstopped-I overwhelmed the Policeman with my anger and he let me drive without paying.

But I never got stopped for driving in the right lane which I avoid as much as possible.

Anyway, I like driving here more than in my homecountry, Austria, where things can get very nasty for speeding on the road-also the speeds are in Europe usualy much higher.

So all in all not so bad here.

Edited March 18, 2010 by ALFREDO

[espinoza]

Newly I was driving with my family on the highway in Rayong.

Out of interest, and as a resident commuter in Rayong, may I ask which particular highwaqy you were on, and if possible, can you give a rough estimate of the geographic location in relation to the various major intersections throughout the province, eg. 2km east of 36/3191 or some such like that.

Forewarned is forearmed even if one is not fourwheeled.

I`m not sure where, but it was just after passing Big-C in eastwards direction.

[SeanMoran]

Newly I was driving with my family on the highway in Rayong.

Out of interest, and as a resident commuter in Rayong, may I ask which particular highwaqy you were on, and if possible, can you give a rough estimate of the geographic location in relation to the various major intersections throughout the province, eg. 2km east of 36/3191 or some such like that.

Forewarned is forearmed even if one is not fourwheeled.

I`m not sure where, but it was just after passing Big-C in eastwards direction.

Thanks very much. That is familiar. Highway 36 on the way towards intersection with the Amphur Rayong right-hand turn at the lights. I'll give that section of road a wide berth in future.

[thaihome]

Lets Face the true: The problem is not the amount of 200 Baht. The Problem is that the 200 Baht go directly in the pocket of the Officer and that is a huge problem in Thailand!

Actually the 200 baht probably gets pooled with all the other fines and doled out amongst the police depending on their rank. The same thing happens if you pay at the police station.

Not to say, the individual policeman may try to skim a bit off the top before turning it in.

TH

[Spee]

... he was laughing his head off, I asked him why and he said he rolled up 20 baht and gave it such a manner as to make the cop think it was more.

That is eff-ing funny. Got me laughing big time. Nothing like an amusing anecdote.