End Of The Month, Tea Money Time

[givenall]

It is end of the month and police are out in force. Past two days I see them all over Bangkok, stopping and getting their tea money. Bangkok is back to normal.

Seriously, the whole country is run by gangs, whether is police, politician, red, yellow shirt, etc. etc.

If Ahbisit is serious he would need to fix the police gang first and the rest will be fixed easier

[thomo]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

[gotlost]

Whats the difference between end of the month, first of the month and middle of the month tea money?

[apetley]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

The tickets are cheap here in Thailand I'll admit that but why pay up for no reason if you've done nothing wrong?

At least in the west you will be pulled and fined for a reason, that being you have broken the law.

Here in Thailand you can be driving along within the rules and be pulled over simply to line the pockets of a uniformed criminal.

[OxfordWill]

It is end of the month and police are out in force. Past two days I see them all over Bangkok, stopping and getting their tea money. Bangkok is back to normal.

Seriously, the whole country is run by gangs, whether is police, politician, red, yellow shirt, etc. etc.

If Ahbisit is serious he would need to fix the police gang first and the rest will be fixed easier

Yes, we know.

[floridaguy]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

The tickets are cheap here in Thailand I'll admit that but why pay up for no reason if you've done nothing wrong?

At least in the west you will be pulled and fined for a reason, that being you have broken the law.

Here in Thailand you can be driving along within the rules and be pulled over simply to line the pockets of a uniformed criminal.

Have you done nothing wrong? The laws are numerous and obscure here, nearly as complicated in the West. At least there you know most of the laws. Here you (we) don't always. Wrong lane? Speeding? Improper lane change (we are all guilty!)? Wrong headlight? There are so many. The problem is that they are seemingly randomly enforced. But, is that different from the West? How often have you been speeding past a police officer and not been pulled over? How often have you turned without your directional, or ran a stop sign, all within sight of a cop, and not been pulled over? So when you finally get pulled over for something, do you accused the cop of just wanting money and making up a charge? Probably not. Do you accuse him/her of racial profiling? Probably not. If you act a fool here, they smile and ignore you. In the US, you get tazed/pepper sprayed/beat down/arrested. What would you prefer?

And of course, we all jump to the conclusion that we are being singled out as a foreigner, because the police assume we have money. Well, better to be informed, follow the law, and if you get pulled over, pay your fine, and learn from that mistake and correct it for the future, and be thankful it cost you 200 baht, and not 200 dollars or pounds and a day off from work to go to court. The best feeling in the world is being pulled over randomly by a Thai cop and seeing the look on his face when he realizes he has nothing on you and has to let you go without getting any money. Happens to me, because I stay calm. Act an arsehol_e, and he will enforce all the rules he can on you.

Edited June 27, 2010 by floridaguy

[thomo]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

The tickets are cheap here in Thailand I'll admit that but why pay up for no reason if you've done nothing wrong?

I've never been stopped or fined for doing nothing wrong.

I don't follow the law of riding my bike in the left hand lane.

I get pulled for breaking the traffic law, pay my few hundred baht, and 10 seconds later am laughing at how good the system is here.

Whats the difference between end of the month, first of the month and middle of the month tea money?

First of the month it goes on black label and questionably aged mia nois.

Middle of the month it's for their wife's shopping.

End of the month it's back to their black label and mia nois.

Edited June 27, 2010 by thomo

[ThaiRich]

<BR>Certainly better than the western version.  <IMG class=bbc_emoticon alt= src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif"><BR><BR><BR>The tickets are cheap here in Thailand I'll admit that but why pay up for no reason if you've done nothing wrong?<BR>At least in the west you will be pulled and fined for a reason, that being you have broken the law.<BR>Here in Thailand you can be driving along within the rules and be pulled over simply to line the pockets of a uniformed criminal.<BR><BR><BR>Have you done nothing wrong? The laws are numerous and obscure here, nearly as complicated in the West. At least there you know most of the laws. Here you (we) don't always. Wrong lane? Speeding? Improper lane change (we are all guilty!)? Wrong headlight? There are so many. The problem is that they are seemingly randomly enforced. But, is that different from the West? How often have you been speeding past a police officer and not been pulled over? How often have you turned without your directional, or ran a stop sign, all within sight of a cop, and not been pulled over? So when you finally get pulled over for something, do you accused the cop of just wanting money and making up a charge? Probably not. Do you accuse him/her of racial profiling? Probably not. If you act a fool here, they smile and ignore you. In the US, you get tazed/pepper sprayed/beat down/arrested. What would you prefer?<BR><BR>And of course, we all jump to the conclusion that we are being singled out as a foreigner, because the police assume we have money. Well, better to be informed, follow the law, and if you get pulled over, pay your fine, and learn from that mistake and correct it for the future, and be thankful it cost you 200 baht, and not 200 dollars or pounds and a day off from work to go to court. The best feeling in the world is being pulled over randomly by a Thai cop and seeing the look on his face when he realizes he has nothing on you and has to let you go without getting any money. Happens to me, because I stay calm. Act an arsehol_e, and he will enforce all the rules he can on you.<BR><BR><BR><BR>I agree with you.  In the last 6 years every time I had been stopped and had to pay I fine I deserved it.  At road blocks I always have my helmet and my THAI drivers license and NEVER had to pay any fines.

[BIGTOE3]

It is end of the month and police are out in force. Past two days I see them all over Bangkok, stopping and getting their tea money. Bangkok is back to normal.

Seriously, the whole country is run by gangs, whether is police, politician, red, yellow shirt, etc. etc.

If Ahbisit is serious he would need to fix the police gang first and the rest will be fixed easier

Yes, we know.

I agree we know BUT does Abbisit know ? and If he does he should do something about it. IMHO.

BT

[h90]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

The tickets are cheap here in Thailand I'll admit that but why pay up for no reason if you've done nothing wrong?

At least in the west you will be pulled and fined for a reason, that being you have broken the law.

Here in Thailand you can be driving along within the rules and be pulled over simply to line the pockets of a uniformed criminal.

never been stopped without reason.

[apetley]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

The tickets are cheap here in Thailand I'll admit that but why pay up for no reason if you've done nothing wrong?

At least in the west you will be pulled and fined for a reason, that being you have broken the law.

Here in Thailand you can be driving along within the rules and be pulled over simply to line the pockets of a uniformed criminal.

Have you done nothing wrong? The laws are numerous and obscure here, nearly as complicated in the West. At least there you know most of the laws. Here you (we) don't always. Wrong lane? Speeding? Improper lane change (we are all guilty!)? Wrong headlight? There are so many. The problem is that they are seemingly randomly enforced. But, is that different from the West? How often have you been speeding past a police officer and not been pulled over? How often have you turned without your directional, or ran a stop sign, all within sight of a cop, and not been pulled over? So when you finally get pulled over for something, do you accused the cop of just wanting money and making up a charge? Probably not. Do you accuse him/her of racial profiling? Probably not. If you act a fool here, they smile and ignore you. In the US, you get tazed/pepper sprayed/beat down/arrested. What would you prefer?

And of course, we all jump to the conclusion that we are being singled out as a foreigner, because the police assume we have money. Well, better to be informed, follow the law, and if you get pulled over, pay your fine, and learn from that mistake and correct it for the future, and be thankful it cost you 200 baht, and not 200 dollars or pounds and a day off from work to go to court. The best feeling in the world is being pulled over randomly by a Thai cop and seeing the look on his face when he realizes he has nothing on you and has to let you go without getting any money. Happens to me, because I stay calm. Act an arsehol_e, and he will enforce all the rules he can on you.

Yes I have been guilty of breaking Thai driving law but that is not the point.

What the complaint is about is being prosecuted when no law has been broken.

I have been accused of speeding in the past.

121 kph which was so ridiculous as to be laughable. I was actually at 80 kph because the road surface was so awful that was all you could safely drive at. I stood my ground and the cop gave up and went back to making money off others.

Another time I was accused of jumping a red light. It changed to just as I went though. I looked in my mirror and at least 5 other cars followed me though the junction. A cop chased after me on his motorcycle. When he saw my Thai wife he laughed as he knew her from her days of working at the police station. He admitted to her he had pulled me rather than the Thais behind me as he thought I would be easy money.

The one time I paid a fine was driving in a bus lane in BKK. I was caught fairly and paid up because I was in the wrong. That's the way it should be, not preying off of drivers to top up salaries and pass on up their own chain of command.

[isaanpaul]

Okay what is the problem people have with BiB??

As we now franchise in Thailand is big business,and it looks like that manny people do not understand that this is the case for the thai police aswell.

You have to now that, to get a policejob you will have to buy yourself in.(the so called entrance payment)

If they have done this, they will be provided with the company's uniform and logo,same as all the franchise company's do.

The next step is to get your own nice little boot on some bussy street corners,again with company logo.

The headoffice will provide their franchisees with the so called vouchers,so the customer's can do their payments to the franchisees usualy in thailand 200/500 thai bath

As it is normal practise to pay for the membership,( the so called profitshare) (%?) the royal thai police franchisees is required to do so as well.

And last but not least you have to understand that the royal thai police franchisees is much more anxiosly about your health and well being(driving with no helmet,driving to fast,etc,etc) than the one's who sell you unhealthy food or overpriced bad quality product''s:lol:

ip

[Wossnext]

Okay what is the problem people have with BiB??

As we now franchise in Thailand is big business,and it looks like that manny people do not understand that this is the case for the thai police aswell.

You have to now that, to get a policejob you will have to buy yourself in.(the so called entrance payment)

If they have done this, they will be provided with the company's uniform and logo,same as all the franchise company's do.

The next step is to get your own nice little boot on some bussy street corners,again with company logo.

The headoffice will provide their franchisees with the so called vouchers,so the customer's can do their payments to the franchisees usualy in thailand 200/500 thai bath

As it is normal practise to pay for the membership,( the so called profitshare) (%?) the royal thai police franchisees is required to do so as well.

And last but not least you have to understand that the royal thai police franchisees is much more anxiosly about your health and well being(driving with no helmet,driving to fast,etc,etc) than the one's who sell you unhealthy food or overpriced bad quality product''s:lol:

ip

Errm, could you just run that past me again, read it several times and still ever so slightly confused!? so there are no requirements for having an understanding of thai law enforcement or anything else! no training, just a payment and off you go with a shiny badge a bike and a gun. Were you sleepwalking when you wrote this or do you really believe this to be true. Just checked the calendar and it is not April 1st!

[givenall]

Whats the difference between end of the month, first of the month and middle of the month tea money?

I think it is for meeting quotas. If they are did not collect enough during the month they are in force at the end. But for past few years, I see the activities go up at the end of the month. It must be that they want more money and brass send them out to get more

[givenall]

Okay what is the problem people have with BiB??

As we now franchise in Thailand is big business,and it looks like that manny people do not understand that this is the case for the thai police aswell.

You have to now that, to get a policejob you will have to buy yourself in.(the so called entrance payment)

If they have done this, they will be provided with the company's uniform and logo,same as all the franchise company's do.

The next step is to get your own nice little boot on some bussy street corners,again with company logo.

The headoffice will provide their franchisees with the so called vouchers,so the customer's can do their payments to the franchisees usualy in thailand 200/500 thai bath

As it is normal practise to pay for the membership,( the so called profitshare) (%?) the royal thai police franchisees is required to do so as well.

And last but not least you have to understand that the royal thai police franchisees is much more anxiosly about your health and well being(driving with no helmet,driving to fast,etc,etc) than the one's who sell you unhealthy food or overpriced bad quality product''s:lol:

ip

Errm, could you just run that past me again, read it several times and still ever so slightly confused!? so there are no requirements for having an understanding of thai law enforcement or anything else! no training, just a payment and off you go with a shiny badge a bike and a gun. Were you sleepwalking when you wrote this or do you really believe this to be true. Just checked the calendar and it is not April 1st!

Yeap I understand just like gangs, or mafias

[Pib]

Whats the difference between end of the month, first of the month and middle of the month tea money?

I think it is for meeting quotas. If they are did not collect enough during the month they are in force at the end. But for past few years, I see the activities go up at the end of the month. It must be that they want more money and brass send them out to get more

You're are probably right about the quota thing. Since X-amount of the monthly traffic fine collection goes back to the police department (i.e.,I'm heard it's around 45% of the monthly "official/ticket issue" take), I expect there are metrics kept by senior officials to ensure the police on the road maintain a fairly constant intake of traffic fines (the actual ticket issued fines). I do know one thing for sure, during the red shirts protests which pulled most of the traffic police off the roads to work protest duties, the number of traffic checkpoints, police waiting around the corner to pull you over, etc., went way, way, way down here in Bangkok. It was like driving out in the provinces/small towns where traffic cops are few and far in-between. But now, the Bangkok traffic cops are back in full force collecting their monthly official and unofficial traffic fine quotas.

[Farma]

I think PIB's figure of around 45% is about right. Somewhere on the forum from about a year or so ago there was a news story about a police officer up Chiangmai way who took off with the monthly takings. The news report details the percentages the police keep to share among themselves and the amount that goes into the police coffers.

[Ulysses G.]

Isn't it worth paying 200 baht, every blue moon, just to have something else to moan about?

Edited June 28, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[Damacles]

My taxi was stopped on Saturday night / Sunday morning going into Sukhumvit Road; first time ever I've encountered the Police in 15 years coming here. After having a number of torches shone into the car at me, one Policeman asked me to step out and produce my passport, which I never carry. <div><br></div><div>Very polite and smiling he asked how long I was here for and explained he was going to search me; I asked him why - just out of interest - and he said "drugs". He put his hands in my pockets pulling at money, which disconcerted me a little, but other than that it was very cursory. </div><div><br></div><div>Again smiling, he advised I carry a copy of my passport and wished me a good night. Taking the need for the stop and searches at face value, it was carried out in a friendly manner, with no hint at tea money, and I came away with a favourable view of this policeman at least. </div>

[junglist]

Pigs can fly here… You know their motto. "There is Nothing We Can't Do". I kid you not.

Edited June 28, 2010 by junglist

[craigt3365]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

Agreed...but many who do this are legally drunk, get away with it, and end up killing somebody in the future. Without enforcement of laws here, drivers take all kinds of chances and don't have to worry about the consequences. Other than a few baht.

At least in the US, if speeding, it's a big deal. Drunk driving...you are literally screwed. Which I have no problem with.

Here, the only laws they enforce are the easy ones where they can get money quickly. A speed trap, pulling over scooters, red tagged cars, etc. I watch folks run red lights right in front of the police box.

But back to the OP...you are absolutely right. The police are a gang and need to be reformed. Like they did in HK. All the locals are totally afraid of the police...and some with good reason...

[theoldgit]

My taxi was stopped on Saturday night / Sunday morning going into Sukhumvit Road; first time ever I've encountered the Police in 15 years coming here. After having a number of torches shone into the car at me, one Policeman asked me to step out and produce my passport, which I never carry. <div><br></div><div>Very polite and smiling he asked how long I was here for and explained he was going to search me; I asked him why - just out of interest - and he said "drugs". He put his hands in my pockets pulling at money, which disconcerted me a little, but other than that it was very cursory. </div><div><br></div><div>Again smiling, he advised I carry a copy of my passport and wished me a good night. Taking the need for the stop and searches at face value, it was carried out in a friendly manner, with no hint at tea money, and I came away with a favourable view of this policeman at least. </div>

Stop and search is very common in many countries and despite your reasonable experience I would like the officer to show me the palms of his hands before he delved into my pockets. I accept I maybe paranoid and that such a request might inflame the situation - but if we both had nothing to hide?

[theoldgit]

The more that people accept the paying of small amounts of money to a frankly corrupt police force the longer it will continue, the government really don't care.

Whist the handing over of small amounts of cash by foreigners might be the easiest option to get us on our way, for a Thai person, and the majority stopped are Thai, it might be a days pay.

[witold]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

It seems many of the posters on TV want to make LOS into an Asian version of Birmingham or something. If they had it they way, they would institute most of the rules and regulations back home, which is quite amusing to me.

I can tell you that I would rather pay that 200 baht even when I am innocent then face $2500 and jail time for going 100mph on my sport bike back home in the great state of Virginia. You have no idea how good you have it - vast majority of time.

[theoldgit]

On the other hand I am reluctant to hand over money to crooks just because it's convienient.

We will have to agree to differ.

[craigt3365]

Unfortunately, here in Thailand, many bikes going that fast cause major accidents. If it was like back in the US, there would probably be much less of this, due to the fines. And much less hassle for those of us who have to dodge the knuckle heads here...

[tingtongfarang]

Why give them anything? In almost 4 years of driving both motocyc and car daily i have only ever had two tickets...just refuse to give money to them its very simple, 200 baht is a days salery for many thais so as soon as this situation changes the better.

[moe666]

Hand over a paltry 200b, in order to save the hassle of a ticket.

Certainly better than the western version.

It seems many of the posters on TV want to make LOS into an Asian version of Birmingham or something. If they had it they way, they would institute most of the rules and regulations back home, which is quite amusing to me.

I can tell you that I would rather pay that 200 baht even when I am innocent then face $2500 and jail time for going 100mph on my sport bike back home in the great state of Virginia. You have no idea how good you have it - vast majority of time.

After a few trips to Thailand they cannot wait to move there but after a few months they miss home and want it to be more like home.

[asiawatcher]

Tea money is team money.

[tingtongfarang]

Maybe i should be happy you guys always give them money, I never have and never will!

I do feel sorry for thais who are expected to pay a days salery but thats a thai thing...i refuse to get involved in criminal actions of a mafia standing around at the side of the road,