Bad Experience With The Hightway Patrol!

[Livinginexile]

I had just passed through the toll gates for the Bkk-Chon Buri expressway when I was pulled up by 2 highway patrol motorbike guys.

From the start they were very agressive telling me I was speeding (I was not) and the fine was 4000 bht!

I tried to negotiate the price down bit they got even more agressive demanding this and that. Finally they asked for the car registration papers and when I could not produce them the ordered me out of the car and told me I could no longer drive and that my car will be towed away if I did not pay on the spot!

The more I tried to reason with them the more agressive they became. They seen how much cash I had in my wallet when I got out my drivers license and kept repeating "you got money, I see in your wallet!"

Finally after 15 minutes of threats and agresstion I had to pay them 3,500 bht otherwise they were going to take my car! After I paid one of the cops literally through my lisence at me and they both rode away!

It was really a scary situation.

Has anyone else had problems with these guys on the way to Pattaya?

Edited August 2, 2010 by Livinginexile

[Lumumba]

Did you just get here last night?

They will be looking for the next white face to harass, ( thank God I am black), when you are speeding, there are set amount of money as fines, point deduction on your licence.

Vehicle registration, I have been driving here for 11 years, 6 different cars, and the only reason I drive my self is to go fast, really fast. I do not know what the vehicle registration looks like and I have been stopped like 15 times for speeding.

They would think you are the weird one, B3500 on the spot for speeding? were you high on something as well?

Methinks Karma is getting back at you for that house you bought from the wrong owner. its life.

[somtampet]

Did you just get here last night?

They will be looking for the next white face to harass, ( thank God I am black), when you are speeding, there are set amount of money as fines, point deduction on your licence.

Vehicle registration, I have been driving here for 11 years, 6 different cars, and the only reason I drive my self is to go fast, really fast. I do not know what the vehicle registration looks like and I have been stopped like 15 times for speeding.

They would think you are the weird one, B3500 on the spot for speeding? were you high on something as well?

Methinks Karma is getting back at you for that house you bought from the wrong owner. its life.

Because he has a white face( do you know the guy then) thats why he got stopped???? a bit silly isnt it

[basjke]

Maybe they were friends of the farang from which you have stolen your new house.

[Lumumba]

Did you just get here last night?

They will be looking for the next white face to harass, ( thank God I am black), when you are speeding, there are set amount of money as fines, point deduction on your licence.

Vehicle registration, I have been driving here for 11 years, 6 different cars, and the only reason I drive my self is to go fast, really fast. I do not know what the vehicle registration looks like and I have been stopped like 15 times for speeding.

They would think you are the weird one, B3500 on the spot for speeding? were you high on something as well?

Methinks Karma is getting back at you for that house you bought from the wrong owner. its life.

Because he has a white face( do you know the guy then) thats why he got stopped???? a bit silly isnt it

Somtampet,

You should cut down on the chilli.

Well, I could have been silly (sue me), since 99% of the foreigners in Thailand that drive are 'white', I just assumed. Since his name in 'Living in Exile' and he already said he is buying a whole block of houses for the in laws , I just assumed he is white too. I would not buy a house from the madam when his dude is across the pond. Then again, I am just being silly.

[surayu]

Sounds normal, welcome to Thailand Sir! i wonder why they do not start using the BiB's for the TAT campaigns abroad, a truly unique experience

[neilf]

Did you just get here last night?

They will be looking for the next white face to harass, ( thank God I am black), when you are speeding, there are set amount of money as fines, point deduction on your licence.

Vehicle registration, I have been driving here for 11 years, 6 different cars, and the only reason I drive my self is to go fast, really fast. I do not know what the vehicle registration looks like and I have been stopped like 15 times for speeding.

They would think you are the weird one, B3500 on the spot for speeding? were you high on something as well?

Methinks Karma is getting back at you for that house you bought from the wrong owner. its life.

what do you mean by really fast dude

[FarangBuddha]

I have been driving in LOS for almost a decade and have never been stopped by any of the police. Maybe it helps that my SUV has tinted windows and being mixed Asian-whitie I can often pass for Thai so they don't bother me because they don't think I'll be able to pay-off big. In any case, I think it is the law that you must have the vehicle's registration papers (or at least a copy) with the vehicle so if that is the case, they they had good collar on you.

In any case, just chalk it up to "road taxes" as most people pick-up a moving violation of one sort or another back home every few years, which can easily add up to hundreds of dollars/pounds per violation. So getting dinged every once and a while in LOS for much lesser amounts is not so bad.

[Beardog]

Sounds like a karma issue to me.........next it will probably be the farang you burned on the last business adventure.

[somtampet]

Did you just get here last night?

They will be looking for the next white face to harass, ( thank God I am black), when you are speeding, there are set amount of money as fines, point deduction on your licence.

Vehicle registration, I have been driving here for 11 years, 6 different cars, and the only reason I drive my self is to go fast, really fast. I do not know what the vehicle registration looks like and I have been stopped like 15 times for speeding.

They would think you are the weird one, B3500 on the spot for speeding? were you high on something as well?

Methinks Karma is getting back at you for that house you bought from the wrong owner. its life.

Because he has a white face( do you know the guy then) thats why he got stopped???? a bit silly isnt it

Somtampet,

You should cut down on the chilli.

Well, I could have been silly (sue me), since 99% of the foreigners in Thailand that drive are 'white', I just assumed. Since his name in 'Living in Exile' and he already said he is buying a whole block of houses for the in laws , I just assumed he is white too. I would not buy a house from the madam when his dude is across the pond. Then again, I am just being silly.

Some things i can cut down on in Thailand but not the chilli lol

[William Osborne]

Methinks Karma is getting back at you for that house you bought from the wrong owner. its life.

funny, was thinking the very same thing...

Been stopped a few times but never came across any aggression... you must have upset them somehow ? no matter what country you are in, it pays to be ultra polite to the fuzz..

[tmd5855]

Speeding, is that all and 3,500.00bt. No way matey, you were up to something or said something wrong or acted the big shot (I can do what I want).

Me I am always getting stopped on thre airport to Pattaya M/way, for speeding (140-160k) and not keeping to the left hand lane.

Always speak nicely, if my Scottish dulcet toned accented Thai is not understood. Apologise in Thai and speak English.

Never paid more than 200bhat.

Except one time near Sa Kheao, the army/police road block wanted 1000bt or I go jail??

Smiles and pleading got it down to 500bt.

No matey you were picked out and hard done to.

Why........................ Maybe the cheap house you stole...... your personal dealings....... Your Karma?

Som nom na

Edited August 2, 2010 by tmd5855

[Boater]

as the other posters commented it is a 200 THB Fine....

[bobbin]

I didn't post on your thread about defrauding the falang on his house, but I do have something to say in this thread...

A little of what went around has come around.

Ain't karma a bitch?

[CHdiver]

Some of you do remind me about People who like to stone others, same mentality......

[guzzi850m2]

Some of you do remind me about People who like to stone others, same mentality......

I agree 100%, most posts on this particular topic are only bullshit talking.

Now the OP was interesting as it might happen to one of us one day, who knows. Have anyone had the same experience?? What can one do in a situation like this, flatly refuse to pay, or just bite the apple and pay. I would really like to hear other TV members experience in this regard, thanks.

[salty]

I do not drive when I am in Thailand. I think it is disgusting the way these vermin just rob people whenever they wish.

Edited August 2, 2010 by salty

[William Osborne]

I do not drive when I am in Thailand. I think it is disgusting the way these vermin just rob people whenever they wish.

LOL, you have got it so backwards... Go to the US or UK and then you are talking about robbing... i was hit with $160 speeding fine last time i was in the states... they had some ridiculous low speed limit through the town, could push a pram faster..

Here ...pay maybe 6 to 8 dollars and your'e on your way....

[Rimmer]

Can we keep the thread civil with a little less flaming please!!

[glanville63]

You've been scammed my friend. These guys probably weren't even police. They were probably on their way to a fancy dress ball. You should have told them you wanted to discuss the matter at their police station and they would have disappeared. I often get stopped on my way to Khorat when I go on the mountain road. They are infact police and their scam is to ask for the vehicle documents which few people carry and then they demand 600 baht. I pay but it's a rip off. As they say TIT.

[chuckd]

I've been stopped many times for speeding. Never paid more than 100 baht. Get a thank you, pat on the shoulder and I'm on my way.

Something is fishy in Denmark on this one.

[richard_smith237]

Some of you do remind me about People who like to stone others, same mentality......

I agree 100%, most posts on this particular topic are only bullshit talking.

Now the OP was interesting as it might happen to one of us one day, who knows. Have anyone had the same experience?? What can one do in a situation like this, flatly refuse to pay, or just bite the apple and pay. I would really like to hear other TV members experience in this regard, thanks.

I carry photo copies of all documents, I make sure everything is legal. So if stopped it should always be for a ticket for a traffic violation. If the police are asking for money then its clearly extortion, I'd ask them which police station they are working from and I'd be straight on the phone.

As I understand it, all the Police are permitted to do is to take the license away (in return for a ticket). The license can be picked up the next day after the usual fine of B400 is paid, points may also be added to the license for speeding which is usually 30 points. The limit for a license is 60 points in Thailand. I only know of one Westerner in Thailand who had points added to his license and he had 30 points added, then a few weeks later another 40, so he was 10 points over, but his license was never revoked, so I'm not entirely sure this system is fully operational.

The Op experienced extortion in its simplest form.

I have friends who could sort this out quite quickly if I needed them to and I feel comfortable in that fact. But, to be honest, I've only asked for one my friends for help 2 times - and he jokes that I never ask for his help, my response is that I have never had a serious issue, YET !

I get stopped occasionally, when I have been spotted breaking some traffic law or another, the police are usually very polite and I've never had to hand over my license - B100 is accepted (In and around BKK), if they want more I will just say to take the license and I'll pay the fine at the station when I pick up my license tomorrow. That usually gets the on the spot fine down to B100.

In this case of the OP, I may very well have been bloody minded and said - ok, tow the car. Then made a call to some friends who could sort this out very quickly.

If the car was towed I'd imagine the Op would have had to pay higher costs (i.e. towing costs and retrieving the car from some kind of lockup).

Without friends who can assist this is a very tricky situation, one possibility may be to ask them to escort you to the station.

In my experience: I only have 30% tint on my windows and can be seen clearly, if the police were specifically targeting foreigners I'd get stopped all the time. As it stands, I've been stopped by the Police in Thailand (in Bangkok) 3 times in 5 years, and I think it cost me B80 the first time (because I pretended that's all I had), nothing the second time because I had difficulty understanding the Policeman's accent and he just waved me on, and B100 the 3rd time when my tax was out of date.

It seems to me as though these cops were a very bad pair. Thanks for Posting the story OP - stories like yours help us all to be aware that this can and may happen.

[guzzi850m2]

Thanks for good advises on the subject Richard_Smith.:jap:

Never been stopped in my car or on the Harley yet, only on the scooters and only fair treatment so far.

[surangw]

one day, maybe someone will get this stuff on video,

tiny cameras are really cheep these days, the size of a pack of gum, or disguised as a mini mp3 player

[William Osborne]

few years ago i was stopped outside a small town about 2 hours north of Bangkok.... i must have been the first foreigner that this policeman had seen because he asked the Mrs. what was the standard fine for a farang...she said 100 baht and he seemed happy enough with that..

[123ace]

20 years of sports car driving here and have been stopped for speeding, not speeding at all and even when stationary (twice!). Illegal red number plates (twice - daytime - this is the most annoying scam, I mean offence) Fines have varied from THB 100 - 1,000. -

It happens, you don't have to be doing anything wong. I have had a drunk cop spitting at me in anger (speeding that time - but he was whisky breath - and I was spittle whisky face...), but mostly very poilte and very friendly.

Tip 1 - feign inabilty to speak english (and obviously not Thai) - they may give up for alternative easier targets....

Tip 2 - Pertend to call a big shot friend (or call a big shot friend)

Tip 3 - don't speed & driving a boring car

[Livinginexile]

Maybe they were friends of the farang from which you have stolen your new house.

My goodness there are a lot of worried Frarangs out there!

I have been driving on and off for years in Thailand and like other posters on this thread never had to pay more than 200 bht.

No gentlemen, I was not aggressive but I did refuse to pay 4000 bht. They were the ones getting aggressive.

What has Karma got to do with this? If Karma was the case, the cops would need to rip me off another couple of mill to even things up!

Ohhh the Pattaya thread! A lot of bitter twisted old men here

[ArNaSu]

Yes have heard of someone being fined heavily for speeding on the expressway. They were pulled by a cop at the exit booths. Apparently the cop had him on speed camera or cctv or something. The fine was quite a lot maybe 1-2 thousand. As he told the story to me it sounded like there was no getting out of it. I personally have never paid that much highway bribes I think pretty much always 200baht. Actual tickets given in Pattaya are usually double the bribe 400 baht. Good luck for those claiming they won't pay bribes etc. Personally I'm always a little careful with the thai cops, they do after all have the power to mess with you

[basjke]

Maybe they were friends of the farang from which you have stolen your new house.

My goodness there are a lot of worried Frarangs out there!

I have been driving on and off for years in Thailand and like other posters on this thread never had to pay more than 200 bht.

No gentlemen, I was not aggressive but I did refuse to pay 4000 bht. They were the ones getting aggressive.

What has Karma got to do with this? If Karma was the case, the cops would need to rip me off another couple of mill to even things up!

Ohhh the Pattaya thread! A lot of bitter twisted old men here

Maybe this was just the test case.Test 1..2...

[EmCross]

I have been stopped many times in Thailand and always paid THB 200.- except ........................ at that spot after the toll gates for the Bangkok - Chonburi expressway.

There it was THB 2.000,-. and there was no way of getting out of it.