Highway Police To File Lawsuit Against Thai Land Transport Federation

[Thai at Heart]

This should go into the list of contenders for story of the year.

Traffic police to sue for being wrongly accused of taking kick backs?

My missus worked for the highway police for a while totalling up the petrol receipts. There was enough petrol consumed per car to have gone to the moon and back every week.

There was literally millions of baht per month sloshing around in the office in kick backs from truck companies, large sugar factories just to make sure the cops didn't stop the trucks.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Thai at Heart

[cowslip]

So there you have it.....no corruption in the Thai police.

Controversy over, thank god for that

[anterian]

I think it depends where you live, in a popular Farang area the BIB have learnt to target farangs, if you live remote from such areas as I do you get the reverse effect, they start to pull you over, see a farang, salute and wave you on. I have been told by a BIB friend that this is partly because they fear the loss of face at their inability to communicate.

[plumeria]

It's not the first time I hear about these stickers.

But I don't understand what the Land Transport Federation is complaining about.

They want the police to be more strict in giving fines to drivers who don't respect the weight limit ?

Or they want the right to break the law without consequences ?

Good point.

Perhaps somebody is hoping truckers will obey the law more and cops will enforce the law more and legally mandated punishments for those who break the law will be handed down fairly and uniformly.

It would be a very interesting new system to try.

It they will, I will.

[paulian]

I've had something to do with "The Police" for about 30 years of my career. and ..... I've deducted and noticed over that time, "The Police investigating The Police", just doesn't work.

[paulian]

This should go into the list of contenders for story of the year.

Traffic police to sue for being wrongly accused of taking kick backs?

My missus worked for the highway police for a while totalling up the petrol receipts. There was enough petrol consumed per car to have gone to the moon and back every week.

There was literally millions of baht per month sloshing around in the office in kick backs from truck companies, large sugar factories just to make sure the cops didn't stop the trucks.

Good point. What's next ? The Police to sue all Thai's, ex-pats and tourists may be appropriate. Perhaps the Jet ski operators should also sue someone.

[paulchiangmai]

Don't take kickbacks or bribes my arse. I can assure you 100% they do. I have been pulled over 1/2 dozen times for nothing and booked. Got the option if you want a receipt (infringement notice) then you pay 200 baht fine if you not want receipt then 100 baht fine. Get stopped at those highgway roadblocks and they see you are farang so the dollar signs light up and they ask you to pull to the side of the road. We know where they all are now between Chiangmai and Nakon Sawan so when we get close I change driving with the wife proceed through the stops and no shakedown.

Have to be fair here, I can honestly say that in better than 13 years here I have never been asked to pay for something I did not do.

[paulchiangmai]

Maybe the motorists of Thailand should launch a class action against the police for decades of roadside shakedowns?

I'm 35, British, been here 4 years or so. An older (65) British friend was telling me about his youth in Manchester, where the police would regularly be bribable, and one would go out driving illegally for some reason (license, lights, whatever) knowing that if you were caught, you could hand over a fiver or something and be on your way.

Then the police wages were raised. Suddenly it wasn't worth the coppers' risking their jobs over such a payment, and the regime changed. The youth were pretty pissed off that their easy life was changed and they suddenly found themselves having to obey the law more, or of course hiding their violations better. My friend was pretty emphatic about it changing the way things worked forever.

Times can change. Given time. And an incentive to change.

I would take this with a pinch of salt, your 65 year old friend would have been driving around Britain in the 60's and 70's and later presumably, I suggest you would have gone a long time to find a bent copper in those days.

[zaZa9]

I was stopped going down the escarpment from Korat to Bkk and have since met many who have been 'fined' there as well.

I said, " whats the speed limit ?" and the Issan gf said , "100" and the cop said, "Yes, give me 100" and left.

Outside Sichon ( Sth Thailand), a cop stopped us for going fast in the fast lane. The tougher South Thai gf laughed at him and said we werent paying.

She reported he said, "Sister , dont speak bad. I just want money to eat lunch!"

She said, "Give him 60 baht!"

In Phuket I went DUI on a motorbike.

Most of the Police Station was involved in that one. It cost 20,000 cash to walk away.

It was suggested a court may revoke my Visa extension....

[Bakseedaa]

Maybe the motorists of Thailand should launch a class action against the police for decades of roadside shakedowns?

I'm 35, British, been here 4 years or so. An older (65) British friend was telling me about his youth in Manchester, where the police would regularly be bribable, and one would go out driving illegally for some reason (license, lights, whatever) knowing that if you were caught, you could hand over a fiver or something and be on your way.

Then the police wages were raised. Suddenly it wasn't worth the coppers' risking their jobs over such a payment, and the regime changed. The youth were pretty pissed off that their easy life was changed and they suddenly found themselves having to obey the law more, or of course hiding their violations better. My friend was pretty emphatic about it changing the way things worked forever.

Times can change. Given time. And an incentive to change.

Unluckily corruption here is ingrained .... the more money these people have...the more they want, this is Thailand ...NOT Britain..... But its Great..!

[WildChilli]

what they are saying is that they dont take bribes... however, there could be individuals who accept bribes... since when act of an individual becomes act of the whole department/nation etc.

( seams we must run in to the same individuals all the time )

One poster said he paid 100 baht... so my question is why to pay 100 baht? would u offer bribe in ur own country? he paid coz he did not want to get the ticket...

YES I WOULD if stopped for a actual traffic Offence ... unlike the very often imaginary ones in LOS

[bluedoc]

Well, I hired a car in Bangkok, headed of to Udon Thani, got a little bit lost and saw a police motorcyclist, I went over to him and asked him the way, well he then said you need to come with me to the police station to check my ID, although I had my driving license and passport he insisted on taking me to the station, he then said I could avoid it by paying 2000bht, I paid it and went on my way with any directions. Kick backs, bribes all day long. not just the tourist but local people get the shake down, including the bars, they say it makes the wheels go round.

[diehard60]

Ok. I have been agood boy on here for a long time, now on this matter I have to say what I am going to say and probablty will get a nasty letter from Thaivisa. But that's ok.

Well here goes. I have been here for over 20 years now (in Thailand and never left) I have to tell you that the Thai High Way Police are probably the most polite police in the world and I for one have only paid one time of 100 Baht. And that was 18 years ago when I was driving to Bangkok from Esan on whhat then was Highway 2 a single lane. Since then I have been pulled over for driving too fast, but NEVER and I stress NEVER paid anything. Why? Maybe because I smiled. And I was polite to them not arrogant like most farongs here. So I think when you all say they are bad and take money, you are lying and maybe it is because of your own ignorance and miss beliefe or being miss informed from your girlfriends, drunk friends, or just being plan stupid. If you bribe the police here you must do the same thing in your own country.

So don't be saying bad things about them. They are good and doing a good job too.

[Mosha]

The court case will be interesting. Prosecution witnesses will meet in cupboard, the defence in a football stadium.

[dighambara]

Don't take kickbacks or bribes my arse. I can assure you 100% they do. I have been pulled over 1/2 dozen times for nothing and booked. Got the option if you want a receipt (infringement notice) then you pay 200 baht fine if you not want receipt then 100 baht fine. Get stopped at those highgway roadblocks and they see you are farang so the dollar signs light up and they ask you to pull to the side of the road. We know where they all are now between Chiangmai and Nakon Sawan so when we get close I change driving with the wife proceed through the stops and no shakedown.

YEP - Fine for no registration - 500 Baht (receipt), even thought they had the registration in their hands...

Driving the wrong way on an unmarked & temporary, one way street - 200 Baht (no receipt)

Fine for speeding - pulled over by a standing cop - 100 Baht (no receipt)

[ableguy]

When should people start think about consequences here. Overloading the truck gives much higher maintenance costs on the equipment. The overloaded trucks destroys the roads, for the public's annoyance, and giving the government unexpected maintenance costs on the roads. Its a win-win for all parts in the long run to start to follow the rules. Increased safety as well, as an overloaded truck will have much longer braking distance..

Who cares ? in the short term they make money that is all that counts.

[Thaddeus]

If you bribe the police here you must do the same thing in your own country.

So don't be saying bad things about them. They are good and doing a good job too.

Yeah, Ok.

(farongs, letitbe?)

[harrry]

Of the 450 who said they had given a bribe at least half would be UK, US or Australian citizens.....I hope they turn themselves over to the authorities when they return home as it is against the law in their home country to pay bribes overseas...

[lockman]

I think it depends where you live, in a popular Farang area the BIB have learnt to target farangs, if you live remote from such areas as I do you get the reverse effect, they start to pull you over, see a farang, salute and wave you on. I have been told by a BIB friend that this is partly because they fear the loss of face at their inability to communicate.

My thoughts exactly. Have been with another farang and when stopped the BIB was stunned to see 2 in a pickup, such he asked someone else what to say which was drivers license in Thai. I (not driving) said yes, got mine out he asked me if the driver had a license, yes, waved on. Sure I've been pulled over a couple time in 4 years for doing nothing wrong, usually left alone, actually had the radar reader tell one that I was NOT speeding (well 91 in a 90 zone and waved away, but I'd much rather hand over a couple hundred and no muss, no fuss and no paperwork. However elsewhere (US) I was stopped for 57 in a 55 , cost over 100 USD and 35 for traffic school; a joke, but a wasted day too keep points off license and insurance from going up. And that was ALL about revenue for the city. So what would you really rather have?

[Jason1968]

Since 2009, I have driven roughly 20,000 miles around Thailand. I have been stopped eight times by the traffic police. Two of those occasions I was at fault, honest mistakes when I started using Thai road. One of these times I was fined, given a ticket to take the police station and the other I was let off. The other six occasions I was totally innocent and given the choice of a ticket, which would cost me 400 Baht at a police station, or a 200 Baht fine given directly to the traffic policeman. I already know the police do this to boost their wages. So it doesn't surprise me to read the report.

[luvU2much500THB]

Many times but the days where a small bottle SangSom in the motorbike seat do the trick is over

[kiwikeith]

Yeh right I have had to pay off one guy only 100baht for driving in the right hand lane.

You got off cheap as well! I reluctantly took a Thai taxi from a guest house to BK from Jomtien one day and got stopped at the toll gate in BK and thedriver asked me for 200 bht to pay the cop sorry, wage compensation authority

Then afterwards the driver said that the nice policeman told him that was cheap for him as a ticket would have been 400bht but cop forgot to tell the driver that he should pay .

Oh but he did bollick the illegal taxi driver and told him he better not see him again.

On one hand the police are underpaid but on the other would this stop if the pay increased?? probably not so works well in some instances.

[kumsamut]

Should we expect him to say "yes we take" to the press? lol

[KKK]

Don't like the use of the word 'bribe' in the poll. Wouldn't 'on the spot undocumented fine' be more appropriate. I've certainly done plenty of the later but none of the former....

[random]

I was stopped at a road block on saturday night near my condo, 3 lanes filtered to one lane, I stop, he shines in his torch and signals me to drive on, i drive on only for one moron to decide that he wanted me to stop and wheeled the barrier into the front bumper of my car. lets just say I was not pleased after being signaled to drive on.

The one that had told me to drive on was full of apologies and checked the front of my car with me for damage while the moron sort of just blended in as far away from me as he could clowns

[random]

the voting now says 117 people have not been asked for a bribe nor paid one, so that 117 people that do not drive in Thailand

[martingorilla]

Main reason that UK cops don't have to be corrupt : overtime payments, one cop cleared over 100,000 pounds last year, these figures used to be kept secret until freedom of information act

independent link

Police Overtime payments, second jobs, are costing taxpayers BILLIONS in UK, did i mention that they retire at 50, and frequently get other public jobs afterwards, Now THAT is corruption, not just a few baht

[Thaddeus]

Main reason that UK cops don't have to be corrupt : overtime payments, one cop cleared over 100,000 pounds last year, these figures used to be kept secret until freedom of information act

independent link

Police Overtime payments, second jobs, are costing taxpayers BILLIONS in UK, did i mention that they retire at 50, and frequently get other public jobs afterwards, Now THAT is corruption, not just a few baht

Ah but, there is a contrary side, when you are stopped/approached by a Bobby in the UK, your first thought isn't 'uh oh, how much is this going to cost' and if you haven't done anything wrong you pretty much don't have anything to worry about.

Everyone in the UK pays for the police via taxes (if they pay tax that is)... in Thailand, the people who can least afford it have to supplement their incomes.

Don't blame the people that abuse the system, blame the system, and change it.

[Mosha]

Of the 450 who said they had given a bribe at least half would be UK, US or Australian citizens.....I hope they turn themselves over to the authorities when they return home as it is against the law in their home country to pay bribes overseas...

It was a tip, how dare you call it a bribe.

[keemapoot]

Of the 450 who said they had given a bribe at least half would be UK, US or Australian citizens.....I hope they turn themselves over to the authorities when they return home as it is against the law in their home country to pay bribes overseas...

It was a tip, how dare you call it a bribe.

It was an "on the spot" resolution of a legal payment of a fine. Completely legal.