What Would You Do

[gharknes]

Ok, I own my own Bike registration in my name, I have a thai licence.

Policeman stops me in Pattaya for going down a one way steet the wrong way, I didn't realise and fair enough.

He immediatly takes the key out of ignition tells me one way street and 400baht fine, I say ok, he then writes a ticket didn't ask me for licence didn't write down numberplate of bike just says sign here and go to police station, I ask for keys back he says get motorbike taxi from the smileing bike taxi guys standing 5 feet away 50baht, I say no I will go pay fine myself on my own bike, he refuses to give me my keys, I then say my girlfriend will go pay while i wait with bike he then says I must go, next another policeman comes over he says give me 450baht here and I agree, he then hands it to bike taxi guy along with ticket.

What I see wrong here

400baht fine should have been 200

he has no right to withold my keys and force me to get bike taxi

didn't take my details or bike details

handing ticket and money to motorbike taxi driver

any comments on this will be very welcome

next time it happens I'm going to play hardball, take his number complain to superior etc.

PS has anyone got the police fine list they pull out of their pocket written in English.

[The Dude]

I never hassle with pigs over pennies, it aint worth it. You frigged up and got singled out for a traffic violation. You could have hurt someone. You deserved to be fined. You were in wrong. Pay the fine to said pig and be done with it. Who cares who said pig gave cash too. Play hardball with the pigs over 10 bucks? Are you crazy? No can dig dude. Didn't anyone ever tell you to never argue with a pig? And besides that, I dig pigs, my old lady's a pig

Edited November 25, 2005 by The Dude

[britmaveric]

Seems to me you come back and no have bike! I'd certainly not leave without your bike, so you did right to stick with your bike. Not sure I would handle the situation any differently.

[Neeranam]

Just accept it, man!

You are wasting your time complaining to a superior officer.

You have no rights as a farang in Pattaya - Pattaya is above the law.

Speak Thai to him, and barter is usually the best way.

Deny it all and think up a really good excuse.

When stopped for anything, I always think where the nearest hospital is. Then say that my wife is in the hospital giving birth, her family can't be there because of the rice harvest or some other crap. Pretend that you are in a real hurry and only have 100 baht, that he is very welcome to. Ask if he has any kids - and talk your way out of it.

You can only beat these guys by using your head.

If you are a tourist in Pattaya and can't speak Thai, then accept it. If the police were honest and law-abiding, there wouldn't be Pattaya.

As the Thais say"nam yok ao nam bong"

If a thorn pricks you, use a thorn to take it out.

[Tywais]

Seems to me you come back and no have bike! I'd certainly not leave without your bike, so you did right to stick with your bike. Not sure I would handle the situation any differently.

My thoughts too. I have only been ticketed once and that was in Chonburi. Driving through town and turned a corner only to find about 20 MIB waiting. Stopped me because my tax sticker expired (knew it and had nothing to complain about). They took my DL and gave me a ticket and told me to drive to the police station and pay the bill and pick my license up. The fine was 400 Baht which is what I expected. AFAIK the normal procedure is to confiscate your license and not your vehicle to pay the ticket.

Edited November 25, 2005 by tywais

[mumbojumbo]

I would of said. Hey, i got caught doing this last week, and the fine was only 200 bt, and i paid on the spot

[Mighty Mouse]

Your offence was an isolated incident. The officer fined you in accordance with strict guidelines. No bribe requested, no bribe offered, everything legal, an honest police officer.

( I am puzzled as to why the particulars of your licence and the rego of your bike were not recorded.)

He kept the keys to your bike as a guarantee that the fine would be paid. The motor bike taxi bit is a bit strange.

I'm sure this procedure is not in the police manual.

Normally, when the police in Pattaya conduct a blitz on motor cycles, they fine the riders and chain the bikes in a long row, only unlocking them when the rider returns with the receipt showing that the fine has been paid.

Next time you ride down this particular one-way street, ride the bike backwards. If the police see you, they'll think you are going instead of coming.

[Smokin Joe]

I just asked the GF if this was normal.

She said it was not always the same but that the scenario you described was pretty legitimate. She thought the fine should have been B200.

Maybe they really were honest cops, the procedure they used was intended to make sure the money made it to the police station. The GF even said, without me prompting, that she would give the money to a moto taxi to go pay if she didn't want to leave the bike alone.

Before I had a Thai license she told me that B200 would take care of the cops and I've always heard that for no helmet you just paid B200 and were let go (if you had a helmet to put on)

Hope it doesn't happen to me, a thai might trust a moto taxi but I sure wouldn't.

Oh, and Neeranam sure is an ass. Off topic I know, just an observation.

[Plus]

I'm not sure the fines paid at the station get properly registered in their books. Afterall - who ever goes there? Everyone pays on the spot without any receits. I suppose later on they cook their books up to show that they fined so many people, and share the rest.

[h90]

the right way would be: give him 450, tell him, that you must go to an very important meeting with very important people, if he could be so helpfull and pay it for you. Of course without someone seeing that you hand out the money.

If you are good enough you can maybe also get some discount.

Ok, I own my own Bike registration in my name, I have a thai licence.

Policeman stops me in Pattaya for going down a one way steet the wrong way, I didn't realise and fair enough.

He immediatly takes the key out of ignition tells me one way street and 400baht fine, I say ok, he then writes a ticket didn't ask me for licence didn't write down numberplate of bike just says sign here and go to police station, I ask for keys back he says get motorbike taxi from the smileing bike taxi guys standing 5 feet away 50baht, I say no I will go pay fine myself on my own bike, he refuses to give me my keys, I then say my girlfriend will go pay while i wait with bike he then says I must go, next another policeman comes over he says give me 450baht here and I agree, he then hands it to bike taxi guy along with ticket.

What I see wrong here

400baht fine should have been 200

he has no right to withold my keys and force me to get bike taxi

didn't take my details or bike details

handing ticket and money to motorbike taxi driver

any comments on this will be very welcome

next time it happens I'm going to play hardball, take his number complain to superior etc.

PS has anyone got the police fine list they pull out of their pocket written in English.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[boppia]

Don't forget the Thai Police are mafia. They are corrupt and the law is meaningless to them. Everyone wants justice but there is nothing you can do. i agree that the smart route is just to pay the fine. Let your story be heard so that the Thai police keep their deserved international status as corrupt cops. Anyways they are a first-class third-rate police force second only to the Mexican Police.

On the sideline I would bet that the violence in the south originated from corrupt cops(and govt officials) trying to financially abuse the muslims there. You can walk over Buddhists most of the time but Muslims won't take it. Now the situation down there is way out of control running on new fuel from violence addicts.

The Thai police could do a lot that would help this country. It's too bad that the leaders and respected people in this country don't criticise the police more. Some of Thailand's worst criminals are in the police force. It doesn't look like Thailand will be a well-respected country anytime soon with criminals in its police force and do-nothing leaders.

[Stube]

any comments on this will be very welcome

next time it happens I'm going to play hardball, take his number complain to superior etc.

PS has anyone got the police fine list they pull out of their pocket written in English.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

next time you should go and pay the fine, let your girlfriend to look after your bike in the meantime.

[Noel]

I would of said.  Hey, i got caught doing this last week, and the fine was only 200 bt, and i paid on the spot

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He might well then come back with: "It's double for a second offence."

[davethailand]

Normal procedure, i always ask straight away if I can pay a taxi to sort it.

[Rinrada]

Just out of interest ...assume you did/ have a Thai motorbike license ?

[Sir Burr]

That's the procedure in Phuket too.

Bike and key stays with the policeman until you show the chit that you have paid the fine.

Motorbike taxis get wind of a road block to check licenses and/or helmets, and they gather like vultures.

You have to go personally to the cop shop as they need to write your name and address in the fines book.

[gharknes]

Just out of interest ...assume you did/ have a Thai motorbike license ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The bike i ride is a Honda Blackbird 1100xx and a very nice one at that, he didn't ask me for a licence, he didn't look at the numberplate he just pulled out a prewritten ticket said 400baht took the keys with my bike parked in the middle of the road and told me to go to police station to pay, my real gripe about all this is the fact that I ride an expensive bike and don't like to leave it lying around just anywhere, secondly i believe the fine should have been 200baht, I have no issue paying a fine - i was in the wrong.

I think perhaps they see big bike and think automatically i'm of holiday and hired it for the day, which i can fully understand the idea of holding bike until fine paid, but i live here.

does anyone have an english translation of the offence/fine sheet the police carry, it would be nice to be able to pull out your own in english.

coming from a police orientated background myself I find a lot of this stuff very distasteful, don't these people realise that without us living or visiting their coutry they would all be in the ######ing paddy fields or living under a blanket, farang is important and the good ones should be treated with respect.

Edited November 25, 2005 by gharknes

[gburns57au]

farang is important and the good ones should be treated with respect.

Is that the good ones that dont break the law ???

[sierra01]

The Thai police could do a lot that would help this country. It's too bad that the leaders and respected people in this country don't criticise the police more. Some of Thailand's worst criminals are in the police force. It doesn't look like Thailand will be a well-respected country anytime soon with criminals in its police force and do-nothing leaders.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe there's a few of those worst criminals in the Goverment too

[chang35baht]

Just out of interest ...assume you did/ have a Thai motorbike license ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

coming from a police orientated background myself I find a lot of this stuff very distasteful, don't these people realise that without us living or visiting their coutry they would all be in the ######ing paddy fields or living under a blanket, farang is important and the good ones should be treated with respect.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You find it very distasteful!!! Who the hel_l do you think that you are? SOM NOM NA you pretentiuos t##t. the only people that are important in this country are the Thais. I feel very priviliged to be living here and the sooner people with ideals and opinions like you are out of here the better this place will be for people who accept the rules and regulations of the country we have chosen for our place of residence.

you live in a 1 way street Buddy

[gburns57au]

Just out of interest ...assume you did/ have a Thai motorbike license ?

coming from a police orientated background myself I find a lot of this stuff very distasteful, don't these people realise that without us living or visiting their coutry they would all be in the ######ing paddy fields or living under a blanket, farang is important and the good ones should be treated with respect.

You find it very distasteful!!! Who the hel_l do you think that you are? SOM NOM NA you pretentiuos t##t. the only people that are important in this country are the Thais. I feel very priviliged to be living here and the sooner people with ideals and opinions like you are out of here the better this place will be for people who accept the rules and regulations of the country we have chosen for our place of residence.

you live in a 1 way street Buddy

Agree....

[350torana]

I am not a motorbike rider. Always been pulled up, wife or me driving, 200 baht if we are breaking the law..not wearing a seatbelt, running a orange/red light. I think it is great if the copper takes our licence and tells us to go to the station, shows there is some honesty . Hate to say it..if mother-in-law is with us ....gives the copper a big lecture telling him her husband is puu-yai poilceman blah blah . Poor guy is shaking in his boots and lets us go quick smart I don't agree with this, but it is the way things are done here

[gharknes]

Just out of interest ...assume you did/ have a Thai motorbike license ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

coming from a police orientated background myself I find a lot of this stuff very distasteful, don't these people realise that without us living or visiting their coutry they would all be in the ######ing paddy fields or living under a blanket, farang is important and the good ones should be treated with respect.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You find it very distasteful!!! Who the hel_l do you think that you are? SOM NOM NA you pretentiuos t##t. the only people that are important in this country are the Thais. I feel very priviliged to be living here and the sooner people with ideals and opinions like you are out of here the better this place will be for people who accept the rules and regulations of the country we have chosen for our place of residence.

you live in a 1 way street Buddy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

****You find it very distasteful!!! Who the hel_l do you think that you are?****

obviously a very different person to you D***H***