Running Red Light

[corkscrew]

A Thai lady friend of mine ran a red light on S. Sathorn today...though she claims it was amber at the time. Anyway the man in brown gave her a ticket and took her license. She drove to the cop shop and paid the fine of 300 Baht. They gave her a paper that said she could not drive for 15 days and that she would get 40 points on her license.

Is this something new or has it been around for a while?

Yes, I asked her why she just didn't come up with a little tea money for the guy....she said she was in a bad mood. OK cut off your nose to spite your face.

Anyway, is running a red traffic more serious than most other moving violations?

[Thaiboxer]

I think it all comes down to the individual cop and what mood they're in. I was once given 40 points and a ticket for simply having my front wheels on the zebra crossing while stopped at an intersection. After finding out that 40 points was the maxium you could get for one ticket, I figured it would have been better if I had driven through somebody's lawn and run over their mailbox. In addition to this, the guy in brown took my license and had it sent to the main police station downtown. It took 3 weeks to get it back! Luckily, one of those weeks was Songkran and I was out of town anyway plus I hadn't started working yet so I didn't need the car that much.

[mraitchison]

I have heard about points on the licences

But taking it away for 15 days???

Not exactly going to stop somchai pickup truck fro driving anywhere is it.

Oh no I haven't got my licence I can't drive.

Doesn't sound like Thailand does it

[Riley'sLife]

Maybe it's because she didn't cough up the roadside "contribution to the police benevolent fund".

It's that time of year again where all thais need funds to buy their superiors a little pressie, so the Bkk police are at it with vengence. I got stopped last night doing a Uiee. The little brownies were hiding in the shadows, not wearing their yellows and I was the third in line to be pulled over. I just love the smart salute and the ticket book poised with the other hand waiting below the book, as he leans on my door with the window down. Wifie complained that 100baht is too much.

I think the Thai police are wonderful and have a difficult job to do and I like to show my appreciation every time I have the opportunity

[Thaiboxer]

If I remember correctly, the points on your license will disappear after one year. The guy who got me at the zebra crossing was obviously trying to show his power so a little tea money wouldn't have worked. The same goes for when I got stopped because my license plate had fallen off. There were about six cops standing around so there was now way I was going to try handing the guy tea money. Luckily, his boss (who spoke some English) was pretty cool and just told me to get the front plate replaced.

It can be difficult to guage when it's a good time to slip the guy in brown a little money but the way Thais do it is to place the bill underneath the license and calmly hand both over to the cop who then takes the money and waves you on. It would probably be easier to do this in an area without too many people and just one cop.

[Ajarn]

Oh no I haven't got my licence I can't drive

Hasn't stopped me from driving here the last twenty years...

[lampard10]

Oh no I haven't got my licence I can't drive

Hasn't stopped me from driving here the last twenty years...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So you are another one, that if you mow down and kill a couple of kids they get nothing. And you call yourself Ajarn................................................

[Plus]

We just got today a license after running red - 500 baht, no suspension.

The policemen stopped the last car (ours) in the lane closest to him, we argued that it was unfair cos there were other cars in adjacent lanes still stuck in the middle of the intersection. Arguing did it - he just filled the form and gave it to us without saying a word more.

[Thaiboxer]

Always be extra careful around intersections and overpasses during the last few days of the month. This seems to be the time when the tea money collectors are most active. I've seen long lines of cars stopped with the cops going from driver to driver with their ticket books.

[barryofthailand]

Three years ago I ran a red light in Pattaya. They don't care weather you have a license or not. Wanted to charge me 1000 baht. Negotiated to 400 baht. That's the standard fine for running a red light in Pattaya.

No points no nothing.

Barry

[Thaiboxer]

I'm not surprised they would ask for that much since Pattaya is a place with lots of farangs. Four hundred baht is probably not too bad for that area though.

Were you driving an expensive vehicle?

Thus far I haven't been stopped for a tea money payment; that's probably because my car is 24 years old and goes 0 to 60 in five minutes.

[barryofthailand]

I was driving a motorbike. The cop would not accept tea money. I had to leave my drivers lisence with him, and he then decided to follow me to the police station. He did ask me if I wanted to pay him or pay at the station. I told him i'll pay him 200 baht. He said pay at the station.

Barry

[corkscrew]

I was driving a motorbike. The cop would not accept tea money. I had to leave my drivers lisence with him, and he then decided to follow me to the police station. He did ask me if I wanted to pay him or pay at the station. I told him i'll pay him 200 baht. He said pay at the station.

Barry

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that the nuisance value of going through equals 1 thousand baht.

[Thaiboxer]

With the hassle of having to go to the local police station I can see why most would opt to pay a "fine" on the spot.

On the other hand, police here don't really care whose car you're driving as they never check the license plate/registration. Back in the States, the cops would read off your license plate to a central station via radio and lots of info would come up. They also asked to see your registration and proof of insurance.

[Doi Thong]

With the hassle of having to go to the local police station I can see why most would opt to pay a "fine" on the spot.

On the other hand, police here don't really care whose car you're driving as they never check the license plate/registration. Back in the States, the cops would read off your license plate to a central station via radio and lots of info would come up. They also asked to see your registration and proof of insurance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Red light at Petchkasem road cost me 300 baht 2 years ago, same thing at Rama 4 cost me 200 this year. Tickets? Police stations? Noncense.

[Thaiboxer]

Red light at Petchkasem road cost me 300 baht 2 years ago, same thing at Rama 4 cost me 200 this year. Tickets? Police stations? Noncense.

A friend of mine always gave the cops 200 baht whenever they stopped him. Most Thais would only pay 100 baht. Did you ever try paying just 100 baht or did you figure they'd ask for more since you're a farang?

[Plus+]

There are two steps in negotiating the fine - first is "no police station" business, second is the fine itself.

In my recent case we failed at the first step. Some of us just can't keep their mouths shut, and we know who those "some" are.

Oh, and at no point it should appear as if you are offering a bribe to a policeman. Be very discreet about it.

I'm wondering if mods will pull this post off as it deals with illegal activities, and so are a few posts above.

Yet, in spirit of Christmas season and highly practical nature of the subject I hope they let it stay.

Edited January 2, 2006 by Plus+