Traffic Accident Victim In The Family - And Corrupt Cops

[Beetlejuice]

My gf & I came off our bike a few months ago, which put me in a wheelchair for nearly six weeks; while I was being maltreated in the local govt hospital (bandaged up and being sent out while still unable to walk) the gf, who was injured herself, was receiving calls from the local BiB demanding we attend the station as soon as we were released from hospital. When we attended, there were a dozen people in there all wanting a piece of the action; the big BiB came out and said to me, without asking ANY questions, "You wrong. You pay 20,000 baht and we finish. You not pay, we go to [the main station in Samui] and you go court, pay big fine. Be big trouble." The problem here was - I wasn't in the wrong.

At that stage, all I wanted to do was go to a proper hospital and get proper treatment, so I paid. The subsequent proper treatment has cost me over 150,000 baht so far, none of which was covered by insurance, because the BiB didn't write an accident report.

Unfortunately, these are the types of situations where the best thing to do is suck it up and move on.

Paid for WHAT? Go to court for what? What law(s) are you accused of violating that would lead to a 20k Baht fine? What did the police say you did wrong? Drunk? Was your bike insured? Did you have a valid license?

Sounds like there's more to this story than you're sharing with us...

Well, I've been called a "delusional Thai-hater" after sharing this story previously, so you inferring that I'm being somehow dishonest is nothing. I'm not sure what I could possibly hope to obtain by 'telling a lie' like this, or withholding pertinent facts, but you're obviously free to believe whatever you want.

Our BigBikeBKK is not inferring anything.

He is only asking for some more details so as we may be able to judge for ourselves the facts and who is at fault.

There are many on here quick to accuse the police of corruption and those that will agree with them in an instant, all on a story that my girlfriend and I fell off our motorbike or a BiL was involved in a serious accident that requires major surgery...the wife got hold of a police report that is a complete fabrication?

Without detailing the train of events and cause of the accidents, than accusing the police on an open forum of corruption and shady deals is unjustifiable and rather steep, defamatory in fact.

I would certainly want to know a lot more before I am convinced that this is police corruption and not the fault of those involved in these traffic accidents.

As a whole the Thai police do a fine job, they are on low wages, work long shifts, responsible for purchasing their own equipment including transport, do not have anywhere even close to the resources available to they’re Western counterparts and are putting their lives on the line every day. The problem is that many farangs try to equal the procedures of the Thai police with Scotland Yard or the New York City police. This is simply not possible for reasons mentioned.

Of course there are always going to be some rotten apples in the barrel, but this doesn’t mean that the whole outfit are no good.

I can tell you that Immigration do peruse these threads and many of the comments are noted, which can only serve the purpose of making the police anti farang, so not smart, considering it is the police that extend our visas every year.

There are certain complaint procedures available here for those who believe that the police have acted inappropriately and have suffered a injustice, but before submitting a report, I would certainly ensure that there is proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that the police are in the wrong and were acting criminally. Also taking into consideration that our visas are under police jurisdiction, so I guess that those of you fighting for justice, defenders against evil, would never have the bottle to see this through to the end and are just a load of hot air.

[TommoPhysicist]

My gf & I came off our bike a few months ago, which put me in a wheelchair for nearly six weeks; while I was being maltreated in the local govt hospital (bandaged up and being sent out while still unable to walk) the gf, who was injured herself, was receiving calls from the local BiB demanding we attend the station as soon as we were released from hospital. When we attended, there were a dozen people in there all wanting a piece of the action; the big BiB came out and said to me, without asking ANY questions, "You wrong. You pay 20,000 baht and we finish. You not pay, we go to [the main station in Samui] and you go court, pay big fine. Be big trouble." The problem here was - I wasn't in the wrong.

At that stage, all I wanted to do was go to a proper hospital and get proper treatment, so I paid. The subsequent proper treatment has cost me over 150,000 baht so far, none of which was covered by insurance, because the BiB didn't write an accident report.

Unfortunately, these are the types of situations where the best thing to do is suck it up and move on.

Your fault, should have let them go to court then insurance would pay.

You chose to go 'unofficial' and pay a bribe, so lost out in the end.

You only ever pay bribes when it is to your advantage to cover something up.

Edited May 27, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[taninthai]

My gf & I came off our bike a few months ago, which put me in a wheelchair for nearly six weeks; while I was being maltreated in the local govt hospital (bandaged up and being sent out while still unable to walk) the gf, who was injured herself, was receiving calls from the local BiB demanding we attend the station as soon as we were released from hospital. When we attended, there were a dozen people in there all wanting a piece of the action; the big BiB came out and said to me, without asking ANY questions, "You wrong. You pay 20,000 baht and we finish. You not pay, we go to [the main station in Samui] and you go court, pay big fine. Be big trouble." The problem here was - I wasn't in the wrong.

At that stage, all I wanted to do was go to a proper hospital and get proper treatment, so I paid. The subsequent proper treatment has cost me over 150,000 baht so far, none of which was covered by insurance, because the BiB didn't write an accident report.

Unfortunately, these are the types of situations where the best thing to do is suck it up and move on.

Your fault, should have let them go to court then insurance would pay.

You chose to go 'unofficial' and pay a bribe, so lost out in the end.

You only ever pay bribes when it is to your advantage to cover something up.

I think James was right in what he done maybe he could have bargained the 20,000 bht down a bit but then I don't know the extent of damage to the other vehicles

You don't want to go to court if you have caused the accident and are on a bike with no insurance and maybe no license

James was very honest in his first post about the accident what I think may have happened is that he has told his story to alot of expats and read alot of crap about the thai police on tv all these posts and people saying ah the police are corrupt/mafia you should never pay them money this has then swung it around in his head to the change of story that it wasn't his fault and it was extortion

Don't believe all the doom mongers and posts on tv is what I say