Just Been Fined 1000Bht For Flicking A Cig End On The Floor!

[Berkshire]

Rise up fellow smokers - read my thread about cat and mouse with the coppers and bore them into submission.

It's rather amusing watching you guys plead your case. What exactly are you guys after? What I mean is if you had your Ambassador's ear, what would you ask of him/her? "I demand the right to dispose of my used ciggy butt any darn place I please!" Is that it?

And the idea that farangs are being singled out is really a red herring, isn't it? So what you guys are saying is you'd be happy to cough up a thousand or two baht if the Thai guy next to you was being fined the same? I doubt that. But it's the only argument you have and it's not even relevant. Years ago, I was driving down the highway in the USA--going with the flow of traffic--and got pulled over and cited for speeding. My excuse was "everyone else was speeding." The officer just said simply, "but were YOU speeding?" That's all that mattered.

But by all means, whine away. Smokers should realize that Thailand is one place where you most likely have more rights than back home.

Disclaimer: I'm not a chain-smoker, but do light up occasionally and have no sympathy for the OP whatsoever.

To use your argument, if the police were only pulling over white cars for speeding but ignored all the black ones that were doing the same, are you saying you wouldn't be a little miffed?

By your example, no. If I was speeding, I'm guilty. But if I was a black guy driving a BMW and got stopped for no reason whatsoever, then absolutely, I'd be plenty pissed. This happens quite frequently, I'm told, in the good ole USA. Racial profiling and all that.

My point is that smokers are the minority and you're not going to get any sympathy from the majority. I've learned to accept--more so in the west than here--that smokers are despised and considered social lepers in some quarters. If you accept that, then you're better off.

[giddyup]

Rise up fellow smokers - read my thread about cat and mouse with the coppers and bore them into submission.

It's rather amusing watching you guys plead your case. What exactly are you guys after? What I mean is if you had your Ambassador's ear, what would you ask of him/her? "I demand the right to dispose of my used ciggy butt any darn place I please!" Is that it?

And the idea that farangs are being singled out is really a red herring, isn't it? So what you guys are saying is you'd be happy to cough up a thousand or two baht if the Thai guy next to you was being fined the same? I doubt that. But it's the only argument you have and it's not even relevant. Years ago, I was driving down the highway in the USA--going with the flow of traffic--and got pulled over and cited for speeding. My excuse was "everyone else was speeding." The officer just said simply, "but were YOU speeding?" That's all that mattered.

But by all means, whine away. Smokers should realize that Thailand is one place where you most likely have more rights than back home.

Disclaimer: I'm not a chain-smoker, but do light up occasionally and have no sympathy for the OP whatsoever.

To use your argument, if the police were only pulling over white cars for speeding but ignored all the black ones that were doing the same, are you saying you wouldn't be a little miffed?

By your example, no. If I was speeding, I'm guilty. But if I was a black guy driving a BMW and got stopped for no reason whatsoever, then absolutely, I'd be plenty pissed. This happens quite frequently, I'm told, in the good ole USA. Racial profiling and all that.

My point is that smokers are the minority and you're not going to get any sympathy from the majority. I've learned to accept--more so in the west than here--that smokers are despised and considered social lepers in some quarters. If you accept that, then you're better off.

So all the black cars get a free pass for doing the same as you, and you're OK with that? Where I come from that's still discrimination whichever way you cut it.

[Pseudolus]

It's rather amusing watching you guys plead your case. What exactly are you guys after? What I mean is if you had your Ambassador's ear, what would you ask of him/her? "I demand the right to dispose of my used ciggy butt any darn place I please!" Is that it?

And the idea that farangs are being singled out is really a red herring, isn't it? So what you guys are saying is you'd be happy to cough up a thousand or two baht if the Thai guy next to you was being fined the same? I doubt that. But it's the only argument you have and it's not even relevant. Years ago, I was driving down the highway in the USA--going with the flow of traffic--and got pulled over and cited for speeding. My excuse was "everyone else was speeding." The officer just said simply, "but were YOU speeding?" That's all that mattered.

But by all means, whine away. Smokers should realize that Thailand is one place where you most likely have more rights than back home.

Disclaimer: I'm not a chain-smoker, but do light up occasionally and have no sympathy for the OP whatsoever.

In answer to your first point; if I had the ambassadors ear it would not matter as he is a farang and is only entertained due to the potential investment the Thais can get from him. If he could sway any influence I would ask him to advise the Thais to sort the corruption out in their house, especially in the police. What would you ask for?

Secondly - Yes - If the Thais were paying THE SAME AMOUNT if at all then that is OK. These pricks only target Farangs. If they are running low they might relieve a Thai of the 200 baht fine it really is, but not 2000 that they extort from us. If the US cop pulled you over because you were black and demanded cash payment of 1000% more than the white guys in the lane, is that ok? By your judgement it is. It is very relevant.

But you do miss the bigger picture. As a farang here you have no voice. You are a hotel guest in the Fawlty Towers of a country that is Thailand. You have given into bribery, extortion, corruption at every turn and with or without your knowledge it governs your life. Regardless of whether it is smokers, people driving cars, people renting jet skis, people marrying bar girls.... you name it the battle is all the same. How to make an impact when you are not allowed to and not listened to. By systematically annoying they halfwit feckless lazy corrupt police men there is a chance; a slight chance, that they may get bored with it all and stop targeting only the farangs and make their abuse of power fairer. Expats and Thai's alike accept the graft and corruption by these coppers thinking "ahhh that saved a trip to the police station. I can afford to pay 2000k but not 5 minutes to go to the station and pay 200 baht". Just say no. Say no to corruption. If you don't like the idea that smokers are the people doing it, do it yourself with another medium. Or, you can just carry on and condone the rot of this nation, building their coffers with your money and empowering them to ignore crime and instead run a nation wide protection racket. Choice is yours.

[missy1827]

nice bunch of people we have here. Apparently smokers is on a par with shop lifting, and others are almost Saudi in their response to the vicious crime of dropping a fag but.

Smokers are an easy target for the filth to extort money. Simple as that. The same cops all smoke, and drop their buts on the floor. There actions have nothing to do with policing and everything to do with extortion. The same as everything else they so. They are not a police force they are a criminal moneymaking racket. I am amazed that anyone would ever rush to their defence. They are incompetent fools who are not fit to be called police. Because they are not. They have even reduced to the entrance exam into a method for people to buy their way in. Each promotion would be bought and paid for. I heard the other day from a chap whose Dad is in the police that the police housing in Chokchai 4 is mostly sublet because even the newer recruits con good enough dime to live in a nicer house.

It is no different to them extorting protection money from businesses (which they do, as do the army, and the mafia gangs as well). It is no different from the extorting money from motorists whose only offence was driving a car near the end of the month and the coppers want some ore cash. Why is everyone attacking smokers? The police here are scum. Sure there are irresponsible smokers same as the drinkers who puke up their guts, cause fights, and all sorts (the two are not mutually exclusive). I find a puddle of puke a lot more offensive than a fag butt on the floor.

The lack of bins are not because of security. Cripes, there is so much crap on the streets of this country that you could put a few large boxes of bomb materials anywhere and no one would pay attention to them. Thailand is so wrapped up in its own image of itself believing they are a world player ( ) that they think they are a target? Well no - they have 2 ladies on each bit of street paid to walk up and down to pick up rubbish. Even if there was not any rubbish they would still be employed to do so because giving people jobs is more important to Thais (especially when they most likely had to pay a bribe to get the job) and it is cheap cheap cheap. Have bins.... you need a truck to pull away the rubbish and then that creates havoc on the roads because they have no concept of managing things. At all. Except extortion. Which they are good at.

Each BTS station has at least one copper on the bridge looking out for Farangs dropping cigarette buts. that is his job. To make money. I and would think to get that job he has and is paying a job lot of cash to his superiors.

Rise up fellow smokers - read my thread about cat and mouse with the coppers and bore them into submission.

Well said