Got Done Drink Driving On Sunday Night

[WebBangkok]

Hi,

I got pulled over near Wongwianyai BTS while driving home on Sunday night.

The thing is, I had 4 beers starting at 8pm finished at about 12:30am which equals less than 1 beer an hour (cans) too.

I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive, it said positive so they pulled me over to the side with all the other drivers. They got me out of the car and sent me over to the table where I assume I was going be tested for a reading.

Then they said, you are over by 50 mls, in there limited English. I said "I have not been tested for a reading yet" and they just kept saying you are over by 50 mls and it was another policeman who wouldnt of had any idea as I just met him. So I knew it was all BS and it must of just been a standard thing they say.

They then continue to say "You have to go to police station and fine is 50,000 baht" I was like no way I was not been tested yet. Then they said I can pay fine now and pointed over to the ATM.

Im like "<deleted> I am not paying you 50,000 baht" so then they reduced it to 40K, then 10 mins late 30K. Then I rememered I have a business card from the Director General of the Labour department who is my father inlaws friend which I pulled out.

Then the guy looking at the card goes on his walky talky talking in Thai saying something about me having power etc. Then they said 2,000 baht. I said no way you call my friend, but then relised its about 1am and probably not a good idea to let the police call him for just a small amount. Maybe if I bluffed they would of let me go, so I just thought <snip> it just pay the 2,000 baht fine then piss off.

But dam, this is the first time I have ever been beath tested (BS half tested) in Thailand and was really pissed off. I mean I got lucky it was only 2K.

But dam, has anyone else had this sort of experience? Should I just told them to F off next time? What would you do? I am thinking I shouldnt have paid the 2K but then they would just wasted more of my time. I wonder how many people they would of paid a lot of money for not even being tested properly.

They also pulled a hell of a lot of Thai's over too and I seen them going to the ATM which was conviently located just 20 meters from the road block.

[Briggsy]

2000 Baht was probably a wise decision on your part.

Put on your tin hat and body armour, you are gonna be slated.

[HardenedSoul]

Should I just told them to F off next time?

Sure.

Pat them on the head and wipe your feet on their pants too while you're at it.

They love that.

[NBD]

Sounds like standard procedure. They started at only 10,000 with me so you must look richer than I do!

The safe rule is to drink nothing if you're driving, especially in Bangkok where taxis are cheap.

If it makes you feel any better the standard fine in the UK would have been more like 25,000 (500 GBP, depending on income) plus a one year ban that is actually enforced.

Oh and yes, prepare for a barrage of abuse from holier than thou types who don't drive for at least 24 hours after having a mouthful of watered down Leo...

[Briggsy]

Imagine if they had taken the keys to your car and you watched as they drove it away. That would have been annoying.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

"I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive, it said positive so they pulled me over to the side with all the other drivers. ..... I mean I got lucky it was only 2K."

As far as I'm concerned a positive breath test should result in a blood test, and a positive blood test should result in the immediate cancellation of your licence, a large fine and a mandatory 6-month jail sentence.

There can be no excuse for driving whilst intoxicated.

[Soutpeel]

I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive

The instrument needs calibrating against something to be able to come up with a + or - therefore the BAC level its calibrated on is the legal limit and anything over the legal limit is a positive....simple...so me thinks you getting off with a 2k bung is good vlaue for money, but one would suggest refraining from telling the BiB to go an <snip> themselves in the future as they do carry firearms...so not the smartest move even by a big rough toughy bullet proof farang as yourself...

[Soutpeel]

"I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive, it said positive so they pulled me over to the side with all the other drivers. ..... I mean I got lucky it was only 2K."

As far as I'm concerned a positive breath test should result in a blood test, and a positive blood test should result in the immediate cancellation of your licence, a large fine and a mandatory 6-month jail sentence.

There can be no excuse for driving whilst intoxicated.

yeap pity they dont hand down the same sentance on judgmental self righteous pompus nitwits as well...

[harrry]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

[WebBangkok]

intoxicated? I wasnt even close to even tipsy. 4 cans in in over 4 hours is hardly over the limit now.

There must be a law of a legal limit surely.

The positive/negative tester just indicated if you have a drop on your breath and then they do the reading when they pull you over to the side. This is to make it faster and not cause a lot of traffic.

[WebBangkok]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

[Soutpeel]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

maybe maybe not....all depends on the person...body weight, metabolic rate etc etc...very simplist to say what you have said...if a female or a 4 foot midget then possible..

[harrry]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

yes

[Soutpeel]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

No the legal limit is 0.050...

[Tywais]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

Actually the legal limit in Thailand is .05 BAC. Based on the below calculator (of course not 100% guarantee on accuracy) and 81kG it shows .02 would be expected for that amount and that time frame.

BAC Calculator

A news article proposing to lower the limit from 50 to 30 - New Thai Law on Levels in effect February 2011 (.05)

[Soutpeel]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

yes

No....I understand we may have some of our colonial cousins piping in here so will will give you some lattitude using a decimal system cos I know ya aint too good with it...

[MrRed]

Four cans in four and a half hours? I know a nurse called Brenda like that.

You deserve fining for that alone thanks for posting your experience....taxi's is the way to go though instead of driving for your safety and others.

[WebBangkok]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

yes

No....I understand we may have some of our colonial cousins piping in here so will will give you some lattitude using a decimal system cos I know ya aint too good with it...

Well thats what it is in Australia and I used to drink 2 drinks in the first hour and one hour after that and used to blow 0.03 the few times I was tested there.

I am confident I would of been 0.01 of 0.02 at the most when they tested me, which they didnt.

[harrry]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

yes

[Tywais]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

yes

no

[HeijoshinCool]

4 cans in 4 hours would put you wqay past the 0.005 limit. You were drunk. I hope you do not do it again.

So is 0.005 the legal limit?

yes

.05

You probably have .005 in your system right now.

[Hedghog]

I am led to believe the going rate is confiscation of vehicle.until fine of 10.000 bath is paid,or sit in the cells and go to court in the morning

[HardenedSoul]

"I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive, it said positive so they pulled me over to the side with all the other drivers. ..... I mean I got lucky it was only 2K."

As far as I'm concerned a positive breath test should result in a blood test, and a positive blood test should result in the immediate cancellation of your licence, a large fine and a mandatory 6-month jail sentence.

There can be no excuse for driving whilst intoxicated.

yeap pity they dont hand down the same sentance on judgmental self righteous pompus nitwits as well...

Nothing self-righteous about it. The guy was over the legal limit. Period.

He walked away with a 2 grand fine.

He should be ecstatic not asking if he ought to tell them to "f off" next time.

I'm sure if he'd killed someone you love, you'd be all over that breathalyser reading like a rash in court rather than cutting him slack on the strength of his body weight.

[WebBangkok]

"I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive, it said positive so they pulled me over to the side with all the other drivers. ..... I mean I got lucky it was only 2K."

As far as I'm concerned a positive breath test should result in a blood test, and a positive blood test should result in the immediate cancellation of your licence, a large fine and a mandatory 6-month jail sentence.

There can be no excuse for driving whilst intoxicated.

yeap pity they dont hand down the same sentance on judgmental self righteous pompus nitwits as well...

Nothing self-righteous about it. The guy was over the legal limit. Period.

He walked away with a 2 grand fine.

He should be ecstatic not asking if he ought to tell them to "f off" next time.

I'm sure if he'd killed someone you love, you'd be all over that breathalyser reading like a rash in court rather than cutting him slack on the strength of his body weight.

How was I over the legal limit?

[Soutpeel]

Nothing self-righteous about it. The guy was over the legal limit. Period.

Was he really ?....so you have obviously see the actual police report ?....as stated the meter needs to be calibrated against something to come up with a + or - result...but we dont know for sure what value it was calibrated against.....period

[HardenedSoul]

How was I over the legal limit?

You said you had a positive reading.

[NBD]

"I got the first blow thing where it just says negative or positive, it said positive so they pulled me over to the side with all the other drivers. ..... I mean I got lucky it was only 2K."

As far as I'm concerned a positive breath test should result in a blood test, and a positive blood test should result in the immediate cancellation of your licence, a large fine and a mandatory 6-month jail sentence.

There can be no excuse for driving whilst intoxicated.

yeap pity they dont hand down the same sentance on judgmental self righteous pompus nitwits as well...

Nothing self-righteous about it. The guy was over the legal limit. Period.

He walked away with a 2 grand fine.

He should be ecstatic not asking if he ought to tell them to "f off" next time.

I'm sure if he'd killed someone you love, you'd be all over that breathalyser reading like a rash in court rather than cutting him slack on the strength of his body weight.

It's 4 cans over 4 hours. I've seen people here literally fall into their car and drive off. Not that the latter makes the former right, but I think it's perfectly reaasonable to want to know what the proper legal position is if he had stood his ground and insisted on a formal test.

[WebBangkok]

How was I over the legal limit?

You said you had a positive reading.

A positive reading is not over the limit. The first machine is calibrated to test if you have any alcohol on your breath, then they pull you over and test you for a reading which they did with some people.

[Kananga]

Same thing happened to a friend of mine. Started high and then the amount came tumbling down in increments of 10k. He still said no, take me to the station and I will provide a sample otherwise I am going to call my embassy. Very politely with the requisite smiles of course. He had only had 2-3 beers over the course of the evening too.

In the end they let him go. If they spend too much time then they eventually realise they are missing out on catching the next poor sucker.

[fletchsmile]

4 beers - you were over the limit. You were lucky.

Som nam na

Do us all a favour and take a taxi next time. Or hire a driver. They're cheap in Thailand