Police Sting Targeting Farangs On West Side Of Narawat Bridge

[chiang mai]

So you broke the law and got fined.

And your point is?

His point is they are targetting foreigners - this is a recent development in CM with the BIB catching up with their Chonburi and Bangkok colleagues. Easy pickings...

His point is that he doesn't know who they are targeting because he's traveller, doesn't live here and has probably only ever been through that checkpoint once! So no, the police are not targeting farangs and no, this is not a recent development.

Edited February 16, 2013 by chiang mai

[terminatorchiangmai]

No drivers license means also not insured , fines should be 5.000.-thb

[ShawnStorm]

Jeez people. Sorry about my wording, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm not "trolling", was just trying to be helpful. I didn't know this is common. I didn't know that I am driving illegally (I figured one of the rental shops would have told me). I am obviously a somewhat ignorant Farang.

I have rented motorbikes many many times in Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, etc) and never been pulled over by the police. So this seemed like a new thing to me.

It felt like a "sting" in the heat of the moment, and it felt like that to some of the other ignorant Farang that I talked to in the station. It also sure seemed like they were targeting foreigners because almost every person I saw them pull over was a foreigner, while Thais wizzed by without helmets.

Can I change my title to make it less controversial (I can't figure out how to edit the original post)?

Anyways, I am sorry. I was driving without a proper license. I got a small slap on the wrist in the form of a ticket and visit to the station. I applogize if my original post sounded like I was whining or trolling. My main purpose was to document the incident in case it wasn't a normal thing and to educate other ignorant travelers who are in the same boat as me. Thanks for setting me straight.

Sincerely,

Shawn

[chiang mai]

Jeez people. Sorry about my wording, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm not "trolling", was just trying to be helpful. I didn't know this is common. I didn't know that I am driving illegally (I figured one of the rental shops would have told me). I am obviously a somewhat ignorant Farang.

I have rented motorbikes many many times in Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, etc) and never been pulled over by the police. So this seemed like a new thing to me.

It felt like a "sting" in the heat of the moment, and it felt like that to some of the other ignorant Farang that I talked to in the station. It also sure seemed like they were targeting foreigners because almost every person I saw them pull over was a foreigner, while Thais wizzed by without helmets.

Can I change my title to make it less controversial (I can't figure out how to edit the original post)?

Anyways, I am sorry. I was driving without a proper license. I got a small slap on the wrist in the form of a ticket and visit to the station. I applogize if my original post sounded like I was whining or trolling. My main purpose was to document the incident in case it wasn't a normal thing and to educate other ignorant travelers who are in the same boat as me. Thanks for setting me straight.

Sincerely,

Shawn

We forgive you and we still love you!

[ollylama]

Shawn, you must be new here. You could post about cookies and dandelions on Thai Visa and the wizened (not wise, mind you) gang of crazed stenographers caged up here will immediately beat you mercilessly about the headline with ellipses and emoticons.

[chiang mai]

Shawn, you must be new here. You could post about cookies and dandelions on Thai Visa and the wizened (not wise, mind you) gang of crazed stenographers caged up here will immediately beat you mercilessly about the headline with ellipses and emoticons.

You see it's actually not that at all, what it is about is correcting misperseptions so that they don't propogate and become urban myth, in short, it's about setting the record straight which in a place like Thailand is absolutely critical to the survival of both expats and tourists.

[kaptainrob]

as far as I understand it, an international driving licence is required to drive any kind of motor vehicle in Thailand, so I'm not quite sure why you think you have been 'stung'. You have broken Thai law and you have been fined for doing so. In what way is that a sting?

Slight correction here ... it's called an International Driving Permit (IDP) and essentially translates your home country licence into other languages. A valid home licence must accompany the IDP for the class of vehicle being driven.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Maybe this is relevant here.

http://paintleb.com/map3/

It will show checkpoints when they're in operation.

[Pillion]

This guy was trying to help people.

It is quite amazing how many hypocrites are on this forum. One minute they're complaining about the (blatant) police corruption and the next they're are defending them so they can have a dig at someone for being a 'newbie'.

I'm sure these people would love to know exactly how long everyone has been in Chiang Mai so they know who's top of the pile.

To the OP, thanks for the post, enjoy your holiday.

[chiang mai]

This guy was trying to help people.

It is quite amazing how many hypocrites are on this forum. One minute they're complaining about the (blatant) police corruption and the next they're are defending them so they can have a dig at someone for being a 'newbie'.

I'm sure these people would love to know exactly how long everyone has been in Chiang Mai so they know who's top of the pile.

To the OP, thanks for the post, enjoy your holiday.

You've missed the point I'm afraid, the problem is that so many of the police corruption stories at the tourist and expat levels stem from heresay, bar talk, misperception and only very very rarely from first hand fact. So the hypocrites that you mention who are complaining about police corruption here are, for the most part, simply complaining about something they have never experienced. But also, I firmly believe the record needs setting straight on points such as this so that people can begin to better understand the things they see, do that and the complainers will evaporate.

And for what it's worth, I've been here for ten years and in SE Asia/Far east for twenty+, in all that time I've never once had to pay a bribe to a policeman (or anyone else) for anything.

[Celcius]

How do I get my thai motorcycle licence with a tourist visa? (I don't have a motorcycle licence in my home country, just a regular drivers licence)

[chiang mai]

How do I get my thai motorcycle licence with a tourist visa? (I don't have a motorcycle licence in my home country, just a regular drivers licence)

Not a problem, in fact I understand that of late it's encouraged. Just go to the drivers license office in your area, take a reaction test, a written test and a brief driving test in the parking lot around some obstancles, don't forget to wear your helmet else you will get failed - others will no doubt advise but I believe you need a letter from Immigration stating that your visa is in order (cost about 300 baht) and also a medical certificate from an authorised health care facility (cost under 100 baht) stating that your heart is beating and that you are not mad.

EDIT: I forgot, you'll also have to sit through a one hour video that explains how the rules of the road here should work, it's highly entertaining.

Edited February 17, 2013 by chiang mai

[WinnieTheKhwai]

This guy was trying to help people.

It is quite amazing how many hypocrites are on this forum. One minute they're complaining about the (blatant) police corruption and the next they're are defending them so they can have a dig at someone for being a 'newbie'.

I would normally agree with that, just that the title was needlessly alarmist, considering the actual message. So then you're going to get a bit of a reaction.

[eyecatcher]

I believe an English language DL is sufficient for tourists rather than International DL, but only for the class of vehicle being driven. So a UK car DL is no good for motorcycle.

I think the BIB have confiscated my uk Licence at least 10 times with never a query on it.

however having read your comment about the uk licence being no good for bike; I am checking now.

with uk licence we can drive on the road.

*motorcycles with or without sidecar and a max design speed exceeding 50kmh and engine over 50cc

*any vehicle upto 3.5tonnes with no more than 8 seats

*motor vehicles for carrying goods upto 7.5 tonnes

so if they accept a uk licence as valid, then it covers us for motorbikes.

I once brought an official international licence with me, it only lasts one year and costs about £10, but the one and only time I was stopped, I flashed this other permit, and they had never seen one before, they wanted my uk paper licence or plastic card.

[CBR250]

Jeez people. Sorry about my wording, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm not "trolling", was just trying to be helpful. I didn't know this is common. I didn't know that I am driving illegally (I figured one of the rental shops would have told me). I am obviously a somewhat ignorant Farang.

I have rented motorbikes many many times in Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, etc) and never been pulled over by the police. So this seemed like a new thing to me.

It felt like a "sting" in the heat of the moment, and it felt like that to some of the other ignorant Farang that I talked to in the station. It also sure seemed like they were targeting foreigners because almost every person I saw them pull over was a foreigner, while Thais wizzed by without helmets.

Can I change my title to make it less controversial (I can't figure out how to edit the original post)?

Anyways, I am sorry. I was driving without a proper license. I got a small slap on the wrist in the form of a ticket and visit to the station. I applogize if my original post sounded like I was whining or trolling. My main purpose was to document the incident in case it wasn't a normal thing and to educate other ignorant travelers who are in the same boat as me. Thanks for setting me straight.

Sincerely,

Shawn

I certainly didn't mean to offend you if I was one of those posts that led to your reply. I appreciate you are trying to help others. It's just that your post raised a few interesting issues that people spun off from - one being defense of the BIB (who can of course be corrupt, but often still do a good job). The other issue, for me, is far more important, concerning the unwanted deaths and injuries of tourists from motorcycle ignorance. It's so pleasant to be in an under-regulated country - but I do wish that in this instance there were more restrictions.

[mesquite]

OP,

Rental motorbikes and helmets used by tourists are easily identifiable. I go through that area a lot on my own purchased bike and with a purchased helmet, obviously not rental equipment. I never get stopped.

I think you are correct in that you were "stung," assuming you were on a rental bike. The cop saw that and figured the odds were that you didn't have the correct license, like most tourists. So he pulled you over.

Thanks for posting as it should alert other tourists.

Edited February 17, 2013 by mesquite

[metisdead]

Some inflammatory posts have been removed.

[ShawnStorm]

Thanks to everyone for putting your "2 cents" worth into this topic. I am not offended by any of the responses. In fact, the more harsh comments have simply reminded me to be mindful of my language and style of writing when posting to a public forum.

I fully admit that my original title and content was overly dramatic. I posted it from my iPhone with a dying battery while eating dinner. I was in a bit of a mood after a rough day and I posted it in haste without taking the time to review my posting. I regret the way I presented the information and apologize. I would edit and/or delete the posting if I could, but it doesn't appear possible.

Anyways, hopefully someone out there has learned something useful as a result of my posting.

-shawn-

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Anything that discourages me from riding the motorbike in the city is probably a blessing in disguise since there are so many accidents recently.

Just the stress of near misses is a quality of life issue.

Yesterday some rich hipster in a new silver mercedes nearly ran me off the road near Santiam. I came up behind him and he was leaning over to the side while driving. I think he was almost asleep or drunk, medicated etc.

It's so easy to get accustomed to the traffic risks over time... Does not diminish the risks.

[dickyknee]

I believe an English language DL is sufficient for tourists rather than International DL, but only for the class of vehicle being driven. So a UK car DL is no good for motorcycle.

I think the BIB have confiscated my uk Licence at least 10 times with never a query on it.

however having read your comment about the uk licence being no good for bike; I am checking now.

with uk licence we can drive on the road.

*motorcycles with or without sidecar and a max design speed exceeding 50kmh and engine over 50cc

*any vehicle upto 3.5tonnes with no more than 8 seats

*motor vehicles for carrying goods upto 7.5 tonnes

so if they accept a uk licence as valid, then it covers us for motorbikes.

I once brought an official international licence with me, it only lasts one year and costs about £10, but the one and only time I was stopped, I flashed this other permit, and they had never seen one before, they wanted my uk paper licence or plastic card.

https://www.gov.uk/rules-motorcyclists-83-to-88/motorcycle-licence-requirements

[submaniac]

OP, it's alright. Everyone's new to TV and makes mistakes.

But to put it into perspective take a look at Phuketwan (which I cannot link to on TV); there's a story of a young Brit named Jack Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox was 22 years old and died last year after he ran his scooter into a pole. The story is about how his mother was complaining that in Thailand they let anyone rent a bike without proof of a license. Mr. Wilcox never had his license to drive a car or motorcycle and rented a scooter in Phuket and died 10 days after arriving in the country.

I have my Thai motorcycle license and Thai driver's license. It was not hard to obtain at all. Before I got that, I got an international driver's permit for car and motorcycle in my home country, which was even easier. The people you hear complaining on this forum are people who followed the rules, and they don't like it when they follow the rules and someone who doesn't follow the rules complains about it. And it is so very easy to follow the rules with this one. There's no reason someone doesn't get an IDP. It took about 15 minutes in the home country.

Having a license doesn't mean that you are good at driving or riding a motorcycle; it just means you have met the very bare minimum competency. And if someone can't get the very bare minimum competency to even be bothered to get an IDP, then I shouldn't have to share the road with them because their lack of competency in even filling out the paperwork puts my safety at risk.

Just look at all the postings and news articles on TV and see how many motorcyclists are killed, often due to their inability to ride a motorcycle. So many people think they can just come to Thailand and hop on a bike, like it's easy. Tell you what, I think Thailand is one of the most difficult places I have ever ridden. I've been on a bike since age 12-13. I learned how to ride in the U.S. where people follow the rules of the road. In Thailand, it's precisely because people don't follow the rules of the road that makes it much more difficult to ride.

200 baht is nothing compared to the price Mr. Wilcox paid.

[rene123]

Good post made by submaniac. But, in the case of the silly Mr Wilcox who paid with his life for a bad choice in life, and his mother who wants to blame someone else for her son's mistake, she has her priorities wrong. Shit happens, and it happens more often to people who make bad choices and are unprepared for the consequences of their mistakes.

[hellodolly]

Good post made by submaniac. But, in the case of the silly Mr Wilcox who paid with his life for a bad choice in life, and his mother who wants to blame someone else for her son's mistake, she has her priorities wrong. Shit happens, and it happens more often to people who make bad choices and are unprepared for the consequences of their mistakes.

She is probably more concerned with people saying she did a bad job of teaching him common sense,

[ShawnStorm]

OP, it's alright. Everyone's new to TV and makes mistakes.

But to put it into perspective take a look at Phuketwan (which I cannot link to on TV); there's a story of a young Brit named Jack Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox was 22 years old and died last year after he ran his scooter into a pole. The story is about how his mother was complaining that in Thailand they let anyone rent a bike without proof of a license. Mr. Wilcox never had his license to drive a car or motorcycle and rented a scooter in Phuket and died 10 days after arriving in the country.

I have my Thai motorcycle license and Thai driver's license. It was not hard to obtain at all. Before I got that, I got an international driver's permit for car and motorcycle in my home country, which was even easier. The people you hear complaining on this forum are people who followed the rules, and they don't like it when they follow the rules and someone who doesn't follow the rules complains about it. And it is so very easy to follow the rules with this one. There's no reason someone doesn't get an IDP. It took about 15 minutes in the home country.

Having a license doesn't mean that you are good at driving or riding a motorcycle; it just means you have met the very bare minimum competency. And if someone can't get the very bare minimum competency to even be bothered to get an IDP, then I shouldn't have to share the road with them because their lack of competency in even filling out the paperwork puts my safety at risk.

Just look at all the postings and news articles on TV and see how many motorcyclists are killed, often due to their inability to ride a motorcycle. So many people think they can just come to Thailand and hop on a bike, like it's easy. Tell you what, I think Thailand is one of the most difficult places I have ever ridden. I've been on a bike since age 12-13. I learned how to ride in the U.S. where people follow the rules of the road. In Thailand, it's precisely because people don't follow the rules of the road that makes it much more difficult to ride.

200 baht is nothing compared to the price Mr. Wilcox paid.

I will admit that I am not an expert motorcycle rider, and unfortunately I have not taken the appropriate tests and training to get a motorcycle license in the states. I will even say that riding in Thai traffic (especially Chiang Mai and Bangkok) is kind of scary at times. However, I have had a car and driver's license for 18 years and feel fairly competent in terms of being on the road. I have been renting motorbikes in various asian countries over the past 12 years and have never been in an accident or damaged a bike. This might sound defensive, but I am sharing this info for comparison purposes and simply to state where I am at for the record. I'm also not saying I shouldn't have to follow the rules. If/when I return to Thailand I will endevour to get the appropriate licenses in advance. I hadn't thought about motorbikes when planning this trip and it wasn't until I arrived that I remembered how darn convenient they are.

As pointed out, many foreigners come here with no experience at all, and often without even having a normal driving license in their home country. Luckily, many of these types start out in a very small town on back roads with little or no traffic (which was the case for me back in my early 20s). However, very inexperienced riders in Thai traffic can indeed be a recipe for disaster, and I totally understand why people in this forum have an issue with it. I also get why people who are putting effort into following the rules would be annoyed by a "rule breaker" complaining about getting caught.

In my time driving on Thai roads I definitely keep my eye out for other foreigners who don't know what they are doing, are drunk, etc. However, I am more often concerned with the Thai drivers. I have witnessed many many instances of crazy driving, sudden turns with no signal, very unsafe and excessive speeds, disregarding traffic lights, blatant breaking of every road rule in the book, etc. I would imagine there are quite a few Thais on motorbikes that have no license of any kind, which seems especially true when I occasionally see children driving them (like 8-14 year olds).

Back to foreigners. The bottom line is that thousands of tourists/travellers with little or no motorbike experience come here and decide to give a motorbike a try. It is easy, cheap, and it is so nice to be able to travel about without dealing with tuk tuks and songthaews. Every touristy town you go to has a plethora of motorbike rental shops that specifically target these people. They don't ask for a license. They don't mention that the driver needs a license. They often don't even offer a helmet! So along comes Joe tourist who sees all this in addition to the apparent lack of road rules, children driving motorbikes, etc. They also see tons of other tourists happily driving around on their motorbikes looking so cool and independent. Considering all this, I can understand why it is so common that people go for it. It seems like the thing to do, and there isn't much information that suggests otherwise (except maybe a skimmed over page near the front of their travel guide). It is kind of like putting a kid in a candy store and expecting him to not eat any, when the candy is sitting out in the open with no obvious consequences in sight. In addition, most of these people were not even planning on coming here and renting a motorbike, so getting proper licenses and such ahead of time isn't even a factor. I'm not trying to defend them, just recognizing why it is so prevalent.

So I guess the point I am trying to make is that yes, people should be accountable for their own decisions and act responsibly, BUT, if it is such an issue, perhaps more steps should be taken to avoid the situation to begin with. What seems to be one obvious solution is to make rental outfits require their patrons have appropriate licenses and experience. If this was the case, I probably wouldn't of rented a motorbike and this thread wouldn't exist.

There could also be information awareness campaigns to notify tourists of the laws and discourage them from renting motorbike without proper credentials, etc. If this exists I have never seen it. From my perspective the Thai government doesn't seem to be overly concerned about the issue and seems happy to profit from it by handing out tickets that are low enough that the ticketed driver isn't very discouraged from continuing to drive their motorbike. If I had received a 2000+ baht ticket, I probably would of returned my bike and called it quits.

Anyways, sorry if this is turning into a rant. That is not my intention. I am just interested in examining the various perspectives of an obvious issue. Thanks again to everyone for offering your thoughts and perspectives.

-Shawn-

[naboo]

It is kind of like putting a kid in a candy store and expecting him to not eat any, when the candy is sitting out in the open with no obvious consequences in sight.

Good analogy, people who come over here and ride bikes with no training/licence are acting like kids.

What seems to be one obvious solution is to make rental outfits require their patrons have appropriate licenses and experience. If this was the case, I probably wouldn't of rented a motorbike and this thread wouldn't exist.

Why should a shop owner be required to make sure people have some basic common sense?

There could also be information awareness campaigns to notify tourists of the laws and discourage them from renting motorbike without proper credentials, etc. If this exists I have never seen it. From my perspective the Thai government doesn't seem to be overly concerned about the issue and seems happy to profit from it by handing out tickets that are low enough that the ticketed driver isn't very discouraged from continuing to drive their motorbike. If I had received a 2000+ baht ticket, I probably would of returned my bike and called it quits.

A year or so ago, the fines were doubled. the number of helmets on peoples' heads went through the roof. The fines for most, if not all, traffic offences are more than the daily minimum wage. I think the fines are about right.

However, you may have a point that they are not sufficient to dissuade your average tourist. Would you agree that tourists should be subject to much higher fines than the local population?

[hellodolly]

OP, it's alright. Everyone's new to TV and makes mistakes.

But to put it into perspective take a look at Phuketwan (which I cannot link to on TV); there's a story of a young Brit named Jack Wilcox. Mr. Wilcox was 22 years old and died last year after he ran his scooter into a pole. The story is about how his mother was complaining that in Thailand they let anyone rent a bike without proof of a license. Mr. Wilcox never had his license to drive a car or motorcycle and rented a scooter in Phuket and died 10 days after arriving in the country.

I have my Thai motorcycle license and Thai driver's license. It was not hard to obtain at all. Before I got that, I got an international driver's permit for car and motorcycle in my home country, which was even easier. The people you hear complaining on this forum are people who followed the rules, and they don't like it when they follow the rules and someone who doesn't follow the rules complains about it. And it is so very easy to follow the rules with this one. There's no reason someone doesn't get an IDP. It took about 15 minutes in the home country.

Having a license doesn't mean that you are good at driving or riding a motorcycle; it just means you have met the very bare minimum competency. And if someone can't get the very bare minimum competency to even be bothered to get an IDP, then I shouldn't have to share the road with them because their lack of competency in even filling out the paperwork puts my safety at risk.

Just look at all the postings and news articles on TV and see how many motorcyclists are killed, often due to their inability to ride a motorcycle. So many people think they can just come to Thailand and hop on a bike, like it's easy. Tell you what, I think Thailand is one of the most difficult places I have ever ridden. I've been on a bike since age 12-13. I learned how to ride in the U.S. where people follow the rules of the road. In Thailand, it's precisely because people don't follow the rules of the road that makes it much more difficult to ride.

200 baht is nothing compared to the price Mr. Wilcox paid.

I will admit that I am not an expert motorcycle rider, and unfortunately I have not taken the appropriate tests and training to get a motorcycle license in the states. I will even say that riding in Thai traffic (especially Chiang Mai and Bangkok) is kind of scary at times. However, I have had a car and driver's license for 18 years and feel fairly competent in terms of being on the road. I have been renting motorbikes in various asian countries over the past 12 years and have never been in an accident or damaged a bike. This might sound defensive, but I am sharing this info for comparison purposes and simply to state where I am at for the record. I'm also not saying I shouldn't have to follow the rules. If/when I return to Thailand I will endevour to get the appropriate licenses in advance. I hadn't thought about motorbikes when planning this trip and it wasn't until I arrived that I remembered how darn convenient they are.

As pointed out, many foreigners come here with no experience at all, and often without even having a normal driving license in their home country. Luckily, many of these types start out in a very small town on back roads with little or no traffic (which was the case for me back in my early 20s). However, very inexperienced riders in Thai traffic can indeed be a recipe for disaster, and I totally understand why people in this forum have an issue with it. I also get why people who are putting effort into following the rules would be annoyed by a "rule breaker" complaining about getting caught.

In my time driving on Thai roads I definitely keep my eye out for other foreigners who don't know what they are doing, are drunk, etc. However, I am more often concerned with the Thai drivers. I have witnessed many many instances of crazy driving, sudden turns with no signal, very unsafe and excessive speeds, disregarding traffic lights, blatant breaking of every road rule in the book, etc. I would imagine there are quite a few Thais on motorbikes that have no license of any kind, which seems especially true when I occasionally see children driving them (like 8-14 year olds).

Back to foreigners. The bottom line is that thousands of tourists/travellers with little or no motorbike experience come here and decide to give a motorbike a try. It is easy, cheap, and it is so nice to be able to travel about without dealing with tuk tuks and songthaews. Every touristy town you go to has a plethora of motorbike rental shops that specifically target these people. They don't ask for a license. They don't mention that the driver needs a license. They often don't even offer a helmet! So along comes Joe tourist who sees all this in addition to the apparent lack of road rules, children driving motorbikes, etc. They also see tons of other tourists happily driving around on their motorbikes looking so cool and independent. Considering all this, I can understand why it is so common that people go for it. It seems like the thing to do, and there isn't much information that suggests otherwise (except maybe a skimmed over page near the front of their travel guide). It is kind of like putting a kid in a candy store and expecting him to not eat any, when the candy is sitting out in the open with no obvious consequences in sight. In addition, most of these people were not even planning on coming here and renting a motorbike, so getting proper licenses and such ahead of time isn't even a factor. I'm not trying to defend them, just recognizing why it is so prevalent.

So I guess the point I am trying to make is that yes, people should be accountable for their own decisions and act responsibly, BUT, if it is such an issue, perhaps more steps should be taken to avoid the situation to begin with. What seems to be one obvious solution is to make rental outfits require their patrons have appropriate licenses and experience. If this was the case, I probably wouldn't of rented a motorbike and this thread wouldn't exist.

There could also be information awareness campaigns to notify tourists of the laws and discourage them from renting motorbike without proper credentials, etc. If this exists I have never seen it. From my perspective the Thai government doesn't seem to be overly concerned about the issue and seems happy to profit from it by handing out tickets that are low enough that the ticketed driver isn't very discouraged from continuing to drive their motorbike. If I had received a 2000+ baht ticket, I probably would of returned my bike and called it quits.

Anyways, sorry if this is turning into a rant. That is not my intention. I am just interested in examining the various perspectives of an obvious issue. Thanks again to everyone for offering your thoughts and perspectives.

-Shawn-

You might want to examine your rant. You rely on the fact you have not had an accident yet so that supposedly qualifies you to ignore the laws of the land. You talk against your self. Examine this paragraph and tell us how it fits in with your lack of accidents.

"In my time driving on Thai roads I definitely keep my eye out for other foreigners who don't know what they are doing, are drunk, etc. [how do you spot the ones who don't know what they are doing seems to me you are not paying much attention to the road your self] However, I am more often concerned with the Thai drivers. I have witnessed many many instances of crazy driving, sudden turns with no signal, very unsafe and excessive speeds, disregarding traffic lights, blatant breaking of every road rule in the book, etc. I would imagine there are quite a few Thais on motorbikes that have no license of any kind, which seems especially true when I occasionally see children driving them (like 8-14 year olds)."

With all that going on around you you feel confident in your ability to ride in the traffic here in Chiang Mai. Spend a little time here not just two weeks and yo9u will here it is not if it is when I have an accident as you can see by your own admission it is going to happen what with ell the crazy drivers on the road.

[ollylama]

Man, I really don't get why people are jumping on Shawn. I have no problem with anything he wrote other than the hysterical (not in a funny way) headline. Hello Dolly's last rebuttal was more like a butt riddle. It made nearly no sense at all.

[Pillion]

Man, I really don't get why people are jumping on Shawn. I have no problem with anything he wrote other than the hysterical (not in a funny way) headline. Hello Dolly's last rebuttal was more like a butt riddle. It made nearly no sense at all.

It doesn't matter if Hello Dolly's post makes any sense or not just as long as he can put these pesky 'newbies' in their place!

[MESmith]

Man, I really don't get why people are jumping on Shawn. I have no problem with anything he wrote other than the hysterical (not in a funny way) headline. Hello Dolly's last rebuttal was more like a butt riddle. It made nearly no sense at all.

It doesn't matter if Hello Dolly's post makes any sense or not just as long as he can put these pesky 'newbies' in their place!

As a "newbie" on TV he's getting off lightly. Lucky he's not a newbie at CMU getting hazed.....

[qdinthailand]

Man, I really don't get why people are jumping on Shawn. I have no problem with anything he wrote other than the hysterical (not in a funny way) headline. Hello Dolly's last rebuttal was more like a butt riddle. It made nearly no sense at all.

Maybe because this is about the 6th or 7th thread recently complaining about how the Thai cops have got it in for the falang motorbike riders. There's been several recently. OK, so the police are cracking down on motorbike riders all over Thailand. Those of us who are residents here in LOS know its not out to get falangs, but they are giving out lots of tickets to the locals for not wearing helmets, improper registration, too many on the bike, etc. (checking for drugs and weapons - I'm not so sure about that but maybe.)

Cops have to do it from checkpoints - they don't have the equipment to chase down offenders like the CHP! But I do have a scene in my head - a keystone cop thing where a zillion police on scooters are chasing a falang on a Ninja.