Staying left for bikes (again)

[ATF]

Martial Law has it's advantages. Drive in whatever lane you like because there are no cops.

I was caught, today. And how does Martial Law affect traffic police?

I guess you're special.

[ll2]

Martial Law has it's advantages. Drive in whatever lane you like because there are no cops.

actually, i have been caught recently too.

for traffic police, it does not matter. They mostly setup check points during holidays and after Songkran is worst and they are a lot active guess why?

[ATF]

Martial Law has it's advantages. Drive in whatever lane you like because there are no cops.

actually, i have been caught recently too.

for traffic police, it does not matter. They mostly setup check points during holidays and after Songkran is worst and they are a lot active guess why?

New school term has just started so they have been pretty active recently. Gotta pay for the kids education somehow. Usually it's the last Friday of every month and the associated weekend. Just after everyone has been paid. Then it's around the 15th of each month when other people get paid.

[bramds]

what's the going rate in Bangkok now-a-days. I was stopped and opted for a cited ticket, going to see if there is any "logic" at the station.

Story:

I was at the left lane then a car drove out of a street, I couldn't brake in time so I changed lanes to avoid being hit. Just up ahead, the cops saw me and stopped me. I told them of the story and they laughed. They said it is illegal to drive on the middle and outer lanes.

so.. what's the going rate?

The official fine at the station is 400 baht.

[ll2]

what's the going rate in Bangkok now-a-days. I was stopped and opted for a cited ticket, going to see if there is any "logic" at the station.

Story:

I was at the left lane then a car drove out of a street, I couldn't brake in time so I changed lanes to avoid being hit. Just up ahead, the cops saw me and stopped me. I told them of the story and they laughed. They said it is illegal to drive on the middle and outer lanes.

so.. what's the going rate?

The official fine at the station is 400 baht.

200 baht if you are a frequent customer of that specific police station

Or if you negotiate the fine nicely.

[brfsa2]

Just dont stop for them, if you have a big bike.

Few days ago they tried to stop me* at the u-turn in ram intra. I just proceeded and he slapped me on my arm. LOL.

they stopped a green ninja the day before me.

*(for obviously no reason other than to exhort me)

Edited May 22, 2014 by brfsa2

[brfsa2]

To my experience, the only places in Bangkok the police can really stop you and make you pay, is on top of the bridges. There is no escape there.

outside Bangkok is a different thing.

[speedtripler]

You are exactly right in your reading of the law. All Thais believe you are supposed to drive everything to the left. Not true; it's a false belief. Slower traffic to the left. Certainly no special law for motorcycles on this. And the left is the most dangerous part of the road. I ALWAYS ride my motorcycle to the right and will continue to (I am sure as hell never "slower traffic").

You did the right thing showing the cop the law, but if he is going to play, "Who has the biggest dick?" you have two choices: Either pay him, or say, let's go to the police station and speak with your supervisor (and be willing to do it). If you have no time, you have to pay.

When they get your license in their hands, it gives them power. Here is a ploy I use. I made copies of my license (front and back) and laminated them. If cop asks me for my license, I hand him the copy and show him the real one. They do not like it, but you keep the power. I went to the police station with a cop on this and NOTHING happened to me (Cop: Give it to me or we will go to police station. Me: Let's go.). But here's what happened to HIM: He had to do a lot of paperwork and he was off the street for a couple of hours. Now this was a guy who was working the left turn lane at the Victory Monument Intersection in Bangkok. Can you imagine how many thousands in pocketed fines this guy lost out on while he was screwing around with me? He got hurt.

It is rare that Thai police even mess with me. I think they have learned that farangs don't play the mai bpen rai game and are simply too much trouble. Let's keep up the training program. You might martyr yourself by losing a couple of hours going to a police station, but that cop won't be as likely to bother the next farang when Thais are such easy money.

Don't forget that unlike in the US when you want to wring a cop's neck and let him know it, here, you should smile the entire time, act happy and be respectful. Don't act angry, indignant or stressed (like I did on the occasion of my above-described trip to the police station). Acting right is 90% of the game. After having figured this out, I seldom ever have any problem with Thai police. I smile, speak little Thai, ask them how they are today, and they always wave me on.

if i were that cop i would have claimed at the station i found you in posession of a yabba tablet or two and asked for 50k to make it go away

or jail you

try and get one over on the cops and it can and probably will backfire and over here theres no limits to their power

[thewug]

Nice to see a topic without a bunch finger puppets talking crap to each other.

My take on all this is I'm aways going faster then the traffic. Speed limit is 80 I believe. And it seems that whatever is in the left lane is below that speed. But as someone said earlier, if you riding in the right lane just keep your signal on as if you are looking to turn or use a U-turn.

I have been stopped recently by the brown bandits in which they said I was in the middle lane. But I explained to them that I just made a turn and couldn't get over until it was safe too. He didn't care. And I knew he knew I was right. But wanted me to give him some cash for his trouble. I told him to take me to the police station and we can show is boss my GOPRO camera that's on my bike and see what he thinks. He said that I didn't understand what he was saying and told me to have a good day. Lol.

[dave_boo]

I've said it before; those who are multilingual (or can fake it) just need to keep wasting the copper's time by conveniently forgetting the queen's English. I've had the poor sod who stopped me and his boss and his boss's boss (the one who sits in the shade) trying to communicate with me. Every minute multiple BiB spend putzing around with the ignorant farang they lose revenue. If enough of us did this they would be much more hesitant to stop us mobile ATMs.

Bonus points for waving the arms around like an enraged cut-off Italian. Minus the middle finger of course. If they want to make a show of public safety to mask their money grabbing...let's help them put on the best damn show possible.

[Wong!]

Most laws are deliberately vague here so there is always room for maneuver to allow some 'hi-so' to get off and no one looses face. Most laws are also written by idiots for idiots. I prefer to ignore what passes for law here and do things in a more correct and sensible fashion. As for stopping for the brown mafia...

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[tingtongfarang]

i have often been stopped for not being in the left lane but never gave any money or got a ticket, after a couple of minutes of me waving a finger and explaining they infact dont know the traffic law they ask me to go...one bib even said sorry,

I also have the feeling they dont target bigger bikes as they do scooters.

[brfsa2]

I also have the feeling they dont target bigger bikes as they do scooters.

Oh they do target big bikes, specially if it has an aftermarket exhaust, it's big fish for them; 1000-2000 baht. Altho mostly common in Chonburi/Pattaya.

[YipYipYa123]

I also have the feeling they dont target bigger bikes as they do scooters.

Oh they do target big bikes, specially if it has an aftermarket exhaust, it's big fish for them; 1000-2000 baht. Altho mostly common in Chonburi/Pattaya.

in bkk i rarely get bothered on the versys or the bandit 1250

i think they do hammer the little guys on scooters more especially

youngsters

i dont have noisy exhausts on either anymore though and usually they stop and admire the bike

saying that though ,if theres an opportuity to keep going i wont pull over voluntarily if i can get away with it safely .......

[namdocmai]

We had this discussion before but i think a big bike is bigger then 150cc. Then you have to pay extra to get the licenseplates for big bikes so it must be a big bike for the law?

I have a namecard from a high thai policeman with me and one time when i was stopped i pulled it out of my wallet and then got my phone. The Bib first thought i was getting cash out, he really looked into my wallet but when i showed him the namecard and told him, sekunakrab phonecall my fliend, khun tsou array krab? I immediatly could go, okay okay you go he said.

I have seen the Bib collecting money plenty times and now know how the game works. Many times they have one Bib standing at the road with a walky talky and he is telling the group ahead which ones to stop. I always speak fast english to them and never understand their questions the 1st time. When they tell my why i have to pay i don't understand them and always talk back in crappy english.

I always check if they have a fast motorbike or car a km further down the road and i have only see that once, a bike but not even a fast one.

I paid them 100 baht once and since them always have that namecard with me. When they stop you the trick is to be slow and waste their time. Don't understand what they are saying and just create confusion. Make clear you are embarassed they stopped you and that you did nothing wrong and live there long time. I always speak english to them to make it uncomfortable but i can speak a little thai and that helps.

I would keep left nonstop if the left lane was empty and safe but you all know why we refuse to drive there.

[Marcel1]

I fully agree that it is an most stupid rule to stay on the left lane but I can't figure out why exactly everyone is so desperately trying to fool the police. In the end, these are the rules from our host country and we have to abide by it.

If we chose not to do you have to be prepared to pay the (small) price.

When in Bangkok I know pretty much all the places they stand and between which hours, they stop me most days while commuting, I am just polite and speak english to them, most officers are friendly and speak abit too. if not Ill talk to them in Thai because when I do nothing wrong I not have to pay. Just show your license and occasional the tax disk and off I go, 2 minutes at most.

The occaisional time that they stop me outside of Bangkok when in the wrong lane, Ill consider that 100 baht as tax.

At fly over bridges I never found police checking luckily as I take them all the time. I do check the other side of the road first, If they are waiting on that side changes are big they are on the other too.

Once I had an officer who tried to fool me by swearing I was is the wrong lane which I wasn't and then of course I'll not comply and not pay, after het threatend numerous time to go to the police station I said ok, while pointing at the cctv's then we will look to those ones right? then he waived me off

[tingtongfarang]

I fully agree that it is an most stupid rule to stay on the left lane but I can't figure out why exactly everyone is so desperately trying to fool the police. In the end, these are the rules from our host country and we have to abide by it.

If we chose not to do you have to be prepared to pay the (small) price.

When in Bangkok I know pretty much all the places they stand and between which hours, they stop me most days while commuting, I am just polite and speak english to them, most officers are friendly and speak abit too. if not Ill talk to them in Thai because when I do nothing wrong I not have to pay. Just show your license and occasional the tax disk and off I go, 2 minutes at most.

The occaisional time that they stop me outside of Bangkok when in the wrong lane, Ill consider that 100 baht as tax.

At fly over bridges I never found police checking luckily as I take them all the time. I do check the other side of the road first, If they are waiting on that side changes are big they are on the other too.

Once I had an officer who tried to fool me by swearing I was is the wrong lane which I wasn't and then of course I'll not comply and not pay, after het threatend numerous time to go to the police station I said ok, while pointing at the cctv's then we will look to those ones right? then he waived me off

Problem is with the flyovers , on some they have a sign to say motorbikes are not allowed but in the other direction no sign, i cant find a reason why bikes would not be allowed or why they would allow in one direction and not the other,

i guess its only a strange plan for making money.

[Marcel1]

i agree with that but Thailand is full of strange ways to make money

[tingtongfarang]

When i first got the gopro a few times i wore it on the bike trying to find out the best mounting place for it, one time it was mounted on my chest poking out between the zipper on my jacket and i got waved over to the side of the road 2 times in the day, i did,nt actually stop because they waved me on when noticing the camera

[tingtongfarang]

double post

Edited May 26, 2014 by tingtongfarang