Friend fined for littering

[bharr]

Putting something down a storm drain is considered littering?

yes,

and while you have every right to smoke in private and away from me this site may explain about cigarette buts in storm drains.

http://www.preventcigarettelitter.org/why_it_matters/environment.html

You will get fined in many countries for it if caught and it has consequences.

Very interesting. I never knew this.

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[manarak]

Easy - storm drains don't lead into the sewers but simply into the rivers or ocean, unfiltered.

So anything put in there ends up on the beach or in a lake, a river.

Fining foreigners 2000 baht for littering is fine with me, however, Thai police should make much more efforts to catch Thai "litterbugs", since they litter far more and more often.

The beaches are totally littered over as are most countryside roads.

In a resort town like Pattaya, one would think the city hall would do some efforts to avoid making tourists remember the place as one that stank to hell.

It would be easy to eradicate most of the smell by simply building cabinets on the beachside, each housing 4 large garbage bins on rolls, and with doors that close and keep the smell inside. City hall then just has to send a truck equipped for lifting and emptying these bins.

Suggested places: Pattaya beach road near WS, Jomtien beach road.

[WitawatWatawit]

And just why do people throw their butts in the street? Besides the obvious answer of no bins. Probably because they think places like Bangkok and Pattaya are pretty filthy, anyway, so a little more won't hurt. Charming people (says he who has never littered in his life). So today's saying: If you smoke a bit, fear the tesakij. I'm tempted to smoke my e-cig in front of one of these standover thugs one day - hehe.

[harrry]

And just why do people throw their butts in the street? Besides the obvious answer of no bins. Probably because they think places like Bangkok and Pattaya are pretty filthy, anyway, so a little more won't hurt. Charming people (says he who has never littered in his life). So today's saying: If you smoke a bit, fear the tesakij. I'm tempted to smoke my e-cig in front of one of these standover thugs one day - hehe.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/346196-thailand-bans-the-import-and-sale-of-electronic-cigarettes-e-cigarettes/

[hanno]

Got done years ago on the skywalk between MBK and Siam Square. I lived in Vietnam at the time where you could smoke just about anywhere, including cinemas and hospitals. I wasn't thinking and tossed a butt so I did not feel to bad when I got nailed. Got a receipt and was shown the huge sign about not littering. The same sign that said no begging or hawking, right above a hawking beggar.....

[ToddWeston]

I don't smoke except when I'm going to the airport or in transit - how weird is that or if I am over served in a pub - a pack could last me two months. I don't hate smokers in fact I find them more fun.

I was nabbed a few weeks ago and in all honesty whilst I was mad for a second, I went back and thanked them the next time I saw the officer. I wouldn't do it in my home country why I did it here is beyond me, 'll blame the heat.

Are we targeted hell yes, but at the end of the day I was wrong and I'll never do it again.

2000 baht is a few packs in my home country and I learnt my lesson.

[onvacation]

Most people don't consider cigarette butts and gums to be garbage and they drop them everywhere. Glad to see rule is enforced.

[MB1]

Most people don't consider cigarette butts and gums to be garbage and they drop them everywhere. Glad to see rule is enforced.

Yes it's nice to see rules enforced, but when it's a money making scheme to shake down the tourists and leave the Thai's alone then it becomes another example of why so many tourists go home with a bad taste in their mouths and a bad image of Thailand, it also pis*ses of some long term stayers and expats....

Edited August 15, 2013 by MB1

[kannot]

Funny thing is that my friend thought he was being careful and flicked it down a storm drain so he wouldn't be littering. I can understand the reasons for fining litterers though.

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Much better to put the nub end still smouldering into a bin full of paper and sit back get comfy and wait for the inferno.

However the crap the Thais dump everywhere does grate on hearing this, BUT once again its their perverse way.

[mca]

It would be easy to eradicate most of the smell by simply building cabinets on the beachside, each housing 4 large garbage bins on rolls, and with doors that close and keep the smell inside. City hall then just has to send a truck equipped for lifting and emptying these bins.

Suggested places: Pattaya beach road near WS, Jomtien beach road.

They could also be used for removing the scuzzoid element of Pattya's western population. Great idea mate!

[ajarnpot]

ha ha, I hate people littering the environment in general. Your friend belongs in jail

[chris2004]

Good, he should be fined 10,000 baht. Smokers use the rest of the world as their personal ash tray and they should understand this is not acceptable to decent people.

[martynsnowmans]

it makes me laugh people who litter complaning about the fine , just the same as people

who drive cars without seatbelts and the people who ride moterbike without a hemet

fine the lot of them and BIG time ......

[bunnydrops]

In the town where I live there were about 6 or 7 bins in front of the school. I guess they were filling up too fast so they took them out. Problem solved. Now the whole area is a trash bin.

[StefanBBK]

Fines for littering is absolutely OK with me. What puzzles me is the relative high amount, compared to other fines, like traffic etc.

By fining 2000 baht it becomes unrealistic to impose such fines on Thais. That is more that 6 minimum daily wages.

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[Digitalbanana]

How would I recognise sidewalk police?

Cheers

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Try throwing a cigarette butt down a storm drain or on the street ;-)

Otherwise why worry.

[brimacthai]

You should see the bus parking area at the bus station in Surin... most of the time it looks like a rubbish-tip and other times it's actually worse. When the buses park there the sweep out the rubbish from their buses straight out the bus door... no litter police here... if there was they would be the next billionaire in Surin!

Surin Bus station on a good day!

[Suradit69]

Shame they don't harass their own kind as they discharge filth on to the sides of just about every road, in every field and even their own gardens.

"their own kind"

Marvelous. The white man's burden is a difficult load to carry, eh?

I'm sure wherever your "kind" is from has no pollution or garbage issues to contend with.

[cacruden]

Yes it is a money making venture for the police, but again little sympathy for the litterer...... I would prefer fines raised in my homeland to $5,000, I consider it the height of laziness to litter so make the fines hurt. I actually like the way Singapore does it -- high fines and/or Corrective Work Order requiring them to clean public areas for a specified amount of time. For every litterer caught, many more get away with it..... so at least make the fines pay for keeping the city clean.

[pacovl46]

The official fine is 2000 Baht. Every non smoking sign in Thailand shows a litt cigarette crossed out which is surrounded by a red circle and beneath it it says 2000 baht. The ridiculous thing about your case is, though, that they fined you for throwing it into the storm drain. I would've totally understood, if they had fined you for throwing onto the street. The same thing happened to me at the Chatuchak market once. I also threw it into the drain, the cop didn't fine me, though, but he asked me where I come from, so I told him and then he asked me, if we do that in Germany as well, so I said no, because we actually have bins and walked away. In your case they just saw an opportunity for some tea money.

[jacko45k]

Yes it is a form of shakedown.

But life in Thailand is isn't it?

Try not to break any laws as at least they do normally require an infringement before they try this on.

Sad really, most countries treat tourists as welcomed guests.

Tempting to get difficult and take their picture with these types.

[Tchooptip]

The official fine is 2000 Baht. Every non smoking sign in Thailand shows a litt cigarette crossed out which is surrounded by a red circle and beneath it it says 2000 baht. The ridiculous thing about your case is, though, that they fined you for throwing it into the storm drain. I would've totally understood, if they had fined you for throwing onto the street. The same thing happened to me at the Chatuchak market once. I also threw it into the drain, the cop didn't fine me, though, but he asked me where I come from, so I told him and then he asked me, if we do that in Germany as well, so I said no, because we actually have bins and walked away. In your case they just saw an opportunity for some tea money.

I do not smoke any more but personally I always did put the butt in my pocket.

Sorry no bin is not an excuse!

[Patanawet]

This thread has been hijacked from the original question about the legality of the "fine" to tirades from the hoardes of posters who got their degrees from the university of stating the bleedin' obvious (that is that no one should litter).

The answer is stated clearly in the posts referring to the Bangkok Post investigation (and the link therein). They are NOT police of any sort. They are city officials who have no power to fine. They are there to give information including "do not litter or you may be fined by the real police".

Why do they not fine Thais? Because the Thais know all about this scam.

How can you tell if they are real police? Real police carry guns.

[harrry]

This thread has been hijacked from the original question about the legality of the "fine" to tirades from the hoardes of posters who got their degrees from the university of stating the bleedin' obvious (that is that no one should litter).

The answer is stated clearly in the posts referring to the Bangkok Post investigation (and the link therein). They are NOT police of any sort. They are city officials who have no power to fine. They are there to give information including "do not litter or you may be fined by the real police".

Why do they not fine Thais? Because the Thais know all about this scam.

How can you tell if they are real police? Real police carry guns.

Not correct they are city officials who have the power to fine, They are the equivelent of Council Rangers in Australia or Municipal Police in the USA. The only problem is they do not fine everyone.

[Monkeyrobot]

These police are called the Thet sak git & the maximum fine is 2000B but that's like for dumping toxic waste in the river ,like all police they try to shake you down for as much as they can. Sometimes the will set up tourists saying they dropped a piece of paper on the ground. Offer them 200 to 500 Baht max & if they want to play the game tell them you would like to take the matter to court, also tell them you have recorded the conversation on you cell phone & one off them is going to loose there job. They should back off but be polite at the same time. good luck.

[oops]

To bad they don't fine those guys out on Kho Larn because they walk out on their porches and throw their trash right into the ocean.

While, I can't stand people who smoke while walking down the street because I have to walk through their smell and smoke, I happy that he

at least tried to throw it down a drain instead of just putting it out on the sidewalk. I think smoking should be something you do at your home.

I also agree they should go after the Thai's as well but they don't .

[jayceenik]

Simple Dont flick a fag butt in the street and voila no fine

Yes but he tossed it down a storm drain so they have no proof and it is not littering the street which is what the law should be concerned about. So shake down indeed. 2000 Baht is the standard fine for this.

Yes.

I remember reading a letter to the editor in the BKK Post in which a farang related that he was nabbed immediately after dropping his cigarette butt in a sewer drain. Asked to pay the "fine" he asked "What for ?", "For throwing a cigarette butt", What cigarette butt ?".

He said it went on like that for a considerable amount of time but he was patient and finally the Butt Police relented and let him go.

Personally I fail to see how throwing a cigarette butt in a street sewer drain is considered littering.

[Monkeyrobot]

These police are called the Thet sak git & the maximum fine is 2000B but that's like for dumping toxic waste in the river ,like all police they try to shake you down for as much as they can. Sometimes the will set up tourists saying they dropped a piece of paper on the ground. Offer them 200 to 500 Baht max & if they want to play the game tell them you would like to take the matter to court, also tell them you have recorded the conversation on you cell phone & one off them is going to loose there job. They should back off but be polite at the same time. good luck.

I correct my post by saying Police they are city officials employed to collect money from the side vendors but like to shake down the farangs for a little extra cash. I don't think they have the power to arrest you.

[Monkeyrobot]

Simple Dont flick a fag butt in the street and voila no fine

Yes but he tossed it down a storm drain so they have no proof and it is not littering the street which is what the law should be concerned about. So shake down indeed. 2000 Baht is the standard fine for this.

Yes.

I remember reading a letter to the editor in the BKK Post in which a farang related that he was nabbed immediately after dropping his cigarette butt in a sewer drain. Asked to pay the "fine" he asked "What for ?", "For throwing a cigarette butt", What cigarette butt ?".

He said it went on like that for a considerable amount of time but he was patient and finally the Butt Police relented and let him go.

Personally I fail to see how throwing a cigarette butt in a street sewer drain is considered littering.

Its not a sewer drain there storm water drains and all the muk has to end up somewhere.

[harrry]

Simple Dont flick a fag butt in the street and voila no fine

Yes but he tossed it down a storm drain so they have no proof and it is not littering the street which is what the law should be concerned about. So shake down indeed. 2000 Baht is the standard fine for this.

Yes.

I remember reading a letter to the editor in the BKK Post in which a farang related that he was nabbed immediately after dropping his cigarette butt in a sewer drain. Asked to pay the "fine" he asked "What for ?", "For throwing a cigarette butt", What cigarette butt ?".

He said it went on like that for a considerable amount of time but he was patient and finally the Butt Police relented and let him go.

Personally I fail to see how throwing a cigarette butt in a street sewer drain is considered littering.

http://www.fairlawn.org/filestorage/355/357/438/452/CC_StormDrain-full.pdf