Friend fined for littering

[rakman]

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.

The storm drains end up at the river. Don't litter.

[BB1955]

When I smoked and walked that area I always put my cigarette out and keep them until I see a trash bin or get to a 7/11 they always have a bin outside ... I just wish the litter thing would catch on here everywhere ... Not just in the tourst areas ...

[dighambara]

T.I.T. Thugs in Titian

[ChrisB87]

Yes, 2000 baht fine for littering is the legal amount, But trying to get 10,000 probably isn't legal.

[Emdog]

A few months ago local cops and politicos were doing a photo op here on Jomtien beach, this one for sign they were going to post "2000 baht fine for littering". I asked if they had one in Thai, and to my surprise, they did! And I made suggestion they bring back the trash cans and benches they took away earlier. If you don't want people to litter, maybe it is a good idea to have some trash cans around? I pointed to the two dumpsters down the street: they were overflowing, with more bags of trash sitting next to them. To respond to original question: of course it is legal, as they make the laws. But the application of those laws tend to favor shaking down farangs and ignoring Thais. The laws here serve as a guideline for how large a payoff the police can look for, not to ensure any sort of order and safety.

[Aussieroaming]

Assuming the location is Bangkok?

There have been many, many, many, many threads on this subject.

The police are "sidewalk" police, so part of the BMA rather than the RTP.

The fine for littering is 2,000 baht, although some, including Thais, negotiate this down to 200 baht.

The obvious solution is to not litter.

When I advised a girth-challenged Brit on Sukhumvit, in a nice, friendly tone, that he was being observed by the sidewalk police smoking, and that they would approach him as soon as he discarded his cigarette, he told me to "go <deleted> myself". He got hooked. Now I refrain from warning people.

Thanks for this

Yes, it was Bangkok, Sukhumvit, near Soi 11 or thereabouts.

How would I recognise sidewalk police?

Cheers

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yep I got done for throwing a cigarette butt into a pot plant holder that was full of butts just past Soi13 last year...fine re-negotiated to 1000B. I agree with no littering, just unfortunate that the police were very selective about who they fine :-). I saw the humour in it, especially given that I was about 4th in line to pay the fine and got to hear all of the other farangs arguing their point before it was my turn to pay. Taught me a good lesson too ...always pay attention to your surroundings. I'd walked past there heaps of times before getting caught.

[atyclb]

An article in the Bangkok Post (search for it) stated an investigative team (Spectrum) monitored them for several weeks and found not a single Thai was fined, all were foreigner. They consider it a money making scheme only. Many more articles out there saying the same thing, targeting foreigners/tourists.

That's exactly what it is IMO, a money making scheme targeted at tourists only, they don't want to fine their own breed or face the wrath of the Thai's if they try, it's wrong but TIT, the best thing for tourists is to not litter but that aint ever going to happen 100% and someone will always fall into the trap, best thing we can do is to keep reminding people not to litter and keep their money in their pockets rather than giving it to the shakedown brigade..

IMO it is completely wrong to selectively enforce the law targeting foreigners, but in theory littering is still littering and in thailand many many laws are on the books, many with good intent, but are selectively enforced or used to get bribes. Litter in the storm drains compound flooding that is already a problem. In singapore laws are strictly enforced for the purpose of making a better society, not for extracting bribes. One would not toss a cig butt on the concrete floor of their own kitchen so why do it in a common area we all share?

[atyclb]

How would I recognise sidewalk police?

I believe they walk sideways ... like a crab. Due to all the cash stuffed down their underpants.

You got that wrong;

they walk sideways because the crabs are in their underpants, cash in pockets.

[MegaRanter]

I once had an electro plating facility for my jewelry right smack in a gated community. The then wife assured me all waste would be drummed up for disposal but the staff had other ideas. They flushed it down the toilets or the hand basins.

They use about three different cyanide compounds and other serious chemicals for plating brass. I am a chemist myself.

Bangkok above and below ground is very polluted. All my peers in the industry then had no proper disposal for effluents. Every production outfit in LOS dumps something.

[jayceenik]

I spend a week in BKK every month.

During that time I go pick up my POB mail at the Nana Post Office.

On the way back to my place I take a bus on the other Suk side and, while waiting, I've noticed that the butt "police" guy manning the "official" laptop at their post nearby has been the same guy ever since they set up their umbrella in front of the McDo (in fact, even before the McDo was built). A long time ago already.

These guys, this being LOS, must obviously share their loot at the end of the day with their superiors; nevertheless I'd guess that they have by now a comfortable house in the burbs with nice wheels in the driveway.

I disapprove of smoking on the street and more of disposing of cigarette butts on sidewalks but, like many BM above have said, it annoys me to see how selective they are in punishing only foreigners.

And, really, the odd cigarette butt is nothing compared to the garbage that's thrown daily in the klongs by the Thais themselves.

I once asked the laptop guy why they don't go after Thais. I also sometimes did stand around his desk while he was 'fining' a victim (and, certainly, proposing a no-receipt arrangement !!). Or point to him some discarded litter nearby. All this to his great annoyance and he always shooed me away while giving me evil eyes and mumbling threats in English. Indeed, for safety I've stopped being a critic and just watch them from a distance ... LOL

Edited August 17, 2013 by jayceenik

[kriswillems]

This scam has been going on for years in the sukhumvit area. They will not give you a real receipt, or overcharge you.

If you ask to pay in the office, they will let you go without paying.

If a fine sounds unreasonable to you, at any place in Thailand, and you can afford to loose a few hours, always choose to pay in the office.

The standard rate for almost all fines in Thailand is 200B or 400B. If you're asked to pay more than this, go to the office.

If they charge you less then 200B, you're paying them "tea money" - it's not a fine.

Edited August 18, 2013 by kriswillems

[krisb]

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.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

 

Safest thing to do IMHO is to take your litter home or discard it in a bin , that way you get to keep your money in your pocket and don't get a shake down...Litter bugs are all over the world and need educating especially the Thai's....

They need an education on how to build rubbish bins first

[brummiebob]

The problem is where they have enforcement of this law, there's no bin to be seen for Kilometres up and down the street, Silom Road opposite Patpong is notorious for this, they usually nab the Thai commuters going to work in the offices around there.

The funny thing is that these boys in brown/green is supposed to only enforce city ordinance yet many of them have guns holstered on their belt. Maybe getting in fight with Somtam vendors can get heated.

[Wombat6]

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.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Is your friend "Brain Dead' Where do you reckon the butt would end up ?? Fine was not enough!!

[Forethat]

Putting something down a storm drain is considered littering?

Yeaah, I know exactly how you feel; the thing is gone, right? How can it be littering if it disappeared?

I can tell you the former Sovjet Union agrees with you, they disposed of all sorts of chemical and nuclear related stuff in the worlds oceans, and only a fraction has been found, so it wasn't littering.

Gee, some people...

[Naam]

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

never do that in a one-way street because the fine will double!