Fine for drink driving

[nellyp]

My mate got stopped and breathilized the other night. he was told that he had to go to the station and would have to pay a 20,000 bail if he wanted to fight the charge ( if innocent he would get the 20k back). The cop told him the fine he had to pay was 5,000 baht, but he eventually went down to 2,000. All of this seems high to me, even the bribe, does anybody know the truth in these figures?

Cheers

Neil

[robblok]

Yes I heard it could be even a lot higher... They are getting tough on drink driving.. in my opinion they cant be tough enough on it.

[nellyp]

Yes I heard it could be even a lot higher... They are getting tough on drink driving.. in my opinion they cant be tough enough on it.

yep, that's true enough. I am interested if these are official figures though. i.e 20,000 and 5,000

[Marcel1]

I thought to have read somewhere that these are indeed the max. figures and as usual the bib want to make the most of it... but like robblok said they cant be high enough for drink driving.

[singa-traz]

Yes I heard it could be even a lot higher... They are getting tough on drink driving.. in my opinion they cant be tough enough on it.

yep, that's true enough. I am interested if these are official figures though. i.e 20,000 and 5,000

I was quoted the same by a policeman at a checkpoint (20,000 THB and one night at the station).

At the checkpoint, they had a quick breath test, that will detect alcohol, but not precise enought to know if you were above the limit, and another more accurate test at a mobile station.

Not sure about the 5,000 "fine", I'm guessing this one does not come with a receipt.

[robblok]

I read about these fines too... But was hesitant to post them as I had nothing to back it up. SO it seems other posters remember the same thing.

[Hili]

bribe money for dui is normally around 2000. If you go officially it can get much more (i heard around 10k), maybe court case, maybe social service, maybe revoke of license.... youll never know exactly but these are the options here.

[ll2]

yep, it is 20 k and you need to go to the court and sleep at the police station. happened to my thai colleague.

they go hard on this in bangkok, riders beware.

they caught me also and i was not super drunk though. god bless i know the policemen at that station and they know me so i refuse to breath into alcohol meter as they said i might need to go to the court if i do so they charged me 500 thb for no plate only but told me even they know me, they might not do anything next time as they said police chief is coming strong on this even to them.

[andrewrooney]

Not sure about the official amount, but a Thai buddy of mine once told me he had been stopped and had paid 2,000.

He was in a car, not a bike, but I imagine it's the same.

[paz]

I have been stopped with the scooter few months ago at Patpong. Seeing the roadblock I even had my friend dismount as she had no helmet, not living in BKK I did not realized that it was an alchol roadbloack. Now, I don't drive drunk, I had one single beer, the thing that has confused everythign was an ignorant foreign lawyer that told me that the breth analyzer at the roadblock is not legal proof, only a blood test is, so initially I refused to blow into it, after the very small box showed red.

Quiete few talks ensued until it was made clear me to it would have been 2,000 under the table (yes thye had a physycal table) to let me go w/o a test, or a stay into the station. I blew into the digital analyzer that comes with disposable spouts. I had 0.12, or so. I wasted so much of everybody time and looked like a idiot for nothing. Don't believe foreign lawyers.

[Spoonman]

I have been stopped with the scooter few months ago at Patpong. Seeing the roadblock I even had my friend dismount as she had no helmet, not living in BKK I did not realized that it was an alchol roadbloack. Now, I don't drive drunk, I had one single beer, the thing that has confused everythign was an ignorant foreign lawyer that told me that the breth analyzer at the roadblock is not legal proof, only a blood test is, so initially I refused to blow into it, after the very small box showed red.

Quiete few talks ensued until it was made clear me to it would have been 2,000 under the table (yes thye had a physycal table) to let me go w/o a test, or a stay into the station. I blew into the digital analyzer that comes with disposable spouts. I had 0.12, or so. I wasted so much of everybody time and looked like a idiot for nothing. Don't believe foreign lawyers.

you popped .12 after a single beer..............

Bullshit.

[paz]

I have been stopped with the scooter few months ago at Patpong. Seeing the roadblock I even had my friend dismount as she had no helmet, not living in BKK I did not realized that it was an alchol roadbloack. Now, I don't drive drunk, I had one single beer, the thing that has confused everythign was an ignorant foreign lawyer that told me that the breth analyzer at the roadblock is not legal proof, only a blood test is, so initially I refused to blow into it, after the very small box showed red.

Quiete few talks ensued until it was made clear me to it would have been 2,000 under the table (yes thye had a physycal table) to let me go w/o a test, or a stay into the station. I blew into the digital analyzer that comes with disposable spouts. I had 0.12, or so. I wasted so much of everybody time and looked like a idiot for nothing. Don't believe foreign lawyers.

you popped .12 after a single beer..............

Bullshit.

Digital point confusion. I had 0.012 (but the cop said "zero-twelve"), as normal with a single beer. So, nothing happened.

Edited September 23, 2013 by paz

[A1Str8]

How high the bribe is, always depends on the popo and your negotiation skills. In my opinion one should never complain when stopped for a good reason. Be happy to be able to pay your way out of it as it could end in a worse way as well..again depending on the copper. Of course I am not supporting corruption. Corruption is disgusting and its against my religion. But sometimes such things need to be done in the name of God.

[koo]

I have been stopped with the scooter few months ago at Patpong. Seeing the roadblock I even had my friend dismount as she had no helmet, not living in BKK I did not realized that it was an alchol roadbloack. Now, I don't drive drunk, I had one single beer, the thing that has confused everythign was an ignorant foreign lawyer that told me that the breth analyzer at the roadblock is not legal proof, only a blood test is, so initially I refused to blow into it, after the very small box showed red.

Quiete few talks ensued until it was made clear me to it would have been 2,000 under the table (yes thye had a physycal table) to let me go w/o a test, or a stay into the station. I blew into the digital analyzer that comes with disposable spouts. I had 0.12, or so. I wasted so much of everybody time and looked like a idiot for nothing. Don't believe foreign lawyers.

you popped .12 after a single beer..............

Bullshit.

Digital point confusion. I had 0.012 (but the cop said "zero-twelve"), as normal with a single beer. So, nothing happened.

The Americans are talking about percents and get these 0,012 levels for a beer. Europeans (and probably in this case the Thai police as well) were talking promilles, so 0,12 is quite normal for one beer and about half an hour for an average man. I was just wondering, what might the legal limit be in Thailand? 0,5? 0,8? 1,0? (and yes, this is promilles)

[paz]

0.05 BAC.

But BAC is a blood test, breath tests uses a different scale, so back to the breath/ blood confusion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_driving_law_by_country

Edited September 23, 2013 by paz

[Bpuumike]

I have been stopped with the scooter few months ago at Patpong. Seeing the roadblock I even had my friend dismount as she had no helmet, not living in BKK I did not realized that it was an alchol roadbloack. Now, I don't drive drunk, I had one single beer, the thing that has confused everythign was an ignorant foreign lawyer that told me that the breth analyzer at the roadblock is not legal proof, only a blood test is, so initially I refused to blow into it, after the very small box showed red.

Quiete few talks ensued until it was made clear me to it would have been 2,000 under the table (yes thye had a physycal table) to let me go w/o a test, or a stay into the station. I blew into the digital analyzer that comes with disposable spouts. I had 0.12, or so. I wasted so much of everybody time and looked like a idiot for nothing. Don't believe foreign lawyers.

I think the whole idea is to NOT drink and drive/ride.

If you don't care about your own life think about others it might impact.

[Arkady]

A Thai friend had to get his gf to come to the cop shop with B20k to bail him out - court case still pending. I believe the max fine is B10k for a first offence with 6 months driving ban. Police routinely ask for up to B20k as an on the spot bribe but settle for less - usually 2-10k. Sometimes they do this even to people who have not been drinking by pretending the victim is over the limit. Their machines are not properly calibrated anyway and wouldn't be accepted by Western courts as evidence, not even the slightly bigger one used by the senior officer by the side of the road. In the US and UK they usually have a desktop version back at the station that is used to provide evidence for the court. In the US they have to use a machine for evidence that can test for mouth alcohol which is eliminated from the calculation, a concept that is unknown to police and courts in Thailand. Back in Thailand women sexily dressed after a night out in RCA can often flutter their eyelids at the pig and be released back into the traffic stream blind drunk with no charge or bribe (I know of two cases). The police often make it obvious that you can pay a bribe to avoid having to blow into the bag at all. I have received this proposal several times but took my chances after only one or two beers. I had one cop who demanded a bribe, claiming I had failed, but refused to show me his reading or tell me how much over. From accounts of those who have been arrested and taken back to the station, most of those who get taken back are 3-4 times over the legal limit.

It's probably effective at reducing dangerous behaviour but it's implementation by Thailand's finest criminal gang leaves much to be desired.

[phitsanulokjohn]

I never understand,why governments around the world specify limits on drink driving.IMO there should be a complete blanket ban on the consumption of Alcohol whilst driving.My reasons for this are as follows:-

1) A complete ban means it would be a black and white case with no areas of Grey.

2) Everyones tolerance level to alcohol is different.

3) If you wish to kill yourself,then do it in a manner that doesn't selfishly involve others.

No one's perfect, and the majority of us have all done it at sometime in their driving lives,but there's far too much daily carnage on the streets of Thailand,without deliberately adding more.

Here endeth my 100th posting.

[KRS1]

I have a thai dui in bkk, got stopped at a checkpoint behind RCA....score was 0.196 = 3 bottles of red wine all to myself ( there were 3 others in the cell and their scores didnt add up to mine lol)

fine was 5000 baht and 22 hours of community service, you also have to go to a group meeting with other drunks 4 times a year, the meetings were quite fun, it was an all out revolt against the cops and people complaining they just had 1 beer etc....we always went drinking afterwards...lol...you will get a sticker with a 'D' for drunk on the back of your license.

Fines may have gone up, but it was 5000 baht when i got pinched....nowadays i ALWAYS bust a u turn and drive on the sidewalk or against traffic if i see a checkpoint. They always have checkpoints at blind corners

[KRS1]

How to pass a breathalyzer, ive done this twice with friends who have dranken the same amount. They got pinched i did not.

Exhale as hard as you can about 10 times, and right before you blow into the breathalyzer take a really big breath of air and blow the fresh air into the tube just enough to record a score, you dont want the air from your stomach or lungs to get in there.

You will pass, i exhaled leo beer fumes all over a cop before in Kao Yai and what matters is what shows up on the breathalyzer.

[CBR250]

I never understand,why governments around the world specify limits on drink driving.IMO there should be a complete blanket ban on the consumption of Alcohol whilst driving.My reasons for this are as follows:-

1) A complete ban means it would be a black and white case with no areas of Grey.

2) Everyones tolerance level to alcohol is different.

3) If you wish to kill yourself,then do it in a manner that doesn't selfishly involve others.

No one's perfect, and the majority of us have all done it at sometime in their driving lives,but there's far too much daily carnage on the streets of Thailand, without deliberately adding more.

Here endeth my 100th posting.

I disagree with the idea of a total ban - I think I should be able to have a glass of wine with dinner at a restaurant and drive home legally. Alcohol in itself isn't the problem, but rather it is the degree of the effect. Hence "levels" of acceptable consumption in many countries. They do, I believe, have a complete ban in Saudi Arabia (and other Middle Eastern states). Yet they still have a traffic death rate at least 5x higher than most of Europe, where alcohol consumption (at low levels) and driving is an everyday fact. And a complete ban will not stop the idiots who drive drunk today - they'll still do it.

[Radar501]

1) A complete ban means it would be a black and white case with no areas of Grey.

A complete BAC ban will NOT mean a black and white case. There are many shades of grey.

Legislating and enforcing a 0.00% limit may reduce the carnage on the roads. However, it will create confusion amongst the majority of normally responsible drivers amongst us who have one or two drinks and then not know when the alcohol has completely passed through the body.

I know many times I have woken up the morning after the night before, not really knowing if I feel like dog poo because of the residual alcohol in my system, the hangover, or because I am just tired.

Having a 0.05% buffer is always a reassuring insurance policy.

[paz]

I think the whole idea is to NOT drink and drive/ride.

If you don't care about your own life think about others it might impact.

Hey stiff, I wrote I don't drive drunk. I had 1 beer so I was 4 times under the Thai limit, that is a low limit.

Learn to read, learn the law, take a walk and go lecture somebody else.

Edited September 24, 2013 by paz

[wantan]

I think the whole idea is to NOT drink and drive/ride.

If you don't care about your own life think about others it might impact.

Hey stiff, I wrote I don'r drive drunk. I had 1 beer so I was 4 times under the Thai limit, that is a low limit. Learn to read, learn the law, take a walk and go lecture somebody else.

"One beer" can mean 0,3l or 0,6l or in germany sometimes 1,0l

With 0,5l you may be below the limit, with 1,0l i would doubt it. With "4 beers" you would be over the limit for sure. Of course you can try paying a bribe or other tricks then. But if you are involved in an accident you may will face a hard time.

[paz]

"One beer" can mean 0,3l or 0,6l or in germany sometimes 1,0l

With 0,5l you may be below the limit, with 1,0l i would doubt it. With "4 beers" you would be over the limit for sure. Of course you can try paying a bribe or other tricks then. But if you are involved in an accident you may will face a hard time.

I think you are still confused and have not read the decimal point clarification. Some people measure percent, some peope permill.

1 beer after 1 hour for average weight man = Below 0.02%. In my case 0.012%.

http://www.brad21.org/bac_charts.html

Or you can pull up any other chart from the web, the data is the same, Chemistry is a science not an opinion.

I don't know about Germany, but as I said to the other gent, learn to read, learn the law, have a walk, go lecture somebody else.

Edited September 24, 2013 by paz

[wantan]

"One beer" can mean 0,3l or 0,6l or in germany sometimes 1,0l

With 0,5l you may be below the limit, with 1,0l i would doubt it. With "4 beers" you would be over the limit for sure. Of course you can try paying a bribe or other tricks then. But if you are involved in an accident you may will face a hard time.

I think you are still confused and have not read the decimal point clarification. Some people measure percent, some peope permill.

1 beer after 1 hour for average weight man = Below 0.02%. In my case 0.012%.

http://www.brad21.org/bac_charts.html

Or you can pull up any other chart from the web, the data is the same, Chemistry is a science not an opinion.

I don't know about Germany, but as I said to the other gent, learn to read, learn the law, have a walk, go lecture somebody else.

This is a forum, not a private discussion. I wasn't talking to you in particular. Go drink and drive if you want. Its "not my beer" people in germany say

[paz]

I never understand,why governments around the world specify limits on drink driving.IMO there should be a complete blanket ban on the consumption of Alcohol whilst driving.My reasons for this are as follows:-

Because scientific medical studies over many years know better than you. There is no discernible imparment for very low alchol intake. For example, only "Subtle effects that can be detected with special tests" with BAC smaller than 0.03%.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_alcohol_content

Total ban is the same as saying to be unable and unwilling to be rationale on the matter.

.

[paz]

"One beer" can mean 0,3l or 0,6l or in germany sometimes 1,0l

With 0,5l you may be below the limit, with 1,0l i would doubt it. With "4 beers" you would be over the limit for sure. Of course you can try paying a bribe or other tricks then. But if you are involved in an accident you may will face a hard time.

I think you are still confused and have not read the decimal point clarification. Some people measure percent, some peope permill.

1 beer after 1 hour for average weight man = Below 0.02%. In my case 0.012%.

http://www.brad21.org/bac_charts.html

Or you can pull up any other chart from the web, the data is the same, Chemistry is a science not an opinion.

I don't know about Germany, but as I said to the other gent, learn to read, learn the law, have a walk, go lecture somebody else.

This is a forum, not a private discussion. I wasn't talking to you in particular. Go drink and drive if you want. Its "not my beer" people in germany say

You quoted me directly, so you were posting an an answer or reference to what I said. If you don't want to talk to anyone in particular, use the empty answer box below.

Edited September 24, 2013 by paz

[Bpuumike]

I think the whole idea is to NOT drink and drive/ride.

If you don't care about your own life think about others it might impact.

Hey stiff, I wrote I don't drive drunk. I had 1 beer so I was 4 times under the Thai limit, that is a low limit.

Learn to read, learn the law, take a walk and go lecture somebody else.

I think the concept is don't drink and drive, take a socially responsible approach and don't get your knickers in a twist on the forum.

[somtampet]

How to pass a breathalyzer, ive done this twice with friends who have dranken the same amount. They got pinched i did not.

Exhale as hard as you can about 10 times, and right before you blow into the breathalyzer take a really big breath of air and blow the fresh air into the tube just enough to record a score, you dont want the air from your stomach or lungs to get in there.

You will pass, i exhaled leo beer fumes all over a cop before in Kao Yai and what matters is what shows up on the breathalyzer.

The idea is to get drunken idiots off the road not to scam the test.

Again we have the thai haters doing just as bad and think its ok because one can bribe the cop.

What about when u kill someone thru lunacy,try to get out of that.Non thais should be thrown out the country from drink driving