Bangkok traffic: Tougher punishment for "ill-disciplined drivers"

[wprime]

This would be a good ' cause and effect ' question for university students studying economics.

Q. " What happens when monetary penalties for traffic offences are increased ? "

A. " The bribes sought by the police will go up in line with the official increases ".

Alternative thinking gets you nowhere in Thai universities no matter how true it is. If a student says anything other than "people commit less offences" he/she will be considered wrong.

[Xonax]

last friday i drove my motorbike with 80 kmh in to a pick ub . he was going from the left side lane to the other side of the road ( 4 Lanes ) without looking.

i hit his rear wheel with 80 kmh, bike is a write of ,i am ok not happend much.

Police turned ub ,made the there paint job and ask a few people around there, the driver of the pick ub was fined 500 bath , he had to load my bike on his pick ub

to take it to the police station. i been treatet wery nice as a" falang. "IMG_1443.JPG

How much compensation did you receive from the pick ub driver? Probably nothing, as you didn´t drive in the left side of the road.

I was just fined 400 Baht Tuesday this week, for driving on my motorbike on a junction bridge in Bangkok. This time, for the first time ever, I received a receipt for my payment and didn´t pay more because I am a Farang.

The laws for motorbikes should be changed, to be like the western laws, as it is EXTREMELY unsafe for a motorbike to drive in the left side of the road - particularily in Bangkok.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Xonax

[aussieinthailand]

In true Thaksinspeak it means that the Traffic Police bribe price is going to rise to offset any shortfall due to Thaksins orders to root out corruption in other areas.

However anyone driving a B.M.W. or a Mercedes or similar status vehicles labeling them as Hi.So, thus well educated and disciplined will of course be exempt from this campaign.

Taxi driver tuk tuk drivers, motorcycle driver, public service vehicle drivers and sundry delivery vehicle drivers, and Mr. and Mrs. Somchai motorised vehicle driving public along with the operators of the aforementioned types of transportation will now of course be demanding government assistance so as to assist in paying the new bribe rates.

Expect road blockages and detours due to the action campaign coming to your area soon

That didn't take long, anything, anything at all, even a traffic story , and some small minded people have to try to put a Thaksin slide on it, why not come up with some genuine idea's for this issue and stop pushing you own agenda.

get a life

[JoeThePoster]

Driving into people at a bus stop will never be the same again.

[Johnnie99]

I have laughed at so many things here in Thailand but this one made me roar.

Full marks for the most funny article in years.

[Johnnie99]

tackling ill-disciplined drivers will only leave foreigners who learned driver's safety in their driver's training course on the roads, haha.

Some of the worst drivers in Thailand are smug foreigners with a supreriority complex.

Or inaccurate commentators with poor English?

Edited October 4, 2013 by Johnnie99

[siampolee]

Aussiein thailand post # 34

That didn't take long, anything, anything at all, even a traffic story , and some small minded people have to try to put a Thaksin slide on it, why not come up with some genuine idea's for this issue and stop pushing you own agenda.

get a life

And the position you take, the agenda you are going to propose along with statement you are going to make concerning how this matter should be dealt with are ???????

22 years here seen the ongoing cancer of corruption spread under Thaksin's guidance over his time in politics, check out his business antics too full of corrupt practices

[worgeordie]

Came around a corner yesterday ,police extortion road block,

two coppers standing next to each other ,ones waving me on,

while the other is waving me to stop !,so when in doubt just

drive on.

regards Worgeordie

[mbeau]

last friday i drove my motorbike with 80 kmh in to a pick ub . he was going from the left side lane to the other side of the road ( 4 Lanes ) without looking.

i hit his rear wheel  with 80 kmh, bike is a write of ,i am ok not happend much.

Police turned ub ,made the there paint job and ask a few people around there, the driver of the pick ub was fined 500 bath , he had to load my bike on his pick ub

to take it to the police station. i been treatet wery nice as a" falang. "IMG_1443.JPG

 

How much compensation did you receive from the pick ub driver? Probably nothing, as you didn´t drive in the left side of the road.

 

I was just fined 400 Baht Tuesday this week, for driving on my motorbike on a junction bridge in Bangkok.  This time, for the first time ever, I received a receipt for my payment and didn´t pay more because I am a Farang. 

 

The laws for motorbikes should be changed, to be like the western laws, as it is EXTREMELY unsafe for a motorbike to drive in the left side of the road - particularily in Bangkok.

I rode a bike in Thailand for 20 years and was never able to understand the rationale behind this driving in the far left lane thing . I just assumed it was another outdated law that could be invoked and arbitrarily applied whenever it was time to rustle up some tea money. Which is largely true …but …then I went to live in Laos and it became immediately clear how this law originated: the bikers there ride excruciatingly slowly, swarming all over the road and holding everybody else up as they occupy as many lanes as are available. Having said that though, the Thai riders are now much better educated than their Lao counterparts (I know - hard to believe but true) and I think it is high time for this law to be revised

[jacko45k]

Sorry but who will teach the police ? they do not know how to drive why should they have never been taught the same as every Thai driver, my Wife was able to pass her Driving Test in the UK it took 60 hours with a Driving School, she moans about Thai Driving every Day, it will not change.

First of all, the Bangkok Traffic Police Department should ensure "Knowledge of the Law"; it was only a couple of years ago that a survey was taken: a very marge number of active traffic-cops were made to take the 'written-test' as standard for obtaining a driver's license . . . .

68% of these "active Traffic Cops FAILED this very basic & simple test ! ! ! !

They should educate their officers first and THEN start thinking about more sophisticated measures; but at the moment you've got little boys pretending to be doing a 'Man's' work . . . . . . . and OH YEAH; they carry guns: unbelievable ! !

I followed a policeman on his bike yesterday and he had his left blinker on permanently!

And even in Pattaya you know when the traffic police are operating the lights as the tailbacks are much worse.

Yes driving is bad here, but you can see the difference when a holiday or weekend occurs and we get the Bangkok traffic in town, more crazy, ill-mannered and pushy..... makes riding a bike very risky as Bangkok traffic doesn't seem to worry much about others!

[NoshowJones]

I see we have the make Thailand just like the place I ran away from forum here. Someday Thailand will be just like home and then where will you go.

Nothing wrong with some road safety as long as they don't over do it. And they have a real long way to go before it ever gets good.

Good thing would be stopping offenders instead of those static traps that don't do a thing for safety. More police cars driving and pulling over dangerous drivers would be a good thing. More traps for motorcycles certainly not (unless of course for real offenses like no tail light or other lights and driving on the wrong side)

Mr Robblok, this is the first time I am going to slightly disagree with you. No car driver or motorbike rider should get done for a brake light not working, how can they tell if the light goes out when they are driving.or riding?

[metisdead]

A post containing overly derogatory comments has been removed. A grammar police post has also been removed. Misspellings and grammatical errors can make posts difficult to understand. However English is not always the first language of our members so don't waste space correcting other members' grammar and spelling where it isn't necessary.

[NoshowJones]

Will this stop the Thai Police from riding their motorcycles on the Sukhumvit Road footpaths?

As I understand it, it is not illegal to ride a motorcycle on the footpaths. TIT.

[rjcampbe]

Never, never will the boys in brown ever do anything different?

Why work when you can extort?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The thing I don't understand is that there are thousands of legitimate laws broken every day that the BIB could actually enforce. Even if the "enforcement" was to take tea money they put directly in their pockets, if they actually enforced REAL LAWS instead of the nonsense they make up, it might actually affect the behavior of drivers.

Driving through red lights - fine

illegal u turns - fine

driving on wrong side of the road - fine

illegal parking - fine

No helmet - fine

4 people on a motorcycle - fine

They would STILL put the money in their pocket, but they would be enforcing real laws and potentially improving traffic flow and public safety.

[travelman]

Great. Happy to hear that.

What about ill-disciplined cops who are involved in extortion and bribery? Who will punish these Bangkok COPS? Who will reduce their bulging bellies?

as It's better that Governor Bangkok should get these cops disciplined and public will automatically follow.

Just to add, not even for one time in UK I have been asked money from cops in my entire life. That is called as SYSTEM. I don't think Thailand has any system.

[robblok]

last friday i drove my motorbike with 80 kmh in to a pick ub . he was going from the left side lane to the other side of the road ( 4 Lanes ) without looking.

i hit his rear wheel with 80 kmh, bike is a write of ,i am ok not happend much.

Police turned ub ,made the there paint job and ask a few people around there, the driver of the pick ub was fined 500 bath , he had to load my bike on his pick ub

to take it to the police station. i been treatet wery nice as a" falang. "IMG_1443.JPG

How much compensation did you receive from the pick ub driver? Probably nothing, as you didn´t drive in the left side of the road.

I was just fined 400 Baht Tuesday this week, for driving on my motorbike on a junction bridge in Bangkok. This time, for the first time ever, I received a receipt for my payment and didn´t pay more because I am a Farang.

The laws for motorbikes should be changed, to be like the western laws, as it is EXTREMELY unsafe for a motorbike to drive in the left side of the road - particularily in Bangkok.

I rode a bike in Thailand for 20 years and was never able to understand the rationale behind this driving in the far left lane thing . I just assumed it was another outdated law that could be invoked and arbitrarily applied whenever it was time to rustle up some tea money. Which is largely true …but …then I went to live in Laos and it became immediately clear how this law originated: the bikers there ride excruciatingly slowly, swarming all over the road and holding everybody else up as they occupy as many lanes as are available. Having said that though, the Thai riders are now much better educated than their Lao counterparts (I know - hard to believe but true) and I think it is high time for this law to be revised

Yes that law is one of my pet hates as its real dangerous to stay in the most left lane you get cut of by buses, minivans, taxi's and normal cars who want to stop. Its much safer to keep up with the flow of traffic in one of the other lanes. I just accept the fine, besides i got a big bike and its stupid to drive that one that slow. I can keep up with any car and even pass them if needed.

[pisico]

Bangkok deputy police chief Pol Maj-General Adul Narongsak will propose to the Transport Ministry that it amend laws to ensure harsher punishments for "ill-disciplined drivers".

Mr Maj-General...Please tell me...What do you expect of the drivers if the driving license can be bought ???...No test...No questions asked...

Fernando Alonsos??

He will get on it ... as soon as he finishes reading your question. Seriously.

[dao16]

Never, never will the boys in brown ever do anything different?

Why work when you can extort?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The thing I don't understand is that there are thousands of legitimate laws broken every day that the BIB could actually enforce. Even if the "enforcement" was to take tea money they put directly in their pockets, if they actually enforced REAL LAWS instead of the nonsense they make up, it might actually affect the behavior of drivers.

Driving through red lights - fine

illegal u turns - fine

driving on wrong side of the road - fine

illegal parking - fine

No helmet - fine

4 people on a motorcycle - fine

They would STILL put the money in their pocket, but they would be enforcing real laws and potentially improving traffic flow and public safety.

Yeah, that boggles my mind, too. Where I am living now, the police don't work at all, except the extortion points, as someone called them. I often just look at them and drive through, since they are too worried/freaked out by a falang to talk. Everybody knows the days and hours when they do this, too. I even take different roads depending on how I see the police set up.

But then, during rush hour or at night....I have seen people (young guys) do donuts in the middle of the street. No police around for miles.

I think they just don't like to work.

[thhMan]

Whats so hard about about it. A rule is broken, they bust the perpetrator and fine them.

I think what Narongsak needs to do is give all his police force an IQ test. Those that cannot comprehend basic logic must go.

[aussieinthailand]

My take on this,

1. Police should know the traffic laws and enforce them without the tea money,

2. Drivers should know the traffic laws and not buy a license.

3. T.V. and news paper campaigns on the traffic laws, ie: Red light means STOP! and give way to the right on a roundabout and so on.

4. For my own protection, I have a dash cam with 2 lenses, one facing forward and the other facing the drivers side window so the BIB will a nice close up of him when asking for his tea money and I just point to the cam and smile, then everything just stops, the more people that have dash cams the less tea money will be extorted, and the you falang you pay will not happen as you now have video evidence.

and for Siampolee: no Thaksin slide or agenda pushing, see it's ez

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed, people obsessed with bringing Thaksin into every topic should give it a rest.

[siampolee]

A great agenda, how is it going to be enforced?

Agreed your cam settings exempt you from paying up, sadly though the next person along gets to pay part of what you should have paid.

Corruption is endemic here. You are protecting yourself but doing nothing to halt the everyday extortion practiced by the traffic police and others of that ilk. A good self protection policy and a blind eye view, I'm alright Jack attitude, no effective action to halt the corrupt extortion process

The ideas you propose are excellent. However they would only work in a society where education and pride in ones civic duties and a duty to serve the public honesty is the norm rather than self enrichment and nepotism along with rampant corruption as practiced from the top down.

[newermonkey]

How about some tougher punishment for ill-disciplined police ?

Edited October 4, 2013 by metisdead
Oversize font reset to normal. Please do not post using overly large font.

[newermonkey]

Will this stop the Thai Police from riding their motorcycles on the Sukhumvit Road footpaths?

About 15 years ago I was walking on the foot path at the Klong Toey end of Soi 26 the path at that time was narrow, a cop on a bike rode up behind me beeping his horn wanting to get past on his mc. I was so pissed off I stopped in my tracks turned to face him I reached out and took out his ignition key and through it across to the other side of the Rama 4 road!

He was so shocked that he just sat there and did nothing, perhaps he was scared of me, as I am a big farang and I am not threatened by police or anyone else.

Perhaps more people (especially Thais) should challenge these police law breakers?

Edited October 4, 2013 by newermonkey

[Shagz]

more revenue !

[gtm2k]

This is a welcome change - and hope it gets implemented at grass-root level first - ie - the band of boys in black !

There is no deterrent today as most drivers feel that they could get away with anything by passing the buck under the table.

At the same time - the outer ring road expressways have been installed with camera based speed checkers and that has dramatically reduced the drivers overspeed and criss-crossing lanes , as the fines (B 1000) are posted straight to your residential address !

Everything takes time to change - this one is executed well would be a welcome one !

[Jay Sata]

They are not applying much effort at bringing the Red Bull heir to justice. You can't get more ill disciplined than killing a cop while high on drink and drugs.

[Cuban]

Basics first.

Motorbikes need working lights at least when it is dark, daytime would be nice.

Helmet wearing enforced for the school run and everyone else.

These BASIC requirement will save lives and injuries across the nation in one day....

.....how best to achieve this?

It takes one minor member of a certain Thai "family" whose image is carried on every Thai wall to appear on TV to make this a followed and desirable practice, a few Thai pop idols wearing helmets in music videos would push the message home.

A wise motorbike manufacturer could clean up financially and morally if handled well.

Meanwhile.....

[aussieinthailand]

A great agenda, how is it going to be enforced?

Agreed your cam settings exempt you from paying up, sadly though the next person along gets to pay part of what you should have paid.

Corruption is endemic here. You are protecting yourself but doing nothing to halt the everyday extortion practiced by the traffic police and others of that ilk. A good self protection policy and a blind eye view, I'm alright Jack attitude, no effective action to halt the corrupt extortion process

The ideas you propose are excellent. However they would only work in a society where education and pride in ones civic duties and a duty to serve the public honesty is the norm rather than self enrichment and nepotism along with rampant corruption as practiced from the top down.

AAhhh judge jury and executioner huh siampolee,,, and yet you didn't read my post properly,

" Corruption is endemic here. You are protecting yourself but doing nothing to halt the everyday extortion practiced by the traffic police and others of that ilk"

WRONG!!! my dash cam just did stop one small policeman trying to extortion money from me, then I said if more people installed dash cams this would help with this above said extortion, and the you falang you pay gig,

It's in no way an i'm alright jack attitude, it's another form of insurance, and refusing to pay corrupt cop's.

so now I will not do as you did and accuse you of doing nothing to halt the extortion, but instead i'll ask you,

just what are you doing in "effective action to halt the corrupt extortion process"???

[siampolee]

You really are somewhat sensitive are you not?

On three occasions I have been asked for money on each occasion I refused and demanded to be given the fine ticket and to pay said fine at the appropriate police station,. result told to go away and no tickets issued.

My stand worked as yours did however we only gained benefit for ourselves not others.

what am I doing to eradicate corruption at the base level?

I like my wife and family refuse to pay and take a stand it works, also we have spread the word in the local area and that too has worked to the benefit of the locals. we no longer have the police lurking at the roadside to extort monies from passing traffic.

Now take a chill pill and calm down your heart is in some ways in the right place. However my being born out of wedlock makes me react as I do !!

A positive albeit small contribution against corruption from someone and his family who live in a Thai environment in the backwaters of Thailand not a big city

Edited October 4, 2013 by siampolee