I am posting this to tell how police officers have diligently dealt with a life threatening situation

Sorry to bore you with a background but I deem them important for the understanding

My 43 y.o.a Thai spouse has had a history of vascular strokes since September 2012
Yesterday, on April 22nd, we arrived back home from Singapore and fancied some noodles. We rode our bike to Suanplu where he ordered them.
At that moment he started losing his motor functions ( stroke ) then went into a kind of epileptic seizure ( not the convulsion type )
With the help of some of the Thai around, I put him on the bike planning on urgently driving him to the Bangkok hospital ( where he has been treated ) but I realised that the seizure wouldn't allow me to strap him in ( and yes I have already done it: 20 minutes versus 2 hours, no point arguing: that saved his life two months ago )
A couple of taxis went by, but refused to take him to the hospital. ( Bangkok Hospital )
Witnessing my anger and despair one the people tried and got a cab willing to transport my spouse.
I opened the way for the taxi, through Suanplu and Rama IV., burt when we reached the entrance of the highway the taxi stopped and asked why I wasn't taking him to a nearby hospital: it was 6PM and there we we're stuck in the traffic.
As I was afraid he was going to leave my spouse on the side of the road I asked to wait and went to the highway police post located at the entrance of the highway.
I was greeted by five or six officers who had problems understanding me ( My Thai is ok but I could expect to be served eggs when I actually order a chicken leg ): I stopped with the explanations and then said in Thai " someone is dying in a taxi and needs to get to the hospital "
They immediately stood up, one of them asked two officers to take theirs bikes and escort the cab, while the others made way for it to go backward and enter the highway
I had planned to follow them but...no bikes on the highway. By the time I parked, after I had told them where to go...they were on their way to the hospital
No choice but go and wait for them at the Bangkok Hospital. On the way I realised that I had told them the full name of the hospital: Bangkok Hospital Rama IX.
As I hadn't taken the cab's number I called my spouse's: luckily someone answered telling me that he was already registered with the ER ......of the Rama IX hospital
I then asked the Bkk hospital to call that hospital: they were told that wouldn't let the patient go
I called the hospital directly and " ordered " them to send him to the Bangkok hospital: cost 2000 Baht to which I agreed
A couple of minutes later I called them back to ask about the taxi as I hadn't paid him: I was told that the taxi had left and it would cost me 3000 Baht...... Because they wanted to make a perfusion. I shouted so loud in the phone that the nurse got scared and hung up saying "ok, ok "
I went back the ER of the Bkk hospital and asked them to contact again the Rama IX hospital: they were told that my spouse had been put back........in the taxi
Fifteen minutes later I saw an escort of Police with the taxi arriving at the doors of the ER.
I can't tell you my relief as my spouse was taken out of the cab, whose driver I paid for the fare ++, and directed to the ER
I turned to the police officers to thank them and, what seems natural to me, give them some money which they declined even though I was insisting that is was to thank them: nothing to do with corruption.
They refused three times and even felt that my insistence made them uncomfortable : " it is our duty and we were glad to help" even apologising for the misunderstanding about the address I had given, which was clearly my fault.
Of course, most of us, coming from Europe, as it is my case, would find that behaviour quite normal but we tend to forget that we depend on the good will of people whether it is considered their duty or not
The only way I have now to thank them is to open this thread and hope that this will shed another light on the Police and, somehow, reach a police desk ( if any of you has an email or address please fell free to share it with me )

THANK YOU TO THESE OFFICERS

Edited April 23, 201412 yr by ubonjoe
Edited title for clarity purposes.

Glad to hear that everything worked out in the end.

Against all that we hear and read regarding the 'black' side of the police, they will help when they can without the need for a handout. This may go against the grain to those who base their experience of the police on secondhand information received from anonymous forums and tabloids.

Hope your spouse has recovered.

Nice story. Contrary to the rantings of some TV members, not every single police officer in Thailand is corrupt. There are some good ones, outnumbering the bad ones. But the bad ones are, unfortunately, pretty bad.

I am sure that this is not an isolated case

Quite weird actually: I do not recall opening this thread under the title I can read

Mine was : Got issues with Thai police? But where to file a NON complaint?

I deem it was better

If anyone has changed it, I would have been glad to know beforehand. Legitimate demand, isn't it?

Or did I really name it this way?

Quite weird actually: I do not recall opening this thread under the title I can read

Mine was : Got issues with Thai police? But where to file a NON complaint?

I deem it was better

If anyone has changed it, I would have been glad to know beforehand. Legitimate demand, isn't it?

Or did I really name it this way?

Your OP shows that the title was edited for clarity along with the mod who adjusted it. Please PM him if you think it should be changed back.

Police just doing their job. Glad to hear hubby is ok!

Question, why didn't you just take him to the nearest hospital?

As mentioned, he has been treated at the Bkk General hospital and, trust me, the time wasted in traffic jam is far less than the time a new team would have wasted assessing the condition.

Furthermore, the nearest hospital would have been the Saint Louis hospital where I took him the first time ever, not knowing it was a stroke: they had us seating for an hour or so, and a chest x ray later, we were told that he would recover by himself within weeks ( he was unable to utter a word nor read nor write at the time ): well, he didn't.

Instead the physician should have directed us to a hospital with adequate facilities.

Incompetence of some is sometimes smoothen by other's efficiency.....these police officers

Good to see someone have something positive for once about the Royal Thai Police. In my 30 years here I had little dealing with them Twice for house burglaries, once for stolen motorcycle, twice for nasty neighbors, three times for traffic matters & once for lost property report. In all instances they were polite, courteous and their judgements fair and reasonable. Just yesterday I caught one up at some traffic lights to inform him he had a bungy cord dangerously dangling from the rear of his motorcycle. He was polite and thankful for my assistance.

People should not toss the whole barrel of apples just because a few are bad.

Bangkok police officers able to deliver babies on road site as they are trained and have kits with them, this situation only have in this amazing country and people.

its just a pity that people are so amazed when the thai police actually do the job

that theyre being paid to do for once .........

That's really good and in BKK and I hope your spouse is well now and thanks for sharing. I had a good experience in Sisaket when my truck broke 20 km from nowhere. I tried to flag a couple police pickups that had passed but no response then one blinked the lights and me and went on. I was parked half way in the traffic lane on a busy highway. A few min later a motorcycle cop came and stayed with me for about 3 more hours directing traffic away from my truck and helping get a tow truck that wasn't big enough. Finally he contacted Sisaket main police and they sent out a big tow truck. I tried to give the officer 100b to get some lunch but he politely refused even thought he was standing on the highway from 10am to 1pm. They get my vote!

How someone could refuse to take a person in need of emergency help to the hospital boggles my mind, let alone two. Sadly representative of many of our taxi drivers. Even more appalling is hospital staff that put a stroke victim in a cab.

Getting back to your question, if it was the Highway Police as you say, then they are separate from the Royal Thai Police. The HP are actually under the transport ministry, to that is where you would want to send your gratification. Their hotline is 1193.

Edited April 24, 201412 yr by NomadJoe

I been here 20 years and always had a good experience with the thai police/tourest police, the few times i was forced to deal with them.

Man...stories like this...really mess up my jaded opinion of Thai police...good for her and them...

99% of the people in Thailand are ok, same as these Police officers are...

It gives a warm feeling to read positive reactions and experiences

Thx for the sharing

Not being negative, but it is amusing how people lavish such praise on the police for simply doing their job. It is veery surprising when they do a good job, this is true. Sad really.

Nice story. Contrary to the rantings of some TV members, not every single police officer in Thailand is corrupt. There are some good ones, outnumbering the bad ones. But the bad ones are, unfortunately, pretty bad.

I have been stopped by BiB on my car, and motorbike, and all I have had is good manners, and a very pleasant attitude from them. One even shook my hand. But there is always a rotten apple in a barrel, and that allies to any profession, in any country.

Not surprised at all!

Glad to hear everything turn out positive.

its just a pity that people are so amazed when the thai police actually do the job

that theyre being paid to do for once .........

Let's put it this way, I would have had the same reaction if that had happened in Europe. Of course it is the Police duty, the fireman's duty to save lives but don't we take that for granted?

I also insist on these officers' reactivity once they had understood the situation

Edited April 25, 201412 yr by alyx

How someone could refuse to take a person in need of emergency help to the hospital boggles my mind, let alone two. Sadly representative of many of our taxi drivers. Even more appalling is hospital staff that put a stroke victim in a cab.

Getting back to your question, if it was the Highway Police as you say, then they are separate from the Royal Thai Police. The HP are actually under the transport ministry, to that is where you would want to send your gratification. Their hotline is 1193.

Thanks, that is noted.

As for getting my spouse back in the cab, as I was refusing that they administer any kind of medicine (as they didn't have his files ) it is understandable that they washed their hands (actually for the better because ambulance or not, they would have been stuck in the traffic as the local do not seem to give a toss about whether it is an emergency )

The fact that the Police waited on site was the determining factor I guess

Edited April 25, 201412 yr by alyx

Not being negative, but it is amusing how people lavish such praise on the police for simply doing their job. It is veery surprising when they do a good job, this is true. Sad really.

Soldiers, doctors, firemen, teachers....all just doing their jobs but there is no harm in praising good work done by anybody.

Good luck to you and I hope your spouse is on the mend.

Not being negative, but it is amusing how people lavish such praise on the police for simply doing their job. It is veery surprising when they do a good job, this is true. Sad really.

As it is their duty to direct traffic

But when they save lives, whether they are bound to do it or not, it needs to be noted.

As I said above, we tend to take that for granted....until it happens to us

Good luck to you and I hope your spouse is on the mend.

Thanks, regarding the stroke, he has fully recovered

Thank you for posting this. It would never have occurred to me to seek police help to clear a way for travel to a hospital in such a situation, you were very resourceful. It's good to know this is (or can be) is a possibility. I will keep it in mind as will I am sure many others who read this.

Well it stands to reason statistically that ALL police cannot be bad. There has to be a few good ones,

and it looks like you found them...

Thank you for posting this. It would never have occurred to me to seek police help to clear a way for travel to a hospital in such a situation, you were very resourceful. It's good to know this is (or can be) is a possibility. I will keep it in mind as will I am sure many others who read this.

I will make sure that it gets to their hierarchy. They deserve to be singled out and, also, it might clear the way for a pattern

Find out where they're stationed and file a report in the form of a box of 1 liter Johnny Black bottles.

I thought about that but I guess it will be on top

Easy to know where they are stationned as they escorted the cab from there