CM Fuzz - Let Us Prey

[MisterTee]

Ever since the Thai Army restored a sense of security, I have noticed fewer, if any, police checkpoints in the city.

Have other dubious forms of law-enforcement cum tax-collection been curtailed as well?

Just curious.

[eyecatcher]

Why do it if there is no longer a financial incentive.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I still see plenty. Usual one at Nawarat Bridget is regularly in progress. And last night a very serious one at Thapae gate that included armed military. I'm not driving past there anymore. Also the old Lamphun Road often has them at night.

[mesquite]

I see the same number as well.

[willfreeman]

i thought ive seen them more regularly since the coup, a cpl points on the moat and by the park at chang puak

[ovenman]

Seems like business-as-usual to me as well from what I have seen.

[Tywais]

Going north on the Canal road and immediately after the Suthep intersection the usual crew are there this morning.

[Thighlander]

They've got the cones set up almost always in front of their encampment on Nimman. None of it looks like it has been for helmet checks, does look like it could easily become a DUI checkpoint, and the transporter ("paddy wagon") is usually parked there, too.

[Frank James]

They're a regular item a block or so east of Icon/Computer Center. I love riding through the checkpoint on a bicycle, helmet free, just regular hat. Sometimes I get a look, like they're thinking of pulling me over, just because.

[Ulysses G.]

I still see plenty. Usual one at Nawarat Bridget is regularly in progress. And last night a very serious one at Thapae gate that included armed military.

I've noticed the army along with what I have been told are volunteer police in blue. I have not seen the boys in brown at that location since the coup. Edited June 24, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I see them regular. Stopping motorcyclists WITH helmets and asking to see their driving license. It appears the numbers of people riding without helmets has decreased so licenses is the new focus.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I still see plenty. Usual one at Nawarat Bridget is regularly in progress. And last night a very serious one at Thapae gate that included armed military.

I've noticed the army along with what I have been told are volunteer police in blue. I have not seen the boys in brown at that location since the coup.

What are they checking for typically? I am now making ungodly detours leaving Spicy.

[JohnLocke]

i thought ive seen them more regularly since the coup, a cpl points on the moat and by the park at chang puak

I second this opinion... got my first ticket/bribe down from the Chang Phuak bus station, right next to Sanaam Gila (stadium) before the roundabout. In my many years here, it used to be that falaang always got waved on, if wearing helmets. Our serene officer-of-the-day spoke perfect English as he asked to see my Thai Drivers License, which I didn't yet have. Five large, and a knowing smile from the gentleman in brown, and we were on our way. Spent two weeks after that doing all kinds of crazy shortcuts to avoid that particular street, until I got the license finally. They are there during business hours, except for their lunch break.

Edited June 24, 2014 by JohnLocke

[Chiengmaijoe]

i thought ive seen them more regularly since the coup, a cpl points on the moat and by the park at chang puak

I second this opinion... got my first ticket/bribe down from the Chang Phuak bus station, right next to Sanaam Gila (stadium) before the roundabout. In my many years here, it used to be that falaang always got waved on, if wearing helmets. Our serene officer-of-the-day spoke perfect English as he asked to see my Thai Drivers License, which I didn't yet have. Five large, and a knowing smile from the gentleman in brown, and we were on our way. Spent two weeks after that doing all kinds of crazy shortcuts to avoid that particular street, until I got the license finally. They are there during business hours, except for their lunch break.

If you have all the correct papers then it really isn't a problem. I agree, that they used to mostly wave farangs through, but maybe as more farangs wear helmets they've realised that they can do them for not having a licence. The late night checks at Thapae Rd are sometimes alcohol, I think. Usually a hospital an nearby to do the test. There's an alcohol checkpoint opposite Rimping Nawarat, but they're not there much lately, but invariably stopping young kids on motorbikes and never cars.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Saturday, on canal road at the Suthep road intersection.

Big one with Canal road partially blocked.

[dave2]

re

I still see plenty. Usual one at Nawarat Bridget is regularly in progress

hes right : )

pic taken 4 days ago !

re

by the park at chang puak

theres a park in chiang puak ?

dave2

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I still see plenty. Usual one at Nawarat Bridget is regularly in progress. And last night a very serious one at Thapae gate that included armed military.

I've noticed the army along with what I have been told are volunteer police in blue. I have not seen the boys in brown at that location since the coup.

I believe the boys in blue are border patrol police.

[Beetlejuice]

My son is a police officer in Chiang Mai and asked me to inform the OP that the police have not been made redundant yet and it`s business as usual, so for the OP`s own benefit he is advised to abide by the laws at all times.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Beetlejuice

[Thailand]

Probably the best way to avoid problems is perhaps wear a helmet, have a license and insurance, drive sober and abide by the law.

Radical I guess but give it a try!

[masuk]

I still see plenty. Usual one at Nawarat Bridget is regularly in progress. And last night a very serious one at Thapae gate that included armed military.

I've noticed the army along with what I have been told are volunteer police in blue. I have not seen the boys in brown at that location since the coup.

What are they checking for typically? I am now making ungodly detours leaving Spicy.

I passed a check point on Canal Rd this morning, and they were checking the registration dates on the windscreen sticker. There were a good few cars pulled over to the side.

[femi fan]

Abide by the law. Do your citizen's duty. Yes sir.

I got stopped driving my car several months ago by one of these collections of, erm, state representatives out to make the roads a safer place, even though my car tax was in order and i was wearing a seatbelt. He asked me for 'the book'. I said 'what book?, pretending that i spoke no thai. He kept on saying 'the book', and i just said 'what book?' After quite a lot of this ping pong i gave in and said it was at home, didn't want any thieves to get it if they stole the car. I could not see how they had one on me. Meanwhile my wife on the motorbike was following a few minutes behind and saw me stopped.

Turned out that i must have either the book in my car, or a copy of it. This is the law. I had no copy in my car. I had broken the law and had to be fined. Not wanting to promote the continuance of corruption, and being pretty pissed off they had got me, we paid at the station.

I once got done for parking in the right place, but facing the wrong way. A heinous crime, but the officer showed me an extremely well-thumbed rule book which clearly stated i had broken the law.

Follow the law. If you know it.

It's all a game, and sometimes you lose, but why the locals keep putting up with this broad daylight robbery is slightly baffling. Only slightly, because everybody just puts up with this shit, it's in the genes.

But it does make me laugh, this game, when farangs on thaivisa just tell other farangs to obey the law. It just perpetuates the game of injustice.

[harrry]

My son is a police officer in Chiang Mai and asked me to inform the OP that the police have not been made redundant yet and it`s business as usual, so for the OP`s own benefit he is advised to abide by the laws at all times.

Does that include the law that you should not pay bribes?

[Mapguy]

Abide by the law. Do your citizen's duty. Yes sir.

I got stopped driving my car several months ago by one of these collections of, erm, state representatives out to make the roads a safer place, even though my car tax was in order and i was wearing a seatbelt. He asked me for 'the book'. I said 'what book?, pretending that i spoke no thai. He kept on saying 'the book', and i just said 'what book?' After quite a lot of this ping pong i gave in and said it was at home, didn't want any thieves to get it if they stole the car. I could not see how they had one on me. Meanwhile my wife on the motorbike was following a few minutes behind and saw me stopped.

Turned out that i must have either the book in my car, or a copy of it. This is the law. I had no copy in my car. I had broken the law and had to be fined. Not wanting to promote the continuance of corruption, and being pretty pissed off they had got me, we paid at the station.

I once got done for parking in the right place, but facing the wrong way. A heinous crime, but the officer showed me an extremely well-thumbed rule book which clearly stated i had broken the law.

Follow the law. If you know it.

It's all a game, and sometimes you lose, but why the locals keep putting up with this broad daylight robbery is slightly baffling. Only slightly, because everybody just puts up with this shit, it's in the genes.

But it does make me laugh, this game, when farangs on thaivisa just tell other farangs to obey the law. It just perpetuates the game of injustice.

Well, it appears you have your nose a bit out of joint. Perfectly understandable considering having to trek to the police station.

But what's unjust? There is no game if you know and follow the law You were nabbed quite legitimately for some minor infractions as I have in the past. The difference seems to be that I have never ever even been asked for any sort of bribe in several years.

Do people bribe their way out? Apparently so, but that game takes two players. So, pay or play, if you choose. If traffic fines and penalties were anywhere near as stiff in Thailand as elsewhere, there would be considerably less gaming. I have paid a few tickets!

By the way, I have always kept a copy of the blue book in the car (as well as proof of all insurance). It is the same thing, really, as keeping a copy of a car registration establishing ownership in the glovebox. Not very odd. The first request in a routine traffic stop in the USA is "License and registration, please." But I was advised to never keep the original blue book in the car because it is then too easy for someone else to traffic your car if they steal it.

Oh, I also got nabbed once for parking the wrong way on the opposite curb. I was dashing into a store. I returned in haste just as the BIB was putting pen to his pad. He let me off with a smile after my polite mea culpa.

You'll no doubt feel better in the morning! Cheers!

Edited June 24, 2014 by Mapguy

[northernjohn]

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They've got the cones set up almost always in front of their encampment on Nimman. None of it looks like it has been for helmet checks, does look like it could easily become a DUI checkpoint, and the transporter ("paddy wagon") is usually parked there, too.

Do they use the Paddy wagon?

My son is a police officer in Chiang Mai and asked me to inform the OP that the police have not been made redundant yet and it`s business as usual, so for the OP`s own benefit he is advised to abide by the laws at all times.

If your son says it is business as usual that means it is cheaper to bribe than pay the fine.

Maybe if there was a new direction like up hold the law it would mane sense.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Abide by the law. Do your citizen's duty. Yes sir.

I got stopped driving my car several months ago by one of these collections of, erm, state representatives out to make the roads a safer place, even though my car tax was in order and i was wearing a seatbelt. He asked me for 'the book'. I said 'what book?, pretending that i spoke no thai. He kept on saying 'the book', and i just said 'what book?' After quite a lot of this ping pong i gave in and said it was at home, didn't want any thieves to get it if they stole the car. I could not see how they had one on me. Meanwhile my wife on the motorbike was following a few minutes behind and saw me stopped.

Turned out that i must have either the book in my car, or a copy of it. This is the law. I had no copy in my car. I had broken the law and had to be fined. Not wanting to promote the continuance of corruption, and being pretty pissed off they had got me, we paid at the station.

I once got done for parking in the right place, but facing the wrong way. A heinous crime, but the officer showed me an extremely well-thumbed rule book which clearly stated i had broken the law.

Follow the law. If you know it.

It's all a game, and sometimes you lose, but why the locals keep putting up with this broad daylight robbery is slightly baffling. Only slightly, because everybody just puts up with this shit, it's in the genes.

But it does make me laugh, this game, when farangs on thaivisa just tell other farangs to obey the law. It just perpetuates the game of injustice.

Did you ever get booked when you hadn't committed an offence? It doesn't matter how trivial it is, here or anywhere else in the world you'll get a ticket. No offence, no ticket. The only tickets I ever got were for commiting an offence. I actually got done for not wearing a seat belt. "Fair cop", I say, and it's only 400 baht or whatever. It'll teach me a lesson, and I should wear a seatbelt. Points on my licence and minimum 2500 baht , or more , back home.

[jonwilly]

"Probably the best way to avoid problems is perhaps wear a helmet, have a license and insurance, drive sober and abide by the law."

Agree 100%.

Mind you I was stopped yesterday Tuesday for a licence check. Very polite young officer with excellent English. Though I was being done for going through a Red light outside Suan Prung Hospital but just routine check.

john

Never had to Pay a fee unless I have broken some law.

[VillageIdiot]

My son is a police officer in Chiang Mai and asked me to inform the OP that the police have not been made redundant yet and it`s business as usual, so for the OP`s own benefit he is advised to abide by the laws at all times.

No, the Thai Army hasn't made them redundant.

A large percentage have made themselves redundant by failing the public trust and becoming an alternative form of criminality.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

and it`s business as usual

Happy to read you agree it's a business, not primarily law enforcement.

[JingerBen]

My son is a police officer in Chiang Mai and asked me to inform the OP that the police have not been made redundant yet and it`s business as usual, so for the OP`s own benefit he is advised to abide by the laws at all times.

No, the Thai Army hasn't made them redundant.

A large percentage have made themselves redundant by failing the public trust and becoming an alternative form of criminality.

Spot on.

Some of the responses to this topic show very clearly the mindset of so many farangs here.

These mealy-mouthed goody two-shoes' with their supine acceptance of state-extortion have made their own countries unliveable with their petty rules, regulations, permits, and licences for everything.

Where I grew up in Westchester County, north of New York City, you now can't do even minor repairs to your own home without a village permit, and the work has to be done by a licenced contractor at grossly inflated prices.

Is that what we want Chiang Mai to become?

[femi fan]

Well, it appears you have your nose a bit out of joint. Perfectly understandable considering having to trek to the police station.

But what's unjust? There is no game if you know and follow the law You were nabbed quite legitimately for some minor infractions as I have in the past. The difference seems to be that I have never ever even been asked for any sort of bribe in several years.

Do people bribe their way out? Apparently so, but that game takes two players. So, pay or play, if you choose. If traffic fines and penalties were anywhere near as stiff in Thailand as elsewhere, there would be considerably less gaming. I have paid a few tickets!

By the way, I have always kept a copy of the blue book in the car (as well as proof of all insurance). It is the same thing, really, as keeping a copy of a car registration establishing ownership in the glovebox. Not very odd. The first request in a routine traffic stop in the USA is "License and registration, please." But I was advised to never keep the original blue book in the car because it is then too easy for someone else to traffic your car if they steal it.

Oh, I also got nabbed once for parking the wrong way on the opposite curb. I was dashing into a store. I returned in haste just as the BIB was putting pen to his pad. He let me off with a smile after my polite mea culpa.

You'll no doubt feel better in the morning! Cheers!

I was only a bit peeved at the time because i had thought i'd done everything to be inside the law, and therefore not losing the 'game'. In addition i was randomly stopped for no reason since all outwardly appeared to be in order. I know this is habit in some countries, australia for example, and clearly here nowadays, i presume because there are less obvious 'offenders'.

However, the thing that really peeves me is the invasion of the citizens' lives by operatives of the state who are embarking on a money-generating scheme. Many thais spend a long time earning the little money they get, and then they have it stolen by either the police or the government. Clearly this is a rather bigger debate which is not perhaps relevant here, but i'm just outlining why i posted the way i did.

It is doubly peevable because i've lived in thailand for a long time, and to see it recently becoming the same as britain and other western nations where the state pokes its nose and hands into the citizens' lives under the pretence that they are ensuring the laws (made by them to suit them) is somewhat depressing. It's like being a character in 1984 where slowly one gets dragged into the all-catching net, having been able to thus far play the 'game' and keep low and out of the state's firing line.

By the way mate, i think you missed the bit where i said all this happened quite some time back! I just posted up my bit because it riles me a bit when farang tell farang to just obey the law. It's a thai national pastime to disobey the law simply because they find it easier than objecting to the law. Not the least the policemen themselves who will disobey the law whenever it gets in the way. Like i say, it's national trait.