Is my butt worth ฿2000 or ฿10000?

[Gringogazzer]

On Monday I left the wife having a shower in the hotel to nip to the shop to get some milk.

I was walking near soi 8 Sukhumvit Rd, Nana.

While walking I was smoking a cigarette and when the cigarette was finished looked around for somewhere to dispose of it. I couldn't see nowhere off hand, so moved to the edge of the road and ditched the "butt" on the side of the road.

I walked about another 50m & a policeman pulled me to one side & asked me where I come from. I told him England expecting a passport request but he just told me I'd disgaurded a cigarette on the road & to follow him.

We got to a booth with tourist information etc on it with another man in uniform in it. Asked me to sit down then showed me a laminated A4 sheet and read to me off it "while in Thailand people are expected to follow the law." Etc, etc. It had some pictures with the canals clogged up with dirty nappies & other nasty stuff.

He carried on to a "฿10000 fine." I was like "woow, woow, really??"

Then he asked me if I spoke Thai. Straight away I said "no, no I can't speak Thai"

Trying to get away from that question I asked where he thought I should put my butt next time, hoping for a lecture.

He just said "the bin" & without breath asked me "you have Thai wife, yer?"

"No,no I just come on holiday" I replied & straight into "so just put the cigarette out with my hand and bin it?"

Then the policeman was pointing at my neck where I have a bamboo tattoo that only slightly shows.

I fobbed this off with a grin & when I was younger I came here once...&...

I think once I'd looked hapless enough he moved down to "for a first offence, ฿2000."

I paid, wrote, signed & dated on a clipboard, then went on my way.

I've no issue with getting a litter fine. My issue is,

1: the fine is excessive with the cost of living here,

2: the way to asses if I'm a repete offender & recieve a monster fine is my familiarity with anything Thai.

3: I flipped the clipboard back a page and reviewed the names which no apparent Asian name was on there.

4: where do all these farang get all these dirty nappies to lob into the canal? Wouldn't it be better to teach Thai people to respect their surroundings or is this just another while the buffalo graze we'll eat well short sightedness.

Lucky I was alone, beware.

Anyone come across this before?

[BobbyL]

I got caught by soi 15 doing similar a few years ago.

I was hungover like a bitch walking to McDonald's and dropped a ciggy somewhere on the walk up. Two boys in blue got me and escorted me over to the same place you mentioned. They wanted 2000b, I only had 800b in my wallet so they took that and sent me on my way, home I might add as I didn't have my ATM card to get anymore money out for my McDonald's.

[saakura]

Another reason to stop smmoking.

[george]

Happened to me as well years ago around year 2000/2001 outside old Immigration at Soi Suan Pluh. Came out from the Imm. office and lit a cig on that parking place, waved down a taxi on Soi Suan Plu, dropped the stub on the street and jumped in the taxi.

Two guys immediately knocked on the taxi side window. I had to exit the taxi, whisked away and got fined 2,000 Baht with proper receipt at the booth right outside the parking at Immigration.

I paid reluctantly, but the day was ruined. Humiliated I stopped smoking after that.

It's not the police that fine you for littering, i think it was BMA that did me.

[Eddy B]

Had the same done to me about 6 years ago. It is a scam but there is not alot you can do about it. While I was being given the 3rd degree one of the guys in uniform was escorting another farang to the nearest ATM to get money for his fine. Right next to where I was talking to the scam officer there was a som tam food cart with trash surrounding it. When I pointed out this to the guy he said they are Thai you are not. Later on I had to pass them again and they had at least 3 other farangs waiting to pay fines. They are making a fortune at 2,000 baht a pop each time.

[wow64]

A year back my mate that doesn't smoke got done for thrown his cigarette butt away near Nana.

It was no where near 2000b... less 500b he paid. Didn't need the hassle arguing that he didnt throw it.

Getting towards the end of the month they muse be short on cash.

Edited June 24, 2014 by wow64

[Gringogazzer]

Did anyone have the 3rd degree about speaking Thai or having a Thai wife etc?

They were desperate to throw the ฿10000 fine at me.

[Gringogazzer]

A year back my mate that doesn't smoke got done for thrown his cigarette butt away near Nana.

It was no where near 2000b... less 500b he paid. Didn't need the hassle arguing that he didnt throw it.

Getting towards the end of the month they muse be short on cash.

฿500 baht fine, I would of just walked away from & though "oh well, stupid me"

But going for ฿10000 because I might speak Thai hit me like a hammer.

[farang000999]

next time ask for the official fine in writing and pay it at the proper office. otherwise you are supporting these police mafia.

[Gringogazzer]

I got back to the hotel & told the wife, she done her <deleted> Thailand routine which alway makes me giggle and cheer up. So didn't ruin my day.

[JesseFrank]

Had the same happen to me opposite Siam Paragaon, which wasn't built yet at that time. I couldn't find a trash bin so i decided to dump it in a hole in a drain cover.

uniformed guy showed up and took me to a desk on the other side of the road. They asked 2000 Baht for throwing a butt on the public road. I replied that I hadn't as i had thrown it in the drain, to which they replied that littering the waterways was a 10.000 Baht fine. I think I got away with less than 2000 Baht at the end, but got a official receipt.

My pet peeve is that they have a strict littering law, with officers everywhere, but there are no trash bins anywhere.Never seen a country in my life with so little trash bins available.

Singapore has also a strict littering law, but they also have trash bins within reach wherever you are.

Is that rubbish or a scam that I smell ?

[Gringogazzer]

next time ask for the official fine in writing and pay it at the proper office. otherwise you are supporting these police mafia.

Excellent.

But they was waving ฿10000 fine in my face so was trying to minimise that.

Made them write me a receipt though for what good it will do.

[JesseFrank]

next time ask for the official fine in writing and pay it at the proper office. otherwise you are supporting these police mafia.

The only proper office is the desk where they took the OP. Or how do you suggest they gonna make sure that a tourist pays the fine ?

Hold his passport, same as they hold the driving license with a traffic fine ?

[Gringogazzer]

I've been lucky the whole time I've been here, only had 1 fine for no crash helmet. Got shaken down for money at Ekamai bus station but one of the policemen was from the same village as my then girlfriend, so let me walk.

This ones new on me.

[Satcommlee]

I had this in Bangkok, I have a weak command of Thai but I got the point across that I wouldn't pay, they'd have to take me to the station or even court etc... they gave up all hope of an on the spot settlement and let me go on my way. Simple as that!

[Gringogazzer]

I had this in Bangkok, I have a weak command of Thai but I got the point across that I wouldn't pay, they'd have to take me to the station or even court etc... they gave up all hope of an on the spot settlement and let me go on my way. Simple as that!

My problem was the opposite. I had to convince them I was a hapless tourist to get the fine reduced.

They wanted a show of Thai from me.

[spidermike007]

I would make a stink about it. Finding a bin on the streets here can take an hour or more. I would say find me a bin within the next ten minutes, and I will pay the fine. Otherwise, leave me alone and go out and fight crime, you worthless piece of crap. I might even try walking away. At the very least, I would ask for documentation, paperwork, etc. Give them a very, very hard time. Do not let these cretons get away with this kind of abuse. Work them hard. Push them. Argue your head off. What are they gonna do anyway? Though I am generally against littering, it is up to the govt. or municipality to provide bins.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MrWorldwide]

Common knowledge that the General has severely curtailed the BiB Entrepreneurial Fund and they have reportedly raised their 'fines' for a number of offences.

[Gringogazzer]

Common knowledge that the General has severely curtailed the BiB Entrepreneurial Fund and they have reportedly raised their 'fines' for a number of offences.

Well hopefully common knowledge now to stump their revenue.

[scoutman360]

Can't you just refuse to pay them and say you will pay at the police station? They are just scam artists.

[marko kok prong]

the other day a tall blonde walked past my building,i knew she was tall,as i live on the third floor,etc,blah ,blah,"pack yer bags',ect,blah,blah,yawn.

[Eddy B]

Actually the reason why there are so few public bins around Sukhumvit is because around the time Taksin was removed out of office there were many bombs planted in bins, such as 7-11's that injured people. Since then I guess they have never re-placed them.

[Gringogazzer]

the other day a tall blonde walked past my building,i knew she was tall,as i live on the third floor,etc,blah ,blah,"pack yer bags',ect,blah,blah,yawn.

Yer but did she shave her legs?

Or didn't you get up from your computer to look??

[marko kok prong]

the other day a tall blonde walked past my building,i knew she was tall,as i live on the third floor,etc,blah ,blah,"pack yer bags',ect,blah,blah,yawn.

Yer but did she shave her legs?

Or didn't you get up from your computer to look??

Right that's enough Thai bashing,'pack yer bags',oh hang on ,they are telling me i have jumped the gun,damn,it,not again.

[Tywais]

Not sure why some call it a scam as it has been the law for quite a while now and the standard fine is 2000 Baht. Quite a few signs around reflecting such. Even if you don't see a sign the law is still the same. It is a scam if they try to get you to cough up 10,000 though.

[Gringogazzer]

Not sure why some call it a scam as it has been the law for quite a while now and the standard fine is 2000 Baht. Quite a few signs around reflecting such. Even if you don't see a sign the law is still the same. It is a scam if they try to get you to cough up 10,000 though.

It was littering, not smoking.

What got me was the ฿10000 fine & the 3rd degree on speaking Thai, Thai wife etc.

1st offence ฿2000

2nd offence ฿10000

They wanted to justify giving me a ฿10000 on the fact of knowing Thailand, know the law & couldn't be a 1st offence if I'd spent a reasonable time here.

[Cypress Hill]

They can't MAKE you pay the fine.

They threaten to call the police but they're bluffing.

Even if they weren't, doubt the police are going to come running because a foreigner's dropped a fag end.

They don't have the power to search you - just give them 50 baht or the equivalent fine for a THAI and walk off.

I did exactly this when I got pulled outside Benjasiri Park next to Emporium

[Tywais]

Not sure why some call it a scam as it has been the law for quite a while now and the standard fine is 2000 Baht. Quite a few signs around reflecting such. Even if you don't see a sign the law is still the same. It is a scam if they try to get you to cough up 10,000 though.

It was littering, not smoking.

You're right, my mistake. There was an article some time ago about this and that it is actually not the police enforcing it but special BMA inspectors. I had forgotten about this one.

BANGKOK’S infamous “litter police” are on the prowl again – and they’re nabbing people who drop something as small as a cigarette butt and imposing a fine of up to 2,000 baht on them. These “enforcers” are stationed at booths at three locations in central Bangkok along Sukhumvit Road.

Actually, they aren’t even police, but uniformed inspectors attached to the Law Enforcement Department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), known in Thai as ‘Thetsakij.’ However, tourists commonly mistake them for police because of similar uniform designs, colours and badges.

Thetsakij do nothing to dispel this impression, often telling foreigners they are “city police,” which is another name for the Metropolitan Police. In reality, the Thetsakij don’t have the same powers as the police and cannot carry firearms.

<snip>

What’s troubling in this case is that the inspectors seem to only target and apprehend foreigners in three areas that measure several hundred square meters out of Bangkok’s total area of about 1,500 square kilometers. The overwhelming majority of the city’s litterbugs are simply ignored by the Thetsakij. Walk the streets of central Bangkok and beyond, and piles of garbage are more often than not in evidence.

And yet the inspectors home in on foreigners – usually tourists – who drop nothing more than a cigarette butt.

More here - thebigchili

[Tywais]

And another article referring to it as a 'scam'.

I was caught by the police throwing my ciggy butt on the road and fined 2000 thai baht cash on the spot fot the offence. No receipt given despite one being requested. Only a threat that if i did not corporate i would be taken to a police station 10kms away and fined increased to 10000 TB. Being a foreigner and having committed the offence i reluctantly paid and walked away. About 100 metres away in a resturant i met up with 3 locals who could speal English and when i explained what happened, i was told i was scammed. Was also told to just walk away from incident as if i went back i could be hurt further. I was given the number of the the tourist police to phone which i did and my take is they are also into the scam as i was told if i wanted a receipt i was to come to the police station.

Having got back to my hotel i googled this cigarette scam and this is what i found and i quote:

The Cigarette Police by OpaqueKnight

More here - Tripadvisor

[kjhbigv]

I had this in Bangkok, I have a weak command of Thai but I got the point across that I wouldn't pay, they'd have to take me to the station or even court etc... they gave up all hope of an on the spot settlement and let me go on my way. Simple as that!

My problem was the opposite. I had to convince them I was a hapless tourist to get the fine reduced.

They wanted a show of Thai from me.

I don't think that was the case at all. .... they were thinking "can we get 2000 baht" off this gullible tourist!

If your wife had been with you I am pretty sure you would not have paid a satang!

I would have taken the completely opposite approach....I live here and no way are you going to extort 2000 baht out of me!

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Edited June 24, 2014 by kjhbigv