Forced Breathalyzer at Police Checkpoint - Ngam Wong Wan/Rattanathibet

[MrY]

Sure the laws haven't changed, in 1998 they started using breathalyzers around town in CM. The first effect was that all the drunks driving cars switched to motorcycles as the police had admitted to only targeting car drivers since they posed the most danger to other traffic and the police did not have enough manpower or machines to check everyone. Then it all fell apart as someone figured out that refusing to take any kind of alcohol test was a (I recall) 3000 baht fine, but the consequences for taking and failing breathalyser (and subsequent blood test) was loss of license, over 10,000 baht fine, plus community service (I don't know how the last one falls within the Thai law, seems more like an American thing, and I've never seen it mentioned in any news since).

[noendtoit]

What I think I love the most about ThaiVisa.com is the general feeling of politeness and civility. It's that warmth here that keeps me coming back.

I've been driving for 28 years - most in Thailand and the US. I've never seen this happen before.

I guess I thought maybe if you were coming home late from the Tiffany show with a new friend and might have had a few too many you could avoid Ngam Wong Wan / Rattanathibet and save yourself a little trouble.

Just trying to be neighborly.

Thanks for your informative Post. It is always good to know what it going on in the realm.

Don't feel bad. Many, many TV members have nothing better to do than stay up all night drinking alone and cruising the TV pages looking for somebody to flame or otherwise deride. These folks have no life, no self confidence nor self esteem and they thrive on bullying others from an anonymous position.

And if you call them on it, using a fitting word like "a$$hole," the mods will go after you, not the a$$hole. If only the mods would instantly delete every unprovoked and potentially inflammatory post like the one from Mr. Toad, TV could have the potential to be a wonderful forum. But it hasn't happened and I don't see it happening. Sad. In fact, I will probably now be disciplined for suggesting that Mr. Toad might have a problem.

By the way, most of the folks that pull this stuff have well over 10,000 posts. One has to wonder if anyone has over 10,000 worthwhile comments to make.

Edited July 11, 2014 by noendtoit

[bkkjames]

What I think I love the most about ThaiVisa.com is the general feeling of politeness and civility. It's that warmth here that keeps me coming back.

I've been driving for 28 years - most in Thailand and the US. I've never seen this happen before.

I guess I thought maybe if you were coming home late from the Tiffany show with a new friend and might have had a few too many you could avoid Ngam Wong Wan / Rattanathibet and save yourself a little trouble.

Just trying to be neighborly.

Thanks for your informative Post. It is always good to know what it going on in the realm.

Don't feel bad. Many, many TV members have nothing better to do than stay up all night drinking alone and cruising the TV pages looking for somebody to flame or otherwise deride. These folks have no life, no self confidence nor self esteem and they thrive on bullying others from an anonymous position.

And if you call them on it, using a fitting word like "," the mods will go after you, not the . If only the mods would instantly delete every unprovoked and potentially inflammatory post like the one from Mr. Toad, TV could have the potential to be a wonderful forum. But it hasn't happened and I don't see it happening. Sad. In fact, I will probably now be disciplined for suggesting that Mr. Toad might have a problem.

By the way, most of the folks that pull this stuff have well over 10,000 posts. One has to wonder if anyone has over 10,000 worthwhile comments to make.

Guess will not have to worry about it from you? This 1 seems like it has really strained your capacity at not coming across as a hypocrite.

Sent from my LG-P970 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited July 12, 2014 by bkkjames

[ClutchClark]

What I think I love the most about ThaiVisa.com is the general feeling of politeness and civility. It's that warmth here that keeps me coming back.

I've been driving for 28 years - most in Thailand and the US. I've never seen this happen before.

I guess I thought maybe if you were coming home late from the Tiffany show with a new friend and might have had a few too many you could avoid Ngam Wong Wan / Rattanathibet and save yourself a little trouble.

Just trying to be neighborly.

Thanks for your informative Post. It is always good to know what it going on in the realm.

Don't feel bad. Many, many TV members have nothing better to do than stay up all night drinking alone and cruising the TV pages looking for somebody to flame or otherwise deride. These folks have no life, no self confidence nor self esteem and they thrive on bullying others from an anonymous position.

And if you call them on it, using a fitting word like "<deleted>," the mods will go after you, not the <deleted>. If only the mods would instantly delete every unprovoked and potentially inflammatory post like the one from Mr. Toad, TV could have the potential to be a wonderful forum. But it hasn't happened and I don't see it happening. Sad. In fact, I will probably now be disciplined for suggesting that Mr. Toad might have a problem.

By the way, most of the folks that pull this stuff have well over 10,000 posts. One has to wonder if anyone has over 10,000 worthwhile comments to make.

Its not just MrToad, these guys with 10K posts all travel together like a gang and beat down new innocent forum members until they are left crumbled in a ball under their computer desk and thoroughly broken of spirit. Be careful of his mate, siampolee, as well. They make quite the pair:

Edited July 12, 2014 by ClutchClark

[ClutchClark]

How dare he.

In the USA there is a fairly complicated protocol surrounding breathanalysis and the method employed with me most certainly wouldn't have stood up in court had it taken place there.

My suspicion is that had I registered on the meter yet was clearly in control of myself, I could have bought a Get Out of Jail Free Card for 500 baht.

"In the USA there is a fairly complicated protocol surrounding breathanalysis and the method employed with me most certainly wouldn't have stood up in court had it taken place there."

Not sure why reference to the US is relevant or entirely realistic. This isn't the US and the protocol in the US depends on your race and geographic location.

I never realized the breathalyzers in the US were calibrated by race. How does that work? A dial or a push button design?

Edited July 12, 2014 by ClutchClark

[robblok]

I've faced the same situation several times. As a former certified/commissioned law enforcement officer I know how inaccurate roadside breathalyzer can be, and how much training it takes to operate a real one. And yes, the OP was right, it is filthy. I have spoken with the officer, I don't speak Thai, sorry all you that think you are better farangs than those of us that don't, but politely refused saying no alcohol. I had one officer literally stick the thing in my face. Managed to pass on through. I'm not putting that thing anywhere near my mouth whether I've had drinks or not. And you teatotelers can stick it where the sun doesn't shine. I might add, the days of the 500 baht "get out of jail free" card for being over the limit are gone and have been for at least a year or so. You don't pass, you are going to jail, pay 20,000 to 30,000 baht. You might get some back when you go to court. I'll take my chances refusing and spending the night in jail, just like I would in the states.

Your almost admitting here that you drink and drive ..

[gjoo888]

How dare he.

In the USA there is a fairly complicated protocol surrounding breathanalysis and the method employed with me most certainly wouldn't have stood up in court had it taken place there.

My suspicion is that had I registered on the meter yet was clearly in control of myself, I could have bought a Get Out of Jail Free Card for 500 baht.

I was pulled over in the US years ago, I had one only drink that night (strange, but true). The officer asked me if I had anything to drink that night. I replied that I had one drink, out came the breathalyzer and I was ordered to blow into it. No complicated protocol at all.

Btw, I was way under the legal limit.

[sgtsabai]

And what if I did? None of your business. Like I said, I won't take whether drinking or not, just as I wouldn't do in the states either. Matter of principal and self-preservation. Teetotaler, do-gooders and goodie two shoes can stick it.

[eppic]

Wow, some real charm school grads we have here. Par for the course for a substantial minority of Thailand expats, unfortunately. A great example for law enforcement. I've lost friends to drunk drivers, so if I come across one, I beat the living crap out of him with a pool cue and finish with a quick kick to balls. You alcoholics and druggie losers can stick it.

But I still wouldn't put my lips on one of those Thailand breathalyzers unless I personally witnessed them put a new tube on it.

[astanhope]

"Just trying to be neighborly."

Are your neighbors in Thailand only American farangs?

"My suspicion is that had I registered on the meter yet was clearly in control of myself, I could have bought a Get Out of Jail Free Card for 500 baht."

It's not a suspicion, it's a condescending & baseless accusation that you're making based on your prejudices.

11) Do not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

What an insensitive and inappropriate thing for you to say to me here. I'm not a Thai-basher or a Thai-hater or one of the scores of regulars on here who appear to abhor Thai culture, Thai food, Thai women... The list is endless.

I have been forced to pay 500 baht for no reason at all other than I was a farang at a road block on three different occasions. That statement is neither a slur, degrading or overly negative about any Thai or Thai institution. In the end I really didn't mind paying. Chalked it up to lessons learned.

[ClutchClark]

And what if I did? None of your business. Like I said, I won't take whether drinking or not, just as I wouldn't do in the states either. Matter of principal and self-preservation. Teetotaler, do-gooders and goodie two shoes can stick it.

If I have to be one of the above--then I would opt for the title of do-gooder rather than a goody-two-shoe" !

;-)

Seriously, though, I think many States have a policy that refusal to take a breathalyzer or blood test results in a loss of driving privileges for a specific duration (90-180 days?).

However, that is everyones right to be sure.

Edited July 12, 2014 by ClutchClark

[robblok]

And what if I did? None of your business. Like I said, I won't take whether drinking or not, just as I wouldn't do in the states either. Matter of principal and self-preservation. Teetotaler, do-gooders and goodie two shoes can stick it.

If you did then id think your a total idiot for drinking and driving, i feel strongly about it as i lost someone close to me to a drunk driver. Drunk drivers are some of the worst people alive putting their pleasure above the right of safety for others.

I thought you were in law enforcement

[YipYipYa123]

In Silom, Bangkok this is nightly occurrence, been stopped twice so far.

the machine is fake at silom though

me and a thai friend had been drinking about a dozen large bottles of chang each

and he still passed it somehow and let go with a 400 thb fine for an illegal u-turn

and he weighs about 70kg so theres no way in hell he could have passed if that machine was real

[motorsaimang]

Sooo what's the penalty for refusing?

[Dogmatix]

Was recently stopped by a lone policeman with a flashing sign blocking one lane just after turning left from Thonglor into Sukhumvit. He produced a cheap breathalyzer of the type you can buy on Amazon for about US$20 and told me to blow into it. I couldn't see it clearly and thought it was one of the type without a blow pipe that I have seen Bkk police with before. But it turned out to have a small blow pipe which he aggressively forced into my mouth and told me to blow. Without any bleeping signal of the type I have come across before he immediately said it was over and showed me a reading of 0.115 which for all I know could easily have been there before he shoved his equipment in my mouth. At first I thought that meant it was OK as it meant I was only 0.1 vs the limit of 0.5. The similar machine I have at home is calibrated in that way. I had just had two small Heineckens over two hours and accepted that that might have put me just over 0.5 but over double the limit seems unlikely. It was less than 20 minutes since I finished my last mouthful, so it is possible that the mouth alcohol tipped the level up. Of course the BiB don't have any rules about about waiting for mouth alcohol to subside and certainly no machines that can distinguish it, as US police have. I have passed several breathalizers in Bkk after having two beers, sometimes surprisingly with nil readings, although usually having stopped drinking at least an hour earlier.

OK I know I deserve to have been shot or something for having had even a whiff of a cork before getting behind the wheel but I took my punishment like a man but I was left wondering whether the machine would have read the same even if had only been drinking Coca Cola or what would have happened if the cop had breathed into it himself. Certainly developed countries would let a policeman conduct breathalyzer tests with a kids' toy like that, or if they did, it would not be accepted as evidence in court. It is also odd that he was alone, as if he was moonlighting to get some extra cash, or even another police precinct or a fake cop. When I have been stopped before in Bkk there was a more senior cop sitting at a table and re-testing everyone who failed the first cop's test with a larger machine, about the size of the original clunky mobile phones. Anyway flame away and enjoy yourselves moral majority guys.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Dogmatix

[Dogmatix]

Deleted by Dog.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Dogmatix

[lust]

i wonder how often they calibrate these. when i was in canada, i had gone through a police check after going out for dinner. I had half a corona and i registered at .06 ...got a 24 hour suspension. shortly after canada had a nationwide recalibration due to faulty tests lol

[sustento]

What is the point of this?

Get stopped by the plod, told to blow in a breathalyser, gave a zero reading and went on your way.

Great. You should be given a gold star.

Read this article again,he was given the same tube to blow into that maybe thousands of other people have used

Now he knows what it's like to be a gogo girl

[thairastawoman]

Hello,

Do you know where to buy and electronic Breathalyzer here ?

And what happens if we refuse to blow their dirty machine ?

Thank you.