Bangkok traffic cop arrests motorist for 'bribe attempt'

[dominique355]

The campaign aims to promote and encourage honesty and dignity among traffic officers, who have earned a bad reputation for accepting bribes.

and it will accomplish the exact opposite: bribes will go up and more people will be harassed by ruthless cops

Cops here have earned a bad reputation not only for accepting bribes but most of all for either not doing their job or falsely accusing people.

Whenever a policeman is approaching my car I turn on my smartphone and the video and make sure he sees it. He can take a look at me driver's licence but I don't give it to him. If in fact I did something wrong, I tell him to send the fine to my home, he has the license plate and can find the car owner. So far it worked fine.

[ableguy]

Would there not be some incentive for an officer to just falsely accuse a motorist of attempted bribe?

But seriously, 50 Baht? Thats actually insulting.

Not if your only making 300฿ per day

My brother in law drives a cab and often does not make his rent. However the bib do not give a sh------t

[bangon04]

This could be a big buisiness : i give the policeman a bribe of say 50 baht, i am arrested ok ! The policeman get the reward of 10k baht, then we share minus the fine for attempt to corruption.

You are really getting the hang of this "Thainess" thing, aren't you...

[boomerangutang]

Everyone except police brass realized the anti-bribe ruse was feather-brained. Now it's been trashed. How about the drivers who got ripped off in the past week? Are they going to get a refund and an apology? ha ha, just kidding.

[RTH10260]

It could be, but the problem is that if it's successful, the bib will lose his daily extra money!

What will happen then? They will need their daily extra money back somehow I guess.

And for all the people here that think this is a good step:

Would you like losing a half day or a day just to pay a fine of 300 baht to pay at some far away police station to get your license back?

With this anti bribe action they should also improve the way to pay your fine on the spot. Only then it can be successful.

Why would anyone "lose a half day or a day" to pay a fine and what's with the "far away police station"? Police stations are open 24 hours a day and the fine would be paid and licence retrieved from the local police station in the area the ticket was issued.

Paying fines on the spot to the police officer is exactly what the authorities are trying to stop!

Howlong does it take for the cop to carry the license back to his police station, say he just started his shift out on the roads in the boonedocks?

[RTH10260]

Where I once was able to get by with carrying a hundred baht note in my shirt pocket...to contribute to the police benevolent fund...now I have to carry 10 thousand baht?

This prices most people out of the bribery business...just think if you meet a really nice officer...and he lets you off for a mere 5000 baht...what a deal...

The future bodes well for some officials in Thailand...

That's why Immigration is asking Quality Tourists to present 20000Bhat in cash on entry to LOS

[hawker9000]

Where I once was able to get by with carrying a hundred baht note in my shirt pocket...to contribute to the police benevolent fund...now I have to carry 10 thousand baht?

This prices most people out of the bribery business...just think if you meet a really nice officer...and he lets you off for a mere 5000 baht...what a deal...

The future bodes well for some officials in Thailand...

That's why Immigration is asking Quality Tourists to present 20000Bhat in cash on entry to LOS

I think that's a wild and unsupported statement. That's happened, that I know of, only in isolated cases. The situation with Thai immigration has been confusing & uncertain and may now even be letting up a little; it doesn't need to be overblown & exaggerated. Keep it real.