Got Stopped Tonight...

[Konini]

Unless they have mental or physical problems, those "reasons" are mostly just excuses.

I beg to differ - I am able to do what most would think painfully complex calculus in my head, always have been able to, and during my school years confounded dozens of teachers with a total inability to learn languages. As with Thai, I can count in (rote) and know a few words of French and Greman, but that's as far as anyone has ever been able to get me, despite having a Clever Clogs ease of ammassing other types of knowledge and a natural analytic head for numbers.

Nobody has ever been able to explain it. (I wrote computer code in 3 different languages, and have a working knowledge of several others.

[uptheos]

For all the people who don't like drunk people in traffic at night.

Stay home, go back to your nanny state but don't complain.

It is what it is here and it will never change.

People drink, drive and most of them are Thai.

Even when not drunk horrible drivers.

It's a Thai thing, like covering up high profile murder cases.

Rich people do not go to jail.

Corrupt system in whole Thai society.

Nothing we can do about it but accept it, it is here to stay.

What a surprise that most drunk drivers in Thailand are Thai, did you need to do a lot of research for that gem?

I do agree that there are a lot of awful drivers and most of them are in fact Thai, again hardly surprising in Thailand.

As it's a Thai thing I guess you think we should buy into everything Thai, without reservation?

Ridiculous!

[chiang mai]

^^ which part of that statement do you not accept?

The idea that there is nothing that can be done and it will never change represents fatalism and is an absurd notion. Not surprisingly there are lots and lots of Thai people, the majority I would guess, who feel the same way as many of us do in that drink driving is dangerous and people who do so should be jailed and punished.

The idea that a westerner can come here and think he/she can get away with it, just because they can't do so back home, is all a bit rich for my blood. And folks seem to confuse matters also, just because there is corruption in Thailand doesn't mean to say the place is totally lawless and the people are void of all standards and morals, go talk to some middle class Thai's and ask them what they think about drink driving and the 25,000+ people who get killed on the roads every year, they're amongst the first to want to change all of that.

[Dante99]

Unless they have mental or physical problems, those "reasons" are mostly just excuses.

I beg to differ - I am able to do what most would think painfully complex calculus in my head, always have been able to, and during my school years confounded dozens of teachers with a total inability to learn languages. As with Thai, I can count in (rote) and know a few words of French and Greman, but that's as far as anyone has ever been able to get me, despite having a Clever Clogs ease of ammassing other types of knowledge and a natural analytic head for numbers.

Nobody has ever been able to explain it. (I wrote computer code in 3 different languages, and have a working knowledge of several others.

I wrote "mostly".

[PaulHamon]

I think most of the time they just want to practice and liven up a boring work.

The more you tell them, the more they ask.

Smile, friendly and curt.. this is my suggestion.

I never volunteer any information and don't elaborate.

I just be quiet as possible and smile.

Keeps things moving.

[brubakertx]

Why a helmet under the seat? You should be smarter than that!

[recom273]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

Sounds like you need to learn more about Thailand.

The "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?" statement is for the US, not Thailand.

Regarding the OP learning Thai, the OP has not told us in this post whether or not he speaks Thai. He has only told us what he told the police. One strategy here when dealing with the police is to tell them you do not speak Thai. They frequently want to let you go as they would rather not speak in English and many can't anyway. Nowhere in his post does the OP say he hasn't learned any Thai.

Finally, on the subject of learning languages, I could go into detail of your misuse of the English language in your post, but that would violate forum netiquette policy.

Yeah, I had a spate of being pulled over and I learnt quickly to deny being able to speak Thai, even tho' I can read and write .. I found if i played dumb took the token telling-off, looked scared by their actions, pleaded i had no money or ATM which is usually true they would just let me go rather than being some smart-alec who would end up understanding they wanted me to give them 200B out of sight of public.

Sometimes its better to have the ability to listen whats happening about you.

[uptheos]

Why a helmet under the seat? You should be smarter than that!

At 2230 prime drinking hours, suicidal ideation maybe?

[bud7]

I have had a similar experience a couple of times. My take is that I was just being used to alleviate the boredom of someone who had been working a checkpoint for hours. Some questions clearly irrelevant to anything. I am always polite and responsive and am usually treated with courtesy.

[thejcb]

Big checkpoint near my house on the middle ring road last night.

Got stopped at about 11:30, in my car.

Had had many drinks, was certainly over the limit but not quite paralytic.

All very polite and friendly.

No big deal.

They are looking for drugs, I think.

Too many posters on here make an issue of nothing.

Sounds like you are proud of your drinking and driving.

No big deal ?

Presumably you made it home without killing anyone ?

[FolkGuitar]

^^ perhaps the poster was greatly exaggerating his lack of sobriety

Hey everybody with half a spine.. Time to get fake offended!!!!

Such heroes

#dogpile

Perhaps. And perhaps he's been exaggerating his lack of sobriety in several other threads as well.

But I wonder what sort of personality needs to exaggerate something like this? Something clearly against the law, as well?

What sort of person needs to tell the world "Hey! I'm a law-breaker who doesn't give a damn about anyone other than myself!"

Proud of the fact rather than embarrassed by it. To me, that's strange.

It doesn't take courage to be offended. No more than it takes timidity to be cautions when stepping off the pavement after 10pm in Chiang Mai.

It only takes common sense.

There are too many drunk drivers on the road. If you are one of them, I can only hope that you realize it before you injure someone, and get some help for your problem. If you don't believe it IS a problem, that's half of it right there.

[Tingtau]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

Give me a break! If you are going to try to tell us that, after getting stopped while operating a motorbike w/o helmet and not having all of the paperwork that a m/b operator is supposed to have, by a police officer who has every right to give me a ticket for each and every infraction, I should get up on Mr or Mrs. Uppity Up Horse and say what? "Am I being detained or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?" !! You gotta be joking!!! Mr. Police Officer Doing HIsJob would quite rightly reply...."Certainly, Khun Farang ...just pay the fines for these tickets I am going to write and you are free to go! Poot arai? Mai mi baht? So sorry, must accompany me to police station" C'mon, the guy did exactly what he should have done under the circumstances. And as far as speaking Thai....he didn't say that he hadn't learned any...don't put false words in his mouth...he said that he only spoke a little. I don't know how fluent you are in Thai, but for me,while I REALLY do want to speak, write,etc Thai,wanting and doing are poles apart for some of us. it's a whole different ballgame than a Westerner learning Spanish,French,Italian.. I know cause I was conversational in Spanish after a very short time, and was able read and write even sooner. Thai to an English speaker is one whole lot harder!! So, hey, Chiangrai Tony....props for how you handled yourself and the situation. You are obviously one who doesn't get himself into shit with attitude...and that's a good way to be!! Not sure about you, though Godfree 2. Anyway, said my 2 satang's worth, cheers!!

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

^^ me personally I don't drink and rarely drive period.

Couple points

1) In the 10 years I have been in Thailand nobody has asked me or really cared what my opinion is. No surveys no nothing really. IMO your complaining into a dark closet with sound absorbing tiles.

2) The flip side of taking offense is tolerance. For me I have learned a lot about not losing my center and taking offense from the Thai people. How could I call myself a martial artist if another shaved ape could say or type something to make me lose my center and wound up to attack.

3) I use the dangerous roads as an opportunity to practice gratitude.. Everytime I return safe then I breath a sigh of relief I am not being mailed home in an urn.

I don't think anyone is really promoting drunk driving and most everybody wants safer roads.. It's beating a dead horse really.

edit: some typos for the pendantic readers out there.

Edited October 12, 2014 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[philw]

^^ perhaps the poster was greatly exaggerating his lack of sobriety

Hey everybody with half a spine.. Time to get fake offended!!!!

Such heroes

#dogpile

Perhaps. And perhaps he's been exaggerating his lack of sobriety in several other threads as well.

But I wonder what sort of personality needs to exaggerate something like this? Something clearly against the law, as well?

What sort of person needs to tell the world "Hey! I'm a law-breaker who doesn't give a damn about anyone other than myself!"

Proud of the fact rather than embarrassed by it. To me, that's strange.

It doesn't take courage to be offended. No more than it takes timidity to be cautions when stepping off the pavement after 10pm in Chiang Mai.

It only takes common sense.

There are too many drunk drivers on the road. If you are one of them, I can only hope that you realize it before you injure someone, and get some help for your problem. If you don't believe it IS a problem, that's half of it right there.

The outrage is delicious.

It's Sunday afternoon, chill out and have a beer.........

It's an internet forum not the Spanish inquisition.

[jacko45k]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

a Mexican moving to New York would learn English. people living here should learn some basic Thai phrases.

I have been to a darned large number of places in the USA where the Mexicans didn't speak English.

[IAMSOBAD]

I hate it when a thread is hijacked way off topic. Its about his traffic stop and lessons learned. Not about languages spoken.

Edited October 12, 2014 by IAMSOBAD

[malt25]

It's foolish to ride without a helmet.

Why ? You think I might fall off the bed ?

[malt25]

I gate it when a thread is hijacked way off topic. Its about his traffic stop and lessons learned. Not about languages spoken.

Yes, I also gate it about the spelling in some posts.

[Chwooly]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

a Mexican moving to New York would learn English. people living here should learn some basic Thai phrases.

Obviously you have not spent a whole lot of time in NYC, Between the Cubans, Dominicans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Greek, Polish, and British it can be hard to find anyone who can speak proper American in NYC.

[uptheos]

^^ perhaps the poster was greatly exaggerating his lack of sobriety

Hey everybody with half a spine.. Time to get fake offended!!!!

Such heroes

#dogpile

Perhaps. And perhaps he's been exaggerating his lack of sobriety in several other threads as well.

But I wonder what sort of personality needs to exaggerate something like this? Something clearly against the law, as well?

What sort of person needs to tell the world "Hey! I'm a law-breaker who doesn't give a damn about anyone other than myself!"

Proud of the fact rather than embarrassed by it. To me, that's strange.

It doesn't take courage to be offended. No more than it takes timidity to be cautions when stepping off the pavement after 10pm in Chiang Mai.

It only takes common sense.

There are too many drunk drivers on the road. If you are one of them, I can only hope that you realize it before you injure someone, and get some help for your problem. If you don't believe it IS a problem, that's half of it right there.

The outrage is delicious.

It's Sunday afternoon, chill out and have a beer.........

It's an internet forum not the Spanish inquisition.

............and no one will use comfy chairs and soft cushions

[Konini]

The idea that a westerner can come here and think he/she can get away with it, just because they can't do so back home, is all a bit rich for my blood. And folks seem to confuse matters also, just because there is corruption in Thailand doesn't mean to say the place is totally lawless and the people are void of all standards and morals, go talk to some middle class Thai's and ask them what they think about drink driving and the 25,000+ people who get killed on the roads every year, they're amongst the first to want to change all of that.

Is it really that many? I knew the number was high, but that's almost obscene. The per capita number must be equally frightening if that is the figure.

[Baerboxer]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

What a pant load that is.

I was searching for the right words for an appropriate reply. Then read your post - you nailed it, sir!

[Soiyamoto]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

[chiang mai]

The idea that a westerner can come here and think he/she can get away with it, just because they can't do so back home, is all a bit rich for my blood. And folks seem to confuse matters also, just because there is corruption in Thailand doesn't mean to say the place is totally lawless and the people are void of all standards and morals, go talk to some middle class Thai's and ask them what they think about drink driving and the 25,000+ people who get killed on the roads every year, they're amongst the first to want to change all of that.

Is it really that many? I knew the number was high, but that's almost obscene. The per capita number must be equally frightening if that is the figure.

Figures range from 24k to 28k:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Road-death-toll-in-Thailand-among-highest-in-the-w-30202066.html

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/688565-thailand-ranks-the-worlds-third-in-highest-road-fatalities/

Edited October 12, 2014 by chiang mai

[Soiyamoto]

Am i being detained? and am i free to go? Using statements like this will not help you in thailand i think it will make police angry, answer their questions be polite then hopefuly you'l be on your way... Regards

[NoshowJones]

Big checkpoint near my house on the middle ring road last night.

Got stopped at about 11:30, in my car.

Had had many drinks, was certainly over the limit but not quite paralytic.

All very polite and friendly.

No big deal.

They are looking for drugs, I think.

Too many posters on here make an issue of nothing.

You obviously think it's nothing having had in your own words 'many drinks', and then driving. You should have been locked up and your licence taken off you for life, before you kill or seriously injure some innocent person.

[philw]

Big checkpoint near my house on the middle ring road last night.

Got stopped at about 11:30, in my car.

Had had many drinks, was certainly over the limit but not quite paralytic.

All very polite and friendly.

No big deal.

They are looking for drugs, I think.

Too many posters on here make an issue of nothing.

You obviously think it's nothing having had in your own words 'many drinks', and then driving. You should have been locked up and your licence taken off you for life, before you kill or seriously injure some innocent person.

Sweet.

[chiang mai]

Big checkpoint near my house on the middle ring road last night.

Got stopped at about 11:30, in my car.

Had had many drinks, was certainly over the limit but not quite paralytic.

All very polite and friendly.

No big deal.

They are looking for drugs, I think.

Too many posters on here make an issue of nothing.

You obviously think it's nothing having had in your own words 'many drinks', and then driving. You should have been locked up and your licence taken off you for life, before you kill or seriously injure some innocent person.

+1

[NoshowJones]

Big checkpoint near my house on the middle ring road last night.

Got stopped at about 11:30, in my car.

Had had many drinks, was certainly over the limit but not quite paralytic.

All very polite and friendly.

No big deal.

They are looking for drugs, I think.

Too many posters on here make an issue of nothing.

You obviously think it's nothing having had in your own words 'many drinks', and then driving. You should have been locked up and your licence taken off you for life, before you kill or seriously injure some innocent person.

Sweet.

Only saying the truth.

[KhnomKhnom]

Sounds like he wanted to practice his Engrish and you obliged.

The correct action would have been to ask, "Am I being detain or arrested, officer? If not, am I free to go?"

As far as having been in Thailand for five years without learning any Thai passed hello and thank you -- yes, they are right it is an outrage.

Would it be OK for a Mexican to move to your hometown in New York and not learn any English? Wait...don't answer that...

Grumpy comment.... likely police were on lookout for criminal who worked for Motorola. This was a perfectly appropriate stop and questioning, and nicely English provided. You got away with two infractions not ticketed, lucky.

I am glad to read this detailed report which shows Thai police are on the job.