A friend of mine was stopped yesterday in Na Jomtien by a police checkpoint . They never asked for his license (which he had ) nor any documents just went straight to his silencer (on his bike) and said 'modified , not legal' . He rides a Tiger 250 which is made in Thailand near BKK . He told them he bought the bike brand new a couple of years ago and it was the original silencer , then along came the second police man and got out a plastic scroll with what he assumed were pictures of motor cycles and silencers upon showing him the picture of a Tiger bike he pointed out it wasn't the same model as his and suggested it was a newer model . After much arguing along came another police man who , after speaking to the first police , just told my friend to go . To add insult to injury on the way back home on another route he was stopped again and they went straight to his silencer and said 'illegal' . After telling them about the previous events they just walked away and he left . Is this a new scam for tea money or what ?

Not sure but the last couple of days in Pattaya no police checks and lots of people without helmets again, what's up with that?

I seem to remember reading in the news recently about modified motorbike exhaust systems being officially targeted nationwide.

In Thailand one does often come across a sudden clamp-down on something that has been totally ignored for years, even if the illegality of it has never changed.

I seem to remember reading in the news recently about modified motorbike exhaust systems being officially targeted nationwide.

In Thailand one does often come across a sudden clamp-down on something that has been totally ignored for years, even if the illegality of it has never changed.

yes...

there are so much things that are in theory illegal that the police themselves are often confused and need specific orders what to clamp down on.

When they get orders to crack down on illegal exhausts, they seem blind to drivers on the wrong side or without helmets.

One week later, it might again be alcohol, and after that driver license checks.

They are very single-minded in how they handle traffic rules checks.

Edited March 13, 201511 yr by manarak

No, no scam here, modified exhausts are illegal, have been for some time.

(removed). I got nailed on a "no left on red" corner recently. At the police station a crowd, mostly farangs lined up to pay. 400Bt every 3 minutes. Nice.

I went back to get my license and the cop had a huge stack of confiscated licenses and took 5 minutes to sort mine from the pile.

Edited March 13, 201511 yr by petercool
edited out a slur remark

. I got nailed on a "no left on red" corner recently. At the police station a crowd, mostly farangs lined up to pay. 400Bt every 3 minutes. Nice.

I went back to get my license and the cop had a huge stack of confiscated licenses and took 5 minutes to sort mine from the pile.

In your defense, I would add the no left turn on red signs rarely make sense, especially for motorcycles, which IMO should be exempt from these signs.

My big bike and 2 scooters all run original exhaust silencers and I will stand my ground if they try nailing me on that.

If you do and you are in the right, they will back off in +99% of the cases.

Some small bikes are very noisy and I hope they confiscate the bikes and keep them until the owner shows up with an legal exhaust and fit it himself and can then ride off without the noisy one.

Yes the no left turn on red is something to be careful about, downtown the police are often waiting just around the corner.

To me it is not whether the silencer has been modified or not but does it comply with the law noise and emission wise.

The police should have monitors to be able to check. And I hope they check a lot of those unbelievably loud HD bikes and take them off the road.

^{This is great news, clamp down on the noisy bikers.}

^{Hope we can see minimum 3 years in monkey house and 10,000 baht fine for all idiots that have them}

^{only dreaming but good idea yes ?}

Edited March 13, 201511 yr by onemorechang

My big bike and 2 scooters all run original exhaust silencers and I will stand my ground if they try nailing me on that.

If you do and you are in the right, they will back off in +99% of the cases.

Some small bikes are very noisy and I hope they confiscate the bikes and keep them until the owner shows up with an legal exhaust and fit it himself and can then ride off without the noisy one.

Yes the no left turn on red is something to be careful about, downtown the police are often waiting just around the corner.

Ha Ha

Yes but its the same corners every time !!!!!!!!

if you been here a few years you know them, its well funny when they go round past me, only to be pulled over 400 baht please !!!!!!!!

Will they check my M5 silencer ? :-)

The OP does not make it clear whether the bike was/is particularly noisy. I can only guess it must be to some extent otherwise why stop him?.

I'm not making excuses for the cops but certainly where I live on the dark side noisy motorbikes are a real pain.

No, no scam here, modified exhausts are illegal, have been for some time.

Agree. Been doing these checks for sometime in the boonies - main targets, understandably, are Thai teens.

Is this a new scam for tea money or what ?

Did he pay any tea money?

"Tea money" and "scams" seem to exist in farang imagination on a scale well beyond reality. If they thought it was illegal then why shouldn't they stop him? Once it was shown to be a different model, he was sent on his way. How is that a scam?

carry a photo of the correct model showing the exhaust, noisy bikes and cars need clamping down on. but not as part of an unjustified purge.

Wish they would clamp down on buses with modified exhausts...really annoying. could never work out why they think making farting noises is cool.

Why don't the police fine the very noisy 10 wheelers and the pick up truck drivers ( they take the exhaust off) aswell?

Would be a good thing!

(removed). I got nailed on a "no left on red" corner recently. At the police station a crowd, mostly farangs lined up to pay. 400Bt every 3 minutes. Nice.

I went back to get my license and the cop had a huge stack of confiscated licenses and took 5 minutes to sort mine from the pile.

Don't get what your on about, 'nailed'. You did something you shouldn't have and were fined for doing so. Hope you learned your lesson and won't do it again.

No, no scam here, modified exhausts are illegal, have been for some time.

Agree. Been doing these checks for sometime in the boonies - main targets, understandably, are Thai teens.

Yes, this is confirmed. They are having a nationwide crackdown on modified exhausts.

(removed). I got nailed on a "no left on red" corner recently. At the police station a crowd, mostly farangs lined up to pay. 400Bt every 3 minutes. Nice.

I went back to get my license and the cop had a huge stack of confiscated licenses and took 5 minutes to sort mine from the pile.

Don't get what your on about, 'nailed'. You did something you shouldn't have and were fined for doing so. Hope you learned your lesson and won't do it again.

The sign at this intersection is obscured/blocked from view. The police know this and just turned it into another Pattaya police money making enterprise.

You do know about the Pattaya Police, right?

If they were interested in safety, wouldn't they take 30 seconds and trim the foliage blockage the sign?

....but no. Thainess prevails and this unethical/immoral cop pulls over drivers every 15 seconds. You should see the long line of people waiting to get ticketed.

I think this is scummy, don't you?

Edited March 14, 201511 yr by joesanunu

My wife got fined 100BHT a few nights ago, got receipt, for no number plate light on her ute of 10 years, just down the road those noisy cane vehicles with no tail lights or any warning devices appear exempt of any wrong doing, bit like the under age school children riding motor bikes to school.

This is all based upon a childrens game called Whack a Mole

Attack a problem and it will pop up somewhere else

My wife got fined 100BHT a few nights ago, got receipt, for no number plate light on her ute of 10 years, just down the road those noisy cane vehicles with no tail lights or any warning devices appear exempt of any wrong doing, bit like the under age school children riding motor bikes to school.

I'm not trying to defend the police who could be more proactive but there is just so much law breaking going on it is impossible for them to keep up with all the offenders. Take safety helmets on a motorbike. Is there anybody in this country that does not know it is the law? Yet on any given day in Pattaya you will see thousands of people, of all nationalities, driving along without them. They pay the fine, which it seems is a 24 hour free pass, and then carry on committing the same offence again until they get caught again. Do they not learn. It seems not. The police are in the process of hoping to get more powers to impound vehicles. Fail to wear your helmet have your motorbike taken away for a week is what I propose.

It is not the police that are at fault. Well not 100% anyway. It is the general public that is at fault by blindly, repeatedly, breaking the laws, that they all know exist, making the policeman's job an impossible one.

As to the kids riding to school. Make it the responsibility of the school. They are the educators of this society. Anyone arriving without helmet stop and impound vehicle. Same in reverse. That should educate the young offenders. Take away the child's beloved toy and see how they react.

Edited March 14, 201511 yr by Keesters

(removed). I got nailed on a "no left on red" corner recently. At the police station a crowd, mostly farangs lined up to pay. 400Bt every 3 minutes. Nice.

I went back to get my license and the cop had a huge stack of confiscated licenses and took 5 minutes to sort mine from the pile.

Don't get what your on about, 'nailed'. You did something you shouldn't have and were fined for doing so. Hope you learned your lesson and won't do it again.

The sign at this intersection is obscured/blocked from view. The police know this and just turned it into another Pattaya police money making enterprise.

You do know about the Pattaya Police, right?

If they were interested in safety, wouldn't they take 30 seconds and trim the foliage blockage the sign?

....but no. Thainess prevails and this unethical/immoral cop pulls over drivers every 15 seconds. You should see the long line of people waiting to get ticketed.

I think this is scummy, don't you?

I don't think it scummy at all. If you're so concerned about the sign go back and make it visible yourself, or make a visit to the police station and/or City hall and complain. Photo it and send it to local newspapers. Many things you could do rather than just saying here 'I got nailed'.

Speaking of modifications and scams the police should be looking at the big menace on Pattaya roads - the 3 wheelers! I recall Pattaya City Hall a couple of years ago promising to tackle this illegal problem.

Speaking of modifications and scams the police should be looking at the big menace on Pattaya roads - the 3 wheelers! I recall Pattaya City Hall a couple of years ago promising to tackle this illegal problem.

Pray tell how are these 3 wheelers any more of a menace than the abundance of 2 or 4 wheelers around that break the laws continually. The real problem is the giant double decker buses double parking to let out or pick up 5 passengers. They cannot make it around many of the turns without having 10 goes at it yet they continually try. They should be banned from inside Pattaya's small streets. They should not be allowed to park on the road. They should only use off road parking.

What about if a silencer was modified upwards. Better absorption of sound & emissions. Would it still be illegal? What if a out of the factory silencer became so old it had holes in it. Would it still be illegal because it hasn't been modified. The question is not modification but the amount of noise or emissions it makes.

They come through Muang on the weekends in packs with those little 125cc screaming away, they sound like big bikes until you see them.

(removed). I got nailed on a "no left on red" corner recently. At the police station a crowd, mostly farangs lined up to pay. 400Bt every 3 minutes. Nice.

I went back to get my license and the cop had a huge stack of confiscated licenses and took 5 minutes to sort mine from the pile.

Was it on Pattaya thai the no turn on left are written really strange if you speak English. It looks like stop first & then go. They nailed me & I complained & the Volunteer

Farang got the fine reduced to 200 baht. Even the desk Sargent agreed that it was written wrong but couldn't lose face so they had to charge something.