Many Traffic Police collecting tea money

[sandrabbit]

same thing with the bars in the part of Rayong I live, 500 baht a week protection money. some of the houses and cars they own are very nice.

[EnglishJohn]

Looks like the Prayut government isn't doing a whole lot to stamp out police corruption. Tea money collection is alive and well.

That's because the police are still full of red-shirts. They will cheat and steal as long as they have breath in their body.

A few of 'em got put away now : let's hope for a lot more in the future.

[TheKnave]

It's not the money it's the principle of how stupid this fine is.

In farang-speak principle usually means there was a loss of face

Don't think abuse of authority involves loss of face. The traffic police are nothing more than highwaymen, committing highway robbery.

[Si Thea01]

Robblok.

I drove once from Ghiang Khan to Pattaya, never again, aged about 30 years. BKK was a real experience but I found that by sticking to the motorways I felt safer despite some maniacs driving past at a speed, I would estimate at being in excess of 150kph. I found that most dramas were coming from cyclists within the city limits or those darn overloaded sugar cane trucks. I have also noticed that some farangs have adopted the same approach as the Thai riders, just go with the flow. So it must be, can't beat them, so let's join them.

[hawker9000]

Looks like the Prayut government isn't doing a whole lot to stamp out police corruption. Tea money collection is alive and well.

'Not sure there's much they CAN do, with lasting effect anyway. RTP and the military are two different rice bowls. What I don't understand is why so few here who love to loudly and regularly proclaim their "thainess" can't seem to grasp this basic fact.

[mahjongguy]

Many Thai people are aware that the cops cannot take your driver's license. They insist on being given a ticket and they refuse to leave their license behind.

Farang should insist on the same, but the odds of succeeding are much lower.

[Ricardo Diamante]

Tea Money is a valid system in my opinion. Here's my reasoning:

I'm in Siem Reap on a 3 week Visa run. Here, the police got a raise last December: $40 USD up to $50 USD a month. The cops routinely ask for bribes. Because they almost never issue tickets, there is no department revenue for raises. It could be considered a pay-as-you-go system which operates well enough to put food in the mouths of their families. A sin tax through the department would hot likely trickle down to the workforce anyway! So I am now curious about reactions, by farang, of being guests in a monarchy (and maybe some "residents") to fhese facts...

[elgordo38]

Didn't the military Gov stop all this ?

Never happen in your lifetime.

[jamesjohnsonthird]

The parasites got me at Soi Nana and Sukhumvit, turning right.

You see, there is a "NO RIGHT TURN" sign but it is blocked obstructions. Imagine that.

The parasites know this and have a parasite partner waiting 100 meters down the road insisting I pay the parasite on the spot 1,000Bt.

[BMF1960]

So how is this different from every other week since the dawn of time?

[rickb]

I don't understand why people give in to the police's bribe request and then complain about how corrupt the Thai police are. I believe that if more people refused to pay the on-the-spot fine and insisted on being issued a ticket, perhaps the amount of corruption would be reduced a little. In fact, each time I've insisted on being issued a ticket, the policemen have simply said forget about it and get out of here, without issuing the ticket. Even if they do issue a ticket, it's a simple process to either pay at the police station or, even simpler, pay at the post office and have your license returned by mail.

Could you elaborate more about the paying by mail and how many times you have done that. I have heard about it but no real confirmed reports. My problem is if i drive in places I don't know I cant find the police station. Doing it by mail would be perfect, but I like to know about people who have done it and received their license back.

I've paid my fine through the Post Office twice. Each time I simply took the citation to my local Post Office, let them read the fine amount, filled out a return envelope with my home address and paid the amount due. The Postman took care of the rest. About a week later, I received my driver's license in my mailbox. Quite simple and painless, and no corruption.

[lavender19]

Looks like the Prayut government isn't doing a whole lot to stamp out police corruption. Tea money collection is alive and well.

The Prayut (dictatorship) sorry pretend government is doing absolutely ---- all except pass stupid laws like you are an adult yet you can not have a glass of wine or a beer with a meal in a restaurant if its one min past 2 til five .What a pathetic country this has become.Do as I say not as I do.

[lust]

Stop posting about traffic corruption. They get peanut salary. Just keep it easy and on the spot payment.

[KhnomKhnom]

1. Anything bad happening to a motorbike rider is very good news.

2. Paying directly for a real infraction you did is very cleansing of the soul, immediate cleaning.

3. Traffic police deserve extra money from genuine infractions; their kids need food too.

4. Charging for FAKE infractions must be resisted, primarily by video-ing and putting on Web.

If I were a poor traffic cop, I would let my fellow poor Thai off and let them go IF I could nab a rich foreigner same time.

A real rule, all ALL foreigners here are more wealthy that the average poor Thai.

The one for sure unique ability foreigners have over Thai is the foreigners can complain IN ENGLISH about the smallest thing.

[Guest]

I don't understand why people give in to the police's bribe request and then complain about how corrupt the Thai police are. I believe that if more people refused to pay the on-the-spot fine and insisted on being issued a ticket, perhaps the amount of corruption would be reduced a little. In fact, each time I've insisted on being issued a ticket, the policemen have simply said forget about it and get out of here, without issuing the ticket. Even if they do issue a ticket, it's a simple process to either pay at the police station or, even simpler, pay at the post office and have your license returned by mail.

Could you elaborate more about the paying by mail and how many times you have done that. I have heard about it but no real confirmed reports. My problem is if i drive in places I don't know I cant find the police station. Doing it by mail would be perfect, but I like to know about people who have done it and received their license back.

I've paid my fine through the Post Office twice. Each time I simply took the citation to my local Post Office, let them read the fine amount, filled out a return envelope with my home address and paid the amount due. The Postman took care of the rest. About a week later, I received my driver's license in my mailbox. Quite simple and painless, and no corruption.

Follow up question:

Do you see it as worth it to go to all this trouble? and go a week without a license which means:

(a) You went a week without driving

( You drove for a week without a license which is simply an invitation for some real comedy when you are stopped!

This is Thailand, and even Thai People pay these "on the spot" fines.

My feeling is, on the three times of going through this ... in each case, the fact was ... i was breaking a law.

I saw the REDUCED payment as a blessing ... and frankly ... do not need any history in Thailand as having broken any law. (Think about that for a moment while we live under a military coup)

[sgtsabai]

I noticed an increase in the stops up here in Udon/Nong Khai a couple of months back. The military has cut the police income and they have to pay all those young mia noi's somehow. There has been a qualitative change in the attitude of "collecting" from before the coup to now, attitudes have changed. Most daytime stops up here are still basically the same, check for motorcycle license, helmet etc. Pickups with goods often stopped and checked. For awhile there was a almost daily roadblock on the Udon/Nong Khai road at the turn to Phen. I'd been through many times, never even stopped although had to roll window down a few times. After the coup it changed. I was stopped and told to produce "green book". I didn't have a clue. The cop attitude was not polite. I had to call wife, sure enough there was a copy of the bank's green book, at the house. They wanted 1,000 baht, after the wife got through yakking them on phone, I paid 200. Now have copy. Next time through while my truck wasn't searched they went over it with a fine tooth comb, finally with a disgusted look sent me on. I always dealt with friendly cops before, not so now. A couple years ago I got stopped going to Nong Khai, I was doing 120. Pulled over at roadblock and older cop that spoke English came up. I did it like you better do it in the states, radio off, engine off, windows down, hands on wheel, leave seat belt on, old training. He was very polite, said you do 110 in a 90. I said yes, he said 200 baht. I had plenty baht, no 100's. I offered 1,000 for change he said no, 200. I said I don't have any 100's. About that time his radio came on and in the brief conversation I heard "soldier", my USMC rank and 1stMarDiv/Vietnam sticker on rear windshield. He turned to me and said what you have, he had seen everything in wallet when I gave him drivers license. I had 80 baht in 20's. He said ok, and took it with a smile. Then said, cha, cha, laughed, looked at me and said "mia noi?". I guess the look on my face was priceless because he was still laughing as I drove away. Times have changed, those days are gone. I got stopped a few months back in Udon at roadblock, cop said blow I said no way that is dirty. I went to give him my drivers license and he said no, passport, I had it and gave it to him. He looked at it, said "This not America, pull over there". For some reason I got the distinct impression he didn't like Americans, maybe one stole his mia noi, hope so anyway.

[marioc]

Traffic police collecting tea money.

I once was stopped by traffic cop, near Korat.

He said ahh farang ,wrote on a paper 125. No way iwas doing 90.

You pay fine now he says, what the hell not worth arguing about, song roi baht he says.

I only had 1 thousand baht note, give it him. He goes to the car, him and his mate are getting 1 hundred baht notes together for change.

He comes back to my pickup, gives me notes and walksaway, on checking notes he had given me 10 100 baht notes.

It took me 15 minutes to stop laughing.

[Songlaw]

Robblok.

I drove once from Ghiang Khan to Pattaya, never again, aged about 30 years. BKK was a real experience but I found that by sticking to the motorways I felt safer despite some maniacs driving past at a speed, I would estimate at being in excess of 150kph. I found that most dramas were coming from cyclists within the city limits or those darn overloaded sugar cane trucks. I have also noticed that some farangs have adopted the same approach as the Thai riders, just go with the flow. So it must be, can't beat them, so let's join them.

Adopting the Thai approach is the only sensible option. And once understood it can be mastered, after which point driving in BKK (or anywhere else in Thailand) becomes a fairly stress free endeavor. Especially when compared to negotiating any of the so-called "civilized" western traffic systems. That goes for both two-wheeled and four-wheeled travel alike. There is a system here and it works remarkably well under the circumstances. So if there's a problem, rest assured, the majority of the time it is you, not the Thai, who is in error.

To further add insult to our largely unearned egos, unlike westerners, the Thai are by and large much more competent drivers than we are, capable of convincingly multitasking with an astounding dearth of mishaps, per capita. Of course you would actually have to spend time driving the roads here after shedding your previously learned misconceptions (which along with everything else we think we know simply don't apply here) regarding "traffic safety," "rules of the road," and life in general to see this.

I for one, hope to god I never have to either live or drive in another western country or conversely, witness another "almighty farang" attempting to will the 5,000,000 or so Thai on the roads at any given moment to bend to his will or submit to his "superior" driving methodology. It is f*cking tragic to watch and causes grave loss of face/untold heartache for the rest of us who more or less have conducted ourselves as ambassadors for the species since arriving. And for the road-rage specialists who decided for whatever ill-conceived reason to transplant themselves here? Please reconsider and vacate at your (everyone's?) earliest convenience. Khob khun maak, khrap.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Songlaw

[wow64]

Driving in the left most lane is dangerous in Bkk.. The are cars parked there, doors opening on you, cars pulling out in front of you and the road in that left most lane is always bumpy or dirty. This rule should be changed for big bikes in my opinion.

Also demanding a ticket doesnt always work dispite what some say.. Yesterday a ticket was already written out in my name as I didnt have change. Then as the ticket was given to me another copper turned up who had change..the copper went and got 300b from his mate and returned my licence.

Sent from my c64

[elviajero]

I don't understand why people give in to the police's bribe request and then complain about how corrupt the Thai police are. I believe that if more people refused to pay the on-the-spot fine and insisted on being issued a ticket, perhaps the amount of corruption would be reduced a little. In fact, each time I've insisted on being issued a ticket, the policemen have simply said forget about it and get out of here, without issuing the ticket. Even if they do issue a ticket, it's a simple process to either pay at the police station or, even simpler, pay at the post office and have your license returned by mail.

Could you elaborate more about the paying by mail and how many times you have done that. I have heard about it but no real confirmed reports. My problem is if i drive in places I don't know I cant find the police station. Doing it by mail would be perfect, but I like to know about people who have done it and received their license back.

I've paid my fine through the Post Office twice. Each time I simply took the citation to my local Post Office, let them read the fine amount, filled out a return envelope with my home address and paid the amount due. The Postman took care of the rest. About a week later, I received my driver's license in my mailbox. Quite simple and painless, and no corruption.

Follow up question:

Do you see it as worth it to go to all this trouble? and go a week without a license which means:

(a) You went a week without driving

( You drove for a week without a license which is simply an invitation for some real comedy when you are stopped!

This is Thailand, and even Thai People pay these "on the spot" fines.

My feeling is, on the three times of going through this ... in each case, the fact was ... i was breaking a law.

I saw the REDUCED payment as a blessing ... and frankly ... do not need any history in Thailand as having broken any law. (Think about that for a moment while we live under a military coup)

I'm with you. It's not worth the hassle. Pay up and move on. We can't change the system.

[Travelman868]

Perhaps if folk like yourself fronted them and went to the police station stuff might become more sensible.....

When at the police station you could ask why the fines are different at the roadside with no receipts....

I got stopped twice in 5 km told the second one I had no money because the first one took all. He ok and off I went

[connda]

Perhaps if folk like yourself fronted them and went to the police station stuff might become more sensible.....

When at the police station you could ask why the fines are different at the roadside with no receipts....

Have been the the police station and done the fronting of why I was fined. Didn't get me anywhere just the fustration of having to chase the police officer and return 3 times to get my licence. The whole system needs to be changed. It's the reason why is so much easier to just pay in the side of the road.

I have today's whole incident on my helmet/bike cam. Will be uploading it to some of the facebook groups.

I like the idea, but then they'll lose face and probably come up with some sort of BS charge in order to toss you in jail.

Seems to be a BKK thing. I haven't seen them doing that here in CM. Heck, the last time I was stopped on my motorcycle, I got the 'wave over', smile and salute, asked for paperwork, I replied back in Thai, officer asks me how long I've been in Thailand, I say I'm married and lived there for 8 years, he laughs, says nevermind, gives me a sawatdee krap, and waves me along. And to be honest, the only times I've paid fines is when I've actually broken a law. They seem fair enough up here as a general rule.

Edited March 24, 2015 by connda

[connda]

20 years ago I was stopped for no reason other than to get money from me.

I complained and spent 2 wasted days going to some hard to find police station far from my home where I waited for a couple of hours each time 'We have to get an interpreter'.

Better to have just smiled and paid up unless you enjoy this 'handilng complaints' procedure.

And that's exactly why I prefer to just pay on the spot. I don't want to waste a half an hour no less 2 days messing around at the police station. And it's amazing how you can get a 400 baht fine discounted to what you have 'showing' in your wallet (like a couple of hundred baht). It's a game. Smile and play it. The anti-corruption rhetoric is all a dog-and-pony show until it isn't -- just spin. But I don't really think anything is going to change in the long-run. Corruption seems to be a cultural institution. The spin-doctors are simply putting a bright, fresh, coat of paint on a rotting fence. Looks nice; accomplishes little. If real change is implemented, then I'll play whatever the new game is. Until then: same-same.

[Stan42]

Motor bikers make up 90% of all vehicle accidents in Thailand.

They drive on the left lane, they drive on the sidewalk, they don't wear a helmet, they damage cars while trying to squeeze through traffic, they use the motorway... the list goes on.

Any retard can learn to ride a bike, but most don't adhere to the law. After witnessing several motorbike accidents, some of them very gory, I fully support the police officers. Sure, it's a bribe, but that way they get paid to turn the other way, saving the lawbreaker from further trouble, while actually doing their job, and the fined person hopefully will have learned their lesson and not endanger pedestrians or damage other vehicles in the future.

You pay fine. You avoid doing it again.

In Europe they blacklist you and upon repeated offense take away your license, not to mention that the fine is X times higher.

[connda]

Motor bikers make up 90% of all vehicle accidents in Thailand.

They drive on the left lane, they drive on the sidewalk, they don't wear a helmet, they damage cars while trying to squeeze through traffic, they use the motorway... the list goes on.

Any retard can learn to ride a bike, but most don't adhere to the law. After witnessing several motorbike accidents, some of them very gory, I fully support the police officers. Sure, it's a bribe, but that way they get paid to turn the other way, saving the lawbreaker from further trouble, while actually doing their job, and the fined person hopefully will have learned their lesson and not endanger pedestrians or damage other vehicles in the future.

You pay fine. You avoid doing it again.

In Europe they blacklist you and upon repeated offense take away your license, not to mention that the fine is X times higher.

But how come they don't stop the idiots in cars driving down the white line taking up two lanes, the idiots in cars who cross three lanes of traffic from the far right lane to make a left hand turn at the spur of the moment without any indication, the idiots in cars who pull turns on to the main road from a side road and will wait for cars to pass but will pull out right in front of oncoming bikes, the idiots in cars who force motorcyclist out of their lane by driving their car right into the side of the motorcycle, the list goes on. Answer: they don't enforce moving violations in Thailand. There are no patrol cars with cops looking for vehicles committing infractions. "Motor bikers make up 90% of all vehicle accidents in Thailand."? Please source that figure. It would be a little more accurate to say that the majority of injuries and fatalities are inflicted to motorcycle riders; not the total number of accidents. Then consider how many of those accidents where caused by cars. The injuries and fatalities happen because motorcycles are inherently dangerous because you have no protection. I drive both a car and motorcycle. Utter stupidity is rampant within both classes of drivers. This is an incredibly dangerous country to drive in. And nothing will change until the government revamps the traffic laws (like the West), make the traffic fines and penalties a deterrent, put cops in traffic cruisers, and start pulling people over for infractions. Where I lived in the US, 15 mph over the speed limit would land you in jail and your car would be impounded. That's the sort of deterrent they need here. But don't hold your breath. This behavior is culturally ingrained. It's going to take an incredible progressive government to make a change like that. But - TIT. Maybe in 50 years or so, or when they discover that they can generate lots of money by imposing draconian fines on the really dangerous driving. And please stop with the 'motorcycle bad, car good' malarkey. Everyone has a right to be on the road, and everyone has the responsible to drive responsiblity.

Edited March 24, 2015 by connda

[puukao]

I collect coffee money.

[soundman]

Inflammatory post removed from view. Please be civil.

[drgoon]

Perhaps if folk like yourself fronted them and went to the police station stuff might become more sensible.....

When at the police station you could ask why the fines are different at the roadside with no receipts....

Take his ID number and then go to the Police Station with the ticket and make a complaint.

The more people keep complying with this age old scam the longer it will continue.

It's about time this was knocked on the head.