konisaan Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I got done there last week for not having an International driver's. The police were stopping anyone who wasn't Thai, usual story. I've lost my cardboard licence and (unless I can get one here?) will have to wait another month for my next trip overseas to get a new one. What is the easiest way to avoid the trap if I come up the west side of the moat? 1. Turn left onto Suthep then right on Nimmanahaeminda 2. Is there a sneaky shortcut though Kad Suan Gaew from the soi that runs next to Ram Hospital? 3. Stay at home and drink beer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamSipEt Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 1. a possibility 2. no 3. always an option 4. take a tuk-tuk and avoid the hassle completely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outstripp11 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 2. Actually there is. But it is hopelessly complicated. I rode on the back of a bike with a guy from the Yamaha dealer and he used that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post heybruce Posted March 31, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2015 If you're here long-term you should get a Thai license. The process is kind of a pain in the a**, but doable, and it's one less thing they can get you for. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HughJass Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 will the police accept a photocopy of my thai license as i like to leave the real one at home having lost in once then having to jump thru hoops including yet another residence certificate to get a replacement....dont want the hassle of a fine for not carrying the real thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 if you carry on in to santhim instead of turning left in to huay kaew rd take a left just before the hill carry on to the roundabout take the left off the round about,go to the end take a left follow road to end, take a right come out at shell garage,sounds complicated but do it once and its easy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeem Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 If daytime turn down the soi before CM Ram go the the bike park at KSK pay your 5B fee collect your chit then go straight out to the back rear entry to Mangkaljarn Rd then turn right to Huey Kaew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papayabokbok Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Got a buddy of mine too...the kicker he was trying to get his rental bike fixed at a shop so got double screwed! They tried to get me at the loi kroh-night bazaar trap but after going to the station i managed to talk my way out of it--paper copy of my home license--score 1 for me And yep the santitham trick is easy--prob cos i used to live there--go take a drive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post FolkGuitar Posted April 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2015 It only takes a day to get a Thai license, with a lot less effort required than driving through Santithem or weaving around Suthep Road. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sparkles Posted April 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2015 It only takes a day to get a Thai license, with a lot less effort required than driving through Santithem or weaving around Suthep Road. In our home countries you would get a heavy fine and disqualification if you did not have the correct driving licence. Why is it such a big deal when foreigners come to Thailand that they have to go through a simple procedure to become legal ? A few hours out of your life to obey the law........what a massive hardship ! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMfoodie Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 It only takes a day to get a Thai license, with a lot less effort required than driving through Santithem or weaving around Suthep Road. In our home countries you would get a heavy fine and disqualification if you did not have the correct driving licence. Why is it such a big deal when foreigners come to Thailand that they have to go through a simple procedure to become legal ? A few hours out of your life to obey the law........what a massive hardship ! In my home country the police do not target foreigners/tourists for a shakedown. Why not place a big sign at the airport arrivals stating police checkpoints in progress. All foreigners need an international or Thai drivers license. Why don't the consulates here to inform their citizens or protest this specific harassment? I have a Thai license and still get stopped at least twice a week at farang checkpoints. Its annoying for me but more annoying for them cause they can't get tea money. The procedure to obtain a Thai license is not simple - it could be if public officials got their sh--t together instead of creating layers of bureaucracy and ways to extort money. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesquite Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I've been out of the country for about two months, but my memory is that they grab Thais instead of foreigners. If a foreigner is wearing a helmet, they don't stop him/her. I've seen dozens of Thais pulled over at these check points, but no farangs. Obviously something has changed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willfreeman Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 ive spent six months a year here for the past few years, i have a thai license and always wear a full face helmet in 2013 i rode through a multitude of checkpoints and never got stopped in 2014 i couldn't ride through a single checkpoint without being stopped, once got stopped twice in the same checkpoint so far in 2015 ive ridden through a couple and havent been stopped so im off the belief that at certain times they target foreigners and at certain times they leave them alone if they have a helmet on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterTee Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I've been out of the country for about two months, but my memory is that they grab Thais instead of foreigners. If a foreigner is wearing a helmet, they don't stop him/her. I've seen dozens of Thais pulled over at these check points, but no farangs. Obviously something has changed. The situation is always changing. Sometimes they target foreigners. Sometimes they target Thais. From my own experience it's usually both - whomever they can shakedown. Get a place out in the country. Life in Chiang Mai is getting to be a hassle. Just like Farangland. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konisaan Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Perhaps I've been misinformed. I would like to get a Thai licence. Is it possible to get a Thai licence on a double or multi-entry tourist visa? I made some inquiries over a year ago and I was told it was not possible. PM me if you like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuum Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 It only takes a day to get a Thai license, with a lot less effort required than driving through Santithem or weaving around Suthep Road. In our home countries you would get a heavy fine and disqualification if you did not have the correct driving licence. Why is it such a big deal when foreigners come to Thailand that they have to go through a simple procedure to become legal ? A few hours out of your life to obey the law........what a massive hardship ! The procedure to obtain a Thai license is not simple Can you elaborate on the so-called difficulties in getting one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapguy Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) It only takes a day to get a Thai license, with a lot less effort required than driving through Santithem or weaving around Suthep Road. In our home countries you would get a heavy fine and disqualification if you did not have the correct driving licence. Why is it such a big deal when foreigners come to Thailand that they have to go through a simple procedure to become legal ? A few hours out of your life to obey the law........what a massive hardship ! In my home country the police do not target foreigners/tourists for a shakedown. Why not place a big sign at the airport arrivals stating police checkpoints in progress. All foreigners need an international or Thai drivers license. Why don't the consulates here to inform their citizens or protest this specific harassment? I have a Thai license and still get stopped at least twice a week at farang checkpoints. Its annoying for me but more annoying for them cause they can't get tea money. The procedure to obtain a Thai license is not simple - it could be if public officials got their sh--t together instead of creating layers of bureaucracy and ways to extort money. Foodie, you must have been having a bad day when you posted this. Sometimes targeting foreigners does ring true. The traffic police target different things at different times, and there has been recent increased concern about unlicensed, uninsured and sometimes shaky drivers among foreigners. Maybe you could complain to the consulate ?! Apparently you are not one of the guys who abhor the nanny state !! Was it really SO hard to get your driver's license ?! "Layers of bureaucracy"? You must have been living in the deep forrest most of your life! "Extortion"? Traffic offenders should get a ticket for whatever infraction like big boys and go pay it. Hope you have a better day today! [Gee, I've never ever had so much fun with emoticons!] Edited April 1, 2015 by Mapguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onthedarkside Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Perhaps I've been misinformed. I would like to get a Thai licence. Is it possible to get a Thai licence on a double or multi-entry tourist visa? I made some inquiries over a year ago and I was told it was not possible. PM me if you like Yes you can. All you need is the residence certificate from Immigration to prove your address in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesquite Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) I've been out of the country for about two months, but my memory is that they grab Thais instead of foreigners. If a foreigner is wearing a helmet, they don't stop him/her. I've seen dozens of Thais pulled over at these check points, but no farangs. Obviously something has changed. The situation is always changing. Sometimes they target foreigners. Sometimes they target Thais. From my own experience it's usually both - whomever they can shakedown. Get a place out in the country. Life in Chiang Mai is getting to be a hassle. Just like Farangland. I've lived in CM for 12 years and have never been stopped except when I've flagrantly violated the traffic laws. I always wear a helmet. Edited April 1, 2015 by mesquite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) must admit being driving car in cnx for 8years never ever been stopped, so annoying as I have everything up to date all the time,lol. Edited April 1, 2015 by true blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I got a Thai Drivers License and I don't drive -- have no intention of driving either. It comes in handy as an I.D., plus it was an interesting adventure to obtain the TDL. Much more fun than dealing with Immigration. The most "painful" part getting the Cert. of Residency, but the rest was OK -- the medical certificate and the trip to the Dept of Motor Vehicle or whatever they call the building out near Hang Dong. Then, I ended up with a pretty plastic drivers license, with the cute Chiang Mai pandas in the lower right corner, a nice photo of me and my address in Thai on the back. The staff at the drivers license place insisted I smile and look nice. (Wow, in Michigan they went out of their way to take as unflattering a photo as possible.) Since it's laid out exactly like a Thai ID card, the staff at the movie theaters know exactly where to look to verify that I'm good for a senior discount, too. Who wouldn't want a TDL of their own? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post FolkGuitar Posted April 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2015 I ride past the Huay Kaew intersection every single day. Have for years. I've never been stopped there, and I'm quite obviously a farang. I've been stopped once or perhaps twice in the past two years in other checkpoints, but there were far more Thais being stopped than farang. Frankly, I do NOT believe that the police are 'targeting' foreigners. What I DO believe is that many foreign tourists rent motorcycles and think they can drive around without wearing helmets, and get stopped! As they tend to stand out with pasty white skin in crowds of Thais, it's easy to believe that there are more foreigners being stopped. And many ex-pats living here don't want to wear helmets, preferring to complain about police abuse instead. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Been here quite a few years. Have a Thai driving licence, try to comply with the rules. Touch wood- never been stopped never worn a helmet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMfoodie Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 It only takes a day to get a Thai license, with a lot less effort required than driving through Santithem or weaving around Suthep Road. In our home countries you would get a heavy fine and disqualification if you did not have the correct driving licence. Why is it such a big deal when foreigners come to Thailand that they have to go through a simple procedure to become legal ? A few hours out of your life to obey the law........what a massive hardship ! In my home country the police do not target foreigners/tourists for a shakedown. Why not place a big sign at the airport arrivals stating police checkpoints in progress. All foreigners need an international or Thai drivers license. Why don't the consulates here to inform their citizens or protest this specific harassment? I have a Thai license and still get stopped at least twice a week at farang checkpoints. Its annoying for me but more annoying for them cause they can't get tea money. The procedure to obtain a Thai license is not simple - it could be if public officials got their sh--t together instead of creating layers of bureaucracy and ways to extort money. Foodie, you must have been having a bad day when you posted this. Sometimes targeting foreigners does ring true. The traffic police target different things at different times, and there has been recent increased concern about unlicensed, uninsured and sometimes shaky drivers among foreigners. Maybe you could complain to the consulate ?! Apparently you are not one of the guys who abhor the nanny state !! Was it really SO hard to get your driver's license ?! "Layers of bureaucracy"? You must have been living in the deep forrest most of your life! "Extortion"? Traffic offenders should get a ticket for whatever infraction like big boys and go pay it. Hope you have a better day today! [Gee, I've never ever had so much fun with emoticons!] Hi Mapguy In fact, I was having a bad day... stopped again around the moat... helmet, etc...full compliance. Complain to my consulate? Really? Maybe if I were the CEO of IBM would they move a finger and give a damn. It's called tit for tat. When my civil servants say "Of our many responsibilities, however, none is more important than serving our fellow American citizens. Your safety, health, and welfare are our number one priorities", it's enough to make one __________ (fill in the blank) I still work for a living.. having to spend 2 days running around gathering paperwork to get a Thai license replaced for one I already have in a country where you actually need to know how to drive...well, enough said. Please Mapguy, one day you can invite me to the planet you live on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Beetlejuice Posted April 1, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2015 The police were stopping everyone not Thai. Appears the police were well justified after stopping the OP for using a motor vehicle without an appropriate license. What the OP is asking, how can be avoid the police so he can continue breaking the law? My advice to him is; use public transport or walk until he manages to get his act in order and obtain legal documentation to drive vehicles in Thailand. It`s that simple. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Yes. And of course you can also cut through Central KSK. It's not that hard. Actually it's almost as easy as just getting a drivers licence! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Yes. And of course you can also cut through Central KSK. It's not that hard. Actually it's almost as easy as just getting a drivers licence! All the tuk-tuk drivers who hang out in front of Central KSK know how to do it. Which is the mode of transportation the OP should consider if he wants to avoid tickets in the future. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Berkshire Posted April 2, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted April 2, 2015 I ride past the Huay Kaew intersection every single day. Have for years. I've never been stopped there, and I'm quite obviously a farang. I've been stopped once or perhaps twice in the past two years in other checkpoints, but there were far more Thais being stopped than farang. Frankly, I do NOT believe that the police are 'targeting' foreigners. What I DO believe is that many foreign tourists rent motorcycles and think they can drive around without wearing helmets, and get stopped! As they tend to stand out with pasty white skin in crowds of Thais, it's easy to believe that there are more foreigners being stopped. And many ex-pats living here don't want to wear helmets, preferring to complain about police abuse instead. Agree. The police are not targeting foreigners. But every time one gets stopped, they cry like a little baby and play the race card. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 imho I would rather gamble on getting a ticket,than ride in one of them glorified three wheeled aberrations 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
true blue Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Yes. And of course you can also cut through Central KSK. It's not that hard. Actually it's almost as easy as just getting a drivers licence! obviously you don't no the area,you have to go through check point to before you reach ksk,never mind wtk you stick to loy khoy rd what u no best.55555 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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