police all over, near black sheep, stoppin most and breathalising them. This place is changing big time, time to move on.

Parked up and walked to the checkpoint. I Saw 12 farangs breath tested, in 5 min. 4 were escorted to a waiting van.Saw no Thai,s tested. Are they runnin us out ?

Edited April 10, 201511 yr by rocky123

Parked up and walked to the checkpoint. I Saw 12 farangs breath tested, in 5 min. 4 were escorted to a waiting van.Saw no Thai,s tested. Are they runnin us out ?

Hi Tony. They are running us to the ATM....

Glad to hear they are getting the drunks off the road, should do it all the time not just during songkran!

It's great that the police are finally tackling the drunk driving problem. If you're drunk, you shouldn't be driving. Glad Thailand is finally stepping into the 21st century.

I'm going to be at Songkran downtown Pattaya this year. I know we'll be drinking heavily. So...I booked a room. Easy...and cheap.

P.S. I'd hate to think of how many I know or have read about that have been hurt by drunk drivers. A neighbor in our village is now a paraplegic due to a drunk driver. At 9 in the morning!

Glad to hear they are getting the drunks off the road, should do it all the time not just during songkran!

I saw a big tent setup on the road out by you 2 days ago. It was already staffed by what looked like rescue personnel. They weren't stopping anybody, but it was only 2PM.

P.S. Road blocks have always happened around Songkran. As you mention, they should be in action more often.

Time to move on because you may be caught?

That is one of the two railway crossings to avoid

Parked up and walked to the checkpoint. I Saw 12 farangs breath tested, in 5 min. 4 were escorted to a waiting van.Saw no Thai,s tested. Are they runnin us out ?

If the police actually doing their job in a beneficial way to those on the roads in Thailand and checking drivers for proper licences and blood alcohol levels over the legal limit will drive you out, then it is good that you go. These laws should be applied across all drivers, Thai and foreigner equally, but they should be applied strictly, as well as all of the other laws where drivers' actions put other drivers at risk (forget the money making helmet enforcements). Can I help you pack?

A potentially defamatory post was removed as well as a reply quoting that

All drivers in Pattaya must be pissed out there faces all day and all night long

terrible dangerous driving, it can only be alcohol or drugs doing it.

Where are the road blocks ?

Of course I am asking because I want to greet them and say thank you !

Where are the road blocks ?

Of course I am asking because I want to greet them and say thank you !

That's jolly nice of you.

Good to see the road blocks up, it great for the community.

would be a shame if it was just to stick money in the back pockets of a few.

that would never be the case in Pattaya,

I went through the road block as well. I went to jail and court for drink driving over new year and i wouldnt wish that shit on anyone. I wont drink and drive again. They are doing there job and its not time to leave because of it. There are so many motor cycle taxis around and if u r too tight to pay for one then i think u are nothing but a cheap charlie.

+ 1 to most responses. Get the drunks off the road, Thais & foreigners alike. Best, get rid of this kind of people who have no respect for others. Most civilized countries consequences would be much more serious. MS>

Where is Black Sheep what?

Near the very top of Koi Noi, on left, its a beer bar.

+ 1 to most responses. Get the drunks off the road, Thais & foreigners alike. Best, get rid of this kind of people who have no respect for others. Most civilized countries consequences would be much more serious. MS>

How would you do this, execution by firing squad ?

I went through the road block as well. I went to jail and court for drink driving over new year and i wouldnt wish that shit on anyone. I wont drink and drive again. They are doing there job and its not time to leave because of it. There are so many motor cycle taxis around and if u r too tight to pay for one then i think u are nothing but a cheap charlie.

I've read about this experience a few times here on our forum. I understand it's a terrible experience. From what I've heard, the actual fine is not much, but many are more than willing to pay a substantial sum to avoid all of this.

Not much different than back in the US, or many other countries. Maybe the jails are better, but the consequences are dire. My friend got caught and he was just barely over the limit. 30 minutes later and he would have been OK. Weekend in jail, loss of license for 6 months. Several required visits to court, community service time, and out about $7,000 for legal expense, etc. One reason my brother NEVER drives after drinking back home.

An interesting stat for the US:

In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes - one every 52 minutes - and 290,000 were injured in drunk driving crashes. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2014. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812102.pdf. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The Economic and Societal Impact Of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, May 2014, DOT HS 812 013. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812013.pdf.

I went through the road block as well. I went to jail and court for drink driving over new year and i wouldnt wish that shit on anyone. I wont drink and drive again. They are doing there job and its not time to leave because of it. There are so many motor cycle taxis around and if u r too tight to pay for one then i think u are nothing but a cheap charlie.

I've read about this experience a few times here on our forum. I understand it's a terrible experience. From what I've heard, the actual fine is not much, but many are more than willing to pay a substantial sum to avoid all of this.

Not much different than back in the US, or many other countries. Maybe the jails are better, but the consequences are dire. My friend got caught and he was just barely over the limit. 30 minutes later and he would have been OK. Weekend in jail, loss of license for 6 months. Several required visits to court, community service time, and out about $7,000 for legal expense, etc. One reason my brother NEVER drives after drinking back home.

An interesting stat for the US:

In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes - one every 52 minutes - and 290,000 were injured in drunk driving crashes. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2014. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812102.pdf. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The Economic and Societal Impact Of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, May 2014, DOT HS 812 013. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812013.pdf.

Hmm "Stats".

Trouble is any accident where anyone involved tests positive for alcohol is automatically logged as a DD "Stat" It suits their purpose.

I had a friend in the uk, stopped last in the line of traffic at a red traffic light, when some 18yr old unlicensed uninsured idiot drove straight in the back of him.

When the police attended smelt alcohol on his breath, breathalysed and convicted him. That was recorded as as a DD "Stat", yet he was an innocent bystander.

Generally most accidents are caused by someone driving irresponsibly in one way or another, alcohol is just one factor in this, some will drive like a <deleted> stone cold sober.

Hmmm....if he was drinking, he was drinking. The DD box would be an easy one to check.

I seriously doubt the multitude of governments agencies involved in this in the US would collude to make stats that suit their purpose. Too many parts involved to do that. Too many whistle blowers. Too many interconnections.

Hard to argue that drunk driving stats, no matter how determined, have fallen over the years in the US. Strict penalties is a big reason why.

Interesting stat. 1/3rd of all fatalities are alcohol related in the US:

http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html

I went through the road block as well. I went to jail and court for drink driving over new year and i wouldnt wish that shit on anyone. I wont drink and drive again. They are doing there job and its not time to leave because of it. There are so many motor cycle taxis around and if u r too tight to pay for one then i think u are nothing but a cheap charlie.

Depending on time of day ( or night ) and location there's a fairly good chance Somchai the motorbike taxi driver will be drunk or high - can't win!

Personally I'd take my chance in my own vehicle if I've only had a couple. If I had a skinful if get a room.

I wont even ride a motorbike here -

1. its dangerous trying to ride a motorbike sober

2. when I've had a few I'm sure I'd forget all about point 1.

Seriously, if there is one thing that the nanny states we've come from finally got right it was cracking down on drink drivers and its way overdue in Thailand. If the OP needs any help packing, I'll also volunteer my services.

I went through the road block as well. I went to jail and court for drink driving over new year and i wouldnt wish that shit on anyone. I wont drink and drive again. They are doing there job and its not time to leave because of it. There are so many motor cycle taxis around and if u r too tight to pay for one then i think u are nothing but a cheap charlie.

I've read about this experience a few times here on our forum. I understand it's a terrible experience. From what I've heard, the actual fine is not much, but many are more than willing to pay a substantial sum to avoid all of this.

Not much different than back in the US, or many other countries. Maybe the jails are better, but the consequences are dire. My friend got caught and he was just barely over the limit. 30 minutes later and he would have been OK. Weekend in jail, loss of license for 6 months. Several required visits to court, community service time, and out about $7,000 for legal expense, etc. One reason my brother NEVER drives after drinking back home.

An interesting stat for the US:

In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes - one every 52 minutes - and 290,000 were injured in drunk driving crashes. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2014. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812102.pdf. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The Economic and Societal Impact Of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, May 2014, DOT HS 812 013. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812013.pdf.

Hmm "Stats".

Trouble is any accident where anyone involved tests positive for alcohol is automatically logged as a DD "Stat" It suits their purpose.

I had a friend in the uk, stopped last in the line of traffic at a red traffic light, when some 18yr old unlicensed uninsured idiot drove straight in the back of him.

When the police attended smelt alcohol on his breath, breathalysed and convicted him. That was recorded as as a DD "Stat", yet he was an innocent bystander.

Generally most accidents are caused by someone driving irresponsibly in one way or another, alcohol is just one factor in this, some will drive like a <deleted> stone cold sober.

Hardly innocent if he was over the limit.

Actually, all the hot-spots are well known. It's common that there are more DUI checkpoints during songkran. So, know where they stand or just don't drink and drive.

They are mostly stopping only farangs ...

Thais must be driving really erratically to be stopped ...

Clear case of ATM stops ....

I live in that neighborhood and get stopped twice a day ....

luudee

"Road blokes" anyone else expecting a topic about a tarring squad?