Case of police in BKK

[ttakata]

Agree with all posts.

A long time ago I did go to the station and they made some BS fine up, twice the asking bribe.

I will always pay the bribe from now on.

I was pulled over today actually going to immigration.

I was speeding in the fast lane and ready to pay the bribe or ticket if on the spot.

There were cones and at least 4 cops so it was probably legit.

He gave me a lecture about the wrong lane until I started with my broken Thai.

I could see he didn't want to deal so he let me go, not even a license check.

I also put a yellow 200 baht webcam on the top of my helmet a year ago and have not paid a bribe since.

I also have a working dashcam on my bike which the guy probably saw.

Even if legit, cops don't like being on film so I suggest you cam up.

I see it more often, lots of Thais with the knock off GoPros on their helmets.

If I ever get burned for no reason, I'm going to put a wifi camera network on my bike and post everything to Youtube.

In theory it should work; just tether off my mobile network.

Edited June 15, 2015 by ttakata

[jcisco]

Agree with all posts.

A long time ago I did go to the station and they made some BS fine up, twice the asking bribe.

I will always pay the bribe from now on.

I was pulled over today actually going to immigration.

I was speeding in the fast lane and ready to pay the bribe or ticket if on the spot.

There were cones and at least 4 cops so it was probably legit.

He gave me a lecture about the wrong lane until I started with my broken Thai.

I could see he didn't want to deal so he let me go, not even a license check.

I also put a yellow 200 baht webcam on the top of my helmet a year ago and have not paid a bribe since.

I also have a working dashcam on my bike which the guy probably saw.

Even if legit, cops don't like being on film so I suggest you cam up.

I see it more often, lots of Thais with the knock off GoPros on their helmets.

If I ever get burned for no reason, I'm going to put a wifi camera network on my bike and post everything to Youtube.

In theory it should work; just tether off my mobile network.

You are then open to a slew of more insidious areas of the law much of which is very much the control of the army and not civil authorities and or dangerously close. Being charged by for breaking several telecommunications laws by installing a transmitter on a vehicle without a permit, unregistered mobile transmitter and note besides transmitter Laws generally note that all external wifi transmitters are technically illegal as they have not been cleared for use outside of permanent and semi permanent structures, this one maybe covered both in the criminal and civic codes.

I can't be bothered looking at the codes right now but rest assured your phone with wifi hotspots activated is still except while in your bike. Any other device talking via wifi to phone is not. Electrically integrating and affixing it to your bike only likely to just cause a seizure. Not sure how any such device fixed to your person would be considered on bike part of the bike or personal property.

Recommend just let your cameras record and install a decoy recorder from. Which they can extricate a memory card. Or just let them use then inbuilt delete function of the equipment on hand and be sure it remove power or eject the card so it won't be overwritten at all. Take it home and then restore the deleted content using your PC , don't know how contact me or seek assistance. But you might want to confirm the recorder deletes not wipes. Additionally grab a backup of the drives and metrics to permit more advanced recovery options options if necessary.

Just remember in most case the data is not removed on the delete by only by subsequent writes of new content over where the file was when deleted. Like ripping the index or TOC from a book is essentially what most deletes are.

[WingNut]

What I think might be the best deterrent to avoid receiving requests for drinking money from the local constables would be simply to ride around with the cheapest small camera you can find, working or not working doesn't really matter, and just strap it to your chest with a cheap $10 action camera chest harness from eBay so you don't have to mount something permanent onto your helmet that may add some extra and unnecessary wind drag.

It would be great to get a small fake camera that just has a big red blinking LED light on it so it looks like it's recording all the time.

If they see that coming as you approach a roadblock they might not even ask you to stop.

That should be the ultimate goal. Not to really even bother to record them, but being able to discourage them from even bothering you and avoid ever having to stop your bike to have to speak with them at all.

Edited June 15, 2015 by WingNut

[JonnyF]

Some interesting posts. The only thing that has consistently worked for me is a very visible helmet cam on top of my helmet (SJ4000). They don't want to ask for/take a bribe while being filmed from 2 feet away with a HD camera pointed directly at their face. Not worth the risk.

[jcisco]

WingNut you just expressed in English totally the entire thought process and budget and outcomes that my neighbour (Thai) commented on what he thought. But you are right I agree with you, probably get by with it useful for a few years before the bar is required to lowered. Fake it till ya make it

[tingtongfarang]

Am i the only poster on here who finds it strange that a discussion on how to avoid being extorted or robbed (coerced into a criminal act) on the public highway should actually be necessary?

[wow64]

Agree with a lot of the guys comments on here.

I have a Cam which has not stopped them asking for tea money.. they just point to the camera and ask me to delete it to which I say the battery is flat or its not on.

Acting like a dick has never gotten me anywhere with the police.. I don't speak thai with them as I have found its better to speak english.. they let you go faster.. if they don't understand important things.. I will say 1 or 2 words in thai.. like I don't have money.. or I didn't know always sorry, thankyou.. and they should let you go for 200b.. have even had them get change for me like one of the guys here said.

Sometimes its just not worth it... time is valuable and worth more then another 200b to go to the police station to chase my licence when I have to work or be somewhere.

Police don't want to take you to the police station... they will make more money staying where they are and getting the next rider. Offer 200b.. you are on your way.

[mark131v]

Some interesting posts. The only thing that has consistently worked for me is a very visible helmet cam on top of my helmet (SJ4000). They don't want to ask for/take a bribe while being filmed from 2 feet away with a HD camera pointed directly at their face. Not worth the risk.

I have found exactly the same using the same camera only difference I have mine on the chin bar, as soon as they see it they just want to get rid of you, a lot of the time I don't even bother switching it on but they don't know that and it works like a charm every time

The most I get now since using the camera is a quick license check a salute and offski but most often I am just waved straight through as soon as they notice the camera....

[Namplik]

@paulinbkk111

Do you have a Thai driving license? And what is the wrong lane?

[andrewrooney]

Agree with most of what has been said in this thread except for those who've said not to speak Thai. I tried the 'speak only English' tactic only one time, and the cop in question was insistent I pay him or go to the station, ended with me paying 200 baht. The rest of the times I've been pulled over I just speak Thai with the cops, and 9 out of 10 times I've been let go without paying anything. If I'm just friendly and chat with them (the usual questions about what I do and how long I've been here) they're usually pretty nice.

Then again, may vary depending on how well you speak Thai and what area you live in.

I did get fined one other time by a very no-nonsense cop who didn't feel like chatting. However that was a situation where I was clearly in the wrong (riding in a bus-only lane in Dusit) and he was writing tickets for everybody, Thai and Farang alike. Had to pay at the station on that one. He wrote 500 on the ticket, but the cops at the station reduced it to 300.

[macknife]

Agree with most of what has been said in this thread except for those who've said not to speak Thai. I tried the 'speak only English' tactic only one time, and the cop in question was insistent I pay him or go to the station, ended with me paying 200 baht. The rest of the times I've been pulled over I just speak Thai with the cops, and 9 out of 10 times I've been let go without paying anything. If I'm just friendly and chat with them (the usual questions about what I do and how long I've been here) they're usually pretty nice.

Then again, may vary depending on how well you speak Thai and what area you live in.

I did get fined one other time by a very no-nonsense cop who didn't feel like chatting. However that was a situation where I was clearly in the wrong (riding in a bus-only lane in Dusit) and he was writing tickets for everybody, Thai and Farang alike. Had to pay at the station on that one. He wrote 500 on the ticket, but the cops at the station reduced it to 300.

Exactly this!

If you can speak Thai then speak it. You will get no hassles for extra money just a simple 100-200Baht fine and on your way. Sometimes they will say 400 but I just say 'No" even traffic fines can be haggled down. If it's an official road block then you will get a more expensive ticket but everyone will get one and there's nothing you can do, they have to fill ticket quotas somehow.

The simple truth here is you break the law and get caught you must pay something. It's a small amount so stop complaining. After 15 years here on the roads I have NEVER had to pay a fine for something I wasn't guilty of. Quite often after speaking Thai they just let me go for nothing. Yes some here do get ripped off(like the OP paying 1000B for no reason) but he would would never have been asked for that if he could speak Thai.