Random alcohol breath tests this Christmas in Samui
Samui Times

SAMUI -- The Samui Times has received information suggesting that random breath tests will be carried out around the island over the festive season.

The public should be advised not to drink and drive at this time of year as it could result accidents as well as time spent in jail.

This is a particularly dangerous time on the roads of Koh Samui with many tourists expected to be out and about with little experience of driving in Thailand and those using the roads during the Christmas festivities.

Source: http://www.samuitimes.com/random-alcohol-breath-tests-this-christmas-in-samui/

-- Samui Times 2015-12-21

Random.......will we go out and check drivers?.............or will we stay here and eat SomTum............mmmm...?

RTP have for a few years been putting up road blocks in Bangkok and randomly selecting drivers to be tested...I say "randomly" but if they see a farang, they always test us.

I would advise anyone drinking over the festive period (in fact ANY time), not to drive - it's not worth it. A taxi may cost a couple of hundred baht, but just think how many taxis you COULD have paid for with the 20,000 baht (or more) fine that you WILL get if you are over the .05 limit - and that's also if you don't end up in a cell for the night, or longer, and the possible effect on your visa too.

These guys are not kidding any more - they are very serious, and it WILL be expensive and might destroy your chance of a nice holiday, or even of staying in Thailand.

They are only warning about "this time of the year" What does that suggest?

I was out for the evening to a Networking Christmas Party and had more than several drinks. Although relaxed, I still had the common sense to know I was over my limit so I decided to do something I've never done before - I took a taxi home.

Sure enough on the way home there was a police roadblock, but since I was in a taxi they waved it past and I arrived home safely without incident.

This situation is new to me because I had never driven a taxi before. I don't remember where I got it, and now that it's in my garage I don't know what to do with it.

If anyone wants to borrow the taxi please send me a private message and we'll work something out.

"The public should be advised not to drink and drive at this time of year as it could result accidents as well as time spent in jail."

Yeah... I think that advice goes for any time of year... well maybe not the jail time. This is Thailand after-all.

They have been doing the roadblocks in Udon for sometime. Many, both Thai and farang have paid a fine. There doesn't seem to be any difference in the enforcement between Thai/farang. Well I can recall one situation. Roadblock, Thai cop looks at me with pissed off face and says blow, I say mia alcohol and that dirty, blow, no, passport-hmmm why not DL?. Looks at passport, "this NOT America, over there" and off to bench B I go. Ahem, as a 10 yr. cop I know that their Breathalyzers are not calibrated daily, especially the "blow" ones and no way in hell I was over the limit. No, I did not pass go, go directly to jail, but I did pay a slight fee to the Policeman's Benevolent Mia Noi Fund. Head cop told my wife, he not over limit. I hope like hell the bad attitude cop had lost his mia noi to an American.

I too was going to raise the question of calibration & refusal to allow anyone to search a car; especially if stopped while alone.

My dashcam will certainly be left on

funny how the wheel turns.... a few years back in samui I saw the cops holding a big motor bike for a legless german so he could mount it without dropping it....

once he was on and had it going the gave him a small push to send him on his way..... cowboy town no more.... sigh

What the law on two wheels (bicycle)?

Well were there any roadblocks and random testing in Samui?

Well were there any roadblocks and random testing in Samui?

No...

What the law on two wheels (bicycle)?

Common sense.....