Jail and hefty fines await anyone caught drink driving in Pattaya

[NoshowJones]

I don't need to be lectured about taxis in Bangkok. Lived there for many years. And am against drunk driving. Are you OK now?

Always OK craig, I am against drunk driving too. But just find that many more foreigners here think its acceptable.

I know your against it just always sounds like you defend it. I know its just a suggestion to make even less people drink and drive.

I have just never understood how people can endanger others lives for their own selfish needs. I am all for free drug use of any kind as long as you dont bother or endanger other people. I can honestly say I never ever got drunk and operated a vehicle.

Traffic is dangerous enough here as it is, no need to make it even more dangerous.

Also get tired of the .. a drunk farang is a better driver as a sober Thai attitude.

A very sensible post Robblok.

[tropo]

This part is frightening:

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

It more or less gives police carte blanche and can, WILL be abused. How about elderly that have some balance problems or whatever...guess we'll visit them in jail.

It is a very sensible approach IMO. Some of the other drugs people use are worse for driving than alcohol. So what if some people "WILL be abused". That's a small price to pay to get some of these drugged lunatics out of their vehicles and into jail.

[tropo]

This would be OK if they had a good system of public transport. The lack of metered taxis here is a real pain.

Sure but that still does not excuse drinking and driving.. sure you will get gouged for hiring a baht bus but if you can afford to get drunk you can afford that ride too. You might even take a cheap hotel to sleep it off.

Agreed. But 2 beers in an hour or so puts you over the limit and at risk of going to jail. It's been documented these devices are not 100% accurate here. Impossible to get a baht bus near my house. And very difficult to get them if you are away from Central Pattaya. Try finding any sort of transport near the lake after midnight. Very difficult, and no hotels are right next to many of these establishments.

Again, lack of metered taxis, like in Bangkok, is a real problem.

motorbike taxi on every corner.

Stringent testing of motorbike taxi riders and baht bus drivers should be first on their agenda.

[gandalf12]

I think Baht 20,000 is a little light; make it Baht 50,000 and extend this to the entire country 365 days a year not just for New Year

[spermwhale]

It's good that this is finally coming to Pattaya and I hope it sticks.

I live in BKK and during the last two years the police here have stepped up their check points and test regularly. IF I go out for dinner and drive I may have a beer with the meal, but I switch to water and make sure I'm driving more than an hour after having that beer. If I know I'm going to tie one on, I'll take a cab.

I've never had any problems at these check points. Happy to blow in the wand and get on my merry way. Stay polite and smile. They are really protecting everyone when they set up this DUI checkpoints.

[craigt3365]

Good!

You hear about these crackdowns all the time. Let's hope they actually do something this time.

Drink drivers know the risks and should get what they deserve.

Throw the book at them I say

It's all a waste of time and talk unless they make it permanent.

That's the big problem I have with this. I think they are finally starting to deal with the big problem of drunk drivers here, which is fantastic, but will it be permanent? I remember going to Issan for Songkran a few years ago. No alcohol sold at the 7/11 attached to the gas station. Great! But right behind the store was somebody selling beer out of a cooler. Obviously paid a bribe.

They should do like other countries do. Log it into the drivers record. Notify the insurance company. Have mandatory loss of license for 6 months, 2nd infraction is 5 years. And mandatory safe driver classes. Until now, it's been pay the big fine and you are free to go on your way...still drunk...

If they were really serious about this, they'd setup something like this, which my brother has used many times back home:

http://duijusticelink.aaa.com/for-the-public/aaas-role/public-education/sober-ride

But no money to be made if they do this....

[tropo]

This part is frightening:

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

It more or less gives police carte blanche and can, WILL be abused. How about elderly that have some balance problems or whatever...guess we'll visit them in jail.

I had a mastoid operation when I was younger which affects my balance, while I agree that anybody drinking over the limit should not be on the roads driving. What happens If I am stopped by the police and the breath test is not positive but the officer deems I am drunk. And why implimented in certain parts of Thailand (Pattaya and BKK). I guess Thainess. I will be walking to my local bar here in Kao Noi, not sure If I will be walking back straight though. Best wishes everyone.

Easily solved. Get a doctor's certificate explaining your condition. The question remains though, are you a safe driver with such a condition?

[jerome2]

Gorbachev lost power when he wanted to fight the vodka adiction... i heard

[kevkev1888]

This part is frightening:

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

It more or less gives police carte blanche and can, WILL be abused. How about elderly that have some balance problems or whatever...guess we'll visit them in jail.

I had a mastoid operation when I was younger which affects my balance, while I agree that anybody drinking over the limit should not be on the roads driving. What happens If I am stopped by the police and the breath test is not positive but the officer deems I am drunk. And why implimented in certain parts of Thailand (Pattaya and BKK). I guess Thainess. I will be walking to my local bar here in Kao Noi, not sure If I will be walking back straight though. Best wishes everyone.

Easily solved. Get a doctor's certificate explaining your condition. The question remains though, are you a safe driver with such a condition?

Also consider, drivers over 65 are more likely to get into crashes because of declining perception and motor skills.

As they grow older drivers are more likely to cause a crash because of a lapse in perception, such as failing to yield or running a red light. Seniors are also more likely to get into crashes while turning to the left, when drivers often must make quick judgments.

[Broken Record]

Having lived in Issan for 5 years I can tell you that none of the Thai take any notice of Drink Driving rules.

People are drunk at all times of the day.

I add that I saw several Police very intoxicated whilst on duty riding motor bikes!

I can tell you that many many Farangs don't take any notice of Drink Driving rules either, in fact nearly every Farang I know that drinks and has a car drinks and drives on a regular basis.

Strict laws are needed to try and stop them.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Broken Record

[barryofthailand]

Why just Pattaya? Should be the same law for the entire country

[elgordo38]

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

So even if your innocent, they can treat you as if your guilty.

If you loosen your purse strings a little I am sure you can toddle off home. Yes I commend this operation but there is no uniformity in policing here. Police work should not be praised and announced prematurely. Purely PR a high profile stunt. There should be be frequent silent blitz's thats when you get the maximum effect. They are constantly like boxers telegraphing their punches.

[connda]

It's about time they take drunk driving serious... long overdue!!! When irresponsible people begin to realize that driving drunk can, and will, result in jail time, fines, and seizure of their vehicles, maybe they will think twice about getting behind the wheel... im sure they enforcement just saved a few lives

Plus getting the drinks drunks off the road probably saves lives in the long run, especially considering the BIB doesn't enforce moving violations with rare exceptions. So cops will never catch these guys weaving all over the road, driving on the wrong side of the road, passing while weaving all over the road from lane to lane dodging other cars, motorcycles and pedestrians and having a series of near misses and close calls every 15 or 20 seconds. So considering that there are no cops on the road actively looking for that behaviour from the vantage of a highway patrol car, I guess stopping everyone at a roadblock and having them blow into a tube is better than nothing. Well, except when the guy in front of you has incurable TB which you then contract. It pays to carry your own disinfectant. Jing!

Edited December 26, 2015 by connda

[oxo1947]

I really don't like drink driving.

You tend to spill your pint when you change gears...................

[thailandstupidlife]

Yes, you are right, ridiculous people have money to drink all night but not to pay any taxi cost.

People who support them are even more ridiculous !

This would be OK if they had a good system of public transport. The lack of metered taxis here is a real pain.

[Dan5]

"Jail and hefty fines await" Guess for who....?? the farrangs..... off course....

This a is just a new money-spinner

TIT

No. That's not the case in Bangkok at least. My Thai friends are very cautious. About drinking and driving in certain areas of Bangkok at certain times. It's common knowledge that the police have checkpoints set up at night near popular drinking areas. They will sometimes even take taxi home from the bar sometimes if it's a place like RCA where there is a lot of inforcement. But they have told me that if you drive a really expensive car, your unlikely to be checked whether your a farang or a Thai. They'll just waive you through.

[connda]

No doubt about it, this is aimed fair and square at non-Thai. The authorities would never issue a fine that large to a Thai, nor confiscate their vehicle. Mind you we will never see a break-down of the statistics post NYE, of numbers of Thai booked as opposed to non-Thai booked.

This will just be another example of the inappropriate (for wanting of a more accurate term) "duel pricing" system in Thailand.

They are targeting everybody. Lots of Thais getting caught in this also. Unless of course you have the proper stickers on your windscreen! LOL

Stickers that say:

"Too Hiso to be inebriated."

"Too connected to risk stopping."

"Your fearless leader inside. Don't you dare stop this car."

"Stopping this car is a risk to your continued employment."

If you're inside the patronage system, no matter how much you've drank, you're never drunk.

[bMW with blacked-out windows weaving down the road and through roadblock] <BIB gives smart salute> "Carry on sir, Krap! Don't worry about slowing down. Krap! Watch the cones! Watch the cone...nevermind, good luck sir Krap! Don't worry about the crushed cones sir Krap!"

[connda]

Agreed. But 2 beers in an hour or so puts you over the limit and at risk of going to jail. It's been documented these devices are not 100% accurate here. Impossible to get a baht bus near my house. And very difficult to get them if you are away from Central Pattaya. Try finding any sort of transport near the lake after midnight. Very difficult, and no hotels are right next to many of these establishments.

Again, lack of metered taxis, like in Bangkok, is a real problem.

motorbike taxi on every corner.

Not where I live. Picked up a guy at a 7-11 near the lake 6 months ago. Saw him wandering around outside, needed a bottle of water anyway. Asked how he was doing. It was 12:30am and he'd been looking for a scooter taxi for over 30 minutes. No luck. We drove him home.

Where I live you will be hard pressed to find a mototaxi after 11pm.

That's not a reason to drive drunk. It is a good reason to plan your transportation ahead of time prior to partying.

[Dan5]

"Jail and hefty fines await" Guess for who....?? the farrangs..... off course....

This a is just a new money-spinner

TIT

No. That's not the case in Bangkok at least. My Thai friends are very cautious. About drinking and driving in certain areas of Bangkok at certain times. It's common knowledge that the police have checkpoints set up at night near popular drinking areas. They will sometimes even take taxi home from the bar sometimes if it's a place like RCA where there is a lot of inforcement. But they have told me that if you drive a really expensive car, your unlikely to be checked whether your a farang or a Thai. They'll just waive you through.

Could even be the opposite in some areas. I've been waived through those checkpoints in both Bangkok and my wife's home town without even having to roll down my window. They just peered at me for a few second and waived me through. And I don't have an expensive car.

[tropo]

Having lived in Issan for 5 years I can tell you that none of the Thai take any notice of Drink Driving rules.

People are drunk at all times of the day.

I add that I saw several Police very intoxicated whilst on duty riding motor bikes!

I can tell you that many many Farangs don't take any notice of Drink Driving rules either, in fact nearly every Farang I know that drinks and has a car drinks and drives on a regular basis.

Strict laws are needed to try and stop them.

Perhaps it was one of the attractions of living in Thailand for these people. All good things come to an end.

[2unique]

This part is frightening:

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

It more or less gives police carte blanche and can, WILL be abused. How about elderly that have some balance problems or whatever...guess we'll visit them in jail.

I had a mastoid operation when I was younger which affects my balance, while I agree that anybody drinking over the limit should not be on the roads driving. What happens If I am stopped by the police and the breath test is not positive but the officer deems I am drunk. And why implimented in certain parts of Thailand (Pattaya and BKK). I guess Thainess. I will be walking to my local bar here in Kao Noi, not sure If I will be walking back straight though. Best wishes everyone.

Easily solved. Get a doctor's certificate explaining your condition. The question remains though, are you a safe driver with such a condition?

Also consider, drivers over 65 are more likely to get into crashes because of declining perception and motor skills.

As they grow older drivers are more likely to cause a crash because of a lapse in perception, such as failing to yield or running a red light. Seniors are also more likely to get into crashes while turning to the left, when drivers often must make quick judgments.

I'd imagine that's offset by the young immortals with god complexes.... too young, clever, swift and video gamey to die

[tropo]

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

So even if your innocent, they can treat you as if your guilty.

If you loosen your purse strings a little I am sure you can toddle off home. Yes I commend this operation but there is no uniformity in policing here. Police work should not be praised and announced prematurely. Purely PR a high profile stunt. There should be be frequent silent blitz's thats when you get the maximum effect. They are constantly like boxers telegraphing their punches.

I can't see the problem with telegraphing this. It may succeed in keeping some drunk drivers off the streets as they are more likely to see sense while they are still sober.

Random breath testing was always advertised in Australia and it was very successful. Just the threat of testing helps to save lives.

[2unique]

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

So even if your innocent, they can treat you as if your guilty.

If you loosen your purse strings a little I am sure you can toddle off home. Yes I commend this operation but there is no uniformity in policing here. Police work should not be praised and announced prematurely. Purely PR a high profile stunt. There should be be frequent silent blitz's thats when you get the maximum effect. They are constantly like boxers telegraphing their punches.

I can't see the problem with telegraphing this. It may succeed in keeping some drunk drivers off the streets as they are more likely to see sense while they are still sober.

Random breath testing was always advertised in Australia and it was very successful. Just the threat of testing helps to save lives.

Agree ... if the objective is to deter and prevent then announce away... if I the objective is lining pockets then silent set up is the way....

[SOTIRIOS]

.......we will never see or hear about the 'exceptions' though.....wonder what percent........

[2unique]

A loose rule of thumb is 2 pints in the first hour and then a pint an hour after that... however I apply that to be 2 bottles and the 1 per hour after just to be on the safe side, if I'm out watching football (3 beers in a 90 minute match) ... if drinking Chang I'd go with 1 beer every hour as that a strong beer fella

I read some place that the limit is .04. If this is the case, you could fail after drinking 1 beer. And most people aren't anywhere near drunk after 2 beers. The term they use in the US is DUI, driving under the influence.

0.05 I believe, same as Australia... England I'm told is 0.08

[Pattaya Wolf]

This part is frightening:

Drivers who pass the breathalyzer test but who still appear to be under the influence will also be detained until authorities are satisfied they are sober.

It more or less gives police carte blanche and can, WILL be abused. How about elderly that have some balance problems or whatever...guess we'll visit them in jail.

I had a mastoid operation when I was younger which affects my balance, while I agree that anybody drinking over the limit should not be on the roads driving. What happens If I am stopped by the police and the breath test is not positive but the officer deems I am drunk. And why implimented in certain parts of Thailand (Pattaya and BKK). I guess Thainess. I will be walking to my local bar here in Kao Noi, not sure If I will be walking back straight though. Best wishes everyone.

Easily solved. Get a doctor's certificate explaining your condition. The question remains though, are you a safe driver with such a condition?

I drove for over 40 years in the UK, I have no desire to drive in Thailand, four wheel vehicles are fine and if you asked me to walk a straight line I would no be able to do so. I could never ride a 2 wheel bike in the UK, hence I do not use a schooter here.

[2unique]

If you have to parkup and sleep it off,then you are GUILTY,no B S just cop yourself on,no excuses the law is the law and we all can read it,so wake up WALK if you need drink so bad,dont talk like children,no buses,no taxis,no hotels,GET A LIFE.

Still guilty... in UK anyways... drunk in charge of a vehicle

Yes all that, or give 2000 baht in secret and drive carefully, don't do it again,

I understand when the fine went up from 4,000 to 8,000 the station was given 4,000 per conviction and set quotas so 2,000mwont cut it.. with the increased fine the commission would be suitably higher.

If you want to cut corruption you have to pay a suitable amount to make it worthwhile... all in all this is good

[connda]

Having lived in Issan for 5 years I can tell you that none of the Thai take any notice of Drink Driving rules.

People are drunk at all times of the day.

I add that I saw several Police very intoxicated whilst on duty riding motor bikes!

The average Thai driver doesn't follow any other laws governing the operation of a motor vehicle on Thai roads, so why worry about drunk driving? Really, Think about it. Thais just play the odds, and the odds say that the average Thai is more likely to get killed while driving their vehicle than they are getting pulled over at a "drink driving" roadblock, statistically speaking. So why not drink? Probability says that they will become a Darwin Award Winner before they encounter a BIB drunk driving sting, And from what I can see, that's just fine with the majority of people in Thai society. With the exception of my wife, virtually every Thai national friend of mine is happy with the status quo on the roads, and I don't like being a passenger in a car or on a motorcycle with any of them, family members included.

[boike]

Be careful with taxi drivers, car or motorcyke, coz also they like to enjoy the holidays and are often under the influence during these days.

Sent from my Vi10Pro using Tapatalk

[2unique]

A loose rule of thumb is 2 pints in the first hour and then a pint an hour after that... however I apply that to be 2 bottles and the 1 per hour after just to be on the safe side, if I'm out watching football (3 beers in a 90 minute match) ... if drinking Chang I'd go with 1 beer every hour as that a strong beer fella

That does not work, one person can have say, two pints, and pass the B test, another could have the same and fail it.

Different amounts of alcohol can effect different amounts of people in different amounts of ways.

The only sure way is just do not drink alcohol if you are going to be driving or riding.

Loose rule, loose loose .... doesn't work for Americans brought up on Miller Lite (joke joke)

I've used a personal breathalyzer on that amount and been way under however I'd still be concerned being stopped and having any alcohol in system... football I watch locally to my condo 5 minute drive, any farther and anything other than footie then I choose not to drink or choose not to drive