Thai Drivers License Crackdown?

[Si Thea01]

Pulled over a couple of weeks ago, asked for my license (current 5 yr Thai), a smile and sent on my way.

Son pulled over, showed his Kentucky license was told he is required to have international license. Hmm, then Officer said he would just write the ticket for no helmet as the fine was lower (son had a helmet on). The

License was kept pending payment of fine at the station. Next day he is stopped again...what? No license, so

another ticket. Son showed he had already had a ticket from previous day...sorry, no license, no drive. What really sent my son over the edge was Thais without helmets not being stopped. What do you figure his report will be after returning to the States?

what report?

I think he meant "Whinge"

[D3030]

I got pulled up in town on Monday by the regular roadblock on the highway near Central and an officer, who looked like he was doing nothing else and spoke reasonable English, asked me for my drivers license.

He took no details or inspected any other documents offered, just questioned me about my license.

I was in Chiang Mai today and spoke to a friend who lives there and he said he had heard several recent incidences of it occurring there among driving expats.

I'm not seeking a debate on the pros and cons of having a Thai license or taking a head count of those that have, just checking to see if anyone else here has been stopped and questioned.

If it was a cop, in a car, with lights flashing and sirens blasting...

Stopping you, because you are a farang..

Checking if you had a drivers license...

Then I'd see the point of the question...

When stopped by the police, standing near some orange cones??

True, rarely stopped at these "bottle neck" police stops..

But have been stopped, and asked for my drivers license one time..

So.....

Just get the Thai drivers license, heard it makes cops think, you're part of his family...

Get into an accident with that farang drivers license..

The Thai police will automatically charge you for causing an accident..

#Sarcasm

[wwest5829]

Pulled over a couple of weeks ago, asked for my license (current 5 yr Thai), a smile and sent on my way.

Son pulled over, showed his Kentucky license was told he is required to have international license. Hmm, then Officer said he would just write the ticket for no helmet as the fine was lower (son had a helmet on). The

License was kept pending payment of fine at the station. Next day he is stopped again...what? No license, so

another ticket. Son showed he had already had a ticket from previous day...sorry, no license, no drive. What really sent my son over the edge was Thais without helmets not being stopped. What do you figure his report will be after returning to the States?

what report?

Social media to friends. He is aware that reporting such things while in the country could cause him problems.

[wwest5829]

Pulled over a couple of weeks ago, asked for my license (current 5 yr Thai), a smile and sent on my way.

Son pulled over, showed his Kentucky license was told he is required to have international license. Hmm, then Officer said he would just write the ticket for no helmet as the fine was lower (son had a helmet on). The

License was kept pending payment of fine at the station. Next day he is stopped again...what? No license, so

another ticket. Son showed he had already had a ticket from previous day...sorry, no license, no drive. What really sent my son over the edge was Thais without helmets not being stopped. What do you figure his report will be after returning to the States?

Some things we have to live with. A bit silly taking a risk the second time, especially when he had no license and the cops knew this. Try driving elsewhere without a license, they'll ping you every time. I can guess what his report will be but it should be, Gee, I was a bit foolish, drove one day, got caught without a license and then did it the next day and got caught again. Sorry but double jeopardy doesn't apply to traffic offences. What was he thinking when he showed the ticket from the previous day, that he would get sympathy and allowed to leave. A blatant disregard for the road rules, wouldn't you say?

Well, then he was misinformed by his Thai Stepmother who thought you had a few days allowance to go to the station and pay the initial fine. This is how it has worked for her and many friends in the past. Are you in country?

[wwest5829]

Pulled over a couple of weeks ago, asked for my license (current 5 yr Thai), a smile and sent on my way.

Son pulled over, showed his Kentucky license was told he is required to have international license. Hmm, then Officer said he would just write the ticket for no helmet as the fine was lower (son had a helmet on). The

License was kept pending payment of fine at the station. Next day he is stopped again...what? No license, so

another ticket. Son showed he had already had a ticket from previous day...sorry, no license, no drive. What really sent my son over the edge was Thais without helmets not being stopped. What do you figure his report will be after returning to the States?

what report?

I think he meant "Whinge"

Sorry, could you define, "whinge". I am not familar with that term.

Oops, got it. Ha! What has been said/ We speak different languages together. Whine is our American usage...not important.

Na, not whining just responding to the post with my personal experience. Retired living here and understand the Thanes.

Edited May 20, 2016 by wwest5829

[D3030]

Pulled over a couple of weeks ago, asked for my license (current 5 yr Thai), a smile and sent on my way.

Son pulled over, showed his Kentucky license was told he is required to have international license. Hmm, then Officer said he would just write the ticket for no helmet as the fine was lower (son had a helmet on).

That was nice, lower fine. Gotta love Thailand, eh.

The

License was kept pending payment of fine at the station. Next day he is stopped again...what? No license, so

another ticket. Son showed he had already had a ticket from previous day...sorry, no license, no drive.

Yeah, the other ticket was for no helmet. But he was warned to have the international license, yet here he is STILL driving without one! Probably a career criminal. Some people just never learn. Was a case recently in PTY where a guy was ticketed coming and going.

What really sent my son over the edge was Thais without helmets not being stopped. What do you figure his report will be after returning to the States?

That one should have an international license to drive in Thailand? And after you're warned, you should listen? But nobody cares what his report is.

Son is obviously FOB. You'll need to explain that at a given time cops are looking for particular offenses or concentrating on one task and ignore the minor other offenses around them. It's a part of the Asian "one thing at a time" mentality. When they're focused on helmets, I can assure you they stop BOTH Thais and farangs. I see Thais stopped for no helmets all the time--at checkpoints. But not ALL of either group; being overburdened, they typically let some through.

Next.

Well, damn it J6Pk..

His son will just have to add your name to his report..

As soon as he returns home!

Son: Ahhhh.. Dear Diary - some mean guy named J6Pack.. Yada - Yada....

[Si Thea01]

Pulled over a couple of weeks ago, asked for my license (current 5 yr Thai), a smile and sent on my way.

Son pulled over, showed his Kentucky license was told he is required to have international license. Hmm, then Officer said he would just write the ticket for no helmet as the fine was lower (son had a helmet on). The

License was kept pending payment of fine at the station. Next day he is stopped again...what? No license, so

another ticket. Son showed he had already had a ticket from previous day...sorry, no license, no drive. What really sent my son over the edge was Thais without helmets not being stopped. What do you figure his report will be after returning to the States?

what report?

I think he meant "Whinge"

Sorry, could you define, "whinge". I am not familar with that term.

Oops, got it. Ha! What has been said/ We speak different languages together. Whine is our American usage...not important.

Na, not whining just responding to the post with my personal experience. Retired living here and understand the Thanes.

We speak the same language just different terms for different countries. I was only having a dig at you, just a little sarcasm, nothing malicious. And like you, I do live here. So he did not pay the fine on the day the ticket was issued, and was going to wait a few days but got caught in the mean time, hence his producing the initial ticket. Is that correct? Accept my apologies for the ;little dig I had, if you had explained a little more that I think everyone would have understood. Even if he goes on social media, nothing will happen but I suppose at least he'll get it off his chest.

[uptheos]

Make sure your passport number on the drivers licence is the same as your current passport.

Also, not a lot of people realise their address is on the back printed in Thai.

Always useful to keep it updated.

[Assurancetourix]

Height years I'm living here in Thailand, Sakon Nakhon province;

will begin my 9th year in a month;

never had a problem with Royal Thai police;

at the beginning on a motorbike before buying a pickup;

since six years and a half I bought our Isuzu pickup; did already 124,000 km ;

I touch some piece of wood but ..nothing wrong happened ..

I was a teacher in France about how to be a good driver on the roads and I do allways as I teached ;

With our Isuzu 3,000 cc automatic gear I can do 16 to 17 km with only 1 liter of GO; if good conditions on a 4 lanes or a nice secondary road, I can do 5,5 l/100 km ; I drive between 85 to 95 km/h; it's enough on thai roads.

I don't drive fast, I respect secure distances between the other vehicles; I don't smoke , I never drink alcool ;

I respect the other drivers ,

A long time ago, when a trucker on european roads I was a fool man, a crazy driver behind the wheel ;

but looking as so many friends , truckers like me who where in a beautiful wood box in a cimetery or a wheel chair for the luckiers..

I stopped suddenly to drive fast and began to respect the Highway Code ;

In a truck company in Fougeres - 35300 -, France,where I was working we were only two drivers on 43 ( now there are 650 drivers ! ) to respect it and these two drivers were choosen by the boss to go to Koweit !! It was in 1975 , 41 years ago ...

Edited May 22, 2016 by Assurancetourix