I got caught driving after 2 glasses of wine. On the breathalizer I scored 53 (mg?) where 50 is the legal limit. I am about to go to court to pay the fine. The officer told me that I will also get blacklisted and that I will have to come back to the police station tomorrow in order to get this cleaned up.

Is it true that I will get blacklisted? Or are the BiB trying to get some extra money out of me?It seems like a pretty severe penalty.

There would be no blacklisting for a DUI.

Is there a way to check if i am blacklisted tomorrow? Or even later today when I am at court?

Blacklisting means not being able to re-enter the country and a DUI is not a serious enough offense to be blacklisted for.

Even putting you on the list that would prevent you from leaving the country is not likely to be done for it.

Police are trying it on, the fact that he asked you to go back to the station to clear it up shows this

Pay your fine at the court and don't go back to the station

Once you're done with the court you have absolutely no reason to go back to the police station unless the court stipulates it in their ruling.

Are the BIB holding your passport?

If so, ask the court for its return, otherwise the BIB can hold it for ransom.

Thanks for the replies guys. Really hope you guys are right.

Coincidentally I also had an electronic cigarette on me and they gave me hell for that. Saying that I would have to pay 100k for that and that it was way more serious than the small DUI.

In the final reports I signed it mentioned nothing about the ecig according to my gf. Hope to hell she is right too.

This was posted 40 mins after my arrest: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/926368-e-cigarettes-light-up-and-face-years-in-jail/?utm_source=newsletter-20160621-0658&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Should I lawyer up?

Thanks for the replies guys. Really hope you guys are right.

Coincidentally I also had an electronic cigarette on me and they gave me hell for that. Saying that I would have to pay 100k for that and that it was way more serious than the small DUI.

In the final reports I signed it mentioned nothing about the ecig according to my gf. Hope to hell she is right too.

This was posted 40 mins after my arrest: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/926368-e-cigarettes-light-up-and-face-years-in-jail/?utm_source=newsletter-20160621-0658&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Should I lawyer up?

They said the electric cig was more serious than a DUI charge? Yea, that mentality sounds about right.

Sounds like you should pucker up. They're trying to bend you over. Let the courts deal with it and don't believe anything the police say.

2 glasses of wine why does every DUI say that.

But, 50 is a pretty low level to enforce DUI.

Maybe they have another meaning for Blacklisted.

Let us know about the fine I heard it can be from 30,000-60,000 b.

Which on the big picture is cheap compared to California where the entire scenario can run 500,000 b plus a huge jump in insurance.

PS: Did they take your Ecig in custody?

Edited June 21, 201610 yr by bkk6060

On my way to court now. Do police officers always bring the passport to court or is there a chance it is still at the police station?

Ecig is still at the station, and I onviously didnt ask for it back. Smoked half a pack of regular cigarettes since my dentention...

Thanks for the replies guys. Really hope you guys are right.

Coincidentally I also had an electronic cigarette on me and they gave me hell for that. Saying that I would have to pay 100k for that and that it was way more serious than the small DUI.

In the final reports I signed it mentioned nothing about the ecig according to my gf. Hope to hell she is right too.

This was posted 40 mins after my arrest: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/926368-e-cigarettes-light-up-and-face-years-in-jail/?utm_source=newsletter-20160621-0658&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Should I lawyer up?

They said the electric cig was more serious than a DUI charge? Yea, that mentality sounds about right.

Sounds like you should pucker up. They're trying to bend you over. Let the courts deal with it and don't believe anything the police say.

" They're trying to bend you over "

maybe not ?

" A popular online police page has confirmed penalties for the possession of E-cigarettes. Users could be jailed for five years and producers face 10 years inside for flouting the law. "

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/926368-e-cigarettes-light-up-and-face-years-in-jail/

Ask the judge that your passport be returned immediately,, when he is finished with you.

Thanks for the replies guys. Really hope you guys are right.

Coincidentally I also had an electronic cigarette on me and they gave me hell for that. Saying that I would have to pay 100k for that and that it was way more serious than the small DUI.

In the final reports I signed it mentioned nothing about the ecig according to my gf. Hope to hell she is right too.

This was posted 40 mins after my arrest: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/926368-e-cigarettes-light-up-and-face-years-in-jail/?utm_source=newsletter-20160621-0658&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Should I lawyer up?

They said the electric cig was more serious than a DUI charge? Yea, that mentality sounds about right.

Sounds like you should pucker up. They're trying to bend you over. Let the courts deal with it and don't believe anything the police say.

" They're trying to bend you over "

maybe not ?

" A popular online police page has confirmed penalties for the possession of E-cigarettes. Users could be jailed for five years and producers face 10 years inside for flouting the law. "

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/926368-e-cigarettes-light-up-and-face-years-in-jail/

And when someone does 10 years for owning an e-cig (hell, any amount of time), I'll believe this is not a ruse to extract cash.

Edited June 21, 201610 yr by rkidlad

So im out. 3.5k fine. My passport never made it to court, its still at the station. Should I call the police that the police is holding my passport ransom? :/

So im out. 3.5k fine. My passport never made it to court, its still at the station. Should I call the police that the police is holding my passport ransom? :/

Go to the police station and get your passport. Show them the receipt for the fine and they will give it back to you.

Cost me 5 k to get my passport back when the police had it.Bad eggs

Experienced a similar situation 3 years ago. Detained at 2 am with 0.60 mg. Spend the night in jail and went to court next day. Fined 3.5k. On the way back to the police office they told me the blacklist story and asked 5k to destroy the court ruling. I did not cooperate and applied for a work permit a few months after. No problems. Finally had to pay a fine of 500 baht because I did not have a Thai drivers licence. A Thai 'friend' also jailed for DUI had to pay 500 thb to get his licence returned. BTW. A night in police custody among 30+ Thai was quite an experience. Never had so many mosquito bites as in that particular night. The inmates were very friendly and shared their food in the morning. Good luck OP

If the police hesitate to return your passport without a bribe, call the government helpline 1111 right the and there.

2 glasses of wine why does every DUI say that.

But, 50 is a pretty low level to enforce DUI.

Maybe they have another meaning for Blacklisted.

Let us know about the fine I heard it can be from 30,000-60,000 b.

Which on the big picture is cheap compared to California where the entire scenario can run 500,000 b plus a huge jump in insurance.

PS: Did they take your Ecig in custody?

Fine is 5000-10000 Baht. If you pay officially.

2 glasses of wine why does every DUI say that.

But, 50 is a pretty low level to enforce DUI.

Maybe they have another meaning for Blacklisted.

Let us know about the fine I heard it can be from 30,000-60,000 b.

Which on the big picture is cheap compared to California where the entire scenario can run 500,000 b plus a huge jump in insurance.

PS: Did they take your Ecig in custody?

Fine is 5000-10000 Baht. If you pay officially.

Got it thanks. Makes more sense now.

Just went to the police station to collect my passport. They wont give it back unless I pay 10000 thb. I am not currently blacklisted but this will change if I decide not to pay.

What is my play here?

Just went to the police station to collect my passport. They wont give it back unless I pay 10000 thb. I am not currently blacklisted but this will change if I decide not to pay.

What is my play here?

The Police can't blacklist you.

They are just trying to extort money from you, call their bluff and don't pay, tell them you will go to your embassy and report your passport stolen, they'll probably throw it at you, but they won't hang on to it.

Edited June 22, 201610 yr by Broken Record

They said they have contacts with immigration. If I dont pay they will send my passport to them and get me blacklisted. Calling my embassy now.

They cannot do that they are bullshitting.Go back there and say all you can afford to give them is 2 thousand baht

What police station? Nongprue banglamung or soi 9?

Just went to the police station to collect my passport. They wont give it back unless I pay 10000 thb. I am not currently blacklisted but this will change if I decide not to pay.

What is my play here?

The Police can't blacklist you.

They are just trying to extort money from you, call their bluff and don't pay, tell them you will go to your embassy and report your passport stolen, they'll probably throw it at you, but they won't hang on to it.

In Thailand, conflict avoidance is usually the smart move. This is an exception, I think. Threatening to charge them with stealing your passport is not risk free, but I would not roll over for this if it was me.

Tell the police station that is holding your passport that you need to make a police report stating that the police are holding your passport.

What would be the situation if a person reported their passport lost, at another police station, and applied for a replacement.

The old passport would be registered as cancelled and replaced or would the reporter be liable for punishment under false declaration to the Embassy ?

Just went to the police station to collect my passport. They wont give it back unless I pay 10000 thb. I am not currently blacklisted but this will change if I decide not to pay.

What is my play here?

You've two choices. Pay the bribe or make a formal complaint. Your legal bill will be greater than 10,000 baht if you involve a lawyer.

There are lots of brave people giving you advice that have clearly never dealt with the police. What the police are doing is wrong, but you are risking a lot by standing up to them especially if you make a formal complaint.