DUI and blacklist

[darrendsd]

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 cannot blacklist you, only the courts and Immigration can do this

Call the corruption hotline, see what they advise,

[darrendsd]

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.

I agree with this, it's easy for most of us to sit here and say stand up to them but not so easy when you are dealing with it personally,

If no one will help you OP maybe it's better just to pay, as hard as it is, remember they have not charged you with having the Ecig, they could also make this come into play if they wish

Police in Thailand make bad enemy's i'm afraid if you decide to take it further

[bkk6060]

Pay it and move on. Don't drink and drive again.

[Ronuk]

Agreed. Pay it and move on. You won't win.

[Tomtomtom69]

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.

The OP did not state what happened when he was first caught and how/why he ended up in jail. The standard procedure is to negotiate an on the spot fine with the police. Be polite, apologetic and see what they say. Almost certainly a bribe will be hinted at. It's usually not a huge amount, but a lot more than what you would be asked to pay for any other traffic offence.

You need to pay whatever the amount that the police want.

If you refuse, you'll be booked, taken to the station, might have to spend a night in jail and then you go up against the judge. A fine, which will likely be a lot higher than the on the spot fine the police would have asked you for will be charged and then you end up in all sorts of hassle.

In this kind of situation, you should thank god (or Buddha) that you are living in Thailand and not a strict, western country. Here at least, you are given an option - pay money to make a problem go away or end up in the slammer.

It's that simple.

Now that the OP has already passed that point, all I would say is try to negotiate a smaller amount to pay for the return of the passport. If they don't budge, then 10,000 Baht it is. However, it's quite likely it can be negotiated down to 5000-8000 Baht.

Next time, don't do DUI. However, 2 glasses of wine does in fact bring you over the limit of 0.05 and was probably not intentional.

[Psimbo]

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.

The OP did not state what happened when he was first caught and how/why he ended up in jail. The standard procedure is to negotiate an on the spot fine with the police. Be polite, apologetic and see what they say. Almost certainly a bribe will be hinted at. It's usually not a huge amount, but a lot more than what you would be asked to pay for any other traffic offence.

You need to pay whatever the amount that the police want.

If you refuse, you'll be booked, taken to the station, might have to spend a night in jail and then you go up against the judge. A fine, which will likely be a lot higher than the on the spot fine the police would have asked you for will be charged and then you end up in all sorts of hassle.

In this kind of situation, you should thank god (or Buddha) that you are living in Thailand and not a strict, western country. Here at least, you are given an option - pay money to make a problem go away or end up in the slammer.

It's that simple.

Now that the OP has already passed that point, all I would say is try to negotiate a smaller amount to pay for the return of the passport. If they don't budge, then 10,000 Baht it is. However, it's quite likely it can be negotiated down to 5000-8000 Baht.

Next time, don't do DUI. However, 2 glasses of wine does in fact bring you over the limit of 0.05 and was probably not intentional.

So- pay a bribe and just add to the corruption? In 12 years here I have NEVER greased a palm (on the other hand I don't drink and drive either- EVER).

Suffer a night in jail at the most and pay about 3k to the judge- blacklisting is just an empty threat designed to scare vulnerable people-I know some who have paid 20k or more on the spot to 'get away' with it- it doesn't stop them drinking and driving as they see it as a get out of jail free card.

Passport is the property of your Government- contact the embassy if they won't release it as the more people that do will expose the scam of withholding passports. Holding them is another illegal intimidatory police tactic. Chances are the Embassy will give it 'nothing to do with us' so complain against them to your country's foreign affairs Dept.

[Tomtomtom69]

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.

The OP did not state what happened when he was first caught and how/why he ended up in jail. The standard procedure is to negotiate an on the spot fine with the police. Be polite, apologetic and see what they say. Almost certainly a bribe will be hinted at. It's usually not a huge amount, but a lot more than what you would be asked to pay for any other traffic offence.

You need to pay whatever the amount that the police want.

If you refuse, you'll be booked, taken to the station, might have to spend a night in jail and then you go up against the judge. A fine, which will likely be a lot higher than the on the spot fine the police would have asked you for will be charged and then you end up in all sorts of hassle.

In this kind of situation, you should thank god (or Buddha) that you are living in Thailand and not a strict, western country. Here at least, you are given an option - pay money to make a problem go away or end up in the slammer.

It's that simple.

Now that the OP has already passed that point, all I would say is try to negotiate a smaller amount to pay for the return of the passport. If they don't budge, then 10,000 Baht it is. However, it's quite likely it can be negotiated down to 5000-8000 Baht.

Next time, don't do DUI. However, 2 glasses of wine does in fact bring you over the limit of 0.05 and was probably not intentional.

So- pay a bribe and just add to the corruption? In 12 years here I have NEVER greased a palm (on the other hand I don't drink and drive either- EVER).

Suffer a night in jail at the most and pay about 3k to the judge- blacklisting is just an empty threat designed to scare vulnerable people-I know some who have paid 20k or more on the spot to 'get away' with it- it doesn't stop them drinking and driving as they see it as a get out of jail free card.

Passport is the property of your Government- contact the embassy if they won't release it as the more people that do will expose the scam of withholding passports. Holding them is another illegal intimidatory police tactic. Chances are the Embassy will give it 'nothing to do with us' so complain against them to your country's foreign affairs Dept.

Ok so you wanna get on your high horse and think you can solve the corruption issue by taking a stand?

You would rather go to jail than pay some Baht to get out of the situation just to prove a point?

I think I'd rather not go to jail and risk all those things the OP has. No thanks. I'd rather stick with my suggestion. Feel free to inconvenience yourself put up a fight with the police your government etc., but I've certainly not got anything to prove, no axes to grind (unlike you it seems). I would rather enjoy freedom and conflict avoidance.

While I certainly would never deliberately drink and drive, keep in mind the OP managed to be over the limit after just 2 glasses of wine. Probably he had his last glass 3-4 hours before getting caught, yet was still over the limit. The majority of drivers are probably in the same situation.

This is Thailand - pay the money and get yourself out of trouble. It's the law of the land. And generally, you don't need to pay anywhere near 20K. More likely 1/10 of that.

[Maestro]

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.

What information did you get when you called the government hotline 1111?

[Alan81]

Tom youn are wrong.Paying the fine at the court is always cheaper for dui.

[Ronuk]

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.

The OP did not state what happened when he was first caught and how/why he ended up in jail. The standard procedure is to negotiate an on the spot fine with the police. Be polite, apologetic and see what they say. Almost certainly a bribe will be hinted at. It's usually not a huge amount, but a lot more than what you would be asked to pay for any other traffic offence.

You need to pay whatever the amount that the police want.

If you refuse, you'll be booked, taken to the station, might have to spend a night in jail and then you go up against the judge. A fine, which will likely be a lot higher than the on the spot fine the police would have asked you for will be charged and then you end up in all sorts of hassle.

In this kind of situation, you should thank god (or Buddha) that you are living in Thailand and not a strict, western country. Here at least, you are given an option - pay money to make a problem go away or end up in the slammer.

It's that simple.

Now that the OP has already passed that point, all I would say is try to negotiate a smaller amount to pay for the return of the passport. If they don't budge, then 10,000 Baht it is. However, it's quite likely it can be negotiated down to 5000-8000 Baht.

Next time, don't do DUI. However, 2 glasses of wine does in fact bring you over the limit of 0.05 and was probably not intentional.

So- pay a bribe and just add to the corruption? In 12 years here I have NEVER greased a palm (on the other hand I don't drink and drive either- EVER).

Suffer a night in jail at the most and pay about 3k to the judge- blacklisting is just an empty threat designed to scare vulnerable people-I know some who have paid 20k or more on the spot to 'get away' with it- it doesn't stop them drinking and driving as they see it as a get out of jail free card.

Passport is the property of your Government- contact the embassy if they won't release it as the more people that do will expose the scam of withholding passports. Holding them is another illegal intimidatory police tactic. Chances are the Embassy will give it 'nothing to do with us' so complain against them to your country's foreign affairs Dept.

Did you miss the part where the OP also had in his possession an e cigarette that on it's own now carry's a 5 year Jail sentence? For spending 12 years in Thailand, you don't seem to of learned too much of how the system works whether you agree with it or not.

[overherebc]

An update from the OP would be a good idea.

[Evilbaz]

Certainly the E-cig is a complication and another lever the BIB have over the O.P.

Without it he should have called 1111 when first advised.

I think he's stuffed and will have to settle this the Thai way - negotiate down the asking price.

[smedly]

they have you over a barrel with the ecig unfortunately, the very least you can do is ask them for a receipt for any money you give them otherwise it could constitute a bribe and have a witness with you at all times even if they try to isolate you

[Tomtomtom69]

Tom youn are wrong.Paying the fine at the court is always cheaper for dui.

It's not. I'm not going to say how I know this, but I can tell you, you are wrong.

In any case, going to jail and then to court, even if it's cheaper is NOT worth it, even if you were right. So that's a moot point.

[Tomtomtom69]

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.

The OP did not state what happened when he was first caught and how/why he ended up in jail. The standard procedure is to negotiate an on the spot fine with the police. Be polite, apologetic and see what they say. Almost certainly a bribe will be hinted at. It's usually not a huge amount, but a lot more than what you would be asked to pay for any other traffic offence.

You need to pay whatever the amount that the police want.

If you refuse, you'll be booked, taken to the station, might have to spend a night in jail and then you go up against the judge. A fine, which will likely be a lot higher than the on the spot fine the police would have asked you for will be charged and then you end up in all sorts of hassle.

In this kind of situation, you should thank god (or Buddha) that you are living in Thailand and not a strict, western country. Here at least, you are given an option - pay money to make a problem go away or end up in the slammer.

It's that simple.

Now that the OP has already passed that point, all I would say is try to negotiate a smaller amount to pay for the return of the passport. If they don't budge, then 10,000 Baht it is. However, it's quite likely it can be negotiated down to 5000-8000 Baht.

Next time, don't do DUI. However, 2 glasses of wine does in fact bring you over the limit of 0.05 and was probably not intentional.

So- pay a bribe and just add to the corruption? In 12 years here I have NEVER greased a palm (on the other hand I don't drink and drive either- EVER).

Suffer a night in jail at the most and pay about 3k to the judge- blacklisting is just an empty threat designed to scare vulnerable people-I know some who have paid 20k or more on the spot to 'get away' with it- it doesn't stop them drinking and driving as they see it as a get out of jail free card.

Passport is the property of your Government- contact the embassy if they won't release it as the more people that do will expose the scam of withholding passports. Holding them is another illegal intimidatory police tactic. Chances are the Embassy will give it 'nothing to do with us' so complain against them to your country's foreign affairs Dept.

Did you miss the part where the OP also had in his possession an e cigarette that on it's own now carry's a 5 year Jail sentence? For spending 12 years in Thailand, you don't seem to of learned too much of how the system works whether you agree with it or not.

Yeah now that's a bummer. E-cigs. Didn't know they were illegal here. I thought you could buy them at the market in Tachilek (they're all Chinese made anyway) but bringing them across the border is illegal. They should have warning signs at the borders, just like they do for illegal cigarettes. The signs warn you that the fine for carrying fake cigs is 20 times their value, if caught.

Fortunately I don't smoke and out of principle I am unable to purchase any tobacco products for anyone I know who does. Whether at an airport duty free or even from the local 7-11, I can't do it. Alcohol, no problem as long as it's within the legal limit. Therefore, if a smoker friend knows I'm traveling, too bad, they're not going to get any cigs from me even if they offered to pay me double what I paid. Then again, I know so few people who smoke (less than 10% of my contacts smoke) it's unlikely anyone would ask me in the first place.

[Alan81]

Tom i have seen many people pay the police off at anything from 5 thousand baht up to 25.

At court it is only something like 3 thousand baht.

Maybe you know off someone that managed to get a fine for less then 3.If so good he was lucky.Off course spending night in jail is not worth it.Anyway op any luck with the passport?

[ICECOOL]

A friend of mine wrote to the ombudsman about a particular matter. He got his 2000 baht fine back, dinner and lunch paid, bird soup package and bottle of whisky. True story. Tell them you are complaining to the ombudsman.

[Maestro]

Telling them would be wrong and risky: a dead man cannot go to the ombudsman. Don't tell them, just do it. What's the mail address for the ombudsman?

[maoro2013]

The way that measure it here the limit is 100 whatever that is.

[sanukjim]

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

Carry a photo copy of your passport with all the correct pages copyed and do not carry your passport in day to day movements.

[Asiantravel]

The OP did not state what happened when he was first caught and how/why he ended up in jail. The standard procedure is to negotiate an on the spot fine with the police. Be polite, apologetic and see what they say. Almost certainly a bribe will be hinted at. It's usually not a huge amount, but a lot more than what you would be asked to pay for any other traffic offence.

You need to pay whatever the amount that the police want.

If you refuse, you'll be booked, taken to the station, might have to spend a night in jail and then you go up against the judge. A fine, which will likely be a lot higher than the on the spot fine the police would have asked you for will be charged and then you end up in all sorts of hassle.

In this kind of situation, you should thank god (or Buddha) that you are living in Thailand and not a strict, western country. Here at least, you are given an option - pay money to make a problem go away or end up in the slammer.

It's that simple.

Now that the OP has already passed that point, all I would say is try to negotiate a smaller amount to pay for the return of the passport. If they don't budge, then 10,000 Baht it is. However, it's quite likely it can be negotiated down to 5000-8000 Baht.

Next time, don't do DUI. However, 2 glasses of wine does in fact bring you over the limit of 0.05 and was probably not intentional.

So- pay a bribe and just add to the corruption? In 12 years here I have NEVER greased a palm (on the other hand I don't drink and drive either- EVER).

Suffer a night in jail at the most and pay about 3k to the judge- blacklisting is just an empty threat designed to scare vulnerable people-I know some who have paid 20k or more on the spot to 'get away' with it- it doesn't stop them drinking and driving as they see it as a get out of jail free card.

Passport is the property of your Government- contact the embassy if they won't release it as the more people that do will expose the scam of withholding passports. Holding them is another illegal intimidatory police tactic. Chances are the Embassy will give it 'nothing to do with us' so complain against them to your country's foreign affairs Dept.

Did you miss the part where the OP also had in his possession an e cigarette that on it's own now carry's a 5 year Jail sentence? For spending 12 years in Thailand, you don't seem to of learned too much of how the system works whether you agree with it or not.

Yeah now that's a bummer. E-cigs. Didn't know they were illegal here. I thought you could buy them at the market in Tachilek (they're all Chinese made anyway) but bringing them across the border is illegal. They should have warning signs at the borders, just like they do for illegal cigarettes. The signs warn you that the fine for carrying fake cigs is 20 times their value, if caught.

Fortunately I don't smoke and out of principle I am unable to purchase any tobacco products for anyone I know who does. Whether at an airport duty free or even from the local 7-11, I can't do it. Alcohol, no problem as long as it's within the legal limit. Therefore, if a smoker friend knows I'm traveling, too bad, they're not going to get any cigs from me even if they offered to pay me double what I paid. Then again, I know so few people who smoke (less than 10% of my contacts smoke) it's unlikely anyone would ask me in the first place.

" They should have warning signs at the borders "

I wouldn't be holding my breath for that . if they were to issue warnings to travellers on all the pitfalls and do's and don'ts for this country they would have to give out a booklet

[willyumiii]

"It seems like a pretty severe penalty. "

What is really severe is the possible repercussions of driving intoxicated.

Putting your life and the lives of other innocent people in jeopardy is nothing to be taken lightly and the penalties should be even more severe.

Driving in Thailand is already way too dangerous without buzzed drivers on the road.

Having a few drinks is not a bad thing, but do it at home or find a sober driver....maybe a taxi?

[steelepulse]

I'd counter with 5000 and see what they say then go from there. They want money and you want this to go away, so you both have something to negotiate for.

[Quack]

Just go back to the police station with a Thai friend, wife or girlfriend and get them to negotiate a price for your passport. If you plead you're broke they'll probably give it back for 2 or 3k, much less of a gamble than trying to complain.

[ICECOOL]

Www.ombudsman.go.th

Edited June 25, 2016 by ICECOOL

[steelepulse]

OP, what's the outcome?

[bkk6060]

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

Carry a photo copy of your passport with all the correct pages copyed and do not carry your passport in day to day movements.

That is another law violation I believe as the law states "original passport".

I never carry mine with me at all.

Edited June 25, 2016 by bkk6060