My friend  who does not have a higher degree but is  nevertheless quite bright IMO,  uses a variation of  Descartes' "I think, therefore I am"  

 

His variation is to state  theories and then believe them.    

 

Recently he told me Thai police cannot issue tickets outside a checkpoint or the  ubiquitous helmet stop.    He bases his theory (theorm) on the belief  that if they could issue tickets they would be doing that constantly all day long to earn tea money.

 

While I laughed and disagreed,  I'm really not sure.     I know  I've only seen one person stopped outside a checkpoint in SEA in 10 years and that was in Cebu, Philippines at an intersection.

 

I've never once seen any sign of a highway patrol in Thailand.   

 

Does  a  regular RTP member have the authority to issue traffic tickets or is that limited to the higher ups as my friend contends?

 

I.E. what policemen in Thailand can write a ticket for any infraction?

Edited September 18, 20169 yr by watcharacters

And you think your friend is quite bright

Utter nonsense.

Of course a cop can write an official ticket when being on patrol or guard (alone).

And then it is NOT a bribe/tea money, as you have to pay at the police station or get a letter home.

I am writing from experience

Edited September 18, 20169 yr by KhunBENQ

I've had plenty of tickets issued by Thai police, for parking, for speeding, for not wearing a seatbelt - Thai police have plenty of things they could issue tickets for, but just don't.

Cops ticket people at checkpoints for the same reason Ford builds 'em on assembly lines.

 

Ford could build one in your garage, too.  But they rarely do.

 

Edited September 18, 20169 yr by impulse

I recall there was an earlier debate on the same subject when related to a traffic stop. Apparently one of the officers on duty has to be of a certain rank to make the whole thing totally legal and above board. Having said that, I have had tickets issued by solitary cops 'through the window'* as well as tickets being written up by and fines paid to the aforementioned senior officer in a shady sala beside the road.

 

Bit of a grey area... or brown one.

 

* also have made contributions to the police welfare fund the same way.

A little correction.

Quote

Of course a cop can write an official ticket when being on patrol or guard (alone).

 

must read:

Quote

Of course cops do write official tickets when being on patrol or guard (alone).

 

The rest is up to the lawyers.

 

Edited September 18, 20169 yr by KhunBENQ

1 hour ago, watcharacters said:

I've never once seen any sign of a highway patrol in Thailand.

 

here ya go ... two of them !

 

ive had loads of tickets out of checkpoints but when most of them

went up from 200 baht to 400 baht i said #### this for a game of

soldiers  and i try to be a good boy now

 

dave2

Damn, i dont have a higher degree, does that make me dumb by default?

56 minutes ago, dave2 said:

 

here ya go ... two of them !

 

ive had loads of tickets out of checkpoints but when most of them

went up from 200 baht to 400 baht i said #### this for a game of

soldiers  and i try to be a good boy now

 

dave2

 

They're parked on a red line, go on, make a citizens arrest!

re

They're parked on a red line, go on, make a citizens arrest!

 

i thought about it but they outnumbered me

 

and i was busy watching the marching band  

 

just joshin mods .. dave2

My wife has told me a few times that police cannot stop you to give you a ticket unless it is at a check point, I find this hard to believe but she insists they cannot. Saying this she was stopped by a policeman  who stepped out from the foot path (no check point) the other week and was fined for not having her helmet on, I mention to her about what she had told me in the past and she said she did not want any trouble so paid.

 

Well this is Thailand so who knows what is correct.

 

My wife also went for her drivers license last week (and passed) and she came home and told me the 3 hour video they had to watch gave different answers to the Road Traffic book that has all the road rules in, I asked her which one is the correct law, the video or the book, was told she has no idea which one is correct. Two different answers!

On 9/18/2016 at 5:54 PM, Jdiddy said:

Damn, i dont have a higher degree, does that make me dumb by default?

 

 

 

Gosh Jdiddy, I don't know you so i couldn't  even begin to offer an opinion about your intelligence.

 

I'll only say that your post reminds me of the quote "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt".

 

Cheers.     555

On 9/18/2016 at 10:51 PM, stupidfarang said:

Well this is Thailand so who knows what is correct.

 

The side affect of the easygoing way of life here is that rules are not set in concrete, this can work in your favor nicely but other times against you. Gotta take the bad with the good

On 18.9.2016 at 4:59 PM, dave2 said:

 

here ya go ... two of them !

 

ive had loads of tickets out of checkpoints but when most of them

went up from 200 baht to 400 baht i said #### this for a game of

soldiers  and i try to be a good boy now

 

dave2

Highway police is a common sight on our upcountry highway.

They stop along the path, two officers in the car.

They put some cones on the road and stop/check cars.

Call it a two officer checkpoint.

On 9/18/2016 at 7:51 PM, stupidfarang said:

My wife has told me a few times that police cannot stop you to give you a ticket unless it is at a check point, I find this hard to believe but she insists they cannot. Saying this she was stopped by a policeman  who stepped out from the foot path (no check point) the other week and was fined for not having her helmet on, I mention to her about what she had told me in the past and she said she did not want any trouble so paid.

 

Well this is Thailand so who knows what is correct.

 

My wife also went for her drivers license last week (and passed) and she came home and told me the 3 hour video they had to watch gave different answers to the Road Traffic book that has all the road rules in, I asked her which one is the correct law, the video or the book, was told she has no idea which one is correct. Two different answers!

It seems your wife is confused on various issues.

They can of course but mostly, in my experience, prefer that you would work it out on the spot as it were. A bit like a gentlemans agreement and of course excuses the need for all the (ahem) unecessary paperwork. 

15 hours ago, stevenl said:

It seems your wife is confused on various issues.

No she is not confused on any issues, she is very clear on what she knows and has experienced. 

In 9 years here in the LOS, I've never seen a Thai police car pull anyone over for a moving violation - ever!  My standing joke when I see a police car, motorcycle, or 'highway patrol' car with it's lights on and sirens blaring is, "Move over, VIP coming!"