8 years ago like an idiot I drove after a few beers towards the checkpoint outside Tony's gym in Pattaya. I was stopped keys to my car taken. I was taken into a small office with my wife at the checkpoint, he took my licence and he left it on top of a cabinet. Whilst he was out my wife took the licence and hid it. On his return we insisted he had my licence already and he said he would find it later.
Anyway we got taken to Pattaya police station and sat down in the waiting area. After a while a policeman came out of the negotiating room and asked for 30,000 and no overnight prison or court. My wife negotiated it down to 20k. We did not have the money or ATM card on us so we agreed to meet him in Jomtien the next day. He took my wife's ID card as security. He then took us outside, called the checkpoint to expect us and got us a motorbike taxi. On arrival back at the checkpoint I was given my car keys back and allowed to drive home.
Next day we met the policeman and gave him 20,000 and that was the end of it.