My experiences with Thai Police

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I am firmly convinced that the OP's experiences with the Thai police would be markedly different if his vehicle were a Honda Click and he was 25 years old.

A lot to be said for being a polite old duffer in an expensive motor eh?

 

Never mind, you'll get there in the end.

[Thaidream]

Way too many checkpoints all over Thailand. Their only purpose is to raise revenue and are a nuisance to the general public and serve no purpose in accident reduction. I find the officers polite but am usually just waved through.  

 

The whole police checkpoint system needs to be stopped and replaced with real traffic policing; radar guns to enforce speeding and stopping of vehicles for probable cause. The police chief actually ordered police checkpoints to  cease sometime ago. Obviously ignored.

[Vacuum]

20 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Your 18 years with only 2 stops only demonstrates that you have barely been anywhere in 18 years, travel through half the provinces of Thailand and you, like every single car, will get stopped.

Well Mr. Globetrotter, I have. Besides, the topic is about CM, not "half the provinces of Thailand". And  I can tell you that I've encountered numerous check points and they just glance at the very visble tax sticker and wave me through. Why you, the OP and others get stopped, I do not know.

[off road pat]

Been driving all around Thailand, Malaysia,  Laos, Cambodia & Parts of Myanmar. for some +/- 30 years now.

Been stopped countless times at checkpoints in Thailand. The Police were always polite and when they saw it was a farang driving ? most of the time just let me drive on without asking for any drivers licence.

In occasions when I had to produce my Thai D.L. they were always very courteous. I am a disabled driver, and my car is modified to drive by hand. They sometimes wanted to start a conversation and ask me how it all works. I build it all myself with the help of a mechanic/welder. My Thai is reasonably good, so we sometimes have good times and lot's of fun. They tell me things to go see and visit. Despite the dangers involved, I love driving in Thailand, It gives me a daily adrenaline rush. I have always driven old beat-up 4 wheel drives. most fun and adventures I had in my life.!!!

 

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Well Mr. Globetrotter, I have. Besides, the topic is about CM, not "half the provinces of Thailand". And  I can tell you that I've encountered numerous check points and they just glance at the very visble tax sticker and wave me through. Why you, the OP and others get stopped, I do not know.

 

It depends on the police, their boss and also where you are, the tax disk only helps if they are checking tax disks, if its licences then you need to show one of those, but as I said, it all depends where you go, drive around Pattani and then tell me they only checked your tax sticker, dream on, they will be sticking mirrors under your car looking for bombs.

[buick]

8 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

If the OP has in fact been stopped at police check points on average once a day for six months I can only presume he lives right next to a police checkpoint and has no alternate route from where he lives.

i would agree with this.  i don't have any experience in CM but my GF's home in buriram is just down the road from a regular checkpoint (most nights, after 8pm or 9pm).  there is an alternate route but sometimes they have that covered also.  i've been through it as a passenger nearly every day that i've spent in buriram.  never had a problem.

[Vacuum]

8 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

If the OP has in fact been stopped at police check points on average once a day for six months I can only presume he lives right next to a police checkpoint and has no alternate route from where he lives.

If so, one would think that they would recognize him or his vechicle and let him through.

[simoh1490]

I've got it, the OP is an ice cream salesman, that's why he gets stopped.

[JAZZDOG]

When it gets to the point I get stopped everyday I leave the house I have already left the country long before that. Been in Pattaya two years, stopped twice. Once for drinking check point, blew and told to go, second time on m/c going wrong way on walking street. Showed Florida license along with driving treaty with US, cop confused and told to go. Used to get stopped once a week in Costa Rica, kept a case of warm beer in the back of the landrover 90. Gift of two beers and on my way.

Stopped in Florida twice in 30 years, average fine $200. Stopped in Brazil one time in ten years for wearing flipflops, had to drive barefoot, no fine. Stopped in Panama for no shirt, fined $60, told to go. Busted in tent with ten other surfers at K58 in Mexico, fined $5. Busted in Santa Barbara , CA drunk driving 1976, arrested, jailed 3 days and sentenced to no surfing in front of the judges house for six months. Cruel and inhuman bastard!

[ancharee]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 4:02 PM, Vacuum said:

In 18 years, I've been stopped 2 times at check points.

So you don't go out much then ?

[ancharee]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 4:02 PM, Vacuum said:

In 18 years, I've been stopped 2 times at check points.

So you don't go out much then ?

[quandow]

A friend of mine from the UK recently got rear ended by a Thai woman, he in a car, she on a motorbike. He had a rear view camera that clearly showed she was at fault. HE had to pay HER 25,000 Baht. The Thai policeman was judge, jury and executioner right on the spot. My friend had to scramble to come up with the cash.

 

I also dated the daughter of the Chief of Police of a city near Seattle. He said he was scared shitless of EVER getting involved in the legal system. Things are just bad all over.

[The manic]

Legalised harassment more common in war zones.

[Thaifish]

Got a hat from the local boys. Royal Thai Police insigniture. I'm from deep Issan. For those who speak a bit of Lao I'm known as the Backseeterrr Tamruat or Fellang Cop. I get priority parking at the market when they are doing traffic control.

[rickudon]

Eight years of driving in Udon, and apart from one late night breathalyser stop at new year (passed), Only problem i ever had was when we lost a number plate. Got stopped and fined 200 baht. Unfortunately it took 4 months to get a new one, which meant i was stopped about twice a week until we got the new plate. (about how many times i pass through an active checkpoint in a week). Fortunately the police report on the missing plate and other docs always accepted. Usually waved through a stop before i even get there.They only interested in bikes and trucks.

[davehowden]

Here in Chiang Mai on Canal road I got rear ended by an old pick-up whilst I was stationary in a line of traffic one morning at 11:00 am. The bump in the back pushed me into the rear of the car in front, so both the front and back of my car were badly damaged, just about drivable to my home 2km away. We all ended up at the police station in Hang Dong for "processing".  Much to my amazement the old boy who had driven into the back of me was told to pay up for all damage, possible his road tax being 5 years out of date did not help his case too much! He had no money of course so his daughter stumped up the 25,000 baht it cost to fix my car (at a garage of her choice) and also pay off the driver in front of me who I had been shunted into. My car was off the road for 9 weeks as the garage of her choice (a friend) had masses of wrecks to sort out. I found the police who attended the crash site and at the Police Office to be polite but firm.

[piewarmer]

funny how they stop bikes around the moat for license and helmet checks but ignore people running the red pedestrian crossing lights 50m away.

[Billy Bloggs]

Having now moved from Chiang Mai I dont miss those checkpoints, for those of you who dont get stopped much you must not travel on the outer road around the moat from between 9 to 11.30 and in the afternoon(never did much riding around then so not sure of times), I was stopped a fair bit and only time I had any trouble( I was already in the wrong as I didnt have a thai license when I should have) the young officer got all in my face and said to park over there as they were confiscating my bike, I said Im not putting it there and dont touch my bike loudly, a more senior officer came over sorted it told me why I was being fined and where to pay the fine(which was around the corner) and then come and get my bike, when I came back he said I had three days to get a thai license and wrote such on my fine.

Up around Lam Plai Mat and Buri Ram, a few checkpoints depending on time of month(I have both a car and bike license now) I have a Buri Ram registered truck so just get waved thru most checkpoints, but always have my license ready.

[simoh1490]

11 minutes ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Having now moved from Chiang Mai I dont miss those checkpoints, for those of you who dont get stopped much you must not travel on the outer road around the moat from between 9 to 11.30 and in the afternoon(never did much riding around then so not sure of times), I was stopped a fair bit and only time I had any trouble( I was already in the wrong as I didnt have a thai license when I should have) the young officer got all in my face and said to park over there as they were confiscating my bike, I said Im not putting it there and dont touch my bike loudly, a more senior officer came over sorted it told me why I was being fined and where to pay the fine(which was around the corner) and then come and get my bike, when I came back he said I had three days to get a thai license and wrote such on my fine.

Up around Lam Plai Mat and Buri Ram, a few checkpoints depending on time of month(I have both a car and bike license now) I have a Buri Ram registered truck so just get waved thru most checkpoints, but always have my license ready.

If you ride a bike you can expect to get stopped frequently if you drive a truck or similar it's almost never.

[IsaanFam]

On 6/25/2018 at 4:56 PM, Kieran00001 said:

 

Your 18 years with only 2 stops only demonstrates that you have barely been anywhere in 18 years, travel through half the provinces of Thailand and you, like every single car, will get stopped.

 

Did 12.000 KM in 1 and half months and got only once stopped for crossing a line without realizing. Well, maybe you drive the wrong car or wrong brand which gets more attention.

[Kieran00001]

2 hours ago, IsaanFam said:

 

Did 12.000 KM in 1 and half months and got only once stopped for crossing a line without realizing. Well, maybe you drive the wrong car or wrong brand which gets more attention.

 

I drive through places where there are road blocks all day every day and every single car gets stopped.

[Dante99]

33 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

I drive through places where there are road blocks all day every day and every single car gets stopped.

Quite unusual from my experience.  Where does that happen?

[amexpat]

17 hours ago, piewarmer said:

funny how they stop bikes around the moat for license and helmet checks but ignore people running the red pedestrian crossing lights 50m away.

They might have to chase them down. Too much work. 

[simoh1490]

4 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

I drive through places where there are road blocks all day every day and every single car gets stopped.

There is no such place in Thailand, none.

[Rc2702]

Op sounds and looks like an ice cream van seller. Why else would he be stopped so much?

 

You want a flake in that?

[Scott]

Inflammatory post removed. 

[Kieran00001]

5 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

There is no such place in Thailand, none.

 

Actually there is, there are whole provinces with 24/7 road blocks every few KM's, if you don't know why claim you do?

[SussexExpat]

Been here 11 years and probably police stops average out to one a year. On all but two occasions I haven't had a problem and occasionally have a laugh or joke with them.

One of the problems I had was when I entered a junction on a green light and then got stuck there because the traffic ground to a halt due to their police check closing 2 lanes down to 1 a few hundred metres up the road. They said I went through a red light. I refused to pay a fine, they took my license away which was returned a few days later after the wife used a contact in the police.

Second occasion was when I was stopped for being in the outside lane for to long. My fault, no problem. Stopped, wound the window down and the copper leans in, ignores me and says to the wife, "when farang go home". Nice.  

[WinnieTheKhwai]

1 hour ago, SussexExpat said:

Second occasion was when I was stopped for being in the outside lane for to long. My fault, no problem. Stopped, wound the window down and the copper leans in, ignores me and says to the wife, "when farang go home". Nice.  

 

He ignores you but spoke English to your wife?

 

On 6/27/2018 at 4:53 AM, piewarmer said:

funny how they stop bikes around the moat for license and helmet checks but ignore people running the red pedestrian crossing lights 50m away.

 

I think that's allowed, after you wait for any pedestrians to cross.   No need to wait for air. 

[Berkshire]

12 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

I drive through places where there are road blocks all day every day and every single car gets stopped.

It's pretty clear you just made that up.  No such place in Thailand...and you know it.  You do realize that there's a difference between driving through a checkpoint, and actually being stopped at said checkpoint.