Now the headline of 424 million baht in unpaid fines doesn’t really surprise me at all. Have you seen Thai people drive? If the police actually enforced the Thai Laws for the roads I am sure the figure would be in the billions of baht.
It said that owners had failed to pick up vehicles they had confiscated when people were unable to pay their fines on the spot. You see here in Thailand, the police stop you and if you have money you go on over to the little fold out table that a policeman is sitting at and you pay the fine and he gives you a receipt and you are on your way.
If you don’t have money they will take your license if you have one and you can have it returned to you at the police station when you pay the fine.
If you don’t have a license the original ownership papers will be fine, and they will be held until the fine is paid.
Lastly, if you don’t have any of the above they will load your motorbike onto the back of a waiting police pick-up truck and you end up walking down the road with your helmet in hand, if you were wearing one and when you come up with the money you can retrieve it from the police station after the fine is paid.
Apparently at The Chiang Mai, Chang Puak, Phu Pingkrachnivet Mae Ping stations have no space left to keep the motorcycles.
Police have been forced to post guards to stop owners from stealing them back.
I know Thailand is a third world country but I am sure they could come up with a better system for punishing people who continually break the laws. Does Thailand have a demerit point system? I am sure it doesn’t as I asked my Thai friend and he said “no”.
The simple thing is put people who break the driving laws again and again in jail; Stick them behind bars for 30 days and see if this changes their attitudes. I know Thai prisons are already too overcrowded with real criminals so this wouldn’t happen.
Three things I would like to see in Thailand within 2 years would be:
1- Police officers out patrolling at nighttime. Police here in Isaan never or I have never ever seen them just out in a police car driving around checking the city out and also many of my friends say the same thing. Young people know this and after dark the roads aren’t overly safe.
2- Put in red light cameras and speed cameras throughout of Thailand. I am sure that this could be done and the money raised in fines would come into the trillions of baht mark as anyone who lives here knows that ignoring red lights is a Thais favourite past time and also is speeding.
3- Have professionally set-up mobile booze buses as they do in Australia. Have these out every night in Thailand going to all different locations. This would also bring in so much money that the government wouldn’t know what to spend all the money on. It would be overflow the bank vaults in the major banks in Bangkok.
So they are my 3 wishes for Christmas that might come true, one day a million or so years down the road. You never know the “new” government might take the law and order and safety of the Thai people seriously and set things in action to make Thailand an even better and safer place to live.
Brunty.
Story here
3 comments:
In Denmark when that happens, the police waits a fixed time period, and then they sell the confiscated but not picked up vehicles. :)
Just a thought..
I have been driving car and motorbike for 4 years in Ubon (Yes also Bangkok)and have never got a traffic fine.
Yes, I have been stopped many times but when I show my Thai driver licence I can continue, because they can see I have paied my numberplate and insurance (signs on my MB).
I think you should ask your girlfriend about the rules (Law) in Thailand.
The police try to learn the Thai's to drive safe according to the law!
Yes they have many checkpoints near Nevada Hotel and surroundings because of many schools.
I hear the fine is:
No driverlicence 200 thb
No helmet 300 thb
No mirrows 100-200 thb
No paied motorbike licens 100-200 thb ect
It sums up and the police send the persons, usually students, to the police station to pay the fine and in the meantime they keep the MC. When they have paied, they get the MB back and can drive rest of the day. But if they are stopped the next day they have to pay again.
I know The Assemption School, a catolic school next to the catolic mission and Tesco.
It seems you want the "inqusition" back again...?
To thamawar I will say: I feel more safe in Thailand than Denmark and about the rain? Even Denmark was not able to avoid the flodding this year...!
Best regards
Boring John
Hey Thamawat. Yeah the same in Australia. If you haven't paid by a certain time there will be a warrant for your arrest issued and when they catch you it will be off to a jail cell and an appointment before a judge.
Hey boring John. I am the same as you and have never been fined in over 2 years.
The fines you quote are right or around the mark.
They have many check points near Nevada as you said many students means no license and no helmets and easy money for them.
Don't forget the traffic police get a percentage of the tickets they write. SO this is why they love booking the young kids but the fines are too small and if they made the fines 1,000 baht a peice then the kids might take more notice.
The kids can keep the receipt and it is good for a few days and they just show the police to avoid being fined again the next couple of days.
I am happy you feel safe in Thailand on the road and I do through the day but as soon as dusk comes it is chaos and the young fools are out in numbers.
Thanks for commenting guys.
Brunty
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