News Forum - Thai police given new power to arrest fine-avoiding motorists

[Thaiger]

A new regulation has given power to the Royal Thai Police to arrest people who fail to pay their driving penalties on time. Deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, says if motorists do not pay their fines, a warrant for their arrest will be filed. If a motorist receives a ticket, either in person or by mail, they generally have to pay the fine within 15 days. If a driver fails to pay the fee before that deadline they will receive a reminder from the police after 15 days. Motorists then get another 15 […]

The story Thai police given new power to arrest fine-avoiding motorists as seen on Thaiger News.

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[HolyCowCm]

Quote from Article: An arrest will give the motorist a criminal record, which could affect their credit score and future job opportunities. It would also make certain legal procedures more difficult for them.

Police and Military state comes to mind if they can actually take it that far and make a petty offense a criminal conviction.

[Guest1]

But the real problem is 

Ignoring driving penalties will be punished with fines of up to 1,000 baht

Only a thousand bath fine to ignore a fine, which is often even only 500?

Make it more expensive, this fines are from a time far far ago. Teach 'em by emptying their pockets!

[Fanta]

So previously they relied on people’s sense of community sprit to pay fines? Perfect. 

[HolyCowCm]

16 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

But the real problem is 

Ignoring driving penalties will be punished with fines of up to 1,000 baht

Only a thousand bath fine to ignore a fine, which is often even only 500?

Make it more expensive, this fines are from a time far far ago. Teach 'em by emptying their pockets!

Problem is that from covid lockdowns and high costs for everything, their pockets are empty already right now.

[Guest1]

2 minutes ago, Fanta said:

So previously they relied on people’s sense of community sprit to pay fines? Perfect. 

No, common practice is to charge 'em while they paying the vehicle tax every year

[Guest1]

1 minute ago, HolyCowCm said:

Problem is that from covid lockdowns and high costs for everything, their pockets are empty already right now.

Still driving over red lights, to quick, ...., with empty pockets? Somnamna!

[DiJoDavO]

42 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Quote from Article: An arrest will give the motorist a criminal record, which could affect their credit score and future job opportunities. It would also make certain legal procedures more difficult for them.

Police and Military state comes to mind if they can actually take it that far and make a petty offense a criminal conviction.

Lol, that governments do this used to be conspiracy a while back. 

[HolyCowCm]

30 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Still driving over red lights, to quick, ...., with empty pockets? Somnamna!

Maybe a re-education program is better. But then again the police are no better with their riding or driving.

[joseph]

Most probably assume they already paid. I have never received a proper ticket or citation but have paid fines. I used to get caught in the "strap trap" (seat belt), and once for tinted windows. Never argue and if you are ever in the position of a "fine", pay ASAP. Corporals are cheaper than sergeants which are far cheaper than    lieutenants and you never want it to escalate to the station. This is true for any offence.   

 

[joseph]

.........and I have two cars in my name.

[Disenfranchised]

Given the standard traffic fine appears to be 500baht, forgo one nights beer and pay the bl....y fine. Consider yourself lucky you are not in N America or Europe where you will be paying upwards of 5000 baht for being 5 mph above speed limit. And in N America you would probably get shot by the police when they come knocking on the door and they object to your ethnicity.

[Fanta]

8 minutes ago, Disenfranchised said:

Consider yourself lucky you are not in N America or Europe where you will be paying upwards of 5000 baht for being 5 mph above speed limit

Peanuts…. in Australia it is 25,000 baht for using your mobile while driving.  

“The magistrate must suspend your licence for at least: 3 months if your speed was between 25 km/hour and 35 km/hour over the speed limit. 6 months if your speed was between 35 km/hour and 45 km/hour over the speed limit. 12 months if your speed was 45 km/hour or more over the speed limit.”

https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/driving-over-speed-limit

[dbrenn]

Do driving penalties ever get issued? Most people seem to sort it out on the spot with the copper.

[Chaimai]

7 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

Do driving penalties ever get issued? Most people seem to sort it out on the spot with the copper.

 

 

Far more tickets are issued these days - in many cases the 200 Baht 'on the spot' fines are not offered.

 

There has also been a significant increase in installation of fixed speed cameras.

[dbrenn]

47 minutes ago, Fanta said:

Peanuts…. in Australia it is 25,000 baht for using your mobile while driving.  

“The magistrate must suspend your licence for at least: 3 months if your speed was between 25 km/hour and 35 km/hour over the speed limit. 6 months if your speed was between 35 km/hour and 45 km/hour over the speed limit. 12 months if your speed was 45 km/hour or more over the speed limit.”

https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/driving-over-speed-limit

Fines in Australia are sky high - A while back, I got fined AU$257 (6,320 Baht) just for parking (in a designated roadside bay) with the front of my car facing the flow of traffic in the nearest lane, rather that the back of my car facing it. I didn't even realise it was illegal, and what on earth was the hazard anyway? It was in a deserted side street in broad daylight.

During covid, my wife and I were threatened with a $1,000 fine each (total nearly 50,000 Baht), for walking out of a supermarket together. Two coppers were lying in wait for people shopping. The fact that we lived together didn't matter. I told them that we weren't aware of the 'lone shopping only' rule (which had come out the previous day) and they grudgingly let us off, provided we walked off one at a time. Yes, really.

Australia is a total nanny state - a morass of petty rules, warning signs stating the obvious, finger wagging officials and pointless regulations.

Edited June 22, 2022 by dbrenn

[dbrenn]

43 minutes ago, Chaimai said:

Far more tickets are issued these days - in many cases the 200 Baht 'on the spot' fines are not offered.

There has also been a significant increase in installation of fixed speed cameras.

Depends how good your powers of persuasion are. In years of driving in Thailand, most recently before covid, I only ever got one ticket on the roadside and could normally negotiate with the copper.

I did get snapped a couple of times by speed cameras on the Chonburi Buraphawithi tollway though - 1,000 Baht a time, and once by a red light camera at the Sukhumvit-Asoke intersection.

Edited June 22, 2022 by dbrenn

[Thommo]

51 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

Do driving penalties ever get issued? Most people seem to sort it out on the spot with the copper.

Speed camera's are operating in some provinces  as I can attest with 4 tickets ( which I paid)

[Thommo]

21 hours ago, Thaiger said:

A new regulation has given power to the Royal Thai Police to arrest people who fail to pay their driving penalties on time. Deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, says if motorists do not pay their fines, a warrant for their arrest will be filed. If a motorist receives a ticket, either in person or by mail, they generally have to pay the fine within 15 days. If a driver fails to pay the fee before that deadline they will receive a reminder from the police after 15 days. Motorists then get another 15 […]

The story Thai police given new power to arrest fine-avoiding motorists as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

My Thai colleagues laughed when we disucssed this yesterday at lunch,  it will be just like the motorbike helmets, red lights and zebra crossings 

[dbrenn]

1 minute ago, Thommo said:

Speed camera's are operating in some provinces  as I can attest with 4 tickets ( which I paid)

Interesting - cameras everywhere soon I guess - they're great money earners. I always pay fines too. Non-payment of fines is plain daft and invites all kinds of trouble later on.

[Thommo]

6 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

Interesting - cameras everywhere soon I guess - they're great money earners. I always pay fines too. Non-payment of fines is plain daft and invites all kinds of trouble later on.

I happy to pay my 500thb fines compared to what I would be paying in Oz, I woul be dam close to losing my license at home with 4 tickets in under 2 years

[Guest1]

51 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

. I didn't even realise it was illegal, and what on earth was the hazard anyway

That is old news, you must have missed that during your learning for a driving license . Even in Thailand (in theory) and all over europe it is forbidden.

And that is because you are drive into the oncoming  traffic, ghost driving, to get into your lane. You can't prevent that, so they can give you a ticket. 

 

[dbrenn]

55 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

That is old news, you must have missed that during your learning for a driving license . Even in Thailand (in theory) and all over europe it is forbidden.

And that is because you are drive into the oncoming  traffic, ghost driving, to get into your lane. You can't prevent that, so they can give you a ticket. 

I learned to drive in Britain, where parking in this way isn't against the law in the daytime, as I read somewhere. Again, judgement and common sense applies here. There's a huge difference between accessing a parking bay on the right hand side of a multi-lane arterial road, and pulling in to one on a quiet and deserted side street. The former is dangerous, the latter is absolutely safe, which is what road rules are supposed to be about. You're allowed to turn right into your house, why not a parking space?

AU$257 is grossly out of proportion too.

Edited June 22, 2022 by dbrenn

[Guest1]

4 hours ago, dbrenn said:

You're allowed to turn right into your house, why not a parking space?

So you should have been aware of it, at least "at night". And GB gives with "in daytime fine, a fine in the night" a lot of the responsibility for preventing accidents to the rightful driving traffic, this way. Which I think is strange: In the night, the rightful traffic would be much easier to spot, you wrongdoer would be easier to spot, too. B/c of the headlights. Perhaps someone should think about that, again?  Or is it the drunk drivers, in the night?

But the point is: Turning right is CROSSING the other lane. With view of both sides. Even perpendicular parking is not a forbidden "fruit". But parallel parking on the right means (here/GB/other countries, yours, where they driving on the wrong side of the road ;-)  not even seeing, if someone comes at you, while you sitting on the right side of the car, perhaps behind a truck, SUV, ...,  in front of you, trying to spot the traffic in the left lane and pulling out to catch that slot in there.

And it makes sense.  Best example is Sweden: They drove, with left handed cars, on the left for some time. One of the arguments "pro" was: People driving closer to the curb this way. Which was right, so more space between ongoing cars.

The "con'" was, mainly the countries around , they did drive on the right. So lane changing at borders. But also accidents at overtaking, because you just see the oncoming traffic, after you moved your car already towards the middle of the road.

Same in the right side parking situation, here: You need to get already IN the way of the cars/motos , driving rightful in their left lane and towards you. Before you can even see, that there is someone coming your way.

Here even you have to expect the ghost riding motorcycle. 

I'm glad to be of service

 

[dbrenn]

46 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

So you should have been aware of it, at least "at night". And GB gives with "in daytime fine, a fine in the night" a lot of the responsibility for preventing accidents to the rightful driving traffic, this way. Which I think is strange: In the night, the rightful traffic would be much easier to spot, you wrongdoer would be easier to spot, too. B/c of the headlights. Perhaps someone should think about that, again?  Or is it the drunk drivers, in the night?

But the point is: Turning right is CROSSING the other lane. With view of both sides. Even perpendicular parking is not a forbidden "fruit". But parallel parking on the right means (here/GB/other countries, yours, where they driving on the wrong side of the road ;-)  not even seeing, if someone comes at you, while you sitting on the right side of the car, perhaps behind a truck, SUV, ...,  in front of you, trying to spot the traffic in the left lane and pulling out to catch that slot in there.

And it makes sense.  Best example is Sweden: They drove, with left handed cars, on the left for some time. One of the arguments "pro" was: People driving closer to the curb this way. Which was right, so more space between ongoing cars.

The "con'" was, mainly the countries around , they did drive on the right. So lane changing at borders. But also accidents at overtaking, because you just see the oncoming traffic, after you moved your car already towards the middle of the road.

Same in the right side parking situation, here: You need to get already IN the way of the cars/motos , driving rightful in their left lane and towards you. Before you can even see, that there is someone coming your way.

Here even you have to expect the ghost riding motorcycle. 

I'm glad to be of service

To be honest, I wasn't even aware that it was the law in the UK until I got busted in Oz and did a bit of comparing. I've frequently parked on the other side of the road in the UK, and Thailand, with no issues.

Again, this was a quiet side street, with no trucks, buses, etc, as I mentioned earlier. Stopped on the left directly opposite the space, checked nothing was coming in either direction, moved directly to the opposite side, aligned parallel to the car next to the empty slot, reversed into it. Totally safe. Funny thing you describe in Sweden - sure you'll be closer to cars parked on the left, but you'll get killed when trying to overtake because the right side of your car will be in the way of oncoming traffic before you can see it from your left hand seating position. I guess that's why they saw sense in the end - scraping a car on the left is better then hitting a car head on.

It's one of those daft laws that leaves no room for common sense, and has (in Australia) a very large fine. Mind you, Australia is a country where cyclists have to wear a crash helmet and instruction manuals for anything contain pages and pages of warnings about the most obvious things, making it impossible to find the actual instructions.

Edited June 22, 2022 by dbrenn