Police crackdown on farang motorcyclists!

[titleist]

I have just been informed from a very reliable source and long time Pattaya resident that the boys in brown have now commenced randomly breath testing tourists riding motorbikes in the early hours of the morning around south Pattaya, Bali hai pier area. This latest brainwave comes directly from the new mayor and is part of his 'clean up Pattaya' campaign. The first sweep netted 32 drunken farangs of which 30 were held for two days and then deported with passports stamped with no return for six years. Two lucky Belgian lads with well connected family friends had to cough up 40,000 baht and were released after three days detention in the soi 9 cop shop. All the offenders were late night revellers returning home from clubs. No Thais were stopped and tested in this sting which begs belief imho........then again this is Thailand.

[Bumpa STIKKA]

No point in testing Thais for drink and drugs while driving.

There's no jails big enough to hold them all in and they haven't got any money to bribe themselves out!

TiT!

[guydesavoy]

32 in the space of a few hours...

Less drunks on the road ? Suits me Sir

I think Dave might be behind this one

[pacman]

The Bib have to make up the shortfall in their cashflow now there are less bars & clubs to bribe.

Next they will be testing pedestrians for being drunk in public. That should prove highly successful...

[TEXASMAC]

Drunk in public? Oh Ohh, thats gonna cost me.

[farangbah]

Why anyone would rent a motorbike in Pattaya is beyond me.  

Phuket, ok, it's viable, and a necessity if you want to explore the island and beaches and not get raked over the coals by the most ridiculous tuk-tuk prices in Thailand.  

But Pattaya?  That's just asking for trouble.  And so completely unnecessary!  Public transportation is cheap and ubiquitous.  

Discrimination and an abuse of power?  Yes.  A bad thing, all things considered?  I think not.  I have no sympathy for those who put others' lives at risk because of their own stupidity.

Just my two cents . . .

[Bumpa STIKKA]

I agree with all of the above post!

[daveduke007]

(farangbah @ Jan. 20 2011,11:26) Why anyone would rent a motorbike in Pattaya is beyond me.   

But Pattaya?  That's just asking for trouble.  And so completely unnecessary!  Public transportation is cheap and ubiquitous.  

I didnt bother with hiring a motorbike this time for 3 reasons

1: As you say its so easy and cheap to get around by other means

2: I was fed up with the times of being pulled over without good reason by the BIB and having to wait in the Police station for ages to pay a fine for doing nothing wrong  

3: The place I stayed is pretty close to the Corner Bar and a certain person has her motorbike, so she could transport us around to anywhere we wanted to go anyway  

[farangbah]

I think it's high time you changed your avatar, buddy . . .

There's a new sheriffina in town...!

[Guest]

My vacation would not be the same without a scooter and I've even purchased a couple while spending extended periods of time in Pattaya. I love the freedom of movement it gives me with trips to quite remote places, more especially my favourite beach at Pratamnak Soi 5. I also enjoy riding around a 50km country circuit across the other side of Sukhumvit Rd where it is possible to view the 'real Thailand'.
I am also guilty of taking the bike out some nights when I know my beer consumption is going to be low however, following that heads up from titleist........not anymore.

[EyeMahk]

One of the places in Pattaya where some police spend most of the day on Tuesday and Friday is on Pattaya Tai just west of where Soi Buakaow ends into Pattaya Tai (just east of Tukcom).  Because there is an all day market on Soi Buakaow, there is no right turn onto Pattaya Tai.  So the police watch for bikes making illegal U-turns.  They also stop most people on Pattaya Tai without helmets.  Sometimes I stay there for awhile and watch them. I've never seen them take a bribe, they either lock the bike and make the offender take a mototaxi to Soi 9 to pay the fine and return with the receipt, or they take their drivers license away (pick up at station later).  

Many Thais approach, see the police, put their helmets on, then take them off after passing the police.  

Pattaya Tai is incredibly congested on Tuesday and Friday.

[azza33]

No issues from me with the police action.

[manarak]

(pentire @ Jan. 20 2011,19:43)

QUOTE

My vacation would not be the same without a scooter and I've even purchased a couple while spending extended periods of time in Pattaya. I love the freedom of movement it gives me with trips to quite remote places, more especially my favourite beach at Pratamnak Soi 5. I also enjoy riding around a 50km country circuit across the other side of Sukhumvit Rd where it is possible to view the 'real Thailand'.
I am also guilty of taking the bike out some nights when I know my beer consumption is going to be low however, following that heads up from titleist........not anymore.[/quote][/quote]
same same...
the bike opened up possibilities for me that I wouldn't have otherwise.

I drove already 2 months of cumulated time and I cannot confirm being waved over for no valid reason.
In fact, it was just one time and it was because my passenger had no helmet.

I find it hard to believe that slightly drunk drivers were kept in prison and made persona non grata for 6 years.
Is there some source/link for these news?

[azza33]

(manarak @ Jan. 21 2011,04:00) I find it hard to believe that slightly drunk drivers were kept in prison and made persona non grata for 6 years.

Ummm Where did you find the information that they were slightly drunk?

And secondly, what do you think is an appropriate penalty for a farang driving drunk? Just a fine will do? ummm ... a fine only for potentially endangering others lives...

Whilst 6 years may seem harsh... maybe you need to reconsider your initial thoughts on the matter

[f0xxee]

OK well consider there may be some method in their madness:

If a falang gets smeared into the bitumen its bad publicity.
Travel insurance now with some companies does not cover motorbikes ridden on holidays. (My cousin is staying with me and showed me this interesting little foot note.)
And as Marko rightly mentioned, if you locked up every male thai for drink driving after 5pm and on sundays there would be no one left to go to work Monday. And they can't generally pay the bribes as mentioned.


The same is happening in Hua Hin at the present too. And incidently, don't expect to get away with the normal 200 baht bribe. You are looking at big baht for this one.

Solution?
Dont ride drunk. Or, ride drunk and fast and place your self in the hands of Darwin.