Thread: Traffic police: THB10,000-50,000 fines maximum penalty

Originally Posted by misskit

...Meanwhile, Commander of the Special Police Branch’s Division 3, Pol Maj-General Ekkarat Limsangkat has eased public fears that the new bill would open the way for rogue officers to demand money from motorists, saying the court, not police is the only body to decide on the penalty.

Yes that should be the end of corrupt Royal Thai Police.

Fact is police pay 200 baht per shift (where I live) to do traffic duty/stops.
Why would they do that?
As we raise our whiskey glasses to the duty officer

My understanding of the principle is that extra-curricular income extorted from all sources (bars, agogos, massage, beach concessions, vendors, traffic, bribes etc, amounting to millions p/m just locally) wends its way to the top where it's shared out and trickles back down according to rank or favour.

Naturally I don't for a moment believe Thai Police are genetically corrupt, though there will always be a tiny % of thoroughly rotten apples, but that's how some cynic explained it to me, while suggesting if they weren't paid a pittance even those few wouldn't need to freelance.

Originally Posted by jabir

I don't for a moment believe Thai Police are genetically corrupt

The cops around where I live have second jobs such as restaurant(?) owner, school bus driver, farming, store owner etc. That's what some do openly. If they're up to anything illegal then word would get about as village people like to talk.

Thais seem to know how it will work in the end, Police officers could trigger the court process so that the judge decide the fine amount and/or jail, or they don't trigger it in exchange of a donation of a fraction of the amount of the fine...

The pooling of fine revenue exist, I remember the crackdown on rogue police checkpoints, probably those officers weren't satisfied with the skimming of their profits.

Of course the issue could be resolved for the people who complain by getting the driving licenses...stop whining about the difficult tests (which ones? Both the MCQ and the driving tests are manageable...) and then you could be on the safe side regarding police DL checks.

BTW having more people getting driving licenses won't necessarily improve safety records.

I expect the driving license services to be quite crowded for some time as until know drivers felt the cards were useless...

Hows about this?

The senior policeman tasked with the reform of penalties and procedures for driving offences has told the Thai media of yet more plans for the future.

One is to publish a list of sacked officers each month.

Pol Maj Gen Ekkarak Limsangkat told Daily News at their Bangkok studio that in future licenses cannot be confiscated by officers after traffic violations.

Instead there will be a points system with double points being deducted for those who don't pay their fines.

Maj Gen Ekkarak also promised that officers found guilty of extortion and taking bribes would be sacked. He said that a list of those dismissed from the force would be published each month.

He also said Friday that there would be far greater penalties for drivers fleeing the scene of accidents and racing on public roads.

He also commented on the issue of the combining of two 1979 laws regarding driving licences that will see the penalty raised for not having one to 3 months jail and 50,000 baht.

He said the large figure was up to the courts and was really a scare tactic to persuade people to get a license.

He said that 10 million Thais do not have licenses and it is high time that they are in the system.

Of that number 8 million are motorcycle riders and 2 million car drivers.

Maj Gen Ekkarak added that there is also a review of how police officers are rewarded for getting fines.

The Daily News

Prayut stated that he disagrees with this project, if he doesn't approve it, it won't be presented to the NLA for vote.

PM disagrees with higher penalties for drivers without driving licenses |

The people's reactions, and its implications for his popularity (and so Junta supporting parties results in the future) led him to back up on the idea. Like the question of people sitting on pick-up trucks trays.

Or, it was all a plan right from the start to make him look good with him sending his guy to the front with this idea, knowing he would interfere and put an end to it, getting people relieved and grateful...who knows?

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

You really are dogmatic. It told you in the link I posted, 'section 44'. That confirms the police receive 95% of the fine. It does say 'traffic police' but that's just bad news reporting.

As I said earlier, I take these stories with a grain of salt, someone getting their name in the paper.

Section 44, or correct term article 44 is an amendment to the constitution which allows the military government to pass temporary laws until there are free elections. Laws like banning political gatherings, demonstrations etc.

As the top General has stated, he is not in favor of these changes, so he hasn't passed any temporary amendments to the current laws.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Section 44, or correct term article 44 is an amendment to the constitution which allows the military government to pass temporary laws until there are free elections. Laws like banning political gatherings, demonstrations etc.

And traffic fines. Read it and weep.

PM slams brakes on traffic fine defaulters

Originally Posted by Farang Ky Ay

Prayut stated that he disagrees with this project, if he doesn't approve it, it won't be presented to the NLA for vote.

I don't have a clue what people from up-country think about Prayut but the Thai's who I have spoken to in Bangkok and Pattaya seem to like and respect him.

Personally I respect him for bringing some stability to Thailand if not anything else.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

I don't have a clue what people from up-country think about Prayut

As much as people talk tales in a village the one thing they never speak of is their political views. I live in a strong 'red shirt' area but people do not openly declare their beliefs. I wouldn't imagine many would be able to name Prayut if shown a photo.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

I don't have a clue what people from up-country think about Prayut but the Thai's who I have spoken to in Bangkok and Pattaya seem to like and respect him.

Personally I respect him for bringing some stability to Thailand if not anything else.

Ditto, nothing wrong with a strongman; and for those with a clue from recent events, things tend to go wrong when they are deposed by 'democracy' nuts.

Prayut will leave next year or in ten, and by then he and his cronies will have looted about what the last government nicked and the next will, so with the added value of stability the country is overall better off than it otherwise would have been, albeit with a strong arm which freaks out the oh so righteous.

Out on route 24 there seems to be heavy police presence all this week. Today I first get pulled in by the usual cops and they checks me driving licence. Next I'm approached by a guy in civvies wearing a dark blue body warmer. He was from Immigration. All he asked was where I was going to. I expected him then to ask for my passport. Once I told him where I was going he waved me on.
That's the first time I've seen Immigration on a police stop. Something must be afoot? Other than my dick.