Police checkpoints and breath test....

[NokTang]

Was advised today.....

The police do in fact set up drunk driving check points later in the evenings, stopping both Thai's and farangs.

No indication what the legal limit is on the breathalyzer and/or if it is actually calibrated etc.. Oddly, the informant told me there was no option to refuse said test. I guess they hold you down?

If you show positive, you are taken to Soi 9 and held overnight. In the morning, "anyone" can bail you out for 30,000.Baht. This 30,000.Baht while called bail, it seems also substitutes for the fine should you not dispute the charge and/or they don't actually file it etc..

Bottom line however... there is no avoiding the night in jail and the conditions aren't as bad as one might think other than no water or toilet. Farangs are held separate from Thai's.

Anyone have actual experience with this? This story was confirmed by four people who have actually experienced it all. Paid the money in the morning, had a friend able to do so I guess, and went on their merry way. No water, no toilet, no sex, no bed, etc.. It could have been worse I suppose, if there was sex?

Cheers mate.

[Dapper]

Cost me 10k and an hour or so.

Bangkok
Lumpini police station

[rickschoppers]

I was stopped last Christmas season after having several beers and given a quick breathealizer test while in the car that I evidently failed. I was told to pull over, stop my car and go with a police officer to a main processing area. All during this time they repetedly called into their radio "Falang, falang," like they had just captured a trophy.

Knowing a bit about physiology, I began breathing deeply and forcing all the air out of my lungs and continued doing so quietly until I was asked to breath into the main breathalizer. What this does is create an imbalance of alcohol between the lungs and the blood. The hope is that if you create enough of an imbalance, the air you breath into a device will have much less alcohol than the actual level in your blood. When the device was read, they said OK and handed back my car keys. I am not saying this trick will work every time, but it worked when it counted.

I thought for sure I was going to spend the night in jail, but luckily did not. I have not driven under the influence since and feel bad for anyone who does actually fail the final test.

[cyrille]

I have not driven under the influence since and feel bad for anyone who does actually fail the final test.

Interesting choice of who to sympathise with.

[boloa]

If you show positive, you are taken to Soi 9 and held overnight. In the morning, "anyone" can bail you out for 30,000.Baht. This 30,000.Baht while called bail, it seems also substitutes for the fine should you not dispute the charge and/or they don't actually file it etc..
.

I've read........ Stiff penalties are being handed to drunk drivers, and you can expect less lenience from the police if you are caught driving drunk. You could be looking at a hefty fine of 60,000 baht, 6 months in prison, or both.

http://www.pattayaunlimited.com/drun...ing-penalties/


But a Local Thai drunk in our Village hit another car whilst pissed and paid 15k to the other driver to get his car fixed and a 5k fine for drunk driving !!

[Pragmatic]

in our Village hit another car whilst pissed

They do that sober where I live.

[Chittychangchang]

Knowing a bit about physiology, I began breathing deeply and forcing all the air out of my lungs and continued doing so quietly until I was asked to breath into the main breathalizer. What this does is create an imbalance of alcohol between the lungs and the blood. The hope is that if you create enough of an imbalance, the air you breath into a device will have much less alcohol than the actual level in your blood.

Beats sucking on a copper coin

[BaitongBoy]

no sex

You spelled temples incorrectly...

Sure that sex could be arranged, but it might not be "very pretty"...

[Chittychangchang]

After 3 vodka shots she should be blowing on more than a straw

[pgt99]

Have heard various stories of penalties. Don't intend to get caught anyway. Just be careful in the morning after being on the piss the night before. Looking for a decent alki-meter so I can test meself.

[kingwilly]

Just don't drive drunk. How farking hard is it to do that?

[Headworx]

No indication what the legal limit is on the breathalyzer and/or if it is actually calibrated etc..

I believe the legal limit is .05 which is not a lot, 2 or 3 beers in an hour and you'd be over that.

[rickschoppers]

Your blood alcohol content (BAC) depends on many factors including weight, sex, amount of sleep, speed of drinking along with many other variables. I have used 1 drink (0.5 oz. of alcohol) per hour as a gude for many years. Here is more information on BAC.

How Many Drinks Does it Take to Reach 0.08 %BAC?

If you're late to the party, when your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or higher, you're considered legally impaired. While you are certain to be arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) when you BAC is at or over 0.08%, you can still be charged if your BAC is at any level above 0.00%. If a police officer deems you "noticeably impaired", or if you fall under your state's zero tolerance laws (e.g., you under 21 or have children in the car), you could face a DUI even if you are under the legal limit.


When Does My “BAC Clock” Start?

When you use an accurate and convenient BACtrack Professional Grade Breathalyzer, you can measure your BAC just 15 minutes after you consume your first drink. According to conventional wisdom, your BAC level will remain within safe limits if you consume only one standard drink per hour. As defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a standard drink is half an ounce of alcohol. That means one 12-ounce beer, one five-ounce glass of wine, and one 1.5-ounce shot of distilled spirits each count as one standard drink.

We all know that conventional wisdom can be wrong, though, and sometimes wildly so. Intoxication begins with the very first drink. You should never drink and drive, no matter how much you've consumed. You can be impaired and arrested even if your BAC is under 0.08%.
How Many Drinks Does it Take to Reach 0.08 %BAC?

[Munted]

I quite often enjoy a beer or two in the car while driving back from work. Of course it's a good thing to cease drinking 12 hours before starting work, particularly so as I am a heavy vehicle driver.

[NokTang]

Police were back out on 3rd Road, in front of Xcyte parking lot(sometimes used for concerts and a market)

They had a small crew today, so I was able to speed through. Last week, it was well staffed and no crashing though possible.

The police are getting dangerous out there folks. Not as much money going around. They were sending offenders to Soi 9 to pay, I observed for about half an hour and didn't see anyone paying cash, and I was looking for it.

This a live report and it was midday the other mentioned date as well.

I still don't have any experiences with the late night roadblocks and don't intend to either.

(the reason I run is my bike is so old, it would be less expensive to just give up the bike than to bring it to a legal status)

[Kurgen]

Taxi's all the way for me.

Have a safe and merry Christmas

[NokTang]

Ran a road block over by the Pattaya Park Soi on the hill, coming from Joemtien into town. Very well staffed, this about 8PM. I"m told later at night, by order of the Prime Minister, more drunk driving roadblocks will be set up in Pattaya.

This being New Years Eve it might be a good night to either stay in or take a taxi. Staying in sounds better considering the traffic nightmare Pattaya currently is.

Happy New Year...

[John Doe]

It seems that the roadblocks are gone, apart from the well known hotspots.

[rickschoppers]

Ah, in case you haven't noticed, the holidays are over. Hence, no road blocks for drunk drivers.

[JournalistsAreLiars]

Also urine tests for weed and yaba all around Pattaya and some places in Bangkok.

[JournalistsAreLiars]

I was stopped last Christmas season after having several beers and given a quick breathealizer test while in the car that I evidently failed. I was told to pull over, stop my car and go with a police officer to a main processing area. All during this time they repetedly called into their radio "Falang, falang," like they had just captured a trophy. Knowing a bit about physiology, I began breathing deeply and forcing all the air out of my lungs and continued doing so quietly until I was asked to breath into the main breathalizer. What this does is create an imbalance of alcohol between the lungs and the blood. The hope is that if you create enough of an imbalance, the air you breath into a device will have much less alcohol than the actual level in your blood. When the device was read, they said OK and handed back my car keys. I am not saying this trick will work every time, but it worked when it counted. I thought for sure I was going to spend the night in jail, but luckily did not. I have not driven under the influence since and feel bad for anyone who does actually fail the final test.

Does it really work ?
So we are just lucky that all the retarded drunk driver do not know it ?

[rickschoppers]

Yes, it works. I did the same thing in the US when I was much younger, and it worked then as well. I have not driven under the influence since 2015 when posted about creating an alcohol imbalance beteen my lungs and blood.

I seriously doubt any Thais know about this physiological trick.

[JournalistsAreLiars]

Why they never check people on pattaya dark side ? they only check at Pattaya center where so many foreigners are around...

[Pragmatic]

Why they never check people on pattaya dark side ? they only check at Pattaya center where so many foreigners are around...

I'd imagine that they're 2 different police stations with 2 seperate area responsibilities. The dark side force would be a smaller force IMO and therefore not have the resources to give the same service as the Pattaya station. Simple innit?

[baldrick]

I was stopped near Ban Kraut on thursday morning at about 09h00 and the policeman had one of the yellow wand breath testers in his hand - I was quite happy that he did not test me as I had had a few the evening before - over 8 hours prior - but I know from experience with my own breath tester that you can still be over 0.00

from field testing the yellow wand at a work site , it seemed that 0.02 and above was when they light up yellow/orange - I am not sure if the thai coppers would then take you away , or if you have to light up the red LED