Driving Drunk

[Toni4484]

Can somebody please tell me what really happens or how much the fine is if the police catch you driving drunk???? the new hobby of the police is driving around in the middle of the night stopping drunk farangs and asking between 3-10000baht

[Spitfire]

The cops are getting much more 'on-the-case' about drunken driving these days than before, and it's not just foreigners, but Thais too.

They have breath tests and will try to do so to you on the spot or whisk you down to the cop shop. The fine where I am, not HH at the moment, can be anything from 5-20k baht, depending on the cop and who you know, or how quick you try to bribe your way out of it. Some now will not accept a bribe on the spot and you have to go to the cop shop and deal with it there.

Don't think it's the end of the world though these days yet, just the fines have gone up a lot, unless you have crashed your motor or injured someone etc.

The day of getting sloshed and driving with impunity are coming to an end, be careful with this stuff now, even if it doesn't seems so, it's the old score of....

'Do it enough times and eventually you'll drive down the wrong soi.'

[Super Joe]

Can somebody please tell me what really happens or how much the fine is if the police catch you driving drunk???? the new hobby of the police is driving around in the middle of the night stopping drunk farangs and asking between 3-10000baht

3,000 Baht is the only one I know of Toni, but that was quite an 'organised' check point (that angled turning going towards the old Philip's Bar), I would expect it to be higher if an on-the-spot/away-from-the-bosses type stop.

The day of getting sloshed and driving with impunity are coming to an end, be careful with this stuff now, even if it doesn't seems so, it's the old score of....
'Do it enough times and eventually you'll drive down the wrong soi.'

I've always followed the instructions at the bottom of my original driving license... 'tear along the dotted line'

SJ

[Vital Spark]

Does anyone know exactly what the limit is here in Thailand?

Two sniffs of a beer in the UK and you're considered incapable and drunk. I'm certainly not condoning drunk driving, but, experiencing what some Thai drivers do when they're stone cold sober, a farang who's had one or two large bottles of beer is probably still capable of driving sensibly.

The watering holes we go to are not within walking distance and there are no motorcycle taxis or tuk-tuks (who are usually tanked up with rice wiskey later in the evening) in the area, so we have to drive. We rarely go out after dark, so perhaps we're safe. I do hope that Thailand isn't going to turn into a nanny state, as that's one of the reasons why we prefer to stay here.

VS

[Vital Spark]

Ok, I'll just answer my own question, as I was curious.

The limit in Thailand is 0.5mg, which is equivalent to two pints of beer, or four glasses of pub measure wine

The problem is that your average 90kg plus farang man isn't going to be drunk on a couple of pints of beer, but an average male Thai (whose tolerance level is much lower) may well be incapable of driving.

VS

[armycw4ret]

Why do we just not walk or take a 10 bht shuttle. What a question? I really do not want to know what the limit is. More than one beer means taxi, bike or walk.

[STEVE G]

Yes, why drink and drive when you can pay a taxi driver to do it for you!

[Super Joe]

Why do we just not walk or take a 10 bht shuttle. What a question? I really do not want to know what the limit is. More than one beer means taxi, bike or walk.

The OP didn't ask the question about limits to be fair, but to answer you sir there's a good chance the shuttle bus, taxi or tuktuk has a driver in charge over the limit as it's a drink and drive culture. And probably more risky is what they smoke recreationally and/or to keep awake and working, it has the opposite effect mostly and makes them dopey, inattentive, slow-reacting and totally oblivious to what's going on around them. I would opt for a sensible farang who's had 4 beers over a tuktuk late at night even if I knew he definately hadn't had anything. Once you start getting to the stage of someone being beyond being in control of their faculties and 'silly drunk' then they def shouldn't be driving. Ofcourse everyone has differing tolerance levels. Just my opinion like.

Yes, why drink and drive when you can pay a taxi driver to do it for you!

I genuinely believe I'm more likely to 'cause' an accident by putting a tuktuk to work on the roads than I am driving myself at the end of a long nights drinking. But I accept that's not really the point, drink driving is wrong and statistically that reasoning would be wrong if everyone over the limit drove instead of taxi'd.


SJ

[kendo]

I agree with SJ on this one, but cheap rooms are very easy to find, all tho he normally go's home at day break.
The legal Thai limit is 0.5 the same as Europe, the limit in th U.K is 0.8 per 100 ml breath.

We have all seen the horrors on the roads offen caused by drink but the only way of really being safe is to stay very local or indoors.

I have been driven 20km by a pissed copper then he asked me for the taxi fare.

Kendo.

[ste860]

10,000 seems to be the standard here ,i know a few who have been fined,still not bad if compared with the uk ,where its a certain ban,i never go out at night here now.
im usually tucked up in bed by 23.00

[VincentD]

Bottom line - don't.

[Toni4484]

thanks for all the posts. but what i would really like to know is ,if there is a book (law fines) where it says exactly how much the fine is! like we all no no helmet is 200baht pay the cop or the same bill at the station. my story was that the police stopped me and wanted me to pay 10k if not they would bring me to pranburi jail where my bail is 20k and bla bla bla we where discussing for more than 30min so i gave them all i had which was 900 and it was ok!! i know what would happen back in europe but i think we all came here for a reason

[H2ODunc]

As said already. The easiest way to avoid any fine for drink driving is not to do it. With taxis so cheap it doesn't make sense anyway. Plus have an accident and kill somebody and you are in for a whole heap of pain.

[Spitfire]

....but what i would really like to know is ,if there is a book (law fines) where it says exactly how much the fine is! like we all no helmet is 200baht pay the cop or the same bill at the station.

I think you might find that the official fine is 20k baht as I remember reading that figure a while back in a news article. However, most fines are discretionary here, as well as punitive, and are at the whim of the officer 'on-the-spot'. So long as they get something out of you then it's mostly OK, regardless of the infringement of traffic laws. Most police stops are simply 'harvesting' the motorists of money, that's why most cops want to join or get transfered to traffic.

I think what the cops were insinuating to you in your situation is that you can pay them 10k now and they can just whack it in our pockets and off you go.....no dramas.....all forgotten and they don't have to share it, simple for them and for you, no paperwork. General rule is that they start high with the fine and then you beat them down and they accept a figure that is still good as most motorists just want to continue on their way.

If you choose to go to the station the it doubles because the station commander and lots of others have to get a cut (hence the double in fine price) and the cops at the check-point will still get a share, though it'll be lower than if they can get you to 'settle' at the check-point, plus there's paperwork for the cops too if it goes to the station.

It is more profitable for the cops at the stop to offer a discount as they get it all [whatever is paid eventually] as nothing is reported and you get to go on your jolly way without the cop-shop crap and double price at the station. But I think think the official fine is now 20k baht for drunk driving, or is supposed to be......probably why they quoted that figure to you if you go down the station, then stuff is done more by the book.

That nine hundred baht you gave them will have gone towards the after shift Heineken/100 Pipers/soapy-rub-and-a-scrub fund though.

[STEVE G]

I genuinely believe I'm more likely to 'cause' an accident by putting a tuktuk to work on the roads than I am driving myself at the end of a long nights drinking.

If you pick a taxi or tuk-tuk at random that might be the case but you can find a regular who is responsible as there are quite a few of them around.
Personally I generally rely on my partner to organise the transport side of things whilst I concentrate on the drinking!