Breathalyser & Blood - fair test?

[Pleng]

I still haven't quite sorted my licence so I didn't fancy stopping

So what licence are you driving on? What insurance covers you (and any third party) if you don't have a legal driving licence?

I have an international licence but it's not with me at the moment and getting it is not easy. I could get hold of it should such an incident occur. In the mean time, I want to get a Thai licence which will solve the issue anyway.

[chopsticks]

I still haven't quite sorted my licence so I didn't fancy stopping

So what licence are you driving on? What insurance covers you (and any third party) if you don't have a legal driving licence?

I have an international licence but it's not with me at the moment and getting it is not easy. I could get hold of it should such an incident occur. In the mean time, I want to get a Thai licence which will solve the issue anyway.

I thought there was no such thing as an international licence.
Only a temporary international driving permit booklet valid for 12 months as it is intended for use by non-residents in conjunction with your home country licence ?
If you wanted to use it as a substitute permanent licence then you'd have to go back to your home country every year to get a replacement.

[Pleng]

yes that's the one. I've only been here 6 months!

[chopsticks]

yes that's the one. I've only been here 6 months!

Must be the one that's usually administered by the AA or similar in many countries - can you easily exchange an overseas permanent licence for a Thai one without doing any tests ?

[Pleng]

I think you can, but that involves getting hold of it first!

Anyway there are more issues. Regardless of taking the test/exchanging the international permit, I need to get a letter confirming my residence. And before I can get that that I need to change my address at immigration. It's going to take a couple of weeks for it all to come together!

[Frank Hovis]

In that case (you don't have a licence to drive that you can produce to the police) I wouldn't worry about how accurate their scientific tests are, I would worry that you will simply turn into a cash cow - no licence, no insurance, no residence (wrong address?), how's your visa and passport? Long before they get you to blow into the bag, you'll be skint.

[Pleng]

I think you're being a little over the top, to be Frank. The vehicle is insured. Yes not having a licence on hand costs me a couple of hundred baht if I get stopped, which doesn't happen very often. Visa and passport are fine thankyou.

[Frank Hovis]

All I'm saying is that driving around with no licence can empty your pockets. Insurance does not cover for unlicensed drivers even first class 'any driver' policies stipulate that the driver must hold a legal licence to drive. You don't need an international drivers license to get a Thai license, a UK license will do fine. The point is that if the BIB want to take your money, they don't need dodgy equipment to do it if you offer it to them on a plate by not having the correct documentation.

[Pleng]

Th UK licence was lost with my wallet a couple of months ago. I'm planning to take the test anyway, so it doesn't matter what licence I have at the moment. Even when just doing a straightforward swap, I still need to present the proof of address.

I've never heard of anybody who has been hounded by the police for documentation unless a) they've been rude to the police when stopped, or b) they also weren't wearing a helmet.

The original post was just a bit of speculation; it's not anything I'd realistically chance myself with. The policeman was actually very polite (especially when he had his money).

[Frank Hovis]

Didn't mean to sound uppity, but I guess it did a little.
Good luck with your test !

[manouhh]

Funny story to add to this topic maybe:

I was driving in Bangkok with a friend who had some beers.
We noticed an police stop on the way and he quickly ate some mints.
After stopping he was asked to blow into the breathalyzer and he did several times for not more than 2 seconds and very softly, much to softly.
After 5 tries the policeman seemed a bit irritated re-explaining he had to blow into the breathalyzer much harder and longer.
My friend reacted by showing his inhaler (he has asthma) and the police officer looked relieved and yelled Ohhh Astma. He made a polite wave to tell us we could pass.

[Takiap]

Not sure how or why, but in the 12+ years I've been here, I've never seen a breathalyser yet, and have only been stopped twice. Once for no helmet (200 baht) and once because the tax had run out (200 baht). On both occasions, the police were very pleasant, and certainly a lot more pleasant than they would have back in my own country.

For the record, the Thais get pulled just as often as Farang. My MIL's sister came to visit recently, and her and her husband were stopped and fined for not having mirrors on the bike, and for not having the light on. I actually think there are probably quite a few policemen who would rather not stop a Farang because they feel uncomfortable communicating with us.


About drink driving.........just a few days ago I was having a beer at one of the local M&P shops and there were two policemen sitting there eating BBQ beef and enjoying a big bottle of whiskey. Now they saw me arrive on my bike, and they knew I would be leaving on my bike, but they still insisted on offering me a few drinks. When the bottle was finished, they got into their pickup and left. They certainly didn't appear to be drunk, but I would imagine a big bottle of whiskey puts you over the mark......lol.

Anyway, not good to drink and drive, but good to know that the police are still human here in Thailand.