Phuket

djaust · #1 04-04-2004, 14:08

Hi all
Just wanting to hear about experiences at check points around the place. On the last two times I was there, there have been alot more check points around but I noticed that the only time I saw them stop people were when they were not wearing helmets. Has anyone been stopped even when wearing a helmet and what was the deal. Where was the location and what were the fines if any? And has anybody been breath tested and were you initially stopped because of not wearing a helmet?
This was the post made by Nicke I think so he might be able to tell us what happened with his friend.

"Traffic police - crackdown in Phuket, Feb 26, 2004.
The police has been very strict lately and checkpoints are often daily in Kathu on the road to Patong and also in Patong, the police had checkpoints in the night time. You need to wear a helmet, have a valid driver license and tax sticker on the motorbike. I also heard from a friend who had to blow (alco test) and were brought to jail for 13 hours before the court fined him. He said it was a nightmare to have this experience. The police are getting serious now to bring down the numbers of accidents on the roads."

anyway just interested to hear from others experiences. Cheers.

Nicke · #2 04-04-2004, 14:55

Kathu police is more strict regarding driver license, an international driver license (or Thai) is required but sometimes they let you go with a national driver license (if it is valid for motorbike).

Patong police mostly enforce the helmet law, but if you don't wear a helmet they may also ask for your driver license.

The fines are usually 300 baht, little bit more if you don't wear helmet and don't have a valid driver license.

If you have a Thai driver license, as I have, I always use my own motorbike to go and pay the fines and then come back to pick up my thai driver license. Without a Thai driver license, they keep the keys and you need to find a taxi.

djaust · #3 04-04-2004, 15:01

Yeah cheers Nicke
My concern is more with the alcho test. If you are wearing a helmet and not doing anything untoward are you still likely to be pulled over? I am not saying that I will go out and get hammered and drive but it doesnt take much to get you over 0.05 so just a little worried that even if you are doing everything else right that you might still get stopped,

or if it is just those who do not wear a helmet or that are doing other things wrong.

Nicke · #4 04-04-2004, 15:13

My friend were driving a car and he was in Phuket Town, when he drove back to Patong they had big checkpoint outside town and everybody had to show their driving license and do the alco test.

This is the first time I heard about alco test in Phuket, I have never seen it myself so far. I can imagine what happen if they do alco test in Patong when the bars close, they could easily jail half patong.

djaust · #5 04-04-2004, 15:21

Yeah Nicke

your right that was my worry I think that they could pay of the national debt just from those in and around patong at closing time. I have read in the gazette that they have been doing the tests and cracking down over the last year or so especially in and out of phuket town. I myself noticed alot more check points around the place but mostly in and out of Patong on my last trip but they were only stopping those that didnt have a helmet and I have since read that the passanger now needs to be wearing a helmet as well as the driver. Starting to become very much like home now.

Organ Grinder · #6 04-04-2004, 17:05

Any Chance we can post locations and dates of checkpoints?

The one in Kathu up from the Caltex station is the main place I always try to avoid late at night. Another place i have been stopped (but not breathalysed) was in Karon near the beachside "walking lake".

Frequent updates on this thread would offer a guide as to how likely it is that drink drivers would be caught and may be an incentive not to drink and drive. ie. when to take a taxi home. Having said that, should there be few reports of breathalysers being used then law abiding drivers would be able to avoid routes where drink drivers are more likely to be on the road.

Any other locations?

Nicke · #7 04-04-2004, 17:17

Lately they had checkpoints on Nanai/Sai Nam Yen intersection once or twice a week around 9-10 pm. They stop only those without helmet. This has been going on for atleast a month. Usually 6-10 policemen around.

In Kathu, they also have some policemen at the small road sometimes for those who try to avoid the main checkpoint when riding from/to Patong and Kathu.

Dreamrider · #8 05-04-2004, 15:11

On a Tuesday in February (around noon) I was stopped at the seemingly permanent checkpoint (CP) in Karon - at the bottom of the hill coming from Patong - despite having donned a helmet a hill before, when a heads up farang gave me 'the sign'.

Whats worse, the officer asked for my license and before I could reach my pocket had begun writing a ticket for driving w/out one. Then ignored my license, handed me the ticket, and crossed the road. It all ended fine, but I had to literally get in the MF'ers face about it.

Next day (yes, Wed.) the same time I passed a mobile check point (uhh...MCP), further on towards the end of that long straight as you reach Kata, where two cops had already snagged a handful of Thais and non-Thais.

Any other major CP's in the area?

Easy,
dr

mikegb · #9 06-04-2004, 04:17

Obviously, the whole point of this is for everybodies safety. People will learn that wearing a helmet makes you live longer.

I wonder though, if once they have finished with motorbikes, the police start to check people at night in their hotel beds, to see if THEIR helmets are safely covered, to make people live longer

IRISH JONNY · #10 07-04-2004, 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikegb

I wonder though, if once they have finished with motorbikes, the police start to check people at night in their hotel beds, to see if THEIR helmets are safely covered, to make people live longer

THEY SHUD HAVE DONE THAT AT CHRIMBO.....THEN I WOULDNT HAVE CAUGHT THE BIG GGGGGGGGGGG........

K2 · #11 09-04-2004, 09:18

Have mentioned this in an earlier post, but sems to be getting worse - perhaps as income from delaying bar/kareoke closing is dwindling a new revenue source is being hit upon.

Anyway Friday evenings areby far the worst, there are checkpoints comming out of Phuket town near the Stadium (road heading for Thai Naan Resturant junction) also along Chao Fa Rd just after Wat Chalong, at the Chalong Circle then sometimes just before The Meridian Hotel.

Have been stopped (I drive a car) and been OK, but not doing anything obviuosly wrong and always wear a seatbelt.

The feeling get from all this is not reassuring and after talking to Nicke about his friends experiences, makes desire to go out and indulge much less appealing, and would appreciate others keeping this thread goinga nd posting experiences/locations of checkpoints around the island.

Organ Grinder · #12 09-04-2004, 15:01

Excellent post S.A.T. I have just been trying to plan my friday night out, and if all the check points you mention are in place, then i wouldnt have made it home. I shall get my step-daughter to pick me up when I've had my fill. :o

Good one

Please update this thread if we see any more checkpoints over the weekend.

djaust · #13 17-04-2004, 06:05

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=3411

As would have been expected during this time of year.

Any members encounter?

K2 · #14 18-04-2004, 15:59

Thanks O.G. - like to hear of anyones Songkran experiences and lets see what happens now. If you take a look at the stats for accidents in the Phuket Gazette, this clamp down seems not to have produced particularly stellar results, in fact figs are similar to last year (alas -- got to respect the police for trying to make the place safer). But a rough calculation of the figures results in an inflow of a nice 1 million Bhat++ for fines etc etc ... someones gonna have a very good New Year party!

Other members - please keep checkpoints posted - Thanks