"Know your police check-points in Chiang Mai" (and a survey)

[2wheels]

Know Your Traffic Police Checkpoints in Chiang Mai


"Actress, Scottish female, 20-something:

I often see the checkpoints along the Superhighway with the traffic police waiting on the underpasses – more like lurking! Honestly I don’t have anything to report because I just keep driving when they try and wave me down!"

(Chiang Mai City News)

 

[2wheels]

Related topic;

Road mortality to be lowered 50 percent​

Another road accident.

​

The Ministry of Transport has set a target to lower traffic-related mortality rate by 50 percent in the next seven years.

According to Deputy Permanent Secretary Theerapong Rodprasert, about 14,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2012, or around 38 people a day.
One-third of the number was breadwinners prompting their families to face financial difficulties.

Those accidents have disabled around 5,000 - 6,000 people a year which can be translated into an economic loss of 230 billion baht annually,
or 2.8 percent of Thailand's GDP.

The ministry aims to reduce the number of accident-related deaths to 7,000 in 2020 by working closely with other ministries and bodies
such as the Interior Ministry, local and provincial administrations, to monitor and prevent road accidents, under the ten-year master plan
on road safety started two years ago.

On December 11-12, the ministry also held the 11th national seminar on road safety to encourage every party involved to speed up their works on how
to lower the number of road accidents and increase awareness among road users.

That was derived from a press release from the Ministry of Transport, but it must be examined in a little more depth than has been the case.

Firstly, the death toll is far higher than the "official" figures.

Secondly, to be classified as a statistic in the road toll, you actually have to be killed outright
on the spot. Those who die later in hospital are not included!
(In the west, any deaths within 30 days of hospitalization are counted in the road toll.)

According to the WHO, Thailand has the 6th worst road toll per capita in the world at 42.9 deaths per 100,000 population.
Only countries worse are Namibia (53), Swaziland (48), Malawi (45), Iraq (44), Iran (43). Even Zambia and Uganda are better than Thailand.

Now to break down our deaths - between 75-80 percent of them involve motorbikes.
The vast majority of these deaths have no crash helmet having been worn.

It isn't rocket science to see that if the compulsory helmet laws were rigidly enforced, and the helmets were of an international standard,
you would see a dramatic decrease in our road toll. And that doesn't need committees, sub-committees and seminars.

The answer is staring the Transport Ministry in the face!
But will they do anything? We both know the answer! "

(Dr Iain Corness, 'Automania', Chiang Mai Mail)
​

 

[Changnoi1]

May I add ..... the police check-points on the roads are bloody dangerous! Police walking on the road is bloody dangerous!
(Actually I stopped once to complain about the stupid idea of having a police road-block on the highway after a sharp curve. In the 5 to 10 min I was there, there were 2 near accidents).

Some say the road behavious in Thailand is very bad, but I think road mortality is mostly due to

1. Bad road design
2. Bad road construction
3. Bad road maintenance
4. Bad or none road lights
5. Bad or none direction signs
6. Total lack of law-enforcement
7. Total lack of good example by the police
8. Near to total lack of road safety education

And the worst thing is ... all this is all on purpose of making money.

 

[alexuk]

I thought this was a thread about where police stop you, at the end of the month, like by the moat, turning off to huay kaew rd, or the corner opp phils, and tell you that its 500bt for not having a thai driving licence on you, or 200bt on the spot, when noones looking

Anyway, I think a lot of road mortality is from people turning onto a major road without looking, riding without lights, riding a bike in the middle of the road when some jerk in an auto thinks he can go bombing down the outside lane regardless, people in cars cutting left hand bends in front of you, etc

 

[skeedary]

I have joined the "no stop when asked to at traffic light" club.
One day pulled over in Chiang Mai and accused of everything including running a red light, no helmet, no license, all untrue and the bib prick abused my Thai gf when she objected. I told her to get on the bike and just rode off.
Next day when asked to pullover again while they let Thai rider through i just rode through too. They also asked to see the bike green book for proof of ownership.

 

[MastaMax]

I thought this was a thread about where police stop you, at the end of the month, like by the moat, turning off to huay kaew rd, or the corner opp phils, and tell you that its 500bt for not having a thai driving licence on you, or 200bt on the spot, when noones looking

Anyway, I think a lot of road mortality is from people turning onto a major road without looking, riding without lights, riding a bike in the middle of the road when some jerk in an auto thinks he can go bombing down the outside lane regardless, people in cars cutting left hand bends in front of you, etc

Is it not enough to have a English-written driving licence?

"The licence needs to have been issued by a country that has a treaty with the Thai government allowing the mutual acceptance of driving licences. " from:
Using a Foreign Driving Licence in Thailand | Thailand

 

[alexuk]

My understanding was that you need an international driving permit OR a thai driving licence.
An english driving licence was never enough
Also you need to have it on you.
I have not found a way yet to show the licence at a police station to avoid the fine.

Maybe best to cary a copy at all times, you dont want anyone walking off with the real thing

 

[Gnasher328]

After failing to get a Thai licence due to CM immigration refusing a residence cert on a tourist visa, investigation indicated that UK licence is valid if it is a picture one, or you need an IDP, which has a pic.Someone on TV.com also pointed out that on a tourist visa you are not actually in the country for long enough to need a Thai licence, as the necessary visa runs also reset the licencd time limit.
As my motorcycle insurance is due soon I checked the small print, convieniently also in English, and that said something like 'any licence for vehicle insured'.

 

[2wheels]

Yesterday beside the moat.



Helmet, fastened.







Rental bike.
Pink slip with a big 'F' on it.
Probably a license issue?









They were very busy.