Crazy Experience in Phuket

LH-limelight on 18/09/2018 - 14:48
Last edited 18/09/2018 - 14:58 by 1 other user

Hi everyone. Just want to share my experience in Phuket last night which I think was truly shocking to say the least. I hope to share this as a warning to others traveling to Thailand and also get everyone's view on what they would have done better.

My wife and I came to Phuket for a quick trip leaving our kids with in laws in Malaysia. So after Walking around Bangala road late at night and we each had one beer at the bar. We headed to our hotel up north on the hired motorbikes (why is taxi so expensive in Phuket?) After a few windy turns, we were stopped by the police. I was feeling comfortable at the start as I know I only had one beer and I assumed that the similar drinking limit applies in Thailand. However after they asked me to blow into the breathalyser, the red light came on indicating high. So they took us to a little station on the side of the road.

We were really shocked at this stage as I have never been caught drink driving/riding before anywhere. I asked for the breathalyser three more times and the same result came up. So the officer told me I need to go jail for the night and appear in court tomorrow and get fined 10000 Bhat which is around AU$450.00. The officer spoke poor English but also managed to show me what he is saying using Google translate. I kept on asking questions and at one stage he went to ask for his "big boss".

The "big boss" came in some what just repeated what the other officer said. At one point I asked them what's the alcohol blood percentage which makes it "high" on the breathalyser as I also noticed that there is low and zero readings. They couldn't tell me straight away but did the test himself which shows zero. I then asked him if I can pay fine now and not go to jail. He reluctantly said it's possible which I know at this stage they are scamming tourist. Heard this happen in Asia but never imagined it happen to myself.

A few other things worth mentioning:

  1. They took my licence and asked me to write my name on a form with no English and they didn't fill it out.
  2. They keep going in and out of the room and speak to each other quite a lot.
  3. I noticed they didn't stop all the vehicle for tests. Assuming targeting foreigners only.
  4. I told them I have flight tomorrow going back to Malaysia so I can not go to court. They asked to check itinerary which I couldn't show they as I didn't have internet.
  5. They are still overall "nice" the whole time which makes me feel calm and kept trying to talk to them.
  6. They asked my wife to go back to the hotel by herself and they didn't even bother testing her. She also had one drink so result which be the same. My wife obviously didn't want to leave in that situation.

After they said I can pay fine now. I insisted that I don't have 10,000 and showed them what's in my wallet. They didn't seem to press me on getting the money which is little weird and keep mentioning about jail and court. I use the breathalyser myself again it's now showing low after about 45 mins but they said it was high before and said I was sitting there for a long time. After a while they caught a British guy who wants to walk back to the hotel to check on his girlfriend but the officer didn't let him. I can't tell if he is drunk or not but he also said he had one beer.

Eventually the big boss told me to do one more breathalyser with another officer filming and said that if it's low then I can go. The result was low and they let us go and kept the British guy there. As shocked as I was for being "caught ", I was shocked that they let me go without paying anything.

I am wondering if anyone had similar experience before and how they went. We really enjoyed our kid free get away till this happened and it would really ruin anyone's holiday. What would you have done to get out of this kinda of situations specially in a foreign country? Be firm and insist on going to jail knowing they probably won't bother? Just pay the fine and take as lesson learnt? Not agreeing to anything they say and not corporate? Asking to speak to lawyer or the consulate?

Sorry for the long first post and I just hope it helps someone when they get caught in a similar situation. Phuket is such a beautiful holiday destination and I really hate to see people not coming here because this kind of things.

Travel Asia Thailand

Comments

      • letmecry on 19/09/2018 - 22:51
        +2

        It's not a scammer if you have been talking to the police station.
        Drink drink has just been introduced and campaigned for the last couple years. The fine has been increased from $45 to $450 from the previous year.
        But if it is your first time, they will let you go after being in a court. Some might have to do community service.

        However all of these could possible be solved by bribe on the spot.

      • Baghern on 23/09/2018 - 12:51

        yes because they have the same type of bureaucracy we do (sarcasm)… a fine is cost effective deterrent for a poor nation

        Might as well say border force is not serious about border protection because they issue fines as well

    • jackspratt on 19/09/2018 - 15:31
      +2

      They take drink driving VERY seriously.

      No, they (the police, in my experience) don't.

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 19/09/2018 - 14:00

    probably a scam would of just offered 1000 baht on the side of the road and kept going

  • Tasmaniac on 19/09/2018 - 17:53

    Fairly standard story to be fair. I'm sure it was probably an adrenaline rush, it's not as though you were held for ransom or anything though.

  • moneyhungry on 19/09/2018 - 18:12
    +4

    Country is a joke, they rely on us for tourism yet there is so much corruption. You hire jet skis and they blame you for damage you didn't do, you hire motorbikes and they blame you for damage you didn't do, you walk down the street and they try selling you drugs to then inform the police to then bribe you, you try to buy a drink at a bar and there are all these little hookers milking you for expensive drinks. Best thing to do is avoid that place unless you want to bang all the hookers. Cheers.

    • DarthAntz on 26/09/2018 - 12:54

      Theres motorbikes, jet skis, drugs and drinks in Thailand?

      • moneyhungry on 29/09/2018 - 06:57

        One of my mates loves to spend time with the lady boys and once was drugged by one of them when he went visiting late at night. Good thing he got out of there the instant he felt the effect.

  • Dack Smith on 19/09/2018 - 19:00

    That is normal Thailand, you were just lucky before, and you assumed all good of Thailand.

    In fact this stuff is normal throughout South East Asia.

  • ipiok on 19/09/2018 - 22:31
    +2

    People forget these places are tourist traps….. they're all the same… local police are corrupt as hell.

  • Entertainment on 20/09/2018 - 05:12
    +1

    My good mate died in a motorbike accident in phuket. He too only had couple of beers, was not wearing a helmet.
    He had been living there for a while. I still cant believe he wasnt wearing a helmet.
    Young. RIP

    • shadowangel on 30/09/2018 - 12:27

      Phuket has so many hotels close to bars you don't even need to ride. Riding a bike you need to be very alert, even one beer is to much.
      If taxi's are to expansive download grab to keep them honest or go somewhere in Thailand that's actually more welcome to visitors.

  • sweetnipples on 20/09/2018 - 08:22

    Phuket or any SE Asian tourist hot spot and you're a tourist.
    Enough said.
    Google the YT of the Dutch guy in Bali
    He filmed the whole ordeal.
    These cops pay thier bosses money to be posted at these locations.
    Cop gets some, fellow cops get some, boss gets some…..

    Welcome to SE Asia Tourist Traps

    The next thing that always makes me laugh, people that hire scooters or bikes in SE Asia that don't ride at home????
    1. You're just asking to be scammed
    2. Pretty high risk of an accident
    3. Not a great Ambulance system if you do
    4. Does your travel insurance cover you?

    Anyway, I worked there 4 years ago on the Ford Ranger, had to put 1000ks on a vehicle over the weekend and bring it back.
    Boss gave us cash to pay fines from police, even drink driving you could pay then keep driving.

  • donotuse on 20/09/2018 - 08:34

    I don’t go to Bali or Thailand because they’re full of Aus bogans.

    • magic8ballgag on 20/09/2018 - 15:43
      +2

      Yet you most likely live in Australia were bogans live and breathe everywhere?

      • donotuse on 20/09/2018 - 19:29
        +2

        Indeed, that's why I avoid Bali and Thailand to get away from them all.

        • magic8ballgag on 20/09/2018 - 19:33

          But how can you avoid the people in the country you live in?

        • donotuse on 20/09/2018 - 19:34
          +2

          @Lorindor:
          By traveling overseas that's not Bali or Thailand?

        • magic8ballgag on 20/09/2018 - 19:38
          -2

          @unloadmymind:

          You're not getting what I'm putting down.

        • donotuse on 20/09/2018 - 21:19
          +3

          @Lorindor:
          Well first of all I try to avoid bogan Aussies in Australia by living in wealthier suburbs.
          Second of of all I try to avoid bogan Aussies overseas by not visiting Bali or Thailand.

      • [Deactivated] on 23/09/2018 - 15:57

        true but on holiday it's nice to escape from them for a few weeks.

  • sweetnipples on 20/09/2018 - 08:43

    I bet his Taxi fare was looking cheap when police wanted 1000baht.

    You are on holidays!
    Enjoy your night out, have a few drinks and get a taxi!

    Leave the fines and bribes to those on bikes

  • Good-Dil on 20/09/2018 - 10:10

    U should watch the film or read the book “A prayer before dawn” and thank god you got out in one piece

    • frostman on 20/09/2018 - 10:25

      The most useless movie i've seen.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/09/2018 - 15:59

      actually "brokedown palace" is far better for backpacker adventures gone wrong. it's about drug smuggling. moral of the story: don't trust (profanity) australians.

  • frostman on 20/09/2018 - 10:24
    +1

    You should have walked into the Police Station chanting: NAT SU KAO!! NAT SU KAO!

    • [Deactivated] on 20/09/2018 - 13:37
      +1

      the white warrior!

      don't tell him Tong Po raped me. his mind must be CLEAR for the fight.

      metoo

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 21/09/2018 - 09:19

      This made me laugh so hard.

      They don't want OP's wallet. They want to make it with the champ!

  • trapper on 20/09/2018 - 12:02

    Of course it's a scam, the earlier you pay the better.

    Next time you're in a corrupt country and something like this happens ask to pay the 'fine' right there at the side of the road.

  • El Grande on 20/09/2018 - 15:58

    Next time take a cab. Also, taxis are not that expensive, tuktuks are cheap.

    • sweetnipples on 20/09/2018 - 16:48
      +1

      Exactly, if he is whinging about the price of Taxis in Thailand.
      Then god help him in Melbourne

    • nizzkid on 20/09/2018 - 18:32
      +1

      You can't get a meter taxi in Patong.
      The tuk tuks are not cheap.
      But that's what you get in Phuket.
      Best to go to Bangkok, Changmai or Pattaya.
      Baht bus is only 10b in Pattaya.

  • ode1online on 20/09/2018 - 18:47

    You should try to get the Tourist police involved if possible , they can be helpful when There's a language barrier, also Did you have a License to Ride a motorbike ?
    They are clamping down on that sort of thing , they are trying to reduce the road toll.

    https://www.thephuketnews.com/2017-worst-new-year-death-toll…

  • So lo on 20/09/2018 - 19:22
    +4

    why is taxi so expensive in Phuket?

    Taxi mafia. Basically, you're paying for a ride to wherever, and then they have to return back to their own area. If they pickup in someone else's area, they're subject to vigilantism. Then added to that, a pyramid system of paying commissions and plain greed resulting in inflated prices.

    Do you have an Australian Rider class licence AND an International Drivers Permit with a stamp in the Motorbike section? Or a Thai motorbike licence?
    If not, then riding a motorbike is illegal. Good going to anyone who has gotten away with it on their trips.

    As for the breathalyser, I would chalk it up to lack of education and training. They probably have no idea how that device works, they would have been told, make people blow into this end, if it lights up, bring them in. Phuket has really clamped down on drink driving (personally: 6 years of biking with not 1 alcohol check, followed by 3 years of driving, with increasing numbers of checks year on year).

    Thai police supply their own weapons, and earn a wage from 7,000 to an average of about 15,000 THB. This is why corruption is so rampant in the police force - they're literally not paid enough to make it through the month. The cops are basically forced into side hustles just to put food on the table.

    Here's the key rule, if you're going to bribe an officer, do it before any other officers or their superior finds out about it. Else you gotta bribe everyone involved. And that is not the ozbargain way.

  • Bullion78 on 21/09/2018 - 01:26

    I read the title and thought to myself crap I'm there on Monday… Then i read the post, was bored halfway through but stuck it out till the end thinking something pretty bizarre must have happened… By the end I wanted that minute or two of my life back.

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 21/09/2018 - 09:13

    Honestly, if you're going to countries like these you expect this to happen. It's really part of the experience and a part of their culture to scam some cash off farang. I was robbed in Barcelona and pick pocketed in Rome and didn't let that ruin those holidays.

    If you want safety and sunshine then go to Noosa or something. The only crime there is the price of a steak and beer.

  • OneMoreTune on 21/09/2018 - 15:33
    -1

    Waiting for the crazy story?
    That's about as crazy as running out of eggs on the breakfast buffet.

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