Just days into his post, the new Chief of the Royal Thai Police, has clarified his decision to suspend roadside checkpoints. Suwat Jangyodsuk says the new rule only applies to drink-driving checkpoints, which he says must first pass transparency checks, and shows that tests of blood alcohol levels return accurate results.
Royal Thai Police spokesman Yingyot Thepchamnong says all checkpoints will need to comply with strict rules and operate to a certain pre-defined standard, while un-authorised checkpoints will be investigated and shut down. However, he says the police chief’s recent order to temporarily suspend roadside checkpoints applies only to those targeting drunk drivers.
Other checkpoints, including those installed for crime prevention, to monitor traffic, to check for drugs, or to check for illegal migrants violating Covid-19 restrictions, will continue to work as normal. All checkpoints will be subject to the same transparency tests, but only drink-driving checkpoints are being temporarily suspended while those tests are carried out.
It’s understood the new police chief wishes to bring all checkpoints up to the same, approved, transparency standard and to shut down un-official checkpoints.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
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If this sticks, excellent (and long overdue) move
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It always baffles me why, assuming the police are intent on collecting fines, that they do not just hide near a walk don’t walk traffic light, and scoop up the dozens an hour that ignore the lights.
They would collect a B100.000 an hour. -
Plenty of people not wearing helmets, driving the wrong direction and vehicles with faulty lighting….especially motorcycle back lights. There’s money in the bank for police budgets.
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Static checkpoints are not ‘policing’, because they are ‘reacting’ to a situation instead of being proactive in preventing the situation from happening, and as such checkpoints are simply revenue generating areas. Any organised criminal group would be aware of the checkpoint either before it has actually been set up (through inside information) or at the very worst within minutes of it being set up, and avoid it like the plague. They will wait until it goes before transporting illicit goods or smuggled/trafficked people. As Sir Robert Peel said, ‘The police are the people and the people are the police’, and a Police Officer is simply a citizen in uniform with certain statutory powers. They are primarily paid to protect the people, not extort them, so getting rid of the unofficial checkpoints is a good start. Policing is working with the people in generating intel to prevent and detect crime, and not working against them.
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On a related note, have you heard the rumblings about the recent “drug test” check points? Full body searches and urine tests in the streets for methamphetamine and cannabis (Pattaya and Phuket in the past few days? )
Rumours of scams and planted items are worrying in such desperate times.
Plese look into it Thaiger.
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Hopefully those transparency tests will be done quickly and the drink-driving checkpoints resume. Let’s not forget that drunk driving is the primarly cause of fatal road accidents in mist countries – including Thailand
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
If this sticks, excellent (and long overdue) move
It always baffles me why, assuming the police are intent on collecting fines, that they do not just hide near a walk don’t walk traffic light, and scoop up the dozens an hour that ignore the lights.
They would collect a B100.000 an hour.
Plenty of people not wearing helmets, driving the wrong direction and vehicles with faulty lighting….especially motorcycle back lights. There’s money in the bank for police budgets.
Static checkpoints are not ‘policing’, because they are ‘reacting’ to a situation instead of being proactive in preventing the situation from happening, and as such checkpoints are simply revenue generating areas. Any organised criminal group would be aware of the checkpoint either before it has actually been set up (through inside information) or at the very worst within minutes of it being set up, and avoid it like the plague. They will wait until it goes before transporting illicit goods or smuggled/trafficked people. As Sir Robert Peel said, ‘The police are the people and the people are the police’, and a Police Officer is simply a citizen in uniform with certain statutory powers. They are primarily paid to protect the people, not extort them, so getting rid of the unofficial checkpoints is a good start. Policing is working with the people in generating intel to prevent and detect crime, and not working against them.
On a related note, have you heard the rumblings about the recent “drug test” check points? Full body searches and urine tests in the streets for methamphetamine and cannabis (Pattaya and Phuket in the past few days? )
Rumours of scams and planted items are worrying in such desperate times.
Plese look into it Thaiger.
Hopefully those transparency tests will be done quickly and the drink-driving checkpoints resume. Let’s not forget that drunk driving is the primarly cause of fatal road accidents in mist countries – including Thailand