The first thing we knew about this disgraceful episode is after my friend crossed the pedestrian bridge and entered the taxi, we then drove off.
500 meters along the Police pull along side and tells the taxi driver to pull over. I thought this was just the usual shakedown for 20 Baht that happens to Thai motorists on a regular basis. Wrong.
Only Hookers Are Friends With White Men
They (2) get off the motorbike and proceed to the door where my friend is sitting and order her out. The both of them then start quizzing her on where we are going and what we are doing. She is rather small and very polite, also easily intimidated. These 'upholders of the law' where giving her a grilling repeating questions. I was still in the taxi following the conversation (in Thai) as best I could. When I realised that they were basically interrogating her I said out loud so they could hear me "Right, F#%k this!" and jumped out of the taxi.
Then it was my turn to intimidate these 'righteous custodians of the law'. Wearing a sleeveless shirt and having trained arms 1 hour before helped :)
I stood over the nearest Police officer and demanded "Why did you stop us?", he asked for my passport, I pulled it out and again demanded with an assertive tone "Why did you stop us?"
The Police Officers then made a nervous laugh and a polite joke about me being very big, to which I gave a rather unimpressed look back with "Yes I am" and told my friend to get back in the taxi. I showed my passport, as is required by law and stood there silent. They talked briefly, in a friendly tone with me and then left.
Getting back into the taxi the taxi driver explained that the Police had pulled us over because they thought that I was soliciting a street walking prostitute. Even though I had stopped the taxi and waited 3-4 minutes for her to cross the pedestrian bridge directly from the bank and she was wearing a very decent knee length denim skirt, t-shirt and some traditional style carved wooden heels.
Apparently every white face in Bangkok is an idiot and a monger and an easy mark according to their thought, and every Asian girl with a white man is a pro.
In short the Police thought they could intimidate her into 'confession' and issue me an on the spot fine in which the price would have to be negotiated and no paper work given to me. You know what that is called in any developed country.
The thing that made me very angry about this whole episode is that the spot where the Police pulled the taxi over was directly opposite a very well known red light area, 30+ 'brothels' operating openly in the side street directly across the road from us. If they were really worried about prostitution it was right there in their face.
Bangkok Littering Fines
There is a similar sting operation running on Sukhumvit between soi 4 and soi 8 where 'Police' stand around behind shop front, advertising stands and display racks watching all Foreigners who walk past.
In fact they do more than watch.
I was walking with a friend who was smoking a cigarette the other day to the post office, as we walked past this Police Officer hiding between 2 clothing displays his eyes lit up when he saw the cigarette in my friends hand. As we passed he jumped out literally and stood there eye transfixed on the cigarette in a stance like he was ready to run the 400m sprint at the Olympics.
I stopped turned and stared this "Police Officer" down with a very filthy look on my face. His eyes dropped to the ground, and he backed into his hiding place. I stood and waited, he poked his head out to look again and quickly pulled it back in. Then I could see his feet shuffle backward and he peered around the back of the display. I was standing there arms crossed looking at him. He jumped back behind the display.
We went to the post office and my friend put the cigarette in the ashtray provided at the post office.
The sting here is all the garbage bins in this area have been removed, if any foreigner throws a ciggarette butt or any other rubbish on the ground the police jump out and issue on the spot fines demanding between 2000 and 5000 baht (local currency) with no paperwork given to the offender.
Funny thing is if you tell them I am not paying take me to the police station they will instantly drop the 'fine' to a lower price.
With a bit of negotiating or a good joke in Thai you can easily get them down to 500 baht, or less if you can speak Thai well.
Even funnier is that the starting fine for a Thai national is 200 baht.
Now I do not recommend agression or standing over Police officers as they are still the law no matter if any other Police Officer from a developed country would lock them up without question but I do recommend you take a firm stand with them remaining polite at all times, never yell or raise your voice... ever. Treat them politely but firmly and remember all fines are negotiable, the more pleasant you can be the less the fine, also if they think you know the deal the price can drop drastically.
Farang (Foreigner) Pricing Even At Buddhist Temples
Such double pricing is not only in effect with the Police but also with amusement parks, temples, zoos, national parks, in fact anywhere that might be considered a tourist attraction. There is one price written in English and another price written in Thai script and if you are a foreigner and can read Thai script they will very unhappily let you pay the normal locals price but they will let you know they are not happy.... often accompanying the insult "falang speak Thai too much".
Lovely to be such a welcome guest in the "Land Of Smiles".
