Even Thai Policeman Break the Traffic Laws
This picture has been doing the rounds on Facebook recently. It is a photo of someone who is presumed to be a policeman. He was spotted on Soi Suan Phlu riding a police motorcycle (note number plates) turning into the police station. The writing in Thai on the right points out that he isn’t wearing a helmet, his bike has no mirrors and the foot rest for passengers is still up. Comments by Thais on Facebook point out that one reason why there are so many bad drivers in Bangkok is that even policemen break the rules. I am sure you have seen them yourself riding the wrong way or on the sidewalk.
Ok about the helmet, but is it an offence not to have mirrors on a motorcycle, maybe because of the position from which the photo was taken it just cannot be seen? The passenger footrest is actually down, not up, but anyway, so what, what’s the offence?
I see this every day. A policeman comes home from work, changes his uniform, rides to the local bar with no helmet, gets drunk and rides back.
As a Thai policeman said rather loudly intending for me to hear one day, The laws do not apply to Thai policemen. While UK laws have certain exemptions (e.g. passing a red light in urgent situations) there is an almost total ignoring of the laws here by police.