Editor;
On Tuesday morning the 6th January at 10.45 my wife was travelling south on Sukhumvit Road and was stopped by police just past the Floating Market. One of the policemen asked to see her licence, and she handed over her valid English driving licence (with photo).
He took it, then told her she was valid to drive in Jomtien but not on a ’highway’. He said he would give her a ticket to pay a 400 baht fine at the police station and he would keep her licence, or she could pay 500 baht cash to him and go. The 500 baht was paid and went into his pocket. He gave back the licence and allowed her to continue her journey on the ‘highway’.
I have checked that the licence is valid and she can drive here in Thailand on the ‘highway’ as well as Jomtien. The police are again forcing illegal payments from tourists.
Yours faithfully,
Howard Stanley
