Drive time from BKK

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
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huahinjim
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Post by huahinjim »

I've heard them referred to as 'demerits'. A nice reference to Buddhism!
VincentD
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Post by VincentD »

They'e had laser guns for a while now, but still do use the K band instant on radar guns. I got caught once along the stretch to Klaeng; I pulled out to overtake and got zapped. (Radar detector went off. Have had one for years).

For what you pay in fines I guess it's no point in *really* using one, it's just that I'm a bit of a gadget freak... :)

I bought the last one from these guys, they ship UPS to Thailand.
http://www.radarbusters.com/
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PET
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Post by PET »

Thewebsite has a large price range - what work in Thailand?
pluggy
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Speed Controls

Post by pluggy »

I can assure you, thai polices control more and more.

Its not only the fine you have to pay, you loose a lot of time.
They make a lot of paperwork and that goes slowly, slowly, slowly.

Better you keep within the speed range, you will be at home faster.
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PeteC
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Re: Speed Controls

Post by PeteC »

pluggy wrote:I can assure you, thai polices control more and more.

Its not only the fine you have to pay, you loose a lot of time.
They make a lot of paperwork and that goes slowly, slowly, slowly.

Better you keep within the speed range, you will be at home faster.
Good points Pluggy, but what is the speed range? Even on the motorway and elevated Bang Na-Trad expressway they have '80' flashing all the time on the digital lights.

My last trip when I asked, I was told that meant the "minimum" speed! :shock: So, that's what I believe. :D .

In reality it's a 'catch all' for the police to enable them to extort what they want, as no one goes 80 or under on those highways, try 120 average. Pete :cheers:
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shunpike
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Re: Speed Controls

Post by shunpike »

prcscct wrote:
pluggy wrote:I can assure you, thai polices control more and more.

Its not only the fine you have to pay, you loose a lot of time.
They make a lot of paperwork and that goes slowly, slowly, slowly.

Better you keep within the speed range, you will be at home faster.
Good points Pluggy, but what is the speed range? Even on the motorway and elevated Bang Na-Trad expressway they have '80' flashing all the time on the digital lights.

My last trip when I asked, I was told that meant the "minimum" speed! :shock: So, that's what I believe. :D .

In reality it's a 'catch all' for the police to enable them to extort what they want, as no one goes 80 or under on those highways, try 120 average. Pete :cheers:
Pretty sure the limit on the motorways in BKK is now 80, but Pete's right, it's completely unrealistic, a pisstake. Gives the BIB licence to harrass anyone they choose.

:roll:
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STEVE G
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Post by STEVE G »

One time I decided to drive through Bamgkok on the expressway keeping to the speed limit as I was fed up of being stopped by the police.
The limit at that time was 90 where the flashing signs were off and I was passed by every single other vehicle on the road.
If that wasn't bad enough we still got stopped and told we had been speeding, but I did manage to comvince the cop that I had been crawling along under 90 for the whole expressway.
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Francois
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Post by Francois »

VincentD wrote:For what you pay in fines I guess it's no point in *really* using one, it's just that I'm a bit of a gadget freak... :)

I bought the last one from these guys, they ship UPS to Thailand.
http://www.radarbusters.com/
Ben dis donc... That's quite a lot of Money

But I'm a gadget freak too :mrgreen:
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VincentD
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Post by VincentD »

Francois,

I first got my first radar detector in Thailand back in 1992. It was an Escort that would only detect X and K band. My wife thought it was a bit of a joke until one day when going up the Asian Highway and just leaving the toll booth before Ayuthaya (yes, those were the days when you still had to pay tolls on the Asian Highway!) when the thing went off. I pointed to the police guy up in the tree with the (then) oversize radar gun and they were all pointing and laughing at the guy.
It eventually more than paid for itself, not so much in missed fines as in wasted time.

I eventually upgraded to a Passport superwide 4500 (it would detect X, K, Ka, superwide and laser) and used that for many years before recently getting a Whistler XTR 560 a year or so ago.

The reason is the better sensitivity of the late-model detector. You don't need a high-end one here anyway.

I gave the old one away to my brother-in-law.
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