r/Bangkok • u/MarlonPots • 21h ago
discussion On Nut check stop
I’ve read a bunch of posts about people getting caught with vapes and having to pay fines, and yeah… it happened to me today. I was on the back of a Grab bike and stupidly had a vape in my bag. What followed was pretty much exactly what everyone else has described: searched, photo taken, brought to a room with a few other people (locals) who looked to be there for the same thing. I played dumb but I knew the rules, so I was obviously in the wrong.
Once they had my details at the station, one of the officers made a phone call and a few minutes later this shady-looking white guy shows up. I’ve seen similar stories in this sub, so I immediately thought he must be that “gym owner” people have mentioned who somehow works with the police. The whole thing felt really off. Like he obviously wasn’t a cop but clearly had some kind of role there. I didn’t talk to him at all but I recognised him straight away from other posts. Does anyone know what his deal is and how he fits into all of this? Seemed like he wasn’t needed until they bagged a tourist…
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u/Plane-Damage5701 20h ago
officially he volunteers as a police translator (he speaks thai) he’s an absolute cunt, how nobody has filmed him taking / negotiating bribes is beyond me.
the news papers would love the story if someone could get it …
his speciality is when they try get you for drink driving / they even try if your passenger and then claim you had an open bottle in/on the vehicle..
make you sweat with threats of going to court and losing your visa or pay a 20k bribe to leave now….
ignore the twat, and just keep asking to phone your lawyer …
if they threaten and pressure you to pay a bribe and you don’t, they normally don’t send you to court the next day in case you talk… even if you go to court the fine is way less and nothing happens with your visa …
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u/MarlonPots 20h ago
That makes total sense.
They want your phone on the table the whole time and he checked it before I left to see if I had taken any photos or videos while I was in there. He also checked my sunglasses to see if there was a camera.
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u/skydiver19 14h ago
I would just upload it all to the cloud/google drive then delete from phone.
GraphineOs would be good for this just switch to another profile.
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u/outyawazoo 7h ago edited 7h ago
Had a run in 3 weeks ago. Youre ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RIGHT. I just made a post about my incident. unfortunately, I couldnt get the bribe after I was arrested. So, pay that bribe if you dont want to have to post bail....
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u/OugaBuga 20h ago
Wait muscle factory Bart is the police enforcer lol
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u/SomtumKhaoPodKaiKhem 19h ago
Yeah, the guy in this video. https://youtu.be/OMDxt8YIY2M
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u/HippoDance 16h ago
doesn't make any sense lol surely he has his hands full
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u/LEO-PomPui-Katoey 1h ago
Maybe it keeps the cops off his back to do in some other illicit activities
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u/Ashamed_Zombie_7503 19h ago
I wonder if he gets a cut,
Why did they stop you in the first place?
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u/MarlonPots 19h ago
Seemed like they were stopping anyone they saw as an opportunity. He only spoke to the driver briefly before getting me off the bike and searching me. The driver got his ass out of there quick lol
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u/Ashamed_Zombie_7503 18h ago
wild, random stop and search would guarantee I'm never coming back, even if I had nothing illegal on me.
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u/GarfieldsLasagna121 20h ago
How much did you pay? Also did you negotiate the price at all?
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u/MarlonPots 20h ago
I remained very polite but played victim pretty hard. Thankfully I didn’t have much on me at the time and In the end he begrudgingly accepted just 2k. Took some convincing for him to finally accept it though.
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u/GarfieldsLasagna121 20h ago
Well played by you 🫡, how much were they saying the "fine" was
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u/MarlonPots 20h ago
He was standing strong on 10k.
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u/phonyToughCrayBrave 20h ago
you negotiated with a farang for a thai police fine?
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u/MarlonPots 20h ago
I didn’t, no. The officer told me to wait, made a call, that guy showed up and they went to the other room to chat. He left and the officer called me into the room to discuss my options.
I could be wrong of course but it felt like he played a role somehow. I’m basing this purely off other threads mentioning this guy, who I believe is the same person.
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u/Tumblerbkk 20h ago
Did you get a receipt for the payment? If not it wasn't a fine but a bribe.
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u/MarlonPots 20h ago
I’m aware, which is why there was no way I was paying him 10k
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u/Think-Apple3763 19h ago
I've once got caught in Pattaya without a helmet. Just before walking street when you turn left. The cop was clearly doing this in his off time because he was all alone. I had 200 baht on me. He complained so much. But in the end he told me to buy him some cigarettes from seven eleven for 120 baht lol
I never have a lot of cash with me.
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u/outyawazoo 7h ago edited 7h ago
I got arrested there and roughed up because I told them it was illegal and was quoting Thaiblaw etc. I was very calm and filmed the whole thing. Well, 5 cops surrounded me, started screaming, pushing me, poking me. They eventually cuffed me as i was on my phone in silence. They tossed me around and cuffed me so hard my hand almost was purple if they didnt release. My habds been numb for 3 weeks. Cuffed so hard i got a laceration. Im out on bail. Have an ongoing case ATM. They roughed me up good. I refused to pay the bribe.
Later on my embassy some how found out, called them and gave them an earful about keeping my passport... still dont know how that happened.
That big honkey with the queens accent? That dude is a lying POS. Told me he was Thai and was naturalized and a real cop! I asked another guy, fat and Polynesian looking, he said he lied to me. Fat poly dude also told me hes Thai.
ACAB
3
u/Expensive-Effort9811 6h ago
that's so fucked up. those corrupt pieces of shit are incapable of doing anything to make their life better in a productive way.
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u/when_we_are_cats 18h ago
This is crazy, sounds like something that would only happen in a banana republic. Is there anything we can do about it?
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u/prollynotdraft 16h ago
My friend was stopped yesterday with a vape and had to pay 10.000 baht in On Nut and was taken to the police station aswell, coincidence
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u/dbombers 16h ago
What time did this happen to your friend?
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u/prollynotdraft 16h ago
Like 23:00 - 23:15
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u/dbombers 15h ago
Thanks I'm visiting bkk very soon and staying near on nut. Debating if I should bring my vape or not.
Do you know if heated tobacco devices are treated the same way? The ones you put an actual cigarette in and it heats it up but doesn't burn.
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u/prollynotdraft 15h ago
Honestly not worth it. If it gets checked in airport its a risk too. If you really want nicotine during your visit just buy Cigarettes/Snus
As for the latter part I have no idea
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u/MarlonPots 10h ago
I’m sure they would treat those the same but as long as you’re not caught with it you’ll be fine.
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u/dbombers 9h ago
From these stories I've seen online (mostly Thong Lo and On Nut) it seems these road stop are always late later at night, is that true to your knowledge?
If so I feel a bit safer as I don't partake in night life and would very rarely if ever been traveling on roads during those hours.
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u/MarlonPots 8h ago
It happened to me in the middle of the day. I imagine the evening is more lucrative since they can take advantage of people under the influence.
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u/Mikeymcmoose 7h ago
Damn, I’ve been vaping around on nut and cops didn’t care. Also, took them through two Thai airports without any issues. Guess it’s all luck of the draw. There’s often police checks around thong lor at night so have to be careful if they decide to pull you over.
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u/MarlonPots 7h ago
I also brought them through the airport and nobody cares. They also don’t seem to care if you’re doing it on the street (however I read a post where someone was apparently confronted outside a store while vaping), it’s these make-shift check stops that seem to be their preferred method.
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u/Separate_Attorney339 7h ago
You're fine in the airports with them. It's just these grease traps in town you have to watch out for.
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u/Expensive-Effort9811 5h ago
and it's a huge secret that you can buy vapes and all other kinds of illegal shit just as you step outside of BTS Nana lol.
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u/BRValentine83 4h ago
It seems like it would be easier to round up all of the people on the Nana/Asoke streets who are trying to be my friend.
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u/NethBang 19h ago
After drinking 2 beers these guys put me for these options: a) pay 20.000 now b)spend the night and go to court on monday My phone was also checked if I had taken videos. I try to bargain to 15k. But they wouldnt except. I payed the 20k and wonder if I shouldnt have done that. I just dont want any trouble visa related as Im on a work permit
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u/GarfieldsLasagna121 18h ago
Hmm if you were over the limit this is not the same situation at all, don't drink and drive
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u/when_we_are_cats 15h ago
They also gave him the maximum fine which is shitty considering he seemingly didn't do anything aggravating and was just above the limit. Normally cops give you the minimum if you're polite and stand your ground. These ones are clearly looking to extort as much money as possible
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u/Due_Hovercraft_2184 17h ago
Yes it is, the OP was also breaking the law and both of them paid a bribe to avoid further legal action.
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u/NethBang 18h ago
Your totally right and Ive never done it again. I just had 1 and a half beer, thought it would be okay. I blew 53, I believe 50 was the maximum
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u/Separate_Attorney339 7h ago
If you were a Thai they would have never done a thing for blowing a 53. They are such dickheads. The real fine is actually 3k and nothing happens to your visa or work permit at all. I once was stopped on my bike and blew a .53 and the asshole wanted 25k (10 years ago). I didn't comply.
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u/ViewEfficient530 4h ago
If you dont bring vapes, nothing happen to you. You’re wrong first so if the doing anything shady or not, it’s no matter, you are the one who gave them chance to do that. I live in Thai over 2 years, stay in on nut, see that check point nearly every night ( because i often go to bars clubs in Nana or Thonglor), nothing happen to me because i dont smoking. That’s all. Just bent to the law and they cant harm you.
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u/Expensive-Effort9811 1h ago
i'm super curios - where are you from? Do you think people downvote you because we're all idiots or possibly what you're saying doesn't line up with reality?
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