CRACKDOWN on Silom

200 baht. Jaywalkers will be fined 200 baht. Police are to begin the CRACKDOWN on jaywalkers who fail use crosswalks or footbridges. Do not walk in front of busses. Police in Bangkok will begin to arrest people who cross the street without using crosswalks, footbridges, and other crossways.


Jaywalkers subject of police blitz

BANGKOK (thaivisa.com): -- People who fail use crosswalks or footbridges will start receiving on-the-spot Bt200 (about $US5.88) fines from traffic police commencing August 1.

People who drop litter, including cigarette butts in a city almost bereft of public ashtrays or rubbish bins are already subject to fines of up Bt2,000 (about $US58.76) and now police have decided to target jaywalkers in a city where crossing the road is often a mad dash followed by furtive creeping steps to avoid cars and motorcycles that pay little regard for pedestrians.

For their part, impatient Bangkokians are known to attempt to dash between cars, or walk out from in front of buses directly into the path of traffic, often without looking.

Traffic police chief Police Major Weerapat Tansrisakul said traffic police in Bangkok will begin to arrest people who crossed the street without using crosswalks, footbridges, and other crossways.

He said the area around Victory Monument, Silom Road and Ratchaprasong Junction will receive the initial focus and urged people to comply with the traffic laws for their own safety.

Do not walk in front of busses. Police in Bangkok will begin to arrest people who cross the street without using crosswalks, footbridges, and other crossways.

Arrest????? Wow!

[cdnmatt]

And the recession has hit!

Are the police doing anything to ensure the public's safety on these 'crosswalks?'

I think not.

[ceejay]

Are the police doing anything to ensure the public's safety on these 'crosswalks?'

I think not.

Good point. Most drivers in BKK seem to regard them as a useful device for concentrating targets in one place.

If they are going to give equal attention to drivers driving dangerously at designated crossing points, then fair enough.

[quote="Ponbkk"]200 baht. Jaywalkers will be fined 200 baht. Police are to begin the CRACKDOWN on jaywalkers who fail use crosswalks or footbridges. Do not walk in front of busses. Police in Bangkok will begin to arrest people who cross the street without using crosswalks, footbridges, and other crossways. [quote]

It will give the lovely BIB another chance to fleece unsuspecting tourists out of their 'childrens inheritance' very much like the 200 Baht fine introduced quite a number of years ago for dropping litter. A BIB would pounce on a Falang and accuse them of dropping a cigarette end on the floor, fine them or threaten them with a trip to the local police station....

:cheers:

[fedssocr]

Crossing Silom is difficult. I always use the overpass by Rama 4 at the BTS/MRT because it is easy and safe. Crossing at ground level is just too much trouble unless it is late in the evening and traffic is light. Now Suriwong I usually follow the crowd and cross in the middle since there aren't many crosswalks. But I guess I'll have to find a way to do it.

I've crossed Silom at least six times in the last three days. Didn't see any overpass; didn't see any arrests. There are spaces in the wires and concrete slabs. What is this crap about?

[lo-so]

There is no need to worry about pedestrians or heaven forbid those Thai who might be waiting for a bus - just drive your Mercedes straight into then get a sentence of 10 years but still be free and allowed to drive - so long as youare from the right background.

an ongoing but futile debate is as below

http://www.bangkokpost.com/forum/viewto ... =21&t=1177 (http://www.bangkokpost.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1177)

though rather shameful. However for the apologists the chap is cute if that salves the injury in any way Bahaaaa :angryfire:

[anakot]

Crossing Silom is difficult. I always use the overpass by Rama 4 at the BTS/MRT because it is easy and safe. Crossing at ground level is just too much trouble unless it is late in the evening and traffic is light. Now Suriwong I usually follow the crowd and cross in the middle since there aren't many crosswalks. But I guess I'll have to find a way to do it.

Pleased to see that they have the second esclator from Silom MRT to the walkway operating all day now. It used to be only on at peak hours.

Now they have moved security to within station they could open the lift!

There is a simultaneous crackdown -- which was the first to be announced -- against drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

Now they have moved security to within station they could open the lift!

Can't see how that'd save money. This is a Buddhist country if people are disabled and can't get out of the MRT they must have done something terrible in a previous life.

The real fun on the MRT is playing roulette with the token machine. I have a stack of coins not fit for purpose according to those picky machines.

This is nothing more, then yet another attempt for the BIB to pull in money during this "recession". I have been seeing roadblocks setup all over BKK, pulling over anything and everything from bikes to cars to big trucks. The police are hitting up everyone they can to make a few extra baht, going after the Thais much more than previously as there are less falang around in the areas that see a fair amount of falangs.

Give it another month, and just like the smoking ban in Pattaya, it will be up to the officers that want to make a few baht, and not so much as something that will be heavily enforced anymore.