Quote Originally Posted by Gaybutton View Post
Like I said, I think it is idiotic to go to a foreign country and start intentionally breaking the laws. I obey the rules, not try to circumvent them.
No doubt all the members and board owners are law abiding citizens here and wouldn't dream of ever breaking Thai laws, for instance by hiring a prostitute ? Or riding a motorcycle taxi without a helmet etc.

My hypothesis is that in general, Thai police try to maximize tea money by setting the price at the highest level which does not stop re-offending. Which is what Northern Irish is perhaps alluding to.

However, according to a newspaper report you posted, the farang recently caught in Pattaya were detained overnight and the fines were quite steep. Like over 15,000 baht if I remember correctly.
This doesn't seem to be following the normal principles, unless of course it's setting a suitable deterrent to ease future collection of tea money ? Or have Pattaya Police hired a different economist ?

Either way, the board is (mostly) populated by adults who can make their own decisions, preferably after understanding the potential consequences. The fine might be more than expected.