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X
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This is a first for me, I don't know whether to be beam with pride or hang my head in shame (I am usually so law-abiding it hurts), but I got fined by the police in Bangkok last week for.... well to be honest, I am not sure if the fine was for "littering" or for "smoking in a public place".
I was shopping in Siam Discovery Centre and noticed a lot of the store employees outside one of the exits having a smoke break so I joined them for a quick smoke.
There was no proper ashtray as such, just a big terracota plant pot thing littered with cigarette ends which everyone was using as an ashtray, there was no plant in it... so when in Rome and all that... I too used the plant pot as an ashtray.
Finished my smoke, went back inside the mall for another half hour or so then exited the mall via that same exit and proceeded to cross the road via the overhead bridge at Siam BTS station. Got to the top of the stairs, was stopped by a police man who produced a book, opened it to a page written in English saying that smoking in public places was not permiited and was punishable by a 2000 baht fine, he then pointed to the exact spot under the bridge and told me the exact time I had my law-breaking cigarette. I politely (sooooo very very very politely) asked him was it not so that this law only applied to smoking in air-conditioned restaurants, and I had been smoking outside in the open. At which point he flipped his little book to another page about riding a motor bike without a helmet, then finally to a page about littering (showing a picture of a fat falang in shorts throwing a coke can in the gutter... LOL) and shrugged his shoulders and said "2000 baht fine".
I lied and said I didn't have 2000 baht on me... his reply was "if you pay at the station it will be 2000 baht, if you pay now to me I can reduce it to 500 baht".
At this point I had visions of languishing in Bangkwang prision for the next decade or so and infrequent visits from a spotty 19 yr old embassy official... so I paid the bargained down 500 baht and went on my merry way.
What I'd really like to know is....
Was I genuinely breaking the law by
a) smoking in the street, or
b) discarding my cigarette end in a plant pot instead of a bin or
c) was this just a cop that noticed the "I am a complete and utter naive mug" tatooed on my forehead
????
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:55 pm on Mar. 8, 2003
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Arcadius
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X
Actually, provided you don't make the guy lose face and seem determined to go to the station if necessary, you shd be able get the damage down to B200. That seems to be the 'going rate'.
Pot plant should have been OK, though. For future ref, it's usually best to head for the carpark when in a shopping centre - these nearly always have ashtrays. There's no BKK by-law against smoking in the street as such, but throwing a cigarette butt into the gutter on a main thoroughfare (especially Silom or Suk) is asking for trouble & is not necessary - most bins have stubbing-out facilities attached. If desperate, nip into the nearest soi & drop the thing down a hole in the pavement.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:03 am on Mar. 9, 2003
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X
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Arcadius, thanks for your reply. I agree totally with you on the unnecessity of throwing butts into the gutter. I genuinely thought my plant pot was posing as a semi-legit ashtray. After that run-in with the man in brown, I only smoked at the car park level "proper" ashtrays.
I now know for future reference that there is atleast no specific bylaw against smoking in the street... so my fine must have been for littering.
I am however now quite peeved to find out I could have bargained my fine down to 200 baht. LOL. I was sooooo proud of my bargaining technique thinking I had totally outwitted the officer going from 2000 to 500 baht. hahaaa, I forgot that one first needs some wit to be able to outwit. Oh well, I live and learn.
Smegma, I've decided on future trips to use the palm of your hand as my own personal portable ashtray 
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 1:20 am on Mar. 9, 2003
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bandit
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X,
Nice to have you back among us and too bad to hear about your experience. I had a similar experience in November last year in Sukhumvit Road.
I am always having my cigarettes in the back pocket of the jeans. While walking I was approached by a police man you accused me of smoking in the street and throwing the cigarette away. I am always careful about this and on this occasion I did not smoke and there is no way he could have seen me.
He just tried on me, hoping I would admit and then could fine me. But I did not, as it was not the truth. Instead I showed him one of my tattoos, said I will knock him down if he accuses me again and walked away. He shouted after me, but I did not care.
After this experience and since the Thai government is in difference to the one in Singapore not supplying us with public ashtrays, I avoid to smoke in public. If I do then I always put the ashes and the remains of the cigarettes into an empty cigarette packet and then in one of my pockets. It might sound disguisting, but if ever again I get accused by mistake I am carrying the proof right on me.
The law is not saying smoking in public is not allowed, it is about the littering the police men care.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 1:30 am on Mar. 9, 2003
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LordSnow
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Smegma, I've decided on future trips to use the palm of your hand as my own personal portable ashtray
When I was in the US Army we were taught to "field dress" our finished smokes. In other words, we'd pinch out the few remaining morsels of tobacco and drop the butt/filter into a cargo pocket for disposal later. Perhaps this method would be acceptable?
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:26 pm on Mar. 9, 2003
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X
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I always put the ashes and the remains of the cigarettes into an empty cigarette packet and then in one of my pockets. It might sound disguisting, but if ever again I get accused by mistake I am carrying the proof right on me.
Bandit, lol, I didn't want to admit it ('cause it does sound rather disgusting) but that's exactly what I did too... carried an empty pack to use as an ashtray. Too many places (like the piers for the klong taxis) have no ashtrays available.
Hey Smegma... you may want to wipe that grin off buddy... I can shop till I drop. lol. How sinister do you find 14 hour long shopping trips? ;)
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 1:10 am on Mar. 10, 2003
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Arcadius
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Well, that's OK for you guys smoking yr brought in duty-frees. But these awful American softpacks they sell in LOS don't really lend themselves to the ashtray function.
Of course, you can buy dinky little portable ashtrays readily enough. No doubt there's some disturbing psychological reason why we we never get round to it...
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 1:17 am on Mar. 10, 2003
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JackRabbit
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JackRabbit present...
I carry an empty sodacan in the sidepocket of my backpack and use it for storaging dead butts when smoking.
Other option is to have a small metallic box to use as ashtray.
LordSnow's trick also good.
JR
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 7:28 am on Mar. 10, 2003
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