Two days before Songkran I was stopped by the Pattaya police.
I was wearing a helmet, driving on the proper side of the road, wasn’t speaking on the cellphone or speeding. Three traffic violation which I do all the time. “Mi pen-ha arai.”
I couldn’t think of having done anything wrong.
“Passport please.” The cop’s English was good.
“Okay.” I only had a copy.
“No passport. Problem.”
“What problem?” I never carry my passport. “I don’t want to get wet from Songkran.”
“Understand.” They smiled with sublime decorum. Not carrying your passport is a jail offense. Not enforced of course like so many laws.
The solution.
Give them 500 baht.
I said 200 and they agreed.
Not being in possession is a major crime for foreigner in Thailand, but I was glad to get away with a small fee.
However this give and take might come to an end for this week Interpol is holding a three-day global congress on transnational financial crimes in Bangkok, where the international police organization is planning to base the world’s first anti-corruption academy in 2009.
Bangkok. Anti-corruption. 2009. Maybe they are opening the school at the new airport
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