Asia After Dark July 2017 | Page 18

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE! Drink driving in Pattaya is now the subject of fierce scrutiny by both the Thai police as well as the Military. It is now a common occurrence to see a checkpoint stopping every man and his dog from passing by, and depending on the time of day, will depend on if they check your paperwork, breathalyze you, or make you take a piss test. For many who have lived or visited Pattaya over the years, it has been almost widely accepted to go out, have a skinful of beer, hop on your motorbike and head home in the early hours of the day worse for wear. For many they have managed to arrive home in one piece and lived to tell the tale, and for others that have not been so fortunate, they have either been stopped or worse still, ended up in one of the local hospitals either in need of treatment or laying on a cold slab! In years gone if you were caught drink driving in Pattaya, there have been ways and means should you have been stopped, of continuing your journey home. Often you could discuss the situation with the officer and he would enlighten you of the error of your ways and encourage you to show him how rem