Can anyone share their experiences of being detained for driving, having exceeded the legal/proscribed 1 small bottle beer (Est legal limit). It was suggested (by bar-lady, no less) that a buy-out of £150 would sort it, except that a blog on another site, referring to a "block" at Tops Super lights on 2nd road very recently indicated that this was catagorically NOT the case...The bloke and many others, were locked up, unceremoniously. and provided with a very uncomfortable experience. there is also the 2-strike rule which can send you home, never to return.

I can only relate to the north-of-central Pattaya area, but apparent recent changes in police management have led to very frequent stops. The Tops one was again predictable in that centre-line barrier tape is/was installed from the fruit market down to Beach Rd., it's purpose being to contain stopped vehicles on the big night, which usually follows 7 days later. Unusually, this latest stop at Tops began at 11pm instead of the usual midnight. Similar stops on Naklua Rd and Soi 13,Naklua, were prefaced with a massive police presence 1 hour earlier, together with back-up (lock-up) taxis and m/bke carrier vehicles, which all gives some indication should you be in the area beforehand.

The Tops one 2 nights ago resulted in a massive dive of m/bikes fron 2nd Road on the tiny roads of Soi 7...it was amazing as people tried to escape, perhaps a fair indication of the guilty parties.

For my part, I take taxi/bus for 10Baht when I go for a skinful, IF I think that I am to return home before midnight without too-much, then I use the bike. The 11pm experience described, now scuppers my thinking somewhat!!

Worth the risk?? Y/N