WE love Bangkok’s vibrant street life, and it remains a major attraction for tourists. So can you imagine what it feels like when a first-time visitor who’s enjoying the sights and sounds of Sukhumvit is suddenly approached by a man in a smart uniform bedecked with badges and told he or she has just broken the law and now faces a hefty fine? The crime is to have dropped litter, often something as small and insignificant as a piece of paper, or the butt of a cigarette, on the footpath. This usually innocent mistake equates to breaking the law and the penalty can be as much as 2,000 baht, a substantial sum for the majority of tourists. The normal reaction is one of confusion, shock and fear, especially in the company of a man who looks very much like a very serious policeman (he’s actually not a cop, but a city official with much reduced powers).
Most law-breakers quickly apologise for their simple oversight and hope to be on their way. But not all. A few are marched off to a booth where they pay a fine, which is not always accompanied by an appropriate receipt. It’s a frightening experience that leaves offenders with a bitter taste of Bangkok officialdom.
While it is right and proper that any effort to keep Bangkok’s streets clean should be applauded, there is something deeply disturbing about the way tourists are targeted by these officials. Sukhumvit, in particular, is home to countless vendors, some of whom inevitably litter the sidewalks. They seem to get away with it, however. Motorcylists are also not permitted to use the sidewalks, but they too are ignored by the same city officials who pick on tourists. Then at night, these public footpaths are packed with noisy open-air bars selling alcohol, again with impunity. Why this happens is obvious to anyone who knows the double standards that often apply here. Tourists don’t, and after paying up to 2,000 baht for such a minor infringement they may not return.
Most law-breakers quickly apologise for their simple oversight and hope to be on their way. But not all. A few are marched off to a booth where they pay a fine, which is not always accompanied by an appropriate receipt. It’s a frightening experience that leaves offenders with a bitter taste of Bangkok officialdom.
While it is right and proper that any effort to keep Bangkok’s streets clean should be applauded, there is something deeply disturbing about the way tourists are targeted by these officials. Sukhumvit, in particular, is home to countless vendors, some of whom inevitably litter the sidewalks. They seem to get away with it, however. Motorcylists are also not permitted to use the sidewalks, but they too are ignored by the same city officials who pick on tourists. Then at night, these public footpaths are packed with noisy open-air bars selling alcohol, again with impunity. Why this happens is obvious to anyone who knows the double standards that often apply here. Tourists don’t, and after paying up to 2,000 baht for such a minor infringement they may not return.