It’s no secret to anyone living in Thailand that Thai traffic cops often ask for bribes or ‘tea money’ to prevent a motorist from being given a ticket. Whether that ticket was deserved or not. So, to this week see a Thai cop on a YouTube video asking a Thai motorist for a bribe, this time for “coffee”, the only surprise is that he wasn’t aware he was being videotaped.
The YouTube video clip, which is already going viral as outraged Thais leave rude messages about Thai police, shows the Thai cop at the car’s window while the driver explains he’s just bought the car so he doesn’t have a permanent license plate yet. He then tries to hand the cop paperwork to prove it, but the cop refuses to look at it.
The cop then tells the driver, who goes by the name “hatethaipolice” on YouTube, that he’s guilty of not registering his vehicle and he needs to pay a fine. The driver tells him to write him a ticket.
There’s then a lot of backwards and forwards with the cop eventually saying “I won’t write you a ticket. Just show me a little kindness and give me 300 baht for coffee”. As one Thai netizen said”Where is he buying it? Starbucks?”
Eventually, the cop let’s the driver go as it’s obvious he’s not going to give him any money. The driver then tells his passenger the cop just wanted money and drives away. Hours later, the video showing yet one more corrupt Thai police officer, this time on video, is uploaded onto YouTube. Nice job, hatethaipolice!