Saw the sights in Vientiane and decided to ride around aimlessly but on the way back near to the hostel while turning at the traffic light I was stopped by the traffic police. Vientaine has these traffic police booth posted on major junctions where the police just sits inside and harass people for money.
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| Downtown Vientiane |
The guy pulled me over just because I was having a Malaysian Plate number. Gave my licence but he wanted paper. I assume it was the Temporary Import Paper (TIP) for Bluey which I had left it in the hostel.
The traffic police could barely speak English but I understand clearly what was going on.
I kept talking non stop telling him that the paper is in the hostel and the TIP paper is for customs not for traffic stoppage and I don't require to bring it around anyway for just the Malaysian driving licence is sufficient to drive a Malaysian motorbike in Laos.
Traveled on: Jan 2019
No paper ??? the sly grin on his mouth must be my imagination.
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| Traffic Police Booth at Major Junction of Vientiane ... - Only manned during daytime work hours |
The traffic police could barely speak English but I understand clearly what was going on.
I kept talking non stop telling him that the paper is in the hostel and the TIP paper is for customs not for traffic stoppage and I don't require to bring it around anyway for just the Malaysian driving licence is sufficient to drive a Malaysian motorbike in Laos.
Bla bla bla ... I explained to the police that only customs checks the TIP and they (CUSTOMS) told me not required to carry around when riding but when crossing borders will required to surrender it.
I made up all the rules above to my favor really for I had no idea what was the actual requirement.
The guy was not impressed and asked if I could go down to the station to make payment. Aww crap. OK fine I can go to station I said ... where it is it and he blabs on something in Lao but would not show me on the map.
Police: You pay 50,000 kip.
Me: At the station ? But I have the papers which is at the hostel. I can go and get the papers and bring it to the station to show you. Hostel is not far only 5 minute away.
Police: You can pay here ? 50,000 kip ?
Me: You have resit for payment ?
Police: No.
Me: I go back to hostel and take the TIP paper and come back here to show you OK? You can hold onto my driving licence (Malaysia Driver Licence) and I will come back with papers in 5 minutes OK ?
Ok the police said and proceeded to keep my licence under the table and made some sign that I would need to bring the TIP papers back and show it to him to redeem my licence
As I put on my helmet and fire up Bluey, the traffic police walked up to me and handed me back my licence and waved me off. This time it was me having the sly grin but I put on my most grateful and dumb face and wave him goodbye while I dash off to continue on my random riding exploration.
A few turns downtown just moments later, and again I was called aside from another traffic police booth with the same story. Same routine, and the police asked for papers which I spun the same story again getting better with practice.
Police: You pay 50,000 Kip ?
Me: You have resit for payment ?
I proceeded to show him the hostel location which was just within walking distance now and forced the idea on him that I will go and take the papers and come back to show him while he kept my driving licence.
Same feint as he kept the licence on the table and wave me off but as I fired up Bluey again the licence was returned and this time I made a beeline for the hostel to get the papers before going back out Vientiane riding.
Is it corruption ? Or is it a real thing that I required to have papers while riding a Malaysia bike in Laos? One thing was clear thou, if I had paid the first traffic police 50,000 kip, I would not have any proof of it and I will continue to fall into a pithole paying every traffic police that decided to stop me in Vientiane.
My traveler experience told me that sometimes you have to be the ignorant/rude traveler and that was what I became forcing my ideals onto the Lao traffic police when I had no idea what was the norm or the rule in this country.
I made up all the rules above to my favor really for I had no idea what was the actual requirement.
The guy was not impressed and asked if I could go down to the station to make payment. Aww crap. OK fine I can go to station I said ... where it is it and he blabs on something in Lao but would not show me on the map.
Police: You pay 50,000 kip.
Me: At the station ? But I have the papers which is at the hostel. I can go and get the papers and bring it to the station to show you. Hostel is not far only 5 minute away.
Police: You can pay here ? 50,000 kip ?
Me: You have resit for payment ?
Police: No.
Me: I go back to hostel and take the TIP paper and come back here to show you OK? You can hold onto my driving licence (Malaysia Driver Licence) and I will come back with papers in 5 minutes OK ?
Ok the police said and proceeded to keep my licence under the table and made some sign that I would need to bring the TIP papers back and show it to him to redeem my licence
As I put on my helmet and fire up Bluey, the traffic police walked up to me and handed me back my licence and waved me off. This time it was me having the sly grin but I put on my most grateful and dumb face and wave him goodbye while I dash off to continue on my random riding exploration.
A few turns downtown just moments later, and again I was called aside from another traffic police booth with the same story. Same routine, and the police asked for papers which I spun the same story again getting better with practice.
Police: You pay 50,000 Kip ?
Me: You have resit for payment ?
I proceeded to show him the hostel location which was just within walking distance now and forced the idea on him that I will go and take the papers and come back to show him while he kept my driving licence.
Same feint as he kept the licence on the table and wave me off but as I fired up Bluey again the licence was returned and this time I made a beeline for the hostel to get the papers before going back out Vientiane riding.
Is it corruption ? Or is it a real thing that I required to have papers while riding a Malaysia bike in Laos? One thing was clear thou, if I had paid the first traffic police 50,000 kip, I would not have any proof of it and I will continue to fall into a pithole paying every traffic police that decided to stop me in Vientiane.
My traveler experience told me that sometimes you have to be the ignorant/rude traveler and that was what I became forcing my ideals onto the Lao traffic police when I had no idea what was the norm or the rule in this country.
Some may think I am laughing, managing to escape bribing the police and getting out of a situation without much hassle but in the back of my mind I could not help wondering if I was really in the wrong and did I just abuse someone intellectually to get things my way.
On second thought I do wonder, if I had stolen a bike and they asked me to produce papers (This is the main purpose of the papers, ownership rights and legally imported) all I had to do was pay 50,000 kip and no proof of papers will be required.
Either way ... everything is flawed ...
On second thought I do wonder, if I had stolen a bike and they asked me to produce papers (This is the main purpose of the papers, ownership rights and legally imported) all I had to do was pay 50,000 kip and no proof of papers will be required.
Either way ... everything is flawed ...
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| Vientiane |
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| World Peace Gong - Vientiane |
Traveled on: Jan 2019
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