Recently, a Malaysian motorcycle enthusiast known online as “Tok Singa” uploaded a video to social media, sharing the “nightmare” experience he and 16 friends had while riding their motorcycles to Hatyai, Thailand. The story has sparked heated discussion and resonance among motorcycle lovers.
According to this rider, their group was stopped and checked by Thai police in Hatyai and then brought back to the police station for a thorough inspection. In the end, the 17-person group was issued as many as 15 fines, with a total fine amounting to 15,000 baht (about 1800 Malaysian Ringgit). The entire ordeal took nearly three hours.
In the video, the rider detailed the specific reasons and questions regarding the fines. Aside from some being fined for having modified strobe lights, several motorcycles that were factory stock (including Honda and Harley-Davidson), with no modifications, were still deemed by police as having “excessive exhaust noise” and fined. Some were even forced to remove modified parts on the spot.
The rider stated that police even threatened them with “immediate detention if fines weren’t paid quickly,” making them feel very powerless. They also noticed that many local Thai riders, some not wearing helmets or with obviously modified bikes, were not being subjected to the same checks, prompting suspicions that the police were targeting foreign riders.
Due to this incident, the rider expressed extreme disappointment with the Hatyai trip and, at the end of the video, urged fellow Malaysian riders to think twice before riding to Thailand. He even suggested that everyone boycott traveling to Hatyai to avoid repeating the same experience.