It is common to see police checkpoints on the roads around Pattaya especially at night. It is a traditional ritual that was instigated to net travellers who had imbibed a little more alcohol than was deemed wise for public safety and also a cash raising exercise with fines proffered or contributions for the purchase of tea for traffic infringements.
Nowadays drugs are a matter of some concern and motorists and motorcyclists can reasonably be required to discharge a little yellowy liquid into plastic bottles as well as blowing into an alcohol testing machine.
Also of major concern are firearms. Drugs and dangerous weapons are the mainstay for the Thai Underworld.
A traffic checkpoint just north of Pattaya at Moo 7, Tambon Ban Bo Thong District was on the alert for all of the above. A motorcyclist riding his motorcycle as motorcyclists are known to do spotted the police checkpoint and decided that it may not be wise to proceed. He turned around attempting to return to whence he had come at a high rate of speed and tossed a bag he was carrying into trees at the side of the road.
Officers headed for the bag and made a quick assessment due to the weight that the bag was a little to heavy to be containing a few grammes of whacky backy and duly called in the bomb squad.
On investigation, a suitably clad officer discovered the bag contained a hand grenade and an M67 machine gun. So guys the moral of the story is when out on the town at night in or around Pattaya leave your grenades and automatic weapons tucked up at home.
