I hope you never have to deal with the police in Thailand—or any country for that matter—but the reality is that in the course of life, things do happen. Things get stolen. Violence occurs in a pub or a club. We get pulled over. We witness an accident. Or maybe we are just stopped on the street for a conversation.

First off, the police in Thailand are known for being extremely corrupt. This does not mean, however, that they will treat you badly, and in all cases where I have encountered the police—even when doing something I probably shouldn’t have—they were extremely nice and cordial. I’m not going to use my own experiences to paint them with a pretty brush because many are little more than thugs, but as a visitor in this country, you will get some special treatment.

This may be just because Thais are naturally a hospitable people and view you as a guest in their country, so they want you to have a good experience. It may be because the police know the economy needs our tourist dollars and will get some real flak from the upper management if they are found to be mistreating foreigners. Or it may even be just because they are afraid of the repercussions should the tourist police or the embassy be called to get involved.

Whatever the reason, be grateful for it, and smile back—regardless of how you feel about their corrupt ways. Be polite with them at all times.

Sometimes when bothered by policemen, you will be expected or asked to give small amount of cash. A frequent situation is when driving your motorbike when you don’t have a license or a helmet. The police will sometimes set up road blocks in the middle of the daytime and stop people who aren’t wearing helmets (I’ve never once seen something like this after 3 pm, by the way—not for foreigners).

Don’t overreact and get scared. Even though you have no helmet and no license, they are not going to throw you in jail and they are not even going to take your motorbike. What typically happens is they will ask for a small sum of money—maybe a few hundred baht—give you a stern, smiling reminder to wear a helmet, and then let you on your way.

Try to be somewhat discreet about giving them the bribe, as that’s what it is. I typically pretend that I don’t speak Thai in these situations, and just ask something like, “So what—do I just pay here, or how does it work?” They will understand the word “pay.” But when giving them money, try not to do it in plain view. And don’t forget that everything is negotiable.

Alright—for some of you, bribing the police may not sit right with you because you feel it perpetuates a bad system. I completely understand where you’re coming from. But in my own opinion, change in Thailand is not going to come from traffic offenders refusing to bribe their way out of traffic offenses—it’s going to need to come from the top down even if it is the result of a grassroots movement.

Also, change is not going to come from a few temporary visitors taking a stand. The system is what it is—I just adapt.

But maybe that’s not you. Well, still no worries. You’re not going to jail for no helmet or even no license. The policeman will make you put your motorbike on the side of the road and will likely chain it up. He will then give you directions to the nearest police station and send you on your way.

Depending on the offense, the fine may be twice the cost of the bribe or the price may be the same. It’s nothing more than going into the office, sitting in a reception area, and paying your dues.

In other, more serious cases, just remember to never argue with the police or give them a hard time. This is not some first world country where you can make a stand against them and hope for anything good to come out of it. The more brief, more polite the exchange the better.

If you find you need to go out of your way to contact the police because you have been the victim of something, don’t expect a lot of help unless it is very serious, and in most cases I would advise contacting the Tourist Police first. They can mediate, translate, and offer advice—and some types of cases are completely their responsibility.

Just call 1155 from any phone—they are available ALL hours. You may want to get online and get the direct number from your local area. The number for the regular police is 191.

If you get in really serious trouble with the law, contact your embassy. While they can’t actually intervene with the legal processes in Thailand, they can advise you on your best course of action.