violated in traffic..

i was on my rented scooter. now this is the way to get around i thought. complete freedom to move about the city of kanchanaburi, zipping along city streets, speeding down back country lanes. fantastic.
but what this? up ahead on the main street. looks like a road block. my first thought is that this has something to do with the car bomb that exploded in bangkok this morning, but i instantly dismiss it. as the line moves slowly foreward, i can now make out police officers talking to each vehicle as it arrives at the front of the line. i'm a little nervous, but without cause i tell myself. after all i'm merely renting this scooter, and i was smart enough to bring my driver's licensce with me. i don't even reach the front of the line. as soon as i am spotted i am called off to the side of the road.
a stalky thai officer comes over to me. he's all smiles as he removes his aviators.
"driver licensce please" he says , still smilling.
i hand it over.
he scrutinises it, scans it for the proper information
"dri-ver's li-cense" he says slowly, pointing to each sylable. (that's right buddy! you got it.)
"you rent?" he asks me, guesturing towards the bike.
"yeah, i rent" i reply.
he begins to look around the bike, and just as i think he's finished he suddenly sees something that catches his eye.
"uh-oh" he says pionting to a sticker on the side of the scooter.
he says something to one of the other officers in thai who comes over. they both stand examining the sticker. i'm close to shitting my pants.
"is there a problem?" i ask.
he gives me the -one minute- signal.
him and his partner continue to speak in thai. then they begin to laugh.
he looks at me "this sticker expire" (you've got to be shitting me.)
i shrug "i only rent" i said, trying to keep my language as simple as possible to avoid missunderstanding.
he points to the sticker "see? May."
"100 baht" he says to me, with the return of the shit eating grin.
i'm going to kill the lady that rented me this.
"fine" i say. i go and pay the ticket, a copy of which is given to me. of course, except for my name it's all in thai.
"should i continue to drive?" i ask
"sure!" he says "where you go?"
"cave temple"
"cave temple. 2 kilometer" he points in the direction i was heading. thanks.
he continues looking at me for a minute.
"no problem?" he asks. there is a problem, but the image of thai prison pops into my head and my judgement gets the better of me.
"no problem" i nod at him and get on my scooter and take off down the street, feeling a little tender in the rear end.