Drunks aren't the real menace, I don't even think I've seen a crash yet involving a drunk. It's the regular people who are the real menace. They have a basic understanding of how to drive in a straight line and take corners, no drivers education beyond that. The highest percentile of people here don't obey the rules of the road, they don't even know what they are. Start to educate now and also start to implement serious repercussions for those that break the rules. They aren't gonna like it, but that's how the law goes. It's their for our own protection

I would like to see the same laws as the more developed  countries like the USA . UK . in all aspects  tax insurance licences . MOTs  Speeding Parking the job lot with the same penalties. bet they would protest more in hat case .  

Just now, PEE TEE said:

I would like to see the same laws as the more developed  countries like the USA . UK . in all aspects  tax insurance licences . MOTs  Speeding Parking the job lot with the same penalties. bet they would protest more in hat case .  

That case 

 

I have to agree that a fine of 50,000 for not having a license is going to do nothing to improve road safety.  What the country needs is a comprehensive plan to improve road safety in all areas including the granting of a drivers license.  Passing new ad hoc regulations like this is at best a band aid and at worst is a distraction and waste of energy from addressing the core issue(s).  There are so many “rules” governing everyday life in Thailand they are impossible for anyone to keep track of and so many of them are completely ineffective in achieving a meaningful outcome ... enforced or not.

Again, confirmation that (at least) 2 things need very urgent reform:

 

- Higher punishment for traffic / driver / vehicle transgressions.

 

- Reform of the RTP, with most focus of processes to identify and to punish corrupt police, meaning automatic jail.

20 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

oh no.

Thais' complaining about corruption !!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a big long look in the mirror somchai and lady somchai.

Big fines, yes,    way to go.  

 

Ps hope they start confiscating  vehicles and crushing them .

that would be just perfect. get that big stick out  

 

That's the way to go! Confiscate the vehicle and give them say 1 month to get a proper driving licence! Not a underhanded one! If they don't have a licence within the month crush the car!!! They get away too easy and when the rules change everyone is up in arms so the government back down straight away.

Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.

Got caught in a roadblock/license check yesterday, big tailback set me back maybe 20 minutes.

Lots of cars pulling out of line and turning off into other sois, maybe a shortcut or maybe no license [emoji848][emoji848]

20 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

I have to agree that a fine of 50,000 for not having a license is going to do nothing to improve road safety.  What the country needs is a comprehensive plan to improve road safety in all areas including the granting of a drivers license.

50,000 is the maximum proposed fine, including for driving public transport without the proper license. I think 50K baht is an appropriate fine for driving a bus or minivan without the right license ? The current fine, for an ordinary driver, of 1000 B came with the 1979 Vehicles Act. That would have been quite a sum back then, but not now, so it is about time the penalty was increased in line with inflation. How much would 1000B from forty years ago be worth now ? 

Lots of people seem to think that making the license test harder is going to work miracles .....not if nobody bothers to actually get a license because the fine is so little.

If the Police force were  a company,their share value would

have gone through the roof,in anticipation of huge profit

increases.

regards worgeordie

2 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

If the Police force were  a company,their share value would

have gone through the roof,in anticipation of huge profit

increases.

regards worgeordie

Maybe some transparency as to how much they are making daily on their "road blocks" , especially in tourist areas.

21 hours ago, Darcula said:

 

Concerned about high fines? Don't break the law.

Corruption What corruption?? under the current PM he say's corruption has been stamped out so Thai's have nothing to fear unless maybe it was gullable lies, hehehehe who knows ?

27 minutes ago, newnative said:

Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.

Let's watch the countries revenue grow up now aye 

So Thai people are happy to break the law in many areas and pay the police a little bit of money when they get caught.

That's the attitude here throughout society, its a type of anarchy*

They feel that if they fail at school no problem, just give the teacher some favours so he'll up your marks to a pass!

Its always been about being "geng" and being able to cheat your way through life.

Good if the new proposal comes in then the Thai people will have to re-think the old ways and move on to the 21st century be it kicking and screaming like little girls who dont get their ways.

 -----------------------------

* On May 11, 1949, an official proclamation changed the name of the country to "Prathet Thai", or "Thailand", by which it has since been known. The word "Thai" means "free", and therefore "Thailand" means "Land of the Free."

"and defended his "honest and upright" officers".  Ha Ha Ha Ha  .

Now they know how farangs feel every single day. I will never operate a motor vehicle of any kind here.

What about teaching them how to drive with proper exam on the road, not on the parking lot !

 

What about impounding the vehicle if nobody has a driver licence  or helmet on a motorcycle !

And they must pay daily fee at the impound lot + fine.

 

Traffic police need to have the support from higher rank officers to avoid everybody telling : I know someone high....

 

How about to force all policemen to wear helmets when they drive a motorcycle . Disciplinary fine per superior officer if they disobey.  I am sure after that they will enforce the helmet law like they did in Ho Chi Minh Vietnam.

 

No need for exorbitant fine that encourage corruption.

 

And no need to enforce all of this like creasy.  Just a few fines and `or impound a day and the news will spreadquickly…. Impounding is more efficient than fine for many. 

21 hours ago, Darcula said:

 

Concerned about high fines? Don't break the law.

What about the tea money? Obeying all their laws is not going to stop them taking their contributions once the supply goes down, they will always find ways.

8 minutes ago, cnx355 said:

What about teaching them how to drive with proper exam on the road, not on the parking lot !

 

What about impounding the vehicle if nobody has a driver licence  or helmet on a motorcycle !

And they must pay daily fee at the impound lot.

Traffic police need to have support from higher rank officer to avoid everybody telling : I know someone high....

 

How about force all policemen to wear helmet when they drive a motorcycle . Disciplinary fine par superior if they disobey.  I am sure after that they will enforce the helmet law like they did in Ho Chi Minh Vietnam.

 

No need for exorbitant fine that encourage corruption.

 

And no need to enforce like creasy.  Just a few a day and the news will spreadquickly…. 

I'm pro,  no crash helmet.

Let Somchai choose, if his smarter and harder than the Tarmac.

Up to him, I say. 

it may even have a knock on effect and improve the gene pool in Thailand. 

 

 

 

 

 

52 minutes ago, BimBoon said:

 

Concerned about high fines? Don't break the law.

So many people who do not understand Thai psychology... This is not about breaking the law per se.  The way the proposed new law is written- gives a range of up to 50,000 Baht and/or a 3 year prison sentence.  The fine and jail time is completely out of proportion to the offence and let's the police decide how much will be paid.

 

For example- Officer A likes foreigners so today one get's a 3,000 Baht fine. Tomorrow Officer B is irritated at foreigners and asks for the max- 50,000 Baht.  This is way too much discretion by the police.  Today Officer A stops Somchai who has a license but forgot- he gets the minimum fine of 2,000 baht. tomorrow Officer B stops Mrs Somchai- he wants to buy a new I phone and decides to charge her 10,000 Baht.

 

even with the current law on drink driving- I personally know an  expat who was fined 50,000 Baht on the spot and yet another that I know was fined 3,000 Baht. Two different jurisdictions- no tickets written both on their merry way.  Breathalyzer never calibrated and used for years- accuracy unknown.  I even know people who have never had a drink and the breathalyzer shows positive- fined for no infraction.

 

Thais understand the above all too well but it appears foreigners do not understand how the Thai police actually operate.  Expats are used to a system that is fair and in proportion to the offense whether in Los Angles or Manchester.  Every ticket issued  in the West has a pre-ordained fine- and is never left up to the police to decide.  

 

The number one cause of  accidents and death on roadways is motorcyclists and then speeding by passenger cars.  Neither the motorcyclist or the auto driver have had any type of real training and understand anything about adherence to road protocol .

 

A doubling of the fines would be appropriate (certainly not  50 times the current fine) . However, the only thing that will change the behavior is a nationwide, permanent public relations campaign on both TV/Radio and social media explaining why certain behaviors are dangerous and extolling the consequences. In addition, each school should be forced to give students at Junior/Senior level driver training.

 

Thais do not respect the police for obvious reasons and  they will need to earn that respect before there is any real change in how people drive or  obey the law.   This proposed new law won't do it.  Checkpoints will not do it.  the cops need to be part of the safety campaign and start policing on motorcycles and/or police cars- using radar and stopping motorcyclists from driving the wrong way; making illegal turns etc. Sitting in police boxes won't do it.

 

 

 

 

21 hours ago, webfact said:

While people including a top online lawyer are demanding:

 

Top lawyer ????? 

At least he's trying some kind of social marketing ???

20 hours ago, RotMahKid said:

Next step raising the fines for red light and over speeding.

Never mind the fines, confiscate the vehicles and put them up for auction, then use the money

to make the roads safer, ie overhead or under the highways to replace these right hand and U turns.

 

Qh wait! Would that not interfere with the filling of certain pockets? But again, what about the brown envelopes from the better off to prevent the vehicle crushes? Maybe we should just keep things the way they are. This is Thailand and things will never change.

20 hours ago, Myran said:

I fail to see the problem. Get a license and always bring it with you – "problem" solved.

Really!!!!!!!!!

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Lawyer Ratchaphon wondered if it was really going to work or whether like countless campaigns in the past it would flounder due to "interpretation" and lack of viable enforcement.

Spot on.  That's what's going to happen.  I'd bet $5000 US on it.  

Yes, you should fine people and not let them drive without licenses.  But as long as you have a bribery-based police force, you're not going to get anywhere.  

I can’t beleive that people cannot see right through this plot.

 

This has all been prearranged. It is very simple and let me explain.

 

Step1: Police make outrageous attempt to increase fines which is absolutely certain to enrage the entire population.

 

Step 2: Big Uncle P steps in to stop the law being passed and saves the day in heroic fashion.

 

Step 3: All those years of non education of the masses pays off as expected and the government wins the hearts and minds.

 

T.I.T

On 8/22/2018 at 2:55 PM, webfact said:

Have any studies been done? Will it work in reducing road accidents?

 

And,specifically, will it stop drunk drivers?

I'm not sure what the <deleted> that has to do with it. Any number of Thai drivers shouldn't be on the road, but with no licence, you are presumably even less qualified than the norm. 

18 hours ago, naboo said:

10,000B fine if I pop to the shops on the scooter with the wife's purse, forgetting my licence? How is that going to prevent accidents? I have a licence, I am licenced to drive. Not carrying your licence isn't an offence in many countries where roads are far safer. The idea of an idiot.

 

My wife has a licence to drive a car. Makes a mockery of it all. She can't drive, passed by retaking bits over a series of days. She shouldn't have a licence, but does. What is the point of a Thai driving licence if having one means only you passed some idiot's idea of a test. <deleted>, tackle the cause of the problem. Fact is, possession of a Thai licence doesn't make you a safe driver.

 

Step 1 before anything else has got to be - test people's ability to drive on the roads. Video each test for "moderation" of assessment to ensure no funny business. Once you have a reliable testing system, then start to worry about whether people have a driving licence.

 

If ever section 44 should be used, it is to revoke the driving licences of all citizens upon expiry and put in a valid testing system.

"Fact is, possession of a Thai licence doesn't make you a safe driver". That's right, the main thing about driving and riding a motorbike is common sense, which is in very short supply amongst most Thai people.

21 hours ago, colinneil said:

 Well i didnt take Ratchpon long to hitch a lift on this 1.

He sounds to me like an ambulance chasing lawyer, but he is an internet hanger on.

Was he the one telling us not to comment on the size of Thai ladies "headlights"??

1 minute ago, The Deerhunter said:

Was he the one telling us not to comment on the size of Thai ladies "headlights"??

Well, c'mon. Was he???  I 'd never knowingly heard of him til you mentioned him.  (Ignorant, I know, (me, I mean)!!

Police corruption and the Thai public’s inability to drive - both huge problems in Thailand.