Points system for traffic offences passes NLR - foreigners renting to get fines in the post

[Pattaya46]

54 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

When 40% of drivers don't have a license anyway, how is this going to help ?

Don't know where you found this figure, but sound fully inflated to me.

Rules for that were rather smooth, yes, but some times already that police warn of hard penalties soon.

I read that proposed change of rule is :

"This would mean drivers without licenses could now be fined up to 50,000 baht and go to jail for three months.

The previous penalty was a 1,000 baht ‘slap on the wrist’ and a possible jail term of one month."

 

[sniggie]

A points system is all very well but, if it were to be done with cameras, there would have to be method of identifying the driver. Fines can be, sometimes unfairly, made the responsibility of the vehicle owner but not moving traffic offences that incur other penalties. As a couple of MPs in the UK are well aware getting the owner to say who the driver is requires robust laws.  I would doubt if this has crossed the minds of the NLA!   

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Don't know where you found this figure, but sound fully inflated to me.

Rules for that were rather smooth, yes, but some times already that police warn of hard penalties soon.

I read that proposed change of rule is :

"This would mean drivers without licenses could now be fined up to 50,000 baht and go to jail for three months.

The previous penalty was a 1,000 baht ‘slap on the wrist’ and a possible jail term of one month."

Ha ha ha! 'could be'. Goes well with other jokes about 'enforcement'.

[Aussieroaming]

They cant take points away from somebody that doesnt have a licence.

 

They cant or wont enforce existing basic laws.

 

Any foreigner getting a fine in the post back home after visiting Thailand would laugh their heads off.

 

Well done, folly factor increased.

[Pattaya46]

15 minutes ago, sniggie said:

// As a couple of MPs in the UK are well aware getting the owner to say who the driver is requires robust laws.  I would doubt if this has crossed the minds of the NLA!   

What make you think that laws are the same in Thailand?

In my country nobody force you to denounce the real driver,

but if you don't do it, you have to pay the fine...

[samjaidee]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

and how about getting into the modern world and allowing motorbikes over a certain engine size on tollways 600cc +

 

all other SEA countries and in the west allow large motorbikes on motorways - Thailand claims to be a modern hub and leader and yet their traffic laws are still from the 1970's

Really? I wish that was true in Vietnam which is an SEA country.

[connda]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

When all points were exhausted the licence would be suspended for a period. 

The Ideal: Those who use all of their points will lose their license and driving privileges. 
The Reality:  About 30% of Thai drivers drive without licenses (or insurance).

 

The system will not work until the authorities outline the penalties for driving without a license in the first place.  My guess is that at the moment the infraction of driving without a license is a 400 to 500 THB fine and if the driver is stopped at another checkpoint the driver will simply need to show the receipt for the fine and will be able to continue to drive for the rest of the day.  As they'd say in my neck of the woods: "That dog ain't got no teeth." 

[Prissana Pescud]

3 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

funny,  as i recall growing up in America, you started with zero points, get 12 and ur license was suspended, LOL

 

Lost my license a few times for  spinning wheels and drag racing

 

Yes, this system is mostly used in Australian states. 1 point lost for going through a red light is very lenient and no deterrent.

 Spinning wheels and drag racing is deemed "acting as a hoon" "or hoon driving"

It gets your vehicle confiscated for at least a month. lol. Sorry mate. lol

[Kerryd]

Where I come from (BC, Canada), you get points for all manner of infractions and the more points you get, the more it costs to renew your insurance each year.

 

I believe the maximum points you can accumulate before a license suspension is 20 and every year they knock 2 points off your total (so if you racked up 8 points last year and none this year, you'd drop down to 6 remaining). (Of course there are offences that carry automatic license suspension as well as a hefty number of points as well.)

 

The killer is the insurance of course. Having points on your license can really jack up the rates in a hurry. You can try to skip the insurance, but the cops can tell pretty easily and then you get another fine for having an uninsured vehicle to go with whatever else they are dinging you with.

Enough points and/or committing certain offences can also result in vehicle impoundment. 

But here in Thailand ? I think they'd have a seriously hard time trying to enforce the law to the same standard. Sooo many people driving/riding around without any licence/registration/insurance. 

Can you imagine if they did do a serious crackdown ? 

The number of accidents and deaths on the roads would plummet ! Of course, half the population would also be up in arms and ready to march on Bangkok !

 

Rome wasn't built in a day and bring order to the chaos that is driving/riding in Thailand will take almost as long to achieve as it took for Rome to be built (a couple of lifetimes - at least).

 

[Pattaya46]

22 minutes ago, connda said:

My guess is that at the moment the infraction of driving without a license is a 400 to 500 THB //

See post #31, top of this page 

Up to 50'000 B (soon?)

[Khaeng Mak]

49 minutes ago, HLover said:

What if the stop sign is completely obscured with trees or plants?

What is a cop waves you through a red light? Happened to me on numerous occasions.

[HLover]

1 minute ago, Khaeng Mak said:

What is a cop waves you through a red light? Happened to me on numerous occasions.

They will fine you double.

[Prissana Pescud]

24 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

They cant take points away from somebody that doesnt have a licence.

 

They cant or wont enforce existing basic laws.

 

Any foreigner getting a fine in the post back home after visiting Thailand would laugh their heads off.

 

Well done, folly factor increased.

It is folly for tourists. Not for expats. 

I remember a friend who left Bali in a hurry. Trouble with police.

He got a rude shock a few years later when he returned.

I went and bribed him out of detention and we both did a quick runner out of Bali.

Needless to say, neither of us will ever venture back to Indonesia.

I suspect the same may be true for tourists in Thailand.

Just as an aside. The police are constantly conducting traffic stops in my province. Prachinburi.

They are making a point in a purely Thai way.

They do not demand that Thai comply with the licencing law.

They are suggesting it in a financial way. Most Thai cannot afford to lose 2 days wages for a traffic stop. 

It seems to be working. My wife has now booked in for a scooter licence.

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, HLover said:

When Thai people will start to understand it and to respect street rules (yes, it will happen)

Rohh ! It will never happen  and when the pigs fly also ?

[wombat]

so that means those without a license are ok then ?

[HLover]

3 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

Rohh ! It will never happen  and when the pigs fly also ?

I did not write that, it was the man from Paris going on about the laws 'in his country'.

[spidermike007]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

and how about getting into the modern world and allowing motorbikes over a certain engine size on tollways 600cc +

 

all other SEA countries and in the west allow large motorbikes on motorways - Thailand claims to be a modern hub and leader and yet their traffic laws are still from the 1970's

Nobody can figure that one out. If anything, motorbikes take pressure off the system, not the other way around. Motorbike drivers should be given awards, and be allowed all right afforded to cars and trucks. Anything 300cc and up should be allowed, just like they are in the rest of the world.

[cardinalblue]

How many points for tailgating or driving thru an active pedestrian walkway?

 

here is the main problem.....police are not trained on what to look for and how to enforce traffic violations....

 

police will stick to what they know....where are your helmet and license....

 

 

[tonysilly]

I guess 1 million bike will be confiscated this week.  You think this will stop people from drinking ?? Especially Thai men???

[manchega]

Shame it targets cars as opposed to the main offenders - the invincible motorcylist - yes those that cut you up at a fraction of your speed or pull in front expecting you to break

the no motorbike on crossover bridge rule was brought in to prevent these halfwits causing problems why forget about them now

 

 

[Moti24]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 How fines are levied on rental vehicles caused much debate and the assembly was suspended for two hours after disagreement broke out when it was suggested that rental companies should be liable.

 

This was deemed to be a bad idea as no one should be responsible for someone else's fines. 

I assume that if the rider/driver of the rental vehicle is found not to have the correct licence, the rental company will be held fully responsible!

 

Oh, sorry!  I forgot where I was for a minute!

[pokerface1]

2 hours ago, bowerboy said:

This concept is pointless in Thailand...there is no one to enforce it...it doesn’t matter what the rules are if there is no one to enforce it.

In Australia there has been huge investments into a road safety / points system to such an extent that it's become a cash cow. Thailand needs the total package, which includes enforcement, capital investment and penalties collection. 

The 12 points over one year is to many. In Australia we get 12 points over 3 years so you have to be very careful as there are red light cameras, speed cameras and police hiding in the bushes.

One police officer disguised himself as window cleaner in order to catch drivers using there mobile phones.

using mobile phone 4 points

red light camera     3 points just to name a couple of penalties

The Thai government should not be short sighted on road safety as in the long term there is big money to be made.

 

[Assurancetourix]

38 minutes ago, HLover said:

I did not write that, it was the man from Paris going on about the laws 'in his country'.

You are right and I'm wrong ; it's Pattaya46 who wrote that :

but not sure he is from paris, he wrote "  in my country : France " ; Paris isn't France . 

 

"I could agree; In my country (France) you lost 4 points (on 12) to not respect a Red Light or a Stop. Good.

Now let's be realistic: If they would strictly apply a 4 points per Red Light, in 1 month most Thai people have lost their 12 points... 

So in my opinion it's a good thing to install this system, but give it some time. When Thai people will start to understand it and to respect street rules (yes, it will happen) then it will be easy to increase the penalty for going through a Red Light or other break of important safety rules. "

[Assurancetourix]

5 minutes ago, pokerface1 said:

as there are red light cameras, speed cameras and police hiding in the bushes.

In France the police have common vehicles in motion with cameras that take the offenders both in front and behind and on all roads, including those across the way .

they also use helicopters to control the safety distances between heavy vehicles on motorways;

it's a minimum of 50 meters between two heavy goods  vehicles or two coaches , whatever the road, highway or departmental road

 

And all vehicle  over 3.5 tonnes must be equipped with a tachograph ;

I'm not sure that the Thai authorities know this instrument

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph

Edited February 23, 2019 by Assurancetourix

[natway09]

What I wanna know is who is going to enforce any rules on the road ?

Certainly not the police

[NanLaew]

The last couple of times I rented a car at BKK airport, the rental agency staff pointed out that if I had a moving traffic violation, I could expect any fine to be charged to my credit card.

 

Despite the usual detractors here, which includes the ones that like to boast about never seeing a speeding ticket in the mail because their car is registered at a different address or it's in their wife's name or the address on their Thai DL is different from where the live, eventually the more civilized way of catching bad drivers and getting them off the Thai highways will prevail. The growing speed camera network already works well because it bypasses the need for a corrupt cop to flag you down and offer an out in lieu of a ticket. The traffic cop shake down is fast becoming a thing of the past.

[dallen52]

6 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

12 points? In 1 year? Most Thai drivers commit 12 points in half a day.

I was thinking that 12 points is 12 red lights.

Most around pattaya would do that in one hour..

 

Red light cameras are an untapped source of wealth here.

[malt25]

6 hours ago, KittenKong said:

Only one point deducted for going through a red light? Seems ridiculously lenient to me.

"Sanook said this could be one point for going through a red light and three for not getting out of the way of an ambulance, for example. "  Suggest you re-read the OP.

[dcnx]

1) No foreigner is going to be sent a ticket back in his / her home country, nor will they be obligated to pay it if they did. It’s laughable to even suggest this.

 

2) NONE of this will be enforced anyway. Law makers can pass a million new traffic rules and none of them will be followed by the police. Not one. Zero. They can’t be bothered.

 

The Thai police are lazy, inept, corrupt, and are an embarrassment to real law enforcement around the world. They are the reason laws are not followed here. 

[dcnx]

2 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

I was thinking that 12 points is 12 red lights.

Most around pattaya would do that in one hour..

 

Red light cameras are an untapped source of wealth here.

There are endless untapped sources of wealth here, but they are too stupid and short sided to see them.