Thailand to increase speed limit to 120kph

[rooster59]

Thailand to increase speed limit to 120kph

 

 

Thailand will increase its speed limits on major roads to 120kph, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob announced on Friday.

 

The speed limit increase applies to major highways with four or more lanes and will increase from its current limit of 90kph to 120kph.

 

The increased speed limit came following a study carried out by the  Department of Highways, Department of Rural Roads, Department of Land Transport and Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

 

The new speed limit will assist with traffic flow while boosting convenience and safety for road users, the minister said.

 

The minister explained that the new speed limit will be applied to straight sections of roads, with four or more lanes where there are no intersections or u-turns. There must also be meridian barriers to divide traffic, Thai PBS reported.

 

In addition, the rightmost lane or ‘fast lane’ will also have a minimum speed limit of 100kph in order to reduce the risk of rear-ending collisions.

 

The new speed limit will apply to vehicles with less than seven seats but the speed limit for other vehicles will also increase, the minister said.

 

The new speed limits are as follows:

 

Vehicles with more than 15 seats: 90kph
Tow trucks: 65kph
Motorcycles: 80kph
Big bikes 400cc or above: 110kph
School buses: 80kph
Vehicles with more than 7 seats but less than 15: 100kph

 

The new speed limit should be effective by April, when it is expected to be published in the Royal Gazette.
 

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[Phuketshrew]

11 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Big bikes 400cc or above: 110kph

That'll work .....

[keith101]

12 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The new speed limit will assist with traffic flow while boosting convenience and safety for road users, the minister said.

We can sit back and watch the road toll at least double with this increased speed limit .

[asiaexpat]

From my observation on major expressways this is a reduction in normal traffic speed. 

[Psimbo]

4 minutes ago, keith101 said:

We can sit back and watch the road toll at least double with this increased speed limit .

On the two or three roads in the entire country where it will actually be applied?

[colinneil]

This so-called government have come up with some crazy ideas before, but this surely takes the prize for sheer stupidity.

Roads here are crazy enough with speed limit of 90, but 120 absolutely stupid.

[Dmaxdan]

What is the point of speed limits here. Pretty much everyone drives at a speed that suits them, rather than following any official rules.

[cyril sneer]

slow drivers should be punished, they are the ones causing most of the accidents

[Brer]

Don’t why they bother making road rules nobody takes any notice of them.

Having driven in so many countries, Thailand rates for me the worst country in the world to drive in.

Thai drivers the vast majority have no respect for other users, break road rules with impunity.

When I hear that the perpetrator of an accident has died I have no sympathy what so ever for him/her only the innocent he has maimed or murdered.

It happens a lot around here and I tell the missus not to go to the bomb of a murdering idiotic driver as he deserves no sending off.

[jonclark]

Oh right.. it's been increased to 120kph. I thought judging by the speed of my fellow road users for the past 15 years, it had always been that.

[NCC1701A]

150kph next year? 

[Phuketshrew]

It's not just the speed that's the problem. Most drivers here have no concept of safe distancing or stopping distances and most are incapable of performing an effective emergency stop. 

[Henryford]

120 kph, so they are REDUCING speeds.

[PatOngo]

Not sure it makes any difference, they go as fast as they want regardless!????

[Moonlover]

54 minutes ago, keith101 said:

We can sit back and watch the road toll at least double with this increased speed limit .

Around 80% of deaths on Thailand's roads are motorcycle accidents on rural roads. Many vehicles on major highways are already traveling at, or even faster than this new limit.

 

So I can't figure how you came to this conclusion.

[PatOngo]

51 minutes ago, colinneil said:

  this surely takes the prize for sheer stupidity.

At least they are consistent!

[jvs]

51 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

On the two or three roads in the entire country where it will actually be applied?

You are using your brains!Most people go spouting off how bad this idea is but it is

only a few highways where this will be implemented.

I think it is a good idea,the only draw back will be some people will be confused as to where it is

allowed and where not.

In my home country you can encounter 2 or more different speed limits within a few km.

[PatOngo]

7 minutes ago, jvs said:

In my home country you can encounter 2 or more different speed limits within a few km.

How confusing, lucky we're not in your home country! 

[sammieuk1]

The current limit produces to many survivors for expensive hospitalization ????

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The minister explained that the new speed limit will be applied to straight sections of roads, with four or more lanes where there are no intersections or u-turns. There must also be meridian barriers to divide traffic, Thai PBS reported.

Anybody know where this stretch of road exists please.

Or does it mean we must slow down to 90 in the vicinity of a intersection or U turn? How far before the said U turn?

[JTXR]

Raise the speed limit to 120 kmh and the young guys in pickups and folks driving luxury sedans will be going 150 kmh per hour instead of the 120 kmh they're doing now.  They'll continue to tailgate and to make multiple rapid-fire lane changes.  Road deaths will inevitably increase. 

Thailand really wants the global #1 ranking in road deaths.

[soi3eddie]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

In addition, the rightmost lane or ‘fast lane’ will also have a minimum speed limit of 100kph in order to reduce the risk of rear-ending collisions.

 

Regardless of the road type, Thais will assume from the headline that the speed limit is now 120kph with a minimum of 100kph in the right lane. On all roads! Somchai will now be fixated on cutting across to the right lane as fast as possible and accelerating to the 100kph. Whilst doing this, he doesn't see the slowing traffic ahead at the U-Turn. Can't see this ending any other way than more utter carnage on Thailand's road's. 

 

[pattjock]

The faster you drive the less time you spend on the road the less accidents you have, makes perfect sense.

[petermik]

8 hours ago, colinneil said:

This so-called government have come up with some crazy ideas before, but this surely takes the prize for sheer stupidity.

Roads here are crazy enough with speed limit of 90, but 120 absolutely stupid.

Not really col...maybe they are looking to cull the population

[Morch]

1 hour ago, Psimbo said:

On the two or three roads in the entire country where it will actually be applied?

 

Give them an inch....I have no doubt this will be applied by drivers to pretty much any road. On the other hand, I expect that to the extent the law would come with stricter/specific enforcement, it would indeed be so on them two or three roads.

[pattjock]

120km/h for cars with LESS than 7 seats and 100 km/h for cars with MORE than 7seats.

 

What about all the SUVs, like Fortuner that have 7 seats???

[Morch]

Quote

The new speed limit should be effective by April

 

Oh goody....just in time for Songkran, then.

 

[petermik]

7 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Anybody know where this stretch of road exists please.

Or does it mean we must slow down to 90 in the vicinity of a intersection or U turn? How far before the said U turn?

All will be thoroughly and clearly explained in the latest release of the Thai Highway Code....a committee is in discussion at this present time as to it`s release date.....

[petermik]

7 hours ago, pattjock said:

120km/h for cars with LESS than 7 seats and 100 km/h for cars with MORE than 7seats.

 

What about all the  Fortuner that have 7 seats???

Ban them altogether

[gunderhill]

Great , I'll treat that as a MINIMUM then.

As for the part about tailgating that's  nonsense, they'll  still tailgate at 200kph/ 300kph they are clueless  selfish morons.