Thailand’s new increased speed limits are now in effect

[Pilotman]

It appears to me that most of the illuminated speed restriction signs are stuck on 90kph? Some around me have gone from 90kph to 60kph in the last 48 hours (expressway from Ban Chang to Pattaya) 

[Surasak]

3 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

I see a problem "The new rules state that anyone using the outside lane on a highway must not drive slower than 100km/h but no faster than 120km/h,"  this may be a mis translation, but why is it the "outside" lane, which, unless defined, is different in other countries, eg, Australia, it is the lane furthest from the centre.

Some people have to be different I suppose, if only for the hell of it.

[skippybangkok]

20 hours ago, kiteman9 said:

   Thailands highway genocide         Inappropriate speed is responsible for 20 to 30% of all fatal road crashes. After reviewing the current knowledge on the relationship between speed and crash risk, A report analyses of eleven cases from ten countries that have recently changed speed limits or introduced a large-scale automatic speed control. The analysis confirms the very strong relationship between speed and crash risk and that higher speed is associated with increased occurrence and severity of road crashes.

Who would have guess eh 

[Andrew Dwyer]

See plenty of roadwork activity on the highway 32 ( Bang Pa-in to Chainat ), seems like they are preparing more underpass U - turns and hopefully closing the lethal central reservation U - turns.

 The “ keep 2 chevrons apart “ system has also been instated ( not that it is being adhered to, obviously ???? ) . This all points to a speed increase which, IMO , is a bad idea.

 I travel this road frequently and it is very busy, especially on weekends or holidays,  with a high flow of fast moving traffic.

Accidents are common and frequent .

[ThailandRyan]

What's the speed limit for the wrong way riders and drivers now?

[gunderhill]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Vehicles with more than 7 seats but less than 15: 100km/h

Good  news  so the minivans can still sit  there all day, right behind the 3x height fruit  carrying pick ups or my favourite , let's  all do the same speed  in two lanes  exactly so no one can pass drivers.

How  many lives  has that all minvans must have gps  saved so far? Then there's  the 14  seats with 20 passengers scenario.

Edited March 13, 2021 by gunderhill

[Kerryd]

Just a day ago a retired cop friend of mine posted an image in a Line group about the new speed limits and it said for "big bikes" the limit was going to be 100. The image came from a Thai media outlet (PPTV 36).

Not that it makes any difference.

And it seems that the only place that actually has "speed cameras" are the toll highways and/or in/around the BMA.

Everywhere I've gone in the country over the last couple of years (every province from Petchaburi North and East actually) I've seen the "Camera" signs, usually as I've blown past them "slightly" above the limit, but never have seen a camera or gotten a ticket.

The g/f has gotten tickets - while speeding on a toll highway and once at a speed trap on highway 359. (It was a laugh. She was bombing along at 160. We got pulled over and the cop said she'd been doing 140. She laughed and told him their camera must be broken as she'd been doing 160. Cost her 1,000 baht.)

But without enforcement, these laws are pretty useless. It's not going to improve anything on the roads. More than likely it will lead to more accidents and more deaths.

Too bad they decided that "big bikes" are anything over 400ccs and need a special license to operate (as of February) but still can't go on the toll highways. (Which is probably a good thing as many of those highways aren't in great shape anymore and letting people on "big bikes" on there would probably lead to more accidents. But for most of us (that don't ride like raped apes on steroids) it would sure make getting around the country a lot easier.)

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Tracyb said:

Has anyone ever seen a speeding vehicle under pursuit by a police vehicle?  Does a speed limit actually make any difference in any practical way?

It's supposed to by spacing the traffic. 

When you have a congested road it doesn't really work. 

Speed limits or no speed limits does nothing without proper training of drivers and teaching skills. 

[Forza2002]

Most of the vehicle accidents in Thailand are caused by Somchai driving a pick-up. I'm guessing that the lack of disk brakes front/back, ABS on pick-ups, except on the top models, is a major factor for many of the RTA's; increasing the speed will only exasperate the problem. The average Somchai hasn't got a clue how to brake safely such as cadence braking, they just slam on the anchors and go into an incontrollable spin...

[Seeall]

20 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

yes this makes complete sense! 

why have any speed limit at all? 

 

what a crock.... I am sitting watching 3 kids, young, no licence no helmets (1 has a face mask wow) no numberplate no read tail light

speeding .....

ha ha.....

[Burma Bill]

21 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Utter carnage ????

Yes indeed (not Thailand - yet!!):-

[Ralf001]

3 hours ago, Badrabbit said:

Has anyone ever seen a police car other than the brown highway patrol cars who do nothing other than escort high so people

On the 7 motorway, often see then pulling overloaded/uncovered load trucks and pickups with a tray full of people.

[moe666]

21 hours ago, DefaultName said:

"Big bikes 400cc or above: 110km/h"

And I've just bought a 350, (which is still banned from cross-country roads).  ????

Only banned on toll ways. I have ridden all over Thailand on a 150cc for years. Prefer the back roads when ever possible.

[Bobydog]

21 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Utter carnage ????

Slaughter! ????

[Docno]

In today's news: increased speed limit + consumer cannabis 

What could go wrong?

[Artisi]

21 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

yes this makes complete sense! 

why have any speed limit at all? 

 

It seems to me there isn't any real enforced speed limits, irrespective of what the traffic code says together with anything else the code might happen say - it comes down to " do whatever you like" 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, yeahbutif said:

So this means we should not see a mini van.in the fast lane as there is usually more then 15 in them. As only allowed to do 90km.

Sure, but don't bet more than B20 on it..... 

[PETERTHEEATER]

7 hours ago, cracker1 said:

I presume these speed limits only apply where they are signposted although the story does not say so ?

Nor does it specify the speed limit for vehicles with less than seven seats. Good to know that the single cylinder engined agricultural tractors, unregistered, uninsured and unlit driven by unlicensed drivers on public highways are restricted to 45 kph ????

 

[DefaultName]

2 hours ago, moe666 said:

Only banned on toll ways. I have ridden all over Thailand on a 150cc for years. Prefer the back roads when ever possible.

Agreed, for leisure, back roads every time.  If you need to get across the country though, motorways or similar are the way to do it.  If you're allowed.  I have a journey to do soon, Google Maps says 2 hours 15 on toll roads, 3 hours 30 on others, and that tales me through several towns.  

[DefaultName]

Sorry, quadruple post.

Edited March 13, 2021 by DefaultName

[DefaultName]

Sorry, quadruple post.

Edited March 13, 2021 by DefaultName

[DefaultName]

Sorry, quadruple post.

Edited March 13, 2021 by DefaultName

[off road pat]

23 hours ago, djayz said:

Drive fast, die young. 

And leave a beautiful corpse....

[jerolamo]

I think the same problem all over the world is existing. Wish practiced solution improve the best result ?

I think one of the big problem is the drive school level (so the instruction at first place), and on the same position, the selection (with exam AND IQ ability). An other one problem is the reputation. Maybe we can look at facts that some people seems to be "trust-able" and some other are not. Sure people can have evolution so it can be re-considerate every 2 or 3 years.

I don't think that restrictions is a solution because you can not have a one policeman present all the time at each places on the road, and when people see the police, suddenly they take care more, just after, no more...  but the problem is not here, the problem is to understand what's happening at t time on each situation, and to know how long a vehicle can even stop at which velocity with which weight on which surface and many other factors (pressure in the wheel, surface of the wheel, and many many more) you can not instantly know or appreciate correctly. There is also the reality of the life, an alcoholic people can suddenly cross the road, or a child, an old mum or dad, someone seek, or a dog, or a cat...

Vehicle give to some people (majority i think, and when i was young, i was this one too) the idea that you are protected or that you are in a safe place, also better the quality of the vehicle is, much more your appreciation will be wrong, because you will no more ear the road, the asperity of the surface, the velocity. When you drive an old Citroen 2CV or an old Land Rover, you will understand what i'm talking about, comparatively to a new middle class (or upper) car (too much comfortable to be really safe).

It should also be a solution can be to limit velocity directly to the manufacturer (70% of the people they asked for answered they are ok with that, but they didn't do it because of business interest... again, the business is more important).

My opinion is that i want to live in a world with each people has his place. And this place should be the one they can really ask for (the ability and the factual merit proof). I want intelligent and carefully people with proof of there act in this way to be on top of this world (and not the big predators with a paper they paid at big price with cash money). And i think that this should be a fair and viable peaceful world for all of us (even for the lower one of us). Justice is all that we want to be.

Take care of you and don't let yourself be impressed by the propagands based on fears, from people in flagrant interest conflicts, often with illegally but untouchable and who have prerogatives that they do not deserve, followed by zealous and panicked people who do not understand that they are instrumentalized and whose acts demonstrate their state of panic under psychological and intellectual influences who wants to kill disturbance from intelligence.
Avoid them, stay far, at worst as possible it can be.

Edited March 13, 2021 by jerolamo
forget a verb in a sentence.

[jerolamo]

50 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Nor does it specify the speed limit for vehicles with less than seven seats. Good to know that the single cylinder engined agricultural tractors, unregistered, uninsured and unlit driven by unlicensed drivers on public highways are restricted to 45 kph ????

 

The problem is real. These people don't have the money to paid an insurance or even paid for drive card that doesn't cover the use of a tractor (who is not a car and who doesn't have, much of them, any standardized construction). On there own existence, they are not able to pollute so much than a rich can or asking for (indirectly by his virtual request need: computer, mobile phone to change every year, big car, and much more with high consume cost and high risk productivity to provide it). So you can not ask them what they can not provide, because you will kill them and next, you will go for a terrible life yourself. Most of them, indirectly serve your interest and sometimes, your whims. they don't do it for you, sure... they just have a life, but not your life. Consider they have to exist without deny there real life.

I think that the problem of a high way road his that it offer the ability to go fast. Going fast, even on a high way (i mean, even if the ground has no hole after the rainy season), increase the risk. An agricultural tool can not go fast, even on a dangerous high way.

So you can not ask for safety and in the same time ask for equipment to go fast, it has an opposite logic you will not resolve on the land (on any land).

We should also try to be logic an honest, not only ask other to follow constraint we trust about.

What you said is not totally wrong, it is half wrong, or it is true for a litle part of this world.

What can be unsafe with agricultural tools on road is in the night to not have light. But please, in the night time, you know that because of that, you should also go slower.

When i cross a village in Thailand, i'm running at 30 to 40 km/h in night time, 50 max in day time if there is no house close to the road, slower if i can not see around far more than 10 meters. And because of that, i have no problem.

My only one problem can be with people in big car who are going too fast because they trust that they are powerful and safety in a big pickup, and that with insurance, they can fly out of the real world. Intelligence and consciousness is not busy. Some would like to make you believe that they have to sell some to you, flee these crooks.

[KhaoYai]

Cars 120, Bikes 110............. yeah right, I'll be following that.......not!

In any case, they'll have to get speed cameras that read ther rear number plate before they catch me.

[ThailandRyan]

7 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Cars 120, Bikes 110............. yeah right, I'll be following that.......not!

In any case, they'll have to get speed cameras that read ther rear number plate before they catch me.

They have them, but not sure if they are here in this country yet.

https://www.eff.org/pages/automated-license-plate-readers-alpr

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Those who speak of more carnage here just do not have the facts. A low speed limit does not mean low speeds. Especially in a place like Thailand, where the consequences of speeding are minimal, and the highway patrol are invisible, and nearly non existent. Camera generated speeding tickets mean next to nothing for many of us. The fact is, that 120kph is a safe speed, on a good, divided highway, with good weather conditions. And 90kph was oppressively slow. 

 

Those who want to speed, will speed, low speed limit or not. And although the thought of placing a minimum speed for using the fast lane is a good one, it will never be enforced, as the highway patrol is incompetent, and nearly useless. 

I doubt that anyone is being forced to drive on the Thai roads against their will, if you do not like it there are always options. The Thais live with it and foreigners should learn to, there is not going to be any significant change anytime soon.

The  western nations grew up with the motor vehicle but for Thailand it came like an oven ready killing machine. A bit like giving a child a loaded pistol and expect them  to read and understand the safety instructions. There are some cultural issues in Thailand that are inconsistent with good driving principles and will take a long time to change. What you think should be easy is not the same for those that think differently and no amount of complaining is going to change that.

[KhaoYai]

43 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

They have them, but not sure if they are here in this country yet.

Yes I know - UK speed cameras read both back and front plates.  To the best of my knowledge though, speed cameras in Thailand only photograph ther front plate - great for bikes as they don't have one.

[Venom]

8 hours ago, Shadychris said:

In the UK the outside lane is the fast lane in the centre (drive on left drive same as Thailand). Its usual to overtake on the outside - not the inside..

It's actually not the "fast" lane but the "passing" lane. Even slow trucks ate aloud to use it when overthinking slower vehicles. That maybe where the confusion lays.