Child Car Seats Selling for 1,000-60,000 Baht Amid New Law

[webfact]

 

by Paul Rujopakarn

    

BANGKOK (NNT) - The recent implementation of a law requiring child car seats for children under the age of 6 has started sparking public interest for the safety items, with prices ranging from 1,000 to 60,000 baht.

 

According to the recent Royal Gazette announcement, child car seats or booster seat cushions are now compulsory for children younger than 6 or those 135 cm or shorter in height. Motorists failing to comply with this requirement will be fined up to 2,000 baht.

 

Section 123 of the Land Traffic Act stipulates that children under the age of 6 must be restrained in a car seat or a special child booster seat for their own safety in a moving vehicle. This law only exempts children who cannot be fastened to a seat for health or physical reasons.

 

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According to vendors, the price of a car seat mainly depends on the materials used, as well as the seat’s functions, durability, after-sales service and safety.

 

Both local and imported car seats are currently available in Thailand. Vendors noted that since the promulgation of the law, a number of people have started to inquire about the products, but there has yet to be a substantial surge in demand.

 

Notably, similar regulations are being enforced in many countries to better ensure the safety of children on the road. As of February 2022, approximately 7,500 minor injuries in Thailand were caused by local road accidents, followed by around 1,900 accidents with serious injuries. In that same period, Thailand recorded about 16,100 road accidents in total.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-10

 

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[worgeordie]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

but there has yet to be a substantial surge in demand.

Potential buyers worried about one of those Government u-turns.

regards worgeordie

[Geoffggi]

I would like to know how this will affect Taxi companies transporting family tourists from the airport to hotel etc. it will be interesting if the family have two small children !!!!

[SpaceKadet]

Hope they make child seats for the flatbed of a truck....????

[Doctor Tom]

It won't work.  We all know that it won't work,  because the poor can't afford the seats and the police do not enforce the existing laws, let alone any new ones. Its nothing more than a PR stunt, until enforcement action happens.  Kids will still ride in the back of pick ups, and still die in the cabs of cars and trucks. . 

[Doctor Tom]

4 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

I would like to know how this will affect Taxi companies transporting family tourists from the airport to hotel etc. it will be interesting if the family have two small children !!!!

Taxis in London do not have car seats for kids. 

[TorquayFan]

What about toddlers standing on shoulders behind the driver of the motorbike or slung under the arm of the driver? Or the 2 babies squashed between 3 adults on the motorbike?

 

I guess Thailand has to start somewhere but I can see many other priorities to address !!!

 

 

[Mywayboy]

Another Flying Pink Elephant in the sky,it ain't going to work.

[spidermike007]

We bought a car seat for our young niece. One would not consider driving in the west without one. She would not sit in it. She said she did not like it. And what did her parents do? They let her sit wherever she wanted. 

 

Making this a law does not mean much here. Parents still need to have parenting skills and be able to say NO! After all, this is your life we are talking about and we would prefer that you don't die in the car. 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The recent implementation of a law requiring child car seats for children under the age of 6 has started sparking public interest for the safety items, with prices ranging from 1,000 to 60,000 baht.

The latest commodity to be hit by sudden inflation.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

We bought a car seat for our young niece. One would not consider driving in the west without one. She would not sit in it. She said she did not like it. And what did her parents do? They let her sit wherever she wanted.

A basic problem is education of safety.

Thais prefer to reason against these measures with cost of said items and convenience of use.

However if this was pushed along with posters/photos etc of accidents that have caused serious injuries and deaths of minors they might just make a difference.

 

Taking your niece as an example, she didn't like it therefore didn't sit in it.

But if she was shown a film of a child exiting the windscreen of a car from the back seat

after it hit something and stopped dead in it's tracks while she continued the journey at 60 mph and torn to shreds, she might understand the benefits.

[Thunglom]

lovely picture of a seat.....completely useless if it isn't  fitted correctly and used.

 

E for Enforcement and E for engineering.

Thailand will fall flat on its face?

[Thunglom]

20 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

A basic problem is education of safety.

Most people have no idea what road safety is - including the authorities.

Tif people start talking about "bad driving" you know the 100% they don't understand road saferty - it's not down to personal behaviour - that is a symptom not a cause - th cause is the governments failure to provide a safe environment for road users.

[spidermike007]

24 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

A basic problem is education of safety.

Thais prefer to reason against these measures with cost of said items and convenience of use.

However if this was pushed along with posters/photos etc of accidents that have caused serious injuries and deaths of minors they might just make a difference.

 

Taking your niece as an example, she didn't like it therefore didn't sit in it.

But if she was shown a film of a child exiting the windscreen of a car from the back seat

after it hit something and stopped dead in it's tracks while she continued the journey at 60 mph and torn to shreds, she might understand the benefits.

It think it might somehow be more worthwhile to show it to the parents. If it were my child, she stays home unless she uses the seat. That is all the convincing she would need. Kids are kids. Parents are supposed to be parents. Are you the parent, or are you the kid? Which one of you two pays the mortgage or rent? 

Edited May 10, 2022 by spidermike007

[madmitch]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Notably, similar regulations are being enforced in many countries to better ensure the safety of children on the road.

And have been for the past forty years or so!

 

 

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

3 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I would like to know how this will affect Taxi companies transporting family tourists from the airport to hotel etc. it will be interesting if the family have two small children !!!!

Taxis in London do not have car seats for kids. 

Taxi’s in the UK do not have to comply with Children’s car seat laws.

I’m not 100% sure of the Aus law, but in Australia (Sydney at least), they have Maxi-taxi's (I think they are called), when there I was told that children under the age of 18 months are not permitted in a taxi (any car) without a child-seat, Maxi-taxi’s carry car seats. 

 

No law is perfect - there will always be gaps, people will put passengers in pickups etc.... But, as long as steps are taken to educate its a step in the right direction towards a lot more being done. 

 

I am often astonished at the amount of wealthy people who’s kids are free to climb all over the car while its in motion. I see this at school drop off, at hospital drop off, on my Wife’s friends facebook pages... so many seemingly educated wealthy people don’t get it....   

 

I’m glad this law will be put in place. Sadly, I fully expect it to be ignored just like every other law. 

 

Imagine the guy in the Merc with his 5 year old sat with a lap-belt but no car seat. He’s charged 2000 baht while the driver of the pick-up in front carrying 15 labourers in the flatbed is completely ignored alone with all the motorcyclists without a helmet.

 

Yes - its good that a law is in place, but blooming ek Thailand, enforce the existing safety laws too ! 

 

 

[Doctor Tom]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I am often astonished at the amount of wealthy people who’s kids are free to climb all over the car while its in motion. I see this at school drop off, at hospital drop off, on my Wife’s friends facebook pages... so many seemingly educated wealthy people don’t get it....   

you can be wealthy, educated, but still stupid 

[spidermike007]

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Taxi’s in the UK do not have to comply with Children’s car seat laws.

I’m not 100% sure of the Aus law, but in Australia (Sydney at least), they have Maxi-taxi's (I think they are called), when there I was told that children under the age of 18 months are not permitted in a taxi (any car) without a child-seat, Maxi-taxi’s carry car seats. 

 

No law is perfect - there will always be gaps, people will put passengers in pickups etc.... But, as long as steps are taken to educate its a step in the right direction towards a lot more being done. 

 

I am often astonished at the amount of wealthy people who’s kids are free to climb all over the car while its in motion. I see this at school drop off, at hospital drop off, on my Wife’s friends facebook pages... so many seemingly educated wealthy people don’t get it....   

 

I’m glad this law will be put in place. Sadly, I fully expect it to be ignored just like every other law. 

 

Imagine the guy in the Merc with his 5 year old sat with a lap-belt but no car seat. He’s charged 2000 baht while the driver of the pick-up in front carrying 15 labourers in the flatbed is completely ignored alone with all the motorcyclists without a helmet.

 

Yes - its good that a law is in place, but blooming ek Thailand, enforce the existing safety laws too ! 

 

 

Wealth does not necessarily go hand in hand with intelligence, sophistication, or common sense. Especially here. The so called hi-so, are often anything but. Having money only means you have money. It is what you do with that money that defines you. 

[Doctor Tom]

Thailand keep doing this; introducing sensible rules and laws, that are followed in many developed Countries, but they are constantly let down and undermined by a dysfunctional police force and a lack of supportive education for the Nation.. It will never change until the National leaders face up to the reality.  There is no sign that I see that leads me to believe that this will ever happen. They share this situation with many other Asian, South American and African Countries, which collectively, represents a fairly large proportion of the World. 

[ikke1959]

It is a many countries already a must.. problem in Thailand is enforcing it... Same as wearing a helmet.. A new law with no use..

[darrendsd]

10 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

It won't work.  We all know that it won't work,  because the poor can't afford the seats and the police do not enforce the existing laws, let alone any new ones. Its nothing more than a PR stunt, until enforcement action happens.  Kids will still ride in the back of pick ups, and still die in the cabs of cars and trucks. . 

If "the poor" can afford a car and all the costs associated with running it then they can afford a car seat

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, darrendsd said:

If "the poor" can afford a car and all the costs associated with running it then they can afford a car seat

I expect the poor will just pay the 100-200bht fine for not having a car seat like everyone else.

[mikebell]

Most new laws are enacted for the benefit of the police and they decide on a daily basis which to enforce and for how much.

[dinsdale]

The photo isn't tagged as a stock photo so this sould be an actual photo in Thailand. I bet this is the Bt60,000 one. How many can afford this. Show us the Bt1000 made in China one. 

[Elkski]

I recently saw kids car seats at Walmart in USA for like 150$.  I'm thinking there aren't any 33$ ones here.  I can't imagine this law will stand for long.  Or it will encourage families to take the scooter rather than truck or car. 

[Doctor Tom]

10 hours ago, darrendsd said:

If "the poor" can afford a car and all the costs associated with running it then they can afford a car seat

Nonsense, you clearly do not know anything about the poorer end of society here. 

[jumbo]

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It think it might somehow be more worthwhile to show it to the parents. If it were my child, she stays home unless she uses the seat. That is all the convincing she would need. Kids are kids. Parents are supposed to be parents. Are you the parent, or are you the kid? Which one of you two pays the mortgage or rent? 

So you prefer to leave the under 6 year old home alone.......

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, jumbo said:

So you prefer to leave the under 6 year old home alone.......

Yeah. I likely would, over having the young monkey climbing all over car, at 100kph plus. Far safer.