Traffic offenders in Thailand who fail to pay fines may face arrest

[Bday Prang]

7 minutes ago, userabcd said:

Quite rightly so, arrest and jail them, all those nonchalantly bragging how they do not pay for their traffic offences as if the law does not apply to them.

Classic Thai Visa "hang em high " post   

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, mushroomdave said:

Why not do what most other countries do?  You have so much time to pay, be it 30 or 60 days, then if not payed, you have to pay it at your next license renewal / registration "plus" the interest. 

It isn't hard to do and implement for most.....but again.....THIS IS THAILAND!!!!

So many people wanting to make life here as miserable as it is back home,  I just don't get it

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, pokerface1 said:

Better just wheel clamp the car till they pay the fine. 

Would you really like that to happen ?  Be careful what you wish for

[XJPSX]

Damn…I better start start paying them from now on. Have had a good run for 12 years so can’t complain.

 

[pokerface1]

1 minute ago, Bday Prang said:

Would you really like that to happen ?  Be careful what you wish for

Just thinking further along. It would probably cause a traffic jam on all Thai roads. 

[Bday Prang]

10 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

and how many cars (and motorcycles) are displaying out of date tax discs, in my locality it would appear to be about 15% and a number especially motorcycles show no disc at all

How many cars have you "checked" to establish your figures?  Presumably enough to create a truly representative sample? have you also divided up into classes of vehicle ie pick ups as opposed to cars etc.    OMG some people really must be bored  I'd be careful if I were you, some Thais might not take to kindly to  "johnny foreigner" scrutinising there vehicles  How would you feel if it happened to you in your home country?    Absolutely unbelievable behaviour

[kuzmabruk]

11 hours ago, Excel said:

It's another of those "may" again. What they mean is that they may face arrests if the police bribe is insufficient

simple system is to tie/link the ticket system to the road tax system.  If all fines are not paid in full, no road tax sticker.  Very simple to implement technically and no additional procedural changes required.   This is how we operate in BC, Canada. 

[KhunLA]

I'll be law abiding in the future, as been very lucky the past couple years, since they announced the 120 kph speed limit.  Not reading the fine print, when road safe enough, I cruised 100+ to 115 ish.

 

Never received a camera citation.  In the future I'll be maxing out at 90 ish.  Not for any legal reason, just EV's range is better at lower speeds.  Beside last couple trips up to Krung Thep, with a few exceptions, not many stretches I could exceed 90 kph anyway.

 

Slower, by a bit, but safer and more relaxing ride at lower speeds.  Reality, on 300 kms trip, if half is at 90 instead of 115, it will only take .36 hrs longer, if all things equal.  Last week took 4 hrs, so 4.5 in the future.  If that saves me the need for a 30 minute stop to top up the battery, then nothing lost.

[radiochaser]

11 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Why not just add it to the car tax !

Aint no dodging that, and clearly visible if you try.Any outstanding fines are collected at the same time or the car is off the road.

Some of the States in the United States does that.   A guy I knew had an outstanding moving violation ticket in one state.  When he went to renew his drivers license in Texas, he had to pay the fine for that violation, before, he could renew either his drivers license or his vehicle license!

[KhunLA]

11 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

and how many cars (and motorcycles) are displaying out of date tax discs, in my locality it would appear to be about 15% and a number especially motorcycles show no disc at all

Unless out of metro areas, I'd suspect very few, as they have spot checks, way too often.  Unlike the USA, where I was rarely insured or had vehicle legally inspected, here I do as expected, legally.

 

Here, I've had all new cars, keeping less than 7 yrs, so very road worthy, where back in the mother land, drove a few POS that wouldn't pass inspection, mostly tire wise.   Got the 'legal' inspections there, back door wise, simply for convenience, not because cars were unsafe.

 

Oddly, in a country where I could easily get away with being 'illegal', I follow the laws more than I ever did in the USA.  OK, I will drive against traffic on the scooter occasionally, along with that speed limit.   30 or 60 kph, that's just ridiculously slow.

Edited June 21, 2022 by KhunLA

[4MyEgo]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said police will ask the courts to issue warrants for the arrest of alleged offenders who fail to pay fines after being warned once and served twice with summonses.

 

[Moonlover]

49 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Do you really want Thailand to be the same as the rest of the so called civilised world ?  

Would you like Thailand to be a safer place to drive in?

[kennw]

9 minutes ago, radiochaser said:

Some of the States in the United States does that.   A guy I knew had an outstanding moving violation ticket in one state.  When he went to renew his drivers license in Texas, he had to pay the fine for that violation, before, he could renew either his drivers license or his vehicle license!

 

9 minutes ago, radiochaser said:

Some of the States in the United States does that.   A guy I knew had an outstanding moving violation ticket in one state.  When he went to renew his drivers license in Texas, he had to pay the fine for that violation, before, he could renew either his drivers license or his vehicle license!

Thailand should link outstanding fines to the annual registration data base. Cannot renew the registration until all fines plus delay penalty is paid. Police can easily see if registration sticker is out of date on cars, motorbikes should also be made to display prominently, ie read from a distance same as for cars. 

[actonion]

May face arrest, then again May not,     ...stop writing about it, and do it

[actonion]

1 hour ago, apetryxx said:

My lovely wife, a highly educated and responsible business executive also has a lead foot. The cameras nail her constantly and our in-box overflows with speeding tickets. Her response when I bug her to pay them is “why bother, none of their data bases are connected so who’s to know?” I suspect that the vast majority of Thais like her just ignore them as there are no consequences. 

Its exactly the same in this house

[foreverlomsak]

12 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Unless out of metro areas, I'd suspect very few, as they have spot checks, way too often. 

definitely in farming country, we get spot checks in the local town, loaded farm trucks (including pick-ups transporting farm produce) tend to get waved through.

[steven100]

geeeze .......  they may have to build another 500 prisons to house all the ' non-payers of fines '  because I bet london to a brick on that there or millions who don't or haven't payed up.

[ujayujay]

9 hours ago, PJ71 said:

I hope not, i must have 100's of unpaid fines, mine go straight to the bin.

Oh, you're a Hero????

[Excel]

46 minutes ago, kuzmabruk said:

simple system is to tie/link the ticket system to the road tax system.  If all fines are not paid in full, no road tax sticker.  Very simple to implement technically and no additional procedural changes required.   This is how we operate in BC, Canada. 

And the numbers of cars being driven round in Thailand with no road tax is quite high, so that idea falls at the first hurdle as it is generally those individuals I suspect who avoid payment of traffic fines also.  They get away with it due to lax police enforcement.

[Excel]

20 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

we get spot checks in the local town

Well maybe but isn't that for Monkey Pox ?  ????

[scubascuba3]

The old taking the keys routine or taking your licence was quite effective

[Purdey]

Once when I went to renew my driving licence I overheard the end of a conversation between a government officer and an irate driver. 

"We cannot renew your licence unless you pay the fines you owe us."

They do keep a record and when you go to renew your licence they want payment up front before renewing. 

I use an app that gives me a warning before approaching a speed camera. When I slow to 80 and see people people pass at 120 I can't help feeling smug and self satisfied. But maybe that's the wrong attitude.

[Excel]

6 minutes ago, Purdey said:

But maybe that's the wrong attitude.

Maybe it is if someday a speeding loon in a pick-up, on his phone rear ends you, be careful when slowing down in Thailand, there is a lot of brake failure here ????

[cracker1]

Must an offender accept the Police position that an offence has taken place, or can the matter be decided by the Courts? Surely the Police can not act as "Judge and Jury".

[Guderian]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said police will ask the courts to issue warrants for the arrest of alleged offenders who fail to pay fines after being warned once and served twice with summonses.

If someone is willing to flout the law to that extent then they deserve to meditate in a cell for a week or two.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Starting today (Monday), motorists or motorcyclists who refuse or fail to pay fines associated with traffic tickets may face arrest

May.... nuff said.

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said police will ask the courts to issue warrants for the arrest of alleged offenders who fail to pay fines after being warned once and served twice with summonses.

Warned once and served two summonses... just go get-em.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

So how many new prisons are to be built to accommodate these thousands of fine dodgers?

None... 3 month in the local barracks... that'll learn-em.

[Tubulat]

There is only one way to get that money get an apprenticeship with the Dutch government.

 

If you persist in not paying the fine, they will go to the end including selling your own house.

 

In the Netherlands there are very few people who do not pay their fine.

[WEBBYB808]

The way this article reads, and is written implies that this new policy is not geared towards the Thais.  The article  implies it's for tourist and foreigners.