Your essential guide to Thailand’s new driving license points system

[webfact]

 

By Thai PBS World

 

From January 9 next year, any driver who breaks traffic laws will face not only legal punishment but will also get his or her points deducted. And if their points drop to zero, their driving license will be suspended for up to 90 days.

 

National Police Commissioner General Damrongsak Kittiprapas explained that the point-deduction system is designed to promote safe driving. Every year, road casualties claim more than 22,000 lives in Thailand, which has the ninth-highest rate of traffic accidents in the world.

 

Drive safely or lose points

 

All driving license holders will start with 12 points each, Highway Police Division commander Pol Maj-General Ekkarat Limsangkat said. However, these points will be points deducted whenever they are caught committing a traffic offense.

 

“For minor offences, we will deduct one point. For serious offences, we will deduct four points,” Ekkarat said.

 

Speeding, failing to stop for pedestrians at a zebra crossing, talking on the phone while behind the wheel, or driving a vehicle with no license plate will cost the driver one point.

 

Two points will be deducted if they are caught jumping a red light, driving against the prescribed traffic direction, or driving while their license is confiscated or suspended.

 

The three-point deduction is reserved for illegal road racing, while the highest penalty of a four-point deduction will occur in serious offences like drunk driving.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/your-essential-guide-to-thailands-new-driving-license-points-system/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-11-22

 

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[JoePai]

All driving license holders will start with 12 points each

 

Why do they make things difficult, always the opposite to what makes sense.

When you start you have No/Nil/Zero points, then accumulate them 

[ripstanley]

If the Police do there job there should be a lot less drivers on the roads. Oh silly me I forgot a lot of diver now do not have licenses

[proton]

went to the local licensing/tax office yesterday (for hours!) No info about this at all, even the wall charts explaining the road signs has information missing????

[Geoffggi]

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

National Police Commissioner General Damrongsak Kittiprapas explained that the point-deduction system is designed to promote safe driving. Every year, road casualties claim more than 22,000 lives in Thailand, which has the ninth-highest rate of traffic accidents in the world.

Why not ask yourselves WHY the standard is so low, with penalties of up to 90 day licence suspensions (for those who have one) one can only presume this is for really bad driving what a joke, try one or two year bans followed by re-tests & proof of licence & insurance before allowing them back on the road. The problem is the police have been so inept at issuing tickets as they are too busy lining their own pockets with on the spot fines.

[ThailandRyan]

So how will points be given out for those speeding tickets issued by the camera to the owner of the car. Are they going to try and identify the driver or just add points to the owner of record even if they do not have a license to drive or what?

[Boomer6969]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Two points will be deducted if they are caught jumping a red light, driving against the prescribed traffic direction, or driving while their license is confiscated or suspended.

So, if you drive  without a license they'll deduct two points from your inexistent license. The epitome of Thai logic.

[PJ71]

Is it April 1st?

[ripstanley]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

So how will points be given out for those speeding tickets issued by the camera to the owner of the car. Are they going to try and identify the driver or just add points to the owner of record even if they do not have a license to drive or what?

The car I drive is the name of my 10 year old son. Cant wait till he applies for his first license.

[jvs]

3 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

So, if you drive  without a license they'll deduct two points from your inexistent license. The epitome of Thai logic.

No that is not what it says,if your license is suspended or confiscated it does still exist but if it was confiscated because you are out of points

it kinda gets complicated.

Only one point deduction for not stopping at a Zebra crossing,sure that will

take care of that problem.

Why not take of more points for the things most often ignored and most dangerous?

 

 

[KhunLA]

Good timing, saw my first active speed trap today in a long time.   PoPo sitting on the shoulder with his camera and 3 km down the road huge backup, thank you very much.   I was driving with the cruise control on at 90, so all you Aholes behind me, that were cursing me, can thank me later.

 

They only had three victims pulled over as we passed by.

 

People want to save lives, stop complaining about the high death rate, simply drive the speed limit.   Don't wait for the police to enforce the law, drive it yourself.

 

How many on here say, "oh I can't own an EV, I need to drive 120-150 kph"

 

Yeah, you are part of the problem.

[Lucky Bones]

Just utter the Thai driving mantra "This is MY Soi" continuously.

Everything will be OK.????????

[worgeordie]

So you can be caught 3 times for DUI  , 6 Times running a red light ,

maybe off the road for 3 months ,and all good the start over again, 

they are not that serious about cutting accidents or deaths on the roads.

or maybe pay the cop 500 Baht and get no points......

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

 

[ezzra]

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

point-deduction system is designed to promote safe driving

They have been 'promoting safe driving' for as long as i remember and all for nought, and this to too will fall by the wayside...

[Bobtheblob]

What always baffles me is, they stop people on a motorbike, fine then for no helmet no licence or no tax, then just allow them to drive off. They should impound the bike charge them for the service and only allow the bike back when said offence is sorted out.

[Bert got kinky]

Does anyone else think that these punishments are way too harsh.

Under this new scheme, I could lose my license for 3 months if I got caught driving against the flow of traffic while being absolutely smashed on alcohol, just 2 times within a 12 month period. 

If the police started to do their job, I could be in serious trouble. ????

 

 

 

[Snig27]

Remember all those heavy fines for all these infractions they introduced on 1 September - - and then announced they would not enforce them until 'people were used to them'. It just goes around and around... 

[Liverpool Lou]

45 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

So how will points be given out for those speeding tickets issued by the camera to the owner of the car. Are they going to try and identify the driver or just add points to the owner of record even if they do not have a license to drive or what?

No points are being "given out" and no points are being "added", either, to anyone's licence, regardless of their driving offences!

[me4175]

I have the feeling some people will start with 999 points.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

while the highest penalty of a four-point deduction will occur in serious offences like drunk driving.

So you can get caught DUI THREE TIMES before a 90 day ban.

[Bert got kinky]

5 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

So you can get caught DUI THREE TIMES before a 90 day ban.

 

This is also the same for the taxi driver that you trust and rely on to get you home safely.

 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, ripstanley said:

The car I drive is the name of my 10 year old son. Cant wait till he applies for his first license.

Is your son called Toyota or Honda or Suzuki etc ?   555

 

Can a car be registered IN the name of a minor?

[Bert got kinky]

11 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Is your son called Toyota or Honda or Suzuki etc ?   555

 

Can a car be registered IN the name of a minor?

I have a friend named Morris, so why not? ????

 

 

[Deli]

Just leave it as it is and stop trying to be the same clowns as in the West. All good with the current system for me.

[still kicking]

5 minutes ago, Deli said:

Just leave it as it is and stop trying to be the same clowns as in the West. All good with the current system for me.

Yeah, hats why over 20.000 die on the road every year 

[AhFarangJa]

Just an easier way for plod to get tea money. Give me 300 baht or you get 2 points deducted.........same old same old, nothing will ever change.

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Every year, road casualties claim more than 22,000 lives in Thailand, which has the ninth-highest rate of traffic accidents in the world.

They are not going to reduce those deaths through a demerit system unless they actual get out off of their lazy a.... and enforce the law, this is Thailand remember, the land of loads of paper shuffling and people lazy to exit their air conditioned offices, no need mention who they are ????

 

 

[PEE TEE]

Points added for no lights after dark extra point bonus motorbike no rear light after dark /another point for driving on the wrong side of the road .question is will be enforced any way i doubt it .not in Samui anyway 

[PEE TEE]

53 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

I have a friend named Morris, so why not? ????

 

 

i Used to be a morris dancer but I fell through the sunroof 

[PJ71]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

How many on here say, "oh I can't own an EV, I need to drive 120-150 kph"

yeah, i'm one of them, normally drive between 140-150 and there's always people passing me.....