Point system to curb traffic violations to be enforced from January 9th

[Griffo63]

I'm not clear how long points remain valid. Do they lapse after 1 month, 6 months, a year, 2 years or never. Anybody know or indeed care?

 

[tomazbodner]

14 hours ago, internationalism said:

Great. 
i hope they can't do it to an international driving licence from abroad

If on IDP, then this is a tourist on some kind of visa, so while they could not cancel person's national license, they could probably invalidate visa, for example.

[Asquith Production]

1 hour ago, Dogmatix said:

If they are using CCTV evidence, how will they know who was driving the car? My wife drives my car. Her brother dives her car. My maid owns a pick-up and she doesn’t drive at all but her son in law drives it. And what about company owned vehicles?

 

A lot of people are going to say they lent the car to someone called Jiap who lives somewhere up country and they never knew his real name.

That happens in other countries and the registered keeper as to give driver details or get fined themselves. Their are systems that can be implemented but here its to much like hard work.

[tomazbodner]

8 minutes ago, Griffo63 said:

I'm not clear how long points remain valid. Do they lapse after 1 month, 6 months, a year, 2 years or never. Anybody know or indeed care?

 

From what was posted in the past, they don't expire.

[Cake Monster]

15 hours ago, Encid said:

And it will all be policed automatically... by networked CCTV.

 

You won't see any extra BiB out on the beat or in patrol cars.

Oh yes you will !

Its getting near to the New Year Holidays - the traditional time for them to crawl out from whatever they have been hiding under, and start the traditional season of RTP goodwill in fleecing as many people as possible for a few weeks

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Cake Monster

[actonion]

Another big waste of time , paper, and print....... when are they going to do something about pedestrians being  hurt  or killed on pedestran crossings?............ Nothing   as  we well know

[If I should die]

Will the mafia in uniform create a secondary market for avoiding points or will it leave it to private influential people and simply collect brown envelopes?

 

Thais join the police to make money.  Some money can be made from traffic but so much less than from extorting builders (is te going rate 10,000 THB per foreigner and there are 3-5 million of them!), from the natural vices (drinking, drugs, prostitution, gambling, and slavery  now known as people trafficking) and from commissions on all the money spent by the state.  The police assigned to traffic - presumably those who do not yet have sufficient to bribe their way to more lucrative positions stay well off the roads.  How many active policement have you seen at a jammed intersection with vehicles in the wrong lanes and going through red lights?  Any?

 

There are two possible solutions - the first starts by enforcing driving tests (real ones) on all drivers but this will never work - it is like saying stop corruption.

The other is to create a new high tech corps - hence providing an attraction other than money - that does not depend on the mafia.  They would learn to patrol the roads with drones, higher altitude monitoring drones and then attack drones that would drop paint bombs on dangerous drivers - different coloured pait, water based or oil based depending on whether a warning or actual punishment and the crime.  All would be uploaded to a publicly availabe web site to encourage recruitment and perhaps dissuade some drivers. 

[topt]

9 minutes ago, If I should die said:

Some money can be made from traffic but so much less than from extorting builders (is te going rate 10,000 THB per foreigner and there are 3-5 million of them!)

I am struggleing with what builders have to do with foreigners in the above sentence..........

Let alone the following numbers 

[kimamey]

Great idea and most grown up countries have probably been doing this for years although I suspect more effectively. They certainly have in the UK.

 

There's something missing from this though isn't there? Revenue Stream. From my observation the traffic police and probably all police is based on low funding from government which the police can top up from what might best be called 'dubious methods' or 'Thai culture' depending on your view. For the non traffic police it's most obvious form is in the retention of cars and goods such as in the case of Joe Ferrari. Lower down there are probably fines and further up payment for promotion. 

 

The traffic police obviously have roadside fines. There's no other obvious reason to have a a facility for payment directly to a police officer other than making a profit for the police rather the money going to the government. If you look at all the Grab, Food Panda and Lineman riders they as far as I can tell always wear a helmet. My guess is that it's a case of 'no helmet no job' and despite Thais love of not abiding by rules they don't like it does work because it makes sense financially. I suspect this applies to a licence as well. For the police it isn't intended to be a deterrent but a fee for breaking the law and like any fee if it's too much people will stop using the service which isn't a good business move. All those food delivery drivers are a loss of revenue unless they can find something else to fine.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, MadMuhammad said:

3 points for DUI. Great! I can get busted 3 times in 12 months driving on the turps before losing my ticket. What a time to be alive 

It's actually four points, but point (excuse the pun) taken. From the linked article.
The maximum of four points will be deducted for drunk driving

[Harveyg]

I wonder if this is step one in learning from the Chinese point system. You may have noticed there are demonstrations is going on now in China.

And if the Thai system doesn’t work this time, it will serve as a first step.

[kimamey]

3 hours ago, Archie Baker said:

And the other half bought their licence and don't know the rules of the road.  

 

Children leave school every day all over Thailand on motorbikes 3 pax on each bike no crash helmet no licence. Oh my where to begin. 

 

I had to do the online driving course a few months back. Most of it followed the rules I've been subject to for the last 51 years in the UK. It might have been better if it was a little less, cheesy. That's the best I could describe it and maybe use some roads that aren't in the middle of a city, probably Bangkok. The thing is the next day whilst driving it was if I'd been shown a video with secret information nobody on the road was allowed to see, which they probably haven't.

 

It's an ingrained system which will take time and effort to change and proper funding of the police from government. In the UK when cars first arrived a test wasn't required but they were brought in first for public service vehicles and then cars in 1935 for anyone who started driving after 1934. Those who were driving before that didn't need one but they have gradually died or been required to take a test after a road traffic offence. They could do the same if they brought in a proper driving test.

[John Egil]

11 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

and no driverslicense??? no points to deduct ....It is not the system it is the enforcement of the laws.. Start with a working policeforce 24 hrs a day and not from 9 to 5. and everyone has to show a license a t a checkpoint and not only the tax sticker on the window..

Spot on...

 

[Toby1947]

<deleted> about face as usual, you start with 12 points deductions for offences. The more civilised countries you start with zero points then accumulate up to 12 then a ban kicks in. What a useless mob.

[Burma Bill]

17 hours ago, ozz1 said:

Considering that half of the Thais drive without a license it's a joke

Yes, I agree to a certain extent. From my days living in Thailand, I know of a Thai man who "bought" his licence with a brown envelope and he is still driving to this day, never having taken a driving test!

[Foghorn]

So if you’re banned on a car license would you still be allowed to ride a motorcycle on a bike license?

[VocalNeal]

My father, dead now at 92, was given his licence during WWII

[Foghorn]

After losing license change name and start again

[NoshowJones]

16 hours ago, happysoul said:

eager to see this planed mess happening ????

Another 24 hour crackdown. 

[FRK63]

Funny as after reading this article I went to work and followed a learner driver getting instruction. 

They drove straight through a stop sign. What hope does anyone have with this sort of instruction?

Why not make getting a license more stringent as apposed to getting them out of a cereal box!

 

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

One point will be deducted for using a cell phone while driving, not wearing a crash helmet on a motorcycle, not fastening the seatbelt, exceeding the speed limit, riding motorcycles on the pavement, failing to stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings, not giving way to emergency vehicles, reckless driving, driving without a license plate or with the license plate covered and not showing road tax sign.

So by January 21st half of Thais will be off the road?

Near my home every morning I see red light jumpers who think the lights are not for them.

[KannikaP]

How will the points be deducted? And how will PC Plod check the validity of a driver's licence? In UK they simply put the DL number into their computer, same as road tax, MOT & insurance.

[VocalNeal]

How much per point at the roadside to make them disappear?

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

3 hours ago, Griffo63 said:

I'm not clear how long points remain valid. Do they lapse after 1 month, 6 months, a year, 2 years or never. Anybody know or indeed care?

 

3 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

From what was posted in the past, they don't expire.

Did you guys no bother to read the full article?

 

''Points will be automatically returned after one year. If only six points are left, the driver can attend a training course, arranged by the Land Transport Department, to restore points. If all the points are deducted, the driver will have their license suspended for 90 days''.

[blackshadow]

1 hour ago, Foghorn said:

So if you’re banned on a car license would you still be allowed to ride a motorcycle on a bike license?

good question.....

[grandpa]

"The maximum of four points will be deducted for drunk driving, driving while under the influence of narcotics and driving without regard for the safety of others."

 

 In UK you get 6 points for using a mobile phone whilst driving plus a 200 pound fine.  It is an Automatic 12 months disqualification for Drink or Drug driving plus a fine!  This shows how little value they place on human life and deaths on the roads!

[Mr Meeseeks]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

anuary 9th, the Royal Thai Police and the Land Transport Department will enforce

????????????

[wealthychef]

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the Royal Thai Police ... will "enforce" a demerit point system...

FTFY.  Quotes required.  

[StevieAus]

14 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

and no driverslicense??? no points to deduct ....It is not the system it is the enforcement of the laws.. Start with a working policeforce 24 hrs a day and not from 9 to 5. and everyone has to show a license a t a checkpoint and not only the tax sticker on the window..

Plus of course those who are caught at checkpoints and booked for no licence, helmet, registration, insurance etc are allowed to drive away continuing to commit the offence. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

4 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

If on IDP, then this is a tourist on some kind of visa, so while they could not cancel person's national license, they could probably invalidate visa, for example.

They can not invalidate a visa for a road traffic offence.