Speed cameras

[Siam_Sam]

Does anyone know for definite how the speed cameras work because this seems to be a real grey area and nobody can give me a straight answer. I have just been on a road trip all around Thailand in a hire car over the course of 3 weeks that was just over 3,000 miles long. The signs for speed cameras are ubiquitous in Thailand, as are the cameras, but all of the cameras seem to be small, white, CCTV style ones that don't look as if they're capable of capturing an image or video that proves you have broken the speed limit, like they do in the UK. Not unless the Thai authorities have implemented a more sophisticated system than the UK, something I seriously doubt. I did eventually get caught speeding near the end of the trip and given a 500 baht fine by the side of the road but I was caught by a team of officers that were sat there waiting with a laptop that was connected to the camera that caught me, something that further raised my doubts about the efficiency of the system. The officer that spoke to my wife said all of the cameras you see are capable of recording images and catching you but if that's the case, why did they need to sit at the roadside catching people speeding in this way if the cameras can already do this for them? 

 

The officer confused things further by saying that it was only the ones at junctions that I need to be worry about, and even though they say the speed limit is 90 at junctions, the camera won't actually catch you unless you're doing more than 120. I get a feeling that the entire system isn't very efficient and most of the places that have signs for speed cameras don't actually have any that are capable of recording images and proving you have broken the speed limit. I'm just about to get my Thai driving licence and buy a car so I need to know about this going forward. Can somebody that has been caught speeding by a camera explain how the system works and please answer these questions:

 

Which cameras are capable of catching you? Is it possible to identify them easily?

If you get caught by one of these cameras how do you receive your fine and pay it? 

If you are given a fine but there is no evidence to substantiate the offence, is there anything you can do about it? 

[seedy]

I never get speeding tickets from cameras.

Google is your friend to find out how

Those that do have the pictures and the fine notice sent via mail to the address in the blue book.

[Kwasaki]

Keep to the speed limit or pay up if you get stopped no big deal in my book also not in plod book who's glad of a couple of baht. 

[digbeth]

they tried UK-styled gatso with white lines on the road about 10 years ago, but has now since moved to cctv styled gantry that can read the speeds of all lanes of traffic on the motorway, some will even warn you if you're over the limit by flashing your picture on the screen with speed on the gantry

 

the older styled ones that still needs to flash are used all over the country, the cctv ones seem to be only on motorways or where they can place gantry 

 

the mobile ones with checkpoints down the road is your equivalent of mobile van, there'd be a plod in the central reservation or on overpass with the camera radioing your plate to their colleague down the road, with the prevalence of fake plate or people throwing away the tickets received in the mail, having the checkpoint nab you for payment right away is easiest this probably is a good earner for the local plod, plus being mobile mean they can be in multiple locations to keep the populace vigilant 

[eisfeld]

Instead of wondering what kind of camera can or cannot prove speeding I would man up and pay the fine when breaking the law.

 

Nowerdays you don't need radar equipment. You can measure the speed of a car with sufficient accuracy with a little bit of "AI" which just compares the distance of the car between two points in time considering that there is really a lot of leeway and they usually trigger when you are exceeding the limit by quite a bit.

 

Now if you were sure you didn't speed and want to contest a fine then a good starting point would be a dash cam that can record your speed at all times.

 

The claim that most cameras are not capable of recording is wrong. They in fact record video footage continously, otherwise they'd be pretty pointless. I've been to one of the central police surveillance rooms for traffic cameras when I wanted to identify someone who did a runner and they can switch to any camera and time for some limited duration (not sure how far back they can go but easily 24h) and examine what happened.

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by eisfeld

[KhunBENQ]

You have to understand that there is a highway police which operates outside the communities on open terrain. They have cameras that can take speed (whatever method used). These tickets will always come via postal mail with the photo, speed, location etc.

 

The roadside stops are usually near a local police station.

They take measurements just before you approach town.

Not effective? I was stunned that the officer showed me my offense with picture and everything on his mobile. Then you have to pay at the roadside station/tent whatever.

Get a receipt and with many smiles drive off.

But local police can also have cameras at intersections to catch red light violations.

These tickets also come with postal mail but from local police.

I don't know whether payment has been streamlined in the meantime.

Highway tickets scanned with the online banking, push, push, done.

 

And of course: endless camera signs as hollow threats. Non functional.

You never know.

[richard_smith237]

A number of years ago as I was slowing for some traffic lights I was pulled to the side of the road by the Police. 

I was told I was speeding, that there was a camera further back which caught me.

I asked, but they couldn’t tell me how fast I was going. 

I asked the speed limit, one of them said 95, the other said 90kmh !!!.... I said I was going 80 kmh... 

A bit of a standoff.... In the end I just said either write me a ticket or let me go...  

I suspect they were just chancing it... 

 

But.. its not a big deal... I probably break the speed limit more than I get fined for it... so I’m not bothered if I get caught. We don’t pay the fines we receive by post anyway. 

 

I’m not sure how many outstanding fines we currently have (usually about 125kmh on the express way)....  The system is somewhat flawed - they still get sent to my Wife’s parents address in Bangkok... Wife is registered at our house for 14 years (DL / ID / the car - all registered at out house, so I’ve no idea how the fines get to her parents address !)... 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kwasaki]

13 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

You have to understand that there is a highway police which operates outside the communities on open terrain. They have cameras that can take speed (whatever method used). These tickets will always come via postal mail with the photo, speed, location etc.

 

The roadside stops are usually near a local police station.

They take measurements just before you approach town.

Not effective? I was stunned that the officer showed me my offense with picture and everything on his mobile. Then you have to pay at the roadside station/tent whatever.

Get a receipt and with many smiles drive off.

But local police can also have cameras at intersections to catch red light violations.

These tickets also come with postal mail but from local police.

I don't know whether payment has been streamlined in the meantime.

Highway tickets scanned with the online banking, push, push, done.

 

And of course: endless camera signs as hollow threats. Non functional.

You never know.

Do the cameras pick up motorbikes, I have not ever been done for speeding on my bike but have been stopped recently and told to slow down.

[eisfeld]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

But.. its not a big deal... I probably break the speed limit more than I get fined for it... so I’m not bothered if I get caught. We don’t pay the fines we receive by post anyway. 

 

I’m not sure how many outstanding fines we currently have (usually about 125kmh on the express way)....  The system is somewhat flawed - they still get sent to my Wife’s parents address in Bangkok... Wife is registered at our house for 14 years (DL / ID / the car - all registered at out house, so I’ve no idea how the fines get to her parents address !)... 

That's what people used to do (not pay the fines). But I remember reading they were changing the system so you can't renew road tax if you have outstanding fines. Not sure if that was actually rolled out yet. Haven't heard of anyone being refused renewal. The police in BKK even talked about issueing arrest warrants when fines are overdue but again, haven't heard of that actually happening.

[Siam_Sam]

13 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

The claim that most cameras are not capable of recording is wrong. They in fact record video footage continously, otherwise they'd be pretty pointless. I've been to one of the central police surveillance rooms for traffic cameras when I wanted to identify someone who did a runner and they can switch to any camera and time for some limited duration (not sure how far back they can go but easily 24h) and examine what happened.

 

I understand that they're capable of recording images because if they couldn't they would indeed be pointless but having said that, there are lots of cameras in the UK that don't actually work but the presence of the camera is enough of a deterrent to prevent speeding. Whether or not a camera is able to record an image or a video when somebody drives past it too fast, and then automatically send that person notice of a fine each and every time this happens is a completely different matter and the reason I am asking the questions I am asking - I'm trying to determine how efficient the system is in Thailand and you haven't answered any of the questions I asked.

 

One of the reasons I am asking is because I have recently driven all around Thailand in the last few weeks, continuously driving past cameras faster than the speed limit, and the hire company has not heard anything about any speeding fines which raises my doubts about the efficiency of the system. 

[HappyExpat57]

I travel about once a month between Jomtien and Chanthaburi. RARELY do I travel under 90 km/hr, the posted speed limit, and there are plenty of signs showing cameras that are supposedly catching us speeders.

[sammieuk1]

Last year I hired a car in Phuket and drove to Chiang Mai and flashed every single camera on route I thought after the first two my deposit would be toast but got that back a month later ????

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

9 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

One of the reasons I am asking is because I have recently driven all around Thailand in the last few weeks, continuously driving past cameras faster than the speed limit, and the hire company has not heard anything about any speeding fines which raises my doubts about the efficiency of the system. 

Mrs. Shrdlu received a letter in the post with a photo of the family vehicle speeding while traveling on highway 24 in Buriram Province. The time lapse between the offense and the arrival of the letter was measured in months.

[KhunBENQ]

11 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

do the cameras pick up motorbikes

I don't know and never heard.

In Khon Kaen there is an intersection with a camera sign that warns two wheelers of red light jumping (24h) and cameras hanging that could video from behind.

Edited December 6, 2022 by KhunBENQ

[Kwasaki]

7 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I don't know and never heard.

In Khon Kaen there is an intersection with a camera sign that warns two wheelers of red light jumping (24h) and cameras hanging that could video from behind.

I do pass some cameras on my way to CM and they face both ways. 

By the time It notice them it's to late. 

Nothing yet though but i guess on that part of road 90 is a bit slow anyhow. 

[KhunLA]

After the 120 kph new-blips appeared, way way back when, without a whole lot of details, as to where exactly it applied to, I was driving 100-120 on a consistent basis during covid. All of 2020/2021 and beginning of 2022.

 

Actually many times, roads not really made for 110+, so never really pushing 120 limit, unless passing.

 

And that's all parts of the country, passing way too many speed cameras.  Nothing posted at 120 kph at the time.  Amazingly, we did receive 1 citation.

 

Recently, past 2 ish months, and after more precise location info of the 120 kph limits, I've notice BIB w/camera, and check points, citing folks.

 

After the current news-blips, realized how excessive my speeds were, I slowed down, and luckily, still no citations received.

 

Now with the EV, and aside from driving legally, since they seem to be enforcing now, we'll also get a bit longer range at speed limit/90 kph.   Which I maintain with cruise control.

 

Yea, things are a bit slower, but TBH, not that much time was saved w/ICE, or can be saved, IF driving legally in the few spots 120 kph is allowed.   Estimate I can knock off on 1/2 hour, PKK/BKK run, which is 3.5-4 hrs anyway.  OK, need to stop & top up with the EV,  so 30 mins added, but it does mean, the hotel, depending where staying, is 'FREE' ???? vs paying petrol price.

 

Got to rationalize things to yourself, and we usually stop on the way anyway, coffee/snack/toilet/dog sniff & water the grass, if not leaving a land mind.

 

Be Safe, Be Smart, drive the speed limit.  IF the worst happens, better to be at a lower speed.

[Kwasaki]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

After the 120 kph new-blips appeared, way way back when, without a whole lot of details, as to where exactly it applied to, I was driving 100-120 on a consistent basis during covid. All of 2020/2021 and beginning of 2022.

 

Actually many times, roads not really made for 110+, so never really pushing 120 limit, unless passing.

 

And that's all parts of the country, passing way too many speed cameras.  Nothing posted at 120 kph at the time.  Amazingly, we did receive 1 citation.

 

Recently, past 2 ish months, and after more precise location info of the 120 kph limits, I've notice BIB w/camera, and check points, citing folks.

 

After the current news-blips, realized how excessive my speeds were, I slowed down, and luckily, still no citations received.

 

Now with the EV, and aside from driving legally, since they seem to be enforcing now, we'll also get a bit longer range at speed limit/90 kph.   Which I maintain with cruise control.

 

Yea, things are a bit slower, but TBH, not that much time was saved w/ICE, or can be saved, IF driving legally in the few spots 120 kph is allowed.   Estimate I can knock off on 1/2 hour, PKK/BKK run, which is 3.5-4 hrs anyway.  OK, need to stop & top up with the EV,  so 30 mins added, but it does mean, the hotel, depending where staying, is 'FREE' ???? vs paying petrol price.

 

Got to rationalize things to yourself, and we usually stop on the way anyway, coffee/snack/toilet/dog sniff & water the grass, if not leaving a land mind.

 

Be Safe, Be Smart, drive the speed limit.  IF the worst happens, better to be at a lower speed.

Good advice but a smooth surfaced road that is seen to lead straight to the horizon has to go quickly. ????????

[KhunLA]

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Good advice but a smooth surfaced road that is seen to lead straight to the horizon has to go quickly. ????????

At times, I seem to be the slowest one on the road, well, in the right lane anyway ... you basstard ????

 

Always tailgating my butt when I'm passing trucks ... I see ya cursing ????

 

And NO, as long as I'm passing, I'm not moving over.   I always seem to end up hitting my brakes when I do, as get stuck behind someone going even slower.   Will move over if it doesn't affect my speed ... be patient and back off.????

 

With the cruise control, the EV maintains proper distance, so I can't tailgate, pissin' people off even more, as they probably see how far the car in front of me is.   Oh well ... sucks being behind me if in a hurry. ????

[IvorBiggun2]

Why don't folks use a radar warning app? 

[The Fugitive]

Mrs had a speed camera fine (500 baht) by post taken in Khon Kaen. She didn't pay it but it wasn't added onto road tax at next renewal. More recently, she lent her car to her son for a long distance trip because he only has an old pick-up. We received speed camera fines upon a daily basis. I stopped counting at five. So far, only one reminder notice received. I ask her to go to the LTO for safety check, road tax and insurance but it usually takes a police stop and fine to spur her into doing so.

[Kwasaki]

45 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

At times, I seem to be the slowest one on the road, well, in the right lane anyway ... you basstard ????

 

Always tailgating my butt when I'm passing trucks ... I see ya cursing ????

 

And NO, as long as I'm passing, I'm not moving over.   I always seem to end up hitting my brakes when I do, as get stuck behind someone going even slower.   Will move over if it doesn't affect my speed ... be patient and back off.????

 

With the cruise control, the EV maintains proper distance, so I can't tailgate, pissin' people off even more, as they probably see how far the car in front of me is.   Oh well ... sucks being behind me if in a hurry. ????

To leave distance with a vehicle in front of you is what other road user like it helps them judge to overtake safely. 

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Kwasaki

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

To leave distance with a vehicle in front of you is what other road user like it helps them judge to overtake safely. 

 

Notice more than a few take advantage of that.  Unfortunately, too many try at once before I'm able to move over, and one or two get stuck where I didn't want to be ... ????

 

Also makes me have to step on the accelerator, or the car will now adjust 'safe distance' of the new vehicle in front of me.  So if I see a string behind me, and can't move over, or think I'll get stuck behind slower traffic in the left lane, then I'll keep pace with whoever passes me first, get behind that car, and probably <deleted> the others off even more, as now they probably get stuck in the left lane.

 

Oh well ... avoids idiots trying too squeeze in dangerously also.   Rare, as I find most highway drivers, quite courteous, and no different than USA.  I yield as much as possible, if not slowing me progress.   Others in a dangerous hurry ... they'll have to wait till next break in traffic.

[Buffy Frobisher]

I did a run down the Asia Highway from Nakhon Sawan on Sunday night with a Cobra XRS-888 radar/lidar detector activated. Just north of Chai Nat I found one camera which is K-band (most speed cameras in Thailand are K-band) plus they are using SPECTRE to detect radar detectors. It's the only time I've detected SPECTRE in Thailand, so maybe there are others now. It's on an overhead gantry, as indeed are most cameras on that highway.

 

As this is Thailand, it's actually pretty hard to work out what the actual speed limit is on that road. They now have the right-lane clearly marked as 100-120kph, with the middle lane as 100kph and the left lane at 80kph, however in some 100-meter segments of the highway there were 90, 100, and 120kph signs, which seem to be wherever there is a U-turn gap in the median strip. It's massively confusing (and insane!), particularly if you're running at 120kph and have to peel 30kph off in 50 meters without causing a pile-up.

 

There are also very bright LED flashes coming from many overhead gantries just as you approach them, but these appear to be to scare you into thinking that you've had your photo taken as the radar detector didn't see anything. It's also dangerous - most countries use speed camera flashes at your rear. That said, closer to Ayutthaya there are two bridges with cams and flash units that are running K-band radar, one of them with those bright displays showing your speed. I got "done" with one of them at 123kph when my GPS speed was actually only 118kph, so we'll see if they send a pic and what they say about the pic I have. I suspect that like everything here, calibration isn't a strong point.

 

I also got a 500 baht fine a couple of weeks ago going up to Nakhon Sawan, when I moved over to the completely clear left lane (which now has an 80kph speed limit on it) and got hit at 122kph.  As always, Thai drivers sit in the right lane regardless of the speed limit, so I just did what was logical for traffic flow. It will be interesting to see how they enforce the new law announced a few days ago that they'll start fining drivers who drive slowly in the right lane, and deducting points. On the Asia Highway, at least, they'd be fining nearly every driver and within a month no-one will have a license!

 

As an aside, on the Chalong Rat expressway in Bangkok, there are 27 K-band cameras between the Outer Ring Rd (Kanchanpisek East) and the city, and these are a mixture of side-mounted cameras and top-mounted, all on gantries. If you're driving in from Khao Yai/the North, the first one is only 100 metres from the first toll gate, and the second one at the Sukhapiban 5 exit.  After that it's a mine-field. These ones look like regular CCTV cameras with a small radar panel under them. I'm told by a professional driver that although the speed limit is 80kph, they are set to 120kph. I play safe at 90kph and have thus far been lucky.

[Kwasaki]

9 minutes ago, Buffy Frobisher said:

I did a run down the Asia Highway from Nakhon Sawan on Sunday night with a Cobra XRS-888 radar/lidar detector activated. Just north of Chai Nat I found one camera which is K-band (most speed cameras in Thailand are K-band) plus they are using SPECTRE to detect radar detectors. It's the only time I've detected SPECTRE in Thailand, so maybe there are others now. It's on an overhead gantry, as indeed are most cameras on that highway.

 

As this is Thailand, it's actually pretty hard to work out what the actual speed limit is on that road. They now have the right-lane clearly marked as 100-120kph, with the middle lane as 100kph and the left lane at 80kph, however in some 100-meter segments of the highway there were 90, 100, and 120kph signs, which seem to be wherever there is a U-turn gap in the median strip. It's massively confusing (and insane!), particularly if you're running at 120kph and have to peel 30kph off in 50 meters without causing a pile-up.

 

There are also very bright LED flashes coming from many overhead gantries just as you approach them, but these appear to be to scare you into thinking that you've had your photo taken as the radar detector didn't see anything. It's also dangerous - most countries use speed camera flashes at your rear. That said, closer to Ayutthaya there are two bridges with cams and flash units that are running K-band radar, one of them with those bright displays showing your speed. I got "done" with one of them at 123kph when my GPS speed was actually only 118kph, so we'll see if they send a pic and what they say about the pic I have. I suspect that like everything here, calibration isn't a strong point.

 

I also got a 500 baht fine a couple of weeks ago going up to Nakhon Sawan, when I moved over to the completely clear left lane (which now has an 80kph speed limit on it) and got hit at 122kph.  As always, Thai drivers sit in the right lane regardless of the speed limit, so I just did what was logical for traffic flow. It will be interesting to see how they enforce the new law announced a few days ago that they'll start fining drivers who drive slowly in the right lane, and deducting points. On the Asia Highway, at least, they'd be fining nearly every driver and within a month no-one will have a license!

 

As an aside, on the Chalong Rat expressway in Bangkok, there are 27 K-band cameras between the Outer Ring Rd (Kanchanpisek East) and the city, and these are a mixture of side-mounted cameras and top-mounted, all on gantries. If you're driving in from Khao Yai/the North, the first one is only 100 metres from the first toll gate, and the second one at the Sukhapiban 5 exit.  After that it's a mine-field. These ones look like regular CCTV cameras with a small radar panel under them. I'm told by a professional driver that although the speed limit is 80kph, they are set to 120kph. I play safe at 90kph and have thus far been lucky.

This is Thailand sounds like you suffer from OCD,  chill man put the photo speed letters in the bin. 

[Buffy Frobisher]

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

This is Thailand sounds like you suffer from OCD,  chill man put the photo speed letters in the bin. 

Calm down dude. I live my life the way I choose to - you should just go about living yours. I suffer from intelligence and things that interest me. What's your excuse?

[Kwasaki]

53 minutes ago, Buffy Frobisher said:

Calm down dude. I live my life the way I choose to - you should just go about living yours. I suffer from intelligence and things that interest me. What's your excuse?

I calm down years ago mush. ????

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Buffy Frobisher said:

I did a run down the Asia Highway from Nakhon Sawan on Sunday night with a Cobra XRS-888 radar/lidar detector activated. Just north of Chai Nat I found one camera which is K-band (most speed cameras in Thailand are K-band) plus they are using SPECTRE to detect radar detectors. It's the only time I've detected SPECTRE in Thailand, so maybe there are others now. It's on an overhead gantry, as indeed are most cameras on that highway.

 

As this is Thailand, it's actually pretty hard to work out what the actual speed limit is on that road. They now have the right-lane clearly marked as 100-120kph, with the middle lane as 100kph and the left lane at 80kph, however in some 100-meter segments of the highway there were 90, 100, and 120kph signs, which seem to be wherever there is a U-turn gap in the median strip. It's massively confusing (and insane!), particularly if you're running at 120kph and have to peel 30kph off in 50 meters without causing a pile-up.

 

There are also very bright LED flashes coming from many overhead gantries just as you approach them, but these appear to be to scare you into thinking that you've had your photo taken as the radar detector didn't see anything. It's also dangerous - most countries use speed camera flashes at your rear. That said, closer to Ayutthaya there are two bridges with cams and flash units that are running K-band radar, one of them with those bright displays showing your speed. I got "done" with one of them at 123kph when my GPS speed was actually only 118kph, so we'll see if they send a pic and what they say about the pic I have. I suspect that like everything here, calibration isn't a strong point.

 

I also got a 500 baht fine a couple of weeks ago going up to Nakhon Sawan, when I moved over to the completely clear left lane (which now has an 80kph speed limit on it) and got hit at 122kph.  As always, Thai drivers sit in the right lane regardless of the speed limit, so I just did what was logical for traffic flow. It will be interesting to see how they enforce the new law announced a few days ago that they'll start fining drivers who drive slowly in the right lane, and deducting points. On the Asia Highway, at least, they'd be fining nearly every driver and within a month no-one will have a license!

 

As an aside, on the Chalong Rat expressway in Bangkok, there are 27 K-band cameras between the Outer Ring Rd (Kanchanpisek East) and the city, and these are a mixture of side-mounted cameras and top-mounted, all on gantries. If you're driving in from Khao Yai/the North, the first one is only 100 metres from the first toll gate, and the second one at the Sukhapiban 5 exit.  After that it's a mine-field. These ones look like regular CCTV cameras with a small radar panel under them. I'm told by a professional driver that although the speed limit is 80kph, they are set to 120kph. I play safe at 90kph and have thus far been lucky.

Why I just set the cruise control  @ 90 kph .... relaxing.