Drinking and driving in Thailand: Thai media clarifies quantities and penalties

[webfact]

Sanook Thai Caption: How much do you have to drink?

 

It has become a hot topic of interest what with the focus on road accidents at New Year's and the saga of the tycoon in the Bentley this week.

 

Drink driving.

 

Sanook decided to remind the public of the penalties for drink driving both in terms of fines and potential prison terms. 

 

How much alcohol constitutes DUI?

 

And what are the insurance issues connected with DUI. Are you covered?

 

The penalty for a first DUI offence is one year in jail and a fine between 5,000 and 20,000 baht.

 

Most courts will suspend custodial sentences or not impose them at all for first offences, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

For second offences committed within two years there is a mandatory prison sentence of up to 2 years and fines of 50-100,000 baht.

 

Licences are removed for at least a year and possibly for good.

 

In the event there is an accident (defined as a dangerous situation that causes mental stress) then the penalty is 1-5 years, 20-100K fine and a one year licence suspension.

 

In the case of causing serious injury 2-6 years, 40-120K fine and two year suspension.

 

If the person committing DUI causes death to another person the prison term is 3-10 years, fines are 60,000-200,000 baht and a licence would be permanently removed.

 

To be classed as legally drunk on the roads in charge of a motor vehicle you have to have 50 mg in your blood.

 

There are four exceptions including people under 20 who can only have 20 mg before they are considered over the limit.

 

There are two kinds of insurance - mandatory, referred to as "phor ror bor" in Thai and fully comprehensive.

 

The Phor Ror Bor will only cover hospital costs not damage but is valid in DUI cases.

 

Other insurance including Class 1 coverage will only cover the other person in a DUI case.

 

Insurance companies can reclaim monies wrongly paid.

 

Sanook reminded the public that drink driving was a serious offence that apart from causing anguish to other people, can cause the perpetrator to suffer through prison and financial hardship.

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2023-01-12

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[foreverlomsak]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

To be classed as legally drunk on the roads in charge of a motor vehicle you have to have 50 mg in your blood.

how can you equate that to bottles (600 ml) of beer or glasses of wine or ...........

[Henryford]

If you are rich the limit is 500 mg

[ourmanflint]

22 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

how can you equate that to bottles (600 ml) of beer or glasses of wine or ...........

Try this 

 

Blood Alcohol Calculator

[bje2000]

3 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

how can you equate that to bottles (600 ml) of beer or glasses of wine or ...........

The general rule of thumb is that 2 standard drinks in the first hour will raise your BAC to 0.05%, and 1 standard per hour thereafter will maintain that level.
examples: 
330 ml Singha is 5% = 1.4 standard drinks
red wine 100 ml = 1 standard drink
white wine 100 ml = 0.9 standard drink
spirits (40%) 1 nip/30 ml = 1 standard drink
pre-mix 5-7% 275 ml bottle = 1.1 - 1.5 standard drinks

[Seeall]

exceptions are illegal sidecars and 5 kids , no helmets (facemasks help of course) and somchai with no plates or licence or tax sticker......

[Seeall]

12 minutes ago, bje2000 said:

The general rule of thumb is that 2 standard drinks in the first hour will raise your BAC to 0.05%, and 1 standard per hour thereafter will maintain that level.
examples: 
330 ml Singha is 5% = 1.4 standard drinks
red wine 100 ml = 1 standard drink
white wine 100 ml = 0.9 standard drink
spirits (40%) 1 nip/30 ml = 1 standard drink
pre-mix 5-7% 275 ml bottle = 1.1 - 1.5 standard drinks

who will mess about with this......  drink or dont drink....

[Bangkok Barry]

It doesn't matter what the limit is if the driver refuses to take a breath test. As many do. Or they run away and can't be tested. As many do.

[Spock]

11 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It doesn't matter what the limit is if the driver refuses to take a breath test. As many do. Or they run away and can't be tested. As many do.

Surely refusal to take the test should mean the maximum penalty is applied!

[Bangkok Barry]

9 minutes ago, Spock said:

Surely refusal to take the test should mean the maximum penalty is applied!

Of course. But this is Thailand.

[thailand49]

The problem is embedded into their culture drinking and driving is 24/7 not just holidays plus the enforcement isn't going to happen during holidays if you are tie to your chair playing with your phone under the tent. 

[jvs]

It is a problem that can only be solved by society as a whole.

But there has to be a will to change it and that i do not see happening soon.

[ChrisKC]

"It has become a hot topic of interest what with the focus on road accidents at New Year's"

 

For all but the road traffic police enforcement process I think!

[Reigntax]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

If you are rich the limit is 500 mg

The rich have no limits to the amount consumed or the amount of bull they vomit up

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

There are four exceptions including people under 20 who can only have 20 mg before they are considered over the limit.

The other three exceptions appear to be the connected, super rich and mega rich

[hotchilli]

42 minutes ago, Spock said:

Surely refusal to take the test should mean the maximum penalty is applied!

The caveat being owning a Bentley..

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

This incident I fail to understand why a medical Doctor  DID NOT take a blood sample after the accident , there appears to be ZERO medical reasons why it was not asked for or taken. RTP hav a lot of questions to answer . 

[Spock]

9 minutes ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

This incident I fail to understand why a medical Doctor  DID NOT take a blood sample after the accident , there appears to be ZERO medical reasons why it was not asked for or taken. RTP hav a lot of questions to answer . 

Unfortunately the RTP will probably not be required to answer those questions.

[DjSilver]

Don't you mean DOA - Dead On Arrival? ????????????

[Lucky Bones]

2 hours ago, Seeall said:

exceptions are illegal sidecars and 5 kids , no helmets (facemasks help of course) and somchai with no plates or licence or tax sticker......

You forgot Lek holding onto the chilly-bin/esky.????????

[hellohello123]

 

Here is a visual summary of the above article for those who dont want to read the whole article

Edited January 12, 2023 by hellohello123

[Reigntax]

12 hours ago, Henryford said:

If you are rich the limit is 500 mg

The rich have no limits to the amount consumed or the amount of bull they vomit up

[Reigntax]

Surely they couldn’t drive any worse drunk than they do when apparently sober?

[Reigntax]

7 hours ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

This incident I fail to understand why a medical Doctor  DID NOT take a blood sample after the accident , there appears to be ZERO medical reasons why it was not asked for or taken. RTP hav a lot of questions to answer . 

Then you don’t understand the power of a full envelope 

[fusion58]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Sanook decided to remind the public of the penalties for drink driving both in terms of fines and potential prison terms. 

Penalties for whom?

 

Let’s not pretend they’re the same for everybody.

[Stargeezr]

Hey, it is Thailand so there are different rules.

  There is the Thai rule, and the foreigner rule. 

Not same same at all.

[honcho]

15 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

how can you equate that to bottles (600 ml) of beer or glasses of wine or ...........

its only 2 beers

 

[honcho]

if they enforce it the penalties should be enough to deter most people.... harsher than most western countries...

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm….only the small matter of enforcement left. But TIT

[AhFarangJa]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

The penalty for a first DUI offence is one year in jail and a fine between 5,000 and 20,000 baht.

 

Most courts will suspend custodial sentences or not impose them at all for first offences, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

For second offences committed within two years there is a mandatory prison sentence of up to 2 years and fines of 50-100,000 baht.

 

Licences are removed for at least a year and possibly for good.

Please help a senile old man...........I was under the impression that a DUI gets you 4 points deducted off your licence. therefore you can be caught 3 times a year before you lose the said licence. Then, at the end of the year, you regain all your points.