Bangkok Lowers Speed Limit to 60 km/h Amid Safety Push

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

Bangkok officials, as announced by the Royal Gazette on December 24, have implemented a new speed limit across the city as part of an effort to improve road safety.

 

The speed limit on most roads has been reduced from 80 km/h to 60 km/h, except on 13 major roads where the usual speed limits will remain intact. The roads exempt from this change include Vibhavadi-Rangsit and Bangna Trat, among others.

 

Around the royal area, motorists are further encouraged to reduce their speed to 50 km/h on roads such as Ratchadamnoen and Na Phra That.

 

Additionally, creating loud noises like honking is now prohibited in these royal vicinities.

 

This initiative, led by the Metropolitan Police Bureau, comes in response to road safety concerns, as speeding is a leading cause of accidents in Bangkok.

 

Failure to adhere to these speed limits can result in fines ranging from 200 to 1,000 baht, depending on traffic officers’ discretion.

 

 

Deputy Commissioner Thawat Wongsa-nga clarified the necessity of these changes, citing that Bangkok remains one of the few major cities without such a speed regulation.

 

The use of technology, including cameras, will aid in enforcing these new rules.

 

While some Thai motorists have expressed concerns over the adjustments, officials are committed to enhancing road safety and aiming to decrease accidents in the bustling city.

 

-- 2024-12-24

 

 

[petermik]

And who is going to enforce this....

[BangkokReady]

13 minutes ago, petermik said:

And who is going to enforce this....

 

Exactly.  Make it 30 if you want.  It doesn't matter if no one enforces it.

 

You don't even really have the option to go slowly, as all the speeders put you in danger.

[ikke1959]

So what?? Even with 80 nobody drives that they all speed much more  and nothing is happening...Think it will be different now??

Start with the trucks and overloaded cars to fine as they use the middle and right lanes. They will obstruct more

[lordgrinz]

Oh good, another law or rule that nobody will follow, and the RTP will absolutely not enforce.  

[alien365]

It's always gridlock anyway. To drive 60 would be a dream on the roads I take

[Briggsy]

No enforcement = no point

[PingRoundTheWorld]

As if there wasn't enough traffic already...

 

Hope they aren't stupid enough to implement this on the highways- at least keep that reasonable (120).

[hotchilli]

On 12/24/2024 at 6:55 PM, snoop1130 said:

Bangkok officials, as announced by the Royal Gazette on December 24, have implemented a new speed limit across the city as part of an effort to improve road safety.

Needs more than that to stop the death toll.

[bradiston]

Speed cameras. With alpr software. Automatic licence plate recognition. A mate's been had twice outside Pattaya on the main highway. If you don't pay it has potentially very annoying consequences.

[thesetat]

6 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Speed cameras. With alpr software. Automatic licence plate recognition. A mate's been had twice outside Pattaya on the main highway. If you don't pay it has potentially very annoying consequences.

If the cameras catch you speeding. They mail the registered owner a ticket. Failure to pay is not punishable. They were supposed to implement a law that makes you unable to pay the taxes yearly if you have an outstanding unpaid ticket. But i think that law was not passed. I know many Thais who have gotten these mailed in tickets and they claim they never pay them. So I do not see your annoying consequences happening. 

Reducing the speed limit will only cause more chaos and accidents simply because the people will not adhere to it and those that do will cause more chances for accidents to happen. Also, it means more travel time to get to work and back if you need to drive slower on those roads. Traffic is bad enough in Bangkok. The speed limit was not very fast for the highways.  They use this excuse to reduce the speed limit due to accidents with drunk drivers but, lowering the speed limit will not reduce accidents from this reason. 

I only foresee problems with more traffic and more people in the fast lane driving slower making it easier to rear-end someone. 

 

[thailand49]

Encourage, discretion?

Guess it is a start but who is going to enforce!   

🤣

[bradiston]

56 minutes ago, thesetat said:

If the cameras catch you speeding. They mail the registered owner a ticket. Failure to pay is not punishable. They were supposed to implement a law that makes you unable to pay the taxes yearly if you have an outstanding unpaid ticket. But i think that law was not passed. I know many Thais who have gotten these mailed in tickets and they claim they never pay them. So I do not see your annoying consequences happening. 

Reducing the speed limit will only cause more chaos and accidents simply because the people will not adhere to it and those that do will cause more chances for accidents to happen. Also, it means more travel time to get to work and back if you need to drive slower on those roads. Traffic is bad enough in Bangkok. The speed limit was not very fast for the highways.  They use this excuse to reduce the speed limit due to accidents with drunk drivers but, lowering the speed limit will not reduce accidents from this reason. 

I only foresee problems with more traffic and more people in the fast lane driving slower making it easier to rear-end someone. 

 

I'm not sure what the problems were that he encountered later on. Maybe renewing a driving licence, a visa, a 90 day, something like that. None of the above applies to Thais though, except the driving licence renewal and that's every 5 years. I'd laugh if they were handed 5 years or so of unpaid fines at that point!

[Purdey]

The people who broke the law to speed when the limit was 80 will break the law anyway whatever. It is the lack of discipline that causes accidents. 

[bradiston]

I'm happy at 40 on my scooter. The roads are a nightmare. Drain covers, cracks, grilles, cut ins, u turns... Be careful and slow down if possible at all times.

[wensiensheng]

What is the encouragement to drive at 50, rather than the 60 speed limit in Royal areas, and where exactly are those areas? This part seems, mmmm, hazy.

 

overall, people will drive at the speed which they are able, depending on traffic conditions. The particular speed limit is pretty much as irrelevant as the pedestrian crouch are routinely ignored.

[JAS21]

A Christmas Gift for the BIB …

[henryford1958]

2 hours ago, bradiston said:

Speed cameras. With alpr software. Automatic licence plate recognition. A mate's been had twice outside Pattaya on the main highway. If you don't pay it has potentially very annoying consequences.

 

That's why many cars have number plates that are missing or are unreadable.  But the RTP do nothing about this either.

[jcmj]

I highly doubt that the police will be out to enforce this. They will just depend on the CCTV’s to do their job. This will do nothing considering they don’t enforce the payment of the fines. 

[bradiston]

26 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

 

That's why many cars have number plates that are missing or are unreadable.  But the RTP do nothing about this either.

Quite agree. In the UK it's a pull driving with a brake light not working. Not sure about here though. They only ever mention helmets and licences.

[NorthernRyland]

It's embarrassing  now, they keep passing laws even though they literally have no enforcement mechanism. It's like the dog who got his balls cut off but still goes around humping everything. Basically the Thai government has no balls but they're too brain dead to even know. Very embarrassing for them. They need to stop everything and figure this out first.

[black tabby12345]

Does Thai police use speed gun on the road to spot violators?

 

[harryviking]

Funny! 🤣🤣There are speed limits sign all over Thailand! Who cares about them??? NO ONE!! Unless they do like in other countries, using radar aggressively and fine the speedsters hard, nothing will change!! If the police force had been a more efficient force and been out on the highways catching idiots behind wheels, the number of accidents and deaths would have decreased a lot! I blame the "law non-enforcement people" for many of the accidents out there....😣

[harryviking]

On 12/24/2024 at 7:12 PM, petermik said:

And who is going to enforce this....

LOL! GOOD QUESTION!!🤣

[denishuahin]

A start might be having a test and reading a Highway Code booklet, like the UK. 
Not learning from the older generation, the Thai Dieway Code.