Thailand Boosts New Year's Road Safety with Tougher Drink-Driving Penalties

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: Siam Rath

 

The Thai government is set to increase penalties for drink-driving, as part of a broader effort to reduce road accidents during the upcoming New Year festivities.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, announced the initiative at the launch of the “Safe New Year, Together for Safer Roads” campaign on 26th December.

 

Reflecting concerns over rising accidents from drink-driving, distracted driving, and general disregard for traffic laws, the Ministry of Transport aims to revise legal penalties, making them stricter to deter such behaviours.

 

This move follows worrying statistics from last New Year's period, which saw 284 deaths and 2,307 injuries.

 

Anticipating a 12.99% increase in public transport usage during the ten-day holiday period from 27th December to 5th January, the ministry is coordinating with various transport departments to ensure public safety.

Approximately 2.3 million trips are expected nationwide, with measures in place to enhance security and efficiency across all modes of transport—land, rail, water, and air.

 

Minister Suriya stressed the importance of seamless and safe travel, urging all transport sectors to ensure vehicles and personnel are well-prepared.

 

Public buses in Thailand, which see the most use, will undergo strict readiness checks, including limits on driver working hours and health assessments to prevent fatigue-related accidents.

 

Furthermore, unresolved issues such as malfunctioning railway barriers are being addressed with local governments to minimise accident risks. The ministry's goal is for New Year travel, particularly via public transport, to be accident-free.

 

Suriya reassured the public of the ministry's commitment to safety and convenience, drawing on past experiences to enhance service delivery and integration across all transport networks. This, he hopes, will ensure a safe and joyful New Year celebration for everyone travelling across Thailand, reported Siam Rath.

 

-- 2024-12-27

 

 

[ikke1959]

Instead if 500 THB fine it will be now 750 THB fine and you can drive on after payment... Only 1 week every year all other days don't matter..

And read the articles today on Aseannow.. All accidents   and that is not because the drivers  felt responsible for their actions..and speeding is another problem if you watch the pictures and see how the cars look after the accident

[OneMoreFarang]

How about not ignoring the in average 50 daily traffic death on normal days, every day, every year, since forever in Thailand?

Would it maybe make a difference when the police would enforce the laws?

 

The police, and the politicians who let them get away with it, are the biggest disgrace for Thailand. 

[KannikaP]

How can they expect a larger fine for DUI, if the driver has spent it all on wallop?

[Emdog]

They could have the death penalty for drunk driving and it would make no difference if there is no one to enforce the law.....

[FolkGuitar]

It's a step in the right direction, but a few cops on the road every day of the week might actually show some real positive results.
Other than around the biggest Thai cities, when have you ever seen a cop writing out a ticket for a moving violation?

Unsafe vehicle operation? Overloaded vehicle? Underaged drivers?
But let's check to see that the buses are OK...

[stubuzz]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government is set to increase penalties for drink-driving,

However, they failed to mention what these increased penalties would be!

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

However, they failed to mention what these increased penalties would be!

 

Not quite that simple.

 

The RTP need to know who you are, or who your father is, before imposing a penalty.

 

[daveAustin]

Yawn. Same same, different year.

We've heard the following before ad nauseam, but only proper driving tests, real enforcement (many cops will DUI home), MASSIVE penalties and a better regard for life (put it out that there is no reincarnation) will curb it. The current licensing thing every 5 years is a joke, a monumental waste of time and monies which in itself causes more accidents and does not educate drivers one iota. Not bashing Thailand, it just is what it is and this type of tripe needs a response.  

[harryviking]

Oh dear...so they will be "though" on drunk driving 1 day...or three, Imagine raising a fine to 750 Baht.....🙄...another day...another joke....

[hotchilli]

Only one way to stop/reduce it.... get tough

Mandatory sentence one year for DUI

5 years if injuries are reported

10 years if deaths occur

[kuzmabruk]

Hope they don’t change the “okay to drive drunk if you drive slowly” campaign they run every year in Issan.  I always use that one.  

[Will B Good]

Just now, kuzmabruk said:

Hope they don’t change the “okay to drive drunk if you drive slowly” campaign they run every year in Issan.  I always use that one.  

 

Brit' overturned his car few months back outside our gate......scum.

 

Crawled out of the rear window that had popped out......drunk as a skunk...... and immediately demanded no one was to phone the police.....

[Classic Ray]

Road safety depends on education, legislation and enforcement.

 

If any one of these is weak, it will fail. 
 

Road design and construction has an influence, but less than the previous 3.

 

Unfortunately whilst there is an abundance of legislation, the other factors are very primitive.

[jcmj]

The numbers are way higher in the deaths from car accidents. They really need to include those who succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. But Thailand doesn’t count those. The numbers are so high and it is from lack of police enforcement, except on Special Occasions. They need to be out on the streets every day and the people need much more education and fines/jail to even put a dent in the numbers. 

[bristolgeoff]

The seven deadly days is almost here same pr stuff never changes.How many will die or injured i look at the end of 7 days.

[Ralf001]

8 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

The seven deadly days is almost here same pr stuff never changes.How many will die or injured i look at the end of 7 days.

 

Typically less die on the roads during these 7 days than any other 7 day period during the year and yet they keep rolling out the same BS.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, kuzmabruk said:

Hope they don’t change the “okay to drive drunk if you drive slowly” campaign they run every year in Issan.  I always use that one.  

 

We have some forum members who swear by it....  They drive carefully when pished up !!! 

[renaissanc]

7 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Instead if 500 THB fine it will be now 750 THB fine and you can drive on after payment... Only 1 week every year all other days don't matter..

And read the articles today on Aseannow.. All accidents   and that is not because the drivers  felt responsible for their actions..and speeding is another problem if you watch the pictures and see how the cars look after the accident

When modern cars crash, they are often write-offs because nowadays they are made of plastic and the thinnest of metal. I continue to drive my 25-year-old Isuzu pick-up truck because back when it was made, they were made with thick and heavy metal. I can use a pinky finger to lift the bonnet of a modern vehicle, but you need strength to lift the bonnet of an old pick-up truck.

[Snig27]

1 hour ago, jcmj said:

The numbers are way higher in the deaths from car accidents. They really need to include those who succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. But Thailand doesn’t count those. The numbers are so high and it is from lack of police enforcement, except on Special Occasions. They need to be out on the streets every day and the people need much more education and fines/jail to even put a dent in the numbers. 

 

That's just an oft-repeated myth. Thailand includes deaths after the accident like most other countries (you can find multiple sources confirmed that via Google) but it doesn't excuse the appalling lack of enforcement and governance that kills and maims some 200k a year. Just now I was almost hit by a car running a red light on a crossing with a cop watching. 

 

The country needs to have a will to fix this but right now that's totally absent and we have a nation of appalling drivers who, if polls are to be believed, think they drive well. 

[Hardcastle P]

3 hours ago, stubuzz said:

However, they failed to mention what these increased penalties would be!

That's because they don't know themselves 

[MikeandDow]

This is a joke !!! Thais can not drive ? let alone be drunk!!  look at the news every day cars front on crash or in a ditch 

[Peterphuket]

The intention is good, but that's about it.
It is and remains ‘Mai Pen Rai’

[Peterphuket]

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Only one way to stop/reduce it.... get tough

Mandatory sentence one year for DUI

5 years if injuries are reported

10 years if deaths occur

This is an exaggeration; even in western countries, the punishment is not that high.

[biggles45]

2 hours ago, Snig27 said:

Just now I was almost hit by a car running a red light on a crossing with a cop watching. 

I live a 5 minute walk from the police box outside Big C Extra and go past often. I have NEVER seen a cop OUTSIDE the box, tho a bike is parked there. No helmet, 3 on a bike, running the red light, offences by the score every day but no action. So the high road toll is not surprising, they don't really care! 

[hotchilli]

15 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

This is an exaggeration; even in western countries, the punishment is not that high.

They don't have such an up-hill battle as Thailand does...

Changing their culture is going to take tough measures.

[Humpy]

So after the New Year Festivities the penalty will be less I assume !!!

[khunjeff]

4 hours ago, jcmj said:

The numbers are so high and it is from lack of police enforcement, except on Special Occasions.

 

They don't even have enforcement on the much-publicized "special occasions" - they just have hundreds of extra checkpoints, most of which are filled with people sitting around drinking coffee and playing with their phones while not even looking at the road. And since I've never seen anyone pulled over for driving erratically or dangerously - the drunk driving measures are only enforced at checkpoints - I don't see what difference these increased penalties will make.

[Cabradelmar]

Can't be mad about it. But will it really help... I'm doubtful.

[mikeymike100]

8 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

Not quite that simple.

 

The RTP need to know who you are, or who your father is, before imposing a penalty.

 

I sense a just a little bit of sarcasm, however what you say is true!