Report Failing to Yield to Emergency Vehicles Could Lead to Severe Penalties

[Georgealbert]

 

File picture courtesy of Amarin, for reference only.

 

Motorists in Thailand are being warned that failing to give way to emergency vehicles could result in serious legal consequences, including the possibility of being charged with manslaughter or intentional homicide.

 

Under the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979), Sections 76 and 148, drivers are legally obligated to move aside for emergency vehicles that are using flashing lights or sounding sirens. These include ambulances, rescue vehicles, fire engines, police vehicles, military convoys, and any other officially authorised vehicles fitted with emergency lighting.

 

 

Failure to comply with this law carries an initial penalty of a fine not exceeding 500 baht. However, if a driver’s obstruction directly results in the death of a patient or individual being transported by the emergency vehicle, more serious charges may follow.

 

According to legal experts, if such negligence is deemed the direct cause of a fatality, the driver could be prosecuted for causing death through recklessness or even with intent, depending on the circumstances of the incident. Such charges can result in lengthy prison sentences.

 

This issue has become increasingly topical following a number of high-profile cases, including a recent incident in which a taxi driver deliberately blocked an ambulance, leading to the death of a patient on board. The deceased’s daughter later expressed her heartbreak, stating that her father “might still be alive if the driver had moved.”

 

Emergency responders have also reported growing frustration at aggressive or uncooperative drivers during rescue operations.

 

Authorities are now reminding the public that in any situation involving an approaching emergency vehicle, motorists must pull over to the side of the road to allow safe passage. Pedestrians must move away from the edge of the road, while those handling animals must also steer them away from the roadway.

 

Crucially, all road users are instructed not to block intersections or junctions when an emergency vehicle is attempting to pass.

 

Officials stress that every second counts in an emergency and that failing to cooperate could cost lives and lead to serious legal consequences. A delayed ambulance offers lower care than a hospital because ambulances are designed primarily for emergency stabilisation and rapid transport, not for extended or definitive treatment. 

 

While advanced ambulances can provide life-saving interventions such as CPR, defibrillation, oxygen, and basic medications, they lack the full diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of a hospital. Hospitals have access to specialised equipment, labs, imaging tools and a full teams of specialists. 

Therefore, when an ambulance is delayed, a cardiac patient is deprived of the comprehensive care available at the hospital, increasing the risk of complications or death.

 

Related article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1359145-taxi-driver-blocks-ambulance-leading-to-patient’s-death-in-patong/

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-01.

 

 

 

 

[spidermike007]

I seriously doubt it. That would require an effective police department and highway patrol that cared at least one iota, which they don't. So, no policing on the roads and highways means no deterrent and no huge fines. And the tragedy continues. 

 

This is what is needed. When I was in Italy I saw ambulances literally ramming cars out of the way, using front bumpers like shown below, and causing great damage to the vehicles that were blocking the path, and then just moving on. What a deterrent that must be. 

 

 

[Pouatchee]

lip service, or fact?

about time

[Captain Flack]

Troll post removed

[Mike_Hunt]

Yea, right.  This will never happen. 

[roo860]

And if all else fails get a young women on a motorbike to clear the road, from this mornings news. 🙂

 

[JoePai]

Could Lead to Severe Penalties      🤣

[JimHuaHin]

The "could" should be "will".

[Gottfrid]

Good ideas, but bound to fail. I go with @spidermike007 image option, but with an extra machine gun with grenade launcher at the top.

[daveAustin]

This is what is needed but again it probably won’t happen, at least not in out of the way places. Not even the most callous Ahole would dare to intentionally hold up an ambulance where some of us hail from. The shame and embarrassment, let alone the potential of killing someone…

[seajae]

This is needed due to the ignorance of many thai drivers/road users, should not be a maybe but a will be charged with murder as they are knowingly blocking an ambulance in an emergency, ambulances need to be fitted with bull bars so they can drive/ram  through the ignorant mongrels that deliberately block them.  Trouble is too many thai road users think they are allowed to do as they please especially seeing the police refuse to enforce road regulations, way past time the ignorant ones were made to pay.

[PoorSucker]

3 hours ago, daveAustin said:

This is what is needed but again it probably won’t happen, at least not in out of the way places. Not even the most callous Ahole would dare to intentionally hold up an ambulance where some of us hail from. The shame and embarrassment, let alone the potential of killing someone…

-Do you know who my dad is......

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Failure to comply with this law carries an initial penalty of a fine not exceeding 500 baht.

And there's the problem

[KannikaP]

4 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

And there's the problem

Add two more Zeros.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, PoorSucker said:

-Do you know who my dad is......

No... but there was that one meeting with your mother.... 

[PoorSucker]

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Failure to comply with this law carries an initial penalty of a fine not exceeding 500 baht.

Should be like Finland and penalties are based on income.

Notable example is Anders Wiklöf, a Finnish businessman, who was fined €121,000 (approximately $129,544) for speeding

[jcmj]

It all stopped with the headline that it May change. These idiots need to learn how to drive and when to pull over. If they don’t have that common sense then fine heavily, lock them up, and make them pay for the dead’s funeral expenses. Who knows if it was 100% their fault, but we do know they had a part in it. Enough being so easy on those who break the laws. Thai or Foreign should both be held accountable. 

[connda]

500 THB fine and a hand-slap.  Get serious.  We've heard this before and nothing ever happens in the way of ANY enforcement on the roads.  They don't even have patrol officers in cars pulling people over for moving violations, like failure to yield to an ambulance.  It's just more "blah blah blah" from those who refuse to do anything in their power to solve the problems.

"Blah blah blah," take a picture and publish it in the media, kick the can down the road, place the subject into the memory hole and forget about it.

[DualSportBiker]

Seems like I am the only one who has seen an improvement in how ambulances get through traffic. More cars readily move out of the way than before. It all changed after the story about the driver of a car was blocking the way for an ambulance with his grandmother in. 

Perhaps the effect has worn off, in part or in whole. But, just yesterday I saw an ambulance slice through heavy traffic on Chaeng Wattana because most cars got out the way in time. 

 

The view that Thais will never change is bogus. I've been riding so-called big bikes here for 30 years. Behaviours have changed, but only in the past ten years. Used to be no car would move out of the right lane for bikes, even a huge convoy of obnoxiously bright GS riders would have to undertake. That is no longer the case. I ride alone, and more than 50% of the time cars will move aside. Of those that do, nearly 50% use a signal! Go figure!

For all who think 'Thais will never change' I posit it is you who will not change. You have an opinion and can't entertain the idea of changing it. You might want to look up the implications of low mental plasticity... It's not complimentary :)

[newnative]

500 baht is a total joke.  Add at least two zeros to that figure and apply the fine whether a patient dies or not.  All the fines are ridiculously low and don't serve as any sort of deterrent. 

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

-Do you know who my dad is......

"It’s a wise man that knows his own child…." 😱 

[dlclark97]

Make that initial fine 5,000 thb and they will think about it next time next time a rescue vehicle needs to pass.  Very much agree with far more serious consequences if the patient dies while enroute after being delayed.

[newbee2022]

10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

including the possibility of being charged with manslaughter or intentional homicide.

Not only writing or warn but do it and publish it in all media incl TV

[trainman34014]

Yeah right; and i believe there are Pixies at the bottom of my Garden !

[cjinchiangrai]

I always move over but many do not.

[spidermike007]

10 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

-Do you know who my dad is......

Yes. He is a highly ignorant butt head with more cash than he deserves. And so? 

[SpaceKadet]

On 5/1/2025 at 1:41 PM, PoorSucker said:

Should be like Finland and penalties are based on income.

Notable example is Anders Wiklöf, a Finnish businessman, who was fined €121,000 (approximately $129,544) for speeding

Except that it will not work in Thailand. Vast majority of Thais do not have any income, at least not any that they declare.