Pictures courtesy of Thairath

 

Thailand’s police are intensifying efforts to reduce traffic accidents by launching a nationwide Road Safety Project this Sunday, 1st June, with a focus on strict helmet law enforcement. Offenders will face substantial penalties, with fines reaching up to 2,000 baht, and doubling if a motorcyclist's passenger is not wearing a helmet.

 

Police Lieutenant General Nitithorn Jintakanon, who oversees the Police Education Bureau, shared today that Police General Kraibhun Trawadsong, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, has instructed all police units to implement helmet laws rigorously. This initiative is part of a broader campaign aimed at enhancing traffic discipline and minimising road accidents across Thailand.

 

The project will spotlight high-traffic roads, accident-prone areas, and vicinities near schools and universities, pushing for full adherence to Section 122 of the Land Traffic Act. This law requires that both motorcyclists and their passengers wear helmets at all times for safety.

 

Authorities will target regions with frequent traffic violations, employing educational drives and increased patrols to ensure compliance. The police plan to collaborate with local governments, schools, and private entities to bolster road safety awareness and culture.

 

Pol. Lt. Gen. Nitithorn articulated the initiative's aim: “The goal is to prevent accidents and create a safer environment for everyone on the road. We want all road users to follow the laws and set a good example for future generations.”

 

The Royal Thai Police urges the public to cooperate and report any suspicious activities or incidents through the Traffic Police Hotline at 1197 or the Highway Police Hotline at 1193, available 24/7.

 

As the campaign prepares to launch, officials are delivering a strong message: helmet laws will be strictly enforced, and failure to comply will incur immediate and severe penalties. Motorcyclists and passengers are advised to wear helmets consistently, or risk facing fines that could have significant financial implications.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-05-27

 

 

Be aware they have recently raised the fines  from 500baht to 2000baht     

Pay a percentage of the fines collected to the public that reports violations and you'll see a huge change, but the only problem there is that you'll have to hire thousands of operators to handle the calls. But it will save lives in the long run, especially if you up the fines to repeat offenders. This would require having all drivers on a nationwide computer system like the US.

Is this similar to the campaign to crack down on phone usage while driving.....or driving in the wrong direction?

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

reduce traffic accidents by launching a nationwide Road Safety Project this Sunday, 1st June, with a focus on strict helmet law enforcement

 

So if you don't have a helmet wait until Monday to go anywhere on your motorcycle.

Thai Police Launch Helmet Crackdown to Boost Road Safety

 

Thai police launch revenue collection drive.

There!  Fixed it! 

The quality of the helmets need to be looked at, 

And while the falang is getting fined on Pattaya Beach Road, the regular locals putt by with 4 or 5 aboard, all without lids🙃🙃

Maybe they can start to give a good example and wear a helmet too instead.... I often see policemen on a motorcycle without one

10 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Pay a percentage of the fines collected to the public that reports violations and you'll see a huge change,

Unlikely. And how would that work, video evidence etc? Thais are largely apathetic, don’t like snitching (rightly fear of retribution) and the police wouldn’t have the resources or be bothered even. The helmet hullabaloo comes around regularly, as does the license thing, but rarely makes a dent and people go back to norm. 

12 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Be aware they have recently raised the fines  from 500baht to 2000baht     

 

This should not be the reason for wearing a helmet

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Unlikely. And how would that work, video evidence etc? Thais are largely apathetic, don’t like snitching (rightly fear of retribution) and the police wouldn’t have the resources or be bothered even. The helmet hullabaloo comes around regularly, as does the license thing, but rarely makes a dent and people go back to norm. 

Yes, but the incentive of cash would have many  thinking. People turn in speeders and drunk drivers all the time in the US, when a cop's called and there's one nearby who can catch them in the act. This would work very well for helmets missing too. They don't care about their own neighbors here, as gossip here is a major pastime. Otherwise, yes, this will blow past just like all other ideas that are never enforced.

30 minutes ago, watchcat said:

 

This should not be the reason for wearing a helmet

True, but when you take money from people, especially poor people, it's a lesson. They already know it's against the law not to wear one, but they see others driving past police every day and little is done, especially outside major cities.

It's a good revenue making machine. 

 

This will work very well in tourist areas but will have little to no impact to the remainder of Thailand.

where I live (Samutprakarn), I will still have to avoid helmet-less idiots riding the wrong way while walking on the footpaths.

 

Nice to see that the police in Phuket have just been given a pay rise.

 

To much fuss is  made over helmet laws.

Who cares if they smash there heads open. ( kids should be mandatory at all times. )

They need to tackle the other issues.

Running red lights.

Driving up the carriageway the wrong way.

Speeding.

Drunk driving.

The list goes on.

The helmet crack down is an easy lazy target option.  

 

 

Just now, Bert got kinky said:

where I live (Samutprakarn), I will still have to avoid helmet-less idiots riding the wrong way while walking on the footpaths.

 

A good stiff clothesline will sort that out. 

So a family of 4 on a motorcycle will all require to wear a helmet.

Will NEVER happen, and we all know it.

Seems much about money?  Lower tourist numbers not as many on bikes?

 

I am for safety, but except for children I think wearing a helmet should be discretionary.  If people want to risk their life it is hurting no one but themselves.  Should be up to them.

1 hour ago, watchcat said:

 

This should not be the reason for wearing a helmet

Exactly 

 

Doesn't matter what you show them. They see accidents everyday and still won't change. Can't fix stupid.

12 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Seems much about money?  Lower tourist numbers not as many on bikes?

 

I am for safety, but except for children I think wearing a helmet should be discretionary.  If people want to risk their life it is hurting no one but themselves.  Should be up to them.

 

13 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Seems much about money?  Lower tourist numbers not as many on bikes?

 

I am for safety, but except for children I think wearing a helmet should be discretionary.  If people want to risk their life it is hurting no one but themselves.  Should be up to them.

This isn't the west. If someone, especially a foreigner, bumps a scooter and the person not wearing a helmet is killed the charges would be vehicular manslaughter. Unless there was CCTV it would be a problem for the car's driver.

Gosh, is it that time of year already? 

 

Queue the honest taxi driver next. 

The Helmet Crackdown doesn't save lives. It saves money...

... money that the government has to pay every time someone is sent to the hospital and can't pay the bill!  That includes Thais! A LOT MORE Thais than farang.

Forcing helmet use reduces that cost.

 

If there were a genuine effort made to reduce road injury/fatality, they would put police on the roads to stop the unsafe, reckless driving we see every single day!

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

 

This isn't the west. If someone, especially a foreigner, bumps a scooter and the person not wearing a helmet is killed the charges would be vehicular manslaughter. Unless there was CCTV it would be a problem for the car's driver.

Makes no sense you have a link to the law on that?

 

It really irks me to see these same police standing in front of the schools everyday allowing these kids to ride to school and back without helmets. Even guiding them through the traffic all without helmets. Selective punishment that is especially aimed at foreigners in tourist cities. 

Just now, bkk6060 said:

Makes no sense you have a link to the law on that?

 

It isn't a law. It's just something that happens here, where the locals are favored in accidents without video evidence. I just favor people on motorbikes wearing helmets to protect them and the 2-4 passengers they have.

5 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

The Helmet Crackdown doesn't save lives. It saves money...

... money that the government has to pay every time someone is sent to the hospital and can't pay the bill!  That includes Thais! A LOT MORE Thais than farang.

Forcing helmet use reduces that cost.

 

If there were a genuine effort made to reduce road injury/fatality, they would put police on the roads to stop the unsafe, reckless driving we see every single day!

True, but wearing helmets definitely saves lives. You can break any bones in your body and live but you hit your head, even at moderate speeds, you're usually dead or sustain brain injuries.

13 hours ago, dingdongrb said:

Is this similar to the campaign to crack down on phone usage while driving.....or driving in the wrong direction?

 

I saw a helmetless motorcyclist this morning blow through a STOP sign while staring at his phone in his left hand, this was right in front of a traffic cop.....so I'd say this is nothing more than a photo op for the RTP, no real change will ever happen.

14 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Pay a percentage of the fines collected to the public that reports violations and you'll see a huge change, but the only problem there is that you'll have to hire thousands of operators to handle the calls. But it will save lives in the long run, especially if you up the fines to repeat offenders. This would require having all drivers on a nationwide computer system like the US.

When I drop my son off at school there's thousands on bikes with babies as well, and no helmets. 

Police often controlling the traffic, nothing ever done, can you put helmets on babies? Up to 4 on a bike, no helmet. 

We all know this and we all know it's impossible to enforce. 

Just another tea money exercise. 

These bikes with kid's and no helmets terrify me when driving. 

 

Without bikes to transport Thai people there would be more chaos if they used cars and they probably can't afford them. 

Falungs ignore helmets as well, falung beware from Sunday 

5 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

When I drop my son off at school there's thousands on bikes with babies as well, and no helmets. 

Police often controlling the traffic, nothing ever done, can you put helmets on babies? Up to 4 on a bike, no helmet. 

We all know this and we all know it's impossible to enforce. 

Just another tea money exercise. 

These bikes with kid's and no helmets terrify me when driving. 

 

Without bikes to transport Thai people there would be more chaos if they used cars and they probably can't afford them. 

Falungs ignore helmets as well, falung beware from Sunday 

The laws are already on the book, but they aren't enforced. The lack of care here is astronomical and that won't change anytime soon, or ever. 

 

Like others have mentioned in other posts, a high ranker loses a child or relative it might change things. 

 

Helmets are a cheap way to definitely save lives here. It's up to the people first and not the officials. They wear helmets and abide by that law, they're helping themselves, but the only way this will happen is if it's enforced immediately. No excuses from anyone, as it's already a law. 

 

Poor people lose money it teaches them a lesson, especially after a second offense. If you can afford a motorbike you can afford a helmet. If you wear a helmet just so you aren't fined, and let your children be passengers without one, you plainly don't give a sh*t.