Report Expat Confusion Grows as Thailand Cracks Down on Helmet Law Violations

[Kerryd]

"Expats" aren't "confused".

The ENTIRE article centered around ONE "expat" who had a "playful argument" with his wife about scooters with side-cars/carts.

Which shouldn't be an argument anyways. If you are supposed to have a motorcycle license to drive it, then you are supposed to wear a helmet while driving it - or riding on it.
Someone in the side-car/cart is NO different than a passenger on the actual scooter.

[Artisi]

16 hours ago, wombat said:

if you're on a bike, other than the town one, you wear a helmet....thats not very hard is it?

 

16 hours ago, wombat said:

if you're on a bike, other than the town one, you wear a helmet....thats not very hard is it?

Even if on the town bike, a helmet on the  hard one might be advisable. 

[smedly]

8 hours ago, Ctkong said:

Bring your own then . Missus brought her own helmet when traveling overseas because of reasons stated above.

great idea 

 

[impulse]

12 hours ago, NanLaew said:

As I already suggested, it's your brain. Use it or lose it.

 

PS: I haven't checked on lazada but, maybe you have a clue, how e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e is a brain?

 

I do use my brain.  So I realize that hopping on a scooter is 20-40x as dangerous per km as sitting in my pickup was. Helmet or no.

 

So I don't accept being lectured by idiots who think a helmet makes them just as safe as me in my pickup with 2 tons of steel and seatbelts.  Or the ones that think their superior riding skills (or a helmet) will protect them from a truck coming at them in the wrong lane.  Or the ones who think a 99 baht BigC plastic POS that the scooter taxis offer me is better than nothing. 

 

So take your condescending attitude elsewhere.

 

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post and a reply has been removed.

[EVENKEEL]

On 5/30/2025 at 4:51 PM, smedly said:

motorbike taxi's are an issue, helmets are an issue due to the quality and cleanliness

 

Then I would suggest taking a cab. 

[smedly]

lets remove the confusion - wearing helmet would have saved  0 lives  in 99.9 % of accidents 

 

 

we have a country that is in denial - yes fatalities on Thai roads  are huge - worst in the world

 

I  can think of 10 things that would reduce the fatality rate and wearing a helmet is not one of the

 

lets start with drunk driving

 

[Artisi]

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

lets remove the confusion - wearing helmet would have saved  0 lives  in 99.9 % of accidents 

 

 

we have a country that is in denial - yes fatalities on Thai roads  are huge - worst in the world

 

I  can think of 10 things that would reduce the fatality rate and wearing a helmet is not one of the

 

lets start with drunk driving

 

How about starting with, can't drive. 

[Grumpy one]

On 5/31/2025 at 7:13 AM, cdemundo said:

Saw that.

I seldom see a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Are they very common?

Are your glasses that dirty ?

[cdemundo]

2 minutes ago, Grumpy one said:

Are your glasses that dirty ?

I'm looking for them now.

I saw one yesterday, an ice cream vendor.

I'll keep looking.

[BenCrew]

I doubt many of the Thais I see riding without a helmet are capable of stumping up a 2,000 Baht on the spot fine. 

I wonder if there are some payment plans in place for those unable to pay. That's a big chunk of your average Thais monthly pay. 

 

(Just noticed the 'up to 2,000 Baht' . So very flexible then. 🙄)

[fredwiggy]

25 minutes ago, smedly said:

lets remove the confusion - wearing helmet would have saved  0 lives  in 99.9 % of accidents 

 

 

we have a country that is in denial - yes fatalities on Thai roads  are huge - worst in the world

 

I  can think of 10 things that would reduce the fatality rate and wearing a helmet is not one of the

 

lets start with drunk driving

 

 

25 minutes ago, smedly said:

lets remove the confusion - wearing helmet would have saved  0 lives  in 99.9 % of accidents 

 

 

we have a country that is in denial - yes fatalities on Thai roads  are huge - worst in the world

 

I  can think of 10 things that would reduce the fatality rate and wearing a helmet is not one of the

 

lets start with drunk driving

 

Head injuries are the cause of most fatalities in motorbike accidents. You can break any bone in your body but hit your head even in a moderate speed accident and you're usually gone, or have brain injuries that can be permanent. Accidents will always happen, especially in country where enforcement is seriously lacking. Drunk driving , speeding and recklessness will also continue, because people plainly don't care about others, and even themselves when driving.

 

Those 10 things you can mention are what could prevent the accidents themselves, which is true, but reducing the fatality rate starts with wearing helmets. Look at stats where accidents on motorbikes happen, and you'll see fatalities are usually from those head injuries. .............https://www.cellinolaw.com/manhattan/motorcycle-accident-lawyer/major-cause-of-death/

[fredwiggy]

14 minutes ago, BenCrew said:

I doubt many of the Thais I see riding without a helmet are capable of stumping up a 2,000 Baht on the spot fine. 

I wonder if there are some payment plans in place for those unable to pay. That's a big chunk of your average Thais monthly pay. 

And wearing a helmet lowers those fines to zero.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I do use my brain.  So I realize that hopping on a scooter is 20-40x as dangerous per km as sitting in my pickup was. Helmet or no.

 

So I don't accept being lectured by idiots who think a helmet makes them just as safe as me in my pickup with 2 tons of steel and seatbelts.  Or the ones that think their superior riding skills (or a helmet) will protect them from a truck coming at them in the wrong lane.  Or the ones who think a 99 baht BigC plastic POS that the scooter taxis offer me is better than nothing. 

 

So take your condescending attitude elsewhere.

 

 

Do you miss your pickup then?

[cdemundo]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

lets remove the confusion - wearing helmet would have saved  0 lives  in 99.9 % of accidents 

 

 

we have a country that is in denial - yes fatalities on Thai roads  are huge - worst in the world

 

I  can think of 10 things that would reduce the fatality rate and wearing a helmet is not one of the

 

lets start with drunk driving

 

Although you seem very confident I think you are wrong.

For example from the US experience with helmet laws: 

 

https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/state/washington/article289278115.html

"National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data suggests universal helmet laws reduce motorcycle fatalities by between 22% and 42%, and brain injuries by between 41% and 69%."

 

[smedly]

31 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Head injuries are the cause of most fatalities in motorbike accidents. You can break any bone in your body but hit your head even in a moderate speed accident and you're usually gone

 

you are not correct but you have to add an element of - what other factors are in play, if you look at most published motorbike fatalities "in Thailand" a helmet would not have saved them, helmets help in low speed impacts - 20kph, think of it this way, would you jump from the 2nd floor of a building (condo) wearing the most expensive helmet you could buy ......head first and expect to survive, I can tell you now you would not survive and that is a 30kph impact.......you would break your neck - yes if lucky to survive you'd have a headache lol

 

I would never say a helmet is not worth wearing and would encourage everyone to wear one but it will only save you in very limited ways - so if that 1 in 100 chance saves you it is worth it, most people die of severe internal trauma in motorbike accidents ...........their head is usually still there

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

 

you are not correct but you have to add an element of - what other factors are in play, if you look at most published motorbike fatalities "in Thailand" a helmet would not have saved them, helmets help in low speed impacts - 20kph, think of it this way, would you jump from the 2nd floor of a building (condo) wearing the most expensive helmet you could buy ......head first and expect to survive, I can tell you now you would not survive and that is a 30kph impact.......you would break your neck - yes if lucky to survive you'd have a headache lol

 

I would never say a helmet is not worth wearing and would encourage everyone to wear one but it will only save you in very limited ways - so if that 1 in 100 chance saves you it is worth it, most people die of severe internal trauma in motorbike accidents ...........their head is usually still there

I am correct. You said 99.9% of lives would not be saved if they were wearing helmets. Fatality stats shows most fatalities happen from head trauma. Helmets help in all crashes. We see pro bike riders crashing at over 100 MPH and live, because they were wearing helmets, as many end up with broken legs, arms etc but live because the head was protected.

 

When a person gets into an accident and flies off the bike, they sometimes hit headfirst on hard objects. Most times they are soaring through the air horizontally and many never hit anything besides scraping along the road. If the head is protected, they stand a good chance of living, with broken limbs and road rash, but living. Yes, they can also hit objects with their bodies and suffer trauma but the stats are there.

 

Many accidents anywhere are at moderate speeds, maybe 15-30mph, and if you hit your head on the pavement you can still die, but if you're wearing a helmet you will likely live, especially if it's a good helmet. Of course if you reduce the amount of accidents by other means you reduce the fatality amount...........................Table 10. Causes of death distribution by gender, age group, riding position and crash
. In this series, young motorcyclist age 15-24 years was the most common
vulnerable group that confronts the fatal accidents (1 in 2 cases). Moreover, haft of the
victims whom found BAC belong to this group. Motorcycling injuries among juvenile
riders have long been identified as a global problem in nearly all developed countries in
the past and traffic-related incidents have contributed to all deaths in children up to the
age of 14 years (6)
. This problem also occurred in developing countries, because of
potential behavior risk factors and the lack of driving experience. For example in India,
Dandona et al. found that risky behavior of rider motorized 2-wheeled vehicles that
potentially contribute to mortality as young riders without license and unhelmeted (9)............Table 10. Causes of death distribution by gender, age group, riding ................
Variables Causes of death χ2 , p-value
Head Multiple Other j
Gender Male 92 65 31 5.747, .057
Female 18 3 5
Age group < 15 5 4 1
6.647, .575
15-24 49 33 14
25-34 36 16 13
35-44 13 6 6
≥ 45 7 9 2
Riding position Rider 92 60 31 0.73, .694
Passenger 18 8 5
Crash type SVC 30 16 5 2.682, .262
MVC 80 52 31
BAC level b Legal level 74 44 15 14.46*, .001
Illegal level 21 22 ..................You can see head injuries, 92, were the highest fatality rate, with bodies following. ..........https://www.theinjurylawyers.com/most-common-cause-of-motorcycle-accidents/

[fredwiggy]

And this added to above...........

Do Nonhelmeted Riders in Comparison With Helmeted Riders Incur Higher or Lower Rates of Lethal Head Injury After a Motorcycle Crash?

The RR of head injury-related mortality was reduced by more than half after the enactment of a helmet law in Texas from 6.8 fatalities to 3.1 fatalities per 10,000 motorcycle registrations^[23] (RR: 2.19, p < 0.05). In Pennsylvania, after the repeal of the helmet law, the head injury-related death rate per 10,000 motorcycle registrations increased by 36.9%^[6] (1.6 to 2.2 fatalities per 10,000 registrations, p < 0.05).

Do Nonhelmeted Riders in Comparison With Helmeted Riders Incur Higher or Lower Rates of Nonlethal Head Injury or Severity of Nonlethal Head Injury After a Motorcycle Crash?

All 25 of the studies that had prevalence of a nonfatal head injury as an outcome had a significantly lower incidence for helmeted riders, after reenactment or before repeal of a helmet law. One of the prospective studies that observed motorcycle riders to determine the incidence of head injury-associated crashes showed that nonhelmeted riders sustained a head injury more than twice the rate of helmeted riders^[1] (4.7% vs. 1.9%). Three studies showed an ORs of a head injury after a crash to vary from 2.3 times to 4.4 times higher for nonhelmeted riders when compared with helmeted riders^[3][4] (p < 0.05). Ouellet and Kasantikul showed an ORs of sustaining a serious injury to be 3.5 times higher (p < 0.05) for nonhelmeted riders.

Retrospective studies confirm the consistent findings of the prospective studies that head injury is uniformly more frequent and more severe when sustaining a crash without a helmet. The magnitude of the increased prevalence of a head injury after a nonhelmeted crash is as high as 4.3 times to a low of 1.7 times higher than after a helmeted crash in nine retrospective cross-sectional studies. However, for severe head injuries, most commonly defined as an Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥2, the magnitude of the estimate is uniformly larger. For three retrospective studies, the ORs of a severe head injury were 18.1 (12.5–25.3), 4.4 (2.58–7.37), and 3.7 (1.9–7.3), respectively.^[13][32][38] Lin et al. showed a 41% increase in trauma-induced brain hemorrhage, including subarachnoid, subdural, and epidural hematomas when a rider was nonhelmeted during a crash.

The case-control studies showed an adjusted OR of 0.26 (0.14–0.48) and 0.41 (0.21–0.81), which represents a significant protective effect of wearing a helmet in reducing the incidence of a head injury after a motorcycle crash.^[26][27] In four retrospective studies in which universal motorcycle helmet laws were enacted, the incidence of nonlethal head injury decreased from 29% to reductions of 63%.

In one study in which the motorcycle law was repealed, the incidence of hospitalizations for head injury increased by 42%, from 15.4 to 21.9 per 10,000 motorcycle registrations (p < 0.05).^[6]

V. Summary

A. The use of motorcycle helmets decreases the overall death rate of motorcycle crashes when compared with nonhelmeted riders.

B. The use of motorcycle helmets decreases the incidence of lethal head injury in motorcycle crashes when compared with nonhelmeted riders.

C. The use of motorcycle helmets decreases the severity of nonlethal head injury in motorcycle crashes when compared with nonhelmeted riders.

D. Mandatory universal helmet laws reduce mortality and head injury in geographical areas with the law when compared with areas without it........https://www.east.org/education-resources/practice-management-guidelines/details/helmet-efficacy-to-reduce-head-injury-and-mortality-in-motorcycle-crashes.

 

.

[kiwikeith]

On 5/31/2025 at 6:15 AM, ikke1959 said:

and how about the RTP themselves?? I see many driving a motorcycle with a baseball cap or another kind of cap... and clear again fines up to 2000 THB.. That will be for foreigners and Thais 300??? and how long will this crack down last?? 1 week?

 

On 5/31/2025 at 6:15 AM, ikke1959 said:

and how about the RTP themselves?? I see many driving a motorcycle with a baseball cap or another kind of cap... and clear again fines up to 2000 THB.. That will be for foreigners and Thais 300??? and how long will this crack down last?? 1 week?

300 would be pocket money 2000 might require a receipt 

[smedly]

21 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

 I am correct. You said 99.9% of lives would not be saved if they were wearing helmets. Fatality stats shows most fatalities happen from head trauma

have you ever actually been to the scene of an accident.....I have......many

 

if you need to be right then you are right....in the simple world you live

 

I am saying "always wear a helmet" , I am also saying that in Thailand wearing a helmet would not ha saved the lives of most reported accidents................ my advice is always wear a helmet but don't expect it to save you when a drunk runs over you.

 

I have a big bike here but I avoid riding it in the early hours

[fredwiggy]

Just now, smedly said:

have you ever actually been to the scene of an accident.....I have......many

 

I am saying "always wear a helmet" , I am also saying that in Thailand wearing a helmet would not ha saved the lives of most reported accidents................ my advice is always wear a helmet but don't expect it to save you when a drunk runs over you.

 

I have a big bike here but I avoid riding it in the early hours

Yes, many times. And I saw people live because they were  wearing a helmet, a couple hitting their heads on a curb. Got up and walked away. Like I said, you can break all your bones but if you hit your head at many speeds, including slow, you can die. 

[smedly]

9 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

And I saw people live because they were  wearing a helmet, a couple hitting their heads on a curb. Got up and walked away

you were right there lol

 

 

 

stop it

[BenCrew]

3 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

And wearing a helmet lowers those fines to zero.

Well  that's just it. They don't wear them. Especially the younger generation. Will the threat of up to a 2,000 Baht fine change that? I'm sceptical.

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, BenCrew said:

Well  that's just it. They don't wear them. Especially the younger generation. Will the threat of up to a 2,000 Baht fine change that? I'm sceptical.

Only if it's enforced and if they had a nationwide computer history of driving offenses would it make those who've paid fines for the first offense think more if the second offense means more cash out. 

[Luuk Chaai]

The authorities are focusing efforts on regions notorious for traffic breaches or mishaps,

 

SO........ in theory ...there should be a cop on every corner

 

in other word biz as usual .. there won't be a local stopped and ticketed

 

[jimn]

On 5/31/2025 at 7:13 AM, cdemundo said:

Saw that.

I seldom see a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Are they very common?

 

On 5/31/2025 at 7:13 AM, cdemundo said:

Saw that.

I seldom see a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Are they very common?

Many of them here in Pattaya. You must live in Nakon Nowhere.

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, smedly said:

have you ever actually been to the scene of an accident.....I have......many

 

if you need to be right then you are right....in the simple world you live

 

I am saying "always wear a helmet" , I am also saying that in Thailand wearing a helmet would not ha saved the lives of most reported accidents................ my advice is always wear a helmet but don't expect it to save you when a drunk runs over you.

 

I have a big bike here but I avoid riding it in the early hours

 

There are no stats for that...  but I think otherwise regarding lives saved.... 

- I 'believe' many lives would be saved by the wearing of proper helmets...   and that not wearing a helmet is the 'single' largest 'killer' of motorcyclists once they are involved in an accident... (no stats though).

 

I like your 'dive head first from the 2nd floor' analogy - but would like to modify it... 

a) Run into a concrete wall as fast as you can with and without a helmet.

b) Ride a bicycle into a concrete wall as fast as you can with and without a helmet.

c) Fall off a chair backwards onto a concrete as fast as you can with and without a helmet.

d) Fall of a 10 foot wall backwards onto a concrete as fast as you can with and without a helmet.

 

The differences we'd see in head injuries and death would be notable....    Obviously, getting hit at 100kmh by a pickup, or run over by a lorry doesn't give much in the favour of odds...  but I'd wager many accidents the final impact speed of the head without a helmet is a major factor in deaths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kwilco]

On 5/31/2025 at 10:16 AM, VBF said:

Yes.

Given that the stupid behaviour of some motorists will continue, anything to reduce injury is better than nothing.

Remember also, that the person knocked off their bike by a drunk driver might not be the one driving badly - other than the lack of a helmet, they could be otherwise innocent. 

 

conversely the motorcyclist may have made a mistake and the drunk driver was driving slowly and ci=orrectly - the problem is that reactions may have been too slow.

[kwilco]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

There are no stats for that

Yes there are - depending on what you mean. Te numbers of deaths reduced by helmet wearing have been well demonstrated.

[kwilco]

Expats in particular are uninformed about helmets - “I’m just going around the corner” is exactly what people say before a crash. Thailand’s roads are unpredictable—potholes, stray dogs, sudden stops. Accidents don’t care how far you’re going. Most accidents occur within 6 km form your home.

Road safety is all about shock absorption
Here’s what a helmet actually does:

• Hard shell spreads the impact.
• Foam liner absorbs shock to protect your brain.
• Chin strap keeps it on your head.
• Visor keeps bugs and debris out of your eyes.

Even at low speed even stationary, a fall can crack your skull. 
 
If the police catch you without a helmet? That’s a fine and a risk to your insurance. But it looks like they still don’t know how to enforce the new regime – they are settting up 93 areas or hots[pots – which means in most places throughout the country thre will be no more enforcement.