Thailand's road crisis is making headlines as civil society groups highlight the grim reality of 40 fatalities daily and losses reaching 600 billion baht annually. These groups are advocating for tough measures against drunk drivers, including vehicle confiscation during the New Year 2026.

 

In the lead-up to the upcoming New Year festivities, civil society networks, including the Foundation Against Drunk Driving, are raising alarm over the surge in road deaths, particularly during the "seven dangerous days."

 

On 22 December 2025, these networks presented a proposal to Mr. Ittiporn Kaewthip, the Attorney General, calling for vehicle confiscation from drunk drivers and tougher penalties for alcohol-related offences. They also demand stricter enforcement against those selling alcohol to minors and a push for legislative changes to increase legal repercussions for dangerous driving.

 

Experts, including Mr. Surasit Silapngam, manager of the Foundation Against Drunk Driving, stress the urgency, citing an annual loss of 500-600 billion baht due to road accidents. Drunk driving is identified as the leading cause. Relaxed alcohol regulations that allow sales until late hours have heightened concerns, potentially increasing road risks. The government’s current stance on alcohol sales presents a challenge amidst efforts to improve road safety.

 

In the future, civil society groups are prepared to back legal actions that treat drunk driving as a serious threat to public safety. They are also calling for widespread public awareness campaigns on the consequences of drunk driving and vehicle confiscation. Proposed amendments to the Traffic Act would impose more severe penalties for drunk driving causing death, ensuring offenders face prison time without probation. Collaborative efforts with both government and private sectors aim to radically reduce road traffic incidents related to alcohol, reported Siam Rath.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

• Civil society groups press for severe measures against drunk drivers, seeking vehicle confiscation and harsher penalties.
• Relaxed alcohol laws may exacerbate road risks during high-traffic periods like the New Year.
• Advocacy for legal amendments and public awareness campaigns aims at long-term road safety.

Related Stories:

Thailand Set to Enforce Stricter Penalties for Drunk Driving

Harsher Penalties for "Drunk Driving and Repeat Offenders" Demanded

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Siam Rath 2025-12-23

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

particularly during the "seven dangerous days."

Here we go again - the bi-annual police overtime bonanza where they sit around playing on their phones whilst ignoring the traffic mayhem yards from their comfort zone.  All the cops you never knew existed, crawl out of the woodwork, blinking at being exposed to sunlight after 50 weeks of A/C shade.

Drunk driving yes, but also speeding, a complete disregard for all road rules and a complete disregard for other road users. 

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Relaxed alcohol regulations that allow sales until late hours have heightened concerns, potentially increasing road risks.

Is 11pm classed as late hours?

No excuses, confiscation of the vehicle there and then if the driver is over the limit. 

Speeding is more often caused by the intoxication of the driver.

 

Policing the roads from a curbside desk doesn't work. Stopping tourists for not having an IDP while driving around the Moat in Chiang Mai doesn't reduce the road carnage. A table set up at 2 AM to check for drunk drivers is a great beginning, but Thailand needs cops with boots on the ground, cops on the roads. THAT is where and how the policing needs to be done, not some corner money-collecting table.

If you really want to save lives, put Police on the streets to stop the lawbreakers as they commit.

Illegal turns, failure to signal a lane change, speeding, jumping red lights, etc., etc., etc.  If the police were serious about saving lives, they would take serious steps to do so. However, if they are just interested in collecting fines, then these roadside tables are the way to do it.
Question: What is Thailand's goal regarding road safety?  Money? Safety? Or just show?

And all because the RTP is never doing anything, not even on the so called dangerous holidays... A real crack down and real heavy fines should help but 365/366 days in a year 24 hours a day.. and not a few hours a day during the dangerous holidays.. Every driver should show a driverslicense and do a drug and alcohol test, and if positive let them wait till they are sober and fine them 10k or more...But most checkpoints are only to see if you paid your tax.. Put a lot of cameras on the busiest road and fine all the racers speeding 3 lines swirling and fine them 25k for dangerous driving.. as taking away the drivers license is impossible. Many don't even have one

The way Thais drive its hard to tell if they are drunk or sober......

This has been discussed for years !!    Nothing will happen, Thais are to lethargic,for anything to happen 

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Drunk driving yes, but also speeding, a complete disregard for all road rules and a complete disregard for other road users. 

 

Consequences of having no active/competent police force in Thailand, and zero concern for safety, the Royal Thai Mafia don't work for the public.

1 hour ago, FolkGuitar said:

If you really want to save lives, put Police on the streets to stop the lawbreakers as they commit.

 

"Police" being the keyword, when the 'Police' break the same road rules and laws as all the other drivers, the mission is lost. I truly believe that the 'Police', along with the typical Thai drivers, have no idea what the road rules/laws are in their own country. In fact, do they even care?

Driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs should be an immediate 12 month bann plus it's found driving whilst banned 3 months in prison. That is the only way to stop this carnage. 

 

sadly, this is getting kind of boring, and really not news, it's everyday life. basically, be extremely careful on and around the roads here because no one except yourself is gong to do anything to reduce the risk of serious injury.  i saw a foreign couple riding a large motorcycle in my area the other day, neither had a helmet, the stupidity was astonishing, i felt like saying something, but in the end of the day, you can't fix stupid.

Not that difficult DUI 12 months ban 

Caught driving again while banned jail & vehicle impounded at drivers cost 

Caught again licence revoked 

There you go Thai government non of this 12 points <deleted> 

 

31 minutes ago, Hardcastle P said:

Driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs should be an immediate 12 month bann plus it's found driving whilst banned 3 months in prison. That is the only way to stop this carnage. 

They will just drive without a license, IF they even had one to start with.....

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Drunk driving yes, but also speeding, a complete disregard for all road rules and a complete disregard for other road users. 

 

here we go again (drunk driving yes)… try saying this to families who have lost loved ones. clearly, you haven’t experienced that yourself!!!

if you have a good character, you don’t drive when you’re drunk. it’s as simple as that ... 

44 minutes ago, phil2407 said:

Not that difficult DUI 12 months ban 

Caught driving again while banned jail & vehicle impounded at drivers cost 

Caught again licence revoked 

There you go Thai government non of this 12 points <deleted> 

 

Impossible.. nobody will enforce the ban and they drive on even without a license.. destroy their vehicle is the bedt option

1 hour ago, motdaeng said:

 

here we go again (drunk driving yes)… try saying this to families who have lost loved ones. clearly, you haven’t experienced that yourself!!!

if you have a good character, you don’t drive when you’re drunk. it’s as simple as that ... 

Steady on there. What I posted is a fact. No need to get your knickers in a knot. Drink driving, speeding and a complete disregard for road rules and other road users contribute to the road toll. Not just drunk driving.

25 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Steady on there. What I posted is a fact. No need to get your knickers in a knot. Drink driving, speeding and a complete disregard for road rules and other road users contribute to the road toll. Not just drunk driving.

what i posted is also a fact ...  

a very good friend (at 17 years old) got killed by a selfish reckless drunk driver at daytime ... i do hate people who think drink driving is ok ...!!!

Even the headline of this thread doesn't compute . . . .

 

Thailand's road deaths are lower than 10 years ago but evenso, at about 18,000 p.a. that's an average of 50 deaths daily. To quote 40 in this context makes no sense. 

 

The 'Seven Dangerous Days' is a misnomer i.e. unless this figure exceeds 350, (heaven forbid), it is clearly NOT above average. However, figures proferred at these times may include only deaths at the scene and exclude later deaths at the Hospitals . . . .

 

I suspect that because of heavy traffic/congestion and slow moving traffic, the rate may not actually be higher over these holiday periods.

 

Use the right figures FGS. And it's an EVERY DAY problem, deaths are mainly motorbikers and their Passengers, (frequently unhelmeted, (83%)).

 

Obviously, the focus should be on the motorbikes !

You can't blame the cops. This is a societal issue, so why should the cops have to play Dutch Boy with their finger in the dike(dyke lol,).  Anyone who has worked for government knows the drill: bigwigs get up and set targets, make promises and dedicate zero resources; instead dumping it on the rank and file to solve.   No workable plan ever, and I mean ever is put forth.  What do they say about success having many fathers but failure is an orphan?  It applies here.  I can't imagine a more demoralising job than being a cop.  

This is not news, it is old information.

 

The problem will never be solved until the Police do their job ....

 

Maybe one day, in the far distant future, the country will have a government and a government bureaucracy which will act in the best interests of the nation and the majority of its citizens .... but most probably Bangkok will be below sea level before that happens.

The penalty for drunk driving isn't that high here. You know what to do Thailand. 

in most cases, its that car and truck drivers never see the motorcycles,

and therefore cut the bike lane

19 hours ago, dinsdale said:

clearly, you haven’t experienced that yourself!!!

One of my best friends was killed by a drunk driver. Don't assume what others have or haven't experienced.

It's noticeable that cops in most (if not all) Western countries are paid a half-decent salary, which, combined with stringent traffic laws, removes, more or less totally, the temptation to accept bribes in the area of road offences.

Especially if you can be prosecuted for attempting to offer a bribe!!

In major Thai cities such as Bangkok they should extend and improve the public transport systems during the festive season. Give a transport alternative  that the party revellers cannot refuse. Just my two cents.  

Unfortunately you could double the pay of the BIB and it would not reduce the inbuilt corruption. It's part of the culture, how else would they pay for their promotions?

If it were all about collecting tea money, we would see a lot more police out there stopping bad drivers.

But where are they? Let's look at the numbers.

At every roadblock set up to catch riders without helmets or IDPs, there are anywhere from 5 to 10 policemen assigned to pulling over riders, checking documents, and collecting fines. There are usually 2-3 roadblocks going on around the city each day. Perhaps more. But the roadblocks are only set up for a couple of hours, not all day.

 

Where are all the cops when they are not manning the roadblocks? 

 

There are several different branches of the Thai police: Tourist police, Highway police, City police, Immigration police, etc. With so many different police protecting us, I'd expect to see at least one or two pulling over reckless drivers on the roads. I've never seen that. Have you? Radar traps, yes. Speed Cameras? Sure. But police with boots on the ground, patrolling to keep drivers safe? I've never seen that. 25 years driving in Thailand, and I think I've only seen one highway police car moving on the road... and that was inside the Old City. He must have been lost.

 

Where are all the cops when they are not manning the roadblocks?

 

19 hours ago, TorquayFan said:

Even the headline of this thread doesn't compute . . . .

 

Thailand's road deaths are lower than 10 years ago but evenso, at about 18,000 p.a. that's an average of 50 deaths daily. To quote 40 in this context makes no sense. 

 

The 'Seven Dangerous Days' is a misnomer i.e. unless this figure exceeds 350, (heaven forbid), it is clearly NOT above average. However, figures proferred at these times may include only deaths at the scene and exclude later deaths at the Hospitals . . . .

 

I suspect that because of heavy traffic/congestion and slow moving traffic, the rate may not actually be higher over these holiday periods.

 

Use the right figures FGS. And it's an EVERY DAY problem, deaths are mainly motorbikers and their Passengers, (frequently unhelmeted, (83%)).

 

Obviously, the focus should be on the motorbikes !

I don’t fault 90% of what you say. Just the final line seems incorrect to me. Motorbike riders often, not always obviously, but often, die because they are hit by cars/pick up trucks.

 

The focus should be on anything that can be driven/ridden.