The Thai government has ordered stricter nationwide safety measures for school transport vehicles at the start of the new school term, with a focus on vehicle inspections, braking systems and GPS tracking to reduce road accidents involving students.

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Deputy government spokeswoman Lalida Phermsriwatthana said on 18 May 2026 that the government was working with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Transport and related agencies to improve standards for school transport services across the country. The measures are intended to reassure parents and improve road safety during the school reopening period in May.

The Ministry of Transport has instructed the Department of Land Transport to accelerate inspections of school transport vehicles nationwide. Provincial transport offices have been ordered to coordinate closely with schools to ensure vehicles undergo safety checks, particularly on braking systems.

Officials said any vehicle failing to meet safety standards must be repaired before being allowed back into service. The government said the tighter inspections were aimed at improving safety for students and other road users.

The Department of Land Transport has also worked with the Ministry of Education to create a national database of school transport vehicles through the website schoolbussafety.dlt.go.th. Authorities said the database would support supervision and help improve safety standards for school transport services.

The government is also promoting the use of GPS technology to track vehicle locations and monitor driving behaviour. Officials said the system would help improve safety oversight and support safer journeys for students travelling to and from school.

Additional measures include expanded training for drivers and bus attendants on child safety procedures. Authorities are also studying the introduction of dedicated licence plates for school transport vehicles to improve regulation and make them easier for other motorists to identify on the roads.

The government said the proposal could help encourage drivers to take extra caution when travelling near school transport vehicles. Officials also confirmed that the “New Generation Students with Driving Licences” project would continue as part of efforts to promote road discipline and safety awareness among young people.

Amarin reported that the initiative also includes additional safety training for public transport and truck drivers as part of wider road safety improvements. Lalida said the government would continue raising safety standards for school transport through cooperation between all sectors.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 19 May 2026

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A bit late.. the term started last week already. The whole summer break there was time enough to check these vehicles. As the pic shows, how will such cars ever meet security standards. Similar are transporting students like cattle all over Thailand. And that in the 21st century

Better late than never , if they go through with this.

They will never go through with this and we all know it. It also applies to the wearing of helmets which is supposedly a legal requirement.

Never, never, not in a million years.

If they don't enforce the new rules thentheir words mean nothing.

All for show.

How about regulations stating all students must have a seat or even a seatbelt?

This is Thailand, not US, Euro or any other western country. Until you experience living in Thailand, especially as a family, you just haven't got a clue. How are the kids supposed to get to school...all in a/c minibus with seatbelts...come on, grow up. Come up with a solution that won't cost the averge family earning 10k a month with 3 kids anymore..you can't.

You mean they'll actually start caring about things like this.................

8 minutes ago, baansgr said:

This is Thailand, not US, Euro or any other western country. Until you experience living in Thailand, especially as a family, you just haven't got a clue. How are the kids supposed to get to school...all in a/c minibus with seatbelts...come on, grow up. Come up with a solution that won't cost the averge family earning 10k a month with 3 kids anymore..you can't.

The solution is the government pays for it, which shows care for future generations.

This should also be seen in enforcement of traffic laws regarding helmet wearing. If you can afford a scooter, you can afford helmets for everyone on them. A driver following the laws so they don't get a ticket has their children behind or in front of them, or both without one, which also shows uncaring.

Limit on scooter passengers to one.

Age limit enforcement, as many start driving scooters here at 8, which is on the parents first and the police second.

No license or insurance, no driving. A right and not a privilege.

We see from that school bus example how children are being taught even before they reach the school in the morning. Hold on tight kids, save your own life because no one really cares. Not all that surprising how they turn out later. A bus like that goes my my place.

15 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

The solution is the government pays for it, which shows care for future generations.

This should also be seen in enforcement of traffic laws regarding helmet wearing. If you can afford a scooter, you can afford helmets for everyone on them. A driver following the laws so they don't get a ticket has their children behind or in front of them, or both without one, which also shows uncaring.

Limit on scooter passengers to one.

Age limit enforcement, as many start driving scooters here at 8, which is on the parents first and the police second.

No license or insurance, no driving. A right and not a privilege.

Ah, the ole cradle to grave socialist system...that system does not work...so who will pay for these hundreds of thousands ac minbuses?

5 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Ah, the ole cradle to grave socialist system...that system does not work...so who will pay for these hundreds of thousands ac minbuses?

There isn't a need for expensive buses with AC but buses with fans that are safety checked.The trips are short ones.

Again, if there is care, the money will be provided for by those in charge. Either you buy decent buses or see the damage done by allowing children to be passengers in what's used now, including the barbaric practice of allowing them to ride on the tops. This is yet another reason I won't allow my daughter to grow up much longer here.

Edited May 19May 19 by fredwiggy

13 minutes ago, baansgr said:

socialist system...that system does not work...

Until you call the Fire Dept. Unless of course you have forgotten that service is not User Pay.

I think even in the lauded US school buses are funded by tax payers.

Edited May 19May 19 by VocalNeal

7 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

There isn't a need for expensive buses with AC but buses with fans that are safety checked. Again, if there is care, the money will be provided for by those in charge. Either you buy decent buses or see the damage done by allowing children to be passengers in what's used now, including the barbaric practice of allowing them to ride on the tops. This is yet another reason I won't allow my daughter to grow up much longer here.

I understand but if the government is expected to pay, they need to raise taxes, then people will require a higher salary..and so the inflationary wheel begins, it's a downward spiral

2 minutes ago, baansgr said:

I understand but if the government is expected to pay, they need to raise taxes, then people will require a higher salary..and so the inflationary wheel begins, it's a downward spiral

The can put the funds towards helping their citizens instead of buying military things like submarines instead.

51 minutes ago, baansgr said:

This is Thailand, not US, Euro or any other western country. Until you experience living in Thailand, especially as a family, you just haven't got a clue. How are the kids supposed to get to school...all in a/c minibus with seatbelts...come on, grow up. Come up with a solution that won't cost the averge family earning 10k a month with 3 kids anymore..you can't.

What has your post got to do with vehicle maintenance, which is the subject of the article?

It might help if a little common sense was applied, as well as maintenance. A photo I took, where there is zero common sense or safety applied by the school, the driver, the parents, the police for allowing such dangerous and life-threatening behaviour. Not unlike the rail crossing disaster - no concept of danger at all. None.

1 hour ago, Andyfez said:

All for show.

How about regulations stating all students must have a seat or even a seatbelt?

Plenty of western countries school buses packed with kids standing and no seat belts. In Canberra Australia it’s standard practice!

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Until you call the Fire Dept. Unless of course you have forgotten that service is not User Pay.

I think even in the lauded US school buses are funded by tax payers.

It's paid through taxes, it's not free

38 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

What has your post got to do with vehicle maintenance, which is the subject of the article?

Someone suggested a/c buses

33 minutes ago, baansgr said:

It's paid through taxes, it's not free

I was not suggesting any of it was free. But it is socialist. I.E. paid by everyone, for everyone.

You were the one that said socialism doesn't work. But the Fire Dept. does.

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

The solution is the government pays for it, which shows care for future generations.

This should also be seen in enforcement of traffic laws regarding helmet wearing. If you can afford a scooter, you can afford helmets for everyone on them. A driver following the laws so they don't get a ticket has their children behind or in front of them, or both without one, which also shows uncaring.

Limit on scooter passengers to one.

Age limit enforcement, as many start driving scooters here at 8, which is on the parents first and the police second.

No license or insurance, no driving. A right and not a privilege.

You should become a Thai citizen and run for prime minister. Then you can put all your lofty ideas into action. Otherwise, how do you get a government to do the right thing? By writing in a news forum? The same ideas that everyone always writes about? As if some minister is going to read your comment and say "by jove, he's right! let's get cracking!" And all of these problems are magically solved? And then where does the money for enforcement come from? You? A tax on every complaining foreigner? 300 more baht entry tax at the airport that you will then complain about? A tax on every brown envelope?

2 hours ago, baansgr said:

This is Thailand, not US, Euro or any other western country. Until you experience living in Thailand, especially as a family, you just haven't got a clue. How are the kids supposed to get to school...all in a/c minibus with seatbelts...come on, grow up. Come up with a solution that won't cost the averge family earning 10k a month with 3 kids anymore..you can't.

So provide a payment from the gov't to every family where kids use school buses etc/. to support 'bus money' for every uch kid.

And make itcompulsory for the Ed. ministry to order every school to follow a checking mechanism that the every school / bus is monitored to ensure total compliance. and make it compulsory for police to stop school buses and demand that the driver has a current bus license and demand that the attendant shows the full documentation for the bus operation and every child on the bus is listed etc.

Until something like the above is instituted and proves that the matter is within the laws / regulations there's no progress.

5 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You should become a Thai citizen and run for prime minister. Then you can put all your lofty ideas into action. Otherwise, how do you get a government to do the right thing? By writing in a news forum? The same ideas that everyone always writes about? As if some minister is going to read your comment and say "by jove, he's right! let's get cracking!" And all of these problems are magically solved? And then where does the money for enforcement come from? You? A tax on every complaining foreigner? 300 more baht entry tax at the airport that you will then complain about? A tax on every brown envelope?

5 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Most good ideas done here in Thailand originated in the west. A developing nation is behind in many things, and safety is a major one. Complaining is how anything is changed, so it's up to the citizens here to adopt that thinking, actually caring about their children more than now, to get those changes made.

Many just go along with life, thinking they can't change anything, but that's when a group gets together, like they did here many times to protest in Bangkok, to change things that are hurting their own.

I'm not here to try and change anything, as I knew about it decades ago, and know it's up to them. If I continued to live here, and knew my own children might be riding on the tops of a bus, I would drive them to school myself. I know that's not easy for the farming community as they usually go to the farm early and leave the kids behind to fend for themselves, but if you want change, and enough do, you complain. Citizen groups aren't restricted to the west.

Yes, corruption is why some get rich and things aren't done, so that also needs to be changed, as Thailand is a big human trafficking hub where it's citizens, along with neighbors, are used for the profit of some lowlifes, including some officials.

Thais get ideas from foreigners to make their lives better. It's taking longer than it should to change things that are important, even though, like this article, you can see some are trying. It's either that or continue to watch children die on the streets daily, along with being molested in schools.

Edited May 19May 19 by fredwiggy

I see no mention of overloading?

16 minutes ago, Brettoj said:

Plenty of western countries school buses packed with kids standing and no seat belts. In Canberra Australia it’s standard practice!

Exactly, same.UK..profit rules over health

11 minutes ago, scorecard said:

So provide a payment from the gov't to every family where kids use school buses etc/. to support 'bus money' for every uch kid.

And make itcompulsory for the Ed. ministry to order every school to follow a checking mechanism that the every school / bus is monitored to ensure total compliance. and make it compulsory for police to stop school buses and demand that the driver has a current bus license and demand that the attendant shows the full documentation for the bus operation and every child on the bus is listed etc.

Until something like the above is instituted and proves that the matter is within the laws / regulations there's no progress.

There won't be progress, people will still be earning more or less the same in 10/20 years. Not every country has to follow the west. I have 3 kids one at and another just starting university in June... mostly free education courtsey of the Thai education system. There is only limited funds for anything unless you raise taxes...what would you prefer books or transport? At least my kids don't get stabbed or shot in school like the "more civilized west"..

4 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Exactly, same.UK..profit rules over health

There won't be progress, people will still be earning more or less the same in 10/20 years. Not every country has to follow the west. I have 3 kids one at and another just starting university in June... mostly free education courtsey of the Thai education system. There is only limited funds for anything unless you raise taxes...what would you prefer books or transport? At least my kids don't get stabbed or shot in school like the "more civilized west"..

They aren't getting stabbed here besides those 30+ toddlers who were killed a few years ago here, but the percentage of girls who are molested in schools here tops 60%, and the education system is extremely bad, this not only from media but from an English school owner friend of mine here, who said himself I need to bring my daughter to the US for a much better education and life. Children here are passed even if they rarely show up for school. I had 5 children go through schools in different states and none were harmed, and all are doing well in adult life.

I see the school mini buses every morning when I go for my early walk, they're always in a hurry. Many border on driving reckless cutting blind corners and sometimes on the wrong side of the rode. One of the problems is the kids are never waiting out the front. So the schools should instruct the drivers not to wait. So with 12-14 pick ups the bus can be up to one hour late.

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Until you call the Fire Dept. Unless of course you have forgotten that service is not User Pay.

I think even in the lauded US school buses are funded by tax payers.

Taxes are the price of civilization.

They simply have to be able to do better than to treat young students like cattle. The wealth needs to be spread around, and the elites need to develop some consciousness and a sense of responsibility and respect.

22 hours ago, Andyfez said:

All for show.

How about regulations stating all students must have a seat or even a seatbelt?

a seatbelt ..?? who in the system would even be qualified to teach them how to use it ?