Thailand's Deputy Interior Minister Jesada Thai Seth has met UK Transport Secretary Lilian Greenwood in New York to exchange approaches to cutting road deaths, particularly those involving motorcycles.

The discussion took place while Jesada, also the third deputy interior minister, attended the United Nations High-Level Meeting on Road Safety in New York City on 23 July 2026.

For foreign residents and visitors, the talks come as Thai authorities prepare to expand community road-safety checkpoints ahead of next week's public holiday. Motorcyclists and motorists may see more local monitoring, warnings and enforcement in areas considered high risk.

UK seeks Thai community checkpoint model

According to Jesada, the UK requested the exchange because it remains concerned about motorcycle-crash deaths despite having high road-safety standards.

He outlined three main elements of Thailand's approach: serious enforcement of traffic laws, which he said has contributed to an upward trend in helmet use among both riders and passengers; the widespread use in Thailand of motorcycles with engines of no more than 125cc, which differs from usage patterns in many countries; and the community checkpoint scheme.

Community checkpoints are operated intensively during festivals and long holidays. Local administrative officials, village heads, local government bodies, village health volunteers, civil defence volunteers and members of the public work together at monitoring points.

Their role is to watch road users, issue warnings and promote safety awareness at village and community level. Jesada described the measure as preventive and said it has helped reduce losses in a tangible way.

Warning for visitors renting vehicles

Jesada said road safety could not rely on law enforcement alone and required participation from all sectors. Thailand was ready to share its knowledge and experience with the UK to support United Nations targets for reducing road deaths and injuries, he added.

He also issued a safety message for UK tourists travelling in Thailand, especially those hiring motorcycles or cars for independent trips.

Visitors should study traffic rules and their route before travelling, wear standard safety equipment every time, drive carefully, stay within legal speed limits and avoid driving when physically unfit, he said.

These points apply equally to long-stay foreigners. Those unfamiliar with local roads should take particular care during holiday periods, when traffic volumes rise and local safety operations are stepped up.

Nationwide preparations for long weekend

On returning to Thailand, Jesada said he would immediately accelerate the community checkpoint programme. He has instructed the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, provincial governors, district chiefs and relevant agencies to coordinate with local officials, village leaders, local authorities, village health volunteers, civil defence volunteers and communities.

The aim is to prepare checkpoints covering risk areas nationwide for travel during next week's holiday. The focus will be on monitoring, warnings and safety awareness alongside enforcement.

Jesada said the Interior Ministry would push community checkpoints as a key road-safety measure, aiming to reduce accidents and losses while building confidence among residents and tourists travelling in Thailand.

Picture courtesy of ThaiRath

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25 July 2026

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With the better summers in the UK I expect the number of motorcycle accidents to increase there, particularly where electric bikes, usually moving fast on pedestrian pavements, are involved.

The UK looking to Thailand for road safety advice is like a Michelin-star chef asking me how to boil water.

Change of behavior is a generational thing. If they want quicker improvement carrot/stick is the only way. Pay people to rat on lawbreakers and punish severely those who break it. Can’t see either happening.

The amount of motorcycles in Thailand compared to UK, add the helmets or lack of them. It doesn't take much working out

Much of this problem boils down to a lack of strong enforcement. To many underage drivers and drivers with little or no respect for traffic laws. As well, in some cases, no knowledge of the traffic laws.

For every driver violating a law or procedure, another driver will do the same thing. Then it multiplies. Also, a tourist seeing a violation, will more than likely believe that it is acceptable for them to do the same.

Strong, unrelenting enforcement is required to curb this issue.

That meeting was probably a waste of time

As the majority of Thais on motor bikes don't adhere to the driving and safety rules probably no license and insurance cover plus the Authorities don't enforce the law

Applies to tourists as well

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I did laugh when I saw the headline!

Simple rule as a foreigner if you don't have bike licence in your home country don't hire or ride 1 here (probably applies to bike taxis as well?) your travel insurance will very seldom cover that - as to the Thai riders, no licence, no insurance, no helmets or just for the adult - forgot about the kids need too etc forget it in the next decade or so as PTP just target the foreign for infringements seldom the locals - sad but true! 😔

Edited July 25Jul 25 by phil2407
Pre text

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

He outlined three main elements of Thailand's approach: serious enforcement of traffic laws,

Now that's a good joke if I ever heard one. If there's one thing you'll never see a Thai cop do it's enforcing traffic laws. Seriously how delusional is that guy. Boggles the mind.

It would seem the discussion between Thai and UK officials would deal with all the UK citizens who come to Thailand and THEN get into motorbike accidents or worse.

UK seeks Thai community checkpoint model

Ok, that will go down well in the uk.

Can we then, just pay the cops at the side of the road.

Edited July 25Jul 25 by rocketboy2

Not seeing UK citizen road injuriers & deaths in TH a Thai problem, aside from the not having insurance when the hospital bill needs to be paid.

UK citizens should learn how to drive scooters, be licensed, be insured, and follow Thai driving laws, and they wouldn't be casualties on the TH roads. They seem to do things here, they wouldn't attempt in the UK.

First and foremost, how many licensed to drive a 125cc scooter, experienced & insured, and try wearing a damn helmet.

Roads & scooters don't injure or kill people, people do, and usually their own fault. Sure do read about a lot of single vehicle, MB accidents with 'go fund my stupidity' in the news-blips.

Nuff said

Apparently many expats are blind, as I see more check points in TH, than any place I've ever been in the world. Especially in 'high accident' areas; metros & tourist areas.

The PoPo do an excellent job, with their limited resources. Amazing how some expats complain about all the check points, while others don't seem to notice them, and want more enforcement. I know which ones actually drive on the roads, and which don't.

Edited July 25Jul 25 by KhunLA

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

According to Jesada, the UK requested the exchange because it remains concerned about motorcycle-crash deaths despite having high road-safety standards.

Shouldn't the UK foreign office be issuing a Thailand Scooter Rental travel advisory? Instead of trying to interfere with another countries road safety practices?

Simple enough.

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

UK citizens should learn how to drive scooters, be licensed, be insured, and follow Thai driving laws

Yes just like the Thai's do.

Edited July 25Jul 25 by rocketboy2

^ Maybe that's the problem. Come to Thailand: walk around in beach gear, see locals with no helmets popping down to 7-Eleven on a scooter, taxi/tuk-tuk mafia want exorbitant fees for short local trips. Oh! Never mind I will rent one of those cheap local scooters and act like a local even though I have zero experience. How difficult can it be? I can ride a bicycle. Never mind if my girl friend leans left when I'm trying to turn right, or keeps fidgeting around to take photos while I'm trying to look at my phone on Google maps while completely ignoring traffic or sand on the road?

Edited July 25Jul 25 by VocalNeal

Hmmm.

If hotels have report foreign guests to Imm. If there is an on-line system for doing so how difficult would it be to require motorbike/scooter rental shops to do the same requiring a copy of a foreign driving licence with relevant endorsements. Hotels/restaurants/bars need an operating license why not motorbike rentals?

Or add revenue to rental businesses by have an insurance agent available for mandatory accident insurance. Who can check license for legibility?

You can't travel on a Thai motorbike to Malaysia without relevant insurance and there is a street full of agents who proved said service.

Don't make it too difficult just insurance legal. To avoid GoFundMe stuff.

I suspect it is not a really large problem

Just shows you how dumb the UK government is. The driving test is far more difficult than many other countries yet they seem to want to mess that up.

5 hours ago, Expat68 said:

The amount of motorcycles in Thailand compared to UK, add the helmets or lack of them. It doesn't take much working out

What doesn't take much working out?

3 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

If there's one thing you'll never see a Thai cop do it's enforcing traffic laws.

Nonsense, it happens all the time... I've been on the receiving end of it several times.

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Nonsense, it happens all the time... I've been on the receiving end of it several times.

And the lack of enough enforcement here is why children are driving scooters at 8 years old, with 2 others on the scooter, none wearing helmets, daily, all over Thailand. That 60 or more die daily here, most on scooters without those helmets, also shows a lax in enforcement.

I traveled 30 kilos one day from my house to the nearest big city and counted 45 infractions in those 25 minutes, all of which would have been ticketed in the west, not counting those without licenses, insurance or under age. Passed a checkpoint where a couple were pulled over and 5 sped right past them without a look.

Buses of schoolchildren with up to 12 riding on the top.

People cutting others off, on scooters and vehicles, going into the oncoming lanes to pass.

Illegal u-turns all day long, where many are hit and die.

Speeding right past officers standing on the side of the roads.

Moms driving scooters wearing a helmet, so they don't get a ticket, with 2-3 other children on the scooter, none wearing helmets.

Up to 6 on a scooter, including one holding an infant, none wearing helmets.

Thousands of illegal moves daily and how many are pulled over and ticketed? Mostly in large cities, where most have learned to wear helmets and can't drive as fast as in rural areas. Yes, foreigners do get pulled over, mostly in cities, or at checkpoints, while locals drive on past.

I would have thought advice would have been sought in the opposite direction, if Thailands RTP dealt with traffic offences like the UK police force/courts did, road deaths would lessen significantly in a couple of years.

It is difficult to get away with breaking laws on UK roads, harsh penalties and an active police force help massively.

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Shouldn't the UK foreign office be issuing a Thailand Scooter Rental travel advisory? Instead of trying to interfere with another countries road safety practices?

Simple enough.

The UK is not trying to interfere with Thailand road safety practices - try actually reading the article.

Just now, WHansen said:

I would have thought advice would have been sought in the opposite direction, if Thailands RTP dealt with traffic offences like the UK police force/courts did, road deaths would lessen significantly in a couple of years.

It is difficult to get away with breaking laws on UK roads, harsh penalties and an active police force help massively.

The same with American police. If they enlisted one for each province, they would make millions daily writing tickets, taking illegal drivers off the roads, impounding uninsured vehicles, eventually saving lives. It would put a dent in the poor people's wallets, but in the end, more would be alive.

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Shouldn't the UK foreign office be issuing a Thailand Scooter Rental travel advisory

They do that already... not just for Thailand.

10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

For foreign residents and visitors, the talks come as Thai authorities prepare to expand community road-safety checkpoints ahead of next week's four-day public holiday. Motorcyclists and motorists may see more local monitoring, warnings and enforcement in areas considered high risk.

Checkpoints doesn’t cut it, need to implement an actual a

responsive aggressive on the road patrol enforcement system of proactively citing every single traffic infraction seen by any cop on the roads, lane sloping, speeding, traveling against the frik’n traffic, tailgating, not stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks, failure to use turn signals and everything frik’n else etc, this is the only solution for the ill traffic behavior in th.

36 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What doesn't take much working out?

The number of fatalities

11 minutes ago, novacova said:

speeding,

Mind your own business

11 minutes ago, novacova said:

tailgating

Concentrate on the road in front, not the road behind and/or get out of the way of other road users.

13 minutes ago, novacova said:

failure to use turn signals

I don't drive a Tesla or a BMW.

13 minutes ago, novacova said:

lane sloping

That's a new one for me. 🤔

Edited July 25Jul 25 by VocalNeal

The only contribution Thailand has to offer other countries in terms of road safety,especially motorcycles, is as an example of everything NOT to do ! ☠️ 😱

18 minutes ago, novacova said:

lane sloping

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

That's a new one for me. 🤔

One of the predominant causes of traffic accidents in th, stay in your frik’n lane!

6 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Mind your own business

6 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Concentrate on the road in front, not the road behind and/or get out of the way of other road users.

Is this what you’ll do when you get rear-ended by a speeding halfwit?

24 minutes ago, novacova said:

failure to use turn signals

10 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

I don't drive a Tesla or a BMW.

If and when you turn into and nail a motorcycle, then thereafter you will faithfully be using your turn signals.