Thai lawyer Ratchaphon Sirisakorn has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to seek a Constitutional Court ruling on a measure that would withhold annual vehicle tax stickers from motorists with unpaid traffic-ticket fines.

He submitted the request at the Ombudsman's Office at the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road on 31 July 2026, also urging the Ombudsman to recommend delaying a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, involving the Transport Ministry, Royal Thai Police and Department of Land Transport.

Challenge over car tax and traffic fines

Ratchaphon said the arrangement stems from an amendment to Section 141/1 of the Road Traffic Act, announced in 2017 and in force since 21 June that year. Its principle is that people who do not pay ticket fines will not receive a vehicle tax sticker.

He argued that a motorist who has paid the annual vehicle tax should receive the sticker, while traffic fines should be dealt with separately. In his view, police already have the power to bring unpaid-fine cases before a court rather than use the car tax process as leverage.

"Officials must take the case to court, not force the withholding of a tax sticker," he said, describing the measure as akin to "hitting below the belt".

Ratchaphon said the approach could conflict with Section 26 of the Constitution, which requires laws to respect the rule of law and restricts the removal of public rights. He warned against a wider expansion of such measures, suggesting it could lead to people being denied welfare cards, driving licences or identity cards.

He stressed that his complaint was not intended to help people avoid legitimate fines. Changing the law would require action at Act level, he said, and could not be done simply by the minister, police or Land Transport Department.

Ratchaphon noted that motorists can submit written objections to a ticket. If officials maintain that action should proceed after an objection, he said the person must pay the fine.

He said he had 60 days to submit the matter through the Ombudsman before it could go to the Constitutional Court. If the court finds the provision unconstitutional, it could no longer be enforced; if the MOU is not delayed, he said, authorities would continue enforcing it under the law.

Lawyer urges drivers to settle valid tickets

Ratchaphon urged people with tickets to consider whether they had actually committed the offence. He cited camera-issued tickets for speeding and crossing solid road lines as cases where the evidence can be clear.

Some motorists have 40 to 50 outstanding tickets, he said. Those who have genuinely broken traffic rules should pay, he added, because violations can inconvenience or endanger others.

He questioned why the tax sticker measure was needed when prosecutors can already take non-payment cases to court. He also said previous schemes allowing motorists with large fine debts to clear them at reduced rates, combined with training, had been a constructive approach.

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Join the discussion?

2 August 2026

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The only thing that needs to be done is enforcement. But there are no enforcements of any laws in Thailand. If you get fined you pay within a certain period, if not the fine will go up and even than no payment the police will come at your door and let you pay immediately or they confiscate your vehicle. They can come at any time of the day. In my country they do the same. Police can come form 6 o clock in the morning till late at night, 7 days a week to get the fines paid. If not than confiscate the vehicle or they take you to the police station until you someone paid the fine.

Of course tax must be paid as well so no need to go to court with this petition, Paying your tax is not the same as paying your fines

I knew someone who had more than 10k of fines, but she did not care and would not pay it and was not afraid to go to a checkpoint too. Indeed a checkpoint only checks if you pay tax not if you have a driverslicense, have been drinking, or if you have unpaid fines... This is Thailand, and it is a pity that especially the locals can get away with everything. In that case I am always surprised that I hear that the police would not fine poor people with 2000THB for not wearing a helmet, as they can't pay the fine, as an excuse..... My answer is very simple.. If they buy or wear their helmets they don't need to pay anything!!!!!!.

in thailand, there are probably just as many laws as, or even more than, in many western countries.

the problem isn't the laws themselves, it's the lack of enforcement. laws are meaningless if they aren't enforced, and that still is the major issue in thailand ...

And then there is this from 2024.

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/dlt-orders-thai-court-to-issue-vehicle-tax-sticker-to-driver

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

The only thing that needs to be done is enforcement. But there are no enforcements of any laws in Thailand. If you get fined you pay within a certain period, if not the fine will go up and even than no payment the police will come at your door and let you pay immediately or they confiscate your vehicle

One of the many problems with this idea is that the names on the vehicle books may well not be the owner or who was driving.

Also, there will be many of the books still with the finance companies.

Whenever i get bills sent to my house i throw them straight in the bin, at a guess i would say i've done this with more that 500 tickets.

I got pulled over a couple of weeks ago at the side of the road and they printed my a piece of paper with a QR code which upon scanning i paid the 500 penalty, this is a much better approach for them but.....requires check points.

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

...there are no enforcements of any laws in Thailand...

More complete Thai-bashing nonsense, do you never read news reports?

10 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Whenever i get bills sent to my house i throw them straight in the bin, at a guess i would say i've done this with more that 500 tickets.

Wow, maybe you should be banned from the roads as you clearly are a danger.

I drive cars and bikes in Thailand for over 30 years, and have been all over Thailand with it, I have received ONE ticket in all that time, and that was for crossing a white line when exiting a highway

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

This is Thailand, and it is a pity that especially the locals can get away with everything

Yet more Thai (police and authority)-bashing, completely false nonsense. Thais breaking the law do not, in any way, "get away with everything".

1 hour ago, PJ71 said:

One of the many problems with this idea is that the names on the vehicle books may well not be the owner or who was driving.

Also, there will be many of the books still with the finance companies.

Whenever i get bills sent to my house i throw them straight in the bin, at a guess i would say i've done this with more that 500 tickets.

I got pulled over a couple of weeks ago at the side of the road and they printed my a piece of paper with a QR code which upon scanning i paid the 500 penalty, this is a much better approach for them but.....requires check points.

That is a problem indeed, registrations. As i said many times people should be registered on the real adress they live and not in the blue book. In fact it does not matter who drives. The owner of the car should get the money back from the driver, if he was not driving. And the owner can refuse to let driver use the car again before he is repaid

50 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yet more Thai (police and authority)-bashing, completely false nonsense. Thais breaking the law do not, in any way, "get away with everything".

Hoe many people are being fined for vaping with 10 k or more? Just an example and same for driving without helmets.... You know but you just dont like that the truth is hurting

Edited August 2Aug 2 by ikke1959

9 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Wow, maybe you should be banned from the roads as you clearly are a danger.

I drive cars and bikes in Thailand for over 30 years, and have been all over Thailand with it, I have received ONE ticket in all that time, and that was for crossing a white line when exiting a highway

It's mainly for not realising where the limit's change from 120 - 90.

Oh, and for going 140-150kmph most of the time.

8 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

The owner of the car should get the money back from the driver, if he was not driving. And the owner can refuse to let driver use the car again before he is repaid

Yeah, but that'll never happen.

Thai with names for vehicles / land / apts / water and electric meters / phone registrations / loans and numerous other things is a complete mess throughout the country.

20 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Hoe many people are being fined for vaping with 10 k or more? Just an example and same for driving without helmets.... You know but you just dont like that the truth is hurting

Thank you for confirming the Thais are not being permitted "to get away with everything", as you initially ridiculously claimed.

"...you just dont like that the truth is hurting..."

The truth about Thais being prosecuted for many crimes on a daily basis, as reported everywhere in the Thai press and media, it does not hurt me one iota.