Is It Illegal To Drive With Headlights On In Daytime?

[rigpigonjuice]

I got stopped today at a toll booth in BKK. The copper told my girlfriend that it was illegal and dangerous to have my headlights on during the day. He wanted 500 baht and I refused. I have a Thai DL and told him I will go and pay ticket at the station. he finally realized that I was not going to pay, and he gave my DL back and told me to turn off my lights. This has really burned my ass, in this true? I have a hard time believing that the Thai government is this Fuc_in stupid....Please enlighten me.

Thanks... Rigpig

[madjbs]

I don't know about the law here but it is true that many motorcyclists in western countries believe it puts motorcyclists at risk if cars drive with lights on during the day. It is for this reason that there has been a number of protests when governments have tried to introduce laws to make car drivers use lights during the day.

Edited March 22, 2008 by madjbs

[macduff]

I don't know about the law here but it is true that many motorcyclists in western countries believe it puts motorcyclists at risk if cars drive with lights on during the day. It is for this reason that there has been a number of protests when governments have tried to introduce laws to make car drivers use lights during the day.

Not many volvo's in thai then

[madjbs]

Volvo don't make all their cars with daytime running lights. Only ones that are going to be sold where it is the law, and I think sweden is one?

[teej]

Law in Sweden is lights on all of the time, day or night.

I drive here in LOS with my lights on, have never been stopped for it (but have had many toll booth/mall cashiers say, "your lights are on" and look confused when i say "i know."

I tend to agree with the Swedes that driving with lights on during the day is added safety value. Swedes are a smart people....

I'd also like to know the real law in LOS just for reference.

To the OP, did the cop see you were a farang and then pull you over? Or do you have tinted widows? What kind of car were you driving?

[wilko]

It might be illegal in the day but I'm pretty sure it's illegal at night....especially on old vehicles

[wilko]

but seriously.....I saw on TV once that it was illegal in Cambodia....maybe that is the case here....if so it is obviously just beyond the pale. I'm sick to death of the way drivers in Thailand refuse to turn on their lights until it's practically pitch dark.

[mikethevigoman]

I got stopped today at a toll booth in BKK. The copper told my girlfriend that it was illegal and dangerous to have my headlights on during the day. He wanted 500 baht and I refused. I have a Thai DL and told him I will go and pay ticket at the station. he finally realized that I was not going to pay, and he gave my DL back and told me to turn off my lights. This has really burned my ass, in this true? I have a hard time believing that the Thai government is this Fuc_in stupid....Please enlighten me.

Thanks... Rigpig

Dont all new motorcycles in thailand come with the lights on permanently now ? if so id assume it wasnt illegal, then again ,TIT !

[mikethevigoman]

but seriously.....I saw on TV once that it was illegal in Cambodia....maybe that is the case here....if so it is obviously just beyond the pale. I'm sick to death of the way drivers in Thailand refuse to turn on their lights until it's practically pitch dark.

Correct about no lights allowed in the daytime in Cambodia, at night however having none is not illegal !

[Mobi]

If it is illegal, what happens when there is a heavy storm and the light is almost non existent? I have found that most, but not all, drivers switch their lights on. So is everyone breaking the law?

I would be most interested if anyone can find out the vehicle lights law in Thailand.

As an aside, I was once stopped at a toll booth by a cop who told me my number plate was too small. I refused to pay his "fine" as didn't believe him. He gave me a ticket and I went to the police station and had to pay 800 Baht - they wouldn't accept they were wrong. Nine months later I went to have the car taxed, and I asked the official to inspect my number plate. He told me it was the right size and the cop was just after money. Maybe it's the same with this daytime lights b.shh..t

[jdinasia]

Ok .. I have to admit I do not know the law regarding cars and lights during the day!

That being said. I lived in HuaHin when I first moved here and it was (at first) illegal to have your motorcycle lights on during the day, Then it changed and was illegal NOT to have your lights on during the day.

I was never fined for using my lights during the day and never turned them off. My opinion is that anything that makes a bike more visible is a good thing safety wise.

[BigSnake]

A new one to me. Sound likes Bull, did he ask for cash

[indothai]

Can anyone actually post a photocopy/scan that it is illegal to drive with headlights on in Thailand?

People telling you that your lights are on are probably just "informing" you so you wouldn't run the batteries down when you go park the car. Cops that stop you are probably just opportunists.

Most newer cars now-a-days have lights that would come on automatically. I think DRL's (Day Time Running Lights), are much safer than not.

My lights come on automatically. I find it safer this way... saved me from a few fender benders when parking in a low lighted parking garage.

Just my 2 satangs.

[bazmlb]

It is illegal for vehicles to drive during the day with them on unless its raining then they must be turned.

Only emergency vehicles and motor cycles are allowed to have them on during dry conditions during the day.

[Thaiboxer]

It's also illegal not to drive on the footpath or not to be under the influence of "ya baa" (amphetamines). If you turn your lights on, they must be so bright that drivers 10 km's away are blinded.

Seriously, that cop was just another badged dirtbag after money. There are signs in the US that say "Lights On For Safety", so having daytime running lights is a good deal. I turn mine on well before it's pitch dark, but many do not. Once in a while, you'll see a rear reflector swinging from side to side and realize it's an elephant's tail. The things you see on roads here are interesting.

[MarcoH]

It is illegal for vehicles to drive during the day with them on unless its raining then they must be turned.

Only emergency vehicles and motor cycles are allowed to have them on during dry conditions during the day.

I would like to see that part of LAW for cars as i never been told or said anything even been stopped in BKK, pattaya or any where while driving my chevy.

For Motor cycles or big bikes it's mandatry now days, even my beemer, cant be turned off headlights at all.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello.

During daytime, where please is the "safety" advantage when having the lights "on" all the time? Specially in Thailand where nobody knows or cares to set them correctly and they blind everyone.

I think that "law" to have them on all the time is sponsored by the industry - you need four times as many lightbulbs (and man hours to replace them - some cars are next to impossible to DIY such as new Beetle) and it wastes gas, too.

By the way i HAVE a Volvo and it's lights can be turned "off" normally.

Best regards....

Thanh

[Farma]

These are the only references to lights I could find in a quick glance at http://www.geocities.com/bkkriders/law/landtraffic.html#17

Land Traffic Act

B.E. 2522 (1979)

Section 11 (500B)

[if it gets dark and you cannot see clearly more than 150m, you must turn on the headlight.]

Section 61 (500B)

[if it's dark and the vehicle parked cannot be seen clearly from a distance of 150m, the driver must turn on parking lights.]

[Rdrokit]

It is illegal for vehicles to drive during the day with them on unless its raining then they must be turned.

Only emergency vehicles and motor cycles are allowed to have them on during dry conditions during the day.

I agree with Baz. There may not be a written law but this is what is enforced. When I first came to live in Thailand I was driving with my lights on and my wife told me to turn them off as the only cars that were allowed to run with headlights on in the daytime are VIP motorcades and emergency vehicles. The only exception I know of is if it is raining, then it is OK to turn on your headlights.

[Priceless]

Hello.

During daytime, where please is the "safety" advantage when having the lights "on" all the time? Specially in Thailand where nobody knows or cares to set them correctly and they blind everyone.

I think that "law" to have them on all the time is sponsored by the industry - you need four times as many lightbulbs (and man hours to replace them - some cars are next to impossible to DIY such as new Beetle) and it wastes gas, too.

By the way i HAVE a Volvo and it's lights can be turned "off" normally.

Best regards....

Thanh

In the land of the Volvo (Sweden) it is certainly illegal to drive at any time without your headlights on (the fine is 3,000 SEK, about 15,000 baht). Many people only think of lights in terms of seeing, but the important thing here is being seen. This is much facilitated by having your lights on. Before the law was introduced in Sweden, there was extensive testing. E.g. all military vehicles were required to have their lights on during daytime, for a couple of years (I think from 1964). The accident frequency went down considerably during that test period.

Having your headlights (low beam, of course) on during daylight was recommended for all drivers from 1967 and became law in 1977.

/ Priceless

[jackspratt]

I think that "law" to have them on all the time is sponsored by the industry - you need four times as many lightbulbs (and man hours to replace them - some cars are next to impossible to DIY such as new Beetle) and it wastes gas, too.

Thanh

Even if correct, I imagine the "gas" "wasted" would probably amount to a litre or two per year. Hardly a good trade off against the safety factor in having the lights on.

But I guess that must explain why many motorbikes, and some cars, refuse to turn their lights on even at night.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Don't worry about ME having the lights on when required - i certainly do, "always" with the bike and whenever it's dark with the car. However it has been found that having the lights on is more like 1 Liter per 200 Kilometers..... and i certainly drive more than that per year. I have never compared it with my own car, but you can hear that the engine has to work more - when i turn the lights on, the rpm goes down for a moment. And that's a 2 liter engine, the smaller the engine the more power, in relation to overall power available, the lights take away (them being the second-most power-hungry electrical devices in a car - the first being the rear-window heater if available, and not counting custom stereo setups).

And again i don't see it an advantage even in "being seen" when driving around by daylight with the lights on. If someone doesn't see an oncoming car in sunshine, that person has to be attached to a leash with a guard dog on the other end - and certainly not sit in the driver's seat of a vehicle! In Scandinavian countries this may make sense (lots of forest, foggy weather etc) but certainly not HERE.

Then if all the cars have their lights on for "safety", what to do with the motorbikes? Oh yeah, i got it - mandatory always-on horn

Best regards.....

Thanh

[rigpigonjuice]

I am from Canada, and daytime running lights are standard equipment on all new cars. It has been proven that using your headlights in the day time is safer. The highways system in Canada is nothing like the roads here in Thailand. If it is a little safer in Canada, then it is a lot safer here.

For example, the U-turn lanes on the highways. I have seen many accidents involving cars pulling into the way of on coming traffic. Why do you think drivers flash there lights when they see cars getting ready to U-turn. TO BE SEEN If everyone drove with there lights on, maybe it would save a life.

To me it is common sense to drive with my headlights on. I am not worried about diesel consumption, with the extra strain on the electrical system. I will continue to drive with my headlights on, even if it is not the norm here in Thailand.

Edited March 26, 2008 by rigpigonjuice

[indothai]

These are the only references to lights I could find in a quick glance at http://www.geocities.com/bkkriders/law/landtraffic.html#17

Land Traffic Act

B.E. 2522 (1979)

Section 11 (500B)

[if it gets dark and you cannot see clearly more than 150m, you must turn on the headlight.]

Section 61 (500B)

[if it's dark and the vehicle parked cannot be seen clearly from a distance of 150m, the driver must turn on parking lights.]

Very specifically those sections does not say that it is illegal to drive with headlights on in daytime.

FYI: If you are driving with your headlights on in daytime, please be aware, when entering a military controlled area (Convention Hall, Palace, any where with military guarding the gates) turn off your headlights, even at night, when approching the gates with military guards. There are signs upon approaching (in Thai) instructing drivers to do so.

[indothai]

It is illegal for vehicles to drive during the day with them on unless its raining then they must be turned.

Only emergency vehicles and motor cycles are allowed to have them on during dry conditions during the day.

I agree with Baz. There may not be a written law but this is what is enforced. When I first came to live in Thailand I was driving with my lights on and my wife told me to turn them off as the only cars that were allowed to run with headlights on in the daytime are VIP motorcades and emergency vehicles. The only exception I know of is if it is raining, then it is OK to turn on your headlights.

I was politely told to turn off my headlights by the traffic police because VIP was going to pass, at the time I was the first car in front. Behind me, there were cars with lights on and they were NOT told to turn their lights off. I was politely told to turn off lights along with a bunch of other motorcycle riders in the front.

VIP passing would be an "unspoken" rule to turn OFF your headlights.

[Basecamp]

As I recall it became mandetory in Canada in 1989 that all new car's lights were on while in drive. In the US, the law came into effect in 1997 I think.

[peter991]

In Farangland, the only lights permitted are WHITE at the front (headlights) and RED at the rear (brake/stop lights and tail lights), plus AMBER indicators on the front, rear and sides.

In Thailand I never cease to be amazed at the number of coloured lights on vehicles. I really like those blue lights under cars (and motorcycles - highly illegal here.

Peter

[ratcatcher]

In Farangland, the only lights permitted are WHITE at the front (headlights) and RED at the rear (brake/stop lights and tail lights), plus AMBER indicators on the front, rear and sides.

In Thailand I never cease to be amazed at the number of coloured lights on vehicles. I really like those blue lights under cars (and motorcycles - highly illegal here.

Peter

Some people, Thais and westerners ,love to dress up their cars like Christmas trees. I have seen motorcycles with a green taillight, a red headlight and blue flashing lights under the frame. Some cars have flashing blue lights on the hood and mirrors......soo cool!

Some Thais are just too poor and dare I say, stupid, to replace burned out bulbs. Some of the most dangerous vehicles are the motorcycle utility jobs with a truckload of scrap cardboard piled so high in front that the driver has to stand up to see where he's going...... and no lights at all.

Makes for interesting driving.

Edited March 27, 2008 by ratcatcher

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

The best in that aspect must be those "factory buses" with their hundreds of front and tail lights in all sorts of colours. Also taxis with a minimum of 5 additional brake lights that not only shine in every colour imaginable but also flash, run from left to right and make other effects.

Oh and i'm not much better My motorbike got an additional blue LED brake light (right below the original one - in case the bulb burns out i've got a "backup"), then there's two red LED's below the license plate (again for backup purpose - two small red spots is better than no tail light at all, should the bulb burn out), two red LED's on each side in the rear of the bike, not covered by my legs when riding (or a passenger's legs) so the blind ones can see me crossing an intersection, and in the front i've got two additional headlights in the "bull bar", outfitted with "angel eyes" (those light rings like some BMW's have around their headlights) in blue (always on when the ignition is on) and blue LED bulbs working as additional indicators.

Apart from the looks, it has a safety effect - the more lights you got on your vehicle (specially motorbike!) the easier even Fortuner-drivers can spot you if they are not too distracted by their phone conversation or the soap on the dash-mounted TV.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[mortenaa]

And again i don't see it an advantage even in "being seen" when driving around by daylight with the lights on. If someone doesn't see an oncoming car in sunshine, that person has to be attached to a leash with a guard dog on the other end - and certainly not sit in the driver's seat of a vehicle! In Scandinavian countries this may make sense (lots of forest, foggy weather etc) but certainly not HERE.

Then if all the cars have their lights on for "safety", what to do with the motorbikes? Oh yeah, i got it - mandatory always-on horn

I strongly disagree with you. Coming from a scandinavian country where all cars drive with lights on, i really know the advantage of this. Its a lot easier while driving to spot other moving vehicles if they have the lights on. And this is something that make the overview of the traffic a lot better.

In Norway, you can't turn off the headlights while the ignition is on.