New Helmet Law - Breaking News

[petedk]

It's like every other law passed in Thailand. The police will probably make crackdowns for a few days and after that everything will be back to normal (in other words ... no enforcement).

[baabaabobo]

Edited April 23, 2008 by baabaabobo

[poolie]

What does this mean then? If you're in Bangkok and you get a motorcycle taxi, the driver is supposed to provide his fare paying customer with a helmet? If he doesn't then he is responsible for paying the double fine 1000 baht! Yeh right! If it does take off then I can see the driver paying little or nothing and me getting hassled for some sort of contribution!

[Scott]

My pet peeve is people putting the helmet on but not buckling it up...this should be against the law. The police here in BKK ride like this all the time. This should be regarded the same way as not wearing a helmet at all.

It won't, I am sure, apply to sois and small roads etc. etc. and then it will be pretty much ignored all together.

As for driving the wrong way in traffic, I am sure that will be OK if you aren't going very far!

[mijan24]

Int Std Helmets ex Thailand:

http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11242886/Mo...le_Helmets.html

[Tony Clifton]

further to the OP

1) No helmet in Thailand that is sold meets International Standard, to purchase an international standard helmet will set you back around 10,000 THB MIN, unless they start to mass produce these helmets in Thailand

2) So now the law stats passengers must also where helmets? and only 2 people to a bike. This is international standard, but they forgot to add in driver must be older the 16 years old, and pillion passenger must be over the age of 12....... ( maybe they will pass this soon )

2) Drivers driving on the wrong side of the road.... this is a major issue, and i see this every day... but can they also ensure they enforce thuis one the highways for cars and trucks who seem oblivous to the law and will drive up the wrong way!

3) No lights... another good law to inforce, also cars that drive with one headlight only

Thats it for now

over and out

Yeah, another bit of humour for the punters. If the new fine is 500 does that mean everyone now has to pay 250 cash no ticket instead of 200?

The policeman outside my kids school watches underage, unlicenced, helmetless, mobile chatting or breakfast eating riders everyday without a comment. Is this about to change then?

And most schools are even dumber letting underage kids come and go on m'cycles and without helmets. Education?

[phetpeter]

There you got mandate every school not to allow the motorcycles to leave school if they are not wearing a crash hemlet or there are more then two on the bike, do monthly checks on lights, tyres etc and licence checks. Perhaps use one period all bikes to be lined up and checked using M6 students trained to check the bikes. Use vol police at each school. Surely the education should start at the schools. and in time it will get better.

I believe in US you have driver ed? wot ever that is, bring it in Thailand schools could issuse temp liences to student and their bikes, revoke if there are failings etc etc blah blah blah.......

[Scott]

How about having the police do their job and pick up violators. Schools shouldn't be responsible for this sort of thing--it's a legal problem.

One of the difficulties in Thailand is that responsibility is so diffused over such a large number of agencies and people that whenever something happens everyone can just say, or I thought 'they' were doing it.

We occasionally call the parents when kids are 'breaking the law', but this is usually to no avail because they have sent their unlicensed child to school, driving a car or motorbike. We wouldn't even know, except that when you see one of them trying to get through the parking lot or park the vehicle, it's pretty obvious they have no clue what they are doing and are dangerous.

[tourleadersi]

Would be good to see them enforcing the overuse of the 'emergency or plan B' lane, more commonly known to us farang as the pavement or sidewalk. Recently I sat in my car in the usual rush hour traffic. The cars/buses had blocked the way through for the motorbikes so they moved up onto the pavement. Pedestrians were forced into shop entrances and stood there for a full 5 minutes as a constant stream of motorbikes raced past.

Snipers posted at certain junctions would soon get things under control and would be fun too! Forget the 'war on drugs' lets go for the 'war on no law'! Jeeehhaa! Could rent out the sniper positions to big game hunters for that 'ultimate trophy'. The money could go into the public coffers to help victims of drunk drivers. Man, how many cups of coffee have I had this morning??? Sorry, this caffeine buzz puppy is going for a little liedown.

[tartempion]

Even if it is enforced (which is unlikely) it will only apply to Bangkok.

The rest of Thailand will carry on, as before.

Udon Thani has daily MIB checks at selected cross-roads.

Average 10 cops in all directions stop 80% of the bikers (unless to many of them are passing by)

Checking helmet wearing, drivers license and lights on.

I don't think it's done for security reasons but collecting bonusses.

At night 10% has no red back light and they usually carry 3 to 5 people on a bike, many underage drivers.

The cops don't care, road safety is not their mission.

[mistresserika]

Police to be tougher on motorcyclists

(BangkokPost.com) –The police have renewed efforts to get tough on motorcycles and passengers riding pillion who fail to wear safety helmets.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau said motorcyclists who fail to abide by safety regulations will immediately face a 500 baht fine. The fine will be doubled if passengers riding pillion are not wearing a helmet. Police warned the helmet must also be up to internationally accepted standard.

They're also keeping a close eye on motorcyclists who fail to respect traffic regulations especially those who make a habit out of riding against the traffic flow.

A motorcyclist with more than one passenger riding pillion will have to answer to the police as will those who fail to stop at marked areas at traffic lights.

***************

So it means all those 99baht plastic helmets like nearly everyone wears are now illegal...everyone has to buy one to International standards whatever that is AND have another one for a passenger...AND no more than 2 people on a bike!!!!!!!!

That'll be a joke here on Samui.

Read again, the article is about Bangkok.

Don't know about Surat Thani, but most provinces in Thailand do not have helmet laws. Last I checked only 17 provinces did, plus Bangkok of course.

I didn't realise that Thai laws are different in each province, must be like the US then.

In England, as far as I know, the same laws apply throughout.

Guess next time I drive from Had Yai to Udon I will need a law reader with me, to give a running commentary as to the laws in each province I drive through.

[britmaveric]

Helmet law??? In thailand?? Will enforce it??? :D :D

[Samuian]

seems like the enforcement of certain laws depends on who is in the chair of the provincial/local chief!

Here on Samui it is occasionally enforced, usually around payday (15th and 30/31st), at lunchtime!

On the mainland, Suratthani, it seems to be much stricter, hardly see ever anybody without a helmet, even buckled up in the cars!

[Tammi]

A poster wrote a while ago about being amazed by the airbags shaped like small children that Thai motorcyclists use.

[sabaijai]

I do believed helmet laws have been around for a long time. Accept that it is not fully enforced across all provinces. The article is indeed originating from Bangkok and that is where they will commence the enforcement and increment in fines. However, how soon it will affect other provinces upcountry, (the enforcement) is yet to be seen. I have personnally been booked on several occassions in Udon Thani , and just only last week, been booked in Nongkhai Bht 200 each time with a proper receipt.

A majority of provinces are 100% exempt from all helmet laws. I've seen the list a few times, the ones that are exempt are lower-income provinces (eg Sa Kaew, Yasothon) where it's felt that the law would be an economic hardship. The last time I saw the list of provinces where helmets are required, they totally only 17 out of 76. I imagine that number has increased. There's a Thai website with this info, I just can't remember the URL at the moment.

[Tony Clifton]

How girls dress up at Songkran has more priority than hundreds suffering from brain injuries and ending up having to be fed with a spoon and having their asses wiped for the rest of their lives.

[Hachi]

Here in Chiang Mai yesterday, saw a uniformed police officer with his police cap on - riding his honda dream with what may have been his 2 young children one in front of him, one sitting behind - both kids no helmets...zooming up Ratchadamnoen Rd towards the big police station..

I would love to attend the "No helmet / intro of new law" briefing.

Just have to grin & bear it I guess.

[seagull]

I do believed helmet laws have been around for a long time. Accept that it is not fully enforced across all provinces. The article is indeed originating from Bangkok and that is where they will commence the enforcement and increment in fines. However, how soon it will affect other provinces upcountry, (the enforcement) is yet to be seen. I have personnally been booked on several occassions in Udon Thani , and just only last week, been booked in Nongkhai Bht 200 each time with a proper receipt.

A majority of provinces are 100% exempt from all helmet laws. I've seen the list a few times, the ones that are exempt are lower-income provinces (eg Sa Kaew, Yasothon) where it's felt that the law would be an economic hardship. The last time I saw the list of provinces where helmets are required, they totally only 17 out of 76. I imagine that number has increased. There's a Thai website with this info, I just can't remember the URL at the moment.

If what you are saying is true, then I am lost for words. Selective application of laws for different provinces? Jeeez ! But then TIT. I would imagined that a copper at his own personal discretion, not booked some offender due to economic hard (offenders') on compassionate/humanitarian grounds, but not having applied the same law to certain provinces that is deemed to be in hardship syndrome, is really beyond my comprehension. FYI, just asked my gf, and she is Thai, she says "nonsense". Oh yeah! That's what she says, not me.

[john b good]

Police to be tougher on motorcyclists

(BangkokPost.com) –The police have renewed efforts to get tough on motorcycles and passengers riding pillion who fail to wear safety helmets.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau said motorcyclists who fail to abide by safety regulations will immediately face a 500 baht fine. The fine will be doubled if passengers riding pillion are not wearing a helmet. Police warned the helmet must also be up to internationally accepted standard.

They're also keeping a close eye on motorcyclists who fail to respect traffic regulations especially those who make a habit out of riding against the traffic flow.

A motorcyclist with more than one passenger riding pillion will have to answer to the police as will those who fail to stop at marked areas at traffic lights.

***************

So it means all those 99baht plastic helmets like nearly everyone wears are now illegal...everyone has to buy one to International standards whatever that is AND have another one for a passenger...AND no more than 2 people on a bike!!!!!!!!

I fail to see the police outside BKK enforcing this.

Exactly!!

The police here in Chiangmai do not wear helmets themselves (leastaways the majority don't)

How can the average rider / pillion be expected to wear a helmet when the cops don't.

AND the helmet must be up to internationally accepted standards. How does any helmet that sells for 100 baht meet that standard.

This country humiliates itself each and every day when it comes out with statements as quoted in OP

Edited April 25, 2008 by john b good

[PeaceBlondie]

This country humiliates itself each and every day when it comes out with statements as quoted in OP

That's what I thought for a while, but the longer I live here, the "saving face at all costs" factor has to be considered. Surely a Thai in the position of a spokesperson of a large agency, or the PM himself, would not intentionally humiliate himself frequently. So, either every puuyai is simply immune from humiliation (regardless of being asinine), or we are supposed to interpret this in cultural terms. Of course this helmet crackdown only applies to BKK, for a short period of time, in limited neighborhoods as the officers deem fit. Of course police officers everywhere are not expected to obey the law (ever lived in Houston, Texas ?).

Name me another country where straight men wear shocking pink suits.

[Galong]

Helmet law??? In thailand?? Will enforce it??? :D :D

Well said Britmaveric!

I'm a bit surprised that they didn't use the word HUB in this article. :D

And, let me guess what would happen if I happened to hit one of the many under-age motorbike drivers who drive as wildly as their parents? Let's see, I'd pay for the bike repairs, my truck repairs, the hospital bills and even if said youngster died from head injuries, it would be my fault that he/she wasn't wearing a helmet that met 'international standards'

[Payboy]

[dantilley]

So, if the motorbike has a pillion rider with no helmet and the fine is 500 Baht, who pays the fine, the driver or the passenger? Could get very interesting as I don't think I've ever even been offered a helmet when motorbike-taxiing from my apartment to the BTS station, and don't think I've ever seen anyone else wearing one either.

[johnwills]

Until they enforce the same law across all of Thailand Everyday All day they are wasting everyone's time with these stories. Funny they are chasing people down if they run a red light, not that I go through red lights but I'd like to see their Honda 125-150CC chase down my CBR They maybe could get my plate number, but as I don't have a plate it is unlikely.

[Tony Clifton]

Great work.

[JetsetBkk]

It could get very expensive at 500 baht a head.

[JetsetBkk]

A poster wrote a while ago about being amazed by the airbags shaped like small children that Thai motorcyclists use.

There's about 160 kilos waiting to test this poor little air-bag.

...and a 1500 baht fine for mum/gran.

Edited April 25, 2008 by JetsetBkk

[Tony Clifton]

I saw my personal record this week, a family of 6 riding club sandwich style, 2 little ones in front, dad, 2 more little ones and mom at the back.

[Bagwan]

The school bus

[TopDogger]

Same thing a few years ago, all there doing is raising the anti....