Is there a word to distinguish between a semi trailer and a trailer or are they all called the same? รถพ่วง

I've seen รถพ่วงสิบแปดล้อ in the news before. So if they specify the number of wheels would be one way to differentiate. 18 wheels would include the tractor of course..

upon further research the actual term I saw was รถบรรทุกพ่วง 18 ล้อ cargo vehicle trailer 18 wheels

I have a permit to work that says I must not use a รถพ่วง in the job description.

This guy turns up with a 22 wheeler semi trailer and tells me it's not a รถพ่วง but a รถยาว ! He tells me a รถพ่วง is defined as a trailer with front axle, this even when his semi trailer has a รถพ่วง plate on the back!

I cannot find any reference in my dictionary differentiating a semi trailer from a trailer!

In this article the trailer is just called พ่วง (I think)

เกิดอุบัติเหตุรถบรรทุกพ่วง 18 ล้อ ทำพ่วงหลุดทับรถยนต์ของสาวใหญ่ที่ขับตามมาเสียชีวิตติดซากรถ

Yes, that's a semi trailer was in the news from Laem Chabang this week.

So a semi trailer = รถพ่วง and a trailer = รถพ่วง

My understanding is as follows:

รถพ่วง (rot puang) 6 or 10 wheel truck with a single, double or triple axle bogey following.

รถยาว or รถเทรลเลอร์ (rot yao or rot trailer) prime mover with either a two axle or 3 axle long trailer attached.

รถหัวลาก (rot hua lark) prime mover.

รถยาว or รถเทรลเลอร์ (rot yao or rot trailer) prime mover with either a two axle or 3 axle long trailer attached.

Yes, my Thai guys are calling them this (รถยาว), but I am left wondering why these vehicles(รถยาว) have huge รถพ่วง plates on the back?! I have never seen a รถยาว plate.

Just spent some time discussing this with wifey.

รถเทรลเลอร์ I have spelt wrong. Apparently it is spelt รถเทเลอร์ as in the English world tailor.

พ่วง just means to join something together with specific refernce to trucks so a semi trailer or 10 wheel truck with a bogey is equally correct to be called พ่วง.

Make more sense and I agree with your wife.

I think my Thai guys are playing words with me calling it a รถยาว, since our contract forbids use of a รถพ่วง and they've turned up with one. I was expecting two or three single chassis trucks รถบรรทุก.

Ah well TIT!

Friends,

The technical definitions appear on this Thai website: http://www.mmsvs.com/truck1.html .

(When I entered the url, the page showed up in pseudo-Japanese script in Chrome; I changed the encoding to "Thai" and the site showed correctly. Your browser may display this site differently.)

The site contains definitions such as the following:

รถพ่วง (ไม่มีแรงขับเคลื่อนในตัวเอง และน้ำหนักลงบนเพลาล้อสมบูรณ์ในตัวเอง)

"A trailer (does not contain its own motive power and its weight rests fully on its own axles.)"

The table of which this is a part shows length, width, and height.

Let us know what you think.

I think in this context it means you are not allowed to drive with anything attached and pulled behind the car such as a wagon etc.

The word รถพ่วง generally means something which is attached and with no power on it's own and must be pulled by a vehicle.

Just to add to this, I saw a 22 wheeler ("semi-trailer" in English - clue ) with this sign on the back:

รถกึ่งพ่วง - rot-geung-puang