odd thai driving laws

[robblok]

There are "driving laws" but enforcement is all but non-existent. Amazing that it works about as well as countries where driving laws are strictly enforced. In those countries, you can't pay full attention to actual traffic because you are always looking 'over your shoulder' for the cops There is even a name for that kind of driving now(because of cell phones). The oddest thing about driving here (to me) is the fact that the U-turns are in the "fast lane" and few of them have the extra lane( or enough of one) to make traffic flow safe and smooth. Instead, you best be prepared to dodge and to watch out for dodgers. So the idea of a "fast lane" or passing lane is just a fantasy and imagine the amount of traffic if everyone did drive in the left lane

Actually it does not work out as in countries where it is enforced well. There is a reason Thailand is nr 6# on dangerous roads and traffic deaths. .

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

Edited July 29, 2013 by robblok

[overherebc]

There are three driving rules in Thailand that i'm aware of :

- show no mercy

- give no quarter

- take no prisoners

same as france

In France you have to add

One hand on the gear lever and the other on the horn button.

[harrry]

There are "driving laws" but enforcement is all but non-existent. Amazing that it works about as well as countries where driving laws are strictly enforced. In those countries, you can't pay full attention to actual traffic because you are always looking 'over your shoulder' for the cops There is even a name for that kind of driving now(because of cell phones). The oddest thing about driving here (to me) is the fact that the U-turns are in the "fast lane" and few of them have the extra lane( or enough of one) to make traffic flow safe and smooth. Instead, you best be prepared to dodge and to watch out for dodgers. So the idea of a "fast lane" or passing lane is just a fantasy and imagine the amount of traffic if everyone did drive in the left lane

Actually it does not work out as in countries where it is enforced well. There is a reason Thailand is nr 6# on dangerous roads and traffic deaths. .

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

Using that same site is that why Thailand is 179 in Prostate cancer?

[thaidel48]

The truth be known they make it up as they go along ( the law that is)

I am a disabled driver and have been driving here since 1989. Over the first ten years i was stopped many many times and coughed up the obligatory dosh( varing from 100- 200 baht as required) Then da da one day in the newspaper it was announced that henceforth that the Thai goverment had changed the law and that disabled drivers could hold a driving licence. wondered why that for the first ten years not one cop had asked to see my licence just my cash LOL

As to why Culicine only has ever got stopped only once , could it be they are driving a hearse ?

[dighambara]

There are three driving rules in Thailand that i'm aware of :

- show no mercy

- give no quarter

- take no prisoners

In 73 I had the wits scared out of me by being in the front (view) seat of a bus as another bus approached - very narrow 2 lane road - I closed my eyes, certain I was already dead, but nothing happened. I haven't closed my eyes since...LOL

Red plates here are basically the same thing as 'dealer plates' in the West - their purpose is to provide a form of 'temporary permission' to drive an otherwise unregistered and uninsured car on public roads.

They are intended for commercial purposes e.g. transferring stock between showrooms, sending cars out for pre-delivery accessory fitting etc, and were designed as an instrument to help those in the auto trade drive their unregistered stock on public roads legally - with the restriction that they can only be used between daylight hours (6AM-6PM), and log books must be maintained.

The only thing strange is that they allow them to be used by customers

As for keeping left unless overtaking, I think you'll find that one's not unique to Thailand

I have driven in a handful of countries where the shoulder lane is for slow traffic and each lane closer to center is for faster and faster traffic - overtaking be damned.

Red plates are for temporary use in the province of issue. IMHO said between hours of 6am to 6 pm....I thought it was 7pm.

The police are usually pretty good in Thailand but there are some shady characters amongst them. Just keep smiling!

The police here are criminals. Traffic stops are only to collect the monthly pay, because all monies from Bangkok went in the General's pocket. An average cop has two jobs - signs in at Police HQ in the morning, then is a clerk at the mall until he signs out at night.

[anon210]

There are three driving rules in Thailand that i'm aware of :

- show no mercy

- give no quarter

- take no prisoners

same as france

In France you have to add

One hand on the gear lever and the other on the horn button.

Talking about France, I once had to take a taxi in Paris... He was an absolute maniac. He kept accelerating, and we were convinced he was going to hit a bicycle rider who was tottering ahead... Until he slowed down spectacularly just before hitting the rider. He just laughed and said he had seen the cycle rider. In France, some drivers love terrorizing bicycle riders.

[newermonkey]

Easier just follow the law, its quite easy. Everything you mentioned is common knowledge and ignorance is no excuse.

[CMKiwi]

There are three driving rules in Thailand that i'm aware of :

- show no mercy

- give no quarter

- take no prisoners

You forgot the three rules for overtaking:

1st Manoeuvre

2nd Signal

3rd Look in your mirror

Sorry .. everyone knows mirrors are tools of the devil and are not to be used or trusted.

And mirrors on motorbikes (Thats if they havent taken them off) are for young folk to check that their hair isnt out of place. Strange considering most dont wear helmets.... so naturally their hair will be windblown without liberal application of hair gel/glue. Or when at intersections they use mirrors to either check for pimples or pop a few! Yep I thought Id seen it all but every day I am amazed at the uses for mirrors.

Ive even seen strangers go up to a bike just to use its mirrors for pimple popping......YUCK. Glad it wasnt my bike

[bangkokfanatic]

maybe I've Been lucky but I've just been stopped once in 12 years....

Maybe I've been unlucky, but I've just been stopped 365 times in one year.

Our town has a regular police block every day on my way to work. Yes, it's a huge traffic bottleneck and there are few detours available.

After 10 years of this, they know me by sight, but still have to stop, show them my registration, license, and tax tab. I just build it into my regular timetable/routine. They're just waiting for the day I forget one of the three, and they can nab me for the obligatory 200-400B. T.I.T.

Have you considered by purpose to forget one of the items pay the 200 baht and maybe be left alone for perhaps a year?

In my little slice of paradise paying Tea Money will only get you a week!

[ajarnpot]

funny you talk about laws here on the road.

When I undertake a slow moving cop car on the tollway in bk i always wonder what I would need to do to actually get arrested here.

[anon210]

funny you talk about laws here on the road. When I undertake a slow moving cop car on the tollway in bk i always wonder what I would need to do to actually get arrested here.

Undertaking is legal in Thailand for motorways with at least two lanes in the same direction.

[Fookhaht]

maybe I've Been lucky but I've just been stopped once in 12 years....

Maybe I've been unlucky, but I've just been stopped 365 times in one year.

Our town has a regular police block every day on my way to work. Yes, it's a huge traffic bottleneck and there are few detours available.

After 10 years of this, they know me by sight, but still have to stop, show them my registration, license, and tax tab. I just build it into my regular timetable/routine. They're just waiting for the day I forget one of the three, and they can nab me for the obligatory 200-400B. T.I.T.

Have you considered by purpose to forget one of the items pay the 200 baht and maybe be left alone for perhaps a year?

I would believe that the 200 thb would only worsten the issue... as they would then be sure that this guy pays.

Glass half-full / glass half-empty. Overall, the BIB is fairly straightforward in our town (one of the guys brought my lost wallet directly to my home a few years back; another refused a 200B thank you tip from me for writing a long police report about a stolen credit card--not the same event!) I think I'll just keep having my friendly daily chat with them, showing all needed documentation. Who knows, the familiarity might come in handy some day when I'm in a tighter spot?

[jmccarty]

In the mid-90's it was common around Pattaya to get stopped and ticketted if you passed more than 3 cars in the fast lane and remained in the fast lane. The rule was something like, pass 1-3 cars, merge back into centre or left lane. Repeat.

[Jasun]

Changing lanes within 200m of an intersection. Having run out of legit and obvious reasons to fine me, I got hit with that one by my local motorbike cop. It was end of the month, so the rules tighten up.

[ericnoodeeka]

maybe I've Been lucky but I've just been stopped once in 12 years. I've probably covered 250K kms here. Cops can be fussy about red plates but if you follow the rules regarding the, there should be no problems. Not sure why the cop would tell you to drive on the left if you have a small car - the you need to do battle with the trucks and that chewed up lane.....the time I got stopped was when i was going to Pattaya and was in the right lane. No fine just a warning.

i just did a 3400 km drive on our holiday from isan to koh samui, krabi and phuket, only got pulled 2 times, paid 300 baht in total.

must say, fair game as i was doing 130 all the time.so rip off? not really.im ok with the 300 baht as i had been speeding for 20 days.

[Ace of Pop]

In the mid-90's it was common around Pattaya to get stopped and ticketted if you passed more than 3 cars in the fast lane and remained in the fast lane. The rule was something like, pass 1-3 cars, merge back into centre or left lane. Repeat.

At last,so very true.Mid 90. Trick was,hit the right hand indicator, im looking for the next U Turn, that muddled Em Up.

[ericnoodeeka]

There are "driving laws" but enforcement is all but non-existent. Amazing that it works about as well as countries where driving laws are strictly enforced. In those countries, you can't pay full attention to actual traffic because you are always looking 'over your shoulder' for the cops There is even a name for that kind of driving now(because of cell phones). The oddest thing about driving here (to me) is the fact that the U-turns are in the "fast lane" and few of them have the extra lane( or enough of one) to make traffic flow safe and smooth. Instead, you best be prepared to dodge and to watch out for dodgers. So the idea of a "fast lane" or passing lane is just a fantasy and imagine the amount of traffic if everyone did drive in the left lane

Actually it does not work out as in countries where it is enforced well. There is a reason Thailand is nr 6# on dangerous roads and traffic deaths. .

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

beg to differ.if u on the ball and dont drink and drive, its very ok to drive here.i put 200,000 km on my pick up and never got a scratch.its about u being aware about how u drive, not blame everybody else.i do agree when i drive in bkk, u need to be agressive and never stop, if u stop or show weakness, ur dead.

[robblok]

There are "driving laws" but enforcement is all but non-existent. Amazing that it works about as well as countries where driving laws are strictly enforced. In those countries, you can't pay full attention to actual traffic because you are always looking 'over your shoulder' for the cops There is even a name for that kind of driving now(because of cell phones). The oddest thing about driving here (to me) is the fact that the U-turns are in the "fast lane" and few of them have the extra lane( or enough of one) to make traffic flow safe and smooth. Instead, you best be prepared to dodge and to watch out for dodgers. So the idea of a "fast lane" or passing lane is just a fantasy and imagine the amount of traffic if everyone did drive in the left lane

Actually it does not work out as in countries where it is enforced well. There is a reason Thailand is nr 6# on dangerous roads and traffic deaths. .

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/road-traffic-accidents/by-country/

beg to differ.if u on the ball and dont drink and drive, its very ok to drive here.i put 200,000 km on my pick up and never got a scratch.its about u being aware about how u drive, not blame everybody else.i do agree when i drive in bkk, u need to be agressive and never stop, if u stop or show weakness, ur dead.

I am driving here too on a bike and in a car, but i realise its dangerous it just means that the enforcement sucks here as does road education and that is why there is a high death toll. Anyway I will keep driving here but there are always things out of your control and there is just a higher chance here to meet an idiot in traffic then in countries where they actually do enforce the law.

[Cuban]

i just did a 3400 km drive on our holiday from isan to koh samui, krabi and phuket, only got pulled 2 times, paid 300 baht in total.

must say, fair game as i was doing 130 all the time.so rip off? not really.im ok with the 300 baht as i had been speeding for 20 days.

I'm sure you are a competent driver and do read the road with good anticipation etc. however this is Thailand and the Thai-randomness factor does play a part in everyday Thai interactions where roads and vehicles are concerned.

I too have done Phuket to Khon Kaen in a day, stopped once outside Hua Hin by a moron waving a dim-torch in the middle of the road to receive a lecture about driving fast, I remained cool-hearted and would have given him 500 to shut up and go home and stop creating an unnecessary road hazard by standing in the road waving a dim-torch. No fine or payment requested.

I understand the concern about speed in the minds of Traffic Police as I assume that they get better training and testing than the standard Thai driving test, which is better on theory than practical assessment, so they are aware that the average driver of Thai roads is an accident yet to happen.

As there is no speed awareness practical training, I'm talking about the ability to predict time and positional information, for most (all?) Thais their only hope is a slow motion world where any increased thinking time is beneficial - and to achieve this slowing down is the only cure.

This is why Thai Traffic Police are a broken record about speed.

I feel the risk is that speeding and fines becomes subjected to the same Thai/Farang disparity seen in National Park prices. Farangs have more money so the fines needed to punish a Thai (20,000 Baht a month salary compared to Farang 50,000 Baht/month salary) at 400 Baht for a moving violation needs to be 1,000 Baht for a Farang, does that begin to sting a little and so have the intended desired effect: Slow down.

Already the standard unofficial fine is 100 Baht for a Thai, 200 Baht for a Farang, depending on your negotiation skills.

Given a long run like 800 miles to KK on paper driving at 90 kph would take an extra 5 hours, but Hwy 4 is mostly slow anyway, if you hit traffic around BKK your average falls again so although doing 130 may bring your average up on clear stretches of road and vary the boredom while the Thai family are asleep. Does the reduction in your time to react to the crazies herding cattle at 2am or motorbikes crossing the highway where no crossing exists a few metres in front of the car and the unlit elephants at night being taken to the next tourist town (all these I've encountered) fall into insignificance compared to your ability to stop safety in the space you see available at 90 kph?

Thai road surfaces ain't good; if you like to spend money on frequent tire replacements drive fast at night and catch those pot-holes, there are plenty that will take an axle as well.

The road surfaces, the lack of rain drainage schemes, poor driver standards, state of vehicle maintenance and the ever present crazies - all these factors contribute to the Thai speed limit, it's 90 kph for a reason.

I drive slower these days as we often have kids in the car and not every time can I ensure that they wear seat belts all the time.

What please is a "blue" book? I have no such thing in my car. There is only the insurance policy and the windshield stickers.

Blue Book. This is the Thai equivalent to your Zulassungsdokumente or Vehicle Registration in the US or the Log Book in the UK, it establishes the legal owner of the vehicle and defines the car in terms of the engine size and serial number, the engine emissions and weight for purposes of taxation and the body style and color and the chassis serial number.

Where people have a pick-up and have added a fixed load-space cover (Carry Boy etc) there is an increase in vehicle weight and the taxation rate goes up. If you are reading this for the first time the trick is to find a second-hand company that sells these and buy for 100 Baht a newly dated receipt, now you can go and get it legally registered and only pay minimal taxes rather than attempt to argue about the age of the cover and the back-taxes due.

The engines/bodies serial numbers are the main area of interest when a car is bought/sold or when the annual safety inspection is carried out as the changing of car identities with swapped engines/bodies is common when a car is stolen, changed and resold.

The blue book stays with the owner of the vehicle, if the car is a lease-purchase the leasing firm holds the book book and has their company name entered as the first owner, when you make the final payment you get to be the second owner and your details are entered into the book.

At the back of the book is a record or the annual tax payments made, be warned if you buy a car where the owner has avoiding paying this as the new owner you are liable for these old due-payments. You will not be legal until they are up to date.

Also at the back of the Blue Book will be any special observations, for those very rare personal imported cars there will be a page detailing the importation and the date from when it can be re-registered in another person's name, I think it is three or five years from the day it was imported.

It is wise to keep the Blue Book at home in a safe place as although theft of the car and re-registering with the Blue Book is not simple (they need details of the seller in terms of ID card or passport with valid visa in the case of farang) it is easier to launder a stolen car like this.

In the car I only carry photocopies of the ownership page and the taxes paid page from the Blue Book, and again photocopies of the insurance papers.

I keep all original documents at home. Also at home I keep (photocopies in the past now I use my digital camera) images of the windscreen tax payment sticker and for the motorbike too.

For motorbikes it is a Green Book.

While you are taking a picture of the windscreen sticker this walk round the car every so often and take many photographs showing the state of repair bodywork etc. it takes two minutes or less and you will hopefully never need them - but in the case where you are involved in a crash and seek payment for repairs against another driver - your legal-case for the well ordered state of your car is much stronger where you can produce such pictures of what your car looked like before a drunken Somchai rammed it.

Taking those pictures will take less time than reading this post - time well invested in both cases

[ajarnpot]

funny you talk about laws here on the road. When I undertake a slow moving cop car on the tollway in bk i always wonder what I would need to do to actually get arrested here.

Undertaking is legal in Thailand for motorways with at least two lanes in the same direction.

Seriously? you can find that written somewhere? The last bit of real law I found regarding driving is an 80 limit on all roads in Bangkok. I have overtaken police vehicles at faster speeds - if traffic alows- with no problem. The only time I have been stopped by police was for a random and that only because I flashed my driving license at the copper looking in. If I had ignored I owuld have been ok. They then waved me on.

of course down near the trad border the police go for a lower speed limit. but bkk is pretty tolerant

[Tywais]

funny you talk about laws here on the road. When I undertake a slow moving cop car on the tollway in bk i always wonder what I would need to do to actually get arrested here.

Undertaking is legal in Thailand for motorways with at least two lanes in the same direction.

Seriously? you can find that written somewhere?

Did you take the Thai driving test?

Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979)

Section 45 (400-1000B)

[No driver shall overtake another vehicle from the left-side unless:

a. the vehicle to be overtaken is making a right turn or has given a signal that he is going to make a right turn

b. the roadway is arranged with two or more traffic lanes in the same direction.]

[Cuban]

I have overtaken police vehicles at faster speeds - if traffic alows- with no problem.

But was that a Local Police vehicle (the police that deal with house break-ins and farang suicides) or a Traffic Police vehicle with their faster fancy cars and not so many pick-ups in use, they are different sections of police and a Local Cop would have no interest in making a speeding arrest as would a Traffic Cop consider investigating a 7-11 shoplifting offence.

Thais are very aware of the limits of their job description and will not willingly exceed them.

[anon210]

funny you talk about laws here on the road. When I undertake a slow moving cop car on the tollway in bk i always wonder what I would need to do to actually get arrested here.

Undertaking is legal in Thailand for motorways with at least two lanes in the same direction.

Seriously? you can find that written somewhere? The last bit of real law I found regarding driving is an 80 limit on all roads in Bangkok. I have overtaken police vehicles at faster speeds - if traffic alows- with no problem. The only time I have been stopped by police was for a random and that only because I flashed my driving license at the copper looking in. If I had ignored I owuld have been ok. They then waved me on.

of course down near the trad border the police go for a lower speed limit. but bkk is pretty tolerant

Thanks to Tywais for posting the legal reference, did not have the time to do it yet.

Nevertheless another wrong perception: the speed limit within a city is 60 kph not 80 kph, except on Expressways. It could be that the police cars you were overtaking (if within a city) were actually respecting the speed limit, unlike you.

[chuenyongman]

$400 fine was a tad harsh.

A little off topic. I was wondering if Thailand had a "Highway Code" book. There appears to be people overtaking across double white line and going through red lights and double parked on pedestrian crossings. Plus trying to run you down when you are on a crossing. Another thing, in the country I have noticed is they have a red flashing light on the main road to warn you are approaching a small road on your left. Surely it should be that the light should be on the small road warning them that they are approaching a major road.

[anon210]

The meaning of the red blinking signal means that you are on a "minor" road and should thus give way to the road on your left. Blinking orange means you are on a major road, but still should proceed with care, when crossing the intersection.

And for the umpteenth time, an upload of the Thai Traffic code (already present on other posts).

Thai_Traffic_Laws.pdf

[IMHO]

The meaning of the red blinking signal means that you are on a "minor" road and should thus give way to the road on your left. Blinking orange means you are on a major road, but still should proceed with care, when crossing the intersection.

And for the umpteenth time, an upload of the Thai Traffic code (already present on other posts).

Small clarification:

Red flashing = Must stop, not just give way.

[anon210]

The meaning of the red blinking signal means that you are on a "minor" road and should thus give way to the road on your left. Blinking orange means you are on a major road, but still should proceed with care, when crossing the intersection.

And for the umpteenth time, an upload of the Thai Traffic code (already present on other posts).

Small clarification:

Red flashing = Must stop, not just give way.

Thanks for the precision IMHO.

[IMHO]

The meaning of the red blinking signal means that you are on a "minor" road and should thus give way to the road on your left. Blinking orange means you are on a major road, but still should proceed with care, when crossing the intersection.

And for the umpteenth time, an upload of the Thai Traffic code (already present on other posts).

Small clarification:

Red flashing = Must stop, not just give way.

Thanks for the precision IMHO.

Hehe, you're welcome

One more: orange flashing could mean beware of all the people who don't understand red flashing means stop, or, it could mean all directions have orange flashing, so prepare for mayhem

[Cuban]

A little off topic. I was wondering if Thailand had a "Highway Code" book.

Yes, although this book is about passing your Thai Driving test, it's sold at almost every bookshop / 7-11 for 50 or 60 Baht (niece has our copy ATM) , it's in Thai about A5 sized with brown cover with this guy printed on the front cover. ISBN=9786160800704

Full of this type of stuff....

Mostly it's based on the English "Highway Code" book with a selection of American Road signs and mixed with the Thai random factor; the quirky rules like who has priority and how to turn at a junction.

For farang in Thailand I suggest the biggest issue that they don't understand is the mid-highway U turn gap, it seems to catch out Farang more than any other that fail to read the road and the actions of other road users,

I'm sorry to say that in the cases I have seen it has been the farang at fault because they are driving to Farangland rules and not Thai ones.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another book you might like....

"The Manual of Traffic Rules and Driving Safely." 100 Baht

ISBN=9786167351612

Helpful ?

Edited July 30, 2013 by Cuban

[muratremix]

Sometimes I drive with short lights on, as this was common practice in EU until DRL Led lights become standard. I got warning from police a few times at police check point. I heard about only VIP people drive with lights on in daylight, its unbeliveable.

Another thing is, Thais don't know the difference between park lights and short lights. Most of them don't even bother turning the lights on during rain, heavy rain, evening. Sometimes they open park lights which doesn't help at all. When they will learn the importance of lights? Seriously, I'm planning to remove my window tints as I can't notice cars without lights under heavy rain / night.