New traffic laws

[blackpanda]

Today I stopped in front of the traffic light, like I normally and got pulled aside. The police said I couldn't stop their and gave me ticket. I paid 200 baht and was on my way. I told my student and she said there is new common law for driving in Thailand. I guess it has been in effect as of the 17th of July. Anyone else have any amazing stories to share???

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[blackpanda]

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[ll2]

These are not new rules. Just they never enforced them before

Police is very active nowadays. No prisoners are taken!

Yesterday they were loading bikes with no plate and some with plates but most probably fake plates to a truck.

Also for underpasses and overpasses, be careful as i see police camped on them.

Guys with no plates, be very careful. They confiscate the bikes of not legally in the system and fine new bikes with no license plate.

Besides, be careful with aftermarket pipes too.

Take it easy nowadays guys and girls!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited July 22, 2014 by ll2

[Shurup]

BP, so what did you do wrong, stopped past the stopping line? Etc...? Not clear from your OP.

LL, What is this rule about under and overpass about?

Edited July 22, 2014 by Shurup

[ll2]

BP, so what did you do wrong, stopped past the stopping line? Etc...? Not clear from your OP.

LL, What is this rule about under and overpass about?

rule is simple; you cannot use them!

So, you need to wait for the 10 minute red light like a dog with your 300 k or 600 k thb capable and fast bike while cheaper eco cars were using them.

i hate that. I am OK for not using expressways etc but not using under and overpasses are killing me!

[blackpanda]

BP, so what did you do wrong, stopped past the stopping line? Etc...? Not clear from your OP.

LL, What is this rule about under and overpass about?

I usually just stop in front of the car because if I stop next to them or i front of them I feel like one of these great drivers in Thailand will hit me.

I also feel like it causes more traffic.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Familyonthemove]

Police making up for lost revenue during the protests when they all ran away and hid to avoid doing their job.

Parking a stage and sound system on Asoke junction between the traffic lights for 2 months is OK. Stopping a bike over the white line at the lights for 30 seconds - not OK.

[andrewrooney]

So my understanding of the 5 rules being cracked down on (from this and other posts):

1. No inappropriate passing

2. Must stop behind the line at a red light

3. No blocking an intersection

4. No driving on the wrong side of the road

5. No fake license plates

All seem pretty cut and dry except for #1. I'm not really sure what exactly constitutes that one, maybe somebody can explain it better?

As a practical matter the only one that really changes my riding habits is #2, I've been conscious of that one since they announced it.

I'm still using overpasses, the time it saves is worth the risk.

[blackpanda]

So my understanding of the 5 rules being cracked down on (from this and other posts):

1. No inappropriate passing

2. Must stop behind the line at a red light

3. No blocking an intersection

4. No driving on the wrong side of the road

5. No fake license plates

All seem pretty cut and dry except for #1. I'm not really sure what exactly constitutes that one, maybe somebody can explain it better?

As a practical matter the only one that really changes my riding habits is #2, I've been conscious of that one since they announced it.

I'm still using overpasses, the time it saves is worth the risk.

I think #1 is mostly for car, shoving another car out of its own lane or blocking traffic to get into another lane.

It seems to me as though all Thai are obliging so I'll do the same. They caught me on #2. I think its mostly enforced in the city areas

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited July 22, 2014 by blackpanda

[ll2]

impossible tp enforce #2 at 18.00 around sathon or sukhumvit or petchaburi.

Maybe 50 bikes cross that line at those times and sure impossible to fine them all!

[blackpanda]

impossible tp enforce #2 at 18.00 around sathon or sukhumvit or petchaburi.

Maybe 50 bikes cross that line at those times and sure impossible to fine them all!

Yea they got me at surasak at around 10-11. But during rush hour I think they can't do anything

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[brfsa2]

This rules about not being able to use even the slightly small overpasses or underpasses totally sux.

Some overpasses are just so convenient, rather than waste 10-20 minutes in the crazy hot red lights and stupid traffic.

It's good that they are enforcing some laws, but many of the laws are so outdated and discriminative.

[ttakata]

I believe Thai law says you are supposed to pass in the left lanes even though the right lane is the fastest.

A Thai told me those dreaded public buses drive so crazy because the crew is paid commissions on the quantity of passengers.

So money is a driving factor; not safety or rational thinking.

[blackpanda]

I believe Thai law says you are supposed to pass in the left lanes even though the right lane is the fastest.

A Thai told me those dreaded public buses drive so crazy because the crew is paid commissions on the quantity of passengers.

So money is a driving factor; not safety or rational thinking.

Yea it's a joke they even have a bus #8 in latptao area that races another bus and refuses to stop for a single passager. I think they are even making a movie about it.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited July 23, 2014 by blackpanda

[Bung]

These are not new rules. Just they never enforced them before

Police is very active nowadays. No prisoners are taken!

Yesterday they were loading bikes with no plate and some with plates but most probably fake plates to a truck.

Also for underpasses and overpasses, be careful as i see police camped on them.

Guys with no plates, be very careful. They confiscate the bikes of not legally in the system and fine new bikes with no license plate.

Besides, be careful with aftermarket pipes too.

Take it easy nowadays guys and girls!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How can they fine new bikes with no license plates? You don't get any for a couple of months! You get papers from the dealer where you bought it to carry and show the police.

Also don't forget to carry copies of all your green book papers, passport, visa etc on your bike.

[ll2]

These are not new rules. Just they never enforced them before

Police is very active nowadays. No prisoners are taken!

Yesterday they were loading bikes with no plate and some with plates but most probably fake plates to a truck.

Also for underpasses and overpasses, be careful as i see police camped on them.

Guys with no plates, be very careful. They confiscate the bikes of not legally in the system and fine new bikes with no license plate.

Besides, be careful with aftermarket pipes too.

Take it easy nowadays guys and girls!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How can they fine new bikes with no license plates? You don't get any for a couple of months! You get papers from the dealer where you bought it to carry and show the police.

Also don't forget to carry copies of all your green book papers, passport, visa etc on your bike.

legally they can actually. They have no chance to know the fact that you did not receive it or you maybe received it but dont put it onto your bike?

of course purchase papers work but nowadays they can still fine you.

[bramds]

These are not new rules. Just they never enforced them before

Police is very active nowadays. No prisoners are taken!

Yesterday they were loading bikes with no plate and some with plates but most probably fake plates to a truck.

Also for underpasses and overpasses, be careful as i see police camped on them.

Guys with no plates, be very careful. They confiscate the bikes of not legally in the system and fine new bikes with no license plate.

Besides, be careful with aftermarket pipes too.

Take it easy nowadays guys and girls!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How can they fine new bikes with no license plates? You don't get any for a couple of months! You get papers from the dealer where you bought it to carry and show the police.

Also don't forget to carry copies of all your green book papers, passport, visa etc on your bike.

legally they can actually. They have no chance to know the fact that you did not receive it or you maybe received it but dont put it onto your bike?

of course purchase papers work but nowadays they can still fine you.

You can drive legally without the plate for 30 days, you just have to keep the invoice with you.

Problem is, mostly it takes longer than 30 days to get the plate.

After 7 weeks of waiting I went to Honda and told them they had to pay the fine if I would get one.

Next day I got a call I could pick up my plate.

[brfsa2]

These are not new rules. Just they never enforced them before

Police is very active nowadays. No prisoners are taken!

Yesterday they were loading bikes with no plate and some with plates but most probably fake plates to a truck.

Also for underpasses and overpasses, be careful as i see police camped on them.

Guys with no plates, be very careful. They confiscate the bikes of not legally in the system and fine new bikes with no license plate.

Besides, be careful with aftermarket pipes too.

Take it easy nowadays guys and girls!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How can they fine new bikes with no license plates? You don't get any for a couple of months! You get papers from the dealer where you bought it to carry and show the police.

Also don't forget to carry copies of all your green book papers, passport, visa etc on your bike.

legally they can actually. They have no chance to know the fact that you did not receive it or you maybe received it but dont put it onto your bike?

of course purchase papers work but nowadays they can still fine you.

You can drive legally without the plate for 30 days, you just have to keep the invoice with you.

Problem is, mostly it takes longer than 30 days to get the plate.

After 7 weeks of waiting I went to Honda and told them they had to pay the fine if I would get one.

Next day I got a call I could pick up my plate.

That's good to know. LOL

My plate took 3 months to arrive.

i've been stopped one, showed the invoice and tax document.

Police said 'no-no cannoot'

so I said ok fine, here is your 100B, and that was it.

next day they tried to pull the same on me on the same stop, I just revved up.

[NomadJoe]

BP, so what did you do wrong, stopped past the stopping line? Etc...? Not clear from your OP.

LL, What is this rule about under and overpass about?

rule is simple; you cannot use them!

So, you need to wait for the 10 minute red light like a dog with your 300 k or 600 k thb capable and fast bike while cheaper eco cars were using them.

i hate that. I am OK for not using expressways etc but not using under and overpasses are killing me!

That's the problem. These laws were written in the 70's when the averge motorbike was 50cc and the biggest you would likely ever see is maybe 250. They seriously need to update the laws.

[NomadJoe]

These are not new rules. Just they never enforced them before

Police is very active nowadays. No prisoners are taken!

Yesterday they were loading bikes with no plate and some with plates but most probably fake plates to a truck.

Also for underpasses and overpasses, be careful as i see police camped on them.

Guys with no plates, be very careful. They confiscate the bikes of not legally in the system and fine new bikes with no license plate.

Besides, be careful with aftermarket pipes too.

Take it easy nowadays guys and girls!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

How can they fine new bikes with no license plates? You don't get any for a couple of months! You get papers from the dealer where you bought it to carry and show the police.

Also don't forget to carry copies of all your green book papers, passport, visa etc on your bike.

Why don't Bangkok motorcycle dealers issue red plates like every where else in Thailand? Are they in collusion with the traffic police in order to make money?

[NomadJoe]

So you got a ticket and paid it, not paid to the officer, right?

[blackpanda]

So you got a ticket and paid it, not paid to the officer, right?

I had to walk over to the police station to pay. I refuse to pay the police at the spot. Maybe I pay more but at least it's legal.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[robblok]

BP, so what did you do wrong, stopped past the stopping line? Etc...? Not clear from your OP.

LL, What is this rule about under and overpass about?

rule is simple; you cannot use them!

So, you need to wait for the 10 minute red light like a dog with your 300 k or 600 k thb capable and fast bike while cheaper eco cars were using them.

i hate that. I am OK for not using expressways etc but not using under and overpasses are killing me!

That's the problem. These laws were written in the 70's when the averge motorbike was 50cc and the biggest you would likely ever see is maybe 250. They seriously need to update the laws.

But they won't as motorcycles are low so and have almost no connections. I had hoped that the big bike sellers like Honda and Kawasaki would lobby for such things. But i doubt it.

[A1Str8]

Sh.t just got real.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Brit_Doggie]

Lol now thats a new one the thais all weave in and out to get to the front of the traffic lights,gr8 revenue for the thai police 24/7

But issuing maybe 10 tickets at every single set of lights is gonna improve traffic flow right,welcome to thailand.

And i did spot the original OPS comment of "pulled me over"

Edited July 23, 2014 by Brit_Doggie

[Wong!]

So my understanding of the 5 rules being cracked down on (from this and other posts):

1. No inappropriate passing

2. Must stop behind the line at a red light

3. No blocking an intersection

4. No driving on the wrong side of the road

5. No fake license plates

All seem pretty cut and dry except for #1. I'm not really sure what exactly constitutes that one, maybe somebody can explain it better?

As a practical matter the only one that really changes my riding habits is #2, I've been conscious of that one since they announced it.

I'm still using overpasses, the time it saves is worth the risk.

I'm confused. I'm sure those are all the things drivers have to do or they will get fined, in Chiang Mai.

[bramds]

It are the same rules as in any other civilised country.

You stop after the stop line at a traffic light, that is an offense.

You run a red light, that is an offense.

You get fined for the same things back home.

Unless you come from the northpole.

[andrewrooney]

So my understanding of the 5 rules being cracked down on (from this and other posts):

1. No inappropriate passing

2. Must stop behind the line at a red light

3. No blocking an intersection

4. No driving on the wrong side of the road

5. No fake license plates

All seem pretty cut and dry except for #1. I'm not really sure what exactly constitutes that one, maybe somebody can explain it better?

As a practical matter the only one that really changes my riding habits is #2, I've been conscious of that one since they announced it.

I'm still using overpasses, the time it saves is worth the risk.

I'm confused. I'm sure those are all the things drivers have to do or they will get fined, in Chiang Mai.

Yeah, they seem like pretty normal rules, but in Bangkok it's usually standard practice for bikes to filter to the front at long lights, and park in front of the cars... leaving a lot of the bikes across the line. Sounds like that's what got the OP. As I mentioned, that's the only one that's really changed my riding habits much. It does seem pretty funny that the police were aware there was a problem with fake license plates, and ignored it until now, but TIT etc. etc...

[NomadJoe]

So you got a ticket and paid it, not paid to the officer, right?

I had to walk over to the police station to pay. I refuse to pay the police at the spot. Maybe I pay more but at least it's legal.

Good on you. I have never paid a bribe here and never will. You just put a big target on farangs when you do that. If people stopped asking to pay the cop and stop paying them when they ask, the problem would disappear overnight.

Here in Phuket it is rare to hear of a cop taking bribes at traffic stops. They seem to prefer the mass stops with 15-20 cops all citing people in mass for minor offenses. One guy wanted to to me for not signalling when he waved me over, for example. In Thailand police officers are paid by how many tickets and arrests they make. It goes into a general pool then disseminated among st the officers by rank. The higher the rank, the more they get paid. This is not corruption, it is actually policy. Horrible, horrible policy.

[NomadJoe]

Lol now thats a new one the thais all weave in and out to get to the front of the traffic lights,gr8 revenue for the thai police 24/7

But issuing maybe 10 tickets at every single set of lights is gonna improve traffic flow right,welcome to thailand.

And i did spot the original OPS comment of "pulled me over"

In Bangkok they must also have the big area at the front of the lights that says "Moto sai" in Thai, sometimes in English. Often cars won't block that area and you can wait there.