Thai traffic law amendments get initial nod

[webfact]

Traffic law amendments get initial nod
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Two minor traffic-law amendment bills yesterday sailed through their first reading at the National Legislative Assembly.

The bill authorising delivery of traffic tickets to car owners via registered mail was passed by a vote of 171-8 with eight abstentions. The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting, according to the proposed amendment.

Traffic police have already started using registered mail after writing tickets for clear violations such as leaving cars unattended in no-parking zones.

However, some people had complained that no law had ever allowed such transmittal of traffic tickets.

The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members at the same session, with only one opposing and four abstaining.

The NLA members appointed committees to vet these proposed changes within 30 days.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Traffic-law-amendments-get-initial-nod-30245632.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-17

[Somtamnication]

More laws, less enforcement. Way to go, Thailand!

[Bluespunk]

" The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting, according to the proposed amendment."

Not from the day of receiving them?

[Bluespunk]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members at the same session, with only one opposing and four abstaining."

Well thank goodness 5 brave members stood against this intrusive, nanny state interference madness!

Who needs glow sticks when we have noisy, loud, intrusive, ineffective whistles to blow at all hours of the day?

Madness I say, madness.

[noitom]

Revolutionary new laws. Now how about VINs for every car and a database with tracking. How about enforcing motor vehicle violations for drunk driving, vehicular homicide, negligent homicide..etc,.

[NE1]

" The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting, according to the proposed amendment."

Not from the day of receiving them?

What is the point of registered mail here , I have had our posty take registered mail to our Thai neighbours , and they have signed for it.

I know he is only trying to help out .

I think the reasoning behind the ," The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting"

cos I think people will refuse to sign and accept them , thus not acknowledging ever receiving the fine.

[MediaWatcher]

NE1, on 17 Oct 2014 - 08:10, said:

Bluespunk, on 17 Oct 2014 - 07:31, said:

" The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting, according to the proposed amendment."

Not from the day of receiving them?

What is the point of registered mail here , I have had our posty take registered mail to our Thai neighbours , and they have signed for it.

I know he is only trying to help out .

I think the reasoning behind the ," The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting"

cos I think people will refuse to sign and accept them , thus not acknowledging ever receiving the fine.

The problem I see is that the postal service isn't reliable along with the way houses are numbered, makes it hard for delivery. For those who don't know, houses are numbered, in many cases, as when they are built...this means not necessarily sequentially, along the soi.

[connda]

[inzman]

Making new laws won't solve anything. Enforcing existing laws might see an improvement in the sensibility of drivers.

[oneday]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members..."

Why on earth would you need a law for this? It should just be an internal policy decision of the traffic police.

[rametindallas]

" The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting, according to the proposed amendment."

Not from the day of receiving them?

Exactly. Since the ticket notifications are sent via registered mail, then the authorities will know exactly when the notification was received. With the inconsistent mail delivery, some/many will not get the notification in time to avoid further penalties. Fifteen days after receipt would be best and should be plenty of time for a response.

[jaywalker]

The problem I see is that the postal service isn't reliable along with the way houses are numbered, makes it hard for delivery. For those who don't know, houses are numbered, in many cases, as when they are built...this means not necessarily sequentially, along the soi.

I never knew that. Thanks.

I just knew they had/have a screwy way of assigning addresses.

Why oh why, can't they just make them:

123 This Street

This City, This Province

Postal Code

???????

My current address is half as long as a thesis to get a doctorate's degree.

[Estrada]

The tickets are be issued to the car owner, so as most driver's cars are on H.P., the tickets will go to the bank/finance company. This has been the case for quite a few years for speeding fines or jumping red lights, when caught on camera. The bank then sends the ticket to the customer's address. When my wife got a speeding ticket 5 years ago, it took 6 months to come through the system via SCB to her. I can't see the tickets getting to the customer's address within 15 days when the Bank/finance company has to pass them on.

[loongdavid]

Let's pass another law making it mandatory for the police to DO THEIR JOB!

[Pib]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members..."

Why on earth would you need a law for this? It should just be an internal policy decision of the traffic police.

Amen Brother! Maybe this is just "practice law passing" for the NLA...you know, pass some insignificant law in preparation for important laws like raising taxes. Kinda like training wheels on on a kid's bike.

[Pib]

Let's pass another law making it mandatory for the police to DO THEIR JOB!

The BIB don't do "mandatory;" they much prefer "if they feel like it...if it appears profitable...if it can be accomplished from underneath a shaded location...etc."

[NE1]

Pib , Spot on.

[Sviss Geez]

More laws, less enforcement. Way to go, Thailand!

More moves in the right direction, yet more bashing. Way to go!

[Sviss Geez]

The problem I see is that the postal service isn't reliable along with the way houses are numbered, makes it hard for delivery. For those who don't know, houses are numbered, in many cases, as when they are built...this means not necessarily sequentially, along the soi.

The Thai postal service is as reliable as any other postal service, every month my electricity bill, phone bill, internet bill, bank statements, solicitors letters to the previous occupier of my condo get delivered without any problem, and that's by normal post.

"...the way houses are numbered, makes it hard for delivery."

Thai postmen probably know well enough how the system works.

[Suriya4]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members..."

Why on earth would you need a law for this? It should just be an internal policy decision of the traffic police.

Glow stick can be abuse and used as a sex toy, especially in the gay community. Hence a law is needed for the police to use them or rent them out.

[siampolee]

Suriya 4 post # 20.

Glow stick can be abuse and used as a sex toy, especially in the gay community. Hence a law is needed for the police to use them or rent them out.

Now is that the voice of experience posting to us all concerning renal rental equipment along with rent boy services one feels one must ask?

Or is it perhaps a member of the police farce force seeking to augment his or her income?

Do shed some light on the matter for us please Suriya4

[jaywalker]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members..."

Why on earth would you need a law for this? It should just be an internal policy decision of the traffic police.

Amen Brother! Maybe this is just "practice law passing" for the NLA...you know, pass some insignificant law in preparation for important laws like raising taxes. Kinda like training wheels on on a kid's bike.

Yes and yes......maybe something was lost in translation, but a glow stick is hardly something to be used for traffic control.

To my knowledge, they are used as a low light source of non-electric power, commonly used in the US Army for low light operations in a tent where you don't really want anybody 20 feet / 7 meters away to see the damned thing.

Ground troops use them to guide in helicopters, where the pilots are using night-vision goggles.

Perhaps they meant to say flares? A glow stick in Thailand traffic is like waving a flyswatter at a freight train, and yes why on earth can that decision not be made at a municipal / city / provincial level?

[smutcakes]

They already send speeding tickets by mail, that i am very well aware of!

[retell]

NE1, on 17 Oct 2014 - 08:10, said:

Bluespunk, on 17 Oct 2014 - 07:31, said:

" The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting, according to the proposed amendment."

Not from the day of receiving them?

What is the point of registered mail here , I have had our posty take registered mail to our Thai neighbours , and they have signed for it.

I know he is only trying to help out .

I think the reasoning behind the ," The citations will be deemed as having been received within 15 days of posting"

cos I think people will refuse to sign and accept them , thus not acknowledging ever receiving the fine.

The problem I see is that the postal service isn't reliable along with the way houses are numbered, makes it hard for delivery. For those who don't know, houses are numbered, in many cases, as when they are built...this means not necessarily sequentially, along the soi.

yep ,, got a number and a soi number , so far in the middle of nowhere it hasnt got a streetname , only house on the road but still no 181

[retell]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members..."

Why on earth would you need a law for this? It should just be an internal policy decision of the traffic police.

Amen Brother! Maybe this is just "practice law passing" for the NLA...you know, pass some insignificant law in preparation for important laws like raising taxes. Kinda like training wheels on on a kid's bike.

Yes and yes......maybe something was lost in translation, but a glow stick is hardly something to be used for traffic control.

To my knowledge, they are used as a low light source of non-electric power, commonly used in the US Army for low light operations in a tent where you don't really want anybody 20 feet / 7 meters away to see the damned thing.

Ground troops use them to guide in helicopters, where the pilots are using night-vision goggles.

Perhaps they meant to say flares? A glow stick in Thailand traffic is like waving a flyswatter at a freight train, and yes why on earth can that decision not be made at a municipal / city / provincial level?

Ive seen them use led powered lightsticks like mini lightsabers

but also highpowered flashlights so bright you cannot even see the road or the cop that holds it

[Jonmarleesco]

'The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members ...' Oh, there are plenty of driver orientated glow sticks, already. They're called giant LED screens.

[Tomtomtom69]

The tickets are be issued to the car owner, so as most driver's cars are on H.P., the tickets will go to the bank/finance company. This has been the case for quite a few years for speeding fines or jumping red lights, when caught on camera. The bank then sends the ticket to the customer's address. When my wife got a speeding ticket 5 years ago, it took 6 months to come through the system via SCB to her. I can't see the tickets getting to the customer's address within 15 days when the Bank/finance company has to pass them on.

I was just going to say - Thai traffic cops have been sending fines to the registered owners of vehicles for a few years now, hence I was confused about the headline suggesting that this is a new thing. But whether the finance companies get them or the operator, since after all, the operator also has an address that should show as the address associated with the car, which is what it says on the registration underneath the registered owner, i.e. finance company in this case, is the registered operator or "phuu krob krong" in Thai shouldn't make a big difference, because if anything finance companies have reliable business locations and so there would not be any issues regarding whether or not the fines have been received.

What I'd like to know more is enforceability of payment of fines. In the west and other developed countries as we know, the law is quite powerful and while most jurisdictions are quite lenient and will give more time to someone who is unable to pay a traffic fine within the initially stipulated period, sometimes with an additional administration charge or late payment fee included, if the offender continually avoids payment, eventually the law can step in and go to court to put a lean against that person's assets, meaning that their car, for example, could be eventually confiscated. So while you can easily get away with not paying during the first three week period, after which a reminder notice may be sent out giving you another 3 weeks, and only after non-payment during that second period enforcement action will begin, starting with a third notice and perhaps an administration fee and that's it, eventually more serious consequences will follow if the fine still remains outstanding after all those opportunities.

I wonder if that is possible in Thailand or not? Me thinks that while finance companies will be strict and will probably just include any traffic fines in the repayments that an individual makes, others who own their cars outright may be able to get away with non-payment of fines, unfortunately. Or at least that's what I suspect - that there are insufficient ways of enforcing the payment of fines. That's why up until recently the cops would rather pull over speeding or drunk motorists at a pre-determined bottleneck and set up a checkpoint where escaping is impossible and demand immediate payment of fines (which are never much of a deterrent anyway, like 200 Baht for speeding 30 km/h over the limit, whereas in Australia, for example, a similar offence would cost you up to A$1000 and possibly a couple of month's licence suspension). In fact that's what still happens in many cases when the police actually bother to set-up speeding traps, which seem to be quite rare in Thailand, as are speed limit signs.

[rametindallas]

"The bill to permit the use of glow sticks to direct traffic drew the support of 184 NLA members..."

Why on earth would you need a law for this? It should just be an internal policy decision of the traffic police.

Amen Brother! Maybe this is just "practice law passing" for the NLA...you know, pass some insignificant law in preparation for important laws like raising taxes. Kinda like training wheels on on a kid's bike.

Yes and yes......maybe something was lost in translation, but a glow stick is hardly something to be used for traffic control.

To my knowledge, they are used as a low light source of non-electric power, commonly used in the US Army for low light operations in a tent where you don't really want anybody 20 feet / 7 meters away to see the damned thing.

Ground troops use them to guide in helicopters, where the pilots are using night-vision goggles.

Perhaps they meant to say flares? A glow stick in Thailand traffic is like waving a flyswatter at a freight train, and yes why on earth can that decision not be made at a municipal / city / provincial level?