Jonathan Fairfield Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Has anyone heard anything about new laws regarding road safety and traffic violations coming into effect in Thailand?The image below has been widely shared on Thai social media accounts and via Thai news sites. There have also been posts made to the Thaivisa forum also alluding to the new traffic laws, as well as rumours of fines of up to 10,000 THB or one month in jail for anyone caught drink driving. However, we're yet to see anything official from either the police or any other relevant authority and have been unable to confirm the legitimacy of the image below.We arranged for Siam Translations to translate the Thai text from image.23 newly imposed traffic law1. Using mobile phone while driving : 400-1000 THB fine2. Driving on pedestrian path : 400-1000 THB fine3. Parking on pedestrian path : Maximum 500 THB fine4. Ignoring “stop” line : Maximum 1000 THB fine5. Take over on the continuous line: 400-1000 THB fine6. Driving wrong direction: Maximum 500 THB fine7. Stop on the junction : Maximum 500 THB fine8. Parking on the prohibited area : Maximum 500 THB fine9. False plate number : Maximum 2000 THB fine10. Driving motorbike without wearing helmet : Maximum 500 THB fine11. Ignoring traffic lights: Maximum 1000 THB fine12. Parking in the place what obstructing traffic: Maximum 500 THB fine13. Car modification which generates excessive noise : Maximum 10000 THB fine14. Car registration red plate installed more than 1 month/ distance exceeds 3,0000 km : Maximum 10000 THB fineImage source: Kulsawek SawekwannakornTranslation:-- Translated by Siam Translations 2015-07-02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) Nothing new here, except for drunk driving which was changed a few months ago. Probably a crackdown coming? Edited July 2, 2015 by stevenl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinkpanther99 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinneil Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I am lucky i dont have to worry about traffic laws anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerojero Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) New, old, different same.... Doesn't matter because enforcement will be haphazard at best, and greasy palms will continue unabated. Laws mean nothing when its chance that means you get off, get nailed horribly, or allowed to slither away if you're connected. Edited July 2, 2015 by jerojero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzra Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Encyclopaedia Britannica Will not be enough to contain all of Thailand's traffic laws. which 99% of them are not enforced for lack of will, personal or simply too hard... so new rules and regulations? ok.. just add them to the exiting one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! "Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside." that would be truly significant. The problem with all the laws above is the question of enforcement....and so long as the police operate in an informal and inconsistent manner nothing will change. but at the end of the day even if they are enforced there will be only minimal changes in road safety as it it requires a holistic approach - addressing single issues simply won't work. there are several elephants in this room and one of the biggest and most ignores is the state of Thai roads........i don't just mean "disrepair", I'm referring to the appalling lack of proper engineering and design that permit dangerous driving practices and fails to save vehicles that have lost control....until ALL the issues of road safety are addressed, thai will continue to lose thousands of people and billions of baht to road incidents, fatalities and injuries..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prakhonchai nick Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Fines still ridiculously low. Only 1,000bt for jumping red lights! 10.000bt + a driving ban would be more appropriate! And why "maximum" fines. It should be a standard fine applicable to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorecard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! "Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside." that would be truly significant. The problem with all the laws above is the question of enforcement....and so long as the police operate in an informal and inconsistent manner nothing will change. but at the end of the day even if they are enforced there will be only minimal changes in road safety as it it requires a holistic approach - addressing single issues simply won't work. there are several elephants in this room and one of the biggest and most ignores is the state of Thai roads........i don't just mean "disrepair", I'm referring to the appalling lack of proper engineering and design that permit dangerous driving practices and fails to save vehicles that have lost control....until ALL the issues of road safety are addressed, thai will continue to lose thousands of people and billions of baht to road incidents, fatalities and injuries..... Plus, the police should be the role models. In reality there are the opposite, they continuously and regularly break every rule in the book. Edited July 2, 2015 by scorecard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naam Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Siam Translations.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorecard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 If this is a paid translation then perhaps who should get a new translator or fix the errors before posting on a web-board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) Fines still ridiculously low. Only 1,000bt for jumping red lights! 10.000bt + a driving ban would be more appropriate! And why "maximum" fines. It should be a standard fine applicable to all. fixed penalties work for some transgressions but allowing the "judiciary" to vary fines and penalties allows them to adjust for te severity of the offence - for example repeat offences can then incur a higher penalty. as for the level of fines....the average income in Thailand is still quite low amongst the majority so a heavier fine could in fact result in unnecessary deprivation for the perpetrator and dependants. - (e.g. - 300 baht is a days wage for many and some pensioners have to et by on 500 baht a month.) The key to getting the roads safer is not necessarily in the amount being charged, it is going to be primarily linked to whether or not these infringements are enforced and dealt with in a consistent manner throughout the country. Once people know what to expect, and realise they can't "settle" at the side of the road then they will act accordingly. PS- a very high fine will get a different reaction form those who simply can't afford it....they will abscond or use false ID or any methods they can to get out of it. PPS - did you realise that in the UK where repeat offences and such factors as higher speeds receive higher penalties, the potential maximum for speeding is now £10,000 = Half a million baht. Edited July 2, 2015 by cumgranosalum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoli Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! Same as any country, wouldn't you agree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 If this is a paid translation then perhaps who should get a new translator or fix the errors before posting on a web-board. my Thai reading is not up to this, but it looks like a good translation. Please, please can you post the inaccuracies that you have found? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! Same as any country, wouldn't you agree? Sorry what is your point? Thailand is NOT the same, but the effects of consistent enforcement, if applied, would be pretty much universal....but I still can't see what you are getting at...perhaps you could expand on the comment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masuk Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! Have I missed something? Where is the bit about overtaking on double lines on a blind bend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullstop Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 6. Driving wrong direction: Maximum 500 THB fine This one ALONE would tie up cops 24/7 ...IF it was enforced. Give it up Thailand ...you're a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 An inconsiderate post and replies to it removed. Some members do have mobility problems and can't drive which is the case of this member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prakhonchai nick Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Fines still ridiculously low. Only 1,000bt for jumping red lights! 10.000bt + a driving ban would be more appropriate! And why "maximum" fines. It should be a standard fine applicable to all. fixed penalties work for some transgressions but allowing the "judiciary" to vary fines and penalties allows them to adjust for te severity of the offence - for example repeat offences can then incur a higher penalty. as for the level of fines....the average income in Thailand is still quite low amongst the majority so a heavier fine could in fact result in unnecessary deprivation for the perpetrator and dependants. - (e.g. - 300 baht is a days wage for many and some pensioners have to et by on 500 baht a month.) The key to getting the roads safer is not necessarily in the amount being charged, it is going to be primarily linked to whether or not these infringements are enforced and dealt with in a consistent manner throughout the country. Once people know what to expect, and realise they can't "settle" at the side of the road then they will act accordingly. PS- a very high fine will get a different reaction form those who simply can't afford it....they will abscond or use false ID or any methods they can to get out of it. PPS - did you realise that in the UK where repeat offences and such factors as higher speeds receive higher penalties, the potential maximum for speeding is now £10,000 = Half a million baht. If they break a traffic law, especially jumping red lights (not necessarily a parking offence) then they deserve a heavy penalty. Yes it will deprive them of their smokes and lao kao. But they deserve it! Jumping red lights can kill as does drunk driving. Let the fines shown be MINIMUM. Then for 2nd and subsequent offences, penalties can be determined at a higher level by the judiciary I agree totally that enforcement is required, penalties paid to a government body, NOT to the police, and immediate dismissal of police officers accepting bribes Bear in mind when talking of deprivation, it is not a levy on every road user, it is a FINE on transgressors. Don't break the law, then don't pay any fines and continue to support your dependents and smoke and drink! The Thais must be forced to learn through their pockets. Too late for most to be re-trained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always18 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Just had a quick count-up and I saw numerous breaches of 11 out of the 14 new laws just yesterday in our provincial capital town...............so, no change just yet then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorecard Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) If this is a paid translation then perhaps who should get a new translator or fix the errors before posting on a web-board. my Thai reading is not up to this, but it looks like a good translation. Please, please can you post the inaccuracies that you have found? Some examples: Item 5. Several errors in omitting commas in the numbers and placing the comma in the wrong place in a number. No I'm not trying to be the grammar police, I know I make errors. My point is that paid translation (if it is a paid translation) should be better. And I would question why a western person employed as a journalist would not notice these errors and fix them before broad publication. I will admit that I have a hobby horse about the quality of paid translations. Just one example: my Thai son wrote his masters degree thesis (100 pages) in Thai and then he re-wrote it in English. He gave both versions to a translator company with request to correct the English version. (I wanted to do the English corrections but my son insisted he didn't want to bother me (his thesis was about 100 pages)). When the English version came back from the translator company (via e-mail) it was even worse than his own attempt. He went back to the translator company and I went with him. The translator company insisted their work was perfect and refused to do any further work. I showed them a number of errors and their response was that I was wrong. This is all a bit of topic, the real point of the thread is attempts to get better law enforcement and hopefully reduce the death toll and the accident rate. Edited July 2, 2015 by scorecard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffo77 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 9. False plate number is wrong > False license plate 13. Car modification which generates excessive noise is wrong > Noisy modified exhaust pipe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vogie Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! "Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside." that would be truly significant. The problem with all the laws above is the question of enforcement....and so long as the police operate in an informal and inconsistent manner nothing will change. but at the end of the day even if they are enforced there will be only minimal changes in road safety as it it requires a holistic approach - addressing single issues simply won't work. there are several elephants in this room and one of the biggest and most ignores is the state of Thai roads........i don't just mean "disrepair", I'm referring to the appalling lack of proper engineering and design that permit dangerous driving practices and fails to save vehicles that have lost control....until ALL the issues of road safety are addressed, thai will continue to lose thousands of people and billions of baht to road incidents, fatalities and injuries..... Plus, the police should be the role models. In reality there are the opposite, they continuously and regularly break every rule in the book. Just like every country in the world, how many police illegally park to get their quota of doughnuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiangmaiRob Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thanks for the heads up. Apparently THE big change that is coming to driving laws is that police will no longer be able to accept money on the roadside. A friend of a friend who works as a translator for the police said that this is to be approved soon as part of the crackdown on graft. Has anybody been told the same about this? ABout the image above - the big thing, as always with stuff like this, is enforcement. You can have all the laws you want but if they are not enforced properly they are pretty pointless! The cops taking fines at the roadside seems to be the norm in Chiang Mai, which IMO, is fair enough as they also give a receipt so it all seems above board. It saves a lot if inconvenience having to go to the police station to pay a fine. I'm also not adverse to paying "cash" fines if it saves me that inconvenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masuk Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Nothing new here, except for drunk driving which was changed a few months ago. Probably a crackdown coming? When will they bring in "Booze Buses". Everyone is given a breathalyser test. Above .05 gets a blood test by a nurse or Doctor. Time to get tough boys, or keep losing folk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keesters Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Just taking the minimum fines shown I see about 100K worth of traffic offenses during my daily trip around Pattaya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmh8 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 nothing prohibitive by driving in the normal reckless manner then. I guess they may have put a business man in charge of traffic police section, decided to get them to do something other than touching the bloody override switch on traffic lights. would be great if this were the case, but talk big big, action none none Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FvH Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 23 newly imposed traffic law I see only 14, did they forget to look at the backside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeray Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I am lucky i dont have to worry about traffic laws anymore. Good attitude. Glad to see that your "glass is half full". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred Kubasa Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I don't believe any of those laws listed are NEW, just the amount of the fines but.......... why worry if you drive within the law ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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