Laws May Be Amended To Make Alcohol Tests Mandatory For Drunk Drivers

[Jai Dee]

Justice Ministry will ask for legal amendments to empower the police to put suspected drunk drivers under breath tests

The Justice Ministry is asking for an amendment to two articles of the Land Traffic Act B.E.2522 to enable police to put suspected drunk drivers under random breath tests to reduce the rate of road accidents.

Permanent Secretary for Justice Charan Phakdithanakul (จรัญ ภักดีธนากุล) said that amendments involve Articles 142 and 142/1. Motorists denying the tests without proper reasons will be charged with drunk driving.

He said besides that the amendment will also empower the police to order motorists whose cars are engaged in road accidents to undergo breath tests. Denial will mean that they are drunk drivers.

The Permanent Secretary said the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet for urgent consideration before the New Year festival. He also revealed that improvement of related laws will be amended on a holistic basis and the proposed amendment is expected to be forwarded for a Cabinet approval before Songkran Festival 2007.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 December 2006

[Jai Dee]

Justice to amend law to make alcohol test mandatory for drunk drivers

The Justice Ministry is pushing for a traffic law amendment to force suspected drunk drivers to take an alcohol test and to permit police to detain those who refuse the test.

Permanent secretary for Justice Charan Phakdithanakul said Monday at the launch of the "Young People Against Drink Driving" campaign the ministry had drafted two amendments to the Land Transportation Act 1979.

The proposals would be presented to the Cabinet before being submitted to the National Legislative Assembly. They should be in effect for the next Songkran Festival, which is notorious for its annual road carnage caused by drinkdriving.

The first amendment would force suspected drunk drivers to take a breath or a blood-alcohol test. Anyone who refuses can be automatically considered by police officers as being drunk, punishable by up to three months in jail and/or a fine of up to Bt10,000. Currently, refusal to take a test draws the lighter penalty of obstructing police, punishable by a fine of Bt1,000 compared Bt4,000 and a year in jail for drink drivers.

The second amendment makes it mandatory for all involved in motor accidents to submit to alcohol tests instead of leaving it to a police officer's assessment, Charan said. Later, a fund would be established to help victims of drunk driving accidents.

Source: The Nation - 19 December 2006

[Foggy Bottom]

Good News - bringing things into line with the developed world

Wonder if it'll last beyond the launch period though?

(Cop to suspected drunk driver) Please breathe into the crash hat you're not wearing so I can sniff it ..... Sir

Edited December 20, 2006 by Gaz Chiangmai

[BigSnake]

Please it's about time. Far to many needless deaths due to s

[astral]

Will that include Puu Yai, or just the little people.

[Ga-gai]

Good News - bringing things into line with the developed world

Wonder if it'll last beyond the launch period though?

(Cop to suspected drunk driver) Please breathe into the crash hat you're not wearing so I can sniff it ..... Sir

No, no, no...!

It will be like this:

(Cop to suspected drunk driver) -Please breathe into this equipment....Sir!

(Suspected drunk driver) -No I won't!

(Cop to suspected drunk driver) -Well...(hick) Then I'll breathe instead, and you will get caught anyway!

Edited December 20, 2006 by Ga-gai

[PanzerJohn]

I wonder how much it will cost not to take the test?

[Scott]

Sadly, this is probably another one of those things that will last from 12:00 til noon. I am sure in a month or so the breathalyzers will all be broken, lost, stolen or tampered with--at least they will be unusable.

At any rate, this law will probably only be applied to the little guys (mostly motorcycle drivers). Every year and each holiday they set up a check point near where I live. I have never seen them stop a car--only motorcycles, who have ample distance to see the checkpoint and make a U-turn and get out of the place.

It's truly sad because they have NO intention of actually doing anything other than making it look like they are doing something.

[Miami Bob]

Sadly, this is probably another one of those things that will last from 12:00 til noon. I am sure in a month or so the breathalyzers will all be broken, lost, stolen or tampered with--at least they will be unusable.

At any rate, this law will probably only be applied to the little guys (mostly motorcycle drivers). Every year and each holiday they set up a check point near where I live. I have never seen them stop a car--only motorcycles, who have ample distance to see the checkpoint and make a U-turn and get out of the place.

It's truly sad because they have NO intention of actually doing anything other than making it look like they are doing something.

Unfortunatly this will become another source of under the table income for the police. But who can blame them? I believe the starting pay for police is about 7000 B a month and they have to buy uniforms and guns out of that plus support the family. Obviously not possible. If the people at the top really wanted to get serious about inforcing the law they would have to start by filtering some of thier money down to police on the street.