PM: Ban on riding in truck bed to be strictly enforced after Songkran

 

BANGKOK, 12 April 2017 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has affirmed that the prohibition against riding on the bed of a pickup truck has long existed but it will be relaxed during this Songkran Festival to allow commuters to adjust themselves. 

During the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha tasked the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Transport with ensuring convenience and safety for road users this Songkran holiday. He ordered stringent inspections at road checkpoints and installations of CCTV cameras to help settle any disputes between motorists. In order not to ruin the festive mood, related authorities were told to handle trivial offenses on the road with leniency and always give warnings first. 

As for the government’s move to prohibit people from riding in the back of pickup trucks, Gen Prayut clarified that this law has already been in use for over 20 years and affirmed it will not be repealed. He said the law is being eased during this Songkran Festival so as to allow time for pickup truck passengers to learn about the do’s and don’ts and adjust their behavior accordingly. 

As the prohibition will take full effect after Songkran, the premier asked the people to understand law enforcers, who will have to take action against violators indiscriminately.

 

-- nnt 2017-04-12

Ban on riding in truck bed to be strictly enforced after Songkran

With the force of 1000 butterflies on a windy day.

Sure. The learning will easily happen DURING Songkran celebrations. Another retarded expectation. Sheesh!

 

 

Note to the millions of people with pickup trucks in Thailand. Please purchase a van by next week. We hope this will not be an inconvenience.

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

PM: Ban on riding in truck bed to be strictly enforced after Songkran

 

Unfortunately, this law will not apply to the hundreds who will be killed riding in truck bed this Songkran 

How will it be enforced WITHOUT a police force?

Easy to say for someone who is chauffeur driven to work in a limo.... they're totally out of touch with the Thai population.

4 hours ago, lemonjelly said:

Easy to say for someone who is chauffeur driven to work in a limo.... they're totally out of touch with the Thai population.

Not only with the population....with reality in general.

How much for a seat belt to be installed in the back of a pick up? 200 baht? sounds like a new market for the advertising boys at ThaiVisa. Cheap belts from China and a screw gun, whala new venture. Venture capital from Thai Government and u r not spending a cent. Problem solved. Govt may even subsidise new belts. Just send me your money orders or email your credit card details and I get to it straight away. We can't go wrong.

Where I live their are 2 ways to get from a to b. A main 4 lane highway and a set of backroads. I use both roads depending on the traffic. What I have noticed the past week is that many pickup trucks with workers sat in the back are using the backroads which are rarely policed. On the main road I haven't seen hardly any pickup trucks carrying people because in the morning and afternoon it has traffic police at the U turns.

I used to live in a small town outside Surin many years back. The locals who live in the surrounding villages near the town have the most basic transportation. Rusty old motorcycles, most are un-insured or don't have a licence plate, something illegal. They know when the town police patrol is set up. Either routinely or through friends warning them of police stops. Anyway, the town was always quite when the police were out on patrol. When the police had finished their patrol duty the whole town would come to life. Motorcycles, cars and farming vehicles would fill the roads and most were headed for the local market to stock up on groceries. The police would be at the market too, saying hello, socializing with the poor illegal transport owners.

So my point is this. You can enforce the law but people will always find a way to get around it. The poor people need to go to work sat in the bed of the pickup. They will find a way to avoid the police. Same as the motorcycle helmet law. Main road you have a greater risk of being stopped. Back road, a low risk of being stopped.

There are only so many police to enforce these laws. So wait and see, just some hot air to keep face when Thailand comes under the spotlight as the country with the most dangerous roads.

In many villages there is only one policeman if any

How are they going to enforce this in rural Thailand?

He will be unlikely to get co-operation from his/her neighbours if they start fining villagers

Of what year ?

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the law is being eased during this Songkran Festival

What does being 'eased' mean. It never seems to have been enforced so it is actually impossible to 'ease' for Songkran.

While there are of course safety issues of passengers in truck bins....but IMO,  a lot of this is just more elite humiliation of the poor.

We all know the basic pick-up is a budget vehicle here in Thailand....a low tax on them ensure villages/families can collectively afford them, (which was the whole point governments set these rates), and on offer with the purchase, is good reliable transport for several people.

There should be an alternative to a complete ban and fines.

 

Can you ride in the back of a tak tak? Many people around my area go to work aboard these machines. These machines are not registered and do not have seatbelts.

Ok like the speeding one that was strictly enforced. Then the motorbikes on the pavements, then jumping lights, drinking etc etc.

 

I will believe it when I see it, say after 3 months.

in theory it is a good idea, but should give more than a months notice that you are going to enforce a 20 year old law. The road toll is horrendous in Thailand so getting people to drive responsibly, wear seat belts and helmets to reduce the toll is great. But as already stated, who is going to enforce it.

No-good stupid proles keep dying on the roads and making the government, nominally responsible for traffic safety, look bad. 

Again it hits the poor people. Those cop killers in a Ferrari don't have such beds, aeeh problems. 

 

   

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

Note to the millions of people with pickup trucks in Thailand. Please purchase a van by next week. We hope this will not be an inconvenience.

 

 

 

The government  offesr a free coke for those who do. 

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Not only with the population....with reality in general

Nah!! He's a general so could not be out of touch in general!! Major error!!!

One thing is for sure with all this media attention on pick-ups. The car companies who make them must be very upset with these new traffic laws. Toyota, Isuzu will loose millions. I wonder what the Japanese are thinking?

When I was trained as a project manager, they said projects are not normal business and cannot succeed if you treat them like it. 

 

Projects need plans and reviews of progress, adjusting the plans in light of what has actually happened.

 

You cannot just issue a set of orders (as you could in the normal business of the army) and just expect major change to happen. Planning, review and adjustment are all necessary, and not conducted in a crackdown or instant reversal manner which destroys credibility.

 

Maybe project management courses should be part of every member of government's necessary qualifications, not just how to force actions with the barrel of a gun.

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Note to the millions of people with pickup trucks in Thailand. Please purchase a van by next week. We hope this will not be an inconvenience.

 

I did it on day 1 of the news. When i read about it, we went down to buy new car, before the prices on the truck goes down :D

There is nothing more stupid than riding in the back of a pick up. But because it has been custom and practice in many areas (taking workers to building sites, kids to school and so on) it would be difficult to change behaviours. Easy solution? A little bit of lateral thinking may help here. How about speed restricting picks ups with flat bed passengers to 40km per hour. This would resolve the social issues and introduce a measure of care/safety. Logical thinking really but logic never seems to apply in Thailand.

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Note to the millions of people with pickup trucks in Thailand. Please purchase a van by next week. We hope this will not be an inconvenience.

 

They should have thought of that before they bought the pick ups ,the law has been there for 37 years , so No excuses Sherlock

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Not only with the population....with reality in general.

"...with reality in general...."

There's an interesting written Freudian slip.

4 minutes ago, digger70 said:

They should have thought of that before they bought the pick ups ,the law has been there for 37 years , so No excuses Sherlock

Quite true, and 80% of the time the pickups have absolutely nothing of value in the box. Just a lower tax.

2 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Quite true, and 80% of the time the pickups have absolutely nothing of value in the box. Just a lower tax.

Don't forget most are Diesel and more aggressive in traffic (:

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Note to the millions of people with pickup trucks in Thailand. Please purchase a van by next week. We hope this will not be an inconvenience.

 

And note to the millions of people who bought pick up trucks 3 years ago under Yingluck scheme...

 

Sod off...