What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
GLCQuantum
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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buksida wrote:Ridiculing someone for posting it what maybe a second language is just low. :tsk:
.
A low blow, yes... but it was not actually about the usage of English. It was ridiculing the tone of the post. I just used the level of English to do that.

I, personally, have been a target of a police stitch-up on a 'farang'. Were I not in with the right people, it could have ended very nastily for me. This has happened once in my 10 years living here. I think some people just look and act dodgy, so they get stopped a lot more. Then they cry blue murder.

I think a poll would be interesting to see how many people have had a truly bad experience with the police here. And how many haven't.

So a poll it shall be.

:cheers:
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jumusman
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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Gregjam wrote:It frequently comes up in posts about the wearing of motorcycle crash helmets here in Thailand. Rather than guesses somebody is bound to know what exactly the law is regarding the requirement to wear a helmet here.

My own interpretation based on observation is that one person on a motorcycle must wear a helmet (either rider or passenger) if the motorcycle is in use on the public road.

Does it really only apply to one person? Perhaps the legal eagles could also clarify the other 'motorcycle' laws that may or may not exist.

Do you need a licence to ride a motorcycle on the road?

What is the maximum amount of people allowed on a motorcycle (suspect this is two as you frequently see the 3rd or 4th get off the bike before the checkpoint and reboard after).

Is there any law about age/size of passenger (i.e. baby seats designed specifically for the step thru type bikes)?

Is it legal to use a motorcycle to tow any kind of trailer.

Is there any requirement for a motorcycle to be maintained (i.e. brakes/lights working).

I am more than aware that this will garner some humourous responses and am well aware that whatever the legal situation is you know you will get stuffed if you, as a farang, are involved in an accident with a bike.

It would also be interesting to know how the accident statistics compare when you look at the amount of people using a motorcycle here in Thailand. We all know that if safe practices were adopted accidents would be reduced but that would also put a huge amount of the motorcycles/motorcyclists off the road. If you take away all the accidents where the motorcyclist was illegally on the road (no helmet/licence/overloaded/drunk) what are the actual accident figures for motorcyclist compliant with the law.

Nothing like a bit of manipulation of statistics although I doubt if they are available. It might also detract a bit from repeated comments about crash helmets as if they are the be all and end all of motorcycle safety. A bike will not hurt you without input from a rider. Basically we all know that if motocycles/motorcyclists here were all legal it would make the roads a safer place (also if this was applied to motorists/cars/vans/lorries too) but chances of that happening are nil.


These are all very good questions, I will try to answer them based on what I see happening on the roads around Hua Hin, Bangkok, Pattaya and other places where I drive a motorbike, I will also add a few tidbits of my own.

1. "Does it really only apply to one person?" There is no helmet law, 80% of Thai's drive with no helmet, this includes every passenger also. There are many studies that show wearing a helmet can save lives, but none of these studies apply to Thailand.

2. "What is the maximum amount of people allowed on a motorcycle " As many as you can fit, if you can fit 4 go for it, if you can fit 5 even better! There is no correlation between the amount of passenger on a 125cc motorbike and a reduction in safety.

3. "Is there any law about age/size of passenger" Again there has never been a study that proves a 8 or 10 year old cannot drive a motorbike safely without a license or any official training of sorts. This point is obvious to me because I see it on a daily basis, sometimes 4 of them on the same motorbike, police never pull them over so logically speaking how can there be a law about age ? I believe Thai law is "As soon as they can reach the handlebars, they can ride"

4 "Is there any requirement for a motorcycle to be maintained" none whatsoever. I see people driving motorbikes at night without headlights or tail lights or brake lights. Obviously if this was law it would be enforced by police. Again, logically speaking nobody would knowingly endanger their life by driving at night without any lights on their bike if it was an unsafe practice.

Also take note of the following if driving a motorbike in Thailand

You may drive on either side of the road, it may seem like traffic on either side of the median is flowing in one direction but don't pay attention to that, if you are on the wrong side feel free to be a lazy bastard and to save a little time drive towards vehicles hurtling towards you at 80kph, they will move out of the way if they see you, and always remember this

"Safety is not you're responsibility, it's everyone else's."

Just last week I saw a Thai man driving his motorbike with his right hand, holding his baby in his left and talking on the phone at the same time, obviously a very safe practice. Road conditions are perfect in Hua Hin and I have never once seen a pothole. This kind of activity is completely safe and brings up another important point, feel free to not only talk while you are riding your motorbike but ALSO TEXT at the same time. Why pull over to the side of the road to Text or talk on the phone when you can kill two birds with one stone. (intentional pun with the word kill)

Also remember the "BLIND MERGE" rule. Just because you are on what you consider a main road such as Petchkasem, every side street Soi has the right to merge directly into you and oncoming traffic without stopping (Often without even looking, which just confirms my statement above, Safety is not you're responsibility, its everyone else's). When they do merge directly into your lane its your responsibility to slam on your brakes, if necessary, so as to not cause an accident. You may be asking yourself, "Hey, wait a minute, isn't it their responsibility to come to a full stop, look in the direction of oncoming traffic, wait until there is an opening and attempt to safely merge into said traffic" The answer to that question is simple.....No....

Every year the World Health Organization produces a report that shows the countries with the deadliest roads, Thailand always seems to come in second place to either Nigeria or Namibia with 45 deaths per 100,000 people. I guess nobody ever informed them that there are some lists where you should not strive to be number one...
"If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism." - Albert Einstein, 1936
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buksida
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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All pretty accurate jumusman. Here is a tongue-in-cheek (but also very accurate) guide to riding in Thailand: http://www.ontheroadasia.com/riding-in-thailand.php
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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I think one thing you have to bear in mind with regard to Thai attitudes to obeying road laws is the fact that when you get out into the countryside where many of them were brought up, there is no police presence whatsoever. The police patrol towns and the highways between them but the rest of the small roads are never policed, everyone is going around on scrap scooters with no papers, insurance, license or helmet and they never have a problem as long as they avoid the towns and major roads. Even the main roads are full of those homemade tok-tok trucks which are technically illegal but the police leave them alone because they're poor farmers with no other way of getting their crops to market.
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jumusman
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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buksida wrote:All pretty accurate jumusman. Here is a tongue-in-cheek (but also very accurate) guide to riding in Thailand: http://www.ontheroadasia.com/riding-in-thailand.php
Thanks for that, it was interesting reading. My favorite part was

"The law of the road in Thailand is actually quite similar to that in the west, it is based on UK road law. The problem is that none of the laws are enforced so there is no incentive to obey them - people drive how they like because they can."

the last eight words just sum it up beautifully..
"If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism." - Albert Einstein, 1936
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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From 'The Land Traffic Act of 1979:
Section 121 (500B)
[The rider of a motorcycle shall sit on the saddle, provided for the motorcycle rider. If the competent officer specifies in the registration to be able to carry passengers, the passenger shall ride at the back seat provided for the passenger, or in the side-car.]

Section 122 (500B)
[The rider and the passenger of a motorcycle shall wear a motorcycle helmet.
It's not a new law.
4 "Is there any requirement for a motorcycle to be maintained" none whatsoever
Maintenance of motorcycles: When renewing your road licence, vehicles 7 years or older must pass (albeit very basic) a roadworthy test.

You have to be 15 to ride a m/cycle and you are restricted to 110 cc (reviewed from 90 cc a few years ago)
1. "Does it really only apply to one person?" There is no helmet law,
Yes there is and has been for 35 years or so.
2. "What is the maximum amount of people allowed on a motorcycle
TWO as stated in the 'Land Traffic Act'
believe Thai law is "As soon as they can reach the handlebars, they can ride"
Yes the law states 15 yrs of age up to 110cc. At 18 yrs then you can drive the bigger bikes/scooters.

I realize Jumo that your post was 'tongue in cheek' but there are laws. Just not enforced.
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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I wonder how long it will be before we see Thais running around in the streets carrying fully automatic AK-47's and RPG's like the locals do in Nigeria, Namibia or Somalia or some other third world African country. :shock:
Last edited by Name Taken on Tue Feb 24, 2015 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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buksida
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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Name Taken wrote:I wonder how long it will be before we see Thais running around in the streets carrying AK-47's and RPG's
The red shirts have already done it in Bangkok a year or two back ... :duck:

:offtopic:
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Re: What exactly is the motorcycle Helmet Law in Thailand

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buksida wrote:
Name Taken wrote:I wonder how long it will be before we see Thais running around in the streets carrying AK-47's and RPG's
The red shirts have already done it in Bangkok a year or two back ... :duck:

:offtopic:
To be even handed, let's not forget the "popcorn gunman" a PDRC guard who shot dead a 72 year old with an M16 last year.
http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4694
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