The transport minister is poised to enforce strict control on the speed limit on highways and regulate school buses across the country in the interest of safety.
Transport Minister Sopon Sarum stated he has unveiled two urgent policies on road safety.
The policies are in accordance with the Transport Minsitry's mandate to decrease road accidents and to mark 2011 as the "Year of Road Safety".
Sopon said his ministry will strictly control the maximum speed limit for vehicles on highways and regulate school vehicles nationwide, focusing on their overall conditions.
He added the age limit for school vehicle driving permits is under consideration.
Sopon noted that he has set up a committee chaired by Deputy Transport Minister Suchart Chokechaiwattanakorn to study the issues.
The transport minister also instructed the Land Transport Department to exercise stricter caution on issuing driver's licenses for public passenger vehicles.
He said officials should be especially careful when determining which drivers are fit to operate school vehicles.
The departmen was also assigned to seriously check the conditions of vehicles used in transporting students from and to school to ensure that they remain in good conditions.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Thaweesin Rakkatanyoo, governor of the Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT, said statistics showed the number of road accidents on expressways was not high, compared to the daily number of 1.4 million commuters.
Thaweesin further said that a majority of the accidents resulted from speeding and carelessness.
He noted this showed that the structures of the expressways were not to be blamed for road accidents and confirmed that all expressways were constructed in line with international standards.
He added that EXAT is working with the traffic police on setting a suitable speed limit on its expressways.
-- Tan Network 2011-01-18
Just what are the highway speed limits in Thailand. The only place I've ever seen them posted is in (or entering) towns, approaching curves or intersections, on bridges, and on the freeways in Bangkok only when the flashing "80" lights are on. Other than that, out on the open road, say highway 4 and 35 on the way to Bangkok, I've never seen a speed limit posted; and what is the freeway speed limit when the "80" signs are not flashing? My SatNav device says the speed limit on Thai highways is 120 as it warns me when I exceed that, but I've never seen a sign saying that.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Sometime last year all the speed limit signs on the highways were removed......I got a 1,000 baht fine for speeding on the new airport expressway when a) I was NOT speeding b) when every single lane of traffic that arrived at the toll booth when we did also got a visit from a patrolman.
I asked the patrolman why there were no longer any speed limit signs between Cha Am and the toll booth; he leaned into my car right next to my face and pointed out the flashing 80 sign that was a quarter of a mile ahead of us......the first speed limit sign of any type we saw between our home and the Airport.
I'm sure my fine was at least double what it might have been since I was obviously extremely pissed off as every car near us had been moseying down the new road enjoying the light traffic, and not one of us driving over 100; AND because earlier in the day I had already been stopped for doing 110 near Petchburi and relieved of 400 baht.
This week my wife and my friend each saw a horrendous crash, undoubtedly caused by high speed, in which both drivers were killed. Fortunately they were driving alone.....the condition of their vehicles and the trees and light posts they tore down made it abundantly clear they both lost control somehow going at a high rate of speed. Three people we know personally have been involved in motorcycle crashes in the past two weeks.
I'll wager any of us can barely count the number of people we know who have had accidents, and I'll further wager each of us knows at least one person who has died in the past year or had a serious traffic injury.
The Transport Minister notes a committee that has been set up to "study" the issues. Wow, I'm so totally under-impressed.
Posted Yesterday, 22:08 on another well known site:
"Undertaking on the left, overtaking on bends and hillcrests, overtaking an already overtaking car on a single lane highway, tailgating, threading in and out of fast moving traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road to save a u-turn 500m further up the road, not indicating, jumping red lights, pre-empting green lights, cutting up, impatience, lack of respect for others, double parking (and leaving the handbrake on!) not giving way to the right when turning across traffic or entering a roundabout, not wearing a seatbelt, totally unaware of safe braking distances, insufficient use of the mirrors (except when prising a particularly stubborn piece of moo bing from the front teeth with a toothpick, or checking your hair whilst talking on the mobile) , overtaking then immediately turning off left at the next soi 10m further on......".
If the government is seriously "studying" what to do about traffic safety in Thailand they have their work cut out for them!
...I got a 1,000 baht fine for speeding on the new airport expressway when a) I was NOT speeding
not one of us driving over 100
Expressway/elevated highway speed limit 80kms per hour.
Higher fine tariffs apply on expressways.
In the UK we have a sign that means maximum legal limit applies ( no numbers on it).
The law states drivers should be aware of highway laws before driving.
I can't argue that it may have been a correct fine but my wife told me the steam coming out of my ears probably cost me an extra 500 baht......
Regards your comment on the driving being aware of the traffic laws: "The law states drivers should be aware of highway laws before driving". If someone can point me to a codified Thai driving rulebook I would be more than happy to abide by the rules........but as far as I know the traffic laws are word of mouth.
Regards you comment that the speed limit is 80 kph on the expressways.................The only drivers in Thailand that go that slow on an expressway are either just learning how to drive or something is wrong with their gas pedal!
In fact, going that slow will get you run over pretty much on any road in the country!
I always thought it was 90 on most roads apart from on some of the highways like the 9 around Bangkok where it's 120.
I know there it is marked but it's not that clear as they have lower limits for other types of traffic and the signs are a bit small and not immediately obvious. It's not a big round sign with 120 in the middle anyway.
Coupla years ago a new yellow sign appeared near HH airport stating 'speed check area' (or similar) ahead.
Sure enuf..many times a patrol car would be backed in a small Soi with a hand-held speed camera..& sure enuf
a bit further towards HH was a coned-section c/w MIB who had the 'speeder's plate No on their notepad.
BUT..I looked & looked each time I came from Cha-Am & could never see a sign indicating max speed..
So are we supposed to know the correct speed when entering HH city-limit..??
(Cos there's no clues sign-wise).
Thanks Poosmate, that's good and entertaining reading. Apparently there is an addendum or something not in your package with actual speed limits, but I found it quite interesting to read that if there are posted speed limits it is illegal to go over OR under them. (pg 14). Ah, now there's a good reason to use your cruise control.
Also we should note that it is illegal to have more than two people on a motorcycle or more than 50 kg of freight. Following that law would put most of Thailand at a standstill.
Finally I'm happy to note that we can stick our arms out the window and wave at people to slow down or in other words......get your bumper out of my trunk. I must warn you, though, the last time I tried that the guy started chasing me and wanted to fight.....I was lucky he didn't have his gun with him.
Speed limits/Highway code etc is all academic really, little of it ever invades the realm of reality. Just a throw of the dice every time you go anywhere, survive or not, fined or not, threatened or not. The traffic laws are considered more like "guidelines" in the eyes of most and twisted or melded into whatever the cops need it to be on any given occasion.
I'll definitely second that response. The wife and I have been talking about it a lot lately after having a couple of friends get in serious accidents......and, of course, after navigating our way in and out of Hua Hin a couple of times last week.
I can't think of a more daunting task for the Thai government......seems like pretty much of an impossible task to change a whole country's attitudes and educate them sufficiently.
I have a hard time believing friends in our condo that tell us this is nothing compared to driving in K.L. or Vietnam, etc........how could it get much worse without complete anarchy? In my opinion, and the only reason for paying any attention to the subject, is it is the single worst part about living here. The wife won't even try to drive in Hua Hin.......God knows what she's going to do in a few years when I have to turn over the steering wheel. Fortunately she learned how to drive in California and I have taught her defensive driving.......if she had learned here like her sister I'd probably be six feet under by now. Her sister's idea of driving is speeding like crazy until something or someone gets in her way, tailgating them until she can pass, and yelling Ow! every fifteen minutes or so when she almost kills someone.
T.I.G.R
I have just renewed my 5 year Thai licence and had to watch a Thai ( subtitled ) soap about driving. One thing I did learn is that there are minimum speed limit signs ( I think white with a blue circle ).
Another law was pointed out ( as is in the UK) that hazard lights are only to be used when stationary. Maybe the Thai language track is different from the subtitles
Unfortunately no-one has to take a written test or a driving test of any kind in order to obtain a license. They just have to watch that movie..............
