Thai Law News
Thailand law news, court rulings, legal reforms, and criminal cases—stay updated on legislation changes, civil disputes, and key legal developments. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for Thai law news.
-
Sponsored 5 stunning motorcycle routes in Thailand to take
Thailand is a paradise for motorcyclists, offering some of the most stunning and diverse routes in Southeast Asia. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or someone looking for a new adventure these are some suggested routes that any rider should take...
-
Alcohol act revamp: Thailand raises the bar on booze ads
The Thai Cabinet agreed to revise the Alcohol Beverage Control Act, allowing businesses to advertise their alcohol products and enabling the public to share pictures and videos of alcoholic beverages without legal punishment. The draft of the revised Alcohol Beverage Control Act was discussed during the Cabinet meeting yesterday, March 19. At the end of the meeting, 365 Parliament members…
-
Thailand imposes stricter penalties for unpaid tolls
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) is set to enforce stricter penalties for unpaid tolls starting January 1, 2025. Drivers who fail to pay tolls will face fines up to ten times the toll fee, with a maximum of 2,000 baht per incident. This new regulation is part of the enforcement of Section 63 of the EXAT Act of 2007,…
-
Bangkok lowers speed limit to 60 km/h in bid to reduce road accidents
The Royal Gazette published an announcement today, December 24, regarding a new regulation on speed limits within Bangkok, which reduces the speed of vehicles on all roads in the city to 60 kilometres per hour (kp/h), except on 13 specific roads. The Royal Gazette released details on its official website today regarding the new speed limit and noise prohibitions in…
-
Marriage equality approved, LGBTQA+ couples to wed in 120 days
King Rama X yesterday approved the Marriage Equality Bill allowing LGBTQA+ couples in Thailand to officially marry in 120 days after the approval. The movement to allow LGBTQA+ couples to legally register their marriages in Thailand began 23 years ago, in 2001, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in office. However, Thai society had not yet widely recognised the…
-
Governor Chadchart issues the 5 strict orders: Schools under the BMA must be free of e-cigarettes
Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok, revealed that BMA attaches huge importance to the campaign to rid schools of smoking. Especially children and youth they are focusing on the prevention related to cigarettes and e-cigarettes. There is a continuous effort with this campaign every year. The 5 strict orders in the campaign to combat smoking at schools are: Let schools under…
-
Spirited debate: Health ministry’s alcohol curfew talks hit a hiccup
The Ministry of Public Health held a meeting today, February 15, to deliberate on the potential abolition of the time restriction for alcohol sales, currently set between 11am and 2pm. However, the meeting failed to reach a clear conclusion. The Public Health Minister, Chonlnan Srikaew, reported that the proposal to cancel the time limit for alcohol sales was submitted to…
-
Bangkok airport protest leaders face bankruptcy over 522 million baht compensation order
The Central Bankruptcy Court has dealt a decisive blow to 11 pivotal figures of the dissolved People Alliance for Democracy (PAD) by issuing an absolute receivership order against them. This verdict relates to their involvement in protests that resulted in the closure of Bangkok’s two primary airports. The court order, made public via the Royal Gazette, gives an assigned receiver…
-
Thailand to adopt stricter firearm controls amid rise in gun-related crimes
Thailand is adopting stricter firearm controls amid a rise in gun-related crimes. The Cabinet is set to draft a firearms act which deems all privately owned firearms and ammunition must be registered with a government agency. According to The Star, the draft act was approved on Tuesday. Government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek confirmed the news adding that the current measures in…
-
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister says e-cigarettes should be legalised
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister says it’s about time that e-cigarettes be legalised. The Minister, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, thinks Thailand should amend the law to reflect the lives of many people in developed countries. According to Thai PBS World, Chaiwut added that Thailand’s neighbouring countries of Singapore and Malaysia have already legalised electronic smoking devices. “The key issue is to…
-
Thailand’s Tourism Authority reminds visitors of current anti-smoking laws
Thailand’s government is reminding tourists of the nation’s current anti-smoking laws. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says travellers should be aware that electronic cigarettes, shishas, and electronic shishas are currently illegal. Furthermore, the TAT says there is no smoking in public areas as part of the broader Tobacco Control Law which aims to promote a clean, safe and smoke-free…
-
DLT increases fines for motorists who fail to stop at zebra crossings
The Department of Land Transport (DLT) increased the fine for motorists failing to stop at a zebra crossing from 1,000 baht to 4,000 baht. The DLT will also deduct one point from an offender’s driving license. A survey conducted last year by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, and the Thai Roads Foundation, revealed that almost 90% of vehicles in Bangkok…
-
Thai police torture to continue, for now
Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas has written to the Ministry of Justice, asking for a delay in the enforcement of the Anti-Torture Act, claiming that his officers are not ready to give up police torture. The act was trailered in October last year, with the provision that it would come into force on February 22. The letter dated January 6 was…
-
Blood alcohol content limit for drivers in Thailand should be set at 0%
The Centre for Alcohol Studies (CAS) urged relevant departments to consider setting the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for drivers in Thailand at 0%, instead of 0.05%, because drivers with 0.05% of BAC in their system still cause fatal road accidents. The legal BAC is set at 0.05% in Thailand. This means that motorists in the country can drive if…
-
New foreign land ownership law in Thailand can be scrapped if Thais don’t agree
If Thai people aren’t happy with the newly proposed foreign land ownership law in Thailand, the whole plan can be scrapped, said Minister of Interior General Anupong Paochinda in Parliament yesterday. “We can improve the regulation, such as by increasing the investment to 100 million baht. The plan can be scrapped if people have serious concerns. We won’t see it as…
-
Pakistan’s transgenders dragged back into Dark Ages
Early last month, Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan proposed the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights amends the Transgender Protection Act of 2018, leading to a firestorm of online abuse on both sides of the argument. Despite its desire to be known as a conservative society with strong Islamic inclinations, Pakistan is one of only a few countries with legislation…
-
Thailand’s new narcotics laws offers drug offenders treatment
The Thai Cabinet yesterday introduced a new set of narcotics laws, downgrading a number of acts to give people a second chance if they have committed minor offences. Some drug offenders will be offered drug treatment instead of prosecution. Yesterday, the prime minister’s deputy spokeswoman, Traisuree Traisaranakun, reported that the Cabinet approved the new laws under the Narcotics Act. The…
-
Thailand’s Digital Economy Minister ‘clarifies’ about the posting of crime pics or videos online
Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, is warning crime witnesses that spreading pictures or videos of the incidents via online channels ‘could’ violate the new Personal Data Protection Act or PDPA. The minister says the safer way to help victims is to hand the evidence to the police officers. Thailand officially operated the PDPA or the Personal Data…
-
Government asked to postpone PDPA law
The government has been asked to postpone the Personal Data Protection Act because some of the laws remain unclear. The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking yesterday asked the government to delay the bill as some of the PDPA laws remain vague and need to be clarified. They also insist clear directions must be issued and 20 organic…
-
Demonstrators storm UN building to protest NPO law
Demonstrators swarmed around the United Nations Building to the Government House this morning to denounce a government bill on non-profit organizations. Hundreds of vociferous anti-NPO demonstrators avoided a number of barriers, including barbed wire on different sections of Ratchadamnoen Road leading to government house in Bangkok, but still managed to voice their opposition to a law that will affect the…
-
Chadchart’s commitment to purging the metropolis of corruption
Newly elected governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed he plans to stamp out corruption as part of his flagship “Bangkok’s Nine Good” policy. Corruption in Thailand has been a national issue for decades. The kingdom is ranked 110th out of 180 countries evaluated in Transparency International‘s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index. The index examines public sector corruption, countries whose public sectors are perceived to be…
-
Britney Spears asks to address court over controversial conservatorship case
US pop singer Britney Spears has requested to speak in court in the controversial legal battle over her father’s conservatorship. The 39 year old was placed under conservatorship of her father back in 2008 when she apparently had a mental breakdown, which was widely publicised. Now, after 13 years, adamant fans are demanding for her conservatorship to end amid speculations…
-
Australia sets worldwide precedent by passing pay‐to‐play legislation for social media giants
In a landmark decision, Australia is now requiring global digital giants, such as Facebook and Google, to pay for using local news content on their websites. The move sets a precedent that many global companies have been anticipating. The law passed yesterday after Facebook and Google reached an agreement to pay local Australian news organisations for using their stories on…
-
3 Bangkok venues shut for violating Covid-19 prevention measures
Bangkok officials say 3 venues were ordered to temporarily close for allegedly violating Covid-19 control regulations, including Insanity Nightclub which will remain shutdown for the next 5 years. The Insanity Nightclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 was raided in December and 150 people were arrested after reports that the club was selling baraku and operating without a permit. Police also say…
-
111 people arrested at Koh Pha Ngan party for allegedly violating Covid-19 restrictions
Police raided a party in Koh Pha Ngan and arrested 111 on charges of violating Covid-19 disease control measures under the Emergency Decree. Immigration police and tourist police raided the event at Three Sixty Bar, a venue on a hilltop near Mae Haad Beach on the island known for its 360 degree view. Out of the 111 people arrested, 89…
-
Hotline set up for reports on alleged Covid-19 measure violations
The government is now encouraging people to help report activities deemed to violate the government’s rules and regulations to curb the spread of Covid-19 by calling the national hotline at 1111. People can report on any violations set by the Emergency Decree, which has been in place since last year and extended numerous times to combat the coronavirus. The government…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.