New M81 motorway bans bikes, motorcycles, tractors
Royal Gazette order bars slow or non-motorised vehicles from Bang Yai–Kanchanaburi route
Thailand’s Royal Gazette has issued a new directive banning several types of vehicles from using the new Motorway Route 81 (M81), which connects Bang Yai in Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi.
The announcement, signed by the Director of Special Highways, was made under Section 54 of the Highways Act 1992 and came into effect on October 31, 2025.
The regulation prohibits the following vehicle types from entering the M81 motorway:
- Bicycles
- Motorcycles
- Three-wheeled vehicles
- Tractors
- Road rollers
- Agricultural vehicles
- Any vehicles powered by human or animal force, including carts and wagons
The M81 is a newly developed special highway designed to improve travel between Bangkok’s western suburbs and Kanchanaburi, cutting down travel times and easing congestion on local roads.
However, the road is built exclusively for fast-moving motor vehicles and long-distance travel, making it unsuitable and now illegal for slower or non-motorised transport.
The announcement also repeals previous orders related to vehicle restrictions on this same motorway route.
The directive was officially dated October 29 but published on the Royal Gazette website on November 3.
In a related Royal Gazette update, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) has introduced new traffic ticket formats, which took effect on August 4.
The revised design includes three updated formats to comply with the 2022 Administrative Fines Act. The new system replaces previous announcements from 2020 and 2021 and is part of efforts to modernise traffic enforcement.
One of the main formats will be used for tickets attached to vehicles and includes four colour-coded sheets: white (for the driver), yellow (for the administrative fines authority), pink (for the officer issuing the fine), and blue (as a record copy for the issuing department).
The police directive was issued under the Land Traffic Act and signed by the national police chief. The updated format is intended to streamline fine processing through the national police database.
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