road safety

  • Crime NewsThailand’s new police chief makes drugs and road safety a top priority

    Thailand’s new police chief makes drugs and road safety a top priority

    Despite only having one year to serve, Thailand’s new police chief is ambitiously making drugs and road safety a top priority during his term. Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the 13th national police chief, assumed office at the beginning of this month. According to Bangkok Post, he replaced Suwat Jongyodsuk who retired on September 30. But, his plans to tackle road safety and…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: Nine cars in three days fly off ‘cursed’ road in eastern Thailand

    VIDEO: Nine cars in three days fly off ‘cursed’ road in eastern Thailand

    Shocking CCTV footage reveals a total of nine vehicles losing control in the same place on a highway in Chachoengsao province, eastern Thailand, between September 24 – 26. Security cameras at a used car dealership on Suwinthawong Road in Mueang district captured nine vehicles losing control, seemingly out of nowhere, and spinning off the road. Most of the cars ended…

  • Phuket NewsAnother push for helmet use in Phuket

    Another push for helmet use in Phuket

    Officials once again pushed for more motorcycle riders to wear helmets in Thailand, this time in Phuket. The push is part of another of Thailand’s many road safety campaigns. Local officials handed out helmets to students and other community members in the Wichit area of Phuket’s main city district on Wednesday. The officials also finished painting a crosswalk in front…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya locals gather to promote road safety

    Pattaya locals gather to promote road safety

    A crowd of about 200 locals in east Pattaya gathered at a school on Monday to raise awareness about Thailand’s problems with road safety. Speakers discussed the kingdom’s poor driver training, and the even worse enforcement of motorcycle helmets, which riders often don’t wear. Among the crowd was Chon Buri Deputy Governor Naris Niramaiwong, along with teachers, students, and volunteers.…

  • Thailand NewsUPDATE: Thailand introduces fine for not wearing seat belt in the back seat

    UPDATE: Thailand introduces fine for not wearing seat belt in the back seat

    UPDATE: The Royal Thai Police will go easy on people who break the new seat belt law “in the early phase” according to Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Pol. Maj. Gen. Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek. The officer confirmed yesterday that from September 5, the driver and all passengers – including those in the back seat – are required by law…

  • Thailand NewsThailand introduces fine for not wearing seat belt in the back seat

    Thailand introduces fine for not wearing seat belt in the back seat

    Not wearing a seat belt in the back seat of a car in Thailand will soon be punishable by a 2,000 baht fine. The rule will come into effect 120 after its publication in the Royal Gazette on September 5, 2022. The Royal Gazette wrote the new rule into the Road Traffic Act (No.13) 2022, published on May 7. The…

  • Road deathsSLOW DOWN! Speed limits on highways in Thailand now in effect

    SLOW DOWN! Speed limits on highways in Thailand now in effect

    Thailand’s notoriously dangerous roads may be getting a little bit safer. A new regulation just reported by the Expressway Authority of Thailand is slapping speed limits on the highways and expressways throughout the country. On the ground, the maximum speed will be set at 110 kilometres per hour, while elevated roadways will be capped at 100 kilometres an hour. The…

  • Crime NewsThai police and organisations award people money for videos of traffic violators

    Thai police and organisations award people money for videos of traffic violators

    As part of a road safety campaign, Royal Thai Police collaborated with several organisations and companies to award people with cash for video clips of traffic violations. During the “7 Dangerous Days” of Thailand’s Songkran holiday, when the number of road deaths usually spikes, drivers took dashboard videos of other drivers violating traffic laws. The winners earned prize money from…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket governor Narong plans road safety campaign ahead of Songrkan

    Phuket governor Narong plans road safety campaign ahead of Songrkan

    Phuket governor Narong is planning a road safety campaign ahead of Sonkran with a goal of zero casualties during the holiday. The dates for the campaign, called Seven Days of Danger, have yet to be announced. Last year, the campaign focused on ending drunk driving, and inspecting “risk points” where accidents had happened. 21 people were injured, and one person…

  • Thailand News2 people per hour were killed in road accidents in Thailand in 2020

    2 people per hour were killed in road accidents in Thailand in 2020

    A Thai health foundation has found that two people were killed in road accidents every hour in Thailand in 2020. The total number of people killed in road accidents throughout that year was 17,831. The foundation, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, said motorcycle drivers and riders made up the 74% of fatalities. The International Health Policy Program said in its report…

  • Thailand NewsJaguar car explodes into flames on Bangkok expressway

    Jaguar car explodes into flames on Bangkok expressway

    Bangkok police are investigating why a black Jaguar car exploded into flames on the Charlerm Maha Nakhon Expressway last night. The driver and passengers escaped and weren’t physically hurt, but they were traumatised. The driver said they smelled diesel fumes, then saw smoke, and then the car lit on fire. He said he didn’t leave the car in any suspicious…

  • Thailand NewsMan flies out of speeding car in Phuket, 3 injured

    Man flies out of speeding car in Phuket, 3 injured

    Three people in a speeding car in Phuket were injured early this morning, and one man even flew out of the car when it crashed into a guardrail. The man’s head hit a potted plant on the pavement, and the car kept spinning until it hit a power pole. The man who flew out of the car, a passenger, was…

  • Thailand NewsOfficials will install traffic lights and surveillance cameras at 100 Bangkok crossings

    Officials will install traffic lights and surveillance cameras at 100 Bangkok crossings

    In the aftermath of a fatal accident where a motorbike hit and killed a pedestrian, Bangkok officials plan to install traffic lights and surveillance cameras at 100 zebra crossings. The lights will be installed in two weeks, and the cameras in a month. Out of the city’s 3,280 zebra crossings, only 1,277 have flashing lights warning drivers to slow down…

  • Thailand NewsDeputy PM vows stricter punishments for traffic violators following fatal crosswalk accident

    Deputy PM vows stricter punishments for traffic violators following fatal crosswalk accident

    Following the deadly crosswalk accident where a police officer struck a pedestrian with his Ducati motorcycle, Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan ordered harsher legal punishments for traffic violators in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, although it has not yet been announced exactly what the punishments will be. He also called for providing info online about violators’ histories and past offences and…

  • Thailand NewsLocal coffee shop fined 500 baht for tables placed on a crosswalk

    Local coffee shop fined 500 baht for tables placed on a crosswalk

    Following the fatal accident where a police officer crashed his Ducati into a woman walking across the crosswalk, authorities throughout the country are tightening measures around traffic enforcement and working on ways to improve pedestrian safety. Many are now sharing photos of recently painted crosswalks, many painted a vibrant red to alert drivers to slow down. But one crosswalk in…

  • Thailand NewsDeputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon discusses Phuket pedestrian safety

    Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon discusses Phuket pedestrian safety

    Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon brought up pedestrian safety crossings yesterday at an online meeting with a road safety policy committee, and the interior minister. Phuket officials have now been told to paint warning lines ahead of pedestrian crossings, letting drivers know they will have to slow down soon. The group also talked about the new points system that started in…

  • Road deaths555 traffic accidents and 65 road deaths on New Year’s Eve

    555 traffic accidents and 65 road deaths on New Year’s Eve

    New Year’s Eve was the third day of the yearly Seven Dangerous Days, where the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation tracks traffic accidents and deaths, as holiday travel create a sharp increase in traffic incidents. And yesterday saw 555 traffic accidents that resulted in 535 injuries and 65 road deaths. The Road Accidents Prevention and Reduction Centre reported…

  • Road deathsDay 2 of 7 Dangerous Days sees 44 deaths, 426 road injuries

    Day 2 of 7 Dangerous Days sees 44 deaths, 426 road injuries

    On Day 2 of the Seven Dangerous Days road safety campaign, there have been a total of 85 deaths in 784 accidents. The first day saw 41 deaths and 360 injuries, and Thursday recorded 44 deaths and 426 injuries. While the numbers are higher than other periods throughout the year, accidents and injuries are down 21.5% over the same dates…

  • Transport NewsPublic transport drivers subject to safety points system from December

    Public transport drivers subject to safety points system from December

    The Department of Land Transport is implementing a points-based system to punish public transport drivers for bad behaviours starting December 1. The system will give drivers 100 points to begin with and demerit points for every violation of traffic laws or safety, resulting in a temporary suspension of their license. The Director-General of the department explained the system that will…

  • Transport NewsMotorbike law breakers: report them and win up to 20,000 baht

    Motorbike law breakers: report them and win up to 20,000 baht

    In an effort to increase traffic safety, or perhaps the fines that come with it, police are enlisting a new weapon in enforcement: you. A new program would offer the chance to win prizes of up to 20,00 baht from the Thai National Police for citizens who record and report motorbike drivers breaking traffic laws. The new programme, announced by…

  • Road deathsRoad safety group says bad roads to blame for many motorbike accidents

    Road safety group says bad roads to blame for many motorbike accidents

    The director of the road safety group, ThaiRAP, says bad roads are a significant contributor to motorbike accidents in the kingdom. Kasem Choo­charukul was commenting on Thailand having the highest number of deaths from motorbike accidents in the world. According to a Bangkok Post report, he says 3 out of 4 roads, covering a distance of 1,000 kilometres, have been…

  • Thailand video newsHot comments from the weekend! | Thaiger Bites | Ep. 16

    Hot comments from the weekend! | Thaiger Bites | Ep. 16

    Jay, Mike and Arina go through your comments and feedback from all our episodes from Friday and the weekend regarding Plants, road safety, WHO, motorbikes, tailgating and Mike’s 13 children

  • Thailand NewsMotorbike death believed to be caused by face mask

    Motorbike death believed to be caused by face mask

    PHOTO: Sanook.com A motorbike driver in the northern Thai province of Uthai Thani has died from injuries he sustained after he drove into a utility pole. Witnesses said they saw a face mask covering the motorbike driver’s eyes and they believe it obstructed his vision, causing the crash. Mew, a 43 year old Burmese national, had bought the motorbike only…

  • Thailand NewsMotorbike driver sustains serious injuries after dog walks into Pattaya road

    Motorbike driver sustains serious injuries after dog walks into Pattaya road

    A stray dog in Pattaya has wandered into the street and caused 33 year old Supanya Saeeunf to crash his motorbike. The man incurred serious injuries and his unnamed female passenger sustaining minor injuries. The dog was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency responders were called to the scene, a spot on Sukhumvit Road in front of a Big…

  • Road deathsSongkran road safety day 5: 37 deaths, 330 accidents

    Songkran road safety day 5: 37 deaths, 330 accidents

    On the fifth day of Songkran’s infamous “seven dangerous days”, there were 330 road accidents resulting in 37 deaths and 328 injuries reported across Thailand. Songkran brings an increase in travel, and with it, an unfortunate increase in traffic accidents and road deaths. With Covid-19 severely curbing festivities this year, figures are generally down, but the government continues to encourage…

  • Road deathsSongkran safety campaign Day 2: 357 road accidents, 30 deaths

    Songkran safety campaign Day 2: 357 road accidents, 30 deaths

    On the second day of the Songkran road safety campaign, officials report 30 deaths, 374 injuries and 357 road accidents, up slightly from yesterday. The week of Songkran is infamous for increased traffic incidents and is often referred to as “7 dangerous days”, prompting government officials to push a campaign to raise awareness and safety this holiday. This year the…

  • Road deaths1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths

    1st day of Songkran road safety campaign – 356 injuries, 25 deaths

    The Songkran road safety campaign is off to a moderate start with a reported 25 deaths and 356 injuries across Thailand on Saturday. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general reports that there were 348 road accidents in the country on the first day of the campaign. Though the figures don’t sound like an achievement, they are actually a fair…

  • Road deathsThai man dies after motorbike hits tree in Phuket

    Thai man dies after motorbike hits tree in Phuket

    A Thai man has died after over shooting a curb and hitting a tree in Phuket Town last night. 36 year old Narongchai Samat, from Phang Nga, became the 23rd person to die on Phuket roads this year. Phuket City Police were called around 10:15pm last night, to the scene of the accident, which was near the Phuket office of…

  • Northern Thailand NewsOutrage on social media over child sitting on roof of moving car in northern Thailand

    Outrage on social media over child sitting on roof of moving car in northern Thailand

    PHOTO: Sanook Photos of a young child sitting on the roof of a moving car have caused outrage on social media. The pictures, posted on Facebook yesterday, show the child in school uniform, sitting on the roof of a car as it travels along a main road in Lamphun province, northern Thailand. Debate rages over the images, with many pointing…

  • Pattaya NewsThai police get tough on drivers at pedestrian crosswalks in Pattaya

    Thai police get tough on drivers at pedestrian crosswalks in Pattaya

    Police in Pattaya have launched a campaign aimed at encouraging pedestrians to use crosswalks, and fining motorists who don’t stop at them. Speaking at the launch of the campaign, in front of Mueang Pattaya 8 School, Maj Arut Sapanon insists the 1,000 baht fine will be strongly enforced. “This campaign is to encourage pedestrians to use crosswalks in order to…