Driving rules, speed limits and fines in Thailand

The basics

• Drive on the left. Keep to the left lane unless overtaking, turning or driving faster than the traffic on your left.
• Overtake on the right, never on the left unless the vehicle ahead is turning right or the road has two or more lanes your way.
• Seat belts for the driver and all passengers, including the back seat (since the 2022 amendment).
• Child restraint for children under 6. The start date is disputed, see below.
• Helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers.
• Phone only hands-free, never in your hand.
• Headlights on when you cannot see clearly beyond about 150 metres.
• Signal at least 60 metres before turning, changing lanes or stopping.

Speed limits

The limits below come from the 2021 ministerial regulations. Posted signs always override them. On roads without a posted limit, the category limits apply.

The 120 km/h applies to designated, divided stretches without junctions or U-turns at road level. Elsewhere, assume 90 km/h and obey the signs.

Alcohol

• 50 mg% (50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood) for ordinary drivers.
• 20 mg% for drivers under 20, holders of a temporary licence, and anyone driving without a valid licence for that vehicle.
• Penalty: a fine of 5,000–20,000 THB and/or up to one year in prison, and a licence suspension of at least six months. If you cause injury or death the penalties rise sharply.
• Refusing to be tested is an offence in itself (a fine of up to 1,000 THB under the Act), and the officer can hold you for the time needed to examine you.

Fines: what the numbers really mean

You will see lists of fines that look very high. They are usually the statutory maximums, quadrupled by the 2022 amendment. The amount on a roadside ticket is set separately and is normally lower, but you can be taken to court for the full amount.

These are the maximums announced in the April 2026 enforcement campaign (The Thaiger). We found no reliable parking figure.

The 12-point licence system

Since January 2023, every licence starts with 12 points.

• Lose all 12 points and your licence is suspended for 90 days.
• Points come back automatically a year after the offence, and you can recover some by attending a training course.
• Driving while suspended is a separate offence, with a prison term of up to three months.
• You can check your balance on the police e-ticket website or the Khub Dee app.

Point values and the foreign-licence position come from news reports from 2022 and 2023. Check the current table before you rely on it.

Junctions, roundabouts and priority

• At a junction with no signs or lights, if two vehicles arrive together the vehicle on the left goes first, unless one of the roads is a designated main road.
• Vehicles already in the junction go first.
• At a roundabout with no signs or signals, give way to vehicles coming from your right.
• Turning right: let oncoming vehicles pass first. Vehicles turning left give way to vehicles turning right.
• Emergency vehicles with lights or siren: pull over to the left and never stop inside a junction.
• School buses picking up or dropping off: slow down and pass with great care.

Where you may not stop or park

Also never on a bridge or in a tunnel, on a footpath, double parked, or where a sign or red-and-white kerb says no. Parked vehicles must be within 25 cm of the kerb.

Frequently asked questions