Your rights at a police stop in Thailand

What an officer may ask for

Under the Land Traffic Act, a traffic officer can stop a vehicle and check the driver and the vehicle. At a checkpoint that normally means:

• Your driving licence. A foreigner is usually asked for the home licence and the International Driving Permit with the right category, or a Thai licence. See how the IDP works in Thailand.
• The vehicle registration (the "green book"), the number plate and the road tax sticker.
• A helmet on the rider and on each passenger.
• Proof of the compulsory insurance, which is tied to the tax sticker.

Officers may also order a driver to stop and take a breath or drug test when they have reasonable grounds, and may give a written repair order if the vehicle is defective.

A ticket is not an arrest

For most offences the officer gives a warning or a ticket with a fixed fine. Being ticketed does not mean you are detained. You are not entitled to a lawyer or an interpreter at a roadside ticket, because it is an administrative matter, but you are entitled to know what you are being ticketed for.

Since 1 April 2026, reports say that police stopped the "warning first" approach and started fining offenders. See the fines for no licence, insurance, tax or helmet.

Paying a ticket

The ticket states where you pay: normally a police station or another designated place. Tickets issued since 2017 can also be paid at some convenience-store counters and ATMs, according to police announcements at the time. Some checkpoints have a table where the fine is collected on the spot.

Whatever the method:

1. Check the ticket

   It should name the offence, the amount and the place to pay.

2. Pay the amount on the ticket

   Not a different amount, and not "a fee" to the officer.

3. Ask for the official receipt

   Keep it. Payment settles the case, and the receipt is your proof.

4. If you disagree, say so politely

   You can contest at the station named on the ticket. Arguing at the roadside does not help.

Some riders have reported paying money and receiving no official receipt, or a paper valid for only a few days. If you are not given a proper ticket and receipt, ask the officer to write one, or go to the station.

Your licence cannot be kept

Until September 2019 an officer could take your driving licence when writing a ticket, and you got it back when you paid the fine. The Land Traffic Act amendment that took effect on 20 September 2019 removed that power. Thai licence holders can also carry a digital licence.

Reports say officers may still stop a person who appears unfit to drive safely. That is different from keeping a licence as a guarantee for a fine.

Breath tests and drug tests

When police have reasonable grounds, such as the smell of alcohol, a collision or a checkpoint, they can require a breath or drug test. Refusing a breath test is treated as drink driving, with the penalties that go with it: fines of 5,000 to 20,000 THB, possible prison and licence suspension. Refusing does not help you, so take the test.

Your passport and your documents

• Carry a photocopy of your passport photo page and your latest entry stamp, and keep the original in a safe place.
• Do not leave your passport as a deposit to avoid a ticket or to rent a vehicle.
• Keep the registration copy and the insurance certificate with the vehicle, not only on your phone.

What officers cannot do

• Keep your driving licence as security for a ticket.
• Ask for a payment without issuing a ticket, or take cash without giving a receipt.

If something does not feel right, stay calm, be polite and note the officer's name or number, the place and the time. Then report it to the tourist police.

Who to call

The tourist police can be reached on 1155, around the clock, with English-speaking staff. They cannot cancel a ticket, but they can help you understand it and where to pay. Your embassy can give consular help, but it cannot pay fines or intervene in Thai legal proceedings. After a collision, see what to do after a road accident.

Frequently asked questions