Vehicle drivers or vehicle owners know that when they have to renew their road tax, if any fine remains unpaid, they will have to clear it before getting their new road tax document. Now a similar thing happens to Motorists who refuse to pay their traffic fines in Bangkok, they could face arrest under the latest measure ordered by the Royal Thai Police, in June 2022.

Under the new measure which takes immediate effect, the steps are as follows:1

Firstly, after motorists are issued a traffic violation ticket, either on the spot or by mail, they are given a specific period of time to pay the fine.

If the motorists fail to pay the fine before the deadline, the police would mail them a written warning within 15 days of the deadline.

The motorists are then given another 15 days to pay the fine. They have the option of paying electronically via the Krungthai Bank, through counter services at convenience stores, by mail or at police stations nationwide.

‘In the event that the driver or the owner of the vehicle sees that he/she has not violated or failed to comply with the provisions of the law. A letter of defence against such allegation shall be made within fifteen days from the date of receipt of the notification to pay file The counter-notification letter shall be sent by reply mail or by any other method provided by the Royal Thai Police.2

Failure to settle the fine or defence after the warning would result in the motorists being served with up to two summonses by police.

If the motorists do not respond to the two summonses, the police will ask a court to issue an arrest warrant,3 so the motorists are subject to arrest anywhere in the kingdom. If they are traveling out of the country, the police can apprehend them at the airport.

Note, before the police ask the court for an arrest warrant, the police must provide 15 days written notice to the driver or vehicle owner to prove their innocence if the car wasn’t’ driven by him/her as mentioned above. This procedure raises a lot of paperwork for the police. It needs good management to prevent the expiration of the case, which is a 1 year prescriptions, easily expired.

The motorists will be charged with avoiding fines, which is punishable by fines of up to 1,000 baht.

The offence will be listed in their criminal record, which could hurt their credit score and employment prospects, and also make it harder for them to carry out certain legal transactions.

The measure compels motorists to be more disciplined drivers and also help improve road safety. Remember that your and other safety is primordial, and if you face any legal driving issues, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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  1. The measure by virtue of the Road Traffic Act No.12 B.E. 2562 (2019), section 140-142/8
  2. The Road Traffic Act No.12 B.E. 2562, Section 141/1
  3. Criminal Procedure Code, Section 66 ‘If a case is punishable by a maximum of 3 years and had reason to believe that he had escaped’