Thailand traffic fines in 2026: table
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Speeding by up to 30 km/h | ฿500–1,000 |
| Speeding by more than 30 km/h | ฿1,000–4,000 |
| Running a red light | ฿1,000–4,000 |
| Drink-driving | ฿5,000–20,000 |
| Driving without an IDP | ฿500–1,000 |
| No seat belt | ฿500–2,000 |
| Phone in hand while driving | ฿400–1,000 |
| Parking where prohibited | ฿500–1,000 |
| Leaving the scene of an accident | ฿up to 10,000 |
| Driving on the hard shoulder or in the oncoming lane | ฿400–1,000 |
| Child without a car seat | ฿up to 2,000 |
| Not giving way at a zebra crossing | ฿up to 4,000 |
Prices are shown in Thai baht (฿). If not paid within 30 days the fine doubles; at 60 days the car is blocked in the DLT system and you won't be able to leave the country. MonkeyCar receives fine notifications within 1–7 days and contacts you for payment.
What is the fine for speeding by up to 30 km/h?
Fine ฿500–1,000.
This is the most common offence in Phuket: cameras on Bypass Road, Thep Krasattri and at the entrance to Patong record the number plate and save a frame with the time and speed.
The fine reaches the rental company within 1–7 days, and MonkeyCar deducts the amount from the deposit. You can pay it at any 7-Eleven by barcode or at the Land Transport Office in Phuket Town.
If it is 30 days overdue the amount doubles; at 60 days the car is blocked in the DLT system and cannot be driven out of the country.
What is the fine for speeding by more than 30 km/h?
Fine ฿1,000–4,000.
This is a serious offence: besides the fine, the police write a report that may include suspending your licence for up to 6 months.
On the hill roads of Kathu, Patong and Promthep Cape mobile radars are in use: an officer stands at the roadside and stops you on the spot. The Bypass and the road to the airport have fixed cameras.
If speeding by more than 30 km/h is recorded in an accident, the insurer reduces the payout or refuses it, and the driver is found at fault.
What is the fine for running a red light?
Fine ฿1,000–4,000.
Junctions in Patong, Chalong, at Central Festival and Tesco Lotus have number-plate recognition cameras. The ticket comes with a photo of the car, the time and the light phase, so it is almost impossible to dispute.
Do not try to beat the amber light: there is only a 1–2 second pause between phases.
If someone is injured when you run a red light, the insurance does not cover the damage, and the driver is summoned to the district police station.
What is the fine for drink-driving?
Fine ฿5,000–20,000.
The limit is 0.5‰ blood alcohol, or 0.2‰ for drivers under 20 and holders of a temporary licence. Breath-test checkpoints go up on Friday and Saturday evenings at the entrances to Patong, Chalong and Rawai.
A driver who fails the test is held until morning and a report is written; the law allows for losing your licence and up to 1 year in prison.
After a positive test the insurance covers no accident, neither your own damage nor anyone else's. If you have been drinking, call Bolt or Grab: they run across the island around the clock.
What is the fine for driving without an IDP?
Fine ฿500–1,000.
A Russian licence without an International Driving Permit (IDP) is not valid in Thailand. If you are checked without an IDP, you get a fine and a report.
After an accident the consequences are worse: the insurer can refuse to pay, and the driver covers the damage.
An IDP is issued at home by the GIBDD or an MFC centre, usually in one visit, and is valid for three years. Carry it together with your national licence: neither document is valid on its own.
What is the fine for not wearing a seat belt?
Fine ฿500–2,000.
Every passenger must wear a belt, back seats included. The fine is charged separately for each unbelted person, and the officer can see it through the glass as you approach the checkpoint.
At the fixed checkpoints in Chalong, at the Sarasin Bridge and on the Bypass, seat belts are the most common reason tourists are stopped. Buckle up as soon as you get in, in the back too.
Children under 6 need a child seat and children up to 9 a booster. You can order them when booking at ฿100 a day each; give the child's age in advance.
What is the fine for holding a phone while driving?
Fine ฿400–1,000.
At the wheel you may only use a phone on speaker or with a Bluetooth headset, as required by section 43(9) of the Land Traffic Act. If an officer sees a phone in your hand, you get a fine of ฿400–1,000 and a note in the report. The "up to ฿4,000" figure seen in some reviews applies to speeding, red lights and zebra crossings.
The insurance consequences are worse: if you had a phone in your hand during an accident (shown by dashcam footage, witnesses or your own admission), the insurer refuses to pay and you cover the repair yourself.
Put the phone in a holder on the windscreen or air vent and set the route before you move off.
What is the fine for parking where it is prohibited?
Fine ฿500–1,000.
Look at the kerb markings: signs are often in Thai only. Red-and-white kerbs mean no parking and no stopping; yellow-and-white allow only a short stop to drop off or pick up.
In the Old Town, on Bangla Road, at Central Festival and Jungceylon cars are towed every day. Towing plus the fine costs up to ฿5,000, and the car is taken to the impound lot in Kathu.
Use the paid car parks at shopping centres or the legal car parks marked in Google Maps.
What happens if you leave the scene of an accident?
Fine ฿up to 10,000.
Leaving the scene of an accident is a criminal offence in Thailand, even if the damage is minimal and nobody is hurt.
The penalty is up to 6 months in prison, and a foreigner may face deportation.
After any contact with another car, a motorbike or an obstacle, stop at once, turn on the hazard lights, leave the car where it is and call the tourist police on 1155 (English spoken). Then tell your MonkeyCar manager: the contact is in your agreement.
What is the fine for driving on the hard shoulder or in the oncoming lane?
Fine ฿400–1,000.
Using the hard shoulder to get round a jam or crossing into the oncoming lane to overtake is prohibited. The police record it, and other drivers' dashcam footage is accepted as evidence.
On single-lane stretches on the way to Krabi and Phang Nga, overtake only where the line is broken and the oncoming lane is completely clear.
If an accident happens during such a manoeuvre, the insurer refuses to pay, and whoever was in the oncoming lane or on the shoulder is found at fault.
What is the fine for a child without a car seat?
Fine ฿up to 2,000.
Under Thai law (since 2022) children under 6 must ride in a child seat, and children up to 9 who have outgrown it on a booster with a belt. The fine is up to ฿2,000, and it is issued at an ordinary checkpoint during the same check as adult seat belts.
A child seat or booster can be ordered when booking: ฿100 a day each, up to two per car. Give the child's age in your request so the seat comes with the car.
If a child rode without a seat during an accident, the insurer may reduce the payout for that claim, citing the breach of child transport rules.
What is the fine for not giving way to a pedestrian on a zebra crossing?
Fine ฿up to 4,000.
If a driver does not stop at a zebra crossing and let a pedestrian cross, the fine is up to ฿4,000. The 2022 amendments to the Land Traffic Act raised it from ฿1,000, together with the fines for speeding and running a red light.
In Phuket cars often do not stop at crossings, and pedestrians are used to waiting for a gap in traffic. Slow down at every crossing anyway, especially near schools, markets and in Patong, and stop if someone has already stepped onto the crossing.
Hitting a pedestrian is an accident with an injured person: stop, call an ambulance (1669) and the police (191), and tell MonkeyCar. You must not leave the scene, even if the person gets up and walks away.
