How much are traffic fines in Thailand in 2026?

Thailand's Land Traffic Act was amended in 2022 (No. 13, B.E. 2565). The amendment was published in the Royal Gazette on 7 May 2022 and the higher fines took effect on 5 September 2022, according to the Public Relations Department. They are still the ceilings in 2026. A government notice for the police's nationwide enforcement drive from 1 April 2026 quotes the same 4,000 baht maximums for speeding, red lights and failing to stop at a zebra crossing. It also says officers would stop letting drivers off with a warning.

Offence Maximum penalty Points deducted
Speeding Fine up to 4,000 baht 1
Running a red light Fine up to 4,000 baht 2
Not stopping for pedestrians at a zebra crossing Fine up to 4,000 baht 1
No helmet (driver or passenger) Fine up to 2,000 baht 1
No seat belt Fine up to 2,000 baht 1
Driving against the traffic Fine up to 2,000 baht 2
Illegal parking Fine up to 2,000 baht —
Holding a phone while driving — 1
Drink-driving, first offence Up to 1 year in jail or 5,000 to 20,000 baht 4
Drink-driving again within 2 years Up to 2 years in jail and 50,000 to 100,000 baht 4
Reckless or dangerous driving Up to 1 year in jail, fine of 5,000 to 20,000 baht 4

Fines are from the Sakon Nakhon PRD summary and Radio Thailand; point values come from the Surin PRD explainer. Most fines are ceilings, so the amount written on a ticket can be lower.

Points on your licence

Since 9 January 2023, Thai drivers start with 12 points, per the Surin PRD explainer. Offences cost one to four points, and a driver who reaches zero is banned for 90 days. Points come back one year after the offence.

The system is tied to Thai licence records. The sources checked do not explain how points apply to a foreign licence or IDP, so for a visitor the fine and the ticket are the parts that certainly bite.

What is the drink-driving limit in Thailand?

A ministerial regulation published on 20 September 2024 sets the legal alcohol levels, as summarised by the Public Relations Department.

Driver Blood alcohol treated as drunk Breath equivalent
Most licensed drivers Over 50 mg per 100 ml Over 0.25 mg per litre
Under 20, provisional licence, commercial categories, no licence or a suspended licence Over 20 mg per 100 ml Over 0.10 mg per litre

The regulation converts breath readings to blood levels with a factor of 2,000; the breath column applies that factor. Breath testing is the main method, with urine or blood tests as alternatives.

What happens at a Thai police checkpoint?

If you are waved into a police checkpoint, what changes the outcome is having the right papers and knowing how a fine is meant to be handled.

How do you pay a traffic ticket in Thailand?

Tickets are managed in the Royal Thai Police's Police Ticket Management system, known as PTM. A government explainer from January 2026 describes three kinds of ticket:

  • handwritten tickets given to the driver or left on the car
  • camera tickets, for speed and red-light offences, posted with photo evidence to the vehicle owner's address
  • e-tickets, issued on an officer's handheld device and uploaded immediately

The same source lists these payment channels: the Krungthai NEXT app, the Pao Tang app, other service points, police stations, Thailand Post offices and Krungthai branches. Each ticket carries a payment deadline. If it passes, the system posts a warning notice that allows another 15 days. After that, the case goes to the Department of Land Transport's system, and the vehicle's annual tax renewal is blocked until it is settled. The police say outstanding tickets can be checked online through the PTM e-ticket service.

What that means in a rental car

A rental car is registered to the company, so every camera ticket goes to the company first. The rental terms decide what happens next.

Company What the terms say about fines
Avis Thailand Tolls and traffic tickets are not included in the rental price; breaking traffic law cancels the damage protections
Drive Car Rental Will contact you about speeding tickets, possibly months after the rental, and charge an administration fee on top of the fine

Worked scenario: a camera ticket after a Doi Suthep day trip

You drive up to Doi Suthep, and a speed camera records the car on the way back into town. The ticket, with the camera photo, is posted to the rental company as the owner. By the time it arrives, you have already flown home.

The company now has a ticket of up to 4,000 baht for speeding that will block the car's tax renewal if it stays unpaid. Under terms like Drive Car Rental's, it contacts you and recovers the fine plus an administration fee. Most of that cost is avoidable by keeping to posted limits and, if you are stopped in person, paying the ticket yourself before you return the car.

Mountain roads and weather

Many of the drives that tempt visitors out of Chiang Mai, including the long loop through Pai and Mae Hong Son, are steep and twisting mountain routes. Use a low gear on long descents, keep the fuel tank topped up, and plan to arrive before dark.

Rainy-season flooding is a rental risk as much as a safety one. Avis voids its protections if you drive through flooded areas, and Hertz Thailand charges 10,000 baht for flood damage to the floor or underbody, rising to 30,000 baht if the whole car is affected, whatever cover you bought.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists 191 for police, 1669 for medical emergencies and 1584 for transport complaints.

Before booking, check the licence and insurance rules in our guide to renting a car in Thailand. If you would rather not drive, songthaews, ride-hailing apps and scooters in Chiang Mai compares the local options, and getting around Phuket without a scooter does the same for the island.