Thai police will begin a nationwide enforcement campaign on June 1 targeting motorcyclists and their passengers who fail to wear crash helmets, with violators facing fines of up to 2,000 baht. The initiative seeks to reduce road accidents and enhance public safety.
The campaign forms part of the newly launched “Safe Roads Project,” aimed at promoting better traffic discipline and road safety awareness. Police authorities have confirmed that the effort will include heightened enforcement measures, especially in accident-prone zones and near educational institutions.
Under the directive, both drivers and passengers are required to wear helmets at all times when riding a motorcycle. First-time offenders will be fined 2,000 baht, a significant increase from the previous penalty of 500 baht. Repeat offenders may face double the fine.
Pol Lt Gen Nitithorn Jintakanon, who leads the traffic police image enhancement taskforce, announced the campaign on May 27. According to his statement, provincial police have been instructed to identify key areas with frequent traffic violations and allocate enforcement resources accordingly.
Authorities will focus on roads with a history of high accident rates and on routes near schools, where compliance with traffic regulations is often lower. The goal, officials say, is to curb the high rate of fatalities and injuries among motorcycle users in the country.
Pol Lt Gen Nitithorn and other senior officials attended the press briefing announcing the initiative.
