The Phuket News this week confirmed that a local driver was fined B1,000 for driving with an expired licence, even though he had booked a renewal appointment more than two weeks before the expiry date, and the earliest slot available was nearly three months later.
The driver was stopped at a checkpoint operated by Wichit Police. Upon inspection, officers found that his licence had expired on Apr 23.
The man showed evidence that he had booked a renewal appointment on Apr 7, 16 days before the expiry. However, the earliest available session at the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) was not until July 24.
Despite this, Wichit Police fined him for driving with an expired licence. Asked why, Wichit Police Chief Pol Col Somsak Thongkliang took the simplest understanding of the law.
“You can renew your licence three to six months before it expires,” he said. “If you don’t do it in time, it’s still a violation of the law. Even if you are already booking, even with evidence, does not change the fact that you are driving without a valid licence.”
PLTO Chief Adcha Buachan admitted what everyone else already knows ‒ that delays in renewing licences in Phuket are common, taking drivers’ months to get the opportunity from the PLTO to do so.
Mr Adcha said the problem was due to overwhelming demand and limited capacity. We handle 300-400 bookings a day, and we’re still not keeping up,” he said. “The number of exam rooms, instructors and testing equipment is simply not enough to serve Phuket’s real population, including the large hidden population and foreign residents.”
Asked about complaints that many people are now going to neighbouring provinces such as Phang Nga and Krabi to renew their licence, Mr Adcha said, “We are aware of this. Our resources are limited, and we’ve asked the central office in Bangkok to approve more branches in Phuket, but so far it hasn’t happened,”
In response to allegations that driver’s licence agents are booking out all the slots to give the earliest slots to their own customers, Mr Adcha deflected from the actual question asked.
“Those agents only help with training and documents that need to be prepared. People still have to come in person to get their licence and make bookings like everyone else,” he said.
“Under current law, drivers can renew their licence up to three months in advance or within one year after it expires. “However, with wait times as long as three months, drivers are advised to book as early as possible to avoid falling into legal trouble,” he added.
While saying that drivers’ had up to one year to renew their licence, Mr Adcha avoided making any comment on the Phuket driver being fined B1,000 despite already booking to renew his licence with the PLTO.
NEW LINE
According to Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pol Col Phatsakorn Sonthikun, the fine could have been as much as B2,000.
“Authorities now check for valid driving licenses at road checkpoints. If the license is invalid or missing, the vehicle is impounded and both the driver and rental company face a maximum fine of B2,000,” he told The Phuket News.
Phuket Provincial Police recorded a total of 5,058 traffic violations between Apr 18 and May 15, with driving without a license topping the list at 3,995 cases, noted Pol Col Phatsakorn, who also serves as Chairman of the Phuket Provincial Road Safety Committee.
The top offenses during the period also included not wearing a helmet (672), running red lights (110), unsafe motorbike modifications (93), drunk driving (60), driving against traffic (47), not wearing seatbelts (40), unsafe overtaking (32) and using mobile phones while driving (9).
According to the report cited by Pol Col Phatsakorn, Phuket Town recorded the highest number of traffic offenses at 1,426 cases, followed by Patong (1,031), Chalong (667) and Karon (575).
Other areas included Kathu (441), Wichit (356), Cherng Talay (271), Thalang (214), and Tha Chatchai (27). Smaller areas such as Sakhu and Kamala saw fewer violations, with 18 and 32 cases respectively.
Focusing solely on driving without a license, Phuket Town again led with 1,076 cases, followed by Patong (861), Chalong (593), Karon (514), Kathu (370), Wichit (257), Cherng Talay and Thalang (145 each), Tha Chatchai (14), Sakhu (11) and Kamala (9).
Pol Col Phatsakorn believes the efforts to improve road safety by targetting unlicensed drivers are working. From Jan 1 to May 21, a span of 141 days, Phuket recorded 42 road fatalities and 11,874 injuries ‒ giving an average of 84 injuries each day and one death every three days.
“This effort has contributed to a drop in the road death rate compared with last year’s 148 fatalities and over 25,000 injuries [for all of 2024],” he said.
FOREIGNERS
Pol Col Phatsakorn emphasised that foreign tourists, especially Russian nationals in the first ranking of the number of fatalities, are frequently involved in traffic accidents. Common issues include renting vehicles without licenses or sufficient driving skills.
“We’ve seen tourists crash on their own, hit locals or go off-road and die,” he said. “So we’ve launched a project since late last year to educate car rental shops, run public
campaigns via consulates, and push out warnings through roadside signage and online media.”
The Phuket News notes that Phuket police have been running such campaigns for many years, but with little effect on the toll of deaths and injuries on the island’s roads.
To that end, Pol Col Phatsakorn explained that soon a new ‘Safety App’ ‒ a digital system that tracks rental vehicles and alerts car owners when their vehicles are involved in violations ‒ will be launched.
“The app will be launched this August. The app helps officers identify which shops rented vehicles to unlicensed drivers, allowing for quicker legal action,” he explained.
“The system will register Phuket’s 197 [legally registered] car rental shops and more than 2,000 vehicles. When a violation occurs, the app identifies the responsible rental agency and alerts both the police and the company,” Pol Col Phatsakorn said..
“It ensures we can track which shop rented the vehicle illegally and hold them accountable. This will speed up investigations and deter shops from renting to unlicensed drivers.”
The app will also connect with schools. If a student is stopped for a violation, the system will notify their institution, triggering disciplinary actions such as warnings or behaviour score adjustments and cultivating traffic rules within students, Pol Col Phatsakorn added.
POINTS
The driver’s licence points system launched in 2023 ‒ which has points automatically deducted for traffic violations ‒ is active and in use, Pol Col Phatsakorn also confirmed.
PLTO Chief Mr Adcha confirmed that between January and April this year, police recorded 5,922 cases involving drunk driving or failure to wear a helmet.
“The system has the same12 points per driver’s licence, with deductions for violations,” he said. “One-point deductions apply to minor offenses such as not wearing a seatbelt or helmet, using a mobile phone while driving, speeding, or failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing.
“More serious violations, like running red lights or driving while a licence is suspended, result in two-point deductions,” he added.
“Offenses such as drunk driving, hit-and-run incidents, or reckless behaviour under the influence of drugs can lead to three or four points being deducted,” Mr Adcha continued.
If a driver’s points reach zero, their licence is suspended for 90 days. After one year, the 12 points are restored automatically. Alternatively, drivers can attend Department of Land Transport training courses to reclaim points sooner up to 12 points depending on the training duration and test results, he said.
Mr Adcha added that people can check how many points they have left on their licences at https://ptm.police.go.th/eTicket/ or through the mobile app ‘KHUB DEE’.
NO LICENSE
However, the points system has no effect at all on drivers without licences, Pol Col Phatsakorn plainly admitted.
Meanwhile, the fines being levied by the courts are too low to deter repeat offenders, he lamented.
“The 1979 Traffic Law is outdated, fines are too low to act as deterrents, and many locals still drive without a license because of the bureaucratic difficulty of obtaining one,” he said.
“Police acknowledged that despite ongoing checkpoints, fines and warnings, the number of people driving without a license remains persistently high,” he added.
“I proposed deploying more branches of driver licensing units to issue driving licenses directly within communities, but the PLTO rejected the idea.
“Opening more branches would make it much easier for people ‒ especially those living in other areas ‒ to access licensing services. If the service came closer to them, more people would register and obtain proper licenses,” Pol Col Phatsakorn explained.
“Right now, many people would rather pay a small fine than spend half a day traveling and waiting to get a license,” he added.
He also proposed installing GPS systems in private vehicles to monitor and enforce speed limits in school zones and urban areas.
“Excessive speed is a killer. GPS alerts could automatically trigger fines via the Department of Land Transport,” he said.
TRAFFIC COURT
Pol Col Phatsakorn is urging the central government to establish a dedicated traffic court in Phuket.
“Under the current system, offenders pay fines directly to the police, often via mobile banking, and walk away without further consequence,” he said.
“Currently, the Phuket Provincial Kwaeng court applies the same standard fines for traffic violations, with no further legal consequences. That’s why I’m calling for the establishment of a dedicated traffic court, or at least a new division within the Provincial Court, specifically to handle and properly penalise traffic offenders,” he explained.
Anuwat Nitayawiwat, Specialist Case Officer at the Kwaeng Court in Phuket Town, confirmed to The Phuket News that the court only handles serious cases.
“We do not handle minor traffic violations or petty offenses ‒ those are the responsibility of the police. However, in more serious cases, such as drunk driving or causing injury in an accident, the court becomes involved,” he said.
Yet, Pol Col Phatsakorn wants harsher legal action against offenders.
“Real deterrence comes when violators must waste time in court, do community service or face deportation if they’re foreign nationals,” he said.
“Now no one is afraid. We arrest thousands, and the problem remains,” he added.
A traffic court, Pol Col Phatsakorn argued, would have the authority to impose jail time, probation and behaviour correction orders, measures beyond police jurisdiction.
Pol Col Phatsakorn emphasised the need for a traffic court in Phuket to enable stricter enforcement and sentencing.
“In terms of increasing penalties, the law must be amended. The Traffic Act has been in place since 1979,” he explained.
“If the police were to amend the law, it would be difficult. However, if we work together to push for a traffic court, it would be faster. People would be more afraid of the penalty,” he added.
“Traffic courts already exist in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, where they help expedite traffic-related cases and impose more effective punishments. Without such a court in Phuket, legal consequences for violators remain limited,” Pol Phatsakorn concluded.