News Forum - Patong tourists charged after driving unregistered electric scooters

[Thaiger]

Four tourists in Patong were charged with using unregistered and untaxed vehicles after they drove electric scooters near a beach resort. Several people had complained that the tourists were driving the scooters recklessly, threatening the safety of pedestrians and drivers alike. One of the tourists was stopped near a police booth on Pee Road last Wednesday evening, and the other three were arrested later, and all were eventually charged. Police will investigate to find the scooters’ owners and charge them. On top of using unregistered and untaxed vehicles, police found the tourists to be posing a hazardous threat. The police […]

The story Patong tourists charged after driving unregistered electric scooters as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Grant]

Scooters?

You mean thousands of unregistered Thais with no helmets no seat belts sitting in pickups and speeding is ok , but a scooter user is very dangerous!!

Especially a tourist with money  

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

20 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

Four tourists in Patong were charged with using unregistered and untaxed vehicles after they drove electric scooters near a beach resort. Several people had complained that the tourists were driving the scooters recklessly, threatening the safety of pedestrians and drivers alike. One of the tourists was stopped near a police booth on Pee Road last Wednesday evening, and the other three were arrested later, and all were eventually charged. Police will investigate to find the scooters’ owners and charge them. On top of using unregistered and untaxed vehicles, police found the tourists to be posing a hazardous threat. The police […]

The story Patong tourists charged after driving unregistered electric scooters as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

If these tourists rented these scooters from a business, wouldn't the responsibility of registration and tax fall on the business? How would a tourist be expected to know that the registration and taxes were in good standing? This aspect seems to be missing from the article. Although it does mention that an expat opened a rental shop, it does not connect that fact to the incident.

[LoongFred]

1 minute ago, Grant said:

Scooters?

You mean thousands of unregistered Thais with no helmets no seat belts sitting in pickups and speeding is ok , but a scooter user is very dangerous!!

Especially a tourist with money  

They broke the law, so there isn't an excuse. The rules apply to everyone not just Thais. Most accidents involve scooters either gas or electric. Electric scooters are relatively new but may contribute to more accidents in the future.   

[JED1]

A few years ago I bought an electric trike for my father. I was told at the time that it was not possible to register it, but it was okay to use it locally. I would be interested to know if it is now possible to register electric trikes/motorcycles/scooters etc. I've yet to see one wearing a registration number in Rayong.

[LoongFred]

3 minutes ago, Transam said:

Where does it say unregistered Thais with no helmets, no seat belts sitting in pickups and speeding is OK....?

May I suggest, that all motorised vehicles are dangerous in the wrong untrained hands, their bank balance makes no difference to that fact.

These tourists were reported for riding dangerously on the things, perhaps they should have known better, eh...........

Well said. These tourist probably felt they were entitled to do as they pleased. When in fact they were affecting others who obeyed the laws. 

[Tim_Melb]

6 minutes ago, JED1 said:

A few years ago I bought an electric trike for my father. I was told at the time that it was not possible to register it, but it was okay to use it locally. I would be interested to know if it is now possible to register electric trikes/motorcycles/scooters etc. I've yet to see one wearing a registration number in Rayong.

I think there is a difference between a mobility scooter/trike (mobility aid) and an electric scooter (electric powered motor vehicle). 

[Drayts]

So for me as an expat this is the first time I knew of electric scooters requiring licence and registration.  Yes was aware in Europe for example UK it is a requirement. Maybe a follow up post with details type of electric powered transport that does require licence and registration and how to, and is the Thailand side or just some places.  

[Marc26]

 

 

 

I'd love if scooters were legal to rent

 

I'd love booting around them in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Johnmc17]

They have to be Russian as I was there last week and everyone was Russian bar me

[Mynemesis]

More likely Taxi Mafia or tuk-tuk drivers complained as they were loosing business.

Pity the BIB don’t take such an interest in motorbike ridden on the pavement, no front or rear number plate etc etc.

 

[Tim_Melb]

I am curious where they would draw the line on this. There are a lot of people buying electric push bikes these days and these razor type electric scooters, are they recreational or transport. Certainly in many countries the rule is based on top speed and as such most of these electric push bikes are required to be registered and insured but still most aren't until the owners get fined. 

[Cabra]

eScooters (not to be confused with scooter motorbikes) are a menace. People riding them on sidewalks, weaving past people. I've almost been hit a couple times. 

[Mynemesis]

21 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Well said. These tourist probably felt they were entitled to do as they pleased. When in fact they were affecting others who obeyed the laws. 

 Thais and obeying the law is an oxymoron.

Edited February 20, 2022 by Mynemesis

[AussieBob]

Electric scooters have been trialled and supported by environmental nutters in Govts all across Australia. The backlash is starting now - many people have been injured by idiots tearing around on 'modified' electric scooters going well over their designed 15kph - they go way too fast on public  footpaths.  Any idiot flying close to me will find out real quick what happens when one side of the handle stops suddenly - they are a menace in the hands of youngsters and they are dangerous in the hands of idiots. I have heard of deaths being caused overseas (UK?) - all in the name of environmental idiocy.  

Undoubtedly the arrested tourists were flying along the footpaths and being dangerous - and that was why Thai people reported them.   Gotta love social media - things like this get sorted quickly. 

I agree about the rental shop owner being fined for any rego/insurance issues and not the tourists - how would any tourist know. Same with tourists being fined for drinking in a bar - how the hell would you know they should not be open - ask for their licence/permit before entering?? Thailand can aim its 'guns' anywhere, but somehow they keep hitting their own feet. 

[HolyCowCm]

So how far will these Thai police push the law on their spur of the money grab minute determination of vehicles? Technically a bicyle is also a vehicle, and I am wondering what is really officially covered as written into the law other than gasoline/petrol propelled vehicles. Or is it a piece of the law that states anything as transportation rented by a business is subject to be regsitered and taxed?

If these 4 foreigners were a real danger to the public or an extreme nuisance then that's how they should have been fined, but the article says that 3 of them were arrested and so this seems way over the top. So other than a danger and nuisance to society, in this case it probably is looking like a money grab as should only be the renters who are responsible if it is in fact a real law that covers scooters and or bicylcles, skateboards, or let's go more extreme to surf boards and then going more far fetched to what next, running shoes or old people walkers, or even the family buffalo? Did they also get hit for not wearing helmets? Now there is a good one to fine them for.

But again we are in a place to where if you have a dart board at your establishment then it has to be listed, licensed and paid for or you may be on the negative side of the law. 

 

[ozz1]

up here in issaan a lot of children and adults ride them everwhere none registered but in phuket they see farang as money on wheels

Edited February 20, 2022 by ozz1
spell check

[Janneman]

If you want to cross a street you better use a pedestrian crossing. Otherwise you might be arrested for breaking a law on crossing streets. This law only applies to farangs of course.

[steve860]

They should all be crushed, along with their scooters.

[ThailandBob]

I'm glad to see that the double standard for MBs is still alive and well.  How about stopping and ticketing the countless MB drivers who drive unlighted MBs at night with 2 or 3 infants clinging on?  

[KaptainRob]

I have an idea covid lockdowns may have killed off some city scooter rental systems such as Lime in Auckland and I hope they are outlawed here as dangerous to riders and pedestrians.  Reports of death through hitting concrete poles or brakes locking up and throwing the rider were all too frequent.

They're more of a menace than jet skis and just as dangerous when misused.

[Jason]

Actually, I think the concept of electric scooters is a good one. The main difficulty is the person riding them! In my country, the speed of the scooter is regulated to 25 kilometres per hour. The "governor" on the scooter keeps it that way. But Lo and behold....if your read the instruction manual it has a section devoted entirely on how to remove the regulator to reach much higher speeds. They do provide cheap transport for around town. The price is much cheaper to acquire one. The only problem is, you can't fit your wife and three kids on it as well as yourself of course. 

[DwizzleyMatthews]

2 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

So how far will these Thai police push the law on their spur of the money grab minute determination of vehicles? Technically a bicyle is also a vehicle, and I am wondering what is really officially covered as written into the law other than gasoline/petrol propelled vehicles. Or is it a piece of the law that states anything as transportation rented by a business is subject to be regsitered and taxed?

If these 4 foreigners were a real danger to the public or an extreme nuisance then that's how they should have been fined, but the article says that 3 of them were arrested and so this seems way over the top. So other than a danger and nuisance to society, in this case it probably is looking like a money grab as should only be the renters who are responsible if it is in fact a real law that covers scooters and or bicylcles, skateboards, or let's go more extreme to surf boards and then going more far fetched to what next, running shoes or old people walkers, or even the family buffalo? Did they also get hit for not wearing helmets? Now there is a good one to fine them for.

But again we are in a place to where if you have a dart board at your establishment then it has to be listed, licensed and paid for or you may be on the negative side of the law. 

Were they foreigners ?

I only see tourists in the article .

[Jason]

Ps....But I'm sure given time, the Thais will find a way.....

[AussieBob]

42 minutes ago, Jason said:

Actually, I think the concept of electric scooters is a good one. The main difficulty is the person riding them! In my country, the speed of the scooter is regulated to 25 kilometres per hour. The "governor" on the scooter keeps it that way. But Lo and behold....if your read the instruction manual it has a section devoted entirely on how to remove the regulator to reach much higher speeds. They do provide cheap transport for around town. The price is much cheaper to acquire one. The only problem is, you can't fit your wife and three kids on it as well as yourself of course. 

All true. But as always, and yet again, the laws and rules about electric scooters will be made because of the minority that dont do the right thing - in every country.