News Forum - New upper speed limit increases to 120 kilometres per hour on some Thai motorways

[Thaiger]

From yesterday, the speed limit for all traffic will now increase to 120 kilometres per hour. The change covers at least four highways in Thailand as a pilot program. The announcement was made by the director-general of the Highways Department and is already published in the Royal Gazette. There’s been a few false starts on the raising of the national speed limit in the past, partly due to the government focussing on the Covid pandemic in the country. Last year the official upper limit was changed 120 kph but wasn’t for all types of vehicles. It is envisaged that the […]

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[EdwardV]

So are they asking people to slow down, or just acknowledging the fact? 

[Ramanathan.P]

They can increase the speed limit. But are the vehicles in good condition to apply the break during emergency? Highways with high speed with "micro sleep" would be disastrous...

[ThaiEyes]

OK that means 140-150 is normal now

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, Ramanathan.P said:

They can increase the speed limit. But are the vehicles in good condition to apply the break during emergency? Highways with high speed with "micro sleep" would be disastrous...

When they are 1 meter off your tailgate, the breaks could be like an F1 race car and they still wouldn’t stop in time. I don’t know why they bother with speed limits anyway. No cop cars to catch law breakers. Just the occasional police checkpoint. Maniacs on the road so traffic laws are meaningless. 

[Skyppy]

While in western countries there’s a tendency to lower speed limits to lower accident rates and pollution. 

[Prosaap]

If the world go right thailand go left and try to invent the weel again lucky it was not a thai invention if it was it was probably square  

[stapoz]

For me mai pen rai. I always drive as fast as possible in the current traffic conditions

[Grumpish]

Thai roads have speed limits??

[cowslip]

"the older speed limits of 90 and 100 kilometres per hour were mostly exceeded by the majority of drivers anyway." - which roads have a limit of 100kph?

[cowslip]

Speeding is said to account for between 20% and 30% of accidents in Thailand. So if you raise the speed limit but change nothing else, how will you account for the deaths then?

[Skip]

So more rear end crashes... raise the minimum speed and lower the maximum so that traffic is moving together... oh wait... then the motorbike doing 30 on the superhighway would be breaking another law... besides the one about riding against the traffic on the shoulder because they don't want to go make the Uturn

[HiuMak]

The speed limit is the max limit in their cars

[Pinetree]

3 hours ago, HiuMak said:

The speed limit is the max limit in their cars

Its a lot lower than that in brain capability and hand/eye coordination, a limit of 10kph seems about right 

[cowslip]

On 5/3/2022 at 1:37 AM, Skip said:

So more rear end crashes... raise the minimum speed and lower the maximum so that traffic is moving together... oh wait... then the motorbike doing 30 on the superhighway would be breaking another law... besides the one about riding against the traffic on the shoulder because they don't want to go make the Uturn

Motorbikes are not allowed on expressways, are they permitted on motorways?

[Skip]

13 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

Motorbikes are not allowed on expressways, are they permitted on motorways?

Tell that to the hundreds of motorbike riders doing 30 kph on the expressways here in Chiang Mai...

[KaptainRob]

42 minutes ago, Skip said:

Tell that to the hundreds of motorbike riders doing 30 kph on the expressways here in Chiang Mai...

A 60 year old died yesterday after apparently crossing into the fast lane on highway #11 - I've see similar, albeit near-misses, on many occasions.  I can only surmise his intent was to take the u-turn (see in distance), and crossed lanes, hidden behind other traffic, before he was clipped by a ~ 100kmph vehicle.  Tyre marks indicate the car braked heavily but was otherwise blocked in by the high median strip.

[cowslip]

On 5/5/2022 at 1:16 AM, Skip said:

Tell that to the hundreds of motorbike riders doing 30 kph on the expressways here in Chiang Mai...

I don't think Chiang Mai has any expressways.

[Cabra]

Bass Ackwards

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, Transam said:

Depends on what you call an expressway, but CM does have a few roads built to smooth things out...

It's not what "I" call it - they are defined by law.

 

Thailand has different controlled-access highway systems with specific laws regarding vehicles that are allowed to use them.

The expressways are operated by the Expressway Authority of Thailand, motorcycles are not allowed on these

The motorways are operated by the Department of Highways and I believe motorcycles are also banned from these.

The photos in previous posts just show a standard highway. The are mostly archaic in design and construction – for instance they still have U-turns accessible from the central (fast) lanes and improperly designed central reservations.

The image you have posted has no caption so I don't know where/what it is. but usually at the tolls, they have a list of traffic that is not allowed s well as speed restrictions.

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Khunwilko

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

39 minutes ago, Khunwilko said:

but usually at the tolls, they have a list of traffic that is not allowed

Oh, tolls, someone who collects money ….. a small bribe maybe?

[cowslip]

15 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Oh, tolls, someone who collects money ….. a small bribe maybe?

No, tolls with toll booths, surely you have seen them?

[Faz]

2 hours ago, Khunwilko said:

It's not what "I" call it - they are defined by law.

They are defined by what Thailand calls them.
Expressways, motorways, superhighways.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

1 hour ago, Khunwilko said:

No, tolls with toll booths, surely you have seen them?

Yes, …. and someone in the toll booth collects the money. Maybe as long as the pay the ferryman they can get across to the other side!

[cowslip]

1 hour ago, Faz said:

They are defined by what Thailand calls them.
Expressways, motorways, superhighways.

Yes - Expressways and Motorways have a legal definition and sets of rules that apply. The so-called "Superhighway" is the name given to the Chiang Mai bypass I don't think it has a legal status. It's Route 11, I haven't been up there for some time and I don't know what status it has. Looking at the image above it looks like a standard "National Highway" - which used to have the national 90 limit although that has been raised in some places to that of the motorways (120kph). (v. OP) I believe the expressways still have a limit of 80 kph. 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by Khunwilko