Ministerial regulation for speed limits on tollways introduced

This month, Thailand’s transport ministry issued a new regulation under the Highway Act 1992 covering speed limits on concession highways, or tollways as they are more commonly known.

Under the new rule: trucks exceeding a vehicle weight of 2,200 kilograms or passenger buses with more than 15 seats must not exceed 80 km/h; vehicles towing another vehicle or small four-wheel vehicles must not exceed 65 km/h; and school buses or student transport vehicles must not exceed 80 km/h.

Other vehicles must not exceed 100 km/h. If travelling in the rightmost lane, they must maintain a speed of at least 90 km/h, except in cases where traffic conditions, visibility limitations, obstacles, or other disruptions prevent compliance.

In areas where traffic signs indicate a danger zone or a slow-driving zone, drivers must reduce speed and exercise increased caution as appropriate.

If traffic signs specify a lower speed limit than those set in Section 1, drivers must not exceed the speed limit indicated on the sign.

The regulation is designed to establish appropriate speed limits for vehicles on concession highways, aligning with the physical characteristics of the roads to ensure traffic flow, convenience, and safety for all road users.

Currently, there is only one concession highway, the Uttaraphimuk Elevated Tollway: Din Daeng – Anusawari or Victory Monument (aka highway no. 5 ) and this new regulation is the first to regulate speed limits for vehicles on such roads. The only existing regulation is the Ministerial Regulation on Speed Limits for Driving on Roadways 2564 (2021), which serves as a general law setting speed limits for road traffic but does not specifically address the characteristics of concession highways.

As a result, traffic on concession highways has not been as smooth as it should be, and violations involving excessive speeding have frequently occurred.