Yes, riding a motorised suitcase on Thai roads is illegal
Traffic police say woman seen in viral video was Chinese tourist who had left the country
Riding a motorised suitcase on a public road is against the law, the Traffic Police Division said on Friday, responding to a viral video clip that sparked criticism on social media earlier this week.
The clip, posted on the Facebook page of user “Social Hunter 2022”, shows a woman riding on a suitcase on Bangkok’s busy Vibhavadi Rangsit Road near Don Mueang International Airport.
The woman was seen casually playing with her mobile phone while swiftly moving on the road. She also did not wear a helmet.
The video quickly went viral, with netizens criticizing the woman’s lack of safety concern while on a public road. Others, meanwhile, questioned why police officers had not stopped the activity that could have easily caused an accident.
The police said according to the Vehicles Act and Road Traffic Act of 1979, a suitcase is not considered a vehicle and therefore cannot be registered as one and legally used on public roads.
Using a non-vehicle on a public road is also considered “blocking the traffic”, in violation of the Road Traffic Act, police said.
The traffic police said investigations revealed that the woman in the video was a Chinese tourist who had left the country on Thursday (August 22).
The public can notify officials of any unsafe usage of public roads and vehicles at traffic police hotline 1197, it said.
