Fasten up: Car seats for kids are now mandatory in Thailand
Children under six years old must be placed in car seats that have proper harnesses and have passed the safety standards of the Thai Industrial Standards Institute or the drivers of the vehicles they are in will face fines of up to 2,000 baht, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) have announced.
The announcement was a reminder that the 13th amendment of the Land Traffic Act of 1879 has been effective since August 17, after being published in the Royal Gazette in May last year.
The amendment to Section 123 added two new rules stipulating that children under six must be placed in a car seat for children or a specialised seat (booster seat) to prevent injuries during accidents.
Passengers under 135cm in height must wear a seatbelt or use a specialised seat to prevent injuries in case of an accident.
Both rules apply to all private cars, pickups and minivans, but have not been extended to public vehicles, including buses or vans.
The RTP said the safety standards for children’s car seats apply to both those facing forward and backward.
Motorists who do not have a car seat are allowed to let children under six in their vehicle as long as three rules are followed:
1. Children must be placed in the back seat of vehicles with more than four seats, or in the front passenger seat of pickup trucks, but never in the truck’s bed.
2. Seat belts and harnesses must be fastened at the child’s waist.
3. Drivers must travel at slow speeds in the leftmost lane of all roads and highways.
