The Royal Thai Police and the Department of Land Transport have signed an MOU to link new traffic fine data starting 1 August 2026. Failure to pay fines will affect annual vehicle tax renewal but will not apply retroactively to past fines.
On 23 July 2026 at the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, together with Mr. Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Deputy Minister of Transport, Police General Samran Nualma, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Mr. Sorapong Paitoonpong, Director-General of the Department of Land Transport, along with executives from the Digital Government Development Agency (DGA), Krungthai Bank Public Company Limited, and other related government agencies, jointly signed the first amendment to the memorandum of understanding to enhance electronic data linkage for improved enforcement of road traffic laws between the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Land Transport.
The signing of this MOU aligns with the government’s policy under the 2022-2027 Road Safety Master Plan aiming to reduce road fatalities to 12 per 100,000 population, consistent with United Nations guidelines. A key element in addressing accidents is effective law enforcement.
Currently, Thailand faces a rising trend in traffic accidents causing significant loss, partly due to poor traffic discipline and ineffective law enforcement. Millions of unpaid traffic fines remain outstanding, undermining public confidence among road users and tourists. Previously, data linkage between the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Land Transport proved effective in enforcing laws and reducing accidents steadily during that period.
Therefore, the government directed the Royal Thai Police and Department of Land Transport to discuss ways to improve law enforcement effectiveness by upgrading the traffic fine data linkage system in line with Administrative Court rulings, upholding rule of law and international standards. The public will have access to view and verify their fines during payment, with details including copies of fines, notification documents, postal receipts, and information about the issuing traffic officers.
This facilitates convenience for citizens renewing annual vehicle tax at transport offices. If outstanding fines exist, they can be checked and paid immediately at the transport registration office. This also strengthens law enforcement for vehicle owners with unpaid fines who, despite paying tax, will not receive the official tax sticker until all fines are settled.
The linkage of unpaid fine data will apply only to fines issued to drivers violating traffic laws from 1 August 2026 onward and will not affect prior fines. The legal procedures for traffic fines remain unchanged. Information about unpaid fines affecting annual tax renewal will be sent to the Department of Land Transport. If the first fine after 1 August 2026 is not paid, a legal notification letter will be sent. If the fine remains unpaid after this notification within approximately 60 to 90 days from the fine issuance date, the unpaid fine data will be linked to the Department of Land Transport. It is expected that between October and November 2026, people renewing their tax at transport offices will begin to see their outstanding fines in the system.
This MOU signing integrates data to establish standardized, rule-of-law-based, international law enforcement practices, following Administrative Court rulings. It serves as a key mechanism to change driving behaviors, promote traffic discipline, enhance safety for road users, provide international standards and peace of mind for tourists, and ensure sustainable road safety for the nation.
Additionally, the event featured exhibitions promoting traffic discipline and road safety, such as the railroad crossing exhibition by Metropolitan Police Division 4, law enforcement exhibition by the Traffic Police Division, and exhibitions by the DGA and Krungthai Bank Public Company Limited.